Next Singaporean general election
Encyclopedia
Singapore
's 16th parliamentary general election was held on 7 May 2011. The Parliament of Singapore
's maximum term is five years, within which it must be dissolved by the President of Singapore
and elections held within three months, as stated in the Constitution of Singapore
. Voting is mandatory in Singapore and is based on the first-past-the-post
system. Elections are conducted by the Elections Department
, which is under the jurisdiction of the Prime Minister’s Office. On 19 April 2011, President S.R. Nathan
dissolved parliament. Nomination day was held on 27 April 2011, and for the second election in a row, the PAP was not returned to power on nomination day. This election also marked the first and the only three-cornered fight since 2001 in Punggol East SMC.
The election was described as a "watershed election" in various forms by various parties. The ruling PAP reminded voters that the election will determine "Singapore's next generation of leaders". The Workers' Party called it a "watershed election" both for Singapore and the opposition, as it marked the first time in two decades that the only two incumbent opposition MPs moved out of their respective strongholds and contested in Group Representation Constituencies
(GRCs), risking a situation where there would be "no elected opposition MPs". This was despite the elections having the highest proportion of contested seats since independence, with 82 of 87 seats contested (or 94.3%). 2011 was the year that saw the highest number of seats contested since post-independence; with the second being in 1972 when 87.7% of seats were contested (or 57 out of 65 seats), It marked the first electoral contests in Bishan-Toa Payoh
(since 1991) and Holland-Bukit Timah
, and also marked Tanjong Pagar
as the only constituency to remain uncontested since its formation in 1991.
The final results saw a 6.46% swing against the PAP from the 2006 elections to 60.14%, its lowest since independence. While the PAP met most expectations to sweep into power and claim over two-thirds of parliamentary seats, it won 81 out of 87 seats, and lost Aljunied Group Representation Constituency
to the Workers' Party of Singapore
, the first time a GRC was won by an opposition party. Including the Hougang Single Member Constituency
, the Workers' Party ended up with six seats in Parliament, the best opposition parliamentary result since independence. Conversely, the other opposition parties gained no seats despite earning much higher vote share percentages. The strong showing of the Workers' Party led to speculation that the elections may see the eventual emergence of a two-party political system in future elections.
As six Members of Parliament from the opposition were elected, just three Non-Constituency Member of Parliament
seats were offered, one to the Singapore People's Party
's Lina Chiam
; another to the WP's Yee Jenn Jong
; and a third to Gerald Giam of the WP's East Coast Group Representation Constituency
team. These offers were all accepted, resulting in a total of nine opposition MPs after the election.
(PAP) sought to secure their 13th consecutive term in office since 1959. This was the second election since Lee Hsien Loong
became its Secretary-General.
(GRC), increased the number of Non-Constituency Members of Parliament
(NCMPs) to a maximum of nine (inclusive of the number of elected opposition members of Parliament), and the number of Nominated Members of Parliament
(NMPs) permanent also to nine. A one-day "cooling-off" day was implemented, during which campaigning was forbidden, with only party political broadcasts allowed. Internet campaigning was also formally legalized as a legitimate means of political campaigning. On 26 April 2010, the amendments to the Constitution were passed by a vote of 74–1 after a three-hour debate on the bill.
(PAP) has been in power since Singapore's independence in 1965, and is currently led by the Prime Minister
Lee Hsien Loong
. Besides the ruling PAP, the other major political parties that may contest the upcoming elections are the Workers' Party of Singapore
(WP) led by Low Thia Khiang
, the Singapore People's Party
led by Chiam See Tong
which left the Singapore Democratic Alliance
(SDA) in 2011, the Singapore Democratic Party
(SDP) led by Chee Soon Juan
, the National Solidarity Party (NSP) led by Goh Meng Seng
which left the SDA in 2007, the Reform Party (Singapore)
led by Kenneth Jeyaretnam
, and the Singapore Democratic Alliance
(SDA) led by Desmond Lim, which is composed of the Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Melayu Singapura (Singapore Malay National Organization) (PKMS) and the Singapore Justice Party (SJP). The Reform Party is the newest party and was created on 18 June 2008 and was then led by former Member of Parliament J.B. Jeyaretnam
. He could have stood for election after he was discharged from bankruptcy and reinstated to the bar, however, Jeyaretnam died of heart failure on 30 September 2008 at the age of 82. His eldest son, Kenneth Jeyaretnam
has since taken up leadership of the party and is now its secretary-general.
The new electoral map for 2011 was announced on 24 February 2011. 87 seats, crafted into 27 electoral divisions, were up for contests in the election. 12 are SMCs and 15 are GRCs.
invited the main parties to record an hour-long programme. The programme, in English entitled, “A political forum on Singapore’s future” brought together the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) and four opposition parties to discuss long and short-term challenges for the country.
The forum included
in order to circumvent obstacles placed in front of them by Singapore's government-controlled media.
announced 41 political rally sites on 27 April which could be booked by political parties on a first-come-first-served basis. Rallies were allowed to be conducted from 28 April to 5 May, from 7 am to 10 pm. The 41st site is for lunch time rallies at Boat Quay
near to the UOB Plaza
.
National Solidarity Party
People’s Action Party
Reform Party
Singapore Democratic Alliance
Singapore Democratic Party
Singapore People’s Party
Workers’ Party
said the SDP was "suppressing a certain YouTube video, which raises some very awkward questions about the agenda and motivations of the SDP and its candidates". He issued the following statement:
This statement was noted by prominent gay rights activist Alex Au to be appeal to his religious conservative base without alienating his other voters by using a lot of innuendo meant to target voters opposed to gay rights.
Balakrishnan confirmed that a widely-speculated-upon video entitled "Gay Agenda" uploaded by "JohnTan88888" was indeed the video he had alluded to,
and issued a more explicit accusation that SDP's Vincent Wijeysingha
was pursuing a gay agenda. Balakrishnan attempted to associate Wijeysingha with another speaker at a forum who discussed whether the age of consent for boys should be 14 years of age. Vincent Wijeysingha rejected his comments stating, "We've been a very open party and we're very clear."
This incident was cited in an article published in The Economist
criticising the ruling party's behaviour, noting, "internet web sites filled up with the rebukes of Singaporeans disgusted at the PAP tactic." The New Paper
released a story next day, with the sensational headline: 'Is Singapore ready for a GAY MP?" Kenneth Jeyaretnam
of the Reform Party
called Balakrishnan's "smear campaign" a "low attack."
Balakrishnan received widespread controversy and criticism online for his remark,. An article on online news aggregator Scoop wrote that Balakrishnan's remarks "[could] only be described as a smear campaign". On April 28, he told the press: "there is "no need" to further discuss [the] video". He denied having employed a "smear tactic" when he brought up the issue, arguing that his question about a "gay agenda" was a "legitimate question".
on 6 May stating Tin Pei Ling
had violated the state-mandated cooling-off period 24 hours before polls by posting a Facebook comment "in response to a video [in the state press] that showed Seah crying after being told about a Macpherson female resident who could not get a refund of her son's $80 tuition fees". According to screenshots posted to both opposition and state press web sites, the comment read, "OooOoooOooh so that's what REALLY happened? Wow. I think tears in Parliament is worse than ANYTHING ELSE!"
When questioned, Tin replied that one of her administrators, Denise He, had posted the comment when she had meant to post in her own capacity from her phone, but had forgotten to log out of Tin's account. But investigators for the independent Singaporean news blog Temasek Review
noted that according to Tin Pei Ling's publicly available nomination forms on the Election Departments website, Tin Pei Ling was listed as the sole approved moderator/administrator of her Facebook profile. The NSP team was advised by the Elections Department to file a police report before the Elections Department could investigate.
The day after the election, Seah told reporters that her party had not received any response after making the complaint, and said no decision had been taken on whether or not to pursue the issue. She added that the NSP knew "it is an uphill battle to get any results out of this. I would rather devote my time and resources to the residents".
A similar complaint was lodged against Seah alleging that material had been published on her Facebook page during Cooling-Off Day. On 10 August, the Singapore Police Force
announced that it had concluded its investigations into the two incidents, and that aside from a "stern warning" to Tin's friend, no action would be taken against either Tin or Seah.
Separately, the NSP also complained that the PAP had been distributing election material to residents in Tampines GRC in violation of cooling-off regulations.
, chief executive director of the People's Association
, who acted as the Returning Officer for the election. The first result was declared at 11.58pm on 7 May 2011, where PAP candidate Lim Biow Chuan
won the Mountbatten Single Member Constituency
with a majority of 3,529.
At 1.31 am on 8 May 2011, the PAP team for Ang Mo Kio Group Representation Constituency
was declared to have won the division, putting the PAP's seat tally at 44 seats, and thus formed the government.
The final result to be declared was for the Potong Pasir Single Member Constituency
at 2.51am on 8 May, where the PAP gained the seat from the SPP on a razor-thin margin of 114 votes.
The political status quo was kept as the People's Action Party won a 13th consecutive term in office since 1959. However, the PAP saw its vote majorities reduced island-wide for yet a second election in a row. The PAP won 81 seats out of 87 despite losing Aljunied Group Representation Constituency
to the WP, which also won in Hougang Single Member Constituency
. None of the other five opposition parties won contests, including the SPP which lost Potong Pasir Single Member Constituency
that it held prior to the election. The WP's win in Aljunied marked the first opposition GRC victory since GRCs were introduced. The WP win in Aljunied meant an electoral defeat of Foreign Minister George Yeo
and a second Cabinet minister in Lim Hwee Hua
. Yeo became the highest-ranking PAP cabinet minister to lose an election since 1963 when minister Kenneth Michael Byrne lost his seat of Crawford. The PAP's national vote share was just little over 60 per cent, a vote swing of almost negative 7 per cent from 2006.
Voter turnout for the election was 93.18%, with 2,060,373 votes cast.
Singapore People's Party
Top 10 best opposition performers
Vote Swings
Interpretive maps
's secretary-general, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
, described the results as delivering his party a "clear mandate to form the next government". In his post-election press conference, Lee said the polls had "heightened (voters') political consciousness and awareness", and admitted that "many of them desire to see more opposition voices in Parliament to check the PAP government". He described the PAP's loss of Aljunied GRC, which resulted in George Yeo being voted out of Parliament and losing his position as foreign minister, as a "heavy loss to my Cabinet and my team of MPs", but said that the party would "accept and respect the voters' decision". The country's Senior Minister, Goh Chok Tong
, also admitted that "there is a sea change in the political landscape" after his team won Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency
with just 56.6 percent of the vote.
secretary-general Low Thia Khiang said his team's win in Aljunied meant that voters had "accepted the WP as a rational, responsible and respected party". In his victory speech, Low declared his win as a "political landmark in modern Singapore". He added that it meant the electorate wanted to tell the PAP to be "a more responsive, inclusive, transparent and accountable government”.
In a statement on its website, the Singapore Democratic Party
thanked its supporters for their support, saying that it was for them that the party "(continues) to labour on in this undemocratic system with all the odds stacked against us." Its assistant treasurer Vincent Wijeysingha
, who stood in Holland-Bukit Timah Group Representation Constituency
, said that the party's positive vote swing in its contested wards of almost 13 percent from the last elections was an "indicator that things are beginning to move up for our party." In a second statement on its website, the SDP described its results as "disappointing", but promised to "build on the foundation that we have laid" for the next elections. The party's secretary-general Chee Soon Juan
, barred from standing in the election, went on to write an opinion piece for the Guardian
, in which he said it "would have been a miracle" had the SDP won any seats, and accused the media in Singapore of suppressing news of the SDP's campaigning.
Other than the PAP and WP, the only other opposition seat pre-election had been held by the Singapore People's Party
, which lost it in the polls by just 114 votes. Chiam See Tong
, the SPP's secretary-general, said his party would fight to win back Potong Pasir Single Member Constituency
, and said that despite being defeated in Bishan-Toa Payoh Group Representation Constituency
, he would continue in politics, health permitting. He also questioned the margin of votes in Potong Pasir, contested by his wife, saying there was "funny business" happening. A petition calling for a by-election in the constituency was started by SPP supporters and Potong Pasir residents.
The National Solidarity Party, which contested the most seats of all opposition parties, admitted it may have taken on too much, with its leader Goh Meng Seng
telling reporters that he would be "personally responsible" for the party's failure to win a single seat. Its star candidate, Nicole Seah, said Singaporeans now had to unite as a country. Seah, who contested in Marine Parade, also said there was "so much that needs to be done", and that she would continue her work in the area despite her team's defeat.
The leader of the newest opposition party contesting the elections, the Reform Party
's Kenneth Jeyaretnam
, described his party as having "learnt a lot" and said they had "done very well", as the first new party in over 20 years. He added that the party was "very happy" at its result in West Coast Group Representation Constituency
, and that its second team had done "creditably" in Ang Mo Kio Group Representation Constituency
. Jeyaretnam also said the team being able to win the votes it did despite being a new party meant that its "core values resonate with the voters".
The worst-performing party at the polls was the Singapore Democratic Alliance
, whose secretary-general Desmond Lim polled under 5 percent of votes in Punggol East Single Member Constituency
—the only three-way contest of the election—and lost a S$16,000 election deposit. He said voters had voted based on brand name, as the other opposition candidate in the ward was from the WP. The SDA also contested Pasir Ris-Punggol Group Representation Constituency
, and Lim said the party was "very happy" at its positive vote swing from 2006 of over 4 percent. However, the SDA's anchorman in the constituency Harminder Pal Singh described the loss as a "time for painful reflection" and said the party would work harder to win more votes.
, Indonesia
, leaders of ASEAN nations reportedly told S Jayakumar, Singapore's representative at the event, that they were "saddened, disappointed and surprised" at the news that foreign minister Yeo had been defeated, according to the state-run Straits Times, while at the same meeting the Prime Minister of Malaysia
, Najib Tun Razak
, said the PAP's win would mean a continuity in understanding between the Malaysian and Singaporean governments on bilateral issues.
, ensuring that the Chiam family retained representation in Parliament. While Chiam See Tong has said he is opposed to the scheme, the SPP reasoned that it was "critical" to ensure an "alternative voice in Parliament", to allow the party to "remain engaged in national issues", and to be publicly visible until the next election due by 2016. Mrs Chiam also pointed out that she was "influenced by the wishes of Potong Pasir residents" and she accepted the post as her losing margin was too small.
The Workers' Party was offered the final two NCMP seats for having the second and third best performing losing candidates, which it accepted despite Mr Low also disputing the scheme. Yee Jenn Jong
was thus appointed for his performance in Joo Chiat SMC, but as it had to choose one member from the East Coast GRC team, the younger Gerald Giam
was chosen over team leader and party treasurer Eric Tan as part of its leadership renewal process. Eric Tan resigned from the party, citing his disagreement with the appointment.
On 16 May 2011, the three proposed NCMPs were formally appointed.
, especially to evade censorship in Singapore
. It is widely perceived by the populace that the major state-run newspapers and broadcasters "align[ed] itself with the party's ideals and decisions" and that the electoral system was tilted against the Opposition. It had been difficult to create alternative media until the rise of sites such as The Online Citizen
and such internet tools such as Facebook, Twitter and blogs, which saw increased significance in the 2006 elections but became especially prominent in the 2011 elections.
According to The Economist
, the PAP's aggressive modernisation of Singapore created "one of the world's most wired societies," leading to new media that "transformed" the electoral scene in Singapore. Characterising the state-run mainstream press as "docile", the Economist also argued that this also forced significantly more news coverage of the Opposition than in previous elections, since the mainstream media feared their readership deserting them. One blogger from CNN
wrote, "Thanks to social media, it doesn’t matter that the country’s largely state-run media leans towards reporting the actions of the PAP, no one’s reading anyway.". The Economist however was more cynical in its analysis of the election: "in Singapore, winning 7% of parliamentary seats is tantamount to an opposition triumph".
