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1984 Singaporean general election

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General elections were held in Singapore on 22 December 1984. President Devan Nair dissolved parliament on 4 December 1984 on the advice of Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. The result was a victory for the People's Action Party, which won 77 of the 79 seats, marking the first time since 1963 that at least one opposition candidate was elected to parliament in a general election, although the first presence of an opposition MP was in the 1981 Anson by-election.

1984 Singaporean general election
← 1980 22 December 1984 1988 →
All 79 directly elected seats in Parliament (and up to 3 NCMPs)
Registered944,624
Turnout95.65% (Increase 0.15pp)
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Lee Kuan Yew J. B. Jeyaretnam Chiam See Tong
Party PAP WP SDP
Last election 77.66%, 75 seats 6.22%, 0 seats 1.77%, 0 seats
Seats won 77 1 1
Seat change Increase2 Increase1 Increase1
Popular vote 568,310 110,868 32,102
Percentage 64.83% 12.65% 3.66%
Swing Decrease 12.83pp Increase 6.43pp Increase 1.89pp
Prime Minister before election

Lee Kuan Yew
PAP

Prime Minister after election

Lee Kuan Yew
PAP

Background

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In his 1983 National Day Rally speech, Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew lamented that declining birth rates and large number of graduate women remaining single or not marrying their intellectual equal could see Singapore's talent pool shrink. The PAP government then proceeded to launch the "Graduate Mothers' Scheme" to entice graduate women with incentives to get married and grant graduate mothers priority in the best schools for their third child.[1] The proposal was met with anger by the Singapore public (including many female graduates) and the PAP government drew accusations of elitism, and even eugenics. Notably, prominent PAP stalwarts like Deputy Prime Minister S. Rajaratnam and also ex-minister Toh Chin Chye expressed opposition to the proposal.[2][3]

In March 1984 Health Minister Howe Yoon Chong released a controversial proposal to raise the age for the withdrawal of Central Provident Fund (CPF) savings from 55 to 60 years. At a news conference on 26 March 1984, Howe reasoned that Singaporeans could not depend only on their children in their old age. That suggestion, part of the 54-page report of the Committee on the Problems of the Aged[4] which he chaired, was eventually dropped. Taking up the suggestions in the report, the Singapore Government subsequently introduced the Minimum Sum scheme. This allows workers to withdraw some of their CPF funds at age 55, setting aside a certain minimum sum which can only be withdrawn at retirement age, currently at 62 years.[5][6]

These controversial proposals sparked debate and uproar in the Singapore electorate and were said to have contributed to a big dip in PAP's support and its share of votes plunged by 12.9% to below 64.8%, the biggest fall and the lowest for PAP since the 1963 general elections (this remains the largest anti-PAP swing ever in a seriously contested general election as of 2020). In his memoirs, Lee Kuan Yew recalled that the swing against the PAP was larger than what he expected.

New candidates/outgoing incumbents

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Minister of Finance Hon Sui Sen died during his term on 14 October 1983 and his seat of Havelock was vacated, but no by-election was held on the constituency, and announced to be merged into Delta constituency. Tony Tan succeeded Hon as the new Finance Minister.

PM Lee's son Lee Hsien Loong (who went on to become the nation's third Prime Minister) made his debut in the newly formed Teck Ghee constituency, while PAP stalwarts Dr Goh Keng Swee and Ong Pang Boon stepped down. In the only election among several preceding and succeeding ones, the election deposit of $1,500 remained unchanged. The Workers' Party secretary-general J. B. Jeyaretnam successfully retained the Anson constituency with an increased majority, while the Singapore Democratic Party made its first in-road into Parliament with the victory of Chiam See Tong, who would serve the Potong Pasir Single Member Constituency for the next 26 years until 2011.

Non-Constituency Member of Parliament scheme

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A new Non-Constituency Member of Parliament scheme was introduced whereby between three and six seats, the exact number which was decided by the President of Singapore, would be offered to unsuccessful opposition candidates with the best scores and who garner at least 15% of the votes if any one party wins all the seats, subtracting one NCMP seat for every one opposition MP elected. Opposition parties dismissed the scheme for misleading voters into thinking that they could have opposition MPs without voting for them. M.P.D. Nair of WP who contested Jalan Kayu was the first to be offered but declined. The offer was then made to Singapore United Front's Tan Chee Kien who contested Kaki Bukit, who also declined, and no further offers were made.

With the creation of the scheme, this also began a continuing trend in which three political parties were represented in Parliament with the exception of 1986–1988 (due to the disqualification of sole Workers' Party MP J. B. Jeyaretnam in 1986) and 2015–2020 (when the Workers' Party was the sole opposition party with MPs).

Timeline

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Date Event
4 December Dissolution of the 5th Parliament
12 December Nomination Day
22 December Polling day
25 February 1985 Opening of 6th Parliament

Electoral boundaries

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See also: List of Singaporean electoral divisions (1984–88)

The newer constituencies are those with rapid developments of Ang Mo Kio, Tampines, Jurong East, Bedok & Jurong West (smaller developments), while other constituencies were dissolved, which was reflected in the table:

Constituency Changes
New Constituencies
Bo Wen Formed from Ang Mo Kio, Kebun Baru & Yio Chu Kang
Changkat Formed from Tampines & Kaki Bukit
Eunos Formed from Kaki Bukit & Tampines
Fengshan Formed from Bedok, Kampong Chai Chee & Tanah Merah
Hong Kah Formed from Boon Lay
Teck Ghee Formed from Ang Mo Kio & Chong Boon
Yuhua Formed from Boon Lay & Bukit Timah
Defunct Constituencies
Bukit Ho Swee Absorbed to Tiong Bahru and Kim Seng
Havelock Absorbed to Delta
Katong Absorbed to Joo Chiat and Mountbatten

New/Outgoing MP

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Outgoing MPs New MPs
Retiring

Deceased

^Note : A caret indicates that the constituency was removed and absorbed to other wards.

Results

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Chua Chu Kang SMC United People's Front candidate Teo Kim Hoe who garnered only 196 votes, or 0.81% of the valid votes cast, set a worst-scoring result for any candidates in the history of the election until the 2013 by-election where Desmond Lim surpassed the record with 168 votes or 0.53% of the valid votes;[7] not counting by-elections, the record has also be broken by independent candidate Samir Salim Neji in the 2015 general election, with 150 votes or 0.60% of the valid votes.

Excluding the 30 uncontested constituencies, the voter turnout was 95.6%, with 63.2% of the total electorate casting their votes.[8]

 
PartyVotes%+/–Seats+/–
People's Action Party568,31064.83–12.8377+2
Workers' Party110,86812.65+6.431+1
Singapore United Front87,2379.95+1.8900
Singapore Democratic Party32,1023.66+5.631+1
United People's Front27,2173.10–1.3900
Barisan Sosialis24,2122.76+0.1700
Singapore Justice Party10,9061.24+0.4100
Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Melayu Singapura4,7680.54–1.5700
Angkatan Islam3590.04New0New
Independents10,5861.21New0New
Total876,565100.00–79+4
Valid votes876,56597.08
Invalid/blank votes26,3942.92
Total votes902,959100.00
Registered voters/turnout1,495,38995.59
Source: Singapore Elections[usurped][a]

By constituency

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Constituency Electorate Party Candidate Votes %
Alexandra 19,670 People's Action Party Tan Soo Khoon 12,172 66.79
Workers' Party John Cruz Corera 6,053 33.21
Aljunied 19,045 People's Action Party Chin Harn Tong Uncontested
Ang Mo Kio 14,633 People's Action Party Yeo Toon Chia 9,909 72.75
United People's Front Ang Bee Lian 3,711 27.25
Anson 18,493 Workers' Party J. B. Jeyaratnam 9,909 56.81
People's Action Party Ng Pock Too 7,533 43.19
Ayer Rajah 20,017 People's Action Party Tan Cheng Bock 14,050 75.44
Singapore Justice Party Suib bin Abdul Rahman 4,575 24.56
Bedok 17,074 People's Action Party S. Jayakumar 10,972 68.95
Singapore United Front Lee Chin Teck 4,941 31.05
Bo Wen 14,777 People's Action Party Sushilan Vasoo 10,299 74.70
United People's Front Shaikh Ahmad bin Shaikh Salim 3,488 25.30
Boon Lay 18,964 People's Action Party Goh Chee Wee 12,490 69.65
Singapore United Front Reveendran Sasi 5,443 30.35
Boon Teck 19,490 People's Action Party Ho Tat Kin 10,224 56.16
Barisan Sosialis Lee Siew Choh 7,982 43.84
Braddell Heights 14,152 People's Action Party Goh Choon Kang Uncontested
Brickworks 13,571 People's Action Party Ahmad Mattar 8,389 66.27
Workers' Party Mohd Taib bin Saffar 4,270 33.73
Bukit Batok 20,812 People's Action Party Chai Chong Yii 14,767 78.27
United People's Front Tan Jue Kit 4,099 21.73
Bukit Merah 19,210 People's Action Party Lim Chee Onn Uncontested
Bukit Panjang 23,173 People's Action Party Lee Yiok Seng Uncontested
Bukit Timah 17,238 People's Action Party Wang Kai Yuen Uncontested
Buona Vista 18,041 People's Action Party Ang Kok Peng Uncontested
Cairnhill 15,862 People's Action Party Wong Kwei Cheong Uncontested
Changi 20,129 People's Action Party Teo Chong Tee 12,195 65.75
Singapore United Front Sim Peng Kim 6,353 34.25
Changkat 18,742 People's Action Party Aline Wong 10,310 58.56
Singapore Democratic Party Soon Kia Seng 7,297 41.44
Cheng San 17,328 People's Action Party Lee Yock Suan Uncontested
Chong Boon 20,650 People's Action Party Rajagopal Sitaram Chandra Das 11,058 56.02
Singapore Democratic Party Ling How Dung 8,681 43.98
Chua Chu Kang 25,532 People's Action Party Tang See Chim 13,254 54.84
Workers' Party Chan Keng Sieng 10,720 44.35
United People's Front Teo Kim Hoe 196 0.81
Clementi 20,890 People's Action Party Bernard Chen Tien Lap Uncontested
Delta 14,800 People's Action Party Yeo Choo Kok 7,987 58.72
Workers' Party Peter Chua Chwee Huat 5,614 41.28
Eunos 17,615 People's Action Party Zulkifli bin Mohammed 10,494 64.81
Singapore United Front Chong Tung Shang 5,697 35.19
Fengshan 18,407 People's Action Party Arthur Beng Kian Lam 11,216 65.13
Singapore United Front Chng Chin Siah 6,005 34.87
Geylang Serai 24,109 People's Action Party Othman bin Haron Eusofe 14,564 65.57
Singapore United Front Mohamed Mansor bin Abdul Rahman 7,649 34.43
Geylang West 22,325 People's Action Party Teh Cheang Wan 13,798 66.83
Singapore United Front Lim Tiong Hock 2,994 34.43
Henderson 17,630 People's Action Party Lai Tha Chai 9,695 58.80
Workers' Party Chon Koon Cheong 6,793 41.20
Hong Kah 22,062 People's Action Party Yeo Cheow Tong Uncontested
Jalan Besar 16,115 People's Action Party Lee Boon Yang 9,236 64.43
Workers' Party Anathan Balakrishnan 5,100 35.57
Jalan Kayu 25,011 People's Action Party Heng Chiang Meng 11,985 51.22
Workers' Party Madai Puthan Damodaran Nair[b] 11,414 48.78
Joo Chiat 18,957 People's Action Party Yeoh Ghim Seng Uncontested
Jurong 24,517 People's Action Party Ho Kah Leong Uncontested
Kaki Bukit 20,683 People's Action Party Chew Heng Ching 10,229 52.28
Singapore United Front Tan Chee Kien[c] 9,336 47.72
Kallang 18,809 People's Action Party S. Dhanabalan 11,256 64.95
Workers' Party A. L. Sundram 6,075 35.05
Kampong Chai Chee 22,537 People's Action Party Andrew Fong Sip Chee 12,125 57.16
Singapore United Front Seow Khee Leng 9,087 42.84
Kampong Glam 18,127 People's Action Party S. Rajaratnam Uncontested
Kampong Kembangan 20,295 People's Action Party Yatiman bin Yusof 10,326 55.71
Workers' Party Jufrie Mahmood 3,023 44.29
Kampong Ubi 14,323 People's Action Party Wan Hussin bin Zoohri 8,378 63.73
Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Melayu Singapura Abdul Rahman bin Mohamed Zin 4,768 36.27
Kebun Baru 17,542 People's Action Party Lim Boon Heng 12,311 75.84
United People's Front Harbans Singh 3,921 24.16
Khe Bong 15,773 People's Action Party Tang Guan Seng 9,221 62.53
Barisan Sosialis Sim Say Chuan 5,525 37.47
Kim Keat 20,439 People's Action Party Ong Teng Cheong Uncontested
Kim Seng 22,136 People's Action Party Yeo Ning Hong Uncontested
Kolam Ayer 23,630 People's Action Party Sidek bin Saniff 12,812 57.91
Workers' Party Royston George Scharenguivel 9,311 42.09
Kreta Ayer 15,982 People's Action Party Hu Tsu Tau Richard 11,083 83.17
Independent Lee Mun Hung 2,242 16.83
Kuo Chuan 18,728 People's Action Party Wong Kan Seng 11,162 64.55
Barisan Sosialis Sim Chit Giak 6,129 35.45
Leng Kee 14,805 People's Action Party Ow Chin Hock 9,190 66.84
Workers' Party George Benjamin Armstrong 4,559 33.16
MacPherson 19,500 People's Action Party Chua Sian Chin Uncontested
Marine Parade 23,622 People's Action Party Goh Chok Tong 15,228 70.93
Singapore United Front Gertrude Magdeline De Gracias 6,242 29.07
Moulmein 18,893 People's Action Party Sia Khoon Seong Uncontested
Mountbatten 21,480 People's Action Party Eugene Yap Giau Cheng 16,077 81.32
Independent Tan Ah Teng 3,692 18.68
Nee Soon 26,897 People's Action Party Koh Lip Lin 18,444 74.24
Singapore United Front Quek Teow Chuan 6,401 25.76
Pasir Panjang 17,149 People's Action Party Abbas Abu Amin 9,316 59.35
Workers' Party John Gan Eng Guan 6,022 38.36
Angkatan Islam Singapura Mohamad Sani bin Jan 359 2.29
Paya Lebar 18,420 People's Action Party Philip Tan Tee Yong Uncontested
Potong Pasir 17,915 Singapore Democratic Party Chiam See Tong 10,128 60.28
People's Action Party Mah Bow Tan 5,509 39.72
Punggol 24,727 People's Action Party Ng Kah Ting 14,904 65.09
Singapore United Front Sim Ah Leng 7,995 34.91
Queenstown 18,084 People's Action Party Jek Yeun Thong Uncontested
Radin Mas 19,770 People's Action Party Chng Hee Kok 9,997 53.78
Workers' Party Wong Hong Toy 8,590 46.22
River Valley 13,481 People's Action Party Tay Eng Soon Uncontested
Rochore 14,164 People's Action Party Toh Chin Chye Uncontested
Sembawang 22,326 People's Action Party Tony Tan 15,948 77.42
Independent Stanley Mariadass 4,652 22.58
Serangoon Gardens 17,553 People's Action Party Lau Teik Soon Uncontested
Siglap 17,090 People's Action Party Abdullah Tarmugi Uncontested
Tampines 19,656 People's Action Party Phua Bah Lee 13,163 72.34
United People's Front Kasim bin Ibrahim 5,032 27.66
Tanah Merah 17,808 People's Action Party Ibrahim bin Othman 11,093 68.08
Singapore United Front Ng Lep Chong 5,201 31.92
Tanglin 15,990 People's Action Party Edmund W. Barker Uncontested
Tanjong Pagar 15,812 People's Action Party Lee Kuan Yew Uncontested
Teck Ghee 16,866 People's Action Party Lee Hsien Loong 12,794 80.38
United People's Front Giam Lai Cheng 3,123 19.62
Telok Ayer 13,984 People's Action Party Ong Pang Boon Uncontested
Telok Blangah 19,550 People's Action Party Koh Lam Son 10,150 55.02
Workers' Party Rajaratnam Murugason 8,299 44.98
Thomson 15,271 People's Action Party Leong Horn Kee Uncontested
Tiong Bahru 20,091 People's Action Party Ch'ng Jit Koon Uncontested
Toa Payoh 14,177 People's Action Party Eric Cheong Yuen Chee 8,559 65.16
Barisan Sosialis Ng Ho 4,576 34.84
Ulu Pandan 22,761 People's Action Party Dixie Tan Uncontested
West Coast 28,008 People's Action Party Wan Soon Bee 19,745 75.72
Singapore Justice Party Muthusamy Ramasamy 6,331 24.28
Whampoa 18,494 People's Action Party Augustine Tan Hui Heng Uncontested
Yio Chu Kang 16,734 People's Action Party Lau Ping Sum 11,977 76.66
United People's Front Munjeet Singh 3,647 23.34
Yuhua 16,266 People's Action Party Yu-Foo Yee Shoon 9,551 61.43
Singapore Democratic Party Lim Ah Yong 5,996 38.57
Source: ELD

