General elections were held in Singapore on 22 December 1984. 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, although the first presence of opposition was in 1981.
Background[]
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 Mother 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. 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allows workers to withdraw some of their CPF funds at age 55, setting aside a certain minimum sum which can only be withdrawn at retirement age, currently at 62 years.[5][6]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 Election (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[]
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 (and current) Prime Minister) made his debut in the seat of Teck Ghee, 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 ($1,500) remained unchanged. The Workers' Party of Singapore (WP) 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; this also began a continuing trend whereas three political parties were represented in Parliament (regardless of status as a NCMP or an elected MP) with the exception of 1986-88 (due to the disqualification of sole-WP candidate J. B. Jeyaretnam in 1986), and 2015-20 (all the nine minimum opposition seats were awarded to a single party of WP, with three being NCMPs).
Non-Constituency Member of Parliament scheme[]
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.
Timeline[]
| 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[]
Template:See also 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[]
| Outgoing MPs | New MPs |
|---|---|
Retiring
Deceased
|
|
Template:Note: A caret indicates that the constituency was removed and absorbed to other wards.
Results[]
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]
| Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| bgcolor=Template:People's Action Party/meta/color| | People's Action Party | 568,310 | 64.8 | 77 | +2 | |
| bgcolor=Template:Workers' Party of Singapore/meta/color| | Workers' Party | 110,868 | 12.6 | 1 | +1 | |
| bgcolor=Template:Democratic Progressive Party (Singapore)/meta/color| | Singapore United Front | 87,237 | 10.0 | 0 | 0 | |
| bgcolor=Template:Singapore Democratic Party/meta/color| | Singapore Democratic Party | 32,102 | 3.7 | 1 | +1 | |
| United People's Front | 27,217 | 3.1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| bgcolor=Template:Barisan Sosialis/meta/color| | Barisan Sosialis | 24,212 | 2.8 | 0 | 0 | |
| bgcolor=Template:Singapore Justice Party/meta/color| | Singapore Justice Party | 10,906 | 1.2 | 0 | 0 | |
| bgcolor=Template:Singapore Malay National Organisation/meta/color| | Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Melayu Singapura | 4,768 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | |
| bgcolor=Template:Pan-Malayan Islamic Party/meta/color| | Angkatan Islam | 359 | 0.0 | 0 | New | |
| bgcolor=Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color| | Independents | 10,586 | 1.2 | 0 | New | |
| Invalid/blank votes | 26,394 | – | – | – | ||
| Total | 909,980 | 100 | 79 | +4 | ||
| Registered voters/turnoutTemplate:Efn | 1,495,389 | 95.6 | – | – | ||
| Source: Singapore Elections | ||||||
By constituency[]
| Constituency | Electorate | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexandra | 19,670 | Template:SG/PAP | Tan Soo Khoon | 12,172 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/WP | John Cruz Corera | 6,053 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Aljunied | 19,045 | Template:SG/PAP | Chin Harn Tong | Uncontested walkover | |
| Ang Mo Kio | 14,633 | Template:SG/PAP | Yeo Toon Chia | 9,909 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/UPF | Ang Bee Lian | 3,711 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Anson | 18,493 | Template:SG/WP | Joshua Benjamin Jeyaratnam | 9,909 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/PAP | Ng Pock Too | 7,533 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Ayer Rajah | 20,017 | Template:SG/PAP | Tan Cheng Bock | 14,050 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/SJP | Suib bin Abdul Rahman | 4,575 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Bedok | 17,074 | Template:SG/PAP | Shunmugam Jayakumar | 10,972 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/SUF | Lee Chin Teck | 4,941 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Bo Wen | 14,777 | Template:SG/PAP | Sushilan Vasoo | 10,299 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/UPF | Shaikh Ahmad bin Shaikh Salim | 3,488 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Boon Lay | 18,964 | Template:SG/PAP | Goh Chee Wee | 12,490 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/SUF | Reveendran Sasi | 5,443 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Boon Teck | 19,490 | Template:SG/PAP | Ho Tat Kin | 10,224 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/BS | Lee Siew Choh | 7,982 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Braddell Heights | 14,152 | Template:SG/PAP | Goh Choon Kang | Uncontested walkover | |
| Brickworks | 13,571 | Template:SG/PAP | Ahmad bin Mohamed Mattar | 8,389 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/WP | Mohd Taib bin Saffar | 4,270 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Bukit Batok | 20,812 | Template:SG/PAP | Chai Chong Yii | 14,767 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/UPF | Tan Jue Kit | 4,099 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Bukit Merah | 19,210 | Template:SG/PAP | Lim Chee Onn | Uncontested walkover | |
