2011 Singaporean general election

General elections were held in Singapore on 7 May 2011 to elect members of Parliament. They were the thirteenth general elections since the introduction of self-government in 1959 and the eleventh since independence in 1965. President S.R. Nathan dissolved parliament on 19 April on the advice of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong three weeks before the election. The number of elected seats was increased from 84 to 87 from the previous election. This was the second election contested by Lee as prime minister.
The ruling People's Action Party achieved a landslide victory in the election, retaining its supermajority. Nevertheless, the election saw historic gains for the opposition in Singapore's political landscape. For the second consecutive election, the PAP did not return to government on nomination day. It also marked the first and only three-cornered contest since 2001, which was held at Punggol East Single Member Constituency. Described as a "watershed" election, it saw the highest proportion of contested seats since independence, excluding the five seats in Tanjong Pagar Group Representation Constituency. This election also marked Lee Kuan Yew's final election before his death in 2015.
Key issues in the election included immigration, the cost of living and housing. The PAP's share of the popular vote fell further to 60.14 percent, its lowest since independence. The Workers' Party won Aljunied GRC, securing five additional elected MPs and making history as the first opposition party to capture a GRC since the scheme's introduction in 1988. Three non-constituency seats were also awarded, one to the Singapore People's Party and two to the WP, bringing the total number of opposition MPs to nine. The electorate surpassed two million for the first time, making the 2011 general election the most actively contested in Singapore's history at the time since its first post-independence election in 1968.

Background

The 2011 general election was the thirteenth held since the introduction of self-government in 1959 and the eleventh since Singapore's independence in 1965. The governing People's Action Party aimed to secure its thirteenth consecutive term in office since its first electoral victory in 1959. It was the second general election led by Lee Hsien Loong as both Prime Minister and Secretary-General of the PAP.
The returning officer is the Chief Executive Director of the People's Association Yam Ah Mee, who replaced his predecessor Tan Boon Huat after serving as returning officer for three general elections from 1997 to 2006. As of the recent 2025 election, this was the most recent election with Yam declaring the "pursuant to section 49" line and the rejected votes announced first before voter's turnout; subsequent elections from 2015 would omit the lines due to time constraints and the practice of announcing valid votes first before announcing rejected votes.

Parliamentary reforms

On 11 March 2010 the Government tabled three bills in the parliament to amend the Constitution, the Presidential Elections Act and the Parliamentary Elections Act. These amendments reduced the number of Group representation constituencies, increased the number of Non-Constituency Members of Parliament to a maximum of nine, and the number of Nominated Members of Parliament permanent also to nine. A one-day "cooling-off" day was implemented, during which campaigning was forbidden, with only party political broadcasts allowed. Internet campaigning was also formally legalised as a legitimate means of political campaigning. On 26 April 2010, the amendments to the Constitution were passed by a vote of 74–1 after a three-hour debate on the bill.

Political parties

The governing People's Action Party has been in power since Singapore's independence in 1965, and is currently led by the Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Besides the ruling PAP, the other major political parties that may contest the upcoming elections are the Workers' Party of Singapore led by Low Thia Khiang, the Singapore People's Party led by Chiam See Tong which left the Singapore Democratic Alliance in 2011, the Singapore Democratic Party led by Chee Soon Juan, the National Solidarity Party led by Goh Meng Seng which left the SDA in 2007, the Reform Party (Singapore) led by Kenneth Jeyaretnam, and the Singapore Democratic Alliance led by Desmond Lim, which is composed of the Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Melayu Singapura and the Singapore Justice Party. The Reform Party is the newest party and was created on 18 June 2008 and was then led by former Member of Parliament J.B. Jeyaretnam. He could have stood for election after he was discharged from bankruptcy and reinstated to the bar, however, Jeyaretnam died of heart failure on 30 September 2008 at the age of 82. His eldest son, Kenneth Jeyaretnam has since taken up leadership of the party and is now its secretary-general.

