POTONG Pasir, which has been opposition veteran Chiam See Tong's domain since 1984, was wrestled back by the People's Action Party (PAP) on Saturday night by a razor-thin margin of just 114 votes.
PAP's third-time candidate for the single-seat ward, Sitoh Yih Pin, 47, an accountant, pulled it off this time, with just a 0.7 per cent winning margin. He won 7,973 of the 17,327 votes, while his challenger, Mrs Lina Chiam, 62, garnered 7,859 votes, or 49.6 per cent.
Mrs Chiam, 62, had hoped to succeed Mr Chiam, 76, who moved out of his incumbent stronghold to contest the neighbouring Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, where he lost to the PAP incumbents led by Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng.
She contested as a Singapore People's Party candidate, which is headed by her husband.
In the 2006 general election, Mr Chiam beat Mr Sitoh with 55.8 per cent of the votes.
Mr Sitoh, who has called himself the 'underdog' said in an interview before the polls, that his electoral defeat in 2001 and 2006 had taught him never to discount the 'Chiam factor'.
In this election, he resorted to a different strategy, eschewing major infrastructure projects in the estate which is the smallest ward.
PAP's third-time candidate for the single-seat ward, Sitoh Yih Pin, 47, an accountant, pulled it off this time, with just a 0.7 per cent winning margin. He won 7,973 of the 17,327 votes, while his challenger, Mrs Lina Chiam, 62, garnered 7,859 votes, or 49.6 per cent.
Mrs Chiam, 62, had hoped to succeed Mr Chiam, 76, who moved out of his incumbent stronghold to contest the neighbouring Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, where he lost to the PAP incumbents led by Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng.
She contested as a Singapore People's Party candidate, which is headed by her husband.
In the 2006 general election, Mr Chiam beat Mr Sitoh with 55.8 per cent of the votes.
Mr Sitoh, who has called himself the 'underdog' said in an interview before the polls, that his electoral defeat in 2001 and 2006 had taught him never to discount the 'Chiam factor'.
