1980 Singaporean general election

Summary

General elections were held in Singapore on 23 December 1980. The result was a victory for the People's Action Party, which won all 75 seats, the last of four consecutive elections in which they repeated the feat. Voter turnout was 95%, although this figure represents the turnout in the 38 constituencies to be contested,[1] with PAP candidates earning walkovers in the other 37. 685,141 voters out of the total electorate of 1,290,426 went to vote on the elections.

1980 Singaporean general election

← 1976 23 December 1980 1984 →

All 75 seats in Parliament
38 seats needed for a majority
Registered685,141
Turnout95.50% (Increase 0.42pp)
  First party
 
Leader Lee Kuan Yew
Party PAP
Last election 74.09%, 69 seats
Seats won 75
Seat change Increase6
Popular vote 494,268
Percentage 77.66%
Swing Increase 3.57pp

Results by constituency

Prime Minister before election

Lee Kuan Yew
PAP

Prime Minister after election

Lee Kuan Yew
PAP

Background edit

Prior to this election, a series of by-elections were held in 1977 and 1979 after two and seven MPs, respectively, were vacated; however, the ruling PAP won every seat, allowing nine new candidates, which include Devan Nair and Tony Tan (both would later go on to become Presidents of Singapore) to enter Parliament. During the election, PAP also introduced a few other prominent members, such as future ministers Lee Yock Suan and S. Jayakumar, as well as a backbencher (and later Progress Singapore Party secretary-general and a 2011 presidential candidate) Tan Cheng Bock.

On 2 April the following year, then-President of National Trades Union Congress, Phey Yew Kok, resigned his Boon Teck seat after Phey was initially charged from a funding fraud of trade union funds, and left Singapore to avoid a bail; however, Lee chose not to call a by-election in his place since the current Parliament term was due to end.

Timeline edit

Date Event
5 December Dissolution of 4th Parliament
13 December Nomination Day
23 December Polling Day
3 February 1981 Opening of 5th Parliament

Campaign edit

The school streaming system, as well as Phey's fraud, became highlights of the campaign for the election.

Independent candidate Chiam See Tong, who made his political debut in the previous election, founded Singapore Democratic Party on 8 September, and would later go on to win Potong Pasir Constituency on the 1984 election on his third attempt (his first attempt was in the by-election last year) after the retirement of incumbent and cabinet minister Howe Yoon Chong.

A total of 43 opposition candidates went on to contest in 38 constituencies, which was nearly half of the total, with United People's Front representing the most number of candidates at 14. This was the first election (of the only three in history, with the other being 2006 and 2011) none of the candidates ran as Independents.

Constituencies edit

Similar to previous elections, constituencies were either dissolved or created due to population. The constituencies which saw changes were:[2][3]

Constituency Changes
New Constituencies
Ayer Rajah
Clementi
West Coast
Carved from Bukit Timah
Cheng San
Chong Boon
Carved from Serangoon Gardens
Kaki Bukit Carved from Kampong Chai Chee
Kebun Baru
Yio Chu Kang
Carved from Ang Mo Kio
Tanah Merah Carved from Bedok and Changi
Defunct Constituencies
Farrer Park Ward was absorbed to Moulmein and Cairnhill
Geylang East Ward was absorbed to Geylang Serai
Upper Serangoon Ward was absorbed to Serangoon Gardens and Paya Lebar

Results edit

 
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
People's Action Party494,26877.6675+6
Workers' Party39,5906.2200
United People's Front28,5864.4900
Singapore United Front27,5224.3200
Barisan Sosialis16,4882.5900
Singapore Malay National Organisation13,4352.1100
Singapore Democratic Party11,2921.770New
Singapore Justice Party5,2710.8300
Total636,452100.0075+6
Valid votes636,45297.27
Invalid/blank votes17,8432.73
Total votes654,295100.00
Registered voters/turnout1,290,42695.50
Source: Nohlen et al., Singapore Elections[a]

By constituency edit

Constituency Electorate Party Candidate Votes %
Alexandra 18,163 People's Action Party Tan Soo Khoon Unopposed
Aljunied 17,017 People's Action Party Chin Harn Tong 13,313 84.59
United Front Sim Peng Kim 2,425 15.41
Ang Mo Kio 22,542 People's Action Party Yeo Toon Chia 17,436 81.99
United People's Front Ang Bee Lian 3,830 18.01
Anson 15,077 People's Action Party Devan Nair 11,564 84.10
United People's Front John Santhirasekaran P. M. Thevar 2,187 15.90
Ayer Rajah 15,787 People's Action Party Tan Cheng Bock 12,400 83.39
Singapore Justice Party Suib bin Abdul Rahman 2,470 16.61
Bedok 20,852 People's Action Party S. Jayakumar 14,691 75.03
Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Melayu Singapura Abdul Rahman bin Mohamed Zin 3,527 18.01
United People's Front Thomas Anthony Tay 1,362 6.96
Boon Lay 21,317 People's Action Party Goh Chee Wee 15,005 74.19
United Front Tan Chee Kien 5,220 25.81
Boon Teck 18,705 People's Action Party Liew Kok Pun 11,917 68.14
Barisan Sosialis Lee Siew Choh 5,571 31.86
Braddell Heights 14,519 People's Action Party Lee Khoon Choy Unopposed
Brickworks 13,054 People's Action Party Ahmad Mattar Unopposed
Bukit Batok 18,275 People's Action Party Chai Chong Yii Unopposed
Bukit Ho Swee 12,435 People's Action Party Seah Mui Kok Unopposed
Bukit Merah 19,046 People's Action Party Lim Chee Onn Unopposed
Bukit Panjang 23,305 People's Action Party Lee Yiok Seng 18,510 87.03
United People's Front Mohamed Sani bin Ahmad 2,759 12.97
Bukit Timah 15,334 People's Action Party Chor Yeok Eng Unopposed
Buona Vista 17,287 People's Action Party Ang Kok Peng Unopposed
Cairnhill 18,133 People's Action Party Wong Kwei Cheong 11,444 71.79
Singapore Democratic Party Fok Tai Loy 4,498 28.21
Changi 25,464 People's Action Party Teo Chong Tee Unopposed
Cheng San 17,044 People's Action Party Lee Yock Suan 12,312 75.89
Workers' Party Choong Chee Kwong 3,911 24.11
Chong Boon 13,877 People's Action Party Rajagopal Sitaram Chandra Das Unopposed
Chua Chu Kang 22,363 People's Action Party Tang See Chim Unopposed
Clementi 15,129 People's Action Party Bernard Chen Tien Lap 12,162 85.42
United People's Front Singh Munjeet 2,076 14.58
Delta 14,830 People's Action Party Yeo Choo Kok Unopposed
Geylang Serai 19,962 People's Action Party Othman bin Haron Eusofe 13,195 71.99
United Front Seow Khee Leng 5,134 28.01
Geylang West 22,298 People's Action Party Teh Cheang Wan 17,585 85.45
United People's Front Long bin Abdullah 2,994 14.55
Havelock 12,524 People's Action Party Hon Sui Sen Unopposed
Henderson 18,353 People's Action Party Lai Tha Chai 13,363 77.42
Workers' Party Lim Kang Chew 3,897 22.58
Jalan Besar 15,058 People's Action Party Chan Chee Seng Unopposed
Jalan Kayu 23,766 People's Action Party Hwang Soo Jin 15,275 69.02
Workers' Party Madai Puthan Damodaran Nair 6,855 30.98
Joo Chiat 12,805 People's Action Party Yeoh Ghim Seng 8,542 74.18
Singapore Democratic Party Soon Kia Seng 2,973 25.82
Jurong 18,658 People's Action Party Ho Kah Leong Unopposed
Kaki Bukit 21,318 People's Action Party Saidi Shariff 14,550 72.32
Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Melayu Singapura Ibrahim bin Ariff 4,072 20.24
United People's Front Atim bin Ismail 1,496 7.44
Kallang 16,222 People's Action Party S. Dhanabalan Unopposed
Kampong Chai Chee 20,237 People's Action Party Andrew Fong Sip Chee 15,421 81.22
United Front Leong Yew Thong 3,565 18.78
Kampong Glam 17,241 People's Action Party S. Rajaratnam Unopposed
Kampong Kembangan 15,854 People's Action Party Mohd Mansor bin Sukaimi 11,194 78.74
Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Melayu Singapura Jamal bin Idris 3,023 21.26
Kampong Ubi 16,250 People's Action Party Wan Hussin bin Zoohri 11,102 73.87
Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Melayu Singapura Sahid bin Sahooman 2,813 18.72
United People's Front Shaikh Ahmad bin Shaikh Salim 1,113 7.41
Katong 12,041 People's Action Party Joseph Francis De Conceicao Unopposed
Kebun Baru 17,709 People's Action Party Lim Boon Heng 13,632 82.83
United Front Lim Tiong Hock 1,883 11.44
United People's Front Jantan bin Taib 943 5.73
Khe Bong 15,425 People's Action Party Ho See Beng 10,497 72.42
Barisan Sosialis Sim Say Chuan 3,998 27.58
Kim Keat 20,781 People's Action Party Ong Teng Cheong Unopposed
Kim Seng 14,734 People's Action Party Yeo Ning Hong 11,109 80.55
Workers' Party Seow Yong Chew 2,682 19.45
Kolam Ayer 22,775 People's Action Party Sidek Saniff 16,995 80.35
United Front Mohamed Mansor bin Abdul Rahman 4,155 19.65
Kreta Ayer 11,973 People's Action Party Goh Keng Swee Unopposed
Kuo Chuan 17,471 People's Action Party Pathmanaban Selvadurai 12,378 75.92
Barisan Sosialis Sim Chit Giak 3,925 24.08
Leng Kee 15,166 People's Action Party Ow Chin Hock Unopposed
MacPherson 18,997 People's Action Party Chua Sian Chin 15,280 86.89
United People's Front Darus bin Shariff 2,306 13.11
Marine Parade 21,903 People's Action Party Goh Chok Tong Unopposed
Moulmein 16,999 People's Action Party Sia Khoon Seong Unopposed
Mountbatten 14,045 People's Action Party Eugene Yap Giau Cheng Unopposed
Nee Soon 16,817 People's Action Party Koh Lip Lin Unopposed
Pasir Panjang 17,743 People's Action Party Abbas Abu Amin 11,824 72.57
Workers' Party Zainul Abidin 4,470 27.43
Paya Lebar 11,666 People's Action Party Sia Kah Hui Unopposed
Potong Pasir 10,068 People's Action Party Howe Yoon Chong 5,509 59.05
Singapore Democratic Party Chiam See Tong 3,821 40.95
Punggol 23,333 People's Action Party Ng Kah Ting 17,103 78.86
United Front Chua Nguan Key 4,585 21.14
Queenstown 17,450 People's Action Party Jek Yeun Thong Unopposed
Radin Mas 18,854 People's Action Party Mohamed Kassim Abdul Jabbar 11,335 64.07
Workers' Party Wong Hong Toy 6,356 35.93
River Valley 14,950 People's Action Party Tay Eng Soon Unopposed
Rochore 14,705 People's Action Party Toh Chin Chye Unopposed
Sembawang 17,785 People's Action Party Tony Tan 13,415 81.55
United People's Front Harbans Singh 3,035 18.45
Serangoon Gardens 16,973 People's Action Party Lau Teik Soon Unopposed
Siglap 16,675 People's Action Party Abdul Rahim Ishak 11,564 77.91
Workers' Party Royston George Scharenguivel 3,278 22.09
Tampines 18,982 People's Action Party Phua Bah Lee 15,065 85.92
United People's Front Kasim bin Ibrahim 2,469 14.08
Tanah Merah 15,711 People's Action Party Lee Chiaw Meng Unopposed
Tanglin 13,332 People's Action Party Edmund W. Barker Unopposed
Tanjong Pagar 13,765 People's Action Party Lee Kuan Yew 11,730 92.74
United Front Johnny Wee Lai Seng 555 4.39
United People's Front Lee Mun Hung 363 2.87
Telok Ayer 12,381 People's Action Party Ong Pang Boon Unopposed
Telok Blangah 18,314 People's Action Party Rohan bin Kamis 9,187 53.02
Workers' Party J. B. Jeyaratnam 8,141 46.98
Thomson 14,786 People's Action Party Chau Sik Ting Unopposed
Tiong Bahru 18,077 People's Action Party Ch'ng Jit Koon Unopposed
Toa Payoh 13,799 People's Action Party Eric Cheong Yuen Chee 9,872 76.73
Barisan Sosialis Ng Ho 2,994 23.27
Ulu Pandan 22,048 People's Action Party Chiang Hai Ding Unopposed
West Coast 18,949 People's Action Party Wan Soon Bee 15,185 84.43
Singapore Justice Party Muthusamy Ramasamy 2,801 15.57
Whampoa 19,131 People's Action Party Augustine Tan Hui Heng Unopposed
Yio Chu Kang 14,012 People's Action Party Lau Ping Sum 11,607 87.53
United People's Front Lachhu S. Piaro 1,653 12.47
Source: ELD

Notes edit

  1. ^ 605,285 of the 1,290,426 voters were registered in uncontested constituencies.

References edit

  1. ^ Dieter Nohlen, Florian Grotz & Christof Hartmann (2001) Elections in Asia: A data handbook, Volume II, p254 ISBN 0-19-924959-8
  2. ^ "Parliamentary electoral Map (Key Map)". www.nas.gov.sg. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
  3. ^ "Singapore Parliamentary electoral Map". www.nas.gov.sg. Retrieved 2021-11-03.