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allows workers to withdraw some of their CPF funds at age 55, setting aside a certain minimum sum which can only be withdrawn at retirement age, currently at 62 years.[5][6]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).
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
- Abdul Rahim Ishak (Siglap)
- Chan Chee Seng (Jalan Besar)
- Chau Sik Ting (Thomson)
- Chiang Hai Deng (Ulu Pandan)
- Chor Yeok Eng (Bukit Timah)
- Goh Keng Swee (Kreta Ayer)
- Ho See Beng (Khe Bong)
- Howe Yoon Chong (Potong Pasir)
- Hwang Soo Jin (Jalan Kayu)
- Joseph Francis (Katong)Template:Ref
- Lee Khoon Choy (Braddell Heights)
- Michael Liew (Boon Teck)
- Mohammad Kasim Abdul Jabbar (Radin Mas)
- Mohammad Mansor bin Sukaimi (Kampong Kembangan)
- P Selvadurai (Kuo Chuan)
- Rohan Kamis (Telok Blangah)
- Saidi bin Shariff (Kaki Bukit)
- Seah Mui Kok (Bukit Ho Swee)Template:Ref
- Sia Kah Hui (Paya Lebar)
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
|
|
Tan Soo Khoon
|
12,172
|
|
|
John Cruz Corera
|
6,053
|
|
| Aljunied
|
19,045
|
|
Chin Harn Tong
|
Uncontested walkover
|
| Ang Mo Kio
|
14,633
|
|
Yeo Toon Chia
|
9,909
|
|
| Template:SG/UPF
|
Ang Bee Lian
|
3,711
|
|
| Anson
|
18,493
|
|
Joshua Benjamin Jeyaratnam
|
9,909
|
|
|
|
Ng Pock Too
|
7,533
|
|
| Ayer Rajah
|
20,017
|
|
Tan Cheng Bock
|
14,050
|
|
| Template:SG/SJP
|
Suib bin Abdul Rahman
|
4,575
|
|
| Bedok
|
17,074
|
|
Shunmugam Jayakumar
|
10,972
|
|
| Template:SG/SUF
|
Lee Chin Teck
|
4,941
|
|
| Bo Wen
|
14,777
|
|
Sushilan Vasoo
|
10,299
|
|
| Template:SG/UPF
|
Shaikh Ahmad bin Shaikh Salim
|
3,488
|
|
| Boon Lay
|
18,964
|
|
Goh Chee Wee
|
12,490
|
|
| Template:SG/SUF
|
Reveendran Sasi
|
5,443
|
|
| Boon Teck
|
19,490
|
|
Ho Tat Kin
|
10,224
|
|
| Template:SG/BS
|
Lee Siew Choh
|
7,982
|
|
| Braddell Heights
|
14,152
|
|
Goh Choon Kang
|
Uncontested walkover
|
| Brickworks
|
13,571
|
|
Ahmad bin Mohamed Mattar
|
8,389
|
|
|
|
Mohd Taib bin Saffar
|
4,270
|
|
| Bukit Batok
|
20,812
|
|
Chai Chong Yii
|
14,767
|
|
| Template:SG/UPF
|
Tan Jue Kit
|
4,099
|
|
| Bukit Merah
|
19,210
|
|
Lim Chee Onn
|
Uncontested walkover
|
| Bukit Panjang
|
23,173
|
|
Lee Yiok Seng
|
Uncontested walkover
|
| Bukit Timah
|
17,238
|
|
Wang Kai Yuen
|
Uncontested walkover
|
| Buona Vista
|
18,041
|
|
Ang Kok Peng
|
Uncontested walkover
|
| Cairnhill
|
15,862
|
|
Wong Kwei Cheong
|
Uncontested walkover
|
| Changi
|
20,129
|
|
Teo Chong Tee
|
12,195
|
|
| Template:SG/SUF
|
Sim Peng Kim
|
6,353
|
|
| Changkat
|
18,742
|
|
Aline Wong-Kan Lai Chung
|
10,310
|
|
|
Soon Kia Seng
|
7,297
|
|
| Cheng San
|
17,328
|
|
Lee Yock Suan
|
Uncontested walkover
|
| Chong Boon
|
20,650
|
|
Rajagopal Sitaram Chandra Das
|
11,058
|
|
|
|
Ling How Dung
|
8,681
|
|
| Chua Chu Kang
|
25,532
|
|
Tang See Chim
|
13,254
|
|
|
|
Chan Keng Sieng
|
10,720
|
|
| Template:SG/UPF
|
Teo Kim Hoe (Loses $1,500 deposit)
|
196
|
|
| Clementi
|
20,890
|
|
Bernard Chen Tien Lap
|
Uncontested walkover
|
| Delta
|
14,800
|
|
Yeo Choo Kok
|
7,987
|
|
|
|
Peter Chua Chwee Huat
|
5,614
|
|
| Eunos
|
17,615
|
|
Zulkifli bin Mohammed
|
10,494
|
|
| Template:SG/SUF
|
Chong Tung Shang
|
5,697
|
|
| Fengshan
|
18,407
|
|
Arthur Beng Kian Lam
|
11,216
|
|
| Template:SG/SUF
|
Chng Chin Siah
|
6,005
|
|
| Geylang Serai
|
24,109
|
|
Othman bin Haron Eusofe
|
14,564
|
|
| Template:SG/SUF
|
Mohamed Mansor bin Abdul Rahman
|
7,649
|
|
| Geylang West
|
22,325
|
|
Teh Cheang Wan
|
13,798
|
|
| Template:SG/SUF
|
Lim Tiong Hock
|
2,994
|
|
| Henderson
|
17,630
|
|
Lai Tha Chai
|
9,695
|
|
|
|
Chon Koon Cheong
|
6,793
|
|
| Hong Kah
|
22,062
|
|
Yeo Cheow Tong
|
Uncontested walkover
|
| Jalan Besar
|
16,115
|
|
Lee Boon Yang
|
9,236
|
|
|
|
Anathan Balakrishnan
|
5,100
|
|
| Jalan Kayu
|
25,011
|
|
Heng Chiang Meng
|
11,985
|
|
|
|
Madai Puthan Damodaran NairTemplate:Efn
|
11,414
|
|
| Joo Chiat
|
18,957
|
|
Yeoh Ghim Seng
|
Uncontested walkover
|
| Jurong
|
24,517
|
|
Ho Kah Leong
|
Uncontested walkover
|
| Kaki Bukit
|
20,683
|
|
Chew Heng Ching
|
10,229
|
|
| Template:SG/SUF
|
Tan Chee KienTemplate:Efn
|
9,336
|
|
| Kallang
|
18,809
|
|
Suppiah Dhanabalan
|
11,256
|
|
|
|
A. L. Sundram
|
6,075
|
|
| Kampong Chai Chee
|
22,537
|
|
Andrew Fong Sip Chee
|
12,125
|
|
| Template:SG/SUF
|
Seow Khee Leng
|
9,087
|
|
| Kampong Glam
|
18,127
|
|
Sinnathamby Rajaratnam
|
Uncontested walkover
|
| Kampong Kembangan
|
20,295
|
|
Yatiman bin Yusof
|
10,326
|
|
|
|
Mohamed Jufrie bin Mahmood
|
3,023
|
|
| Kampong Ubi
|
14,323
|
|
Wan Hussin bin Zoohri
|
8,378
|
|
| Template:SG/PKMS
|
Abdul Rahman bin Mohamed Zin
|
4,768
|
|
| Kebun Baru
|
17,542
|
|
Lim Boon Heng
|
12,311
|
|
| Template:SG/UPF
|
Harbans Singh
|
3,921
|
|
| Khe Bong
|
15,773
|
|
Tang Guan Seng
|
9,221
|
|
| Template:SG/BS
|
Sim Say Chuan
|
5,525
|
|
| Kim Keat
|
20,439
|
|
Ong Teng Cheong
|
Uncontested walkover
|
| Kim Seng
|
22,136
|
|
Yeo Ning Hong
|
Uncontested walkover
|
| Kolam Ayer
|
23,630
|
|
Sidek bin Saniff
|
12,812
|
|
|
|
Royston George Scharenguivel
|
9,311
|
|
| Kreta Ayer
|
15,982
|
|
Hu Tsu Tau Richard
|
11,083
|
|
| Independent
|
Lee Mun Hung
|
2,242
|
|
| Kuo Chuan
|
18,728
|
|
Wong Kan Seng
|
11,162
|
|
| Template:SG/BS
|
Sim Chit Giak
|
6,129
|
|
| Leng Kee
|
14,805
|
|
Ow Chin Hock
|
9,190
|
|
|
|
George Benjamin Armstrong
|
4,559
|
|
| MacPherson
|
19,500
|
|
Chua Sian Chin
|
Uncontested walkover
|
| Marine Parade
|
23,622
|
|
Goh Chok Tong
|
15,228
|
|
| Template:SG/SUF
|
Gertrude Magdeline De Gracias
|
6,242
|
|
| Moulmein
|
18,893
|
|
Sia Khoon Seong
|
Uncontested walkover
|
| Mountbatten
|
21,480
|
|
Eugene Yap Giau Cheng
|
16,077
|
|
| Independent
|
Tan Ah Teng
|
3,692
|
|
| Nee Soon
|
26,897
|
|
Koh Lip Lin
|
18,444
|
|
| Template:SG/SUF
|
Quek Teow Chuan
|
6,401
|
|
| Pasir Panjang
|
17,149
|
|
Abbas bin Abu Amin
|
9,316
|
|
|
|
John Gan Eng Guan
|
6,022
|
|
| Angkatan Islam Singapura
|
Mohamad Sani bin Jan(Loses $1,500 deposit)
|
359
|
|
| Paya Lebar
|
18,420
|
|
Philip Tan Tee Yong
|
Uncontested walkover
|
| Potong Pasir
|
17,915
|
|
Chiam See Tong
|
10,128
|
|
|
|
Mah Bow Tan
|
5,509
|
|
| Punggol
|
24,727
|
|
Ng Kah Ting
|
14,904
|
|
| Template:SG/SUF
|
Sim Ah Leng
|
7,995
|
|
| Queenstown
|
18,084
|
|
Jek Yeun Thong
|
Uncontested walkover
|
| Radin Mas
|
19,770
|
|
Chng Hee Kok
|
9,997
|
|
|
|
Wong Hong Toy
|
8,590
|
|
| River Valley
|
13,481
|
|
Tay Eng Soon
|
Uncontested walkover
|
| Rochore
|
14,164
|
|
Toh Chin Chye
|
Uncontested walkover
|
| Sembawang
|
22,326
|
|
Tony Tan Keng Yam
|
15,948
|
|
| Independent
|
Stanley Mariadass
|
4,652
|
|
| Serangoon Gardens
|
17,553
|
|
Lau Teik Soon
|
Uncontested walkover
|
| Siglap
|
17,090
|
|
Abdullah bin Tarmugi
|
Uncontested walkover
|
| Tampines
|
19,656
|
|
Phua Bah Lee
|
13,163
|
|
| Template:SG/UPF
|
Kasim bin Ibrahim
|
5,032
|
|
| Tanah Merah
|
17,808
|
|
Ibrahim bin Othman
|
11,093
|
|
| Template:SG/SUF
|
Ng Lep Chong
|
5,201
|
|
| Tanglin
|
15,990
|
|
Edmund William Barker
|
Uncontested walkover
|
| Tanjong Pagar
|
15,812
|
|
Lee Kuan Yew
|
Uncontested walkover
|
| Teck Ghee
|
16,866
|
|
Lee Hsien Loong
|
12,794
|
|
| Template:SG/UPF
|
Giam Lai Cheng
|
3,123
|
|
| Telok Ayer
|
13,984
|
|
Ong Pang Boon
|
Uncontested walkover
|
| Telok Blangah
|
19,550
|
|
Koh Lam Son
|
10,150
|
|
|
|
Rajaratnam Murugason
|
8,299
|
|
| Thomson
|
15,271
|
|
Leong Horn Kee
|
Uncontested walkover
|
| Tiong Bahru
|
20,091
|
|
Ch'ng Jit Koon
|
Uncontested walkover
|
| Toa Payoh
|
14,177
|
|
Eric Cheong Yuen Chee
|
8,559
|
|
| Template:SG/BS
|
Ng Ho
|
4,576
|
|
| Ulu Pandan
|
22,761
|
|
Dixie Tan-Lee Mo Chun
|
Uncontested walkover
|
| West Coast
|
28,008
|
|
Wan Soon Bee
|
19,745
|
|
| Template:SG/SJP
|
Muthusamy Ramasamy
|
6,331
|
|
| Whampoa
|
18,494
|
|
Augustine Tan Hui Heng
|
Uncontested walkover
|
| Yio Chu Kang
|
16,734
|
|
Lau Ping Sum
|
11,977
|
|
| Template:SG/UPF
|
Munjeet Singh
|
3,647
|
|
| Yuhua
|
16,266
|
|
Yu-Foo Yee Shoon
|
9,551
|
|
|
|
Lim Ah Yong
|
5,996
|
|
| Source: ELD
|
