The ruling People's Action Party ( PAP) won 81 of the 87 seats in the parliamentary election on Saturday, remaining by far the strongest party in Singapore despite losing a group representation constituency to the opposition for the first time since it was introduced in 1988.

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (C) of the People's Action Party (PAP) joins hands with some of his candidates as they celebrate victory in the general election in Singapore early on May 8, 2011.

The seats it won were from 14 group representation constituencies and 11 single member constituencies, including the five-seat Tanjong Pagar group representation constituency that had been won uncontested on the nomination day on April 27.

A total of 87 wards are at stake in the current general election and they are distributed across 12 single member constituencies and 15 group representation constituencies, where candidates competed in teams of four to six.

PAP remains strongest

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong with his team of six candidates won the Ang Mo Kio group representation constituency for the PAP. Speaking to reporters, Lee said that the PAP had tried its best to serve the voters over the past five years and that it had the voters' confidence.

"After this election, we'll look at the results, analyze them .. . This is a long journey and we won't stop working hard," he said.

Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan, who led a team winning a group representation constituency, said the ruling party will listen to the local residents. "We will listen. We will welcome," he said.

The PAP also won the Potong Pasir single member constituency by a narrow margin of 114 votes, taking the stronghold of opposition veteran Chiam See Tong for 26 years. Chiam had left Potong Pasir to contest a group representation constituency.