View source for 1997 General Election

{{DISPLAYTITLE:1997 Singapore General Election}}

General elections were held in Singapore on 2 January 1997 to elect members of Parliament. They were the eighth general election since independence in 1965. The number of directly elected seats increased from 81 to 83 following adjustments to electoral boundaries.

The ruling People's Action Party (PAP) retained power, winning 81 of the 83 seats and 64.98% of the valid votes. It was the first election under Prime Minister [[Goh Chok Tong]] in which the PAP increased its popular vote share since the 1980 election. With 47 seats uncontested on Nomination Day, the PAP was returned to government before polling for the second consecutive election.

The two elected opposition members were [[Chiam See Tong]] of the Singapore People's Party (SPP), who retained Potong Pasir SMC, and [[Low Thia Khiang]] of the Workers' Party (WP), who retained Hougang SMC. A Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) seat was offered to the WP team in [[Cheng San Group Representation Constituency|Cheng San GRC]] as the best-performing losing opposition team; the party nominated its Secretary-General [[J. B. Jeyaretnam]], returning him to Parliament for the first time since 1986.

The 1997 election was the only one to span two calendar years, with Nomination Day on 23 December 1996 and Polling Day on 2 January 1997.

== Background ==

The election was [[Goh Chok Tong]]'s first as Prime Minister in which he sought a stronger mandate, following the PAP's relatively weaker showing in 1991, when its vote share had fallen to 61.0% and the opposition held four seats in the 8th Parliament.

At dissolution, two PAP seats in Eunos and Toa Payoh GRCs were vacant following the death of Tay Eng Soon and the resignation of former Deputy Prime Minister [[Ong Teng Cheong]], who stepped down to contest the 1993 presidential election; neither GRC held a by-election. The size of Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) was expanded from four members to between four and six.

=== Singapore Democratic Party conflict ===

In 1993 the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) experienced an internal conflict when its founder and Potong Pasir MP [[Chiam See Tong]] clashed with the party's Central Executive Committee, which included [[Chee Soon Juan]] and chairman [[Ling How Doong]]. Chiam resigned as Secretary-General, remained in the party for a time while contesting an attempted expulsion through the courts, and left in 1996 shortly before the general election to join the Singapore People's Party (SPP), a splinter group formed in 1994 by members who backed him.

== Timeline ==

{| class="wikitable"
! Date !! Event
|-
| 21 November 1996 || Publication of Electoral Boundaries report
|-
| 16 December 1996 || Dissolution of 8th Parliament
|-
| 23 December 1996 || Nomination Day
|-
| 2 January 1997 || Polling Day
|-
| 15 January 1997 || Announcement of Non-Constituency Member of Parliament
|-
| 26 May 1997 || Opening of 9th Parliament
|}

== Nominations and campaigning ==

At the close of nominations, 122 candidates were fielded. The PAP was returned to government on Nomination Day for the third time overall, with 47 seats uncontested. These included Tampines GRC, where the National Solidarity Party (NSP) team was disqualified after one candidate was found to have been struck off the electoral roll for failing to vote in 1991.

=== Cheng San GRC controversy ===
{{Further|Cheng San GRC polling station controversy (1997)}}

During the campaign, [[Tang Liang Hong]], who stood on the Workers' Party ticket alongside Secretary-General [[J. B. Jeyaretnam]] in Cheng San GRC, was accused by the PAP of being an anti-Christian Chinese chauvinist, which became a major issue of the campaign.

