The by-election was held to fill the seat vacated by former Member of Parliament Yaw Shin Leong, who was expelled from the Workers' Party following reports of his personal indiscretions.
Png Eng Huat wins Hougang by-election
Mr Png won the single-seat constituency with 62.09% of the vote, against Mr Choo's 37.91%.
The result was announced by Returning Officer, Yam Ah Mee, some two-and-a-half hours after polling closed at 8pm.
Png takes Hougang
Hougang has chosen Png Eng Huat of the Workers’ Party to be its Member of Parliament.
He garnered 13,447 votes.
Cheers, hugs and jigs in WP's 'coffee shop HQ'
The coffee shop at Block 322 in Hougang Avenue 5 was the place to be for Workers' Party supporters on Saturday night, as they waited for the results of the by-election.
The most popular items on the menu? Heineken and Tiger beer - and repeated cheers of 'Huat-ah' (Hokkien for prosper), the battle cry for WP candidate Png Eng Huat.
Png must now start proving himself: residents
Jeffrey Lai, a 46-year-old business development manager, noted that Png is still a “relatively new man” in Hougang, and that the Member of Parliament-elect has to do a lot more to prove his credibility and win the hearts of the residents in the next four years.
Png vows to work hard for residents
Asked what his first priority was after being elected, he said simply: 'Work. Start work.'
He will also look into estate improvements such as reroofing and repair and redecoration works - things he had promised in his rally speeches.
Png Eng Huat: I will work by delivering on the promises made during the campaign
When asked what the first order of business would be, Mr Png said "I will work! I'll start by delivering on the promises made during the campaign."
At the opposing camp spirits were visibly low but the PAP supporters put up a brave front. Mr Desmond Choo was magnanimous in defeat as he was during the hustings "I will work with Png to support programmes that are good for Hougang."
WP chief criticises PAP election campaign
Mr Low said: "I feel disappointed that what I see in this by-election are situations similar to what I experienced in the 1980s and 1990s, with several calculated moves to discredit the candidate and attack the Workers' Party.
Low Thia Khiang slams 'baseless attacks' at WP
Speaking at the WP’s post-win press conference at the party’s Syed Alwi road headquarters, he said that there had been “several calculated moves” to “discredit” candidate Png Eng Huat by the People’s Action Party (PAP), and accused them of using the “carrot and stick” approach to “coerce voters from... freedom of choice.”
WP chief Low lashes out at PAP and media
'I was hoping to see that as a society, we would move closer to our vision in our national pledge to build a democratic society, based on justice and equality,' he said at a night press conference at the WP headquarters on Syed Alwi Road.
Change is coming: PAP's Desmond Choo
Beaten but unbowed, losing People's Action Party candidate Desmond Choo says that "change is coming".
Speaking to the media after losing the Hougang by-election, Choo said that he will continue his work in the single member constituency.
PM Lee congratulates Png, commends Choo
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has congratulated the Workers' Party and their candidate Png Eng Huat for his win in the Hougang by-election.
In a statement, Mr Lee said: "I respect the choice of Hougang voters ... I look forward to Mr Png's contributions in Parliament."
By-election over, refocus on long-term issues: PM
I am disappointed that Desmond did not win, but encouraged that the PAP obtained 37.9 per cent of the votes this time. This improves on our results in the two previous general elections: 2006 (37.3 per cent) and 2011 (35.2 per cent).
No comments:
Post a Comment