In previous elections, the Opposition had never won a GRC, which ostensibly ensure minority representation in parliament but also shut out smaller opposition parties with less resources. GRCs comprise over 86% of the seats, but the Opposition in previous elections would contest "less than half the seats". The election saw the most extensive use of coordination to avoid "three-cornered fights" and was also notable for seeing "two veteran MPs" making immense risks by choosing to contest in GRCs rather than their historical SMC strongholds.
was trying to send a message to a ruling party that "can also come across as smug, arrogant and high-handed" despite a win margin of over 20%, which usually counts as a landslide victory for most democratic nations but has been one of the narrowest margins since 1965. The last election with a similarly narrow victory occurred in the Singapore general election, 1963
, when the PAP's major opponent was the Barisan Sosialis
-- which in itself was a splinter group formed from the leftist wing of the PAP, where it had comprised 80% of the PAP grassroots membership, 35 out of the PAP's 51 branch committees and 19 of its 23 organising secretaries. According to the Economist, Singaporeans would prefer not to have an alternative government but a humbler one, as well as a "stronger opposition".
On 14 May, exactly a week after the election, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong
and Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew
announced in a joint statement that they would be quitting the country's Cabinet, saying it was time for a "team of younger ministers" to "engage with this young generation in shaping the future of Singapore." In a similar analysis by Bloomberg, the resignations and the ensuing cabinet reshuffle were the actions of a ruling party "seeking to overhaul its image with voters" whose "narrowest election victory on record signaled a shortfall in support among younger voters". Lee Kuan Yew was also quoted as saying that a younger generation was required to "carry Singapore forward in a more difficult and complex situation" while Lee Hsien Loong declared the party "would change the way it governs" and do some "soul-searching". A Singapore Management University
professor said "[The PAP] will have to demonstrate that it remains a mass movement, and not [Lee Kuan Yew]’s alter ego," noting that younger Singaporeans do not see Lee Kuan Yew with the same godlike perception as older Singaporeans born before 1980.
and Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Lim Hwee Hua
, announced their retirements from politics in separate news conferences given in the days after the election. George Yeo, who remained popular online and continued to have "a flood of support" after the election and had been repeatedly urged to contest the next election, or even contest the Singaporean presidential election, 2011
turned his supporters down, declaring, "I'm a free spirit, and I don't think I'm temperamentally suited for such a job."
Other official information
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
's 16th parliamentary general election was held on 7 May 2011. The Parliament of Singapore
Parliament of Singapore
The Parliament of the Republic of Singapore and the President jointly make up the legislature of Singapore. Parliament is unicameral and is made up of Members of Parliament who are elected, as well as Non-constituency Members of Parliament and Nominated Members of Parliament who are appointed...
's maximum term is five years, within which it must be dissolved by the President of Singapore
President of Singapore
The President of the Republic of Singapore is Singapore's head of state. In a Westminster parliamentary system, as which Singapore governs itself, the prime minister is the head of the government while the position of president is largely ceremonial. Before 1993, the President of Singapore was...
and elections held within three months, as stated in the Constitution of Singapore
Constitution of Singapore
The Constitution of Singapore is the supreme law of Singapore and it is a codified constitution.The constitution cannot be amended without the support of more than two-thirds of the members of parliament on the second and third readings . The president may seek opinion on constitutional issues...
. Voting is mandatory in Singapore and is based on the first-past-the-post
First-past-the-post
First-past-the-post voting refers to an election won by the candidate with the most votes. The winning potato candidate does not necessarily receive an absolute majority of all votes cast.-Overview:...
system. Elections are conducted by the Elections Department
Elections Department
The Elections Department is a department of the government of Singapore that oversees the procedure for elections in Singapore, including parliamentary elections and presidential elections. It sees that elections are fairly carried out and has a supervisory role to safeguard against electoral fraud...
, which is under the jurisdiction of the Prime Minister’s Office. On 19 April 2011, President S.R. Nathan
S.R. Nathan
Sellapan Ramanathan is a Singaporean politician who was the sixth President of the Republic of Singapore. Usually referred to as S. R. Nathan, he was first sworn in on September 1, 1999. In 1999 and 2005, he was elected President in uncontested elections. In 2009, he surpassed Benjamin Sheares to...
dissolved parliament. Nomination day was held on 27 April 2011, and for the second election in a row, the PAP was not returned to power on nomination day. This election also marked the first and the only three-cornered fight since 2001 in Punggol East SMC.
The election was described as a "watershed election" in various forms by various parties. The ruling PAP reminded voters that the election will determine "Singapore's next generation of leaders". The Workers' Party called it a "watershed election" both for Singapore and the opposition, as it marked the first time in two decades that the only two incumbent opposition MPs moved out of their respective strongholds and contested in Group Representation Constituencies
Group Representation Constituency
A Group Representation Constituency is a type of electoral division or constituency in Singapore, the Members of Parliament of which are voted into Parliament as a group...
(GRCs), risking a situation where there would be "no elected opposition MPs". This was despite the elections having the highest proportion of contested seats since independence, with 82 of 87 seats contested (or 94.3%). 2011 was the year that saw the highest number of seats contested since post-independence; with the second being in 1972 when 87.7% of seats were contested (or 57 out of 65 seats), It marked the first electoral contests in Bishan-Toa Payoh
Bishan-Toa Payoh Group Representation Constituency
Bishan-Toa Payoh Group Representation Constituency is a five-member Group Representation Constituency located in the central region of Singapore. The GRC consists the entire areas of Bishan, the majority of Toa Payoh and parts of Thomson...
(since 1991) and Holland-Bukit Timah
Holland-Bukit Timah Group Representation Constituency
Holland-Bukit Timah Group Representation Constituency is a four-member Group Representation Constituency located in the central, western and northern areas of Singapore...
, and also marked Tanjong Pagar
Tanjong Pagar Group Representation Constituency
Tanjong Pagar Group Representation Constituency is currently a five-member Group Representation Constituency in central Singapore....
as the only constituency to remain uncontested since its formation in 1991.
The final results saw a 6.46% swing against the PAP from the 2006 elections to 60.14%, its lowest since independence. While the PAP met most expectations to sweep into power and claim over two-thirds of parliamentary seats, it won 81 out of 87 seats, and lost Aljunied Group Representation Constituency
Aljunied Group Representation Constituency
Aljunied Group Representation Constituency is a five-member group representation constituency in the north-eastern region of Singapore. The GRC consists of a large part of Hougang, Serangoon Gardens, a portion of Bedok and Aljunied...
to the Workers' Party of Singapore
Workers' Party of Singapore
The Workers' Party of Singapore is a centre-left opposition political party in Singapore. The party currently has six elected seats in Parliament, with the party's Secretary-General Low Thia Khiang, Chairman Sylvia Lim, Chen Show Mao, Muhamad Faisal Manap and Pritam Singh serving as Members of...
, the first time a GRC was won by an opposition party. Including the Hougang Single Member Constituency
Hougang Single Member Constituency
Hougang Single Member Constituency is a Single Member Constituency whose borders roughly enclose the town of Hougang, located in the north-eastern area of Singapore. The boundary includes a portion of Hougang and is an opposition held seat with its Member of Parliament the Workers' Party's Yaw...
, the Workers' Party ended up with six seats in Parliament, the best opposition parliamentary result since independence. Conversely, the other opposition parties gained no seats despite earning much higher vote share percentages. The strong showing of the Workers' Party led to speculation that the elections may see the eventual emergence of a two-party political system in future elections.
As six Members of Parliament from the opposition were elected, just three Non-Constituency Member of Parliament
Non-Constituency Member of Parliament
Non-Constituency Members of Parliament are members of the opposition parties who are appointed as members of the Parliament of Singapore even though they had lost in the parliamentary election....
seats were offered, one to the Singapore People's Party
Singapore People's Party
The Singapore People's Party is a left of centre opposition political party in Singapore. The party's leader is Chiam See Tong.-Foundation:...
's Lina Chiam
Lina Chiam
Lina Loh Woon Lee is a Singaporean politician from the Singapore People's Party . She is a Non-constituency Member of Parliament of the 12th Parliament of Singapore.-Political career:...
; another to the WP's Yee Jenn Jong
Yee Jenn Jong
Yee Jenn Jong is a Singaporean politician from the Workers' Party of Singapore who is currently a Non-constituency Member of Parliament of the 12th Parliament of Singapore.-Political career:...
; and a third to Gerald Giam of the WP's East Coast Group Representation Constituency
East Coast Group Representation Constituency
East Coast Group Representation Constituency is a five-member Group Representation Constituency in the eastern area of Singapore. The areas of the Group Representation Constituency consists of East Coast, Bedok, Changi-Simei, Fengshan, Siglap, Kampong Chai Chee and offshore islands of Pulau...
team. These offers were all accepted, resulting in a total of nine opposition MPs after the election.
Background
The 2011 General Election was the 16th General Election in Singapore and the 11th since independence. The governing People's Action PartyPeople's Action Party
The People's Action Party is the leading political party in Singapore. It has been the city-state's ruling political party since 1959....
(PAP) sought to secure their 13th consecutive term in office since 1959. This was the second election since Lee Hsien Loong
Lee Hsien Loong
Lee Hsien Loong is the third and current Prime Minister of Singapore. He is married to Ho Ching, who is the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Temasek Holdings. He is the eldest son of Singapore's first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew....
became its Secretary-General.
Parliamentary reform
On 11 March 2010, the Government tabled three bills in the parliament to amend the Constitution, the Presidential Elections Act and the Parliamentary Elections Act. These amendments reduced the number of Group representation constituenciesConstituencies of Singapore
Constituencies in Singapore are electoral divisions which may be represented by single or multiple seats in the Parliament of Singapore. Constituencies are classified as either single member or group representation constituencies...
(GRC), increased the number of Non-Constituency Members of Parliament
Non-Constituency Member of Parliament
Non-Constituency Members of Parliament are members of the opposition parties who are appointed as members of the Parliament of Singapore even though they had lost in the parliamentary election....
(NCMPs) to a maximum of nine (inclusive of the number of elected opposition members of Parliament), and the number of Nominated Members of Parliament
Nominated Member of Parliament
A Nominated Member of Parliament is a Member of the Parliament of Singapore who is appointed instead of being elected into office by the people, and who does not belong to any political party or represent any constituency. There are currently nine NMPs in Parliament...
(NMPs) permanent also to nine. A one-day "cooling-off" day was implemented, during which campaigning was forbidden, with only party political broadcasts allowed. Internet campaigning was also formally legalized as a legitimate means of political campaigning. On 26 April 2010, the amendments to the Constitution were passed by a vote of 74–1 after a three-hour debate on the bill.
Political parties
The governing People's Action PartyPeople's Action Party
The People's Action Party is the leading political party in Singapore. It has been the city-state's ruling political party since 1959....
(PAP) has been in power since Singapore's independence in 1965, and is currently led by the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Singapore
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore is the head of the government of the Republic of Singapore. The President of Singapore appoints as Prime Minister a Member of Parliament who, in his opinion, is most likely to command the confidence of a majority of MPs.The office of Prime Minister...
Lee Hsien Loong
Lee Hsien Loong
Lee Hsien Loong is the third and current Prime Minister of Singapore. He is married to Ho Ching, who is the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Temasek Holdings. He is the eldest son of Singapore's first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew....
. Besides the ruling PAP, the other major political parties that may contest the upcoming elections are the Workers' Party of Singapore
Workers' Party of Singapore
The Workers' Party of Singapore is a centre-left opposition political party in Singapore. The party currently has six elected seats in Parliament, with the party's Secretary-General Low Thia Khiang, Chairman Sylvia Lim, Chen Show Mao, Muhamad Faisal Manap and Pritam Singh serving as Members of...
(WP) led by Low Thia Khiang
Low Thia Khiang
Low Thia Khiang is a politician and businessman from Singapore. He is currently the leader of the opposition Workers' Party, and since 1991 has been a Member of Parliament representing the constituency of Hougang until 2011 where he contested and won in Aljunied GRC. He is in charge of the Bedok...
, the Singapore People's Party
Singapore People's Party
The Singapore People's Party is a left of centre opposition political party in Singapore. The party's leader is Chiam See Tong.-Foundation:...
led by Chiam See Tong
Chiam See Tong
Chiam See Tong is a politician and lawyer from Singapore. He is the country's longest-serving opposition Member of Parliament . Between 1984 and 2011, he represented the constituency of Potong Pasir in Singapore's Parliament....
which left the Singapore Democratic Alliance
Singapore Democratic Alliance
The Singapore Democratic Alliance is an alliance of political parties in Singapore. The SDA was formed shortly before the 2001 general election to provide a common grouping under which different opposition parties could stand as a united front in elections against the ruling People's Action Party...
(SDA) in 2011, the Singapore Democratic Party
Singapore Democratic Party
The Singapore Democratic Party is an opposition political party in Singapore.The party was founded in 1980 by Chiam See Tong, who as Secretary-General became the party's first Member of Parliament in 1984 when he was elected as MP for Potong Pasir...
(SDP) led by Chee Soon Juan
Chee Soon Juan
Chee Soon Juan, PhD is a politician and political activist from Singapore. He is currently the leader of the opposition Singapore Democratic Party ....
, the National Solidarity Party (NSP) led by Goh Meng Seng
Goh Meng Seng
Goh Meng Seng is a Singaporean politician who was the Secretary General for the 2011 election of the National Solidarity Party in Singapore.-Political career:...
which left the SDA in 2007, the Reform Party (Singapore)
Reform Party (Singapore)
The Reform Party is a political party in Singapore. It was founded in 2008 by the late Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam, and is currently headed by his son Kenneth Jeyaretnam, who succeeded him as party secretary-general after the elder Jeyaretnam died in 2008...
led by Kenneth Jeyaretnam
Kenneth Jeyaretnam
Kenneth Andrew Jeyaretnam is the current Secretary-General of the Reform Party in Singapore. He is the eldest son of the late opposition politician J.B. Jeyaretnam.-Family:...
, and the Singapore Democratic Alliance
Singapore Democratic Alliance
The Singapore Democratic Alliance is an alliance of political parties in Singapore. The SDA was formed shortly before the 2001 general election to provide a common grouping under which different opposition parties could stand as a united front in elections against the ruling People's Action Party...
(SDA) led by Desmond Lim, which is composed of the Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Melayu Singapura (Singapore Malay National Organization) (PKMS) and the Singapore Justice Party (SJP). The Reform Party is the newest party and was created on 18 June 2008 and was then led by former Member of Parliament J.B. Jeyaretnam
Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam
Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam was a politician and lawyer from Singapore. He was the leader of the Workers' Party from 1971 to 2001...
. He could have stood for election after he was discharged from bankruptcy and reinstated to the bar, however, Jeyaretnam died of heart failure on 30 September 2008 at the age of 82. His eldest son, Kenneth Jeyaretnam
Kenneth Jeyaretnam
Kenneth Andrew Jeyaretnam is the current Secretary-General of the Reform Party in Singapore. He is the eldest son of the late opposition politician J.B. Jeyaretnam.-Family:...
has since taken up leadership of the party and is now its secretary-general.
Electoral divisions
The Electoral Boundaries Review Committee normally publishes an updated list of electoral divisions just before elections are called. Prior to the latest amendments, there were fourteen GRCs, each with five or six seats, and nine Single Member Constituencies (SMC). There were a total of 84 seats being contested in the general election of 2006.The new electoral map for 2011 was announced on 24 February 2011. 87 seats, crafted into 27 electoral divisions, were up for contests in the election. 12 are SMCs and 15 are GRCs.
Singapore Democratic Party
- Dr Ang Yong Guan, 56-year old Consultant Psychiatrist at Paragon Medical, President of the Singapore Psychiatric Association from 1997 to 1998 and Chairman of the Chapter of Psychiatrists, Academy of Medicine from 2001 to 2003.
- Alec Tok, 46-year old Artistic Director at One Kind Theatre LLC.
- Mohd Isa Abdul Aziz, 53-year old Business Development Manager for an Australian Oil and Gas company and a member of the Central Executive Committee of the Singapore Democratic Party.
- Sadasivam Veriyah, 58-year old ex-teacher and a unionist, former member of the People's Action Party.
- Tan Jee SayTan Jee SayTan Jee Say is a Singaporean investment adviser, politician and former civil servant. He was a principal private secretary to former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong and contested the 2011 general election under the opposition Singapore Democratic Party , but failed to win a seat...
