GE2025: PAP's Ng Chee Meng wins Jalan Kayu with 51.47% of votes against WP candidate Andre Low

Labour chief Ng Chee Meng completed his political comeback by winning the Jalan Kayu single seat with 51.47 per cent of the vote, beating WP fresh face Andre Low in a fierce contest.

Mr Ng, 56, standing under the PAP banner, faced off against Mr Low, a tech professional who declared himself the underdog in the contest.

Mr Low, 33, who is contesting his first election, could enter Parliament as a Non-Constituency MP if he is among the losing opposition candidates with the highest percentage of votes.

Mr Ng, speaking to reporters in Yio Chu Kang Stadium after the election result was declared, said: "I'm just happy that we prevailed.

"I want to hit the ground running so that I can see more residents in Jalan Kayu. It's time for us to push together to make Jalan Kayu a more inclusive, kinder and stronger community."

When asked if the result met his expectations, he said: "Well, it's a good result. I'm grateful for the results."

Jalan Kayu, which was carved out of Ang Mo Kio GRC, was one of the fiercest battlegrounds in the run-up to the polls.

Mr Low fired the first salvo against the PAP at his maiden rally on April 24 by hitting out at the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) for supporting the bid by German insurer Allianz to acquire a majority stake in Income Insurance.

The deal, worth $2.2 billion, was ultimately stopped by the Government.

On April 27, Mr Ng said the deal was proposed in good faith and the labour movement felt it was a "reasonable deal".

Mr Ng, who has been NTUC secretary-general since 2018, said Income's market share fell from 20 per cent to 6 per cent in the past decade, and the proposed deal could strengthen Income and protect policyholder interests.

The deal came under intense public scrutiny after questions were raised about Income's ability to continue its social mission after the proposed sale.

Mr Ng said he initiated a review in NTUC Enterprise, the parent entity of Income, so that the labour movement can learn the right lessons and do better for Singaporeans.

"In NTUC, we will do our best, and sometimes, I'm sorry that is not good enough... but we will do better," he added.

Mr Ng was chief of defence force before entering politics in 2015 and winning Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC as part of a PAP team. He went on to hold several Cabinet positions, including education minister (schools) and second minister for transport.

In 2020, Mr Ng helmed the PAP team in the newly created Sengkang GRC but lost to a WP team led by lawyer He Ting Ru, which won 52.13 per cent of the vote.

While the 2025 ballot is Mr Ng's third electoral contest, it is his first time fighting in a single-member constituency.

In the run-up to the polls, he said he wanted to be elected on his own merit, instead of being "parachuted" into a safer seat.

Three days after Mr Ng responded to criticisms about the NTUC Income-Allianz deal, it was Mr Low's turn to apologise on April 30, after expletive-laden Telegram messages between Mr Low and his friends were leaked on social media.

Mr Low apologised for his language, and added that the messages were a rant to friends during the Covid-19 pandemic, at a different stage in his life.

"But regardless of the setting, there is no excuse for using such language or making disparaging remarks about anyone - especially those who have placed their trust in me," he said.

Mr Low appealed to the nearly 30,000 voters in Jalan Kayu, and asked them to vote for a fresh perspective.

He added that his opponent is a scholar and a former lieutenant-general.

He said: "I feel like it is time for Jalan Kayu residents to make a choice if they want a different kind of parliamentarian - someone fresh, someone energetic, someone with new ideas."

On Polling Day, Jalan Kayu voters chose Mr Ng.

Addressing supporters in Serangoon Stadium after ballots were counted, Mr Low thanked the residents who supported him and said he would continue to walk the ground to listen to concerns and be a "voice for change".

He said: "And to those who made a different choice, I hear you too. Your decision is valid and important. This campaign was never just about winning just a seat in Parliament.

"It was about offering a different fresh perspective, asking important questions and starting a necessary conversation about accountability, affordability and the Singapore we want to build together.

"These conversations do not end tonight. They must continue."

He said he is still young, and will continue his work on the ground.

"And perhaps with the party's blessings, in five years, I hope to once again seek your support to represent you in Parliament," he added.