Singapore’s biggest protest in decades on Saturday shows that the ruling party for over half a century is facing a more vocal electorate and must change or watch its popularity slide further, analysts say. At least 2,000 Singaporeans chanted “we want change” and endured heavy downpours on Saturday to reject government immigration proposals, in a rare demonstration in the tightly controlled city-state of 5.3 million people. Although low by global standards, the turnout was the largest in some years in Singapore, where the People’s Action Party (PAP) has traditionally responded to any dissent with a firm hand, and provides the government with much to consider. SMU Assistant Professor of Law Eugene Tan commented that the high turnout showed that “we now have a more contested political landscape and the PAP will have to deal with a more vocal electorate."