On Polling Day, [[Goh Chok Tong]], [[Tony Tan]] and [[Lee Hsien Loong]] were present within the precincts of polling stations in Cheng San GRC although they were not candidates in the constituency. The WP lodged police complaints alleging breaches of the Parliamentary Elections Act; the Public Prosecutor, on the advice of Attorney-General [[Chan Sek Keong]], found that no offence had been disclosed. The matter was later raised in Parliament during the Committee of Supply debate on the Ministry of Law.<ref name="st19970107">[https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19970107-1.2.31.6 "WP lodges police complaint against ministers' presence"], ''The Straits Times'', 7 January 1997, p. 21.</ref><ref name="hansard19970730">[https://sprs.parl.gov.sg/search/#/topic?reportid=004_19970730_S0002_T0007 Singapore Parliamentary Debates, Official Report, 9th Parliament, Session 1, Volume 67, Sitting 14, 30 July 1997, "Budget, Ministry of Law"] (cols. 1338–1345).</ref>

== Results ==

The voter turnout in contested constituencies was 95.91%, the highest recorded in Singapore's electoral history to that point. The PAP reversed its electoral decline of the previous four elections with a 4.01-point increase in its vote share, regaining Bukit Gombak and Nee Soon Central, which the opposition had won in 1991. The SDP, weakened by Chiam's departure to the SPP, lost all its seats.

