1984 General Election

From PoliticalSG

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allows workers to withdraw some of their CPF funds at age 55, setting aside a certain minimum sum which can only be withdrawn at retirement age, currently at 62 years.[5][6]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
  • 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 
 66.79%
John Cruz Corera 6,053 
 33.21%
Aljunied 19,045 Chin Harn Tong Uncontested walkover
Ang Mo Kio 14,633 Yeo Toon Chia 9,909 
 72.75%
Template:SG/UPF Ang Bee Lian 3,711 
 27.25%
Anson 18,493 Joshua Benjamin Jeyaratnam 9,909 
 56.81%
Ng Pock Too 7,533 
 43.19%
Ayer Rajah 20,017 Tan Cheng Bock 14,050 
 75.44%
Template:SG/SJP Suib bin Abdul Rahman 4,575 
 24.56%
Bedok 17,074 Shunmugam Jayakumar 10,972 
 68.95%
Template:SG/SUF Lee Chin Teck 4,941 
 31.05%
Bo Wen 14,777 Sushilan Vasoo 10,299 
 74.70%
Template:SG/UPF Shaikh Ahmad bin Shaikh Salim 3,488 
 25.30%
Boon Lay 18,964 Goh Chee Wee 12,490 
 69.65%
Template:SG/SUF Reveendran Sasi 5,443 
 30.35%
Boon Teck 19,490 Ho Tat Kin 10,224 
 56.16%
Template:SG/BS Lee Siew Choh 7,982 
 43.84%
Braddell Heights 14,152 Goh Choon Kang Uncontested walkover
Brickworks 13,571 Ahmad bin Mohamed Mattar 8,389 
 66.27%
Mohd Taib bin Saffar 4,270 
 33.73%
Bukit Batok 20,812 Chai Chong Yii 14,767 
 78.27%
Template:SG/UPF Tan Jue Kit 4,099 
 21.73%
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 
 65.75%
Template:SG/SUF Sim Peng Kim 6,353 
 34.25%
Changkat 18,742 Aline Wong-Kan Lai Chung 10,310 
 58.56%
Soon Kia Seng 7,297 
 41.44%
Cheng San 17,328 Lee Yock Suan Uncontested walkover
Chong Boon 20,650 Rajagopal Sitaram Chandra Das 11,058 
 56.02%
Ling How Dung 8,681 
 43.98%
Chua Chu Kang 25,532 Tang See Chim 13,254 
 54.84%
Chan Keng Sieng 10,720 
 44.35%
Template:SG/UPF Teo Kim Hoe (Loses $1,500 deposit) 196 
 0.81%
Clementi 20,890 Bernard Chen Tien Lap Uncontested walkover
Delta 14,800 Yeo Choo Kok 7,987 
 58.72%
Peter Chua Chwee Huat 5,614 
 41.28%
Eunos 17,615 Zulkifli bin Mohammed 10,494 
 64.81%
Template:SG/SUF Chong Tung Shang 5,697 
 35.19%
Fengshan 18,407 Arthur Beng Kian Lam 11,216 
 65.13%
Template:SG/SUF Chng Chin Siah 6,005 
 34.87%
Geylang Serai 24,109 Othman bin Haron Eusofe 14,564 
 65.57%
Template:SG/SUF Mohamed Mansor bin Abdul Rahman 7,649 
 34.43%
Geylang West 22,325 Teh Cheang Wan 13,798 
 66.83%
Template:SG/SUF Lim Tiong Hock 2,994 
 34.43%
Henderson 17,630 Lai Tha Chai 9,695 
 58.80%
Chon Koon Cheong 6,793 
 41.20%
Hong Kah 22,062 Yeo Cheow Tong Uncontested walkover
Jalan Besar 16,115 Lee Boon Yang 9,236 
 64.43%
Anathan Balakrishnan 5,100 
 35.57%
Jalan Kayu 25,011 Heng Chiang Meng 11,985 
 51.22%
Madai Puthan Damodaran NairTemplate:Efn 11,414 
 48.78%
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 
 52.28%
Template:SG/SUF Tan Chee KienTemplate:Efn 9,336 
 47.72%
Kallang 18,809 Suppiah Dhanabalan 11,256 
 64.95%
A. L. Sundram 6,075 
 35.05%
Kampong Chai Chee 22,537 Andrew Fong Sip Chee 12,125 
 57.16%
Template:SG/SUF Seow Khee Leng 9,087 
 42.84%
Kampong Glam 18,127 Sinnathamby Rajaratnam Uncontested walkover
Kampong Kembangan 20,295 Yatiman bin Yusof 10,326 
 55.71%
Mohamed Jufrie bin Mahmood 3,023 
 35.05%
Kampong Ubi 14,323 Wan Hussin bin Zoohri 8,378 
 63.73%
Template:SG/PKMS Abdul Rahman bin Mohamed Zin 4,768 
 36.27%
Kebun Baru 17,542 Lim Boon Heng 12,311 
 75.84%
Template:SG/UPF Harbans Singh 3,921 
 24.16%
Khe Bong 15,773 Tang Guan Seng 9,221 
 62.53%
Template:SG/BS Sim Say Chuan 5,525 
 37.47%
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 
 57.91%
Royston George Scharenguivel 9,311 
 42.09%
Kreta Ayer 15,982 Hu Tsu Tau Richard 11,083 
 83.17%
Independent Lee Mun Hung 2,242 
 16.83%
Kuo Chuan 18,728 Wong Kan Seng 11,162 
 64.55%
Template:SG/BS Sim Chit Giak 6,129 
 35.45%
Leng Kee 14,805 Ow Chin Hock 9,190 
 66.84%
George Benjamin Armstrong 4,559 
 33.16%
MacPherson 19,500 Chua Sian Chin Uncontested walkover
Marine Parade 23,622 Goh Chok Tong 15,228 
 70.93%
Template:SG/SUF Gertrude Magdeline De Gracias 6,242 
 29.07%
Moulmein 18,893 Sia Khoon Seong Uncontested walkover
Mountbatten 21,480 Eugene Yap Giau Cheng 16,077 
 81.32%
Independent Tan Ah Teng 3,692 
 18.68%
Nee Soon 26,897 Koh Lip Lin 18,444 
 74.24%
Template:SG/SUF Quek Teow Chuan 6,401 
 25.76%
Pasir Panjang 17,149 Abbas bin Abu Amin 9,316 
 59.35%
John Gan Eng Guan 6,022 
 38.36%
Angkatan Islam Singapura Mohamad Sani bin Jan(Loses $1,500 deposit) 359 
 2.29%
Paya Lebar 18,420 Philip Tan Tee Yong Uncontested walkover
Potong Pasir 17,915 Chiam See Tong 10,128 
 60.28%
Mah Bow Tan 5,509 
 39.72%
Punggol 24,727 Ng Kah Ting 14,904 
 65.09%
Template:SG/SUF Sim Ah Leng 7,995 
 34.91%
Queenstown 18,084 Jek Yeun Thong Uncontested walkover
Radin Mas 19,770 Chng Hee Kok 9,997 
 53.78%
Wong Hong Toy 8,590 
 46.22%
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 
 77.42%
Independent Stanley Mariadass 4,652 
 22.58%
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 
 72.34%
Template:SG/UPF Kasim bin Ibrahim 5,032 
 27.66%
Tanah Merah 17,808 Ibrahim bin Othman 11,093 
 68.08%
Template:SG/SUF Ng Lep Chong 5,201 
 31.92%
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 
 80.38%
Template:SG/UPF Giam Lai Cheng 3,123 
 19.62%
Telok Ayer 13,984 Ong Pang Boon Uncontested walkover
Telok Blangah 19,550 Koh Lam Son 10,150 
 55.02%
Rajaratnam Murugason 8,299 
 44.98%
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 
 65.16%
Template:SG/BS Ng Ho 4,576 
 34.84%
Ulu Pandan 22,761 Dixie Tan-Lee Mo Chun Uncontested walkover
West Coast 28,008 Wan Soon Bee 19,745 
 75.72%
Template:SG/SJP Muthusamy Ramasamy 6,331 
 24.28%
Whampoa 18,494 Augustine Tan Hui Heng Uncontested walkover
Yio Chu Kang 16,734 Lau Ping Sum 11,977 
 76.66%
Template:SG/UPF Munjeet Singh 3,647 
 23.34%
Yuhua 16,266 Yu-Foo Yee Shoon 9,551 
 61.43%
Lim Ah Yong 5,996 
 38.57%
Source: ELD
  1. ↑ Template:Cite news
  2. ↑ Template:Cite news
  3. ↑ Template:Cite web
  4. ↑ Template:Cite book
  5. ↑ Template:Cite news
  6. ↑ Template:Cite news
  7. ↑ Template:Cite news
  8. ↑ Template:Cite book
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