, 57-year old investment adviser and former Principal Private Secretary to then-DPM Goh Chok Tong. - Dr. Vincent WijeysinghaVincent WijeysinghaDr. Vincent Wijeysingha is a politician and civil activist from Singapore. He is currently the Assistant Treasurer of the opposition Singapore Democratic Party and was a candidate in the 2011 Singaporean general election...
, 41-year old Executive Director of Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2), a non-government organization advocating the rights of low-waged migrant workers.
People's Action Party
- Alex Yam, 30-year old NTUC activist
- Ang Hin Kee, 46-year old chief executive of NTUC e2i.
- Ang Wei Neng, 44-year old vice-president of SBS TransitSBS TransitSBS Transit Limited is a public transport operator in Singapore. Its major competitor in Singapore's duopoly transport system is SMRT Corporation, which also operates bus, rail, taxi and other transport services....
West District. - Chan Chun SingChan Chun SingChan Chun Sing is a politician from Singapore. A member of the country's governing People's Action Party , he is currently the Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, and a Minister of State at the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts...
, 42-year old former SAF Chief of Army - Chia Shi-Lu, 40-year old orthopedic surgeon at Singapore General HospitalSingapore General HospitalThe Singapore General Hospital is the largest and oldest hospital in Singapore, of which the foundation of its first building was laid in 1821....
- David Ong, 50-year old businessman
- Desmond Choo, 33-year old deputy director of NTUC's youth development unit and the executive secretary of the Union of Security Employees.
- Desmond LeeDesmond LeeSir Henry Desmond Pritchard Lee , known as Desmond Lee, was an English classical scholar specializing in ancient philosophy who became a Fellow and tutor of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, a lecturer in the University, and head master successively of Clifton College and Winchester College,...
, 35-year old legal and regulations department of Temasek HoldingsTemasek HoldingsTemasek Holdings is an investment company owned by the government of Singapore. With an international staff of 380 people, it manages a portfolio of about S$193 billion at end of March 2011, focused primarily in Asia...
. - Edwin TongEdwin TongEdwin Tong Chun Fai is a Singaporean politician and lawyer.-Biography:Tong was educated at St. Michael's School and St. Joseph's Institution. Tong read law at the National University of Singapore, graduating in 1994...
, 42-year old lawyer - Foo Mee HarFoo Mee HarFoo Mee Har is a Singaporean Member of Parliament for West Coast GRC. She is a member of the Government Parliamentary Committees of both: 1) Finance and Trade & Industry; and 2) Manpower....
, 45-year old Standard Chartered Bank banker - Gan Thiam Poh, 48-year old DBS banker
- Heng Swee Keat, 50-year old former managing director of Monetary Authority of SingaporeMonetary Authority of SingaporeThe Monetary Authority of Singapore is Singapore's central bank and financial regulatory authority...
. - Intan Azura Mokhtar, 35-year old NIE trainer
- Janil PuthuchearyJanil PuthuchearyJanil Puthucheary is a Singaporean who is contesting the Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC in the 2011 general election. He is a senior consultant in the children's intensive care unit at KK Women's and Children's Hospital...
, 39-year old surgeon from KK Women's and Children's Hospital - Lawrence WongLawrence WongLawrence Wong is currently a Member of Parliament for West Coast Group Representation Constituency in Singapore...
, 39-year old from Energy Market Authority and former civil servant - Low Yen Ling, 37-year old former EDB director
- Ong Teng Koon, 34-year old commodities trader
- Ong Ye KungOng Ye KungOng Ye Kung is a Singaporean civil-servant and politician from the People's Action Party . He is currently the Assistant Secretary General of the National Trades Union Congress .-Political career:...
, 42-year old assistant secretary-general from NTUC. - Patrick Tay, 40-year old trade unionist.
- Sim AnnSim AnnSim Ann is currently the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Law. She is a Member of Parliament for the Holland-Bukit Timah GRC.- Education and early career :...
, 36-year old high-flying civil servant - Tan Chuan-JinTan Chuan-JinTan Chuan-Jin is a politician from Singapore. A member of the country's governing People's Action Party , he is currently a Minister of State in the Ministry of Manpower and the Ministry of National Development, and a Member of Parliament representing the Marine Parade Group Representation...
, 42-year old former SAF. - Tin Pei LingTin Pei LingTin Pei Ling is a Chinese Singaporean who is one of five Singapore People's Action Party Members of Parliament for the Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency. She is in charge of the MacPherson ward....
, 27-year old in Ernst & YoungErnst & YoungErnst & Young is one of the largest professional services networks in the world and one of the "Big Four" accountancy firms, along with Deloitte, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers ....
. - Vikram Nair, 33-year old lawyer
- Zainal Sapari, 46-year old educator, former Pasir Ris area schools' superintendent
Retiring politicians
All politicians who were retiring or stepping down from their seats were from the PAP.- Abdullah TarmugiAbdullah TarmugiAbdullah Tarmugi was the Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore as well as the Member of Parliament of East Coast Group Representation Constituency from 1996 to 2011.Born to a Javanese Father and Chinese Mother...
, SpeakerSpeaker (politics)The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
of the Parliament, MP for East Coast GRC. - Ahmad Magad, MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC.
- Ang Mong SengAng Mong SengAng Mong Seng is a Member of Parliament of Singapore who represents Hong Kah GRC.In the 2006 general elections, his party, the People's Action Party , had a walkover as Hong Kah GRC was not contested...
, MP for Hong Kah GRC. - Chan Soo SenChan Soo SenChan Soo Sen was a Singaporean Member of Parliament who represented Joo Chiat Single Member Constituency until 2011.In the 2006 general elections, Chan, representing PAP, defeated Tan Bing Seng of the Workers' Party of Singapore with 65.01% of the votes in the SMC.In the 2001 general elections, he...
, MP for Joo Chiat SMC. - Ho Peng KeeHo Peng KeeAssociate Professor Ho Peng Kee is a politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party , he was the Senior Minister of State in the Ministry of Law and the Ministry of Home Affairs, and a Member of Parliament representing the Nee Soon East Single Member Constituency...
, MP for Nee Soon East SMC. - Koo Tsai Kee, MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC.
- Lee Boon YangLee Boon YangDr. Lee Boon Yang is a former politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party , he served in the Cabinet from July 1991 to April 2009 in various portfolios including Minister for Defence, Minister for Manpower, and Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts...
, MP for Jalan Besar GRC. - Lim Boon HengLim Boon HengLim Boon Heng is a politician from Singapore. He is currently the Chairman of Singapore's governing People's Action Party . He is also the Deputy Chairman of the People's Association, and was formerly the Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress...
, MP for Jurong GRC. - Madeleine Ho, MP for West Coast GRC.
- Matthias Yao, MP for MacPherson SMC.
- Ong Ah Heng, MP for Nee Soon Central SMC.
- Ong Kian Min, MP for Tampines GRC.
- Ong Seh Hong, MP for Marine Parade GRC.
- S Jayakumar, MP for East Coast GRC.
- Sin Boon AnnSin Boon AnnSin Boon Ann is a Singaporean Member of Parliament for Tampines GRC. He has represented Tampines GRC since 1997, when he also first became an MP....
, MP for Tampines GRC. - Wee Siew KimWee Siew KimWee Siew Kim is a former Member of the Parliament of Singapore in the Ang Mo Kio Group Representation Constituency since 2001, representing the current ruling People's Action Party...
, MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC. - Yeo Cheow TongYeo Cheow TongYeo Cheow Tong is a former politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party , he served in the Cabinet from 1990 to 2006, and was a Member of Parliament from 1984 to 2011....
, MP for Hong Kah GRC. - Yu-Foo Yee Shoon, MP for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC.
Staking claims
Soon after the announcement of the new electoral boundaries, various opposition parties indicated their intent to contest, subject to negotiations between political parties to avoid three-cornered fights. The parties declaring an interest to contest each constituency and their nomination status is reflected below.Group Representation Constituencies
| Announced candidates of Singapore general election, 2011 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Seats | Voters | Political Party | Candidate(s) | Nomination status | Notes | |
| Aljunied GRC Aljunied Group Representation Constituency Aljunied Group Representation Constituency is a five-member group representation constituency in the north-eastern region of Singapore. The GRC consists of a large part of Hougang, Serangoon Gardens, a portion of Bedok and Aljunied... |
5 | 143,148 | George Yeo George Yeo George Yeo Yong-Boon is a former politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party , he served in the Cabinet from 1991 to 2011 as the Minister for Information and the Arts , Minister for Health , Minister for Trade and Industry and Minister for Foreign Affairs... Lim Hwee Hua Lim Hwee Hua Lim Hwee Hua was a Singaporean politician, who was formerly the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and appointed concurrently as Second Minister for Finance and Second Minister for Transport.-Early career:... Zainul Abidin bin Mohamed Rasheed Zainul Abidin bin Mohamed Rasheed Zainul Abidin bin Mohamed Rasheed is a Singaporean politician and former Member of Parliament who last represented Aljunied GRC from 2001 to 2011.-Education:... Cynthia Phua Ong Ye Kung Ong Ye Kung Ong Ye Kung is a Singaporean civil-servant and politician from the People's Action Party . He is currently the Assistant Secretary General of the National Trades Union Congress .-Political career:... |
Nominated | Ong Ye Kung Ong Ye Kung Ong Ye Kung is a Singaporean civil-servant and politician from the People's Action Party . He is currently the Assistant Secretary General of the National Trades Union Congress .-Political career:... was a new candidate, while the rest were incumbents. |
||
| Low Thia Khiang Low Thia Khiang Low Thia Khiang is a politician and businessman from Singapore. He is currently the leader of the opposition Workers' Party, and since 1991 has been a Member of Parliament representing the constituency of Hougang until 2011 where he contested and won in Aljunied GRC. He is in charge of the Bedok... Lim Swee Lian Sylvia Lim Swee Lian Sylvia Sylvia Lim Swee Lian is a politician, lawyer and academic from Singapore. She is currently the Chairman of the opposition Workers' Party and an elected Member of Parliament representing the constituency of Aljunied GRC. She is in charge of Serangoon division... Chen Show Mao Chen Show Mao Chen Show Mao, J.D. is a Singaporean politician and lawyer. He is a member of the opposition Workers' Party, and has been a Member of Parliament for the Aljunied Group Representation Constituency since 7 May 2011. He represents the Paya Lebar ward, replacing PAP's Cynthia Phua.-Personal... Pritam Singh Pritam Singh Dr Pritam Singh, current Director of IMI , New Delhi, is a professor of eminence in the field of management studies and has been awarded the Padma Shri for his outstanding contribution in the field of management education.In 2003, he became the second Padam Shri recipient in the field of management... Muhamad Faisal Manap Muhamad Faisal Manap Muhamad Faisal bin Abdul Manap is a Singaporean Malay politician from the Workers' Party of Singapore who has been serving as a Member of Parliament in Singapore since May 2011... |
Nominated | Chen Show Mao Chen Show Mao Chen Show Mao, J.D. is a Singaporean politician and lawyer. He is a member of the opposition Workers' Party, and has been a Member of Parliament for the Aljunied Group Representation Constituency since 7 May 2011. He represents the Paya Lebar ward, replacing PAP's Cynthia Phua.-Personal... , Pritam Singh Pritam Singh Dr Pritam Singh, current Director of IMI , New Delhi, is a professor of eminence in the field of management studies and has been awarded the Padma Shri for his outstanding contribution in the field of management education.In 2003, he became the second Padam Shri recipient in the field of management... and Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap were new candidates. Sylvia Lim contested in Aljunied in 2006, while Low Thia Khiang Low Thia Khiang Low Thia Khiang is a politician and businessman from Singapore. He is currently the leader of the opposition Workers' Party, and since 1991 has been a Member of Parliament representing the constituency of Hougang until 2011 where he contested and won in Aljunied GRC. He is in charge of the Bedok... was an incumbent in Hougang Hougang Single Member Constituency Hougang Single Member Constituency is a Single Member Constituency whose borders roughly enclose the town of Hougang, located in the north-eastern area of Singapore. The boundary includes a portion of Hougang and is an opposition held seat with its Member of Parliament the Workers' Party's Yaw... . |
|||||
| Ang Mo Kio GRC Ang Mo Kio Group Representation Constituency Ang Mo Kio Group Representation Constituency is a six-member Group Representation Constituency in the north eastern region of Singapore... |
6 | 179,071 | Lee Hsien Loong Lee Hsien Loong Lee Hsien Loong is the third and current Prime Minister of Singapore. He is married to Ho Ching, who is the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Temasek Holdings. He is the eldest son of Singapore's first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.... Yeo Guat Kwang Inderjit Singh Inderjit Singh Inderjit Singh can refer to:*Inderjit Singh, member of the Parliament of Singapore*Kunwar Inderjit Singh, former Prime Minister of Nepal*Inderjit Singh Rao, Indian politician... Seng Han Thong Seng Han Thong Seng Han Thong is a Singaporean politician. He is a member of the People's Action Party, and represents the Yio Chu Kang constituency in the Parliament of Singapore.-Early life:... Ang Hin Kee Intan Azura Mokhtar |
Nominated | |||
| Alex Tan Zhixiang Arthero Lim Tung Hee Vignes Ramachandran Lim Zi Rui Mansor Rahman Osman Sulaiman |
Nominated | ||||||
| NA | Expressed interest, but withdrew | In favor of RP | |||||
| Alex Tan Zhixiang Others unannounced |
Withdrew interest | In favor of RP. Alex Tan, later "loaned" to the RP, had wanted the SPP to contest the GRC. | |||||
| Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC Bishan-Toa Payoh Group Representation Constituency Bishan-Toa Payoh Group Representation Constituency is a five-member Group Representation Constituency located in the central region of Singapore. The GRC consists the entire areas of Bishan, the majority of Toa Payoh and parts of Thomson... |
5 | 122,492 | Wong Kan Seng Wong Kan Seng Wong Kan Seng is a politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party , he served as the country's Deputy Prime Minister from 2005 to 2011... , Ng Eng Hen Ng Eng Hen Dr Ng Eng Hen is a politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party , he is currently the country's Minister for Defence and Leader of the House.-Early life:Ng was born in Singapore in 1958... , Josephine Teo Li Min Josephine Teo Li Min Josephine Teo Li Min is a Singaporean Member of Parliament for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC. She is currently the Chair of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Education and a member of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Defence & Foreign Affairs. On May 18 2011, she was appointed Minister... , Hri Kumar Hri Kumar Hri Kumar Sangaran is a Member of Parliament of Singapore, representing the Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC.Hri studied in National Junior College and then National University of Singapore for his tertiary education. Hri is currently also a director at Drew & Napier. He was appointed Senior Counsel in... , Zainudin Nordin |
Nominated | |||
| Chiam See Tong Chiam See Tong Chiam See Tong is a politician and lawyer from Singapore. He is the country's longest-serving opposition Member of Parliament . Between 1984 and 2011, he represented the constituency of Potong Pasir in Singapore's Parliament.... Benjamin Pwee Wilfred Leung Jimmy Lee Mohamad Hamim Aliyas |
Nominated | ||||||
| NA | Withdrew interest | In favour of SPP | |||||
| NA | Withdrawn | In favour of SPP | |||||
| NA | Expressed interest, but has withdrawn | In favor of SPP | |||||
| NA | Withdrew from elections | ||||||
| Chua Chu Kang GRC Chua Chu Kang Group Representation Constituency Choa Chu Kang Group Representation Constituency is a five-member Group Representation Constituency located in the western area of Singapore.... |
5 | 158,648 | Teo Kway Huang Sebastian Teo Kway Huang Sebastian Sebastian Teo Kway Huang is a Singaporean politician who is currently the President of the National Solidarity Party in Singapore.-2001 Election:... Tan Lay Thiam Tony Tony Tan Lay Thiam Not to be confused with Tony Tan Keng Yam, the 7th President of Singapore.Tony Tan Lay Thiam is a member of the National Solidarity Party.- Biography :* Attended Victoria Junior College... Poa Koon Koon Hazel Hazel Poa Hazel Koon Koon Poa is a member of the National Solidarity Party.- Biography :She runs a private school in Singapore as well as a chain of education centres in Singapore and Indonesia, which she co-founded with her husband. She graduated from the University of Cambridge with a First Class Honours... Nor Lella Mardiiiah Mohamed Jeisilan Sivalingam |
Nominated | |||
| Gan Kim Yong Gan Kim Yong Gan Kim Yong is a politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party , he is currently the country's Minister for Health.-Education and early career:... Alvin Yeo Zaqy Mohamad Alex Yam Low Yen Ling |
Nominated | ||||||
| NA | Withdrew interest | In favour of NSP | |||||
| East Coast GRC East Coast Group Representation Constituency East Coast Group Representation Constituency is a five-member Group Representation Constituency in the eastern area of Singapore. The areas of the Group Representation Constituency consists of East Coast, Bedok, Changi-Simei, Fengshan, Siglap, Kampong Chai Chee and offshore islands of Pulau... |
5 | 120,324 | Lim Swee Say Lim Swee Say Lim Swee Say is a politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party , he is currently a Cabinet Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and the Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress.... Maliki Osman Maliki Osman Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman is a Singaporean politician. Maliki is a politician from the governing People's Action Party and was elected as a Member of Parliament for the East Coast GRC in the 2011 General Elections... Lee Yi Shyan Lee Yi Shyan Lee Yi Shyan is a Singaporean Member of Parliament who represents East Coast GRC. He is also currently the Minister of State for Trade & Industry and National Development... Jessica Tan Raymond Lim |
Nominated | |||
| Eric Tan Heng Chong Png Eng Huat Glenda Han Gerald Giam Gerald Giam Gerald Giam Yean Song is a Singaporean politician from the Workers' Party who is currently a Non-constituency Member of Parliament of the 12th Parliament of Singapore.-Political career:... Mohamed Fazli Bin Talip |
Nominated | ||||||
| Holland-Bukit Timah GRC Holland-Bukit Timah Group Representation Constituency Holland-Bukit Timah Group Representation Constituency is a four-member Group Representation Constituency located in the central, western and northern areas of Singapore... |
4 | 91,607 | Vivian Balakrishnan Vivian Balakrishnan Vivian Balakrishnan is a politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party , he is currently the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources.... Christopher de Souza Christopher de Souza Christopher de Souza is a member of the Singapore Parliament and a practising litigation partner at the Singapore-based law firm Wong Partnership.... Liang Eng Hwa Liang Eng Hwa Liang Eng Hwa is politician from the People's Action Party . He is currently one of the 4 Members of Parliament representing the Holland-Bukit Timah GRC in Singapore.-Political career:... Sim Ann Sim Ann Sim Ann is currently the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Law. She is a Member of Parliament for the Holland-Bukit Timah GRC.- Education and early career :... |
Nominated | |||
| Tan Jee Say Tan Jee Say Tan Jee Say is a Singaporean investment adviser, politician and former civil servant. He was a principal private secretary to former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong and contested the 2011 general election under the opposition Singapore Democratic Party , but failed to win a seat... Ang Yong Guan Vincent Wijeysingha Vincent Wijeysingha Dr. Vincent Wijeysingha is a politician and civil activist from Singapore. He is currently the Assistant Treasurer of the opposition Singapore Democratic Party and was a candidate in the 2011 Singaporean general election... Michelle Lee Michelle Lee Michelle Lee may refer to:*Michelle Leslie , Australian model who also works under the name Michelle Lee*Michele Lee , American actress and singer*Michelle Lee , a fictional recurring character in the TV series NCIS... |
Nominated | ||||||
| Jurong GRC Jurong Group Representation Constituency Jurong Group Representation Constituency is a five-member Group Representation Constituency located in the western area of Singapore. The GRC consists a large section of Jurong, sections of Bukit Batok and Upper Bukit Timah... |
5 | 125,276 | Neo Ting Wei Christopher Abdul Rasheed Ong Beng Soon Elvin Ong Hock Siong Noraini Yunus |
Nominated | |||
| Tharman Shanmugaratnam Tharman Shanmugaratnam Tharman Shanmugaratnam is a politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party , he is currently the country's Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Finance and Minister for Manpower. He previously served as the Minister for Education from 2003 to 2008... Halimah Bte Yacob Ang Wei Neng Desmond Lee Desmond Lee Sir Henry Desmond Pritchard Lee , known as Desmond Lee, was an English classical scholar specializing in ancient philosophy who became a Fellow and tutor of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, a lecturer in the University, and head master successively of Clifton College and Winchester College,... David Ong |
Nominated | ||||||
| NA | Withdrew interest | In favour of NSP | |||||
| Marine Parade GRC Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency is a six-member Group Representation Constituency located in the central, eastern and north-eastern areas of Singapore. The constituency consists of a section of Bedok, Chai Chee, Geylang, Kaki Bukit, Kallang, Kembangan, Marine Parade, Mountbatten,... |
5 | 154,451 | Cheo Chai Chen Cheo Chai Chen Cheo Chai Chen is a politician and businessman from Singapore. He served as the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Nee Soon Central from 1991 to 1997, when he was a member of the Singapore Democratic Party... Ivan Yeo Tiong Boon Abdul Salim Harun Spencer Ng Chung Hon Nicole Rebecca Seah Xue Ling |
Nominated | |||
| Goh Chok Tong Goh Chok Tong Goh Chok Tong is the Senior Minister of Singapore and the chairman of the central bank of Singapore, the Monetary Authority of Singapore. He also served as the second Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore from 28 November 1990 to 12 August 2004, succeeding Lee Kuan Yew, the former Prime... Tan Chuan Jin Fatimah Lateef Seah Kian Peng Tin Pei Ling Tin Pei Ling Tin Pei Ling is a Chinese Singaporean who is one of five Singapore People's Action Party Members of Parliament for the Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency. She is in charge of the MacPherson ward.... |
Nominated | ||||||
| NA | Withdrew from elections | Did not appear on nomination day and probably in favor of NSP | |||||
| Moulmein-Kallang GRC Moulmein-Kallang Group Representation Constituency Moulmein-Kallang Group Representation Constituency is a four-member Group Representation Constituency, and therefore an electoral district composed of several city suburbs surrounding the Central Area of Singapore.The GRC was formed in 2011 general election, absorbing most parts of the Jalan Besar... |
4 | 87,595 | Lui Tuck Yew Lui Tuck Yew Lui Tuck Yew is a politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party , he is currently the country's Transport Minister and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs... Yaacob Ibrahim Yaacob Ibrahim Yaacob bin Ibrahim is a politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party , he is currently the country's Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts, and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs.-Education and early career:Yaacob graduated from the University of... Denise Phua Lay Peng Edwin Tong Edwin Tong Edwin Tong Chun Fai is a Singaporean politician and lawyer.-Biography:Tong was educated at St. Michael's School and St. Joseph's Institution. Tong read law at the National University of Singapore, graduating in 1994... |
Nominated | |||
| Mohd Rahizan Toh Hong Boon L Somasundram Freida Chan |
Nominated | ||||||
| NA | Withdrew interest | In favour of WP | |||||
| Nee Soon GRC Nee Soon Group Representation Constituency Not to be confused with another ward with similar name that existed since pre-indepence era until prior to 1988 general elections called Nee Soon constituency.... |
5 | 148,290 | K Shanmugam Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim Lee Bee Wah Lim Wee Kiak Patrick Tay Teck Guan |
Nominated | |||
| John Yam Angela Oon Sajeev Watson Chong Poh Lee Guan |
Nominated | ||||||
| Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC Pasir Ris-Punggol Group Representation Constituency Pasir Ris-Punggol Group Representation Constituency is a six-member Group Representation Constituency in the north-eastern region of Singapore. The constituency consists of Pasir Ris town, Punggol town, a small northern part of Hougang, and Compassvale, in central Sengkang... |
6 | 168,971 | Teo Chee Hean Teo Chee Hean Teo Chee Hean is a politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party , he is currently the country's Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Home Affairs and Co-ordinating Minister for National Security, and a Member of Parliament for the Pasir Ris-Punggol Group... Teo Ser Luck Teo Ser Luck Teo Ser Luck is currently Minister of State for the Ministry of Trade and Industry , as well as the Mayor of North East Community Development Council... Penny Low Janil Puthucheary Janil Puthucheary Janil Puthucheary is a Singaporean who is contesting the Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC in the 2011 general election. He is a senior consultant in the children's intensive care unit at KK Women's and Children's Hospital... Gan Thiam Poh Zainal Bin Sapari |
Nominated | |||
| Harminder Pal Singh Sidney Soon Jeffrey Lim Noraine Anabi Tony Tan Tony Tan Tony Tan may refer to:*Tony Tan Keng Yam, seventh and current President of Singapore*Tony Tan Caktiong, founder of Jollibee*Tony Tan Lay Thiam, member of Singapore's National Solidarity Party... Mohammad Shafni Ahmad |
Nominated | ||||||
| NA | Expressed interest, but has withdrawn | In favor of SDA | |||||
| Sembawang GRC Sembawang Group Representation Constituency Sembawang Group Representation Constituency is a five-member Group Representation Constituency located in the northern area of Singapore. The GRC consists of Sembawang, Woodlands, Marsiling, Admiralty, Canberra and Chong Pang... |
5 | 142,459 | Khaw Boon Wan Khaw Boon Wan Khaw Boon Wan is a politician from Singapore. He is currently the country's Minister for National Development and the Chairman of the governing People's Action Party . He was previously the Minister for Health from August 2004 to May 2011... Ellen Lee Hawazi Daipi Ong Teng Koon Vikram Nair |
Nominated | |||
| James Gomez James Gomez Dr. James Gomez is an academic from Singapore and he manages an online consultancy – The GOMEZ Centre. A prominent public intellectual in the country, he is currently the Executive Director of Singaporeans for Democracy and a member of the Singapore Democratic Party .-Biography:Gomez was born in... John Tan Jarrod Luo Jie Mohd Isa Abdul Aziz Sadasivam Veriyah |
Nominated | ||||||
| Tampines GRC Tampines Group Representation Constituency Tampines Group Representation Constituency is a five-member Group Representation Constituency in the eastern region of Singapore... |
5 | 137,532 | Goh Meng Seng Goh Meng Seng Goh Meng Seng is a Singaporean politician who was the Secretary General for the 2011 election of the National Solidarity Party in Singapore.-Political career:... Reno Fong Chin Leong Syafarin Sarif Raymond Lim Peng Ann Gilbert Goh |
Nominated | |||
| Mah Bow Tan Mah Bow Tan Mah Bow Tan is a politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party , he is currently a Member of Parliament representing the Tampines Group Representation Constituency... Ng Phek Hoong Irene Masagos Zulkifli Bin Masagos Mohamad Baey Yam Keng Heng Swee Keat |
Nominated | Baey Yam Keng replaced Steve Tan Peng Hoe on nomination day when the latter pulled out for "personal reasons". | |||||
| Tanjong Pagar GRC Tanjong Pagar Group Representation Constituency Tanjong Pagar Group Representation Constituency is currently a five-member Group Representation Constituency in central Singapore.... |
5 | 139,771 | Lee Kuan Yew Lee Kuan Yew Lee Kuan Yew, GCMG, CH is a Singaporean statesman. He was the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore, governing for three decades... Lily Neo Chia Shi-Lu Indranee Thurai Rajah Chan Chun Sing Chan Chun Sing Chan Chun Sing is a politician from Singapore. A member of the country's governing People's Action Party , he is currently the Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, and a Minister of State at the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts... |
Uncontested Walkover | Chia Shi-Lu replaced Baey Yam Keng on nomination day. | ||
| NA | Expressed interest | Withdrew from elections (Did not appear on nomination day) | |||||
| Independents | Ng Teck Siong Lim Mie Ng Pian Ying Abdullah Salam Nazem Suki |
Disqualified by the Elections Department | Submitted nomination forms 35 seconds late | ||||
| West Coast GRC West Coast Group Representation Constituency West Coast Group Representation Constituency is a five-member Group Representation Constituency located in the western area of Singapore. The GRC is divided into five divisions and is a constituency held by the People's Action Party. The five divisions are Ayer Rajah, West Coast, Boon Lay,... |
5 | 121,045 | Lim Hng Kiang Lim Hng Kiang Lim Hng Kiang is a politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party , he is currently the country's Minister for Trade and Industry. He previoulsy served as the Minister for National Development , Minister for Health , and as a Minister in the Prime Minister's Office... Fong Jen Arthur Fong Jen Arthur Fong Jen Arthur is a Singaporean Member of Parliament for West Coast Group Representation Constituency.Fong became an MP in 2001 and has represented West Coast GRC since. In both the 2001 and 2006 general elections, Fong's party, the PAP, enjoyed a walkover for their constituency.Prior to his... S Iswaran Foo Mee Har Foo Mee Har Foo Mee Har is a Singaporean Member of Parliament for West Coast GRC. She is a member of the Government Parliamentary Committees of both: 1) Finance and Trade & Industry; and 2) Manpower.... Lawrence Wong Shyun Tsai |
Nominated | |||
| Kenneth Jeyaretnam Kenneth Jeyaretnam Kenneth Andrew Jeyaretnam is the current Secretary-General of the Reform Party in Singapore. He is the eldest son of the late opposition politician J.B. Jeyaretnam.-Family:... Frankie Low Andy Zhu Kumar Appavoo Ho Soak Harn |
Nominated | ||||||
Single Member Constituencies
| Announced candidates of Singapore general election, 2011 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Seats | Voters | Political Party | Candidate(s) | Nomination status | Notes | |
| Bukit Panjang SMC Bukit Panjang Single Member Constituency Bukit Panjang Single Member Constituency is a Single Member Constituency located in the western area of Singapore. The seat consists the main portion of Bukit Panjang and was formed in the 2006 electoral boundary redraw... |
1 | 33,053 | Teo Ho Pin Teo Ho Pin Dr. Teo Ho Pin is a Singaporean politician from the People's Action Party who has been serving as a Member of Parliament in Singapore since 1996. He is currently the Member of Parliament of the Bukit Panjang Single Member Constituency in Singapore... |
Nominated | Incumbent | ||
| Alec Tok | Nominated | ||||||
