Singapore - PAP candidate Melvin Yong wins the contest at Radin Mas SMC with 74 per cent of valid votes.

Reform Party's Mr Kumar Appavoo received 26 per cent of the votes.

From the 24,980 eligible voters, 1,424 did not vote. There were 22,739 valid votes and 817 spoilt votes.

Mr Yong, 48, is a new comer to Radin Mas SMC. He stood for his first elections in 2015 and has served at Tanjong Pagar GRC for the past five years.

He moved to Radin Mas when the previous PAP MP Mr Sam Tan, 61, stepped down.

Mr Tan had been serving Radin Mas as its MP for three terms since 2006.

At the last GE in 2015, he secured a resounding victory against two opponents with 77.25 per cent of the votes.

Mr Yong said on his Facebook page after his victory was announced: "I am humbled by your strong mandate."

He thanked Mr Tan " for his years of mentorship and friendship" and promised to "do my best to look after the residents of Radin Mas".

He added: "I'll rally the resources of the labour movement and match them with our local community partners to help those whose lives and livelihoods have been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

"You will not be in this alone. We will overcome this crisis, as one united community.

At the same time, we'll continue to look into ways to improve our estate. Together, let us work hand in hand to make Radin Mas an even better home. "

Mr Appavoo, 51, is no stranger to the constituency.

He had contested at Radin Mas in 2015 and secured 12.7 per cent of the votes - slightly more than the 12.5 per cent a candidate needs to get a refund of his deposit.

The director in an oil and gas company said his focus if he won the elections, will be on the cost of living, job opportunities and municipal issues.

He hit the headlines this time when he did not turn up for the recording of his constituency's political broadcast.

He said later that his party had not told him about it.

He had contested in the West Coast GRC with RP at the 2011 election.

Driving out of Radin Mas Primary School, a counting centre, at about 12.30am, Mr Appavoo told The Straits Times: "I think (I did) fairly well for a Covid-19 pandemic election."

He added that the pandemic "worked well for the PAP".