section_path: Campaign/Party campaigns/People's Action Party
section_name: People's Action Party
paragraph_text: People's Action Party
  
  This was the first general election under Lawrence Wong's leadership, with Nikkei Asia describing the vote as "a key test of public confidence" in the new prime minister. On 13 April, Wong acknowledged that the PAP would face a "fiercely contested" election, with no constituencies guaranteed as "safe seats" for the party. Wong also announced that the PAP would field at least 30 new candidates in the election – the largest slate in the party's recent history. Wong stated "profound changes" and growing global uncertainty as reasons for calling for the vote, allowing Singaporeans to choose a leadership team to navigate future challenges.
  
  On 17 April, the PAP launched their manifesto, which aimed to be a "roadmap" in navigating global uncertainties. To address costs of living, the PAP planned to distribute CDC vouchers, cash payouts, and utility rebates to households, while enhancing support schemes for lower-income families and seniors such as ComCare, Silver Support, and ComLink+. It will also reduce preschool fees, raise childcare subsidies, expand parental leave, and provide more support for larger families. The PAP aimed to support businesses facing rising costs with tax rebates and policies like the Progressive Wage Credit Scheme. It also proposes investment in transport, digital infrastructure, and clean energy (including nuclear) while accelerating tech adoption. For seniors, it proposes raising the re-employment age, increasing CPF contributions, and co-funding wages. PMETs – professionals, managers, executives and technicians – will receive help through leadership development, re-skilling initiatives, and jobseeker support under SkillsFuture. On housing, the PAP planned to build 50,000 new flats in the next three years, and offer more public housing options for higher-income couples and singles. It also planned to rejuvenate HDB towns through the Voluntary Early Redevelopment Scheme.
  
  Thirty-two new PAP candidates were introduced in this election, which include a former Nominated Member of Parliament, a former Chief of Army for the Singapore Armed Forces, six civil servants, a SAF chief of staff, and a Mediacorp news presenter. Nineteen PAP candidates stepped down at this election, which include four cabinet ministers Ng Eng Hen, Maliki Osman, Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean, DPM Heng Swee Keat, Senior Ministers of State Amy Khor and Heng Chee How, and five one-term MPs. CNA Today noted that their diverse backgrounds (two-fifths are women, and half of them are under 40) showed how the party is attempting to stay relevant in a changing political landscape. Teo believed the new candidates from the private sector highlighted PAP's increasing focus on community engagement and people-oriented industries. According to professor Terence Ho, the PAP strategically secured a walkover in Marine–Braddell Heights GRC on Nomination Day by redeploying anchor minister Tan See Leng to Chua Chu Kang GRC and sending DPM Gan Kim Yong in Punggol GRC to contest against the WP team.
  
  On PAP's first rally, Wong warned the opposition against inflaming sensitive issues or use domestic politics to cause political divisions especially during uncertain times. In his statement during the first PPB, Wong told the election comes "at a time of profound global change" and pledged to prioritise on important matters. Wong said voters would have to make a "crucial decision" for the country's future in the polls. On 25 April, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, who is campaigning in Holland–Bukit Timah GRC, urged opposition candidates to focus on offering real solutions, a statement later reiterated by Education Minister Chan Chun Sing. In another rally on 26 April, Youth Minister Edwin Tong, who is contesting in East Coast GRC, insisted that there are no "silver bullet" for upcoming challenges and urged voters not to be swayed by rhetoric or soundbites promising easy solutions. At a 29 April rally, Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam warned of job risks due to the U.S. tariffs and urged the public to trust the government's budget measures, emphasising that the PAP "always tells the truth directly".
  
  At a lunchtime rally on 28 April, Wong warned that voting for the opposition would weaken the PAP by ousting ministers and accused the opposition of seeking more seats without responsibility. Indranee Rajah claimed that opposition voices will still exist under the NCMP scheme, and pledged that the PAP government would continue providing support, such as CDC vouchers, GST vouchers, cash payouts, and utilities rebates, to address cost pressures which she deemed as "externally driven". Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong emphasised that a good government requires good people and urge voters against voting out key ministers during the times of uncertainties. On 29 April, Lee dismissed Singh's "ridiculous" claim that the government could function without a two-thirds majority. Wong also told on the media that WP's view of voting out ministers is a "cavalier and irresponsible approach". On 1 May, Wong refuted Singh's claims that negative politics was ingrained in the PAP's DNA, asserting instead that the party is committed to "forging as wide a national consensus" on contentious issues and "bringing Singaporeans together". Wong also emphasised that the effectiveness of policy debates in Parliament depends more on the quality of contributions than the number of voices.
  
  Addressing Singh's criticisms that labour MPs had ignored the controversial NTUC Income deal, NTUC secretary-general Ng Chee Meng, who is running in Jalan Kayu SMC, explained on 27 April that the deal was made "in good faith" and was considered "reasonable" as it was intended to strengthen Income and safefguard policyholders' interest. In light of public concerns, Ng said he had initiated a review within NTUC Enterprise and pledged that the organisation would "do better". Chan Chun Sing, who was a former NTUC secretary general, also defended labour MPs against the WP criticisms, stating they "work quietly behind the scenes" to represent workers and raise diverse issues in Parliament. He rejected Singh's claim that NTUC serves as a "trampoline" for losing PAP candidates and instead emphasised that voters should assess parties based on their ability to deliver jobs, wages, and price stability, and whether their proposals are realistic and financially sustainable. On 28 April, former NTUC Income Insurance CEO Tan Suee Chieh published an open letter calling for DPM Gan Kim Yong to provide full disclosure regarding his role in the deal; Tan's letter became viral across various social media platforms. In his Labour Day speech on 1 May, Wong expressed gratitude to union workers, while also cautioning against voting out key ministers and urging voters to judge the PAP fairly. Separately, NTUC chief Ng Chee Meng reflected on his experiences over the five years between the two elections during his opening remarks. At the PAP's final rallies, Wong, who visited both the North Vista Secondary School and Yusof Ishak Secondary School to support the PAP teams contesting in Sengkang and Punggol, reiterated that this election is not a matter on how many seats they won, but it is about who they want to serve and form the government.
  
  According to PAP activists interviewed on CNA Today, their campaign strategy involved prioritising resources in the eastern and north-eastern electoral hotspots, avoiding personal attacks in favor of policy discussions, and leveraging incumbency strengths by emphasising constituency-level achievements. Felix Tan of NTU described Wong's first election campaign as "rather safe". Although his speeches lacked the gravitas of past leaders, Tan noted that Wong successfully highlighted the PAP's handling of the pandemic and its record on economic management. Elsewhere, several Reddit users began to question about PAP's campaigning strategies and criticized some of the teams for not campaigning hard in both safe seats and battleground wards in particular. Police are also currently investigating a man for the involvement of two children under the age of 16 in politics through the distribution of PAP flyers in Punggol GRC, which is prohibited under Singaporean law.