| Hong Kah North SMC Hong Kah North Single Member Constituency Hong Kah North Single Member Constituency is a Single-Member Constituency in the Western Part of Singapore... |
1 | 27,701 | Amy Khor Lean Suan Amy Khor Lean Suan Amy Khor Lean Suan is the Mayor of South West Community Development Council and a Member of Parliament in Singapore.... |
Nominated | Incumbent for Hong Kah North ward which was part of Hong Kah GRC Hong Kah Group Representation Constituency Hong Kah Group Representation Constituency was a five-member Group Representation Constituency located in the western area of Singapore. The constituency covered the areas of Bukit Batok, Choa Chu Kang, Upper Bukit Timah, Jurong West and Lim Chu Kang... |
||
| NA | Withdrew interest | In favour of SPP | |||||
| Sin Kek Tong | Nominated | ||||||
| Hougang SMC Hougang Single Member Constituency Hougang Single Member Constituency is a Single Member Constituency whose borders roughly enclose the town of Hougang, located in the north-eastern area of Singapore. The boundary includes a portion of Hougang and is an opposition held seat with its Member of Parliament the Workers' Party's Yaw... |
1 | 24,560 | Desmond Choo Pey Ching | Nominated | New candidate | ||
| Yaw Shin Leong Yaw Shin Leong Yaw Shin Leong is currently the Treasurer of The Workers' Party of Singapore, and a Member of Parliament representing the constituency of Hougang after the 2011 Singapore General Elections.-Personal profile:... |
Nominated | Contested in Ang Mo Kio Ang Mo Kio Group Representation Constituency Ang Mo Kio Group Representation Constituency is a six-member Group Representation Constituency in the north eastern region of Singapore... in 2006. Replaced incumbent Low Thia Khiang Low Thia Khiang Low Thia Khiang is a politician and businessman from Singapore. He is currently the leader of the opposition Workers' Party, and since 1991 has been a Member of Parliament representing the constituency of Hougang until 2011 where he contested and won in Aljunied GRC. He is in charge of the Bedok... , who contested in Aljunied Aljunied Group Representation Constituency Aljunied Group Representation Constituency is a five-member group representation constituency in the north-eastern region of Singapore. The GRC consists of a large part of Hougang, Serangoon Gardens, a portion of Bedok and Aljunied... |
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| Joo Chiat SMC Joo Chiat Single Member Constituency Joo Chiat Single Member Constituency is a Single Member Constituency located in the eastern region of Singapore. The SMC encompasses the areas of Joo Chiat, Katong, Haig Road, Siglap and a portion of East Coast Park... |
1 | 22,069 | Independent | Andrew Kuan | Withdrew interest | In favour of WP | |
| Chong You Fook Charles Chong You Fook Charles Chong You Fook Charles is a Singaporean Member of Parliament who represents Joo Chiat SMC. He is the former Chairman of the National Police Cadet Corps Council, which governs NPCC and the National Civil Defence Cadet Corps.-Career:... |
Nominated | From Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC Pasir Ris-Punggol Group Representation Constituency Pasir Ris-Punggol Group Representation Constituency is a six-member Group Representation Constituency in the north-eastern region of Singapore. The constituency consists of Pasir Ris town, Punggol town, a small northern part of Hougang, and Compassvale, in central Sengkang... ; incumbent Chan Soo Sen Chan Soo Sen Chan Soo Sen was a Singaporean Member of Parliament who represented Joo Chiat Single Member Constituency until 2011.In the 2006 general elections, Chan, representing PAP, defeated Tan Bing Seng of the Workers' Party of Singapore with 65.01% of the votes in the SMC.In the 2001 general elections, he... retired. |
|||||
| Yee Jen Jong | Nominated | ||||||
| Mountbatten SMC Mountbatten Single Member Constituency Mountbatten Single Member Constituency is a Single-Member Constituency in the Central Part of Singapore. Formerly a ward of Marine Parade GRC from 1997 till 2011... |
1 | 23,731 | Jeanette Chong-Aruldoss | Nominated | |||
| Lim Biow Chuan Lim Biow Chuan Lim Biow Chuan is a Singaporean Member of Parliament who represents Mountbatten SMC.Lim first became an MP after the 2006 general elections, where his party, the PAP, was awarded a walkover as Marine Parade GRC was uncontested. Lim is an old boy of Victoria School and had his junior college... |
Nominated | ||||||
| NA | Withdrew interest | In favor of NSP | |||||
| NA | Withdrew from elections | ||||||
| Independent | Kannappan Chettiar | Withdrew from elections | In favour of NSP | ||||
| Independent | Boon Suan Ban | Withdrew from elections | Did not submit political donation form on time | ||||
| Independent | Zeng Guoyuan | Withdrew from elections | Tore up nomination papers on nomination day | ||||
| Pioneer SMC Pioneer Single Member Constituency Pioneer Single Member Constituency is a Single-Member Constituency in the Western Part of Singapore... |
1 | 25,745 | Steve Chia Kiah Hong | Nominated | |||
| Cedric Foo | Nominated | Incumbent for Pioneer ward which was part of West Coast GRC West Coast Group Representation Constituency West Coast Group Representation Constituency is a five-member Group Representation Constituency located in the western area of Singapore. The GRC is divided into five divisions and is a constituency held by the People's Action Party. The five divisions are Ayer Rajah, West Coast, Boon Lay,... |
|||||
| NA | Withdrew interest | In favour of NSP | |||||
| Potong Pasir SMC Potong Pasir Single Member Constituency Potong Pasir Single Member Constituency is a Single Member Constituency in the central region of Singapore.-Location:The SMC encompasses Potong Pasir, Lorong 8 Toa Payoh and Tannery... |
1 | 17,327 | Lina Chiam Lina Chiam Lina Loh Woon Lee is a Singaporean politician from the Singapore People's Party . She is a Non-constituency Member of Parliament of the 12th Parliament of Singapore.-Political career:... |
Nominated | Incumbent Chiam See Tong Chiam See Tong Chiam See Tong is a politician and lawyer from Singapore. He is the country's longest-serving opposition Member of Parliament . Between 1984 and 2011, he represented the constituency of Potong Pasir in Singapore's Parliament.... 's wife, the former contesting in Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC Bishan-Toa Payoh Group Representation Constituency Bishan-Toa Payoh Group Representation Constituency is a five-member Group Representation Constituency located in the central region of Singapore. The GRC consists the entire areas of Bishan, the majority of Toa Payoh and parts of Thomson... |
||
| Sitoh Yih Pin Sitoh Yih Pin Sitoh Yih Pin is a Singaporean politician from the Singapore People's Action Party. He is currently the Member of Parliament for the Potong Pasir Single Member Constituency .-Political career:... |
Nominated | ||||||
| Punggol East SMC Punggol East Single Member Constituency Punggol East Single Member Constituency is a Single Member Constituency located in the north-eastern area of Singapore. The ward covers the eastern area of Sengkang. This ward has been carved out during the 2011 General Election and was formerly a ward from the Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC... |
1 | 33,281 | Michael Palmer | Nominated | Incumbent for Punggol East ward which was part of Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC Pasir Ris-Punggol Group Representation Constituency Pasir Ris-Punggol Group Representation Constituency is a six-member Group Representation Constituency in the north-eastern region of Singapore. The constituency consists of Pasir Ris town, Punggol town, a small northern part of Hougang, and Compassvale, in central Sengkang... |
||
| Desmond Lim | Nominated | ||||||
| Lee Li Lian | Nominated | ||||||
| Radin Mas SMC Radin Mas Single Member Constituency Radin Mas Single Member Constituency is a Single Member Constituency located in the western area of Singapore. The ward covers the area of Radin Mas... |
1 | 31,014 | Yip Yew Weng | Nominated | |||
| Sam Tan Chin Siong Sam Tan Chin Siong Mr Sam Tan Chin Siong is currently the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs... |
Nominated | Incumbent for Radin Mas ward which was part of Tanjong Pagar GRC Tanjong Pagar Group Representation Constituency Tanjong Pagar Group Representation Constituency is currently a five-member Group Representation Constituency in central Singapore.... |
|||||
| NA | Withdrew interest | In favour of NSP/SDA | |||||
| Mohd Nazem Suki Mohd Nazem Suki Mohd Nazem Suki is the Secretary General of the Singapore Malay National Organization.Source :... |
Announced candidate withdrawn | In favour of NSP | |||||
| NA | Withdrew from elections | ||||||
| Sengkang West SMC Sengkang West Single Member Constituency Sengkang West Single Member Constituency is a Single Member Constituency located in the north-eastern region of Singapore. The ward covers the western area of Sengkang. This ward has been carved out during the 2011 General Election and was formerly a ward from the Ang Mo Kio GRC... |
1 | 26,882 | Lam Pin Min Lam Pin Min Dr. Lam Pin Min is a Singaporean Member of Parliament who represents Ang Mo Kio GRC. He is currently the Adviser for Sengkang West Division, which encompasses Anchorvale and Fernvale of Sengkang New Town, of the GRC.... |
Nominated | Incumbent for Sengkang West ward which was part of Ang Mo Kio GRC Ang Mo Kio Group Representation Constituency Ang Mo Kio Group Representation Constituency is a six-member Group Representation Constituency in the north eastern region of Singapore... |
||
| Ooi Boon Ewe Ooi Boon Ewe Ooi Boon Ewe is a Singaporean politician. He is most notable for attempting to contest various elections, general and presidential.-Politics:Ooi entered the politicial arena in the presidential elections in 1999... |
Withdrew from elections | Unable to get his assentors on the nomination day | |||||
| Ismail Yaacob Ismail Yaacob Ismail Yaacob was a Manek Urai state assemblyman.Ismail, who was deputy head of the Kuala Krai PAS division, won the Manek Urai seat in 1985 and had been the elected representative there for five terms. In 2004, he did not contest the seat but did so in 2008, defeating Mohamed Zulkepli Omar of... |
Announced candidate withdrawn | In favour of WP | |||||
| Koh Choong Yong | Nominated | ||||||
| Whampoa SMC Whampoa Single Member Constituency Whampoa Single Member Constituency is a Single Member Constituency located in the eastern region of Singapore. The ward covers the main area of Whampoa... |
1 | 21,631 | Ken Sun | Nominated | |||
| Heng Chee How Heng Chee How Heng Chee How is a Singaporean politician from the Singapore People's Action Party . He was the Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office during the 11th Parliament of Singapore.-Political career:... |
Nominated | Incumbent for Whampoa ward which was part of Jalan Besar GRC Jalan Besar Group Representation Constituency Not to be confused with the smaller ward that existed since pre-indepence era named as Jalan Besar Single Member Constituency, which is also where the ex-minister Lee Boon Yang made his first debut there.... |
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| NA | Withdrew interest | In favour of NSP | |||||
| NA | Withdrew interest | In favour of NSP | |||||
| Yuhua SMC Yuhua Single Member Constituency Yuhua Single Member Constituency is a Single Member Constituency located in the western area of Singapore. The ward covers the area of Yuhua... |
1 | 23,199 | NA | Withdrew interest | In favour of SDP | ||
| Grace Fu Grace Fu Grace Fu Hai Yien is the Senior Minister of State for Information, Communications and the Arts, and the Environment and Water Resources in Singapore.-Education:... |
Nominated | Incumbent for Yuhua ward which was part of Jurong GRC Jurong Group Representation Constituency Jurong Group Representation Constituency is a five-member Group Representation Constituency located in the western area of Singapore. The GRC consists a large section of Jurong, sections of Bukit Batok and Upper Bukit Timah... |
|||||
| NA | Withdrew interest | In favour of SDP | |||||
| Teo Soh Lung | Nominated | ||||||
Party manifestos
Televised forum
In the first pre-election forum of this nature in Singapore since the 1988 General Election, Channel NewsAsiaChannel NewsAsia
Channel NewsAsia is an English language pan-Asian news network based in Singapore and owned by MediaCorp. Started on 1 March 1999 based in Singapore by Television Corporation of Singapore, it was launched internationally on 12 February 2001 as the international broadcasting arm of Channel...
invited the main parties to record an hour-long programme. The programme, in English entitled, “A political forum on Singapore’s future” brought together the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) and four opposition parties to discuss long and short-term challenges for the country.
The forum included
- Dr Vincent WijeysinghaVincent WijeysinghaDr. Vincent Wijeysingha is a politician and civil activist from Singapore. He is currently the Assistant Treasurer of the opposition Singapore Democratic Party and was a candidate in the 2011 Singaporean general election...
, Assistant Treasurer of the Singapore Democratic PartySingapore Democratic PartyThe Singapore Democratic Party is an opposition political party in Singapore.The party was founded in 1980 by Chiam See Tong, who as Secretary-General became the party's first Member of Parliament in 1984 when he was elected as MP for Potong Pasir... - Mrs Lina Chiam, 2nd Vice Chairwoman of the Singapore People's PartySingapore People's PartyThe Singapore People's Party is a left of centre opposition political party in Singapore. The party's leader is Chiam See Tong.-Foundation:...
- Mr Gerald Giam, Assistant Webmaster of Workers' Party of SingaporeWorkers' Party of SingaporeThe Workers' Party of Singapore is a centre-left opposition political party in Singapore. The party currently has six elected seats in Parliament, with the party's Secretary-General Low Thia Khiang, Chairman Sylvia Lim, Chen Show Mao, Muhamad Faisal Manap and Pritam Singh serving as Members of...
- Mr Mohamed Nazem Suki, Assistant Secretary-General of the Singapore Democratic AllianceSingapore Democratic AllianceThe Singapore Democratic Alliance is an alliance of political parties in Singapore. The SDA was formed shortly before the 2001 general election to provide a common grouping under which different opposition parties could stand as a united front in elections against the ruling People's Action Party...
- Tharman ShanmugaratnamTharman ShanmugaratnamTharman Shanmugaratnam is a politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party , he is currently the country's Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Finance and Minister for Manpower. He previously served as the Minister for Education from 2003 to 2008...
, Finance Minister, and Bishan-Toa Payoh GRCBishan-Toa Payoh Group Representation ConstituencyBishan-Toa Payoh Group Representation Constituency is a five-member Group Representation Constituency located in the central region of Singapore. The GRC consists the entire areas of Bishan, the majority of Toa Payoh and parts of Thomson...
MP Josephine Teo of the PAP
The new media
The Worker's Party utilised social mediaSocial media
The term Social Media refers to the use of web-based and mobile technologies to turn communication into an interactive dialogue. Andreas Kaplan and Michael Haenlein define social media as "a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0,...
in order to circumvent obstacles placed in front of them by Singapore's government-controlled media.
Political rallies
The Singapore Police ForceSingapore Police Force
The Singapore Police Force is the main agency tasked with maintaining law and order in the city-state. Formerly known as the Republic of Singapore Police , it has grown from an 11-man organisation to a 38,587 strong force...
announced 41 political rally sites on 27 April which could be booked by political parties on a first-come-first-served basis. Rallies were allowed to be conducted from 28 April to 5 May, from 7 am to 10 pm. The 41st site is for lunch time rallies at Boat Quay
Boat Quay
Boat Quay is a historical quay in Singapore which is situated upstream from the mouth of the Singapore River on its southern bank.It was the busiest part of the old Port of Singapore, handling three quarters of all shipping business during the 1860s...
near to the UOB Plaza
UOB Plaza
United Overseas Bank Plaza is a complex with twin tower late-modernist skyscrapers in the city of Singapore. UOB Plaza One is one of the three tallest in the city, sharing the title with the OUB Centre and Republic Plaza...
.