Notes

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  1. ^ 550,765 of the 1,495,389 registered voters were in uncontested constitutencies
  2. ^ Elected NCMP on 24 December 1984 but rejected to take the seat on 4 January 1985. Seat declared vacant on 4 March 1985.
  3. ^ Offered NCMP seat on 8 March 1985 but rejected on 28 March 1985. Declared resigned.

References

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  1. ^ "Policies for the bedroom and beyond". Today. 23 March 2015. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  2. ^ "Policies for the bedroom and beyond". Today. 23 March 2015. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  3. ^ "Reproductive Rights". AWARE. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  4. ^ Committee on the Problems of the Aged (1984). Problems of the Aged : Report of the Committee on the Problems of the Aged. Singapore: Ministry of Health. ISBN 9971-88-022-9.
  5. ^ "Former Cabinet Minister Howe Yoon Chong dies at age 84". Channel NewsAsia. 21 August 2007. Archived from the original on 23 August 2007. Retrieved 21 August 2007.
  6. ^ "Late Howe Yoon Chong cared deeply for country's development: PM Lee". Channel NewsAsia. 22 August 2007. Retrieved 23 August 2007.
  7. ^ Toh, Yong Chuan; Lim, Joyce (January 27, 2013). "SDA scores worst result in post-independence history". AsiaOne. Retrieved March 23, 2013.
  8. ^ Dieter Nohlen; Florian Grotz; Christof Hartmann (15 November 2001). Elections in Asia and the Pacific : A Data Handbook: Volume II: South East Asia, East Asia, and the South Pacific. OUP Oxford. p. 255. ISBN 978-0-19-924959-6.
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