Singapore's ruling party headed for a crushing victory at general elections on Saturday, sample counts showed, with voters giving Prime Minister Lawrence Wong the clear mandate he was seeking.

Sample results showed the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) winning all but ten seats of the 97-seat parliament.

Wong was facing his first major test against a rejuvenated opposition and had urged voters for a strong show of support as he navigated the trade-oriented nation through global economic uncertainties brought by US tariffs.

The PAP, which has steered the island to prosperity while being criticised for suppressing dissent, was always expected to easily retain a clear majority in parliament.

However, its dominance has been increasingly challenged by a more vocal electorate over the years.

Popular after leading Singapore's Covid task force, Wong took over last year from his predecessor Lee Hsien Loong, the son of founding premier Lee Kuan Yew, who ruled the island state after its bitter break-up with Malaysia in 1965. (AFP)