National Solidarity Party
| Date | Location | Constituency |
|---|---|---|
| 28 April | Open field at Geylang East Central | Marine Parade GRC |
| 29 April | Delta Hockey Pitch | Radin Mas SMC |
| 30 April | Open field near Jalan Tenteram | Whampoa SMC |
| 1 May | Jurong West Stadium | Pioneer SMC |
| 2 May | Open field near Mountbatten Community Centre | Mountbatten SMC |
| 3 May | Choa Chu Kang Stadium Choa Chu Kang Stadium The Choa Chu Kang Stadium is part of the Choa Chu Kang Sports and Recreation complex located in Choa Chu Kang, Singapore. The international competition standard, multi-sport facility supports a range of sports and community functions, and opened in the year 2001... |
Choa Chu Kang GRC |
| 4 May | Tampines Stadium Tampines Stadium Tampines Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Singapore. It is equipped with an 8-lane running track and a football pitch. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of Tampines Rovers FC. The stadium is able to hold 3,600 people.... |
Tampines GRC |
| 5 May | Open field near Chinese Garden Chinese Garden, Singapore Chinese Garden , also commonly known as Jurong Gardens, is a park in Jurong East, Singapore. Built in 1975 and designed by Prof. Yuen-chen Yu, an architect from Taiwan, the Chinese Garden’s concept is based on Chinese gardening art. The main characteristic is the integration of splendid... |
Jurong GRC |
People’s Action Party
| Date | Location | Constituency |
|---|---|---|
| 28 April | Open field near Buangkok MRT Station Buangkok MRT Station Buangkok MRT Station is an underground station located on the North East Line of the Mass Rapid Transit in Singapore. The station is in Sengkang and near to Hougang and serves residents in the vicinity.... |
Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC |
| 29 April | Yio Chu Kang Stadium Yio Chu Kang Stadium Yio Chu Kang Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Ang Mo Kio, Singapore. It has a seating capacity of 2,000. It is run by the Singapore Sports Council and was opened to the public on 1 April 1985.... |
Ang Mo Kio GRC |
| 29 April | Open field near Kallang Kallang Kallang is an urban planning area and a subdivision located in the southeastern part of Singapore.It is probably best known for being the location of the Singapore Indoor Stadium & the old National Stadium, as well as the new Singapore Sports Hub... Avenue |
Moulmein-Kallang GRC |
| 29 April | Jurong West Stadium | Pioneer SMC |
| 30 April | Serangoon Stadium Serangoon Stadium Serangoon Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Serangoon, Singapore. It is located at Yio Chu Kang Road. It has a seating capacity of 1,200. It was built in 1993 and opened to the public on 1 March 1994. The stadium is open to the public where it is used for recreational activities. Many events... |
Aljunied GRC |
| 30 April | Open field at Geylang East Central | Marine Parade GRC |
| 30 April | Choa Chu Kang Stadium Choa Chu Kang Stadium The Choa Chu Kang Stadium is part of the Choa Chu Kang Sports and Recreation complex located in Choa Chu Kang, Singapore. The international competition standard, multi-sport facility supports a range of sports and community functions, and opened in the year 2001... |
Choa Chu Kang GRC |
| 30 April | Open field near Hougang MRT Station Hougang MRT Station Hougang MRT Station ' is an underground station on the North East MRT Line, Singapore. It is located in the central part of Hougang New Town which is connected to the bus interchange and surrounding HDB flats and shopping centres.... |
Hougang SMC |
| 1 May | Bedok Stadium Bedok Stadium Bedok Stadium is located in Bedok, Singapore, and has a capacity of 3,900 people. The stadium is home to the football team Geylang United FC in the S-league. Constructed in 1981, the stadium facilities are open to the public facilities from 4:30 am to 8:30 pm daily unless it is exclusively booked... |
East Coast GRC |
| 2 May | Open field near Segar Road | Bukit Panjang SMC |
| 2 May | Jurong East Stadium Jurong East Stadium Jurong East Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Jurong East, Singapore. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of Albirex Niigata FC. The stadium holds 2,700 people and opened in 1998. It is one of only two stadiums in Singapore that does not have a running... |
Yuhua SMC |
| 2 May | Open field near Jurong West Jurong West Jurong West is a neighbourhood in Singapore, bounded by the Pan Island Expressway, the eastern edge of Jurong Camp, Boon Lay Way, Corporation Road, Fourth Chin Bee Road, International Road, Corporation Road, Ayer Rajah Expressway, Yuan Ching Road, Boon Lay Way, and along a Canal leading into Jurong... Avenue 3 |
Hong Kah North SMC |
| 3 May | Boat Quay Boat Quay Boat Quay is a historical quay in Singapore which is situated upstream from the mouth of the Singapore River on its southern bank.It was the busiest part of the old Port of Singapore, handling three quarters of all shipping business during the 1860s... next to UOB Plaza UOB Plaza United Overseas Bank Plaza is a complex with twin tower late-modernist skyscrapers in the city of Singapore. UOB Plaza One is one of the three tallest in the city, sharing the title with the OUB Centre and Republic Plaza... (lunch time) |
Ang Mo Kio GRC |
| 3 May | Woodlands Stadium Woodlands Stadium Woodlands Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Singapore. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of Woodlands Wellington FC. The stadium holds 4,300 people. It is located in the north of Singapore. Visitors can alight at either Marsling or Woodlands MRT station... |
Sembawang GRC |
| 4 May | Open field near Mountbatten Community Centre | Mountbatten SMC |
| 4 May | Open field in Sengkang Sengkang Sengkang is a sub-urban town in the north-eastern part of Singapore. The Sengkang Planning Area, an urban planning zone under the Urban Redevelopment Authority, covers the Housing and Development Board satellite new town of Sengkang New Town and rural Jalan Kayu.-Etymology and history:Meaning... East |
Punggol East SMC |
| 4 May | Yishun Stadium Yishun Stadium Yishun Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Yishun, Singapore, within the vicinity of Khatib MRT Station. The stadium holds 3,400 people.-History:* The Yishun Stadium is currently used mostly for soccer matches.... |
Nee Soon GRC |
| 4 May | Open field near Clementi Clementi Clementi can refer to:People*Aldo Clementi , Italian composer*Anna Clementi, singer *Cecil Clementi , a British colonial administrator and the Governor of Hong Kong from 1925 to 1930... Avenue 4 |
Holland-Bukit Timah GRC |
| 4 May | Delta Hockey Pitch | Radin Mas SMC |
| 5 May | Open field near Ubi Ubi Ubi may refer to:* Ubi Dwyer, founder of the Windsor Free Festival* UBI World TV, Australian digital satellite pay television service.* Ubi, Singapore, also known as Ubi Estate, a residential and industrial area in Singapore... Road 3 |
Aljunied GRC |
| 5 May | Toa Payoh Stadium Toa Payoh Stadium Toa Payoh Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Toa Payoh, Singapore. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of Balestier Khalsa FC. The stadium holds 3,900 people. It is taken over by the Singapore Sports Council on 30 November 1973 and opened to the public on 1... |
Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC |
| 5 May | Tampines Stadium Tampines Stadium Tampines Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Singapore. It is equipped with an 8-lane running track and a football pitch. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of Tampines Rovers FC. The stadium is able to hold 3,600 people.... |
Tampines GRC |
| 5 May | Open field near Potong Pasir Potong Pasir Potong Pasir is an area located between Toa Payoh and Sennett Estate in the North-East Region of Singapore. For urban planning purposes, it is classified under the Toa Payoh area. Potong Pasir is particularly notable for being the longest-held opposition ward in one-party dominant Singapore... Avenue 1 |
Potong Pasir SMC |
| 5 May | Open field near Jalan Tenteram | Whampoa SMC |
| 5 May | Open field near Segar Road | Bukit Panjang SMC |
| 5 May | Bedok Stadium Bedok Stadium Bedok Stadium is located in Bedok, Singapore, and has a capacity of 3,900 people. The stadium is home to the football team Geylang United FC in the S-league. Constructed in 1981, the stadium facilities are open to the public facilities from 4:30 am to 8:30 pm daily unless it is exclusively booked... |
East Coast GRC |
| 5 May | Open field near Pasir Ris Park Pasir Ris Park Pasir Ris Park is a beach park located in the eastern part of Singapore. It stands at 71 hectares of land, including 6 hectares of preserved mangrove forests and some reclaimed land. This coastal park is among one of the largest in Singapore. The full length of the park is around 6.6 kilometres... |
Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC |
Reform Party
| Date | Location | Constituency |
|---|---|---|
| 28 April | Clementi Stadium Clementi Stadium Clementi Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Clementi, Singapore. It has a seating capacity of 4,000. It is managed by the Singapore Sports Council, which took it over on February 21 1983, and opened it to the public on April 1 the same year. It was Home United FC's home ground... |
West Coast GRC |
| 30 April | Clementi Stadium Clementi Stadium Clementi Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Clementi, Singapore. It has a seating capacity of 4,000. It is managed by the Singapore Sports Council, which took it over on February 21 1983, and opened it to the public on April 1 the same year. It was Home United FC's home ground... |
West Coast GRC |
| 1 May | Yio Chu Kang Stadium Yio Chu Kang Stadium Yio Chu Kang Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Ang Mo Kio, Singapore. It has a seating capacity of 2,000. It is run by the Singapore Sports Council and was opened to the public on 1 April 1985.... |
Ang Mo Kio GRC |
| 2 May | Open field near West Coast Park West Coast Park West Coast Park is located in West Coast, Singapore, parallel to West Coast Highway. It is themed ‘Play Centre in the West’. The park covers an area of 50 hectares.-History:... |
West Coast GRC |
| 4 May | Clementi Stadium Clementi Stadium Clementi Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Clementi, Singapore. It has a seating capacity of 4,000. It is managed by the Singapore Sports Council, which took it over on February 21 1983, and opened it to the public on April 1 the same year. It was Home United FC's home ground... |
West Coast GRC |
| 5 May | Clementi Stadium Clementi Stadium Clementi Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Clementi, Singapore. It has a seating capacity of 4,000. It is managed by the Singapore Sports Council, which took it over on February 21 1983, and opened it to the public on April 1 the same year. It was Home United FC's home ground... |
West Coast GRC |
| 5 May | Yio Chu Kang Stadium Yio Chu Kang Stadium Yio Chu Kang Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Ang Mo Kio, Singapore. It has a seating capacity of 2,000. It is run by the Singapore Sports Council and was opened to the public on 1 April 1985.... (subsequently cancelled) |
Ang Mo Kio GRC |
Singapore Democratic Alliance
| Date | Location | Constituency |
|---|---|---|
| 29 April | Open field in Sengkang Sengkang Sengkang is a sub-urban town in the north-eastern part of Singapore. The Sengkang Planning Area, an urban planning zone under the Urban Redevelopment Authority, covers the Housing and Development Board satellite new town of Sengkang New Town and rural Jalan Kayu.-Etymology and history:Meaning... East |
Punggol East SMC |
| 1 May | Open field near Pasir Ris Park Pasir Ris Park Pasir Ris Park is a beach park located in the eastern part of Singapore. It stands at 71 hectares of land, including 6 hectares of preserved mangrove forests and some reclaimed land. This coastal park is among one of the largest in Singapore. The full length of the park is around 6.6 kilometres... |
Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC |
| 4 May | Open field near Buangkok MRT Station Buangkok MRT Station Buangkok MRT Station is an underground station located on the North East Line of the Mass Rapid Transit in Singapore. The station is in Sengkang and near to Hougang and serves residents in the vicinity.... |
Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC |
Singapore Democratic Party
| Date | Location | Constituenc |
|---|---|---|
| 28 April | Open field near Commonwealth Avenue Commonwealth Avenue Commonwealth Avenue is an avenue which may refer to:in Australia*Commonwealth Avenue, Canberrain the Philippines*Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon Cityin Singapore*Commonwealth Avenue, Singaporein the United States... |
Holland-Bukit Timah GRC |
| 29 April | Jurong East Stadium Jurong East Stadium Jurong East Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Jurong East, Singapore. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of Albirex Niigata FC. The stadium holds 2,700 people and opened in 1998. It is one of only two stadiums in Singapore that does not have a running... |
Yuhua SMC |
| 30 April | Woodlands Stadium Woodlands Stadium Woodlands Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Singapore. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of Woodlands Wellington FC. The stadium holds 4,300 people. It is located in the north of Singapore. Visitors can alight at either Marsling or Woodlands MRT station... |
Sembawang GRC |
| 1 May | Open field near Clementi Clementi Clementi can refer to:People*Aldo Clementi , Italian composer*Anna Clementi, singer *Cecil Clementi , a British colonial administrator and the Governor of Hong Kong from 1925 to 1930... Avenue 4 |
Holland-Bukit Timah GRC |
| 2 May | Open field near Commonwealth Avenue Commonwealth Avenue Commonwealth Avenue is an avenue which may refer to:in Australia*Commonwealth Avenue, Canberrain the Philippines*Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon Cityin Singapore*Commonwealth Avenue, Singaporein the United States... |
Holland-Bukit Timah GRC |
| 3 May | Open field near Segar Road | Bukit Panjang SMC |
| 4 May | Woodlands Stadium Woodlands Stadium Woodlands Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Singapore. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of Woodlands Wellington FC. The stadium holds 4,300 people. It is located in the north of Singapore. Visitors can alight at either Marsling or Woodlands MRT station... |
Sembawang GRC |
| 5 May | Boat Quay Boat Quay Boat Quay is a historical quay in Singapore which is situated upstream from the mouth of the Singapore River on its southern bank.It was the busiest part of the old Port of Singapore, handling three quarters of all shipping business during the 1860s... next to UOB Plaza UOB Plaza United Overseas Bank Plaza is a complex with twin tower late-modernist skyscrapers in the city of Singapore. UOB Plaza One is one of the three tallest in the city, sharing the title with the OUB Centre and Republic Plaza... (lunch time) |
Holland-Bukit Timah GRC |
| 5 May | Woodlands Stadium Woodlands Stadium Woodlands Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Singapore. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of Woodlands Wellington FC. The stadium holds 4,300 people. It is located in the north of Singapore. Visitors can alight at either Marsling or Woodlands MRT station... |
Sembawang GRC |
Singapore People’s Party
| Date | Location | Constituency |
|---|---|---|
| 29 April | Open field near Jurong West Jurong West Jurong West is a neighbourhood in Singapore, bounded by the Pan Island Expressway, the eastern edge of Jurong Camp, Boon Lay Way, Corporation Road, Fourth Chin Bee Road, International Road, Corporation Road, Ayer Rajah Expressway, Yuan Ching Road, Boon Lay Way, and along a Canal leading into Jurong... Avenue 3 |
Hong Kah North SMC |
| 30 April | Open field near Potong Pasir Potong Pasir Potong Pasir is an area located between Toa Payoh and Sennett Estate in the North-East Region of Singapore. For urban planning purposes, it is classified under the Toa Payoh area. Potong Pasir is particularly notable for being the longest-held opposition ward in one-party dominant Singapore... Avenue 1 |
Potong Pasir SMC |
| 2 May | Bishan Stadium Bishan Stadium Bishan Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Bishan, Singapore with a capacity of 4,000 people. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of Home United FC in the S-League. The stadium was constructed in 1998 and is managed by the Singapore Sports Council... |
Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC |
| 4 May | Open field near Potong Pasir Potong Pasir Potong Pasir is an area located between Toa Payoh and Sennett Estate in the North-East Region of Singapore. For urban planning purposes, it is classified under the Toa Payoh area. Potong Pasir is particularly notable for being the longest-held opposition ward in one-party dominant Singapore... Avenue 1 |
Potong Pasir SMC |
| 5 May | Bishan Stadium Bishan Stadium Bishan Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Bishan, Singapore with a capacity of 4,000 people. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of Home United FC in the S-League. The stadium was constructed in 1998 and is managed by the Singapore Sports Council... |
Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC |
Workers’ Party
| Date | Location | Constituency |
|---|---|---|
| 28 April | Open field near Hougang MRT Station Hougang MRT Station Hougang MRT Station ' is an underground station on the North East MRT Line, Singapore. It is located in the central part of Hougang New Town which is connected to the bus interchange and surrounding HDB flats and shopping centres.... |
Hougang SMC |
| 29 April | Serangoon Stadium Serangoon Stadium Serangoon Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Serangoon, Singapore. It is located at Yio Chu Kang Road. It has a seating capacity of 1,200. It was built in 1993 and opened to the public on 1 March 1994. The stadium is open to the public where it is used for recreational activities. Many events... |
Aljunied GRC |
| 30 April | Bedok Stadium Bedok Stadium Bedok Stadium is located in Bedok, Singapore, and has a capacity of 3,900 people. The stadium is home to the football team Geylang United FC in the S-league. Constructed in 1981, the stadium facilities are open to the public facilities from 4:30 am to 8:30 pm daily unless it is exclusively booked... |
East Coast GRC |
| 1 May | Yishun Stadium Yishun Stadium Yishun Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Yishun, Singapore, within the vicinity of Khatib MRT Station. The stadium holds 3,400 people.-History:* The Yishun Stadium is currently used mostly for soccer matches.... |
Nee Soon GRC |
| 2 May | Open field near Kallang Kallang Kallang is an urban planning area and a subdivision located in the southeastern part of Singapore.It is probably best known for being the location of the Singapore Indoor Stadium & the old National Stadium, as well as the new Singapore Sports Hub... Avenue |
Moulmein-Kallang GRC |
| 3 May | Open field in Sengkang Sengkang Sengkang is a sub-urban town in the north-eastern part of Singapore. The Sengkang Planning Area, an urban planning zone under the Urban Redevelopment Authority, covers the Housing and Development Board satellite new town of Sengkang New Town and rural Jalan Kayu.-Etymology and history:Meaning... East |
Punggol East SMC |
| 4 May | Open field near Ubi Ubi Ubi may refer to:* Ubi Dwyer, founder of the Windsor Free Festival* UBI World TV, Australian digital satellite pay television service.* Ubi, Singapore, also known as Ubi Estate, a residential and industrial area in Singapore... Road 3 |
Aljunied GRC |
| 5 May | Serangoon Stadium Serangoon Stadium Serangoon Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Serangoon, Singapore. It is located at Yio Chu Kang Road. It has a seating capacity of 1,200. It was built in 1993 and opened to the public on 1 March 1994. The stadium is open to the public where it is used for recreational activities. Many events... |
Aljunied GRC |
Balakrishnan accuses SDP of "suppressing video"
During the 2011 elections campaigning, Vivian BalakrishnanVivian Balakrishnan
Vivian Balakrishnan is a politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party , he is currently the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources....
said the SDP was "suppressing a certain YouTube video, which raises some very awkward questions about the agenda and motivations of the SDP and its candidates". He issued the following statement:
- I am not sure what [the SDP] strategy is...I can’t help feeling that part of the reason for their reticence is they have elements of their agenda they are not prepared to disclose and subject to scrutiny. Eventually, they will have to come out of the closet. (The Straits TimesThe Straits TimesThe Straits Times is an English language daily broadsheet newspaper based in Singapore currently owned by Singapore Press Holdings . It is the country's highest-selling paper, with a current daily circulation of nearly 400,000...
