The wig and ceremonial gown of the Speaker of Parliament on display in Parliament House, Singapore. The Speaker dons the gown during the Opening of Parliament ceremony, but the wearing of the wig was discontinued in 1993.
The Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore is the presiding officer of the Parliament of the Republic of Singapore. Currently, Tan Chuan-Jin is the incumbent Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore.
Election[]
Parliament must elect a Speaker at the beginning of each new parliamentary term after a general election.[1] Parliament has the freedom to choose how to elect the Speaker. By recent tradition, the Prime Minister nominates a person for the role. The person's name is then proposed and seconded by the Members of Parliament (MPs), before being elected as Speaker.[2] The Constitution states that Parliament has the freedom to decide how to elect its Speaker.[3]
The Speaker may or may not be an elected MP, but must possess the qualifications to stand for election as an MP as provided for in the Constitution.[4] The Speaker cannot be a Cabinet Minister or Parliamentary Secretary,[3] and must resign from those positions prior to being elected as Speaker.
Once elected, a Speaker continues in office until the dissolution of Parliament, unless he or she resigns, is appointed as a Cabinet minister or Parliamentary Secretary, or is disqualified from holding their seat as an MP.[5]
Role[]
The role of the Speaker in Singapore is similar to that in most Commonwealth legislatures. The Speaker presides over the sittings of Parliament, and enforces the rules prescribed in its Standing Orders for the orderly conduct of parliamentary business. In carrying out their duties, the Speaker must remain impartial and fair to all MPs.[4]
The Speaker regulates and enforces the rules of debate. They decide who has the right to speak, and put the question for Parliament to debate on and vote. The Speaker does not take part in the debates, but can abstain or vote for or against a motion if they have a vote as an elected MP.[4]
As the guardian of parliamentary privileges, MPs look to the Speaker for guidance on procedures, and for rulings on any points of order.[4]
The Speaker is second in the order of succession for the office of the President of Singapore. Should the President's office be vacant, and the chairman of the Council of Presidential Advisers is unable to take up the role, the Speaker will assume the duties of the President until a new President is elected.[6] In terms of state protocol, the Speaker sits at the same level as the Chief Justice of Singapore.[2]
The Speaker acts as Parliament's representative in its relations with other legislatures and outside bodies. The Speaker also welcomes visiting dignitaries, and represents Parliament at national events and during official visits abroad. The Speaker is overall in charge of the administration of Parliament and its Secretariat.[4]
The Speaker is one of the few public sector roles which allow its office-holder to automatically qualify as a candidate in the Singapore presidential elections.[7]
List of Speakers[]
A list of people who have served as Speakers of Parliament is set out below:[8]
| Speaker | Party | Took office | Left office | Parliament |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sir George Oehlers Template:Small |
Independent | 22 April 1955 | 31 March 1959 | 1st Legislative Assembly |
| 1 July 1959 | 3 September 1963 | 2nd Legislative Assembly | ||
| Edmund William Barker Template:Small |
Template:SG/PAP | 22 October 1963 | 30 October 1964 | 3rd Legislative Assembly |
| Arumugam Ponnu Rajah Template:Small |
Independent | 2 November 1964 | 8 August 1965 | |
| 9 August 1965 | 5 August 1966 | 1st Parliament | ||
| Punch Coomaraswamy Template:Small |
Independent | 17 August 1966 | 7 February 1968 | |
| 6 May 1968 | 18 January 1970 | 2nd Parliament | ||
| Yeoh Ghim Seng Template:Small |
Template:SG/PAP | 27 January 1970 | 14 August 1972 | |
