Singaporeans began voting on Saturday in a general election where Prime Minister Lawrence Wong faces his first major test against the opposition, with the rising cost of living among major issues debated by parties in the past week of campaigning.
Wong’s People’s Action Party (PAP) has won every election since the city state gained independence in 1965. Wong, who took office last year, hopes to clinch a stronger mandate.
Voters trickled in to schools and other designated polling stations to cast their ballots amid a brief downpour. Polling in Singapore is compulsory, with nearly 2.76 million eligible voters.
The PAP has secured five of the 97 parliamentary seats because they were unopposed. Voting ends at 8pm (local time), with the outcome to be known in the early hours of Sunday.
Known for its clean and effective governance, the PAP is seen as a beacon of stability and prosperity. While it is assured of victory, its support is being chipped away by dissatisfaction over a high cost of living.
Singapore was named as the world’s most expensive city to live for the second year in a row by international bank Julius Baer in a 2024 report on global wealth.