, April 20, 2011)
This statement was noted by prominent gay rights activist Alex Au to be appeal to his religious conservative base without alienating his other voters by using a lot of innuendo meant to target voters opposed to gay rights.
Balakrishnan confirmed that a widely-speculated-upon video entitled "Gay Agenda" uploaded by "JohnTan88888" was indeed the video he had alluded to,
and issued a more explicit accusation that SDP's Vincent Wijeysingha
Vincent Wijeysingha
Dr. Vincent Wijeysingha is a politician and civil activist from Singapore. He is currently the Assistant Treasurer of the opposition Singapore Democratic Party and was a candidate in the 2011 Singaporean general election...
was pursuing a gay agenda. Balakrishnan attempted to associate Wijeysingha with another speaker at a forum who discussed whether the age of consent for boys should be 14 years of age. Vincent Wijeysingha rejected his comments stating, "We've been a very open party and we're very clear."
This incident was cited in an article published in The Economist
The Economist
The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
criticising the ruling party's behaviour, noting, "internet web sites filled up with the rebukes of Singaporeans disgusted at the PAP tactic." The New Paper
The New Paper
The New Paper is Singapore's second-highest circulating paid English-language newspaper, first launched on July 26, 1988, by Singapore Press Holdings . According to SPH, its average daily circulation for August 2010 was 101600....
released a story next day, with the sensational headline: 'Is Singapore ready for a GAY MP?" Kenneth Jeyaretnam
Kenneth Jeyaretnam
Kenneth Andrew Jeyaretnam is the current Secretary-General of the Reform Party in Singapore. He is the eldest son of the late opposition politician J.B. Jeyaretnam.-Family:...
of the Reform Party
Reform Party (Singapore)
The Reform Party is a political party in Singapore. It was founded in 2008 by the late Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam, and is currently headed by his son Kenneth Jeyaretnam, who succeeded him as party secretary-general after the elder Jeyaretnam died in 2008...
called Balakrishnan's "smear campaign" a "low attack."
Balakrishnan received widespread controversy and criticism online for his remark,. An article on online news aggregator Scoop wrote that Balakrishnan's remarks "[could] only be described as a smear campaign". On April 28, he told the press: "there is "no need" to further discuss [the] video". He denied having employed a "smear tactic" when he brought up the issue, arguing that his question about a "gay agenda" was a "legitimate question".
Cooling-off day controversies
Nicole Seah from NSP team in Marine Parade GRC filed a complaint to the Elections DepartmentElections Department
The Elections Department is a department of the government of Singapore that oversees the procedure for elections in Singapore, including parliamentary elections and presidential elections. It sees that elections are fairly carried out and has a supervisory role to safeguard against electoral fraud...
on 6 May stating Tin Pei Ling
Tin Pei Ling
Tin Pei Ling is a Chinese Singaporean who is one of five Singapore People's Action Party Members of Parliament for the Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency. She is in charge of the MacPherson ward....
had violated the state-mandated cooling-off period 24 hours before polls by posting a Facebook comment "in response to a video [in the state press] that showed Seah crying after being told about a Macpherson female resident who could not get a refund of her son's $80 tuition fees". According to screenshots posted to both opposition and state press web sites, the comment read, "OooOoooOooh so that's what REALLY happened? Wow. I think tears in Parliament is worse than ANYTHING ELSE!"
When questioned, Tin replied that one of her administrators, Denise He, had posted the comment when she had meant to post in her own capacity from her phone, but had forgotten to log out of Tin's account. But investigators for the independent Singaporean news blog Temasek Review
Temasek Review
The Temasek Review Emeritus was a socio-political blog and one of the alternative media that emerged in Singapore in the 2000s. Though it declared itself to be neither "pro-Opposition" or "pro-Government", the Malaysian newspaper The Star recognised it to have Opposition sympathies...
noted that according to Tin Pei Ling's publicly available nomination forms on the Election Departments website, Tin Pei Ling was listed as the sole approved moderator/administrator of her Facebook profile. The NSP team was advised by the Elections Department to file a police report before the Elections Department could investigate.
The day after the election, Seah told reporters that her party had not received any response after making the complaint, and said no decision had been taken on whether or not to pursue the issue. She added that the NSP knew "it is an uphill battle to get any results out of this. I would rather devote my time and resources to the residents".
A similar complaint was lodged against Seah alleging that material had been published on her Facebook page during Cooling-Off Day. On 10 August, the Singapore Police Force
Singapore Police Force
The Singapore Police Force is the main agency tasked with maintaining law and order in the city-state. Formerly known as the Republic of Singapore Police , it has grown from an 11-man organisation to a 38,587 strong force...
announced that it had concluded its investigations into the two incidents, and that aside from a "stern warning" to Tin's friend, no action would be taken against either Tin or Seah.
Separately, the NSP also complained that the PAP had been distributing election material to residents in Tampines GRC in violation of cooling-off regulations.
Election results
After polls closed at 8pm, vote counting began. Results were announced by Yam Ah MeeYam Ah Mee
Yam Ah Mee is a Singaporean civil servant and Chief Executive Director of the People's Association. He shot to fame after Singaporeans took to his monotone voice and expressionless demeanour, as the Returning Officer for the General Elections in 2011....
, chief executive director of the People's Association
People's Association
The People’s Association was established in Singapore as a statutory board on 1 July 1960 to promote racial harmony and social cohesion. PA commemorated its 50th Anniversary in 2010....
, who acted as the Returning Officer for the election. The first result was declared at 11.58pm on 7 May 2011, where PAP candidate Lim Biow Chuan
Lim Biow Chuan
Lim Biow Chuan is a Singaporean Member of Parliament who represents Mountbatten SMC.Lim first became an MP after the 2006 general elections, where his party, the PAP, was awarded a walkover as Marine Parade GRC was uncontested. Lim is an old boy of Victoria School and had his junior college...
won the Mountbatten Single Member Constituency
Mountbatten Single Member Constituency
Mountbatten Single Member Constituency is a Single-Member Constituency in the Central Part of Singapore. Formerly a ward of Marine Parade GRC from 1997 till 2011...
with a majority of 3,529.
At 1.31 am on 8 May 2011, the PAP team for Ang Mo Kio Group Representation Constituency
Ang Mo Kio Group Representation Constituency
Ang Mo Kio Group Representation Constituency is a six-member Group Representation Constituency in the north eastern region of Singapore...
was declared to have won the division, putting the PAP's seat tally at 44 seats, and thus formed the government.
The final result to be declared was for the Potong Pasir Single Member Constituency
Potong Pasir Single Member Constituency
Potong Pasir Single Member Constituency is a Single Member Constituency in the central region of Singapore.-Location:The SMC encompasses Potong Pasir, Lorong 8 Toa Payoh and Tannery...
at 2.51am on 8 May, where the PAP gained the seat from the SPP on a razor-thin margin of 114 votes.
The political status quo was kept as the People's Action Party won a 13th consecutive term in office since 1959. However, the PAP saw its vote majorities reduced island-wide for yet a second election in a row. The PAP won 81 seats out of 87 despite losing Aljunied Group Representation Constituency
Aljunied Group Representation Constituency
Aljunied Group Representation Constituency is a five-member group representation constituency in the north-eastern region of Singapore. The GRC consists of a large part of Hougang, Serangoon Gardens, a portion of Bedok and Aljunied...
to the WP, which also won in Hougang Single Member Constituency
Hougang Single Member Constituency
Hougang Single Member Constituency is a Single Member Constituency whose borders roughly enclose the town of Hougang, located in the north-eastern area of Singapore. The boundary includes a portion of Hougang and is an opposition held seat with its Member of Parliament the Workers' Party's Yaw...
. None of the other five opposition parties won contests, including the SPP which lost Potong Pasir Single Member Constituency
Potong Pasir Single Member Constituency
Potong Pasir Single Member Constituency is a Single Member Constituency in the central region of Singapore.-Location:The SMC encompasses Potong Pasir, Lorong 8 Toa Payoh and Tannery...
that it held prior to the election. The WP's win in Aljunied marked the first opposition GRC victory since GRCs were introduced. The WP win in Aljunied meant an electoral defeat of Foreign Minister George Yeo
George Yeo
George Yeo Yong-Boon is a former politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party , he served in the Cabinet from 1991 to 2011 as the Minister for Information and the Arts , Minister for Health , Minister for Trade and Industry and Minister for Foreign Affairs...
and a second Cabinet minister in Lim Hwee Hua
Lim Hwee Hua
Lim Hwee Hua was a Singaporean politician, who was formerly the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and appointed concurrently as Second Minister for Finance and Second Minister for Transport.-Early career:...
. Yeo became the highest-ranking PAP cabinet minister to lose an election since 1963 when minister Kenneth Michael Byrne lost his seat of Crawford. The PAP's national vote share was just little over 60 per cent, a vote swing of almost negative 7 per cent from 2006.
Voter turnout for the election was 93.18%, with 2,060,373 votes cast.
Results summary
Defeated incumbents
People's Action Party- Defeated in Aljunied GRCAljunied Group Representation ConstituencyAljunied Group Representation Constituency is a five-member group representation constituency in the north-eastern region of Singapore. The GRC consists of a large part of Hougang, Serangoon Gardens, a portion of Bedok and Aljunied...
, where Cynthia Phua, George YeoGeorge YeoGeorge Yeo Yong-Boon is a former politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party , he served in the Cabinet from 1991 to 2011 as the Minister for Information and the Arts , Minister for Health , Minister for Trade and Industry and Minister for Foreign Affairs...
, Lim Hwee HuaLim Hwee HuaLim Hwee Hua was a Singaporean politician, who was formerly the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and appointed concurrently as Second Minister for Finance and Second Minister for Transport.-Early career:...
and Zainul Abidin bin Mohamed RasheedZainul Abidin bin Mohamed RasheedZainul Abidin bin Mohamed Rasheed is a Singaporean politician and former Member of Parliament who last represented Aljunied GRC from 2001 to 2011.-Education:...
were incumbent candidates.
Singapore People's Party
- Defeated in Potong Pasir SMCPotong Pasir Single Member ConstituencyPotong Pasir Single Member Constituency is a Single Member Constituency in the central region of Singapore.-Location:The SMC encompasses Potong Pasir, Lorong 8 Toa Payoh and Tannery...
, which was held by Chiam See TongChiam See TongChiam See Tong is a politician and lawyer from Singapore. He is the country's longest-serving opposition Member of Parliament . Between 1984 and 2011, he represented the constituency of Potong Pasir in Singapore's Parliament....
prior to the election. Chiam did not run in Potong Pasir in these elections, instead letting his wife contest it.
Analysis
Top 10 best PAP performers- Constituencies with no comparison to 2006 were either due to them being new constituencies or the constituencies experiencing walkovers in the last election.
# Constituency PAP Votes % Swing Opposition Votes % Swing 1 Hong Kah North SMC 18,156 70.6 7,556 29.4 2 Ang Mo Kio GRC 112,677 69.3 3.2 49,851 30.67 3.2 3 Radin Mas SMC 18,609 67.1 9,123 32.9 4 Jurong GRC 76,595 67.0 37,786 33.0 5 Yuhua SMC 14,093 66.87 6,986 33.1 6 West Coast GRC 72,563 66.6 36,443 33.4 7 Bukit Panjang SMC 20,375 66.3 10.9 10,372 33.74 10.9 8 Whampoa SMC 13,028 66.1 6,683 33.9 9 Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC 100,493 64.8 3.9 54,601 35.2 3.9 10 Sembawang GRC 84,252 63.9 12.8 47,605 36.1 12.8
Top 10 best opposition performers
- Constituencies with no comparison to 2006 were either due to them being new constituencies or the constituencies experiencing walkovers in the last election.
- Punggol East SMC is excluded from the table as there were two opposition parties which competed against the incumbent. If the WP's 12,765 votes (41.02 %) and the SDA's 1,386 votes (4.45%) were summed up, the opposition won 14,151 votes (45.47%), which would place it fifth in the table below.
# Constituency Opposition Votes % Swing PAP Votes % Swing 1 Hougang SMC 14,850 64.8 2.1 8,065 35.2 2.1 2 Aljunied GRC 72,289 54.72 10.81 59,829 45.28 10.81 3 Potong Pasir SMC 7,878 49.64 6.18 7,992 50.36 6.18 4 Joo Chiat SMC 9,278 49.0 14.00 9,666 51.0 14.0 5 East Coast GRC 49,429 45.2 9.1 59,992 54.8 9.1 6 Marine Parade GRC 59,926 43.4 78,286 56.6 7 Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC 47,205 43.07 62,385 56.93 8 Tampines GRC 54,381 42.8 11.3 72,728 57.2 11.3 9 Nee Soon GRC 57,523 41.6 80,740 58.4 10 Sengkang West SMC 10,591 41.9 14,689 58.1
Vote Swings
- Only the following constituencies may be compared with 2006 results as they existed in both elections, although most had changes in their electoral boundaries.
# Constituency PAP Votes % Swing Opposition Votes % Swing 1 Joo Chiat SMC 9,666 51.0 14.0 9,278 49.0 14.0 2 Sembawang GRC 84,252 63.9 12.8 47,605 36.1 12.8 3 Tampines GRC 72,728 57.22 11.29 54,381 42.78 11.29 4 Bukit Panjang SMC 20,375 66.27 10.92 10,372 33.73 10.92 5 Aljunied GRC 59,829 45.28 10.81 72,289 54.72 10.81 6 East Coast GRC 59,992 54.83 9.03 49,429 45.17 9.03 7 Potong Pasir SMC 7,992 50.36 6.18 7,878 49.64 6.18 8 Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC 100,493 64.79 3.91 54,601 35.21 3.91 9 Ang Mo Kio GRC 112,677 69.33 3.19 49,851 30.67 3.19 10 Hougang SMC 8,065 35.19 2.07 14,850 64.81 2.07
Interpretive maps
Ruling party's immediate reactions
The People's Action PartyPeople's Action Party
The People's Action Party is the leading political party in Singapore. It has been the city-state's ruling political party since 1959....
's secretary-general, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
Lee Hsien Loong
Lee Hsien Loong is the third and current Prime Minister of Singapore. He is married to Ho Ching, who is the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Temasek Holdings. He is the eldest son of Singapore's first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew....
, described the results as delivering his party a "clear mandate to form the next government". In his post-election press conference, Lee said the polls had "heightened (voters') political consciousness and awareness", and admitted that "many of them desire to see more opposition voices in Parliament to check the PAP government". He described the PAP's loss of Aljunied GRC, which resulted in George Yeo being voted out of Parliament and losing his position as foreign minister, as a "heavy loss to my Cabinet and my team of MPs", but said that the party would "accept and respect the voters' decision". The country's Senior Minister, Goh Chok Tong
Goh Chok Tong
Goh Chok Tong is the Senior Minister of Singapore and the chairman of the central bank of Singapore, the Monetary Authority of Singapore. He also served as the second Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore from 28 November 1990 to 12 August 2004, succeeding Lee Kuan Yew, the former Prime...
, also admitted that "there is a sea change in the political landscape" after his team won Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency
Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency
Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency is a six-member Group Representation Constituency located in the central, eastern and north-eastern areas of Singapore. The constituency consists of a section of Bedok, Chai Chee, Geylang, Kaki Bukit, Kallang, Kembangan, Marine Parade, Mountbatten,...
with just 56.6 percent of the vote.
