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‘Would GE results have been different?’

Worker's Party assistant webmaster Gerald Giam has criticised the timing of PM Lee's major Cabinet reshuffle, saying the recent election outcome in some wards may have been different had voters known about the expected changes.

Referring to PM Lee's Cabinet announcement on Wednesday, Giam, 33, said on his his Facebook page, "While the PAP saw it fit to tell voters... who the potential office holders would be, there was no hint that some ministers like Raymond Lim would be dropped from the Cabinet".

"Had voters known that, the election outcome in some wards may have been different. Voters now know that some of the Ministers that they are voting for in GRCs may lost their portfolio immediately after the elections," added the IT consultant, who's been confirmed as an Nominated Member of Parliament (NCMP).

Three key ministers -- Mah Bow Tan, Raymond Lim and Wong Kan Seng -- are not part of the new Cabinet and all three will be resigning from government.

Mah Bow Tan led the PAP team in Tampines GRC, which won 57 per cent of votes against an NSP team, while Wong Kan Seng and his team won 57 per cent of votes in Bishan Toa-Payoh GRC, defeating a team from the Singapore People's Party.

Raymond Lim was part of the East Coast GRC team headed by Lim Swee Say, which won 54 per cent of votes against a WP team.

The PAP margin of victory in all three GRCs was significantly lower than the national average of 60 per cent.

During Wednesday's announcment, PM Lee revealed that the trio have "served in challenging appointments and made many valuable contributions."

He added the three men had previously expressed a desire to step down, but he had asked them to stay on and help him fight the recently concluded General Election.

"Now that elections are over, they have reiterated that they do not wish to be reappointed," he said.

Meanwhile, the National Solidarity Party (NSP) has applauded PM Lee's major Cabinet reshuffle, saying that it shows the PAP "is starting to listen to the voices of the people".

But while NSP's Marine Parade candidate Nicole Seah welcomed the changes, she also keen to see how the new Cabinet team perfoms.

The 24-year-old told Yahoo! Singapore, "I'm heartened to see that the PAP is starting to listen to the voices of the people. However, I am also watching now with keen interest at how this will impact their performance over the next 4-5 years -- whether this move is merely a cosmetic one aimed at winning the voters back."

NSP party chief Goh Meng Seng agreed, saying that "at the very least, PM has shown that he is willing to put up to a call to accountability to voters".

Mr Goh said the three key ministers who were not part of the new line-up "deserved to retire" because they were "accountable" to issues over housing and transport and the Mas Selamat case.

However, he too, is not convinced the problems in such areas can be so easily solved.

"I have this funny feeling that they can hardly change anything. Housing and transport will take time, but they are putting more popular ministers to take care of those ministries," he said.

Among the sweeping Cabinet changes announced, Minister Lui Tuck Yew will be leaving the Ministry of Information, Communication and the Arts (MICA) to take over as Transport Minister.

He wrote on his Facebook page that his new role will be an "interesting challenge given its political sensitivity."

He added that he recognised that land transport is "one of a number of areas that irks commuters. Going forward, we will have to do better."

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