IKMAS SEMINAR SERIES NO.8/2015: Singapore General Elections 2015: What Happened?

IKMAS SEMINAR SERIES NO.8/2015

THE INSTITUTE OF MALAYSIAN AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES (IKMAS) UNIVERSITI KEBANGSAAN MALAYSIA cordially invites you to;

Title: Singapore General Elections 2015: What Happened?
Dr Terence Chong
Senior Fellow
ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute
Singapore

Date     :  16th  October 2015 (Friday)
Time    :  10.00 am – 12.00 pm
Venue :   IKMAS Seminar Room

Abstract

In 2011, the ruling People’s Action Party suffered its worst result at the polls since independence with 60.1 per cent of the vote. Liberal immigration policies, coupled with inadequate housing and transport infrastructure, were blamed for PAP’s poor showing. Fast-forward to the 2015 General Election held on 11 September. For the first time since the city-sate’s independence all Parliamentary seats were contested, allowing 2.4 million Singaporeans to cast their vote. This time the PAP won 69.8 per cent of the popular vote while all opposition parties experienced a decline in their vote share. This was a near 10 per cent swing, thus reversing the incumbent’s vote share decline that began in 2006. Out of 89 seats, the PAP won 82, with the other seven seats going to The Workers; Party (WP). What happen? How did the PAP claw back its support?

This seminar offers several explanations for the PAP’s big win. It will examine key social policies that have been put in place since 2011 as well as the psychological impact of the passing of the nation’s first Prime Minister in March this year. It will also attempt to interpret what the results say about the Singaporean voter and the implications for governance and politics in Singapore in the coming years.

Biography

Terence Chong is Senior Fellow at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore, where he is co-ordinator of the Regional Social and Cultural Studies Programme. He has a BA in History (First Class Hons) from the University of Leeds, and a PhD in Sociology from the University of Warwick. His research interests are religion in Southeast Asia, cultural policies and politics in Singapore, and Chinese immigration into the region.

We look forward to your participation in this seminar. Confirmation of your attendance is greatly appreciated.

For further information please call 8921- 5839 or 8921-3782. 

Thank you