Instead,it's the margin of victory that will matter after the polls close and the votes are counted on Friday evening in what is effectively a referendum on the PAP's handling of the coronavirus,and its impact on the lives of ordinary Singaporeans.
Singapore is a trade-exposed nation that,especially now that international borders are almost shut because of the coronavirus,the US and China are decoupling and rising nationalist forces are pushing a deglobalisation agenda.
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Song Sen Wun,an economist with CIMB Bank in Singapore,says that"when you are tiny in size and in terms of population,there is very little growth you can get from the domestic side of things to offset to any meaningful degree the slump in external demands for goods and service".
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has taken advantage of a healthy balance sheet to do what he can. February's annual budget and three subsequent mini-budgets have included about $95 billion in support measures to the economy mid-pandemic. His pitch is straight to the point:"whom do you trust?"to steer the country,in an increasingly uncertain world.
Song says those measures will cushion the impact of the virus,and have had a particular focus on protecting locals'jobs.