SINGAPORE - People's Action Party's (PAP) Patrick Tay, 48, beat two opposition candidates to win Pioneer SMC by 61.98 per cent of the vote share on Friday (July 10).

Progress Singapore Party's (PSP) candidate Lim Cher Hong, 42, author and chartered financial consultant, received 35.24 per cent of votes.

Lagging far behind was the sole independent candidate Cheang Peng Wah, a business consultant and former RSAF engineer, who received 654 votes. That translates to 2.78 per cent of the 23,510 votes cast in all.

This means Mr Cheang's election deposit of $13,500 will be forfeited. He had previously told The Straits Times that he was confident of garnering at least 12.5 per cent of valid votes, the minimum required for candidates to keep their deposits.

Pioneer was the only single-member constituency in this election with a three-cornered fight.

It was previously helmed by PAP MP Cedric Foo for four terms, even after the single-seat constituency was carved out of West Coast GRC in 2011.

During the campaigning period, Mr Foo was seen doing walkabouts with Mr Tay to introduce him to residents.

On one of his walkabouts, Mr Tay who is assistant secretary-general of NTUC, said if elected, he will set up an employment, training and legal clinic at the Frontier Community Centre next to Jurong Point.

Pioneer residents who face employment issues, require training to land a new job or who have legal challenges, can seek help at the centre, he said.

Mr Tay was previously an MP in West Coast GRC since 2015, and Nee Soon GRC since 2011.

During a virtual press conference after Nomination Day, Mr Tay said he is just "moving across the road" from Jurong West, in his previous ward, to Pioneer SMC.

He noted that many residents in Pioneer SMC are PMETs (professionals, managers, executives and technicians), a group that is vulnerable to job loss. He hopes to bring his experience in the labour movement to help them.