Opposition parties' immediate reactions
The Workers Party'sWorkers' Party of Singapore
The Workers' Party of Singapore is a centre-left opposition political party in Singapore. The party currently has six elected seats in Parliament, with the party's Secretary-General Low Thia Khiang, Chairman Sylvia Lim, Chen Show Mao, Muhamad Faisal Manap and Pritam Singh serving as Members of...
secretary-general Low Thia Khiang said his team's win in Aljunied meant that voters had "accepted the WP as a rational, responsible and respected party". In his victory speech, Low declared his win as a "political landmark in modern Singapore". He added that it meant the electorate wanted to tell the PAP to be "a more responsive, inclusive, transparent and accountable government”.
In a statement on its website, the Singapore Democratic Party
Singapore Democratic Party
The Singapore Democratic Party is an opposition political party in Singapore.The party was founded in 1980 by Chiam See Tong, who as Secretary-General became the party's first Member of Parliament in 1984 when he was elected as MP for Potong Pasir...
thanked its supporters for their support, saying that it was for them that the party "(continues) to labour on in this undemocratic system with all the odds stacked against us." Its assistant treasurer Vincent Wijeysingha
Vincent Wijeysingha
Dr. Vincent Wijeysingha is a politician and civil activist from Singapore. He is currently the Assistant Treasurer of the opposition Singapore Democratic Party and was a candidate in the 2011 Singaporean general election...
, who stood in Holland-Bukit Timah Group Representation Constituency
Holland-Bukit Timah Group Representation Constituency
Holland-Bukit Timah Group Representation Constituency is a four-member Group Representation Constituency located in the central, western and northern areas of Singapore...
, said that the party's positive vote swing in its contested wards of almost 13 percent from the last elections was an "indicator that things are beginning to move up for our party." In a second statement on its website, the SDP described its results as "disappointing", but promised to "build on the foundation that we have laid" for the next elections. The party's secretary-general Chee Soon Juan
Chee Soon Juan
Chee Soon Juan, PhD is a politician and political activist from Singapore. He is currently the leader of the opposition Singapore Democratic Party ....
, barred from standing in the election, went on to write an opinion piece for the Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, in which he said it "would have been a miracle" had the SDP won any seats, and accused the media in Singapore of suppressing news of the SDP's campaigning.
Other than the PAP and WP, the only other opposition seat pre-election had been held by the Singapore People's Party
Singapore People's Party
The Singapore People's Party is a left of centre opposition political party in Singapore. The party's leader is Chiam See Tong.-Foundation:...
, which lost it in the polls by just 114 votes. Chiam See Tong
Chiam See Tong
Chiam See Tong is a politician and lawyer from Singapore. He is the country's longest-serving opposition Member of Parliament . Between 1984 and 2011, he represented the constituency of Potong Pasir in Singapore's Parliament....
, the SPP's secretary-general, said his party would fight to win back Potong Pasir Single Member Constituency
Potong Pasir Single Member Constituency
Potong Pasir Single Member Constituency is a Single Member Constituency in the central region of Singapore.-Location:The SMC encompasses Potong Pasir, Lorong 8 Toa Payoh and Tannery...
, and said that despite being defeated in Bishan-Toa Payoh Group Representation Constituency
Bishan-Toa Payoh Group Representation Constituency
Bishan-Toa Payoh Group Representation Constituency is a five-member Group Representation Constituency located in the central region of Singapore. The GRC consists the entire areas of Bishan, the majority of Toa Payoh and parts of Thomson...
, he would continue in politics, health permitting. He also questioned the margin of votes in Potong Pasir, contested by his wife, saying there was "funny business" happening. A petition calling for a by-election in the constituency was started by SPP supporters and Potong Pasir residents.
The National Solidarity Party, which contested the most seats of all opposition parties, admitted it may have taken on too much, with its leader Goh Meng Seng
Goh Meng Seng
Goh Meng Seng is a Singaporean politician who was the Secretary General for the 2011 election of the National Solidarity Party in Singapore.-Political career:...
telling reporters that he would be "personally responsible" for the party's failure to win a single seat. Its star candidate, Nicole Seah, said Singaporeans now had to unite as a country. Seah, who contested in Marine Parade, also said there was "so much that needs to be done", and that she would continue her work in the area despite her team's defeat.
The leader of the newest opposition party contesting the elections, the Reform Party
Reform Party (Singapore)
The Reform Party is a political party in Singapore. It was founded in 2008 by the late Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam, and is currently headed by his son Kenneth Jeyaretnam, who succeeded him as party secretary-general after the elder Jeyaretnam died in 2008...
's Kenneth Jeyaretnam
Kenneth Jeyaretnam
Kenneth Andrew Jeyaretnam is the current Secretary-General of the Reform Party in Singapore. He is the eldest son of the late opposition politician J.B. Jeyaretnam.-Family:...
, described his party as having "learnt a lot" and said they had "done very well", as the first new party in over 20 years. He added that the party was "very happy" at its result in West Coast Group Representation Constituency
West Coast Group Representation Constituency
West Coast Group Representation Constituency is a five-member Group Representation Constituency located in the western area of Singapore. The GRC is divided into five divisions and is a constituency held by the People's Action Party. The five divisions are Ayer Rajah, West Coast, Boon Lay,...
, and that its second team had done "creditably" in Ang Mo Kio Group Representation Constituency
Ang Mo Kio Group Representation Constituency
Ang Mo Kio Group Representation Constituency is a six-member Group Representation Constituency in the north eastern region of Singapore...
. Jeyaretnam also said the team being able to win the votes it did despite being a new party meant that its "core values resonate with the voters".
The worst-performing party at the polls was the Singapore Democratic Alliance
Singapore Democratic Alliance
The Singapore Democratic Alliance is an alliance of political parties in Singapore. The SDA was formed shortly before the 2001 general election to provide a common grouping under which different opposition parties could stand as a united front in elections against the ruling People's Action Party...
, whose secretary-general Desmond Lim polled under 5 percent of votes in Punggol East Single Member Constituency
Punggol East Single Member Constituency
Punggol East Single Member Constituency is a Single Member Constituency located in the north-eastern area of Singapore. The ward covers the eastern area of Sengkang. This ward has been carved out during the 2011 General Election and was formerly a ward from the Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC...
—the only three-way contest of the election—and lost a S$16,000 election deposit. He said voters had voted based on brand name, as the other opposition candidate in the ward was from the WP. The SDA also contested Pasir Ris-Punggol Group Representation Constituency
Pasir Ris-Punggol Group Representation Constituency
Pasir Ris-Punggol Group Representation Constituency is a six-member Group Representation Constituency in the north-eastern region of Singapore. The constituency consists of Pasir Ris town, Punggol town, a small northern part of Hougang, and Compassvale, in central Sengkang...
, and Lim said the party was "very happy" at its positive vote swing from 2006 of over 4 percent. However, the SDA's anchorman in the constituency Harminder Pal Singh described the loss as a "time for painful reflection" and said the party would work harder to win more votes.
Foreign reactions
At an ASEAN heads-of-state meeting in JakartaJakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, leaders of ASEAN nations reportedly told S Jayakumar, Singapore's representative at the event, that they were "saddened, disappointed and surprised" at the news that foreign minister Yeo had been defeated, according to the state-run Straits Times, while at the same meeting the Prime Minister of Malaysia
Prime Minister of Malaysia
The Prime Minister of Malaysia is the indirectly elected head of government of Malaysia. He is officially appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the head of state, who in HM's judgment is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the members of that House of Representatives , the...
, Najib Tun Razak
Najib Tun Razak
Dato' Sri Haji Mohd Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak is the sixth, and since 2009, Prime Minister of Malaysia. He previously held the post of Deputy Prime Minister from 7 January 2004 until he succeeded Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as Prime Minister on 3 April 2009. Najib is President of the United...
, said the PAP's win would mean a continuity in understanding between the Malaysian and Singaporean governments on bilateral issues.
Non-Constituency Member of Parliament offers
Three Non-Constituency Members of Parliament (NCMP) seats were offered after the election to the top three losing opposition candidates. The Singapore People's Party accepted the seat for Lina ChiamLina Chiam
Lina Loh Woon Lee is a Singaporean politician from the Singapore People's Party . She is a Non-constituency Member of Parliament of the 12th Parliament of Singapore.-Political career:...
, ensuring that the Chiam family retained representation in Parliament. While Chiam See Tong has said he is opposed to the scheme, the SPP reasoned that it was "critical" to ensure an "alternative voice in Parliament", to allow the party to "remain engaged in national issues", and to be publicly visible until the next election due by 2016. Mrs Chiam also pointed out that she was "influenced by the wishes of Potong Pasir residents" and she accepted the post as her losing margin was too small.
The Workers' Party was offered the final two NCMP seats for having the second and third best performing losing candidates, which it accepted despite Mr Low also disputing the scheme. Yee Jenn Jong
Yee Jenn Jong
Yee Jenn Jong is a Singaporean politician from the Workers' Party of Singapore who is currently a Non-constituency Member of Parliament of the 12th Parliament of Singapore.-Political career:...
was thus appointed for his performance in Joo Chiat SMC, but as it had to choose one member from the East Coast GRC team, the younger Gerald Giam
Gerald Giam
Gerald Giam Yean Song is a Singaporean politician from the Workers' Party who is currently a Non-constituency Member of Parliament of the 12th Parliament of Singapore.-Political career:...
was chosen over team leader and party treasurer Eric Tan as part of its leadership renewal process. Eric Tan resigned from the party, citing his disagreement with the appointment.
On 16 May 2011, the three proposed NCMPs were formally appointed.
Use of social media
The election saw a heavier use of social and online media compared to Singapore general election, 2006Singapore general election, 2006
The 2006 Singapore parliamentary general election was held on 6 May 2006. 1.22 million out of the 2.16 million eligible Singaporeans voted for Members of Parliament and elected their next government. The People's Action Party , in its first election under Lee Hsien Loong, won 66.6% of the overall...
, especially to evade censorship in Singapore
Censorship in Singapore
Censorship in Singapore mainly targets sexual, political, racial and religious issues, as defined by out-of-bounds markers.-Implementation:The Media Development Authority approves publications, issues arts entertainment licences and enforces the Free-to-air TV Programme Code, Cable TV Programme...
. It is widely perceived by the populace that the major state-run newspapers and broadcasters "align[ed] itself with the party's ideals and decisions" and that the electoral system was tilted against the Opposition. It had been difficult to create alternative media until the rise of sites such as The Online Citizen
The Online Citizen
The Online Citizen , a community blog of Singaporeans, has been said to be one of the most important socio-economic blogs in Singapore and at the forefront of political activism in the city-state. It was gazetted as a political association in February 2011...
and such internet tools such as Facebook, Twitter and blogs, which saw increased significance in the 2006 elections but became especially prominent in the 2011 elections.
According to The Economist
The Economist
The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
, the PAP's aggressive modernisation of Singapore created "one of the world's most wired societies," leading to new media that "transformed" the electoral scene in Singapore. Characterising the state-run mainstream press as "docile", the Economist also argued that this also forced significantly more news coverage of the Opposition than in previous elections, since the mainstream media feared their readership deserting them. One blogger from CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
wrote, "Thanks to social media, it doesn’t matter that the country’s largely state-run media leans towards reporting the actions of the PAP, no one’s reading anyway.". The Economist however was more cynical in its analysis of the election: "in Singapore, winning 7% of parliamentary seats is tantamount to an opposition triumph".
The first election in which a GRC was won by the Opposition
Traditionally regarded as a PAP "fortress", a GRC fell to the opposition for the first time in Singapore's political history.In previous elections, the Opposition had never won a GRC, which ostensibly ensure minority representation in parliament but also shut out smaller opposition parties with less resources. GRCs comprise over 86% of the seats, but the Opposition in previous elections would contest "less than half the seats". The election saw the most extensive use of coordination to avoid "three-cornered fights" and was also notable for seeing "two veteran MPs" making immense risks by choosing to contest in GRCs rather than their historical SMC strongholds.
Signals to the ruling party
The election results were widely used in national and international discussions that the populationwas trying to send a message to a ruling party that "can also come across as smug, arrogant and high-handed" despite a win margin of over 20%, which usually counts as a landslide victory for most democratic nations but has been one of the narrowest margins since 1965. The last election with a similarly narrow victory occurred in the Singapore general election, 1963
Singapore general election, 1963
The Singapore legislative assembly general election of 1963 was an election that took place in Singapore on 21 September 1963 following five days after the merger with Malaysia and therefore as an autonomous state of Malaysia...
, when the PAP's major opponent was the Barisan Sosialis
Barisan Sosialis
The Barisan Sosialis is a former Singaporean left-wing political party formed in 1961, by left-wing members of the People's Action Party and led by Dr Lee Siew Choh and Lim Chin Siong.-Formation:...
-- which in itself was a splinter group formed from the leftist wing of the PAP, where it had comprised 80% of the PAP grassroots membership, 35 out of the PAP's 51 branch committees and 19 of its 23 organising secretaries. According to the Economist, Singaporeans would prefer not to have an alternative government but a humbler one, as well as a "stronger opposition".
On 14 May, exactly a week after the election, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong
Goh Chok Tong
Goh Chok Tong is the Senior Minister of Singapore and the chairman of the central bank of Singapore, the Monetary Authority of Singapore. He also served as the second Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore from 28 November 1990 to 12 August 2004, succeeding Lee Kuan Yew, the former Prime...
and Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew, GCMG, CH is a Singaporean statesman. He was the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore, governing for three decades...
announced in a joint statement that they would be quitting the country's Cabinet, saying it was time for a "team of younger ministers" to "engage with this young generation in shaping the future of Singapore." In a similar analysis by Bloomberg, the resignations and the ensuing cabinet reshuffle were the actions of a ruling party "seeking to overhaul its image with voters" whose "narrowest election victory on record signaled a shortfall in support among younger voters". Lee Kuan Yew was also quoted as saying that a younger generation was required to "carry Singapore forward in a more difficult and complex situation" while Lee Hsien Loong declared the party "would change the way it governs" and do some "soul-searching". A Singapore Management University
Singapore Management University
The Singapore Management University was officially incorporated on January 12, 2000, and was Singapore's first private university funded by the government...
professor said "[The PAP] will have to demonstrate that it remains a mass movement, and not [Lee Kuan Yew]’s alter ego," noting that younger Singaporeans do not see Lee Kuan Yew with the same godlike perception as older Singaporeans born before 1980.
Further retirements
Both losing ministers in Aljunied GRC, George YeoGeorge Yeo
George Yeo Yong-Boon is a former politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party , he served in the Cabinet from 1991 to 2011 as the Minister for Information and the Arts , Minister for Health , Minister for Trade and Industry and Minister for Foreign Affairs...
and Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Lim Hwee Hua
Lim Hwee Hua
Lim Hwee Hua was a Singaporean politician, who was formerly the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and appointed concurrently as Second Minister for Finance and Second Minister for Transport.-Early career:...
, announced their retirements from politics in separate news conferences given in the days after the election. George Yeo, who remained popular online and continued to have "a flood of support" after the election and had been repeatedly urged to contest the next election, or even contest the Singaporean presidential election, 2011
Singaporean presidential election, 2011
The Singapore presidential election of 2011 was the fourth Singapore Presidential Election, held on 27 August 2011. Nomination day for eligible candidates was held on 17 August 2011. Mr. S.R. Nathan, the previous President of Singapore, stepped down on 31 August 2011 when his term drew to a close...
turned his supporters down, declaring, "I'm a free spirit, and I don't think I'm temperamentally suited for such a job."
See also
- Elections in SingaporeElections in SingaporeThere are currently two types of elections in Singapore: parliamentary and presidential elections.While the Constitution of Singapore does not specify exactly when elections need to be held, Parliamentary or General Elections are generally 5 years apart, while Presidential elections are generally...
- Constituencies of SingaporeConstituencies of SingaporeConstituencies in Singapore are electoral divisions which may be represented by single or multiple seats in the Parliament of Singapore. Constituencies are classified as either single member or group representation constituencies...
- List of Singaporean electoral divisions
- List of political parties in Singapore
External links
- Official elections webpage – Elections Department Singapore
- News about the General Election by MediaCorp
Other official information
- Parliamentary Elections Act Singapore Statutes Online, Chapter 218