Singapore general election, 1997
Encyclopedia
The 1997 Singapore parliamentary election was an election
in Singapore
which was held on 2 January 1997. 765,332 out of the eligible 1.8 million voters voted and selected their next government. The election results was released in the late evening that day and the ruling People's Action Party
won a total of 81 out of 83 seats as well as a tenth consecutive term in office under the then Prime Minister
Goh Chok Tong
. Other major political parties contesting in the election were the Workers' Party
, Singapore Democratic Party
, National Solidarity Party
, Singapore People's Party
and the Democratic Progressive Party
.
After nomination day on 23 December 1996, the People's Action Party returned to power with a total of 47 out of the total 83 seats and could form a government on nomination day. On polling day, voters voted for the election for their Members of Parliament with all but two seats going to the PAP. In this election, Group Representation Constituencies
were increased from four members to four to six members. Housing issues were one of the issues raised during the election.
to score a better mandate after PAP's considerably poorer showing in the 1991 election. Two seats in PAP-held Eunos and Toa Payoh GRCs were vacated after the death of MP, Dr Tay Eng Soon
and inauguration of former Deputy PM Ong Teng Cheong
as Singapore's fifth and first elected President in 1993 respectively. The former GRC, which twice saw narrow wins against WP, was dispersed into neighbouring constituencies.
Meanwhile, the main opposition, the Singapore Democratic Party
(SDP) was facing serious internal strife.
SDP Member of Parliament and former leader Chiam See Tong
sued his party's central executive committee, including its new leader Dr Chee Soon Juan
and one of its MPs, chairman Ling How Doong
, for defamation, and won. Prior to nomination day, Chiam resigned from SDP and crossed over to its splinter party, Singapore People's Party. Two opposition candidates who came under heaviest fire from PAP were Dr Chee and Tang Liang Hong
, who was standing on the WP ticket with its secretary-general J. B. Jeyaretnam. Tang was accused by PAP of being an anti-Christian Chinese chavunist. Group Representation Constituencies (GRC) went up from four to between four and six seats each. A National Solidarity Party team was disqualified from Tampines GRC after one candidate was found to have his name struck off the electoral rolls for not voting in 1991. For the first time, a Nominated MP - listed company director Chia Shi Teck - ran in an election.
's defection, SDP had no representation in Parliament since 1984. Low Thia Khiang, now WP assistant secretary-general, and Jeyaretnam as a Non-Constituency MP, returned to the legislature, the latter's last presence was previously in 1986.
candidate for Cheng San Group Representation Constituency
, Tang Liang Hong
was sued
for defamation by several of the PAP's leaders, including Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong
, Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew
and Deputy Prime Ministers Lee Hsien Loong
and Tony Tan, who accused him of making statements during the campaign which falsely questioned their integrity. A total of 13 judgements were entered against Tang for defamation.
Tang left Singapore shortly after the election and eventually found refuge in Australia.
Official websites of political parties
Election
An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the...
in Singapore
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...
which was held on 2 January 1997. 765,332 out of the eligible 1.8 million voters voted and selected their next government. The election results was released in the late evening that day and the ruling People's Action Party
People'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....
won a total of 81 out of 83 seats as well as a tenth consecutive term in office under the then 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...
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...
. Other major political parties contesting in the election were the Workers' Party
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...
, 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...
, National Solidarity Party
National Solidarity Party (Singapore)
The National Solidarity Party is an opposition political party in Singapore. The party was formed in 1987, and joined the Singapore Democratic Alliance political grouping in 2001, before withdrawing from the alliance in 2007. To date, no member of the party has won an election to claim a...
, 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:...
and the Democratic Progressive Party
Democratic Progressive Party (Singapore)
The Democratic Progressive Party is a political party in Singapore.-Overview:The history of the party dates back to 16 March 1973 when it was first setup by a splinter group from the Workers' Party and named the United Front. It was renamed the Singapore United Front on 5 March 1982, and in 1988,...
.
After nomination day on 23 December 1996, the People's Action Party returned to power with a total of 47 out of the total 83 seats and could form a government on nomination day. On polling day, voters voted for the election for their Members of Parliament with all but two seats going to the PAP. In this election, Group Representation Constituencies
Constituencies 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...
were increased from four members to four to six members. Housing issues were one of the issues raised during the election.
Background
This was another opportunity for Prime Minister Goh Chok TongGoh 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...
to score a better mandate after PAP's considerably poorer showing in the 1991 election. Two seats in PAP-held Eunos and Toa Payoh GRCs were vacated after the death of MP, Dr Tay Eng Soon
Tay Eng Soon
Dr. Tay Eng Soon was a Singaporean politician. A member of the People's Action Party, he was Senior Minister of State from 1988 until his death in office....
and inauguration of former Deputy PM Ong Teng Cheong
Ong Teng Cheong
Ong Teng Cheong was the first directly elected President of the Republic of Singapore. He was the nation's fifth President, and served a six-year term from 1 September 1993 to 31 August 1999.-Early life:...
as Singapore's fifth and first elected President in 1993 respectively. The former GRC, which twice saw narrow wins against WP, was dispersed into neighbouring constituencies.
Meanwhile, the main opposition, 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) was facing serious internal strife.
SDP Member of Parliament and former leader 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....
sued his party's central executive committee, including its new leader Dr 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 ....
and one of its MPs, chairman Ling How Doong
Ling How Doong
Ling How Doong is a politician and lawyer from Singapore. A member of the opposition Singapore Democratic Party , he served as the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Bukit Gombak from 1991 to 1997.-Political career:...