Electoral divisions

The Electoral Boundaries Review Committee normally publishes an updated list of electoral divisions just before elections are called. Prior to the latest amendments, there were 14 GRCs, each with five or six seats, and nine Single Member Constituencies. There were a total of 84 seats being contested in the 2006 elections.
The new electoral map for 2011 was announced on 24 February 2011. The number of MPs to return has increased by three seats to 87, and four-member GRCs reappeared from the political map for the first time since 1997. Both Hong Kah and Jalan Besar GRCs were retooled into Chua Chu Kang and Moulmein-Kallang GRCs respectively, while three of five existing six-member GRCs were reduced to five seats each with Ang Mo Kio and Pasir Ris-Punggol remained at six. With the population growth in Yishun and Simpang leading to the formation of Nee Soon GRC, there are a total of 15 GRCs this election, up by one from the last election. Only two constituencies of Bishan-Toa Payoh and Tampines were left untouched.
The number of SMCs have been increased by three to 12 for this election, with the introductions of Hong Kah North, Pioneer, Punggol East and Sengkang West, as well as returning SMCs of Mountbatten, Radin Mas, Whampoa and Yuhua after being part of GRCs in previous elections. In turn, Chua Chu Kang, MacPherson, Nee Soon Central, Nee Soon East and Yio Chu Kang were absorbed into neighbouring GRCs.
The changes made in the electoral divisions are as follows:

Constituency	Changes
Aljunied GRC	Absorbed portions of Kaki Bukit division from Marine Parade GRC, and a minor portion of Hougang SMC Carved out portions of Aljunied–Hougang division to Ang Mo Kio GRC, and a minor portion of Aljunied–Hougang and Bedok Reservoir-Punggol divisions to Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC
Ang Mo Kio GRC	Absorbed Aljunied–Hougang division from Aljunied GRC and Yio Chu Kang SMC Absorbed a minor portion of Punggol South from Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC Carved out Nee Soon South division into Nee Soon GRC, and Sengkang West division into SMC
Chua Chu Kang GRC	New Constituency Formed from a majority of Hong Kah GRC, and Chua Chu Kang SMC
East Coast GRC	Carved a portion of Kampong-Chai Chee to Marine Parade GRC
Holland–Bukit Timah GRC	Ward downsized to four members Carved out Buona Vista division into Tanjong Pagar GRC, a minor portion of Bukit Timah to West Coast GRC, and portions of Toh Guan to Jurong GRC
Jurong GRC	Carved out Yuhua division into SMC Portions of Jurong Central and Taman Jurong divisions, West Coast GRC and Hong Kah GRC were formed into Jurong Spring division
Marine Parade GRC	Ward downsized to five members Absorbed MacPherson SMC and a minor portion of Joo Chiat SMC Portions of Kaki Bukit and the entire Kampong Ubi-Kembangan divisions, and Kampong Chai Chee division from East Coast GRC were formed into Kembangan-Chai Chee division Carved out a portion of Kaki Bukit division to Aljunied GRC, and Mountbatten division into SMC
Moulmein–Kallang GRC	New Constituency Formed from Jalan Besar GRC, and Moulmein division from Tanjong Pagar GRC
Nee Soon GRC	New Constituency Formed from Nee Soon Central SMC, Nee Soon East SMC, Nee Soon South divisions from Ang Mo Kio GRC, and Canberra and Chong Pang divisions from Sembawang GRC
Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC	Carved out Punggol East division into SMC, and a minor portion of Punggol South division to Ang Mo Kio GRC Portions of Punggol Central and North divisions were formed into Punggol West division
Sembawang GRC	Ward downsized to five members Carved out Canberra and Chong Pang to Nee Soon GRC Portions of Sembawang and Woodlands were formed into Woodgrove division.
Tanjong Pagar GRC	Ward downsized to five members Absorbed Buona Vista and Kreta Ayer–Kim Seng divisions from Holland–Bukit Timah GRC and Jalan Besar GRC, respectively Carved out Moulmein division into Moulmein–Kallang GRC, and Radin Mas division into SMC Merged Tanjong Pagar and Tiong Bahru divisions to form Tanjong Pagar-Tiong Bahru division
West Coast GRC	Carved out portions of Pioneer division into SMC, while Jurong Industrial, Jurong Island, Gul Circle, Tuas and Joo Koon were transferred to Ayer Rajah division Ayer Rajah-West Coast division were split into Ayer Rajah and West Coast divisions.

Nomination

New candidates

A total of 78 candidates were brand-new to this election. Notable candidates out of the 24 introduced from the PAP that were part of the "fourth-generation" cabinet which include the eventual fourth Prime Minister of Singapore Lawrence Wong, a future Prime Minister of Singapore Heng Swee Keat, an ex-SAF Chief and ministers Chan Chun Sing, Tan Chuan-Jin, as well as Desmond Lee and Ong Ye Kung, the sons of former MPs Lee Yock Suan and Ong Lian Ten respectively.
There were 54 debuting candidates from six opposition parties, which include Pritam Singh who made another inroad into Parliament and went on to become the WP leader in 2018, as well as Lina Loh, Kenneth Andrew Jeyaretnam, Nicole Seah, Tan Jee Say, Hazel Poa and Benjamin Pwee Yek Guan.

Retiring politicians

20 existing PAP members from the 11th Parliament will not see re-election, among which 18 announced their retirement, ten of which being office holders, and two members, Balaji Sadasivan and Ong Chit Chung, died during their term in office but neither by-elections were called since their wards were part of a Group Representation Constituency; the latter however would later become a Bukit Batok Single Member Constituency on the next election in 2015. Eric Low, another PAP candidate that first entered politics in the 2001 election but lost twice to WP, did not seek re-election, making him the second PAP candidate to participate but did not enter parliament.

Nomination day details

Nomination day occurred on 27 April 2011 and opened from 11am for an hour. The election deposit for this election was S$16,000, the highest amount set in any election's history. The Elections Department allocated the following nine places of nomination as nomination centres:

Nomination centre	Electoral division
Admiralty Secondary School	Nee Soon GRC^IO Sembawang GRC^M
Bedok View Secondary School	East Coast GRC^M Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC^M Punggol East SMC
Deyi Secondary School	Aljunied GRC^M Ang Mo Kio GRC^IO Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC^IO Sengkang West SMC
Dunman Secondary School	Hougang SMC Tampines GRC^M
Greenridge Secondary School	Bukit Panjang SMC Holland-Bukit Timah GRC^IO
Jurong Junior College	Jurong GRC^IO Pioneer SMC West Coast GRC^IO Yuhua SMC
Singapore Chinese Girls' School	Moulmein-Kallang GRC^M Radin Mas SMC Tanjong Pagar GRC^IO Whampoa SMC
South View Primary School	Chua Chu Kang GRC^M Hong Kah North SMC
Tao Nan School	Joo Chiat SMC Marine Parade GRC^M Mountbatten SMC Potong Pasir SMC

A ^M indicates a GRC requires a Malay/Muslim minority candidate, while ^IO indicates a GRC requires an Indian or other minority candidate

During nomination, Steve Tan Peng Hoe pulled out from contesting Tampines GRC; Tanjong Pagar GRC incumbent Baey Yam Keng took his place, in turn new candidate Chia Shi-Lu replaced Baey in his place.

Staking claims

Soon after the announcement of the new electoral boundaries, various opposition parties indicated their intent to contest, subject to negotiations between political parties to avoid three-cornered fights. The parties declaring an interest to contest each constituency and their nomination status is reflected below.

General election campaign

Televised forums

In the first pre-election forum of this nature in Singapore since the 1988 General Election, Channel NewsAsia invited the main parties to record an hour-long programme. The programme, in English entitled, "A political forum on Singapore's future" brought together the ruling PAP and four opposition parties to discuss long and short-term challenges for the country.
The forum included:

Singapore Democratic Party, represented by its Assistant Treasurer Dr Vincent Wijeysingha;
Singapore People's Party, represented by 2nd Vice Chairwoman Lina Chiam;
Workers' Party of Singapore, represented by Assistant Webmaster Gerald Giam;
Singapore Democratic Alliance, represented by Assistant Secretary-General Mohamed Nazem Suki;
People's Action Party, represented by:
* Finance Minister and Jurong GRC MP Tharman Shanmugaratnam
* Bishan–Toa Payoh GRC MP Josephine Teo

Social media

The Worker's Party utilised social media to circumvent obstacles placed in front of them by Singapore's government-controlled media.

