The Minister Mentor, at 82, is the most senior candidate in the Singapore general election on May 6 but apart from the fact that his hair was all snowy white and his skin so translucent that one could see the veins beneath, he seemed as energetic and sharp as the rest of the much younger team.

His speech rang out with authority, his eyes were alert and his trousers, worn low and beltless on his hips, lent him a sort of sixties-style hip look.

A huge crowd had turned out for the occasion and he and his team were garlanded with orchids and cheered on as though they had won the election although nomination day was still several days away.

Tanjong Pagar is a group representation constituency and the team of six did indeed win when they were given a walk-over victory on nomination day.

This was an opposition strategy that has grown into a norm over the last five elections – conceding victory to the PAP on nomination day in order to appeal to voters to vote according to their conscience for the other contested seats.

But the senior Lee’s constituency was among the minority seats to enjoy a walkover this polls.

For the first time since 1988, the Republic’s opposition is contesting more than half of the seats and denying the PAP a nomination day victory.

The opposition parties have come together to contest 47 of the 84 parliamentary seats.

It has not made the polls outcome any less predictable but it has given the campaign a buzz and level of discussion not seen in decades. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, 54, is facing his first big electoral test since being sworn in as Premier two years ago.

The Cambridge-educated Lee came in on a great deal of goodwill, the son of the first Prime Minister and a familiar figure whom Singaporeans had watched mature into a political leader.

The May 6 election is also widely seen as a referendum for Lee's leadership. He has brought in his new team that includes 24 new candidates, all with impressive credentials and work experiences.

In an interview with the Straits Times of Singapore, he asked voters to “judge me by my team and policies.”

“I'm not going just as a face and a promise, but I've delivered and I can do more of this for you - and better,” he said.

It is a foregone conclusion that the PAP will continue to form the government after the election.

As such, the challenge for Lee and his team is less about seats than about the margin of win.

His predecessor Goh Chok Tong won the 2001 election with a resounding 75% of the popular vote, his win fuelled by a sense of the need to stay together in the wake of the 9/11 catastrophe and an economic downswing.

“It will be a challenge to match the previous performance not only because the sense of crisis is easing, but Mr Goh is a tough act to follow. Mr Lee will have to try to match that,” said Yang Razali Kassim, senior fellow at a local think-tank and former chairman of the Muslim Professionals Association.

Lee's Ang Mo Kio constituency is also facing a rare contest from the Workers’ Party.

It has stirred renewed interest in the electoral process among Ang Mo Kio residents.

Due to the frequent walkovers given to the PAP in past elections, there are eligible voters who have not had the chance to vote. Likewise, there are MPs who have never faced a contest in their career – the Singapore media calls them “virgin MPs”.

Said a pensioner from Ang Mo Kio: “I'm 69 and have lived through so many elections but I've voted only three times in my life.”

What are some of the election issues?

Two hot issues were apparently the National Kidney Foundation scandal and having lifts on every floor of HDB flats instead of only on alternate floors.

But the bridge issue which is still simmering this side of the causeway is hardly an election topic at all on the island.

There are also the perennial bread-and-butter issues of jobs and cost of living which affect particularly the heartlanders, that segment of population living in HDB flats.

Election goodies in the form of cash redistribution from the government budget surplus has helped sweeten up the atmosphere for many people.

Older people, most of whom are expected to favour the PAP, still form the majority of voters.

But the younger voters are said to be an issue. Loosely termed the “post-65 generation”, this group born after 1965 grew up in relative affluence, has high expectations, is individualistic and talks about civil liberties.

Issues like the recent ban on political content in podcasts and blogs also strike at the core of the Gen-X.

A question mark hangs over how they will react to the bigger presence of an opposition contest in the polls.

“I don’t think anyone wants to overthrow the PAP. They are basically a good and capable government. But people want to see a better check and balance in Parliament, credible people who can scrutinise policy and engage the PAP in debate,” said Seah Chiang Nee one of Singapore’s most seasoned journalist.

Said Yang Razali: “There has been little room for opposition politics. Singaporeans complain about the lack of an opposition yet vote judiciously every general election. They are very picky about their opposition even as they are becoming increasing demanding of the PAP.” Singapore politics is rather exacting and the entry standards and expectations so high that, as one Singaporean put it, “you’ve got to be insane to go in”.

Then there is the PAP aggressiveness in fighting back the opposition. It is so intent on getting back the two opposition seats that former Premier Goh, who is part of the Marine Parade GRC, is reportedly in charge of the project.

“Yes, we are very demanding of our political leadership. You can’t be keeping a mistress or having girlfriends, going to nightclubs or singing karaoke ever so often. You have to lead a clean life, behave well,” said Seah.

The polls is also a referendum of sorts for the opposition.

This is the first time the opposition parties have been able to draw in so many young candidates with impressive qualifications.

Some see a new trend in Singapore politics taking shape.

“I do detect a shifting wind. It’s not only about Lee Hsien Loong and his team but this election may set the tone for where the opposition is going.”

Goh did not do very well in his first general election after taking over from the senior Lee.

The opposition parties are hoping to pull off something similar in Lee’s maiden polls although they face an uphill task.

But Lee’s strength is that he has an impressive track record in managing the economy, an issue that binds Singapore in a way like no other. He has brought back a healthy optimism about the economy which is expected to grow by 6% this year.

He has shown that he is not his father, he has tried to deregulate, to be more open and to loosen the reins. His predecessor began the process and he has taken it further.

But has it been enough to win over the electorate, especially the younger voters?

The May 6 election will have important implications for both Lee, the PAP and the aspiring opposition.

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