Singapore, Interrupted

On a humid May afternoon, Singapore looks the same as always—neat, efficient, impossibly green. Trains arrive on time. The lights blink in rhythm. Escalators hum. 

On May 3, 2025, the People’s Action Party—Singapore’s dominant ruling party since 1959—won another general election, its 14th straight. It captured 87 out of 97 seats in Parliament and 65.6% of the Singaporean vote share. On paper, the result was decisive. Politically, however, it felt different. 

This was the PAP’s first election under Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who took over in 2024 after Lee Hsien Loong’s leadership spanning over two decades. Wong’s ascension followed a carefully managed transition known as the “4G renewal”, meant to project continuity and control. Yet for many younger voters, his rise felt procedural, not inspiring—a transfer of power without an evolving vision. 

That feeling matters. In Singapore, For most of its existence, the PAP has embodied the state itself. Born from anti-colonial struggles, it rapidly consolidated power. The party’s offer was clear: in exchange for limited political expression, Singaporeans receive economic growth, a world-class education system, and an incorruptible civil service. This was the makeshift, Singaporeanized “social contract” — and it worked. The PAP delivered on its promises, providing housing, jobs, and infrastructure in a region of Asias often plagued by war and all sorts of instabilities throughout history.

In the past two years, however, a string of high profile scandals has frayed the party’s moral authority. In 2023, Transport Minister S. Iswaran was arrested and later charged with corruptio for accepting nearly $300,000 in gifts and luxury trips. That same year, the Speaker of Parliament and a fellow MP resigned after leaks revealed a long-running extramarital affair—one reportedly known to the former PM. Then, right after this election, came disclosures that several elected ministers had dined with a billionaire who was later convicted in a $35 million money laundering case. 

The PAP still won, yet its pristine image was tarnished. According to polling by the Institute of Policy Studies, public trust in the government fell over 13% over the last two years – from 89% to 76%. While still higher than most countries, for SIngapore, this represents a significant shift.. The main opposition, the Workers Party, retained its seats, and though  opposition parties did not gain more parliamentary ground in GE 2025,  this election saw more parties participating than ever before, gaining both legitimacy and—more crucially—public attention.

Why does that matter in a country where the ruling party still commands overwhelming support? The answer is, because relevance breeds resilience. And in a political system so dominated by a single party, even small shifts can signal meaningful change. 

According to exit polling, 54 percent of voters cited “steady leadership” as their top priority. Prime Minister Wong called the result a “vote for stability in shaky times”, highlighting global tensions and economic uncertainty. But that means means nearly half  of voters prioritized something else—perhaps fairness, representation, or a desire for change. It is within that 46 percent that political imagination begins to stir. 

What kind of society does Singapore want to be in the next decade?

One possibility is a system that not only tolerates dissent, but sees it as a civic good. That recognizes criticism as a form of care. That learns to separate loyalty from silence. The PAP’s real test isn’t just whether it can restore its image, but whether it can operate in an environment where its dominance is no longer taken for granted.

For a country that ranks #5 on Transparency International’s Corruption Per eptyion INdex, these recent scandals were like finding out your striaght A student has been cheating on theri exams. The shift is jarring. But not entirely surpising. 

No state is immune to entropy. Yes, even ones with perfect trains and bubble tea stores on every corner. Singapore is growing up in public, awkwardly, all at once. 

I’m not eligible to vote. My permanent residency will expire when I leave for college later this year. Technically, the outcome of the election wasn’t, and will never be mine to influence. Yet, like many who have spent their lives year round for a long time, I still care deeply about what happens next.

Farewell Singapore—twice over. Once from me, once from your smooth sailing electoral past. Neither goodbye is clean cut. But both, perhaps, are necessary. For growth. After GE2025, Singapore is definitely not broken—but its changed. And maybe that’s the point. Because it’s time to grow up.