WP now in PAP's league.

I have not been certain of a Worker's Party victory in Punggol East SMC, despite feeling that WP have a good chance at winning it. Alas when the result came, its better than I expected, WP's Lee Li Lian won more than half of the total vote cast, despite being in a 4 corners fight for the seat.

Other than the usual generic stuff you had read or heard about what this means for Singapore and Singapore politics, more importantly, its how Worker's Party is officially seen as an equal to PAP.

Never before since the early years of our nation's independence, had any Opposition parties held in as high an esteem as the PAP. No Oppositions; not SDP, SPP, SDA, NSP or even WP years ago had been much of a fight for the PAP. PAP elections is like going thru the motion, just appease the people, and the election is won. PAP had never really needed to explain themselves thoroughly of their decisions and actions; they didnt even do that during the last GE which they lost Aljunied GRC; they only apologised. In short, the Oppositions had not been even vaguely been an effective check and balance they kept selling themselves to be; they just arent seen as credible enough.

However, Punggol East SMC by-election changed that. For PAP to lose their own ground, its devastating. Its a sign that in the coming General Elections, voters would be willing to put their bet on the Worker's Party just as the Punggol East SMC residents had done. I'm not saying WP is going to win every seat they fight, nor are they really better than PAP. But simply that WP had now officially proven that they are capable of winning against the PAP and seen as just as credible as the PAP which the resident can put their faith in - battles between PAP and WP during the next GE will have to be taken very seriously by the PAP.

PAP will have to really start answering serious question posted to them, look after their towns really well (especially those they are likely to be competed by WP) and can no longer "cheat" their way with carrots and threats (which works extremely badly against a nation of people who just have too big an ego to take that lying down). PAP will run risk of losing more GRCs to WP, as more and more people is embolden to vote for WP. Every PAP vs WP battles may all become a 50-50 fight.

Just like Mr Lee Kuan Yew had said, if the Opposition is any decent, the people will vote for them. And his prophesies are coming true.