SINGAPORE - The People's Action Party (PAP) has won Ang Mo Kio group representation constituency with 78.6 per cent of votes.
The PAP team is helmed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. It comprises of backbenchers Mr Ang Hin Kee, 49, Mr Gan Thiam Poh, 51, and Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar, 39, as well as two new faces: former television host Darryl David, 44, and colorectal surgeon Koh Poh Koon, 43, who contested in the 2013 Punggol East by-election.
They faced a Reform Party team of lawyer Mr M. Ravi, Mr Gilbert Goh, Mr Jesse Loo, Mr Osman Sulaiman, Mr Roy Ngerng and Mr Siva Chandran, garnered 21.4 per cent of votes.
Said PM Lee in a speech at Toa Payoh Stadium: "Thank you very much for this very strong support and this very good result in Ang Mo Kio GRC. We are grateful, happy, and at the same time humbled by the trust you have put on us.
"We look forward to working with you closely to make Ang Mo Kio the best place the live, work and play. Tomorrow will be better than today. SG100 will be better than SG50. "
A PAP win in Ang Mo Kio GRC, which has been held by PM Lee since its formation in 1991, was widely expected. Ang Mo Kio was the best performing GRC won by the PAP in 2011 with 69.3 per cent of votes.
This time, the PAP vote share improved to 78.6 per cent.
There was a measure of public interest in the contest due to the presence of two members in RP's line-up who recently made the news: blogger Ngerng, 34, who was sued by PM Lee for a defamatory blog post, and suspended human rights lawyer M. Ravi, 46, who represented Mr Ngerng.
PM Lee's popularity on social media and on the ground has been a key factor in winning over voters. He also unveiled his town council's masterplan on the eve of Nomination Day. According to the Ang Mo Kio-Sengkang West 2.0 plan, new facilities and upgrades such as a revamped polyclinic and a nursing home will be built.
The RP's slate of candidates have been vocal in campaigning for their pet causes like the CPF, immigration issues and the Population White Paper. They have also proposed monthly payouts of $300 and $500 to children and the elderly respectively.
