00:00My fellow Singaporeans, let me just say a few words in English now on the election results.
00:07The election takes place at a critical time for Singapore.
00:13It is a changed world.
00:15Not just an economic slowdown, but fundamental shifts in the international order.
00:22And we've just had a leadership transition.
00:25This is my first election as Prime Minister and Secretary General of the PAP.
00:32My team and I gave it our all in this campaign.
00:36And I am deeply humbled and grateful for the results.
00:42Singaporeans have given the PAP a clear and strong mandate to govern.
00:46We won 65% of the popular vote compared to 61% before.
00:52And we won 82 seats out of the 92 seats which were contested.
00:58Plus the five seats in Marin Brattle Heights, the PAP has 87 seats.
01:05I thank all voters from all ages, races and backgrounds who supported my team and I.
01:13Thank you for the faith that you have put in me and my team.
01:18The results will put Singapore in a better position to face this turbulent world.
01:26Many are watching the elections closely, whether it's international media, investors or foreign
01:32governments.
01:34They will have taken note of tonight's results.
01:38Singaporeans are a clear signal of trust, stability and confidence in your government.
01:46Singaporeans too can draw strength from this and look ahead to our future with confidence.
01:54To all Singaporeans, I say, the results will motivate us to work even harder for you.
02:01We will do our best to serve you and improve your lives.
02:06To all newly elected PAP MPs, I would remind everyone that the mandate we have received
02:14is a heavy responsibility.
02:16To take good care of our constituencies, to engage our residents, build deep relationships
02:22with them and bring forward their voices in Parliament.
02:27And also to advocate and champion causes that matter to Singaporeans so that we can have
02:33robust debates in Parliament and secure a brighter future for all.
02:39And I also thank our activists, volunteers and candidates.
02:42They have worked hard, not just over the last nine days, but throughout the entire term.
02:48They have given their all to serve and I am deeply grateful.
02:55One issue that came up in this election is the desire for more opposition members as well
03:01as alternative voices in Parliament.
03:05I respect Singaporeans with these views and I understand the sentiments.
03:11I would also ask that they consider the merits of the perspective of having a good, strong
03:19team in government to work effectively for you.
03:23Because in the end, the key is to have effective governance that can take Singapore forward.
03:32In this election, the opposition, in particular the Workers' Party, fielded a strong slate of candidates.
03:41They had many young people with a desire to contribute and serve.
03:47They gave us a tough fight in several constituencies, as we had expected.
03:53The WP will now have ten elected seats, including, and in addition, they will have two NCMP seats
04:01if they choose to accept them.
04:04That would take the WP's presence in Parliament to 12 altogether.
04:09That's an increase from what they have today.
04:12So they will have an increased and continued strong presence in Parliament, as well as the
04:17opportunity to refresh some of the members in their slate.
04:24I respect the opposition presence in Parliament.
04:26I have always taken their suggestions and views seriously, and I will continue to do so.
04:34So I look forward to the contributions of opposition members in Parliament.
04:39Because Parliament is where key national issues are discussed, and I am sure we will have constructive
04:46and robust debates there.
04:49On some issues, we may have to agree to disagree.
04:52But at the same time, we must, where critical national issues are concerned, uphold a shared
04:59responsibility to come together and to advance Singapore's interests together in this changed
05:08and turbulent world.
05:12One issue that came up in this election is the mixing of race and religion with politics.
05:20This was not just about foreign interference, because online there were also many negative
05:26and even toxic comments by Singaporeans encouraging people to vote along racial lines.
05:35I had to call it out in the middle of the campaign, because this was such an important matter.
05:42The situation did improve after that, but there were still views, comments online, and some
05:50of it was quite vicious, and they continued to circulate, although less than before the press
05:57conference I held.
06:00But I am heartened that all political parties made clear their stance in this campaign to
06:06reject identity politics and reaffirm their commitment to multiculturalism.
06:15And the election results show that Singaporeans by and large reject identity politics and continue
06:22to support a multi-racial and multi-religious society.
06:29I am grateful for your support.
06:32And to all communities in Singapore, I say we will continue to look after your interests, support
06:40your aspirations, and ensure that you are able to flourish and thrive in a multi-racial and
06:48multi-religious society.
06:50This is my commitment to every community and to every Singaporean.
06:57I would also like to highlight the PAP teams that contested in the opposition held wards,
07:02Aljunit Haugang and Sengkang.
07:05We fielded many new candidates there, 8 of them, Adrian, Faisal, Daniel and Jagger in Aljunit led by
07:12Chan Huiyi, who is here, Elmi, Bernadette and Theodora in Sengkang led by Lampin Min, and Marshall in Haugang.
07:19They did not win, but they fought hard and made their mark.
07:24And I thank them for stepping forward and giving Singaporeans in these constituencies a real choice.
07:31The PAP will continue to work hard in these areas. We will not give up. We will continue to engage, serve, and strive to win
07:38over residents. I also want to thank our civil servants and public officers. Thousands were mobilized to conduct this election.
07:47They prepared meticulously, trained hard and delivered a smooth and efficient election. All this while managing their day-to-day regular responsibilities.
07:57So, on behalf of all Singaporeans, I thank everyone for your hard work, service, and dedication.
08:06Throughout this election, we heard feedback from Singaporeans about concerns like cost of living and housing.
08:13We have been working on these issues, and I assure you, we will redouble our efforts in the coming term to tackle these issues of concern.
08:22My team and I will use this mandate to serve with humility and responsibility.
08:31We will serve all Singaporeans, whether you voted for the PAP or you voted for another party.
08:38Everyone matters. We will serve all of you. We will do our utmost to improve your lives.
08:45In fact, we have not stopped working for you, even amidst this campaign, as I have shared before, and we will be ramping up right away.
08:54My immediate task is to form my next cabinet, and I am grateful that all my key members have been voted in,
09:03and Singaporeans have now given me the chance to put together the best team to serve you and to serve Singapore.
09:11I will announce the cabinet line-up when ready.
09:17The PAP government will also learn from this election. We will reflect, we will improve, and we will strive to do better.
09:27We will involve all Singaporeans in this journey to shape our shared future.
09:34We will engage and listen, because every voice matters, every Singaporean matters.
09:41We will act decisively when necessary, always in Singapore's best interest.
09:50During the campaign, I said that the real contest facing us is not between the PAP and the opposition,
09:58but between Singapore and this turbulent world, and the multitude of challenges facing us.
10:05In this contest, Singapore is the underdog. We have always been, and we will continue to be, despite what we have achieved today.
10:17So to improve our chances, we cannot afford to fight one another.
10:23We have to fight together to achieve better outcomes for Singapore and Singaporeans.
10:31And now that the election is over, we must put aside our differences and stand together as one team Singapore,
10:41to confront the storms ahead, and to secure a brighter future for ourselves, our families, and Singapore.
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