GE was a ‘win-win-win result’: Dr Tony Tan
Presidential hopeful Dr Tony Tan stressed that Singapore politics is shaping up to have an effective opposition in Parliament to match the strong party in government, which will be a "new norm".
The former Deputy Prime Minister believes that having one overwhelming party with little effective opposition is now a thing of the past for Singapore.
Dr Tan said this in reply to a question posed to him -- at an event organised by the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry -- about his views regarding the General Election held in May.
Dr Tan termed the conclusion of the election, which saw six seats going to the opposition, as a "win-win-win result".
The first "win" was referred to the People's Action Party winning 81 out of 87 seats in Parliament, an indication that it maintains a strong mandate from Singaporeans to shape and implement policies.
The second "win" was for the opposition, and in particular the Workers' Party, for winning a Group Representation Constituency (GRC), necessary for establishing a base of influence.
The final "win" was for Singaporeans, as Dr Tan felt that the election was an indication of another stage of political development in Singapore.
He added that a strong opposition in Parliament is essential in formulating better policies as different views and perspectives will be put forth through debate.
Watch a segment of Dr Tony Tan's Q&A session at the dialogue on Friday.