Battleground Constituencies

Similar to the previous elections, many media outlets named the following constituencies as "hotspots":

Aljunied GRC, in which it was PAP's narrowest victory in the last election, as Hougang SMC incumbent Low Thia Khiang left the ward to lead his WP's A-team to contest the ward; analysts hinted that the addition of Kaki Bukit division into the ward could be decisive, as many of the wards consist of parts of the previously defunct Cheng San and Eunos GRCs, both of which WP had strong support in during the constituency's existence.
Similarly, Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, which faced its first contest since the formation in 1997, was also a hotspot as Potong Pasir SMC incumbent Chiam See Tong left the ward to also lead his SPP's A-team to contest the ward. Unlike Aljunied, the boundaries for Bishan-Toa Payoh were intact throughout its existence.
Marine Parade and Tampines GRCs, in which the NSP party fielded their top teams for them, which respectively led by former MP Cheo Chai Chen and party leader Goh Meng Seng. Marine Parade's last contested election was in 1992, 19 years prior, while Tampines had contested by them in every elections except 1997.
Nee Soon GRC, a new constituency formed with the inclusions of Nee Soon Central and Nee Soon East SMCs, where oppositions such as WP also had contested in the past two elections.
Joo Chiat SMC was also named as one of the hotspots after incumbent MP Chan Soo Sen stepped down; Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC MP Charles Chong stepped in and faced WP's new face Yee Jenn Jong this election.
Punggol East SMC, in which it was the election's only three-cornered contest.
Likewise, Holland-Bukit Timah GRC was also hotly contested as it was also the ward's inaugural battle since its formation last election.

Political rallies

The Singapore Police Force announced 41 political rally sites on 27 April which could be booked by political parties on a first-come-first-served basis. Rallies were allowed to be conducted from 28 April to 5 May, from 7am to 10pm. The 41st site is for lunch time rallies at Boat Quay near to the UOB Plaza.
National Solidarity Party

Date	Location	Constituency
28 April	Open field at Geylang East Central	Marine Parade GRC
29 April	Delta Hockey Pitch	Radin Mas SMC
30 April	Open field near Jalan Tenteram	Whampoa SMC
1 May	Jurong West Stadium	Pioneer SMC
2 May	Open field near Mountbatten Community Centre	Mountbatten SMC
3 May	Choa Chu Kang Stadium	Choa Chu Kang GRC
4 May	Tampines Stadium	Tampines GRC
5 May	Open field near Chinese Garden	Jurong GRC

People's Action Party

Date	Location	Constituency
28 April	Open field near Buangkok MRT station	Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC
29 April	Yio Chu Kang Stadium	Ang Mo Kio GRC
29 April	Open field near Kallang Avenue	Moulmein–Kallang GRC
29 April	Jurong West Stadium	Pioneer SMC
30 April	Serangoon Stadium	Aljunied GRC
30 April	Open field at Geylang East Central	Marine Parade GRC
30 April	Choa Chu Kang Stadium	Choa Chu Kang GRC
30 April	Open field near Hougang MRT station	Hougang SMC
1 May	Bedok Stadium	East Coast GRC
2 May	Open field near Segar Road	Bukit Panjang SMC
2 May	Jurong East Stadium	Yuhua SMC
2 May	Open field near Jurong West Avenue 3	Hong Kah North SMC
3 May	Boat Quay next to UOB Plaza	Ang Mo Kio GRC
3 May	Woodlands Stadium	Sembawang GRC
4 May	Open field near Mountbatten Community Centre	Mountbatten SMC
4 May	Open field in Sengkang East	Punggol East SMC
4 May	Yishun Stadium	Nee Soon GRC
4 May	Open field near Clementi Avenue 4	Holland–Bukit Timah GRC
4 May	Delta Hockey Pitch	Radin Mas SMC
5 May	Open field near Ubi Road 3	Aljunied GRC
5 May	Toa Payoh Stadium	Bishan–Toa Payoh GRC
5 May	Tampines Stadium	Tampines GRC
5 May	Open field near Potong Pasir Avenue 1	Potong Pasir SMC
5 May	Open field near Jalan Tenteram	Whampoa SMC
5 May	Open field near Segar Road	Bukit Panjang SMC
5 May	Bedok Stadium	East Coast GRC
5 May	Open field near Pasir Ris Park	Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC

Reform Party

Date	Location	Constituency
28 April	Clementi Stadium	West Coast GRC
30 April	Clementi Stadium	West Coast GRC
1 May	Yio Chu Kang Stadium	Ang Mo Kio GRC
2 May	Open field near West Coast Park	West Coast GRC
4 May	Clementi Stadium	West Coast GRC
5 May	Clementi Stadium	West Coast GRC
5 May	Yio Chu Kang Stadium	Ang Mo Kio GRC

Singapore Democratic Alliance

Date	Location	Constituency
29 April	Open field in Sengkang East	Punggol East SMC
1 May	Open field near Pasir Ris Park	Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC
4 May	Open field near Buangkok MRT station	Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC

Singapore Democratic Party

Date	Location	Constituency
28 April	Open field near Commonwealth Avenue	Holland–Bukit Timah GRC
29 April	Jurong East Stadium	Yuhua SMC
30 April	Woodlands Stadium	Sembawang GRC
1 May	Open field near Clementi Avenue 4	Holland–Bukit Timah GRC
2 May	Open field near Commonwealth Avenue	Holland–Bukit Timah GRC
3 May	Open field near Segar Road	Bukit Panjang SMC
4 May	Woodlands Stadium	Sembawang GRC
5 May	Boat Quay next to UOB Plaza	Holland–Bukit Timah GRC
5 May	Woodlands Stadium	Sembawang GRC

Singapore People's Party

Date	Location	Constituency
29 April	Open field near Jurong West Avenue 3	Hong Kah North SMC
30 April	Open field near Potong Pasir Avenue 1	Potong Pasir SMC
2 May	Bishan Stadium	Bishan–Toa Payoh GRC
4 May	Open field near Potong Pasir Avenue 1	Potong Pasir SMC
5 May	Bishan Stadium	Bishan–Toa Payoh GRC

Workers’ Party

Date	Location	Constituency
28 April	Open field near Hougang MRT station	Hougang SMC
29 April	Serangoon Stadium	Aljunied GRC
30 April	Bedok Stadium	East Coast GRC
1 May	Yishun Stadium	Nee Soon GRC
2 May	Open field near Kallang Avenue	Moulmein–Kallang GRC
3 May	Open field in Sengkang East	Punggol East SMC
4 May	Open field near Ubi Road 3	Aljunied GRC
5 May	Serangoon Stadium	Aljunied GRC

Controversies

Online video

During the 2011 elections campaigning, Vivian Balakrishnan said the SDP was "suppressing a certain YouTube video, which raises some very awkward questions about the agenda and motivations of the SDP and its candidates". He issued the following statement:
Vincent Wijeysingha rejected his comments stating, "We've been a very open party and we're very clear."
This incident was cited in an article published in The Economist criticising the ruling party's election strategy The New Paper released a story next day, with the headline: "Is Singapore ready for a GAY MP?". Kenneth Jeyaretnam of the Reform Party called Balakrishnan's campaign a "low attack."
Balakrishnan received widespread controversy and criticism online for his remark,. On 28 April, he told the press: "there is "no need" to further discuss video". He said that his question was a "legitimate".

Cooling-off day

Nicole Seah, a team member contesting Marine Parade GRC under the NSP team, filed a complaint to the Elections Department on 6 May stating PAP-team member Tin Pei Ling had violated the state-mandated cooling-off period 24 hours before polls by posting a Facebook comment "in response to a video that showed Seah crying after being told about a MacPherson female resident who could not get a refund of her son's $80 tuition fees".
The NSP team was advised by the Elections Department to lodge a police report before the Elections Department could investigate.
The day after the election, Seah told reporters that her party had not received any response after making the complaint, and said no decision had been taken on whether or not to pursue the issue. She added that the NSP knew "it is an uphill battle to get any results out of this. I would rather devote my time and resources to the residents".
A similar complaint was lodged against Seah alleging that material had been published on her Facebook page during Cooling-Off Day. On 10 August, the Singapore Police Force announced that it had concluded its investigations into the two incidents, and that aside from a "stern warning" to Tin's friend, neither action was taken against either Tin or Seah.
Separately, the NSP also complained that the PAP had been distributing election material to residents in Tampines GRC in violation of cooling-off regulations.

