Pre-election day events of the 2006 Singaporean general election

These are the events concerning the 2006 Singaporean general election which occurred before the polling day on 6 May 2006.

Pre–nomination day events

New candidates This election was expected to have a large number of new candidates as the major political parties had undergone self-renewal in recent years, many of whom belong to the post-1965 generation. PAP had introduced 24 new candidates. Opposition fielded a total of 25 new candidates, in which the two opposition parties that held a seat, the Workers' Party and the Singapore Democratic Alliance introduced 15 and eight new candidates, respectively. Singapore Democratic Party, a group which did not win any seats in the last election, fielded two new candidates. A total of 49 brand-new candidates (including 11 female candidates, seven from PAP, four from WP and one from SDP) participated in the election.

Name Age Occupation Party Contested Constituency Abdul Rahman Mohamad54Fire Safety ConsultantSDATampines GRC Abdul Salim Harun 24 Sales Coordinator WP Ang Mo Kio GRC Baey Yam Keng 35 Former Civil Servant and Vice-President (Corporate Marketing & Corporate Social Responsibility) at CapitaLand and General Manager of CapitaLand Hope Foundation PAP Tanjong Pagar GRC Chia Ti Lik 33 Lawyer and Partner WP East Coast GRC Christopher Joseph de Souza 30 Lawyer, Lee & Lee PAP Holland–Bukit Timah GRC Ellen Lee Geck Hoon 47 Lawyer, Ramdas & Wong PAP Sembawang GRC Elvin Ong Beng Soon 26 Estate OfficerSDA Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC Fatimah Lateef 40 Mediacal consultant PAP Marine Parade GRC Grace Fu Hai Yien 42 Senior Executive, PSA International PAP Jurong GRC Goh Meng Seng 36 Businessman WP Aljunied GRC James Gomez 41 Policy Analyst in Sweden WP Aljunied GRC Gopal Krishnan 52 Senior Housing Maintenance InspectorWP Ang Mo Kio GRC Glenda Han Su May 30 Entrepreneur WP Ang Mo Kio GRC Hri Kumar Nair 39 Lawyer, Drew & Napier PAP Bishan–Toa Payoh GRC Ishak Haroun 42 Real Estate AgentSDA Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC Lam Pin Min 36 Ophthalmologist, Eagle Eye Centre PAP Ang Mo Kio GRC Lee Bee Wah 45Civil Engineer and consultant PAP Ang Mo Kio GRC Lineker Lee Hock Huat 25Logistics OfficerSDA Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC Lee Wai Leng 26 Commercial Translation Services WorkerWP Ang Mo Kio GRC Lee Yi Shyan 44Former Chief Executive Officer of International Enterprise Singapore PAP East Coast GRC Lian Chin Way 36Regional Business Manager of a British multinational corporation WP Nee Soon Central SMC Liang Eng Hwa 42Managing Director, Global Financial Markets of DBS Bank PAP Holland–Bukit Timah GRC Lim Biow Chuan 43 Lawyer, Derrick Wong & Lim BC LLP PAP Marine Parade GRC Sylvia Lim Swee Lian 40 Law Lecturer and Manager, Temasek Polytechnic WP Aljunied GRC Lim Wee Kiak 37 Consultant ophthalmologist, National Eye Institute PAP Sembawang GRC Lui Tuck Yew 44 Former Chief of Navy and Chief Executive Officer, Maritime and Port Authority PAP Tanjong Pagar GRC Masagos Zulkifli bin Masagos Muhhamad 42 Vice-president, SingTel Global Services PAP Tampines GRC Mohamad Hamim Aliyas 43 Property ExecutiveSDA Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC Muhammad Ali Aman 39 Executive DirectorSDA Jalan Besar GRC Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim Khan Surattee 38 Assistant Professor, National University of Singapore PAP Marine Parade GRC Narayanasamy Gogelavany46Sales Administrator SDPSembawang GRC Edmund Ng Say Eng 33CEO, Infinique Technologies SDA Tampines GRC Ong Hock Siong59Marketing AdviserSDATampines GRC Michael Anthony Palmer 37 Lawyer and Law Firm, Harry Elias Partnership PAP Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC Denise Phua Lay Peng 46 Full-time Volunteer and founder of Autism Resource Centre (Singapore) PAP Jalan Besar GRC Seah Kian Peng 44 Deputy CEO, NTUC Fairprice Co-operative PAP Marine Parade GRC Brandom Siow Wei Min 30 Key Account Manager, SIA Cargo and former president, NUS Students Union WP East Coast GRC Sng Choon Guan41Marketing ManagerSDPSembawang GRC Eric Tan Heng Chong 50 General Manager, RBC Dexia Investor Services TrustWP East Coast GRC Melvin Tan Kian Hwee 31 IT ExecutiveWP Ang Mo Kio GRC Sam Tan Chin Siong 47 Executive Director, Chinese Development Assistance Council PAP Tanjong Pagar GRC Jessica Tan Soon Neo 39General Manager, Microsoft subsidiary in SingaporePAP East Coast GRC Tan Wui Hua 39 Chief Financial Officer, Lend Lease Singapore WP Aljunied GRC Josephine Teo Li Min 38Director for Human Resources, NTUC PAP Bishan–Toa Payoh GRC Teo Ser Luck 37 General Manager, DHL Express Singapore PAP Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC Perry Tong Tzee Kwang 34 Management Consultant, United States Hackett GroupWP East Coast GRC Yaw Shin Leong 30 e-Business AnalystWP Ang Mo Kio GRC Alvin Yeo Khirn Hai 44 Senior Counsel and co-founder of WongPartnership PAP Hong Kah GRC Zaqy Mohamad 31 Regional Director at multinational IT firmPAP Hong Kah GRC

