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1988 Singaporean general election

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General elections were held in Singapore on 3 September 1988. President Wee Kim Wee dissolved parliament on 17 August 1988 on the advice of Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. The result was a victory for the People's Action Party, which won 80 of the 81 seats. This was the last time Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew led the PAP in an election.

1988 Singaporean general election
← 1984 3 September 1988 1991 →
All 81 directly elected seats in Parliament (and up to 3 NCMPs)
Registered1,669,013[a]
Turnout94.70% (Decrease 0.95pp)
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Lee Kuan Yew J. B. Jeyaretnam Chiam See Tong
Party PAP WP SDP
Last election 64.83%, 77 seats 12.65%, 1 seat 3.66%, 1 seat
Seats won 80 0+1 NCMP 1
Seat change Increase 3 Decrease 1 Increase 1 NCMP Steady
Popular vote 848,029 224,473 158,341
Percentage 63.17% 16.72% 11.80%
Swing Decrease 1.66pp Increase 4.07pp Increase 8.14pp
Results by constituency
Prime Minister before election

Lee Kuan Yew
PAP

Prime Minister after election

Lee Kuan Yew
PAP

Though the total eligible voter population surpassed one million in 1976, the 1988 elections was the first time that over one million voters were able to vote in contested constituencies. This was not repeated until 2006.

Overview edit

In 1986, Town Councils were introduced, which also cumulates to the creation of Group Representation Constituencies, a plurality general ticket voting scheme, to ensure ethnic minority representation in Parliament, starting with three member constituencies. This was also the first election where changes to electoral boundaries were approved by the Prime Minister's Office instead of tabling a bill in Parliament to approve changes.[1]

The Workers' Party absorbed the two parties, Barisan Sosialis (BS) and Singapore United Front to become the largest opposition party and also allied with the Malay party PKMS as a single faction.

In November 1990, two years after the election, the Nominated MP scheme was implemented to introduce non-partisan voices into the legislature. Although the law allowed up to six NMPs, two were appointed at the start and served for a year before the Parliament term ended.

Timeline edit

Date Event
14 June Publication of Electoral Boundaries report
17 August Dissolution of 6th Parliament
24 August Nomination Day
3 September Polling Day
16 September[2] Non-constituency Member of Parliament posts declared
9 January 1989 Opening of 7th Parliament

Electoral boundaries edit

See also: List of Singaporean electoral divisions (1988–91)

In addition to the creation of the Group Representation Constituency (GRC) scheme, single member constituencies (SMC) were either formed from or absorbed to neighboring constituencies due to development and electorate, which was shown in the table below:

Constituency Changes
Formation of Group Representation Constituencies
Aljunied GRC Formed from Aljunied, Kampong Kembangan and Kampong Ubi SMCs
Bedok GRC Formed from Bedok, Kampong Chai Chee and Tanah Merah SMCs
Brickworks GRC Formed from Alexandra, Brickworks and Queenstown SMCs
Cheng San GRC Formed from Cheng San, Chong Boon and Jalan Kayu SMCs
Eunos GRC Formed from Eunos, Kaki Bukit and a portion of Tampines SMCs (the latter was renamed to Tampines North)
Hong Kah GRC Formed from parts of Bukit Batok (Hong Kah North), Hong Kah (Hong Kah Central) and Yuhua SMCs (Hong Kah South)
Jalan Besar GRC Formed from Geylang West, Jalan Besar and Kolam Ayer SMCs.
Marine Parade GRC Formed from Geylang Serai, Joo Chiat and Marine Parade SMCs.
Pasir Panjang GRC Formed from Clementi, Pasir Panjang and West Coast SMCs.
Sembawang GRC Formed from parts of Nee Soon (Chong Pang and Nee Soon East) and most of Sembawang SMCs
Nee Soon Central and Nee Soon South were subsumed into its own SMCs
Tampines GRC Formed from Changkat SMC and Tampines SMC (the latter was divided into Tampines Changkat, Tampines East and Tampines West)
Tiong Bahru GRC Formed from Delta, Henderson, Tiong Bahru and Radin Mas SMCs; Delta was absorbed into Tiong Bahru division.
Toa Payoh GRC Formed from Boon Teck, Khe Bong, Kuo Chuan and Toa Payoh SMCs; Khe Bong was absorbed into Boon Teck division.
New Single Member Constituencies
Bukit Gombak SMC Carved out from Bukit Batok SMC
Hougang SMC Carved out from Punggol SMC
Nee Soon Central SMC
Nee Soon East SMC		 Carved out from Nee Soon SMC
Defunct Single Member Constituencies
Anson SMC Absorbed to Tanjong Pagar SMC
Bo Wen SMC Absorbed to Ang Mo Kio SMC
River Valley SMC Absorbed to Cairnhill SMC
Rochore SMC Absorbed to Kampong Glam SMC
Telok Ayer SMC Absorbed to Kreta Ayer SMC

New candidates edit

The election introduced certain prominent members such as George Yeo, K Shanmugam, Mah Bow Tan, as well as a future WP and opposition leader Low Thia Khiang, who made his debut in Tiong Bahru Group Representation Constituency.

Outgoing candidates edit

13 MPs retired ahead of the election per the party's renewal, which include Deputy Prime Minister Toh Chin Chye and Senior Minister S. Rajaratnam. Before that, two other MPs had vacated but neither by-elections are called, which were J. B. Jeyaretnam (Anson) and Minister Teh Cheang Wan (Geylang West).

Candidate Age Constituency Since Replacement
Ang Kok Peng 61 Buona Vista 1972 Peter Sung
Chai Chong Yii 53 Bukit Batok 1972 Ong Chit Chung
E.W. Barker 68 Tanglin 1959 Lew Syn Pau
Eric Cheong 58 Toa Payoh 1968 Davinder Singh
Fong Sip Chee 50 Kampong Chai Chee 1963 Hong Hai
Jek Yeun Thong 58 Queenstown 1968 Chay Wai Chuen
Lai Tha Chai 52 Henderson 1972 S Vasoo
Ong Pang Boon 58 Telok Ayer 1959 Merged into Kreta Ayer
Phua Bah Lee 56 Tampines 1968 Split into three different wards
S. Rajaratnam 73 Kampong Glam 1959 Loh Meng See
Tang See Chim 56 Chua Chu Kang 1966 Low Seow Chay
Toh Chin Chye 68 Rochor 1959 Merged into Kampong Glam
Yeo Choo Kok 52 Delta 1970 Merged into Kim Seng

Results edit

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
People's Action Party848,02963.1780+3
Workers' Party224,47316.7210
Singapore Democratic Party158,34111.8010
National Solidarity Party50,4323.760New
United People's Front17,2821.2900
Singapore Justice Party14,6601.0900
Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Melayu Singapura13,5261.0100
Angkatan Islam2800.0200
Independents15,4121.1500
Total1,342,435100.0082+2
Valid votes1,342,43597.77
Invalid/blank votes30,6292.23
Total votes1,373,064100.00
Registered voters/turnout1,669,01394.70
Source: Singapore Elections[b]

With the Singapore Democratic Party leader's Chiam See Tong sole victory in the seat of Potong Pasir, two Non-Constituency MP seats were offered to former solicitor-general and Law Society president, Francis Seow and veteran politician Dr Lee Siew Choh, both of which were standing under the WP ticket in Eunos Group Representation Constituency; their campaign was notable for criticizing PAP for alleged dubious financial circumstances; in response Minister of State Tay Eng Soon went to lead their PAP team for Eunos. Despite losing by a narrow margin of 49.1%-50.9%, WP were eligible for the NCMP; however, Seow fled the country on 17 December to avoid arrest and was disqualified from the post while Lee took up the offer and became Singapore's first NCMP, marking Lee's return to Parliament after 25 years since his last stint as a PAP and BS legislator.

By constituency edit

Constituency Seats Electorate % Candidates Votes %
Aljunied GRC 3 65,351 People's Action Party Chin Harn Tong
Wan Hussin B H Zoohri
George Yeo 		34,020 56.33
Singapore Democratic Party Jufrie Mahmood
Neo Choon Aik
Ashleigh Seow Chuan-Hock 		26,375 43.67
Ang Mo Kio SMC 1 14,633 People's Action Party Yeo Toon Chia 13,365 65.49
National Solidarity Party Ong Kah Seng 7,044 27.25
Ayer Rajah SMC 1 22,532 People's Action Party Tan Cheng Bock 14,824 69.55
Workers' Party Tan Song Gek 6,489 30.45
Bedok GRC 3 54,969 People's Action Party Hong Hai
Ibrahim Othman
S. Jayakumar 		28,266 54.92
Workers' Party Gertrude De Gracias
Saraswathy Murugason
Seow Khee Leng 		23,203 45.08
Boon Lay SMC 1 16,646 People's Action Party Goh Chee Wee 11,317 71.97
Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Melayu Singapura Salleh Mohd Bawthan 4,408 28.03
Braddell Heights SMC 1 27,019 People's Action Party Goh Choon Kang 14,862 58.80
Singapore Democratic Party Sin Kek Tong 10,412 41.20
Brickworks GRC 3 43,117 People's Action Party Ahmad Mattar
Chay Wai Chuen
Tan Soo Khoon 		26,870 67.43
Workers' Party J C Corera
Goh Teng Hoon
Ismail Yaacob 		12,977 32.57
Bukit Batok SMC 1 24,138 People's Action Party Ong Chit Chung 12,873 55.94
Singapore Democratic Party Kwan Yue Keng 10,139 44.06
Bukit Gombak SMC 1 25,221 People's Action Party Seet Ai Mee 12,661 53.46
Singapore Democratic Party Ling How Doong 11,024 46.54
Bukit Merah SMC 1 14,723 People's Action Party Lim Chee Onn 9,414 69.78
Workers' Party Pok Lee Chuen 4,077 30.22
Bukit Panjang SMC 1 33,824 People's Action Party Lee Yiok Seng 18,314 57.28
Singapore Democratic Party Kwek Guan Kwee 9,864 30.86
Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Melayu Singapura Ibrahim Ariff 3,790 11.86
Bukit Timah SMC 1 20,222 People's Action Party Wang Kai Yuen Uncontested
Buona Vista SMC 1 15,850 People's Action Party Peter Sung 8,859 61.76
Singapore Democratic Party Low Yong Nguan 5,037 35.11
Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Melayu Singapura Abdul Karim B Abdul Sattar 449 3.13
Cairnhill SMC 1 23,197 People's Action Party Wong Kwei Cheong 12,779 63.98
Singapore Democratic Party Jimmy Tan Tiang Hoe 7,194 36.02
Changi SMC 1 17,145 People's Action Party Teo Chong Tee 9,398 59.73
Workers' Party Chiam Yeow Juan 6,431 40.63
Cheng San GRC 3 56,352 People's Action Party Lee Yock Suan
Chandra Das S
Heng Chiang Meng 		Uncontested
Chua Chu Kang SMC 1 19,628 People's Action Party Low Seow Chay 11,058 59.28
Workers' Party Goh Seng Soon 7,597 40.72
Eunos GRC 3 75,723 People's Action Party Tay Eng Soon
Chew Heng Ching
Zulkifli Mohammed 		36,500 50.89
Workers' Party Lee Siew Choh[c]
Mohd Khalit B Md Baboo
Francis Seow[d] 		35,221 49.11
Fengshan SMC 1 17,389 People's Action Party Arthur Beng Kian Lam 9,507 57.92
Workers' Party Chng Chin Siah 6,907 42.08
Hong Kah GRC 3 67,431 People's Action Party A Nasser Kamaruddin
John Chen Seow Phun
Yeo Cheow Tong 		Uncontested
Hougang SMC 1 21,703 People's Action Party Tang Guan Seng 11,983 58.96
Workers' Party Lim Chiu Liang 8,342 41.04
Jalan Besar GRC 3 54,941 People's Action Party Lee Boon Yang
Peh Chin Hua
Sidek Saniff 		31,604 62.68
Workers' Party Edmund Richard Marsh
Mohamed Bin Idris
Toh Keng Thong 		18,814 37.32
Jurong SMC 1 21,420 People's Action Party Ho Kah Leong 14,769 75.17
Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Melayu Singapura Mohamed Awang 4,879 24.83
Kallang SMC 1 21,245 People's Action Party S. Dhanabalan 13,097 66.13
Workers' Party A L Sundram 6,707 33.87
Kampong Glam SMC 1 21,773 People's Action Party Loh Meng See 12,525 67.32
Workers' Party Frederick De Wind 5,800 31.87
Angkatan Islam M Sani Jan 280 1.51
Kebun Baru SMC 1 22,515 People's Action Party Lim Boon Heng 15,734 75.36
National Solidarity Party Mohamed Affendy Bin Abdul Rahim 5,145 24.64
Kim Keat SMC 1 15,850 People's Action Party Ong Teng Cheong 10,644 73.00
Singapore Democratic Party Md Shariff Bin Yahya 3,937 27.00
Kim Seng SMC 1 18,474 People's Action Party Yeo Ning Hong 11,460 66.90
Workers' Party Chin Tian Choo 5,670 33.10
Kreta Ayer SMC 1 21,470 People's Action Party Richard Hu 13,158 70.50
Workers' Party Loh Fook Cheong 5,507 29.50
Leng Kee SMC 1 21,964 People's Action Party Ow Chin Hock 13,334 64.96
Workers' Party Chua Chwee Huat Peter 7,192 35.04
MacPherson SMC 1 17,063 People's Action Party Chua Sian Chin 10,453 65.98
National Solidarity Party Kum Teng Hock 5,390 34.02
Marine Parade GRC 3 62,385 People's Action Party Goh Chok Tong
Choo Wee Khiang
Othman Haron Eusofe 		41,325 73.81
Singapore Justice Party A R Suib
M Ramasamy
Theng Chin Eng 		14,660 26.19
Moulmein SMC 1 19,229 People's Action Party Sia Khoon Seong 11,334 66.08
Workers' Party A Balakrishnan 5,817 33.92
Mountbatten SMC 1 17,747 People's Action Party Eugene Yap Giau Cheng 12,712 78.15
Independent Chiam Pan Boon 3,554 21.85
Nee Soon Central SMC 1 24,403 People's Action Party Ng Pock Too 13,396 57.61
Singapore Democratic Party Cheo Chai Chen 8,944 38.46
United People's Front Giam Lai Cheng 914 3.93
Nee Soon South SMC 1 22,542 People's Action Party Koh Lip Lin 13,793 64.88
Singapore Democratic Party Yong Chu Leong 6,533 0.73
United People's Front Munjeet Singh 932 4.39
Pasir Panjang GRC 3 66,600 People's Action Party Abbas Abu Amin
Bernard Chen Tien Lap
Wan Soon Bee 		38,545 61.57
Workers' Party Gan Eng Guan
Mohd Taib Sattar
Wee Han Kim 		24,059 38.43
Paya Lebar SMC 1 25,076 People's Action Party Philip Tan Tee Yong 12,352 52.36
Singapore Democratic Party Chew David 11,240 47.64
Potong Pasir SMC 1 19,852 Singapore Democratic Party Chiam See Tong 11,804 63.13
People's Action Party Kenneth Chen Koon Lap 6,893 36.87
Punggol SMC 1 31,577 People's Action Party Ng Kah Ting 17,914 59.85
Singapore Democratic Party Abdul Rasheed Y. Abdul Kuthus 12,017 40.15
Sembawang GRC 3 55,633 People's Action Party Tony Tan
Charles Chong
K. Shanmugam 		36,154 70.08
United People's Front Ang Bee Lian
Kasim Bin Ibrahim
Harbans Singh 		15,436 29.92
Serangoon Gardens SMC 1 24,831 People's Action Party Lau Teik Soon 16,234 74.17
Independent Harry Baptist 5,654 25.83
Siglap SMC 1 18,650 People's Action Party Abdullah Tarmugi 12,101 73.73
Workers' Party Chong Tung Shang 4,311 26.27
Tampines GRC 3 65,148 People's Action Party Mah Bow Tan
Aline Wong
Yatiman Yusof 		37,216 61.00
National Solidarity Party Abdul Malik Bin Ali
Chan Yeng Cheong
Lim Ah Yong 		23,796 39.00
Tanglin SMC 1 17,497 People's Action Party Lew Syn Pau Uncontested
Tanjong Pagar SMC 1 19,041 People's Action Party Lee Kuan Yew 14,043 81.60
Independent M G Guru 3,167 18.40
Teck Ghee SMC 1 15,510 People's Action Party Lee Hsien Loong 11,512 79.13
Independent Patrick Leong S C 3,037 20.87
Telok Blangah SMC 1 18,609 People's Action Party Koh Lam Son 11,160 64.21
Workers' Party Tan Soo Phuan 6,220 35.79
Thomson SMC 1 34,886 People's Action Party Leong Horn Kee 21,514 67.01
Singapore Democratic Party Ng Teck Siong 10,590 32.99
Tiong Bahru GRC 3 58,898 People's Action Party Chng Hee Kok
Ch'ng Jit Koon
S Vasoo 		31,732 57.84
Workers' Party Low Thia Khiang
Lim Lye Soon
Gopalan Nair 		23,132 42.16
Toa Payoh GRC 3 49,243 People's Action Party Davinder Singh
Ho Tat Kin
Wong Kan Seng 		Uncontested
Ulu Pandan SMC 1 23,587 People's Action Party Dixie Tan 14,436 69.07
Singapore Democratic Party George Sita 6,466 30.93
Whampoa SMC 1 13,819 People's Action Party Augustine Tan Hui Heng 7,522 59.47
National Solidarity Party Ken Sunn 5,126 40.53
Yio Chu Kang SMC 1 15,991 People's Action Party Lau Ping Sum 10,996 73.67
National Solidarity Party Rasiah Thiagarajah 3,931 26.33
Yuhua SMC 1 19,190 People's Action Party Yu-Foo Yee Shoon 11,497 62.96
Singapore Democratic Party Toh Kim Kiat 6,765 37.04
Source: ELD

Notes edit

  1. ^ Of which 1,449,838 were in contested constituencies
  2. ^ 219,175 of the 1,669,013 voters were registered in uncontested constituencies
  3. ^ Elected as NCMP on 16 September 1988.
  4. ^ Elected as NCMP on 16 September 1988 but lost his seat with effect from 17 December 1988 due to being convicted and fined for tax evasion.

References edit

  1. ^ Singapore Elections. "PARLIAMENTARY GENERAL ELECTION 1988". Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  2. ^ National Library Board. "Francis Seow and Siew Choh made non-constituency MPs". Retrieved 16 July 2020.
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