Singapore's long-ruling People's Action Party (PAP) achieved a thumping victory on Saturday amid concern over the possible consequences of US President Donald Trump's trade policies for the South-East Asian nation's economy.
The PAP won its 14th consecutive election, securing 87 out of 97 available seats in the city-state's parliament.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong declared he had secured a "clear and strong mandate" for the PAP in his first election as leader.
"It is a changed world. Not just an economic slowdown, but fundamental shifts in the international order," Mr Wong told reporters early on Sunday.
"The results will put Singapore in a better position to face this turbulent world."
Mr Wong in December took over the top job from Lee Hsien Loong, who had ruled Singapore for two decades.
Trade-dependent Singapore was hit with 10 per cent tariffs by the Trump administration — and its status as a key financial hub in Asia makes it vulnerable to any potential downturn.
"Singaporeans, by and large, prefer to place their bets on a safer pair of hands — a government that has been tested before," said Lowy Institute research fellow Rahman Yaacob.
"Cost of living was the number one gripe, but the Trump tariffs changed the narrative," he said.
"To a large extent, the tariffs play quite a significant role in encouraging voters to move towards the PAP again."
Opposition forced to 'climb mountains' in Singapore
Under new leadership, the PAP increased its share of the popular vote from a low of 61 per cent in 2020 to more than 65 per cent.
Opposition Leader Pritam Singh of the Workers' Party said the result demonstrated for "any opposition party to make inroads into our political system, the challenges are real".
"When we say it's very difficult for an opposition party, this is another good example," he said.
The Workers' Party retained the 10 seats it won at the 2020 election for the upcoming parliamentary term, but an energetic campaign failed to translate into any major gains.
The party is set to gain two non-constituency MP seats, a mechanism designed to ensure at least 12 seats for the opposition in Singapore's legislature.
"The electoral system has been fixed in such a way that the opposition has to climb mountains to get anywhere," said Singapore politics researcher Lily Rahim, who said the PAP had also "played on fear" among the country's conservative electorate.
"We are a small nation with limited resources. We are a predominantly [ethnic] Chinese country in a potentially unfriendly region," she said.
Electoral boundaries were redrawn ahead of the 2025 election based on what authorities said were population changes.
That the boundaries changed significantly in areas where opposition parties had previously performed well led to accusations of gerrymandering from critics.
"Wong had the simplest of all simple messages and he ran it endlessly on a loop: trust the PAP," said Flinders University associate professor of international relations Michael Barr.
"An essential element was creating the impression that the PAP government might be tipped out in the election. This was an absurd suggestion, but with the media's compliance, he made it work."
Virtually all news media in Singapore is government-run or affiliated and press freedom groups have observed widespread self-censorship.
Reporters Without Borders has noted that "citizens are often presented merely with state-approved perspectives".
Analysts said the PAP would need to address voter concerns over inflation, the availability of housing, and stark inequalities in a wealthy country that does not have a minimum wage.
Its victory came despite the unpopular decision to increase GST to 9 per cent last year.
Mr Wong, the prime minister, said the result was "a clear signal of trust, stability and confidence in your government".
"The results will motivate us to work even harder for you," he said.