| Bukit Panjang | 23,173 | Template:SG/PAP | Lee Yiok Seng | Uncontested walkover | |
| Bukit Timah | 17,238 | Template:SG/PAP | Wang Kai Yuen | Uncontested walkover | |
| Buona Vista | 18,041 | Template:SG/PAP | Ang Kok Peng | Uncontested walkover | |
| Cairnhill | 15,862 | Template:SG/PAP | Wong Kwei Cheong | Uncontested walkover | |
| Changi | 20,129 | Template:SG/PAP | Teo Chong Tee | 12,195 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/SUF | Sim Peng Kim | 6,353 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Changkat | 18,742 | Template:SG/PAP | Aline Wong-Kan Lai Chung | 10,310 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/SDP | Soon Kia Seng | 7,297 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Cheng San | 17,328 | Template:SG/PAP | Lee Yock Suan | Uncontested walkover | |
| Chong Boon | 20,650 | Template:SG/PAP | Rajagopal Sitaram Chandra Das | 11,058 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/SDP | Ling How Dung | 8,681 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Chua Chu Kang | 25,532 | Template:SG/PAP | Tang See Chim | 13,254 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/WP | Chan Keng Sieng | 10,720 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Template:SG/UPF | Teo Kim Hoe (Loses $1,500 deposit) | 196 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Clementi | 20,890 | Template:SG/PAP | Bernard Chen Tien Lap | Uncontested walkover | |
| Delta | 14,800 | Template:SG/PAP | Yeo Choo Kok | 7,987 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/WP | Peter Chua Chwee Huat | 5,614 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Eunos | 17,615 | Template:SG/PAP | Zulkifli bin Mohammed | 10,494 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/SUF | Chong Tung Shang | 5,697 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Fengshan | 18,407 | Template:SG/PAP | Arthur Beng Kian Lam | 11,216 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/SUF | Chng Chin Siah | 6,005 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Geylang Serai | 24,109 | Template:SG/PAP | Othman bin Haron Eusofe | 14,564 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/SUF | Mohamed Mansor bin Abdul Rahman | 7,649 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Geylang West | 22,325 | Template:SG/PAP | Teh Cheang Wan | 13,798 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/SUF | Lim Tiong Hock | 2,994 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Henderson | 17,630 | Template:SG/PAP | Lai Tha Chai | 9,695 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/WP | Chon Koon Cheong | 6,793 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Hong Kah | 22,062 | Template:SG/PAP | Yeo Cheow Tong | Uncontested walkover | |
| Jalan Besar | 16,115 | Template:SG/PAP | Lee Boon Yang | 9,236 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/WP | Anathan Balakrishnan | 5,100 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Jalan Kayu | 25,011 | Template:SG/PAP | Heng Chiang Meng | 11,985 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/WP | Madai Puthan Damodaran NairTemplate:Efn | 11,414 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Joo Chiat | 18,957 | Template:SG/PAP | Yeoh Ghim Seng | Uncontested walkover | |
| Jurong | 24,517 | Template:SG/PAP | Ho Kah Leong | Uncontested walkover | |
| Kaki Bukit | 20,683 | Template:SG/PAP | Chew Heng Ching | 10,229 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/SUF | Tan Chee KienTemplate:Efn | 9,336 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Kallang | 18,809 | Template:SG/PAP | Suppiah Dhanabalan | 11,256 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/WP | A. L. Sundram | 6,075 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Kampong Chai Chee | 22,537 | Template:SG/PAP | Andrew Fong Sip Chee | 12,125 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/SUF | Seow Khee Leng | 9,087 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Kampong Glam | 18,127 | Template:SG/PAP | Sinnathamby Rajaratnam | Uncontested walkover | |
| Kampong Kembangan | 20,295 | Template:SG/PAP | Yatiman bin Yusof | 10,326 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/WP | Mohamed Jufrie bin Mahmood | 3,023 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Kampong Ubi | 14,323 | Template:SG/PAP | Wan Hussin bin Zoohri | 8,378 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/PKMS | Abdul Rahman bin Mohamed Zin | 4,768 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Kebun Baru | 17,542 | Template:SG/PAP | Lim Boon Heng | 12,311 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/UPF | Harbans Singh | 3,921 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Khe Bong | 15,773 | Template:SG/PAP | Tang Guan Seng | 9,221 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/BS | Sim Say Chuan | 5,525 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Kim Keat | 20,439 | Template:SG/PAP | Ong Teng Cheong | Uncontested walkover | |
| Kim Seng | 22,136 | Template:SG/PAP | Yeo Ning Hong | Uncontested walkover | |