| 12 October 1972 | 5 December 1976 | 3rd Parliament | ||
| 7 February 1977 | 4 December 1980 | 4th Parliament | ||
| 3 February 1981 | 3 December 1984 | 5th Parliament | ||
| 25 February 1985 | 17 August 1988 | 6th Parliament | ||
| Tan Soo Khoon Template:Small |
Template:SG/PAP | 9 January 1989 | 13th August 1991 | 7th Parliament |
| 6 January 1992 | 15 December 1996 | 8th Parliament | ||
| 26 May 1997 | 17 October 2001 | 9th Parliament | ||
| Abdullah Tarmugi Template:Small |
Template:SG/PAP | 22 March 2002 | 19 April 2006 | 10th Parliament |
| 2 November 2006 | 18 April 2011 | 11th Parliament | ||
| Michael Palmer Template:Small |
Template:SG/PAP | 10 October 2011 | 12 December 2012 | 12th Parliament |
| Halimah Yacob Template:Small |
Template:SG/PAP | 14 January 2013 | 24 August 2015 | |
| 15 January 2016 | 7 August 2017 | 13th Parliament | ||
| Tan Chuan-Jin Template:Small |
Template:SG/PAP | 11 September 2017 | 22 June 2020 | |
| 24 August 2020 | Incumbent | 14th Parliament |
List of Deputy Speakers[]
The following table contains a list of Deputy Speakers of Parliament:[9]
| Speaker | Party | Took office | Left office | Parliament | Speaker |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Lim Chuan Hoe Template:Small |
Template:SG/LF Template:Small | 26 April 1955 | 31 March 1959 | 1st Legislative Assembly | Sir George Oehlers |
| Malayan Chinese Association Template:Small | |||||
| G. Kandasamy Template:Small |
Template:SG/PAP | 15 July 1959 | 24 September 1961 | 2nd Legislative Assembly | |
| John Mammen Template:Small |
Template:SG/PAP | 16 November 1961 | 3 September 1963 | ||
| Fong Kim Heng Template:Small |
Template:SG/PAP | 9 December 1963 | 8 August 1965 | 3rd Legislative Assembly | Edmund William Barker Arumugam Ponnu Rajah |
| 9 August 1965 | 9 December 1965 | 1st Parliament | Arumugam Ponnu Rajah | ||
| Punch Coomaraswamy Template:Small |
Independent | 23 February 1966 | 16 August 1966 | ||
| Yeoh Ghim Seng Template:Small |
Template:SG/PAP | 11 July 1968 | 26 January 1970 | 2nd Parliament | Punch Coomaraswamy |
| Tang See Chim Template:Small |
Template:SG/PAP | 22 November 1972 | 5 December 1976 | 3rd Parliament | Yeoh Ghim Seng |
| 22 February 1977 | 4 December 1980 | 4th Parliament | |||
| Hwang Soo Jin Template:Small |
Template:SG/PAP | 6 March 1981 | 3 December 1984 | 5th Parliament | |
| Tan Soo Khoon Template:Small |
Template:SG/PAP | 1 March 1985 | 17 August 1988 | 6th Parliament | |
| Lim Boon Heng Template:Small |
Template:SG/PAP | 16 January 1989 | 13th August 1991 | 7th Parliament | Tan Soo Khoon |
| Abdullah Tarmugi Template:Small |
Template:SG/PAP | 16 January 1989 | 13 August 1991 | ||
| 6 January 1992 | 30 June 1993 | 8th Parliament | |||
| Eugene Yap Giau Cheng Template:Small |
Template:SG/PAP | 26 February 1993 | 15 December 1996 | ||
| 26 May 1997 | 17 October 2001 | 9th Parliament | |||
| Lim Hwee Hua Template:Small |
Template:SG/PAP | 1 April 2002 | 11 August 2004 | 10th Parliament | Abdullah Tarmugi |
| Chew Heng Ching Template:Small |
Template:SG/PAP | 1 April 2002 | 19 April 2006 | ||
| S. Iswaran Template:Small |
Template:SG/PAP | 1 September 2004 | 19 April 2006 | ||
| Indranee Rajah Template:Small |
Template:SG/PAP | 8 November 2006 | 18 April 2011 | 11th Parliament | |
| Matthias Yao Template:Small |
Template:SG/PAP | 8 November 2006 | 18 April 2011 | ||
| Seah Kian Peng Template:Small |
Template:SG/PAP | 17 October 2011 | 24 August 2015 | 12th Parliament | Michael Palmer Halimah Yacob |
| Charles Chong Template:Small |
Template:SG/PAP | 17 October 2011 | 24 August 2015 | ||
| 25 January 2016 | 22 June 2020 | 13th Parliament | Halimah Yacob Tan Chuan-Jin | ||
| Lim Biow Chuan Template:Small |
Template:SG/PAP | 25 January 2016 | 22 June 2020 | ||
| Jessica Tan Soon Neo Template:Small |
Template:SG/PAP | 31 August 2020 | incumbent | 14th Parliament | Tan Chuan-Jin |
| Christopher de Souza Template:Small |
Template:SG/PAP | 31 August 2020 | incumbent |