, for defamation, and won. Prior to nomination day, Chiam resigned from SDP and crossed over to its splinter party, Singapore People's Party. Two opposition candidates who came under heaviest fire from PAP were Dr Chee and Tang Liang Hong
Tang Liang Hong
Tang Liang Hong is a politician and lawyer from Singapore.Tang stood as a candidate for the opposition Workers' Party in the Cheng San Group Representation Constituency at the 1997 general election...
, who was standing on the WP ticket with its secretary-general J. B. Jeyaretnam. Tang was accused by PAP of being an anti-Christian Chinese chavunist. Group Representation Constituencies (GRC) went up from four to between four and six seats each. A National Solidarity Party team was disqualified from Tampines GRC after one candidate was found to have his name struck off the electoral rolls for not voting in 1991. For the first time, a Nominated MP - listed company director Chia Shi Teck - ran in an election.
Electoral boundaries
- Mergers
- Braddell Heights SMC merged into Marine Parade GRC
- Brickworks GRC merged into Tanjong Pagar GRC and West Coast GRC
- Bukit Batok SMC merged into Bukit Timah GRC
- Bukit Merah SMC merged into Tanjong Pagar GRC
- Bukit Timah SMC merged into Bukit Timah GRC
- Buona Vista SMC merged into Tanjong Pagar GRC
- Changi SMC merged into East Coast GRC
- Eunos GRC merged into Aljunied GRC, Marine Parade GRC and East Coast GRC
- Jurong SMC merged into Bukit Timah GRC
- Leng Kee SMC merged into Tanjong Pagar GRC
- Mountbatten SMC merged into Marine Parade GRC
- Nee Soon South SMC merged into Ang Mo Kio GRC
- Ulu Pandan SMC merged into Bukit Timah GRC
- Yuhua SMC merged into Bukit Timah GRC
- New GRCs
- Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, created by merging Thomson GRC and Toa Payoh GRC
- Bukit Timah GRC, created by merging Bukit Batok SMC, Bukit Timah SMC, Jurong SMC, Ulu Pandan SMC and Yuhua SMC.
- East Coast GRC, created by merging a section of Eunos GRC and Bedok GRC
- Kreta Ayer-Tanglin GRC, created by merging Kreta Ayer SMC, Tanglin SMC and part of Kampong Glam GRC
- Pasir Ris GRC, created by splitting Pasir RisPasir RisPasir Ris is primarily a residential area in Singapore comprising many high-rise residential dwelling blocks, mostly public housing built by the Housing and Development Board in Pasir Ris New Town. The town is located in the eastern part of Singapore....
division of Eunos GRC - West Coast GRC, created by splitting Telok BlangahTelok BlangahTelok Blangah is a district in Singapore to the south-west of the Central Business District in the southern part of the island. It is part of the Bukit Merah Planning Area, an urban planning zone under the Urban Redevelopment Authority.-Etymology:...
division of Tanjong Pagar GRC and part of Brickworks GRC
- New SMCs
- Kampong Glam SMCKampong Glam Single Member ConstituencyKampong Glam Single Member Constituency is a former single member constituency in Kampong Glam, Singapore that existed from 1959 to 1991 where it was absorbed and formed into Kampong Glam GRC, only to be disbanded and release this ward into SMC in 1997 til 2001, before it was absorbed into the...
which was created after Kampong Glam GRC was removed from the electoral boundary map. - MacPherson SMC, carved out from Marine Parade GRC
- Kampong Glam SMC
- Changes in electoral seats within GRCs
- Aljunied GRC, Ang Mo Kio GRC, Cheng San GRC, Hong Kah GRC were increased from four -member GRCs to five-member GRCs.
- Marine Parade GRC, Sembawang GRC and Tanjong Pagar GRC were increased from four-member GRCs to six-member GRCs.
Election results
With the Housing Development Board (public housing) upgrading scheme dangled as a pricy stake for voters, PAP reversed its electoral decline for the first time in four elections and since 1963, won back an opposition ward, recapturing the two SDP seats out of the four it had lost the last round. The PAP's share of the vote rose by 4 percentage points nationally. With Chiam See TongChiam 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 defection, SDP had no representation in Parliament since 1984. Low Thia Khiang, now WP assistant secretary-general, and Jeyaretnam as a Non-Constituency MP, returned to the legislature, the latter's last presence was previously in 1986.
Election aftermath
In June 1997, when Nominated MPs were re-appointed, the number was increased from six to nine.Tang Liang Hong's self-imposed exile
After the election, Worker's PartyWorkers' 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...
candidate for Cheng San Group Representation Constituency
Cheng San Group Representation Constituency
Cheng San Group Representation Constituency is a now defunct Group Representation Constituency in the north-eastern region in Singapore...
, Tang Liang Hong
Tang Liang Hong
Tang Liang Hong is a politician and lawyer from Singapore.Tang stood as a candidate for the opposition Workers' Party in the Cheng San Group Representation Constituency at the 1997 general election...
was sued
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
for defamation by several of the PAP's leaders, including Prime 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...
, Senior Minister 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...
and Deputy Prime Ministers 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....
and Tony Tan, who accused him of making statements during the campaign which falsely questioned their integrity. A total of 13 judgements were entered against Tang for defamation.
Tang left Singapore shortly after the election and eventually found refuge in Australia.
External links
- Official elections webpage - Elections Department Singapore
- Singapore-elections - a comprehensive archive of elections results, as well as past ones
Official websites of political parties
- National Solidarity Party
- People's Action Party, Manifesto (PDF)
- Singapore Malay National Organisation, (Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Melayu Singapura)
- Singapore Democratic Party, Manifesto
- Singapore People's Party, Manifesto
- Workers' Party of Singapore, Manifesto 2006