| Kolam Ayer | 23,630 | Template:SG/PAP | Sidek bin Saniff | 12,812 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/WP | Royston George Scharenguivel | 9,311 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Kreta Ayer | 15,982 | Template:SG/PAP | Hu Tsu Tau Richard | 11,083 | Template:Composition bar |
| Independent | Lee Mun Hung | 2,242 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Kuo Chuan | 18,728 | Template:SG/PAP | Wong Kan Seng | 11,162 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/BS | Sim Chit Giak | 6,129 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Leng Kee | 14,805 | Template:SG/PAP | Ow Chin Hock | 9,190 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/WP | George Benjamin Armstrong | 4,559 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| MacPherson | 19,500 | Template:SG/PAP | Chua Sian Chin | Uncontested walkover | |
| Marine Parade | 23,622 | Template:SG/PAP | Goh Chok Tong | 15,228 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/SUF | Gertrude Magdeline De Gracias | 6,242 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Moulmein | 18,893 | Template:SG/PAP | Sia Khoon Seong | Uncontested walkover | |
| Mountbatten | 21,480 | Template:SG/PAP | Eugene Yap Giau Cheng | 16,077 | Template:Composition bar |
| Independent | Tan Ah Teng | 3,692 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Nee Soon | 26,897 | Template:SG/PAP | Koh Lip Lin | 18,444 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/SUF | Quek Teow Chuan | 6,401 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Pasir Panjang | 17,149 | Template:SG/PAP | Abbas bin Abu Amin | 9,316 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/WP | John Gan Eng Guan | 6,022 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Angkatan Islam Singapura | Mohamad Sani bin Jan(Loses $1,500 deposit) | 359 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Paya Lebar | 18,420 | Template:SG/PAP | Philip Tan Tee Yong | Uncontested walkover | |
| Potong Pasir | 17,915 | Template:SG/SDP | Chiam See Tong | 10,128 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/PAP | Mah Bow Tan | 5,509 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Punggol | 24,727 | Template:SG/PAP | Ng Kah Ting | 14,904 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/SUF | Sim Ah Leng | 7,995 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Queenstown | 18,084 | Template:SG/PAP | Jek Yeun Thong | Uncontested walkover | |
| Radin Mas | 19,770 | Template:SG/PAP | Chng Hee Kok | 9,997 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/WP | Wong Hong Toy | 8,590 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| River Valley | 13,481 | Template:SG/PAP | Tay Eng Soon | Uncontested walkover | |
| Rochore | 14,164 | Template:SG/PAP | Toh Chin Chye | Uncontested walkover | |
| Sembawang | 22,326 | Template:SG/PAP | Tony Tan Keng Yam | 15,948 | Template:Composition bar |
| Independent | Stanley Mariadass | 4,652 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Serangoon Gardens | 17,553 | Template:SG/PAP | Lau Teik Soon | Uncontested walkover | |
| Siglap | 17,090 | Template:SG/PAP | Abdullah bin Tarmugi | Uncontested walkover | |
| Tampines | 19,656 | Template:SG/PAP | Phua Bah Lee | 13,163 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/UPF | Kasim bin Ibrahim | 5,032 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Tanah Merah | 17,808 | Template:SG/PAP | Ibrahim bin Othman | 11,093 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/SUF | Ng Lep Chong | 5,201 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Tanglin | 15,990 | Template:SG/PAP | Edmund William Barker | Uncontested walkover | |
| Tanjong Pagar | 15,812 | Template:SG/PAP | Lee Kuan Yew | Uncontested walkover | |
| Teck Ghee | 16,866 | Template:SG/PAP | Lee Hsien Loong | 12,794 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/UPF | Giam Lai Cheng | 3,123 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Telok Ayer | 13,984 | Template:SG/PAP | Ong Pang Boon | Uncontested walkover | |
| Telok Blangah | 19,550 | Template:SG/PAP | Koh Lam Son | 10,150 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/WP | Rajaratnam Murugason | 8,299 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Thomson | 15,271 | Template:SG/PAP | Leong Horn Kee | Uncontested walkover | |
| Tiong Bahru | 20,091 | Template:SG/PAP | Ch'ng Jit Koon | Uncontested walkover | |
| Toa Payoh | 14,177 | Template:SG/PAP | Eric Cheong Yuen Chee | 8,559 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/BS | Ng Ho | 4,576 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Ulu Pandan | 22,761 | Template:SG/PAP | Dixie Tan-Lee Mo Chun | Uncontested walkover | |
| West Coast | 28,008 | Template:SG/PAP | Wan Soon Bee | 19,745 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/SJP | Muthusamy Ramasamy | 6,331 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Whampoa | 18,494 | Template:SG/PAP | Augustine Tan Hui Heng | Uncontested walkover | |
| Yio Chu Kang | 16,734 | Template:SG/PAP | Lau Ping Sum | 11,977 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/UPF | Munjeet Singh | 3,647 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Yuhua | 16,266 | Template:SG/PAP | Yu-Foo Yee Shoon | 9,551 | Template:Composition bar |
| Template:SG/SDP | Lim Ah Yong | 5,996 | Template:Composition bar | ||
| Source: ELD | |||||
Notes[]
Template:Notelist