Among the early voters were Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his wife, Ho Ching, whose polling station was at Alexandra Primary School.

The prime minister, who has been in power since 2004, had staked the PAP’s fate on its performance since winning its first election in 1959, when colonial ruler Britain granted self rule.

Lee’s government sharply reduced the intake of immigrants and foreign workers accused of stealing Singaporeans’ jobs and causing overcrowding.

There had been no doubt the PAP would win, but the victory margins it established in the early count showed a marked improvement over results in 2011, when its share of votes cast plunged to an all-time low of 60 percent.

Opposition events are hoping to benefit from the grumbling and are contesting all 89 seats in parliament for the primary time since independence in 1965. A GRC is a type of electoral division or constituency in Singapore where the MPs are voted into Parliament as a group. In a winner-takes-all, first-past-the-post system, all members of the victorious team get entry into Parliament. Preliminary outcomes are anticipated from a few hours after the polls shut at eight p.m. (1200 GMT). Twenty-one Indian-origin Singaporeans are among 181 candidates who have filed their nominations to contest the snap general election in which Loong’s ruling party’s 50 years of political dominance is being tested.

The PAP’s success has been attributed to its widespread popularity among Singaporeans – who have seen their country rapidly evolve into a first-world economy – as well as its tight political control.

But voters are now asking uncomfortable questions about the restrictions on free speech and media, which they had been willing to sacrifice in return for economic prosperity. A number of smaller parties also ran.

Singapore citizens now make up 61 percent of the population, which is expected to increase to 6.5 million or even 6.9 million by 2030, of which 45 percent will be foreigners, partly to tackle low birth rates. But Prime Minister Lee has had to balance the need for growth against public resentment over a policy that is cramming more and more people into an island with limited space. He uses only one name.

The survey, which was designed to give a snapshot of sentiment on a variety of issues, from education to healthcare to public transportation, in the weeks leading up to Singapore’s Golden Jubilee National Day, revealed that a significant percentage of the respondents were supportive of the government. Mainstream local media remain controlled by the government.

Mr Chong has fought seven general elections since he entered politics in 1988. ” she said at another rally”.

“We are very grateful, we are very happy but at the same time we are very humbled by the result, by the trust which you have put on us, by the responsibility which we have taken on to serve you, to represent you and to look after your interests”, he told cheering supporters.

The Workers’ Party (WP), which was aiming for 20 seats, won only six.

“What I can say is that this is not… a mandate for the PAP’s economic policies”, said Kenneth Jeyaretnam, secretary-general of the Reform Party, which did not win any seats. There are also no plans for the party to be in a coalition with other parties.