Results

After polls closed at 8pm, vote counting began. Results were announced by Yam Ah Mee, chief executive director of the People's Association, who acted as the Returning Officer for the election. The first result was declared at 11.58pm on 7 May 2011, where PAP candidate Lim Biow Chuan won the Mountbatten SMC with a majority of 3,529. The final result to be declared was for the Potong Pasir SMC at 2.51am on 8 May, where the PAP won the seat from the SPP by a narrow margin of 0.72%, or a majority of 114, following a recount.
While the PAP retained government control for the 13th consecutive election in addition to its supermajority, its vote majorities were reduced islandwide for a second election in a row, down to its lowest national vote share to 60.17%, slightly surpassing the 1991's share of 60.97%. The constituency with the best performing result for the PAP in this election was at Hong Kah North SMC with 70.61%, being the only one to score at least 70% for the election.
PAP won all but two constituencies with 81 out of 87 seats; the WP won the remaining six seats after successfully retaining Hougang SMC and for the first time since GRCs were introduced in 1988, WP had also won Aljunied GRC, the first instance where any opposition party won a GRC. Its victory also lead to the defeat of cabinet minister George Yeo and Lim Hwee Hua, who became the first two cabinet ministers to lose re-election since independence, with the last time being 1963. Furthermore, Hougang SMC clocked in the best performing result for WP at 64.80%, and the second-best performing result for any opposition party in post-independence Singapore's history, only behind 1991's Potong Pasir SMC's record of 69.64%.
The election also saw several records, with the elections of first female opposition MP Sylvia Lim and first Malay opposition MP Faisal Manap into Parliament. At 27 years of age, Marine Parade GRC MP Tin Pei Ling set a record of becoming the youngest MP-elect, which was previously held by 29-year old Ho Kah Leong back in 1966. Her record would later be surpassed by 26-year old MP-elect Raeesah Khan in the 2020 elections. Both Tin and Alex Yam were also the first two millennial MPs to be elected into parliament, and Michael Palmer become the first ethnic minority MP to manage a SMC since the introduction of the GRC system.
Excluding electors in Tanjong Pagar GRC, voter turnout for the election was 93.18%, with 2,060,373 votes cast.

Analysis

Top 10 best PAP performers

Constituencies with no comparison to 2006 were either due to them being new constituencies or the constituencies experiencing walkovers in the last election.

Top 10 best opposition performers

Constituencies with no comparison to 2006 were either due to them being new constituencies or the constituencies experiencing walkovers in the last election.

Top 10 Vote Swings

Only the following constituencies may be compared with 2006 results as they existed in both elections, although most had changes in their electoral boundaries.

'''Interpretive maps'''

Post-election events

Ruling party's immediate reactions

The PAP's secretary-general, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, described the results as delivering his party a "clear mandate to form the next government". In his post-election press conference, Lee said the polls had "heightened political consciousness and awareness", and admitted that "many of them desire to see more opposition voices in Parliament to check the PAP government". He described the PAP's loss of Aljunied GRC, which resulted in George Yeo being voted out of Parliament and losing his position as foreign minister, as a "heavy loss to my Cabinet and my team of MPs", but said that the party would "accept and respect the voters' decision". The country's Senior Minister, Goh Chok Tong, also admitted that "there is a sea change in the political landscape" after his team won Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency with just 56.6 percent of the vote.
The third cabinet was announced two weeks later where extensive changes were made to the cabinet, and several ministers announcing stepping down from the cabinet, including Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, and Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew. Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam succeeded Wong as the new DPM, with existing DPM Teo Chee Hean named the new successor to the Coordinating Minister for National Security. Two new MPs were given cabinet portfolios, with Chan Chun Sing given the acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, and Heng Swee Keat as the Minister for Education, making Heng only the second MP to be ascended directly to cabinet minister, after Richard Hu. It was also announced that Michael Palmer would be named the new Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore, replacing outgoing speaker Abdullah Tarmugi.

Opposition parties' immediate reactions

The Workers Party's secretary-general Low Thia Khiang said his team's win in Aljunied meant that voters had "accepted the WP as a rational, responsible and respected party". In his victory speech, Low declared his win as a "political landmark in modern Singapore". He added that it meant the electorate wanted to tell the PAP to be "a more responsive, inclusive, transparent and accountable government”.
In a statement on its website, the Singapore Democratic Party thanked its supporters for their support, saying that it was for them that the party " to labour on in this undemocratic system with all the odds stacked against us." Its assistant treasurer Vincent Wijeysingha, who stood in Holland–Bukit Timah Group Representation Constituency, said that the party's positive vote swing in its contested wards of almost 13 percent from the last elections was an "indicator that things are beginning to move up for our party." In a second statement on its website, the SDP described its results as "disappointing", but promised to "build on the foundation that we have laid" for the next elections. The party's secretary-general Chee Soon Juan, barred from standing in the election, went on to write an opinion piece for the Guardian, in which he said it "would have been a miracle" had the SDP won any seats, and accused the media in Singapore of suppressing news of the SDP's campaigning.
Other than the PAP and WP, the only other opposition seat pre-election had been held by the Singapore People's Party, which lost it in the polls by just 114 votes. Chiam See Tong, the SPP's secretary-general, said his party would fight to win back Potong Pasir Single Member Constituency, and said that despite being defeated in Bishan–Toa Payoh Group Representation Constituency, he would continue in politics, health permitting. He also questioned the margin of votes in Potong Pasir, contested by his wife, saying there was "funny business" happening. A petition calling for a by-election in the constituency was started by SPP supporters and Potong Pasir residents.
The National Solidarity Party, which contested the most seats of all opposition parties, admitted it may have taken on too much, with its leader Goh Meng Seng telling reporters that he would be "personally responsible" for the party's failure to win a single seat. Its star candidate, Nicole Seah, said Singaporeans now had to unite as a country. Seah, who contested in Marine Parade, also said there was "so much that needs to be done", and that she would continue her work in the area despite her team's defeat. On 26 June, Goh announced his resignation from the party.
The leader of the newest opposition party contesting the elections, the Reform Party's Kenneth Jeyaretnam, described his party as having "learnt a lot" and said they had "done very well", as the first new party in over 20 years. He added that the party was "very happy" at its result in West Coast Group Representation Constituency, and that its second team had done "creditably" in Ang Mo Kio Group Representation Constituency. Jeyaretnam also said the team being able to win the votes it did despite being a new party meant that its "core values resonate with the voters".
The worst-performing party at the polls was the Singapore Democratic Alliance, whose secretary-general Desmond Lim polled under 5 percent of votes in Punggol East Single Member Constituency, being the only candidate to lost his S$16,000 election deposit this election. He said voters had voted based on brand name, as the other opposition candidate in the ward was from the WP. The SDA also contested Pasir Ris–Punggol Group Representation Constituency, and Lim said the party was "very happy" at its positive vote swing from 2006 of over 4 percent. However, the SDA's anchorman in the constituency Harminder Pal Singh described the loss as a "time for painful reflection" and said the party would work harder to win more votes.

Foreign reactions

At an ASEAN heads-of-state meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia, leaders of ASEAN nations reportedly told S. Jayakumar, Singapore's representative at the event, that they were "saddened, disappointed and surprised" at the news that foreign minister Yeo had been defeated, according to the state-run Straits Times, while at the same meeting the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Najib Tun Razak, said the PAP's win would mean a continuity in understanding between the Malaysian and Singaporean governments on bilateral issues. The BBC described it as a landmark result.

Non-Constituency Member of Parliament offers

Three Non-Constituency Members of Parliament seats were offered after the election to the top three losing opposition candidates. The Singapore People's Party accepted the seat for Lina Loh, ensuring that the Chiam family retained representation in Parliament. While Chiam See Tong has said he is opposed to the scheme, the SPP reasoned that it was "critical" to ensure an "alternative voice in Parliament", to allow the party to "remain engaged in national issues", and to be publicly visible until the next election due by 2016. Loh also pointed out that she was "influenced by the wishes of Potong Pasir residents" and she accepted the post as her losing margin was too small.
The Workers' Party was offered the final two NCMP seats for having the second and third best performing losing candidates, which it accepted despite Low also disputing the scheme. Yee Jenn Jong was thus appointed for his performance in Joo Chiat SMC, but as it had to choose one member from the East Coast GRC team, the younger Gerald Giam was chosen over team leader and party treasurer Eric Tan as part of its leadership renewal process. Tan resigned from the party, citing his disagreement with the appointment.
On 16 May 2011, the three proposed NCMPs were formally appointed.

By-elections

During the parliamentary term following this election, two seats fell vacant throughout 2012 after the MPs resigned following allegations about extramarital affairs. The first was Hougang SMC MP Yaw Shin Leong on 14 February, and the other was Speaker and Punggol East SMC MP Michael Palmer on 12 December.
This were the first two by-elections to be called in nearly two decades after the 1992 Marine Parade by-election. In the ensuing by-elections, former East Coast GRC WP candidate Png Eng Huat and two-time Punggol East SMC WP candidate Lee Li Lian respectively won those by-elections. Consequently, it was also the second time where a seat changed hands to the opposition after 1981.

Exit poll

On 3 September, Joseph Ong Chor Teck was arrested for conducting exit poll through Temasek Review, a socio-political website, ahead of the election. It was announced that Ong was released on bail pending further investigations as of 17 October. Conducting exit polls during the election period between the time where the writ of election is issued and election day is an offence under the Parliamentary Election Act, with penalties of a maximum S$1,500 fine or up to a year's imprisonment or both.

Reactions

Rise and use of social media

The election saw wider use of the internet and social media compared to 2006. Many turned to online platforms to bypass mass media in Singapore, which was seen as heavily favouring the ruling PAP. There was a public perception that major state-owned newspapers and broadcasters supported the party's stance and that the electoral system placed opposition parties at a disadvantage. Alternative media was limited until the 2000s, when news sites, blogs and social platforms such as Facebook and Twitter emerged. These gained some influence by 2006 and became especially prominent after 2011. According to The Economist, the PAP's aggressive modernisation of Singapore created "one of the world's most wired societies," leading to new media that "transformed" the electoral scene in Singapore. Characterising the state-run mainstream press as "docile", the British magazine also argued that this also forced significantly more news coverage of the opposition than in previous elections, since the mainstream media feared their readership deserting them. One blogger from CNN claimed, "Thanks to social media, it doesn't matter that the country's largely state-run media leans towards reporting the actions of the PAP, no one's reading anyway." The Economist however was more cynical in its analysis of the election: "in Singapore, winning 7% of parliamentary seats is tantamount to an opposition triumph".

Reactions to Aljunied GRC's result

Traditionally regarded as one of the PAP "fortresses", this marked the first instance where the opposition captured a GRC since the scheme was formed in 1988, five elections prior, where the oppositions had unsuccessfully done so due to ostensible requirements of ensuring minority representation in parliament and extensive resources. GRCs comprised over 86% of the seats, but oppositions in previous elections would only contest "less than half the seats". The election saw the most extensive use of co-ordination to avoid "three-cornered fights" and was also notable for seeing "two veteran MPs" making immense risks by choosing to contest in GRCs rather than their traditional SMC safe seats.
With the PAP's team defeated in Aljunied GRC, four of the five members, including Foreign Minister George Yeo and Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Lim Hwee Hua, announced their retirements from politics in separate news conferences given in the days after the election. George Yeo, who remained popular online and continued to have "a flood of support" after the election and had been repeatedly urged to contest the next election, or even contest the 2011 Singaporean presidential election turned his supporters down, declaring, "I'm a free spirit, and I don't think I'm temperamentally suited for such a job." A fifth candidate, Ong Ye Kung, however, would continue to work in private sector and would later join their team in Sembawang GRC in the next election four years later.

Signals to the ruling party

The election results were widely used in national and international discussions that the population was trying to send a message to a ruling party that "can also come across as smug, arrogant and high-handed" despite a win margin of over 20%, which usually counts as a landslide victory for most democratic nations but has been one of the narrowest margins since 1965. The last election with a similarly narrow victory occurred in the 1963 Singapore general election, when the PAP's major opponent was the Barisan Sosialis—which in itself was a splinter group formed from the leftist wing of the PAP, where it had comprised 80% of the PAP grassroots membership, 35 out of the PAP's 51 branch committees and 19 of its 23 organising secretaries. According to the Economist, Singaporeans would prefer not to have an alternative government but a humbler one, as well as a "stronger opposition".
On 14 May, exactly a week after the election, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong and Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew announced in a joint statement that they would be quitting the country's Cabinet, saying it was time for a "team of younger ministers" to "engage with this young generation in shaping the future of Singapore." In a similar analysis by Bloomberg, the resignations and the ensuing cabinet reshuffle were the actions of a ruling party "seeking to overhaul its image with voters" whose "narrowest election victory on record signaled a shortfall in support among younger voters". Analysts such as Citigroup economist Kit Wei Zheng believed that Lee had somewhat contributed to the PAP's lackluster performance in a local context.
Lee Kuan Yew was also quoted as saying that a younger generation was required to "carry Singapore forward in a more difficult and complex situation" while Lee Hsien Loong declared the party "would change the way it governs" and do some "soul-searching". Singapore Management University professor Eugene Tan said that " will have to demonstrate that it remains a mass movement, and not 's alter ego," noting that younger Singaporeans do not see Lee Kuan Yew with the same "godlike perception" as older Singaporeans born before 1980.
With the vacation of the Senior Minister roles, the role remained vacant for the next eight years until on 1 May 2019 following Heng Swee Keat's ascension of Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore. Goh was also conferred the title of "Emeritus Senior Minister".