=== By constituency ===

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:90%"
|-
! colspan=8 | Results of 1997 Singapore general election
|-
! Constituency !! Seats !! Electorate !! colspan=2 | Party !! Candidate(s) !! Votes !! Votes %
|-
| rowspan=2 | [[Aljunied GRC]]
| rowspan=2 align=center | 5
| rowspan=2 align=right | 103,466
| '''{{SG/PAP}}''' || '''[[Ker Sin Tze]]<br />David Lim<br />[[Sidek Saniff]]<br />Toh See Kiat<br />[[George Yeo]]''' || align=right | '''64,299''' || {{composition bar|67.02|party=PAP}}
|-
| {{SG/SDP}} || Aziz Ibrahim<br />Kwan Yue Keng<br />S. Kunalen<br />Tay Hoon<br />Wong Hong Toy || align=right | 31,645 || {{composition bar|32.98|party=SDP}}
|- style="background:#606060; height:2pt"
| colspan=8 |
|-
| [[Ang Mo Kio GRC]]
| align=center | 5
| align=right | 125,344
| '''{{SG/PAP}}''' || '''[[Lee Hsien Loong]]<br />[[Seng Han Thong]]<br />[[Inderjit Singh (politician)|Inderjit Singh]]<br />Tan Boon Wan<br />Tang Guan Seng''' || colspan=2 align=center | ''Uncontested''
|- style="background:#606060; height:2pt"
| colspan=8 |
|-
| rowspan=2 | [[Ayer Rajah SMC]]
| rowspan=2 align=center | 1
| rowspan=2 align=right | 22,025
| '''{{SG/PAP}}''' || '''[[Tan Cheng Bock]]''' || align=right | '''15,081''' || {{composition bar|73.17|party=PAP}}
|-
| {{SG/SPP}} || [[Sin Kek Tong]] || align=right | 5,531 || {{composition bar|26.83|party=SPP}}
|- style="background:#606060; height:2pt"
| colspan=8 |
|-
| [[Bishan–Toa Payoh GRC]]
| align=center | 5
| align=right | 122,256
| '''{{SG/PAP}}''' || '''Ho Tat Kin<br />Ibrahim Othman<br />Leong Horn Kee<br />[[Davinder Singh]]<br />[[Wong Kan Seng]]''' || colspan=2 align=center | ''Uncontested''
|- style="background:#606060; height:2pt"
| colspan=8 |
|-
| rowspan=2 | [[Boon Lay SMC]]
| rowspan=2 align=center | 1
| rowspan=2 align=right | 20,014
| '''{{SG/PAP}}''' || '''Goh Chee Wee''' || align=right | '''12,407''' || {{composition bar|66.10|party=PAP}}
|-
| {{SG/NSP}} || Christopher Neo || align=right | 6,362 || {{composition bar|33.90|party=NSP}}
|- style="background:#606060; height:2pt"
| colspan=8 |
|-
| rowspan=3 | [[Bukit Gombak SMC]]
| rowspan=3 align=center | 1
| rowspan=3 align=right | 24,909
| '''{{SG/PAP}}''' || '''[[Ang Mong Seng]]''' || align=right | '''15,229''' || {{composition bar|65.14|party=PAP}}
|-
| {{SG/SDP}} || [[Ling How Doong]] || align=right | 6,643 || {{composition bar|28.42|party=SDP}}
|-
| {{SG/SPP}} || Syed Farid Wajidi || align=right | 1,506 || {{composition bar|6.44|party=SPP}}
|- style="background:#606060; height:2pt"
| colspan=8 |
|-
| [[Bukit Timah GRC]]
| align=center | 5
| align=right | 118,248
| '''{{SG/PAP}}''' || '''[[Foo Yee Shoon]]<br />[[Lim Boon Heng]]<br />[[Ong Chit Chung]]<br />R. Ravindran<br />Wang Kai Yuen''' || colspan=2 align=center | ''Uncontested''
|- style="background:#606060; height:2pt"
| colspan=8 |
|-
| rowspan=2 | [[Cheng San GRC]]
| rowspan=2 align=center | 5
| rowspan=2 align=right | 103,323
| '''{{SG/PAP}}''' || '''Heng Chiang Meng<br />[[Lee Yock Suan]]<br />Michael Lim<br />[[Yeo Guat Kwang]]<br />Zainul Abidin Rasheed''' || align=right | '''53,553''' || {{composition bar|54.82|party=PAP}}
|-
| {{SG/WP}} || Abdul Rahim Bin Osman<br />Huang Seow Kwang<br />[[J. B. Jeyaretnam]]<br />Tan Bin Seng<br />[[Tang Liang Hong]] || align=right | 44,132 || {{composition bar|45.18|party=WP}}
|- style="background:#606060; height:2pt"
| colspan=8 |
|-
| rowspan=4 | [[Chua Chu Kang SMC]]
| rowspan=4 align=center | 1
| rowspan=4 align=right | 24,074
| '''{{SG/PAP}}''' || '''Low Seow Chay''' || align=right | '''14,141''' || {{composition bar|61.92|party=PAP}}
|-
| {{SG/NSP}} || Yip Yew Weng || align=right | 5,040 || {{composition bar|22.07|party=NSP}}
|-
| {{SG/Independent}} || Chia Shi Teck || align=right | 3,210 || {{composition bar|14.06|party=Independent}}
|-
| {{SG/DPP}} || Tan Soo Phuan || align=right | 445 || {{composition bar|1.95|party=DPP}}
|- style="background:#606060; height:2pt"
| colspan=8 |
|-
| [[East Coast GRC]]
| align=center | 6
| align=right | 142,201
| '''{{SG/PAP}}''' || '''[[Abdullah Tarmugi]]<br />[[Chan Soo Sen]]<br />Chew Heng Ching<br />Chng Hee Kok<br />[[S. Jayakumar]]<br />[[Tan Soo Khoon]]''' || colspan=2 align=center | ''Uncontested''
|- style="background:#606060; height:2pt"
| colspan=8 |
|-
| rowspan=2 | [[Hong Kah GRC]]
| rowspan=2 align=center | 5
| rowspan=2 align=right | 125,452
| '''{{SG/PAP}}''' || '''John Chen<br />Kenneth Chen<br />Peter Chen Min Liang<br />Harun Abdul Ghani<br />[[Yeo Cheow Tong]]''' || align=right | '''82,182''' || {{composition bar|69.00|party=PAP}}
|-
| {{SG/NSP}} || [[Steve Chia]]<br />Patrick Kee<br />Tan Chee Kien<br />Wong Wee Nam<br />Yadzeth Bin Hairis || align=right | 36,920 || {{composition bar|31.00|party=NSP}}
|- style="background:#606060; height:2pt"
| colspan=8 |
|-
| rowspan=2 | [[Hougang SMC]]
| rowspan=2 align=center | 1
| rowspan=2 align=right | 24,423
| '''{{SG/WP}}''' || '''[[Low Thia Khiang]]''' || align=right | '''13,458''' || {{composition bar|58.02|party=WP}}
|-
| {{SG/PAP}} || [[Heng Chee How]] || align=right | 9,736 || {{composition bar|41.98|party=PAP}}
|- style="background:#606060; height:2pt"
| colspan=8 |
|-
| rowspan=2 | [[Jalan Besar GRC]]
| rowspan=2 align=center | 4
| rowspan=2 align=right | 71,922
| '''{{SG/PAP}}''' || '''Choo Wee Khiang<br />[[Lee Boon Yang]]<br />Peh Chin Hua<br />[[Yaacob Ibrahim]]''' || align=right | '''44,840''' || {{composition bar|67.55|party=PAP}}
|-
| {{SG/SDP}} || David Chew<br />Gandhi Ambalam<br />Jufrie Mahmood<br />Low Yong Nguan || align=right | 21,537 || {{composition bar|32.45|party=SDP}}
|- style="background:#606060; height:2pt"
| colspan=8 |
|-
| rowspan=2 | [[Kampong Glam SMC]]
| rowspan=2 align=center | 1
| rowspan=2 align=right | 20,044
| '''{{SG/PAP}}''' || '''Loh Meng See''' || align=right | '''13,446''' || {{composition bar|74.52|party=PAP}}
|-
| {{SG/DPP}} || Tan Lead Shake || align=right | 4,598 || {{composition bar|25.48|party=DPP}}
|- style="background:#606060; height:2pt"
| colspan=8 |
|-
| [[Kreta Ayer–Tanglin GRC]]
| align=center | 4
| align=right | 75,126
| '''{{SG/PAP}}''' || '''[[Richard Hu]]<br />Lew Syn Pau<br />[[Lily Neo]]<br />R. Sinnakaruppan''' || colspan=2 align=center | ''Uncontested''
|- style="background:#606060; height:2pt"
| colspan=8 |
|-
| rowspan=2 | [[MacPherson SMC]]
| rowspan=2 align=center | 1
| rowspan=2 align=right | 20,734
| '''{{SG/PAP}}''' || '''[[Matthias Yao]]''' || align=right | '''12,546''' || {{composition bar|65.14|party=PAP}}
|-
| {{SG/SDP}} || [[Chee Soon Juan]] || align=right | 6,713 || {{composition bar|34.86|party=SDP}}
|- style="background:#606060; height:2pt"
| colspan=8 |
|-
| [[Marine Parade GRC]]
| align=center | 6
| align=right | 142,106
| '''{{SG/PAP}}''' || '''[[Goh Chok Tong]]<br />Goh Choon Kang<br />[[Lim Hwee Hua]]<br />Mohamad Maidin<br />Othman Haron Eusofe<br />Eugene Yap''' || colspan=2 align=center | ''Uncontested''
|- style="background:#606060; height:2pt"
| colspan=8 |
|-
| rowspan=2 | [[Nee Soon Central SMC]]
| rowspan=2 align=center | 1
| rowspan=2 align=right | 26,257
| '''{{SG/PAP}}''' || '''Ong Ah Heng''' || align=right | '''15,214''' || {{composition bar|61.33|party=PAP}}
|-
| {{SG/SDP}} || Cheo Chai Chen || align=right | 9,591 || {{composition bar|38.67|party=SDP}}
|- style="background:#606060; height:2pt"
| colspan=8 |
|-
| rowspan=2 | [[Pasir Ris GRC]]
| rowspan=2 align=center | 4
| rowspan=2 align=right | 85,908
| '''{{SG/PAP}}''' || '''Ahmad Mohamed Magad<br />[[Charles Chong]]<br />Ong Kian Min<br />[[Teo Chee Hean]]''' || align=right | '''56,907''' || {{composition bar|70.86|party=PAP}}
|-
| {{SG/WP}} || A. Balakrishnan<br />A. Rahim<br />Lim Chiu Liang<br />Sim Say Chuan || align=right | 23,404 || {{composition bar|29.14|party=WP}}
|- style="background:#606060; height:2pt"
| colspan=8 |
|-
| rowspan=2 | [[Potong Pasir SMC]]
| rowspan=2 align=center | 1
| rowspan=2 align=right | 18,759
| '''{{SG/SPP}}''' || '''[[Chiam See Tong]]''' || align=right | '''9,709''' || {{composition bar|55.15|party=SPP}}
|-
| {{SG/PAP}} || Gan Lai Chiang || align=right | 7,895 || {{composition bar|44.85|party=PAP}}
|- style="background:#606060; height:2pt"
| colspan=8 |
|-
| [[Sembawang GRC]]
| align=center | 6
| align=right | 154,402
| '''{{SG/PAP}}''' || '''[[Chin Tet Yung]]<br />Hawazi Daipi<br />[[Ho Peng Kee]]<br />[[K. Shanmugam]]<br />[[Tony Tan]]<br />[[Teo Ho Pin]]''' || colspan=2 align=center | ''Uncontested''
|- style="background:#606060; height:2pt"
| colspan=8 |
|-
| [[Tampines GRC]]
| align=center | 4
| align=right | 94,476
| '''{{SG/PAP}}''' || '''[[Aline Wong]]<br />[[Mah Bow Tan]]<br />[[Sin Boon Ann]]<br />Yatiman Yusof''' || colspan=2 align=center | ''Uncontested''
|- style="background:#606060; height:2pt"
| colspan=8 |
|-
| [[Tanjong Pagar GRC]]
| align=center | 6
| align=right | 141,520
| '''{{SG/PAP}}''' || '''Chay Wai Chuen<br />Koo Tsai Kee<br />[[Lee Kuan Yew]]<br />[[Lim Swee Say]]<br />Ow Chin Hock<br />[[S. Vasoo]]''' || colspan=2 align=center | ''Uncontested''
|- style="background:#606060; height:2pt"
| colspan=8 |
|-
| rowspan=2 | [[West Coast GRC]]
| rowspan=2 align=center | 4
| rowspan=2 align=right | 74,022
| '''{{SG/PAP}}''' || '''Bernard Chen<br />[[Lim Hng Kiang]]<br />[[S. Iswaran]]<br />Wan Soon Bee''' || align=right | '''48,275''' || {{composition bar|70.14|party=PAP}}
|-
| {{SG/WP}} || Mike Chan<br />Anthony D'Cruz<br />John Gan<br />Ng Teck Siong || align=right | 20,550 || {{composition bar|29.86|party=WP}}
|- class="sortbottom"
| colspan=8 | Source: [https://www.eld.gov.sg/elections_past_parliamentary1997.html Elections Department Singapore]
|}

== Aftermath ==

=== Non-Constituency Member of Parliament ===

As the opposition won two elected seats, one NCMP seat was offered to the best-performing losing opposition team, the WP slate in Cheng San GRC, which took 45.18% of the vote. The WP accepted and nominated Secretary-General [[J. B. Jeyaretnam]], returning him to Parliament for the first time since 1986.

=== Tang Liang Hong defamation suits ===

After the election, [[Tang Liang Hong]] was sued for defamation by several PAP leaders over statements made during the campaign. He left Singapore for Australia shortly afterward and did not return before his death in 2025.

== See also ==

* [[Cheng San GRC polling station controversy (1997)]]
* [[Cheng San Group Representation Constituency]]
* [[9th Parliament of Singapore]]

== References ==
<references />

{{Navbar-elections}}

[[Category:Elections]]
[[Category:Y1997]]