Politicians who are retiring All politicians who were retiring or stepping down from their seats were from the People's Action Party.

Name Constituency Highest Portfolio attained Date Remarks Chay Wai Chuen Tanjong Pagar GRC (Queenstown) Member of Parliament 11 April 2006 John Chen Hong Kah GRC (Nanyang) Minister of State 3 April 2006 Chew Heng Ching East Coast GRC (Kaki Bukit) Member of Parliament 10 April 2006 His ward was redrawn to Marine Parade GRC. Chin Tet Yung Sembawang GRC (Woodlands) Member of Parliament 10 April 2006 Chong Weng Chiew Tanjong Pagar GRC (Radin Mas) Member of Parliament 15 April 2006 Davinder Singh Bishan–Toa Payoh GRC (Toa Payoh Central) Member of Parliament 14 April 2006 Andy Gan Lai Chiang Marine Parade GRC (Mountbatten) Member of Parliament 14 April 2006 First contested in 1991. Ahmad Khalis Hong Kah GRC (Keat Hong) Member of Parliament 3 April 2006 Warren Lee Sembawang GRC (Canberra) Member of Parliament 10 April 2006 Lee Yock Suan East Coast GRC (Changi-Simei) Former Cabinet Minister 10 April 2006 Leong Horn Kee Bishan–Toa Payoh GRC (Thomson) Member of Parliament 14 April 2006 David Lim Tik En Holland–Bukit Panjang GRC (Cashew) Acting Cabinet Minister 2003 Michael Lim Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC (Punggol South) Member of Parliament 13 April 2006 Loh Meng See Jalan Besar GRC (Kampong Glam) Member of Parliament 10 April 2006 Low Seow Chay Chua Chu Kang SMC Member of Parliament 13 April 2006 Mohamad Maidin Packer Marine Parade GRC (Kampong Ubi) Parliamentary Secretary 14 April 2006 Othman Haron Eusofe Marine Parade GRC (Geylang Serai) Minister of State and mayor 25 March 2006 R Ravindran Marine Parade GRC (Braddell Heights) Member of Parliament 15 April 2006 Tan Boon Wan Ang Mo Kio GRC (Nee Soon South) Member of Parliament 10 April 2006 Tan Cheng Bock Ayer Rajah SMC Member of Parliament 10 April 2006 Tan's ward was redrawn to West Coast GRC; would later stand in the 2011 Presidential Elections and in the 2020 and 2025 general elections (under the Progress Singapore Party banner). Tony Tan Keng Yam Sembawang GRC (Sembawang) Deputy Prime Minister 26 March 2006 First elected in 1979. Would later become the 7th President of Singapore (2011–2017) Tan Soo Khoon East Coast GRC (Kampong-Chai Chee) Speaker of Parliament 10 April 2006 Portions of his ward was redrawn into Marine Parade GRC. Wang Kai Yuen Bukit Timah SMC Member of Parliament 1 March 2006 His ward was absorbed into the new Holland–Bukit Timah GRC (while carving out Bukit Panjang). Yatiman Yusof Tampines GRC (Tampines West) Senior Parliamentary Secretary 25 March 2006

Prelude Talks on an impending election have surfaced in earnest since mid-2005, two years before the electoral term is constitutionally expected to end in June 2007. On 9 April, Goh Chok Tong had said that the election was likely to be held in the following four to six weeks.

Budget day and progress package On 17 February 2006, Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of Singapore and Secretary General of the PAP delivered the country's Budget Statement to the Parliament. He released details of a S$2.6 billion on a "progress package" including S$500 million for Central Provident Fund top-ups, S$400 million for workfare bonuses, and S$200 million bonuses for national servicemen. Largely due to this package, the 2006 Budget incurred a deficit of S$2.86 billion.

Several PAP members attempted to play down the significance of the event. Sin Boon Ann and Halimah Yacob said it was no different from the PAP government's past practices of sharing surpluses when the economy does well. More neutral watchers, such as Gillian Koh from the Institute of Policy Studies, however, say it reflects the government's intentions to fulfil general sentiments in the electorate who feel it is the "right thing" to be done.Straits Times, 21 January 2006

Low Thia Khiang (WP) came out strongly against the progress package which he said was no more than a vote-winning tool by the PAP. Low questioned why the government had earlier retorted his call for more spending on education citing that it would result in a budget deficit. Low called for greater transparency on how the government intend to financing the package and to compensate for the budget shortfall. Wong Kan Seng (PAP) later dismissed claims that the progress package constitutes a form of vote buying. Nonetheless, even PAP MPs such as Wang Kai Yuen (Retired MP) had said that the payout would "render the ground sweeter for the ruling party in the coming General Election". Tan Cheng Bock (Retired MP) expressed surprise that the government had more than S$13 billion in capital receipts and asked why these were "not [itemised] in the Budget".

Workers' Party manifesto Workers' Party (WP) was the first party to launch an update to its manifesto on 14 January 2006. Among its policy proposals, it called for the Presidency to revert to its former ceremonial role and the abolishment of the GRCs, the Ethnic Integration Policy for Housing and Development Board flats, the Resident Committees and the Citizen Consultative Committees. It also revealed its intentions to establish a central agency in the provision of public transport, setting up of a national unemployment insurance scheme and a more comprehensive national health insurance scheme among a host of other things.

On 21 January, PAP launched a coordinated attack on the WP's proposals, with Ng Eng Hen highlighting four of their proposals as "four time bombs...[which] will weaken and tear Singapore apart". – by May Wong Khaw Boon Wan, revealed various changes in medical policies, including the Medisave scheme, which has been a constant target for criticism by opposition parties. He also chided the WP for its "failure to understand what makes inter-racialism work in Singapore and why we are different from the rest of the world", referring the four points brought up by Ng Eng Hen as "poisons"Straits Times, 22 January 2006 Workers' Party chairman Sylvia Lim released a press statement – by Sylvia Lim on 22 January, responding to each of the four "time bombs" criticised by Ng and adding that the party was standing firmly by its manifesto. – by Lee U-Wen

Cartoon T-shirts

During the weekend on 4–5 March, members of the Singapore People's Party were at the Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC conducting a walk-about and selling $10 white T-shirts featuring a caricature of a red ant with boxing gloves. Teo Chee Hean, incumbent MP and anchor minister of the GRC, made fun of it saying "I don't think our residents want their flats to be overrun by red ants". His fellow MP Charles Chong added: "It would be very unfair if they come with ants and you use elephants to step on them."

Desmond Lim, assistant secretary-general of the SPP responded that the red ant represented the party's never-say-die spirit: "Ants see no obstacles. If you put a stone in front of them, they will make a detour or climb over it. We are like small ants in the political scene here. But when ants come together, they can move mountains."