13th Parliament of Singapore
The 13th Parliament of Singapore was the previous Parliament of Singapore. The first session commenced on 15 January 2016 and was dissolved on 23 June 2020.[3][4][5] The membership was set by the 2015 Singapore General Election on 11 September 2015, and changed twice throughout the term; one was the resignation of Bukit Batok Single Member Constituency MP David Ong in 2016, and the resignation of Marsiling–Yew Tee Group Representation Constituency MP and Speaker Halimah Yacob in 2017.
13th Parliament of Singapore | |||||||
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Majority parliament | |||||||
15 January 2016 – 23 June 2020 | |||||||
House | |||||||
![]() Seating arrangements of the House | |||||||
Speaker of Parliament |
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Prime Minister |
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Leader of the Opposition |
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Session(s) | |||||||
1st Session | |||||||
15 January 2016 – 3 April 2018[1] | |||||||
2nd Session | |||||||
7 May 2018[2] – 23 June 2020 | |||||||
Cabinet(s) | |||||||
13th Cabinet | |||||||
Lee Hsien Loong 1 October 2015 – 23 June 2020 | |||||||
Parliamentarians | |||||||
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The 13th Parliament is controlled by a People's Action Party majority, led by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and members of the cabinet, which assumed power on 1 October 2015. The Opposition is led by the Secretary General of the Workers' Party, Pritam Singh. Tan Chuan-Jin, of the People's Action Party, is the Speaker of Parliament as of 11 September 2017. He succeeds Yacob, who resigned as Speaker to contest in the Presidential Elections 2017. Yacob was previously elected as the 9th Speaker of the House during the 12th Parliament on 14 January 2013.
Result of the 2015 Singapore general election
Parties and alliances | Leader | Contested seats | Divs won | Seats won | Popular vote | % of valid votes | +/- | % of valid votes in wards contested by party | +/- | |||||||
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SMC | GRC | Divs | Total | |||||||||||||
4m | 5m | 6m | ||||||||||||||
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Lee Hsien Loong | 13 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 29 | 89 | 27 | 83 | 1,579,183 | 69.9 | ![]() |
69.9 | ![]() | ||
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Low Thia Khiang | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 28 | 2 | 6 | 282,143 | 12.5 | ![]() |
39.8 | ![]() | ||
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Chee Soon Juan | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 84,931 | 3.8 | ![]() |
31.2 | ![]() | ||
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Sebastian Teo | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 79,826 | 3.5 | ![]() |
25.3 | ![]() | ||
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Kenneth Jeyaretnam | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 59,517 | 2.6 | ![]() |
20.6 | ![]() | ||
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Tan Jee Say | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 50,867 | 2.3 | New | 21.5 | New | ||
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Lina Chiam | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 49,107 | 2.2 | ![]() |
27.1 | ![]() | ||
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Desmond Lim | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 46,550 | 2.1 | ![]() |
27.1 | ![]() | ||
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Goh Meng Seng | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 25,475 | 1.1 | New | 23.1 | New | ||
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N/A | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2,780 | 0.1 | N/A | 5.4 | N/A | ||
Valid votes | 29 | 89 | 2,260,379 | 97.9% of total votes cast | ||||||||||||
Invalid (e.g. blank or spoilt) votes | 47,367 | 2.1% of total votes cast | ||||||||||||||
Total votes cast | 2,307,746 | Voter turnout: 93.7% of eligible voters | ||||||||||||||
Did not vote | 155,180 | |||||||||||||||
Eligible voters (excluding walkover voters) | 2,462,926 | |||||||||||||||
Walkover voters | 0 | |||||||||||||||
Electorate | 2,462,926 | |||||||||||||||
The Workers' Party, being the best performing opposition parties were awarded three Non-Constituency Member of Parliament seats in accordance with the Constitution. Lee Li Lian, Dennis Tan, and Leon Perera were appointed as NCMPs,[7] though Lee Li Lian decided not to accept the NCMP post.[8]
Officeholders
Speaker
- Halimah Yacob of the People's Action Party, MP of Marsiling–Yew Tee GRC, was re-elected as Speaker of Parliament on 15 January 2016.[9][10] She relinquished her post on 7 August 2017 to run for the presidency in the 2017 Singapore presidential election, with Charles serving as Acting Speaker until 10 September 2017.[11]
- Charles Chong and Lim Biow Chuan of the People's Action Party were elected as Deputy Speakers on 25 January 2016[12]
- Tan Chuan-Jin was elected as Speaker and becomes the 10th Speaker of the Republic of Singapore on 11 September 2017.[13]
Leaders
- Prime Minister: Lee Hsien Loong (People's Action Party)
- Leader of the Opposition: Pritam Singh (Workers' Party)
House Leaders
- Leader of the House: Grace Fu
- Deputy Leader of the House: Desmond Lee
Whips
- Government Whip: Janil Puthucheary
- Deputy Government Whip: Sim Ann and Zaqy Mohamad
Committees
Select committees
Committee of selection
Chaired by Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin, the committee of selection selects and nominates members to the various sessional and select committees.[14] The committee consisted of seven other members:
Committee of privileges
The committee of privileges looks into any complaint alleging breaches of parliamentary privilege.[15] Chaired by Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin, the committee consisted of seven other members:
Estimates committee
The estimates committee examines the Government's budget and reports what economies, improvements in organisation, efficiency or administrative reforms consistent with the policy underlying the estimates, may be effected and suggests the form in which the estimates shall be presented to Parliament. The committee consisted of eight members:[16]
House committee
The house committee looks after the comfort and convenience of Members of Parliament and advises the Speaker on these matters.[17] Chaired by Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin, the committee consisted of seven other members:
- Amrin Amin
- Gan Thiam Poh
- Henry Kwek
- Low Yen Ling
- Faisal Manap
- Sun Xueling
- Yee Chia Hsing
Public accounts committee
The public accounts committee examines various accounts of the Government showing the appropriation of funds granted by Parliament to meet public expenditure, as well as other accounts laid before Parliament. The committee consisted of eight members:[18]
Public petitions committee
The public petitions committee deals with public petitions received by the House. Its function is to consider petitions referred to the Committee and to report to the House.[19] Chaired by Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin, the committee consisted of seven other members:
Standing orders committee
The standing orders committee reviews the Standing Orders from time to time and recommends amendments and reports to the House on all matters relating to them.[20] Chaired by Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin, the committee consisted of nine other members:
- Charles Chong (Deputy Speaker)
- Lim Biow Chuan (Deputy Speaker)
- Chan Chun Sing
- Desmond Choo
- Grace Fu
- Joan Pereira
- Png Eng Huat
- Rahayu Mahzam
- Patrick Tay
Government Parliamentary Committees
Mooted by then-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong in 1987, government parliamentary committees (GPCs) are set up by the governing People's Action Party to scrutinise the legislation and programmes of the various Ministries. They also serve as an additional channel of feedback on government policies.
Members
References
- "Parliament takes a mid-term break, to reconvene on May 7". CNA.
- "President's Address on Monday night to set out Government's priorities and plans". The Straits Times. 7 May 2018.
- "Sessions of Parliament". Archived from the original on 25 June 2017. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
- "First session of 13th Parliament to be held on Jan 15 next year". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. 22 October 2015. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
- "Dissolution of Parliament on 23 June 2020 | Prime Minister's Office Singapore". www.pmo.gov.sg. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
- 2015 Parliamentary Election Results, Elections Department, 14 September 2015, archived from the original on 14 September 2015; "GE2015: Live Results", The Straits Times, 12 September 2015, retrieved 14 September 2015; Singapore Parliamentary General Election 2015>Votes, Singapore Elections.
- "GE2015: WP's Lee Li Lian, Dennis Tan and Leon Perