1984 Singaporean general election

General elections were held in Singapore on 22 December 1984. President Devan Nair dissolved parliament on 4 December 1984 on the advice of Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. 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.

1984 Singaporean general election
22 December 1984
79 (Only 49 contested) seats to the Parliament of Singapore
40 seats needed for a majority
Turnout95.6%
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Lee Kuan Yew J.B. Jeyaretnam Chiam See Tong
Party PAP WP SDP
Leader's seat Tanjong Pagar SMC Anson SMC Potong Pasir SMC
Last election 75 seats, 77.7% 0 seat, 6.2% 0 seat, 1.8%
Seats won 77 1 1
Seat change 2 1 1
Popular vote 568,310 110,868 32,102
Percentage 64.8% 12.6% 3.7%
Swing 12.9% 6.4% 1.9%
Prime Minister before election

Lee Kuan Yew
PAP

 Prime Minister after election

Lee Kuan Yew
PAP

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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 DecemberDissolution of the 5th Parliament
12 DecemberNomination Day
22 DecemberPolling day
25 February 1985Opening of 6th Parliament

Electoral boundaries
See also: List of Singaporean electoral divisions (1984–88)

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:

ConstituencyChanges
New Constituencies
Bo WenFormed from Ang Mo Kio, Kebun Baru & Yio Chu Kang
ChangkatFormed from Tampines & Kaki Bukit
EunosFormed from Kaki Bukit & Tampines
FengshanFormed from Bedok, Kampong Chai Chee & Tanah Merah
Hong KahFormed from Boon Lay
Teck GheeFormed from Ang Mo Kio & Chong Boon
YuhuaFormed from Boon Lay & Bukit Timah
Defunct Constituencies
Bukit Ho SweeAbsorbed to Tiong Bahru and Kim Seng
HavelockAbsorbed to Delta
KatongAbsorbed to Joo Chiat and Mountbatten

New/Outgoing MP
Outgoing MPsNew 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)^
  • 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)^
  • Sia Kah Hui (Paya Lebar)

Deceased

^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]

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
People's Action Party568,31064.8377+2
Workers' Party110,86812.651+1
Singapore United Front87,2379.9500
Singapore Democratic Party32,1023.661+1
United People's Front27,2173.1000
Barisan Sosialis24,2122.7600
Singapore Justice Party10,9061.2400
Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Melayu Singapura4,7680.5400
Angkatan Islam3590.040New
Independents10,5861.210New
Total876,565100.0079+4
Valid votes876,56597.08
Invalid/blank votes26,3942.92
Total votes902,959100.00
Registered voters/turnout1,495,38995.59
Source: Singapore Elections[lower-alpha 1]

By constituency
ConstituencyElectoratePartyCandidateVotes%
Alexandra 19,670 People's Action Party Tan Soo Khoon 12,172
66.79 / 100
Workers' Party John Cruz Corera 6,053
33.21 / 100
Aljunied 19,045 People's Action Party Chin Harn Tong Uncontested walkover
Ang Mo Kio 14,633 People's Action Party Yeo Toon Chia 9,909
72.75 / 100
United People's Front Ang Bee Lian 3,711
27.25 / 100
Anson 18,493 Workers' Party Joshua Benjamin Jeyaratnam 9,909
56.81 / 100
People's Action Party Ng Pock Too 7,533
43.19 / 100
Ayer Rajah 20,017 People's Action Party Tan Cheng Bock 14,050
75.44 / 100
Singapore Justice Party Suib bin Abdul Rahman 4,575
24.56 / 100
Bedok 17,074 People's Action Party Shunmugam Jayakumar 10,972
68.95 / 100
Singapore United Front Lee Chin Teck 4,941
31.05 / 100
Bo Wen 14,777 People's Action Party Sushilan Vasoo 10,299
74.70 / 100
United People's Front Shaikh Ahmad bin Shaikh Salim 3,488
25.30 / 100
Boon Lay 18,964 People's Action Party Goh Chee Wee 12,490
69.65 / 100
Singapore United Front Reveendran Sasi 5,443
30.35 / 100
Boon Teck 19,490 People's Action Party Ho Tat Kin 10,224
56.16 / 100
Barisan Sosialis Lee Siew Choh 7,982
43.84 / 100
Braddell Heights 14,152 People's Action Party Goh Choon Kang Uncontested walkover
Brickworks 13,571 People's Action Party Ahmad bin Mohamed Mattar 8,389
66.27 / 100
Workers' Party Mohd Taib bin Saffar 4,270
33.73 / 100
Bukit Batok 20,812 People's Action Party Chai Chong Yii 14,767
78.27 / 100
United People's Front Tan Jue Kit 4,099
21.73 / 100
Bukit Merah 19,210 People's Action Party Lim Chee Onn Uncontested walkover
Bukit Panjang 23,173 People's Action Party Lee Yiok Seng Uncontested walkover
Bukit Timah 17,238 People's Action Party Wang Kai Yuen Uncontested walkover
Buona Vista 18,041 People's Action Party Ang Kok Peng Uncontested walkover
Cairnhill 15,862 People's Action Party Wong Kwei Cheong Uncontested walkover
Changi 20,129 People's Action Party Teo Chong Tee 12,195
65.75 / 100
Singapore United Front Sim Peng Kim 6,353
34.25 / 100
Changkat 18,742 People's Action Party Aline Wong-Kan Lai Chung 10,310
58.56 / 100
Singapore Democratic Party Soon Kia Seng 7,297
41.44 / 100
Cheng San 17,328 People's Action Party Lee Yock Suan Uncontested walkover
Chong Boon 20,650 People's Action Party Rajagopal Sitaram Chandra Das 11,058
56.02 / 100
Singapore Democratic Party Ling How Dung 8,681
43.98 / 100
Chua Chu Kang 25,532 People's Action Party Tang See Chim 13,254
54.84 / 100
Workers' Party Chan Keng Sieng 10,720
44.35 / 100
United People's Front Teo Kim Hoe (Loses $1,500 deposit) 196
0.81 / 100
Clementi 20,890 People's Action Party Bernard Chen Tien Lap Uncontested walkover
Delta 14,800 People's Action Party Yeo Choo Kok 7,987
58.72 / 100
Workers' Party Peter Chua Chwee Huat 5,614
41.28 / 100
Eunos 17,615 People's Action Party Zulkifli bin Mohammed 10,494
64.81 / 100
Singapore United Front Chong Tung Shang 5,697
35.19 / 100
Fengshan 18,407 People's Action Party Arthur Beng Kian Lam 11,216
65.13 / 100
Singapore United Front Chng Chin Siah 6,005
34.87 / 100
Geylang Serai 24,109 People's Action Party Othman bin Haron Eusofe 14,564
65.57 / 100
Singapore United Front Mohamed Mansor bin Abdul Rahman 7,649
34.43 / 100
Geylang West 22,325 People's Action Party Teh Cheang Wan 13,798
66.83 / 100
Singapore United Front Lim Tiong Hock 2,994
34.43 / 100
Henderson 17,630 People's Action Party Lai Tha Chai 9,695
58.80 / 100
Workers' Party Chon Koon Cheong 6,793
41.20 / 100
Hong Kah 22,062 People's Action Party Yeo Cheow Tong Uncontested walkover
Jalan Besar 16,115 People's Action Party Lee Boon Yang 9,236
64.43 / 100
Workers' Party Anathan Balakrishnan 5,100
35.57 / 100
Jalan Kayu 25,011 People's Action Party Heng Chiang Meng 11,985
51.22 / 100
Workers' Party Madai Puthan Damodaran Nair[lower-alpha 2] 11,414
48.78 / 100
Joo Chiat 18,957 People's Action Party Yeoh Ghim Seng Uncontested walkover
Jurong 24,517 People's Action Party Ho Kah Leong Uncontested walkover
Kaki Bukit 20,683 People's Action Party Chew Heng Ching 10,229
52.28 / 100
Singapore United Front Tan Chee Kien[lower-alpha 3] 9,336
47.72 / 100
Kallang 18,809 People's Action Party Suppiah Dhanabalan 11,256
64.95 / 100
Workers' Party A. L. Sundram 6,075
35.05 / 100
Kampong Chai Chee 22,537 People's Action Party Andrew Fong Sip Chee 12,125
57.16 / 100
Singapore United Front Seow Khee Leng 9,087
42.84 / 100
Kampong Glam 18,127 People's Action Party Sinnathamby Rajaratnam Uncontested walkover
Kampong Kembangan 20,295 People's Action Party Yatiman bin Yusof 10,326
55.71 / 100
Workers' Party Mohamed Jufrie bin Mahmood 3,023
35.05 / 100
Kampong Ubi 14,323 People's Action Party Wan Hussin bin Zoohri 8,378
63.73 / 100
Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Melayu Singapura Abdul Rahman bin Mohamed Zin 4,768
36.27 / 100
Kebun Baru 17,542 People's Action Party Lim Boon Heng 12,311
75.84 / 100
United People's Front Harbans Singh 3,921
24.16 / 100
Khe Bong 15,773 People's Action Party Tang Guan Seng 9,221
62.53 / 100
Barisan Sosialis Sim Say Chuan 5,525
37.47 / 100
Kim Keat 20,439 People's Action Party Ong Teng Cheong Uncontested walkover
Kim Seng 22,136 People's Action Party Yeo Ning Hong Uncontested walkover
Kolam Ayer 23,630 People's Action Party Sidek bin Saniff 12,812
57.91 / 100
Workers' Party Royston George Scharenguivel 9,311
42.09 / 100
Kreta Ayer 15,982 People's Action Party Hu Tsu Tau Richard 11,083
83.17 / 100
Independent Lee Mun Hung 2,242
16.83 / 100
Kuo Chuan 18,728 People's Action Party Wong Kan Seng 11,162
64.55 / 100
Barisan Sosialis Sim Chit Giak 6,129
35.45 / 100
Leng Kee 14,805 People's Action Party Ow Chin Hock 9,190
66.84 / 100
Workers' Party George Benjamin Armstrong 4,559
33.16 / 100
MacPherson 19,500 People's Action Party Chua Sian Chin Uncontested walkover
Marine Parade 23,622 People's Action Party Goh Chok Tong 15,228
70.93 / 100
Singapore United Front Gertrude Magdeline De Gracias 6,242
29.07 / 100
Moulmein 18,893 People's Action Party Sia Khoon Seong Uncontested walkover
Mountbatten 21,480 People's Action Party Eugene Yap Giau Cheng 16,077
81.32 / 100
Independent Tan Ah Teng 3,692
18.68 / 100
Nee Soon 26,897 People's Action Party Koh Lip Lin 18,444
74.24 / 100
Singapore United Front Quek Teow Chuan 6,401
25.76 / 100
Pasir Panjang 17,149 People's Action Party Abbas bin Abu Amin 9,316
59.35 / 100
Workers' Party John Gan Eng Guan 6,022
38.36 / 100
Angkatan Islam Singapura Mohamad Sani bin Jan(Loses $1,500 deposit) 359
2.29 / 100
Paya Lebar 18,420 People's Action Party Philip Tan Tee Yong Uncontested walkover
Potong Pasir 17,915 Singapore Democratic Party Chiam See Tong 10,128
60.28 / 100
People's Action Party Mah Bow Tan 5,509
39.72 / 100
Punggol 24,727 People's Action Party Ng Kah Ting 14,904
65.09 / 100
Singapore United Front Sim Ah Leng 7,995
34.91 / 100
Queenstown 18,084 People's Action Party Jek Yeun Thong Uncontested walkover
Radin Mas 19,770 People's Action Party Chng Hee Kok 9,997
53.78 / 100
Workers' Party Wong Hong Toy 8,590
46.22 / 100
River Valley 13,481 People's Action Party Tay Eng Soon Uncontested walkover
Rochore 14,164 People's Action Party Toh Chin Chye Uncontested walkover
Sembawang 22,326 People's Action Party Tony Tan Keng Yam 15,948
77.42 / 100
Independent Stanley Mariadass 4,652
22.58 / 100
Serangoon Gardens 17,553 People's Action Party Lau Teik Soon Uncontested walkover
Siglap 17,090 People's Action Party Abdullah bin Tarmugi Uncontested walkover
Tampines 19,656 People's Action Party Phua Bah Lee 13,163
72.34 / 100
United People's Front Kasim bin Ibrahim 5,032
27.66 / 100
Tanah Merah 17,808 People's Action Party Ibrahim bin Othman 11,093
68.08 / 100
Singapore United Front Ng Lep Chong 5,201
31.92 / 100
Tanglin 15,990 People's Action Party Edmund William Barker Uncontested walkover
Tanjong Pagar 15,812 People's Action Party Lee Kuan Yew Uncontested walkover
Teck Ghee 16,866 People's Action Party Lee Hsien Loong 12,794
80.38 / 100
United People's Front Giam Lai Cheng 3,123
19.62 / 100
Telok Ayer 13,984 People's Action Party Ong Pang Boon Uncontested walkover
Telok Blangah 19,550 People's Action Party Koh Lam Son 10,150
55.02 / 100
Workers' Party Rajaratnam Murugason 8,299
44.98 / 100
Thomson 15,271 People's Action Party Leong Horn Kee Uncontested walkover
Tiong Bahru 20,091 People's Action Party Ch'ng Jit Koon Uncontested walkover
Toa Payoh 14,177 People's Action Party Eric Cheong Yuen Chee 8,559
65.16 / 100
Barisan Sosialis Ng Ho 4,576
34.84 / 100
Ulu Pandan 22,761 People's Action Party Dixie Tan-Lee Mo Chun Uncontested walkover
West Coast 28,008 People's Action Party Wan Soon Bee 19,745
75.72 / 100
Singapore Justice Party Muthusamy Ramasamy 6,331
24.28 / 100
Whampoa 18,494 People's Action Party Augustine Tan Hui Heng Uncontested walkover
Yio Chu Kang 16,734 People's Action Party Lau Ping Sum 11,977
76.66 / 100
United People's Front Munjeet Singh 3,647
23.34 / 100
Yuhua 16,266 People's Action Party Yu-Foo Yee Shoon 9,551
61.43 / 100
Singapore Democratic Party Lim Ah Yong 5,996
38.57 / 100
Source: ELD

Notes
  1. 550,765 of the 1,495,389 registered voters were in uncontested constitutencies
  2. Elected NCMP on 24 December 1984 but rejected to take the seat on 4 January 1985. Seat declared vacant on 4 March 1985.
  3. Offered NCMP seat on 8 March 1984 but rejected on 28 March 1984. Declared resigned.

References
  1. "Policies for the bedroom and beyond". Today. 23 March 2015. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  2. "Policies for the bedroom and beyond". Today. 23 March 2015. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  3. "Reproductive Rights". AWARE. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  4. Committee on the Problems of the Aged (1984). Problems of the Aged : Report of the Committee on the Problems of the Aged. Singapore: Ministry of Health. ISBN 9971-88-022-9.
  5. "Former Cabinet Minister Howe Yoon Chong dies at age 84". Channel NewsAsia. 21 August 2007. Retrieved 21 August 2007.
  6. "Late Howe Yoon Chong cared deeply for country's development: PM Lee". Channel NewsAsia. 22 August 2007. Retrieved 23 August 2007.
  7. Toh, Yong Chuan; Lim, Joyce (January 27, 2013). "SDA scores worst result in post-independence history". AsiaOne. Retrieved March 23, 2013.
  8. Dieter Nohlen; Florian Grotz; Christof Hartmann (15 November 2001). Elections in Asia and the Pacific : A Data Handbook: Volume II: South East Asia, East Asia, and the South Pacific. OUP Oxford. p. 255. ISBN 978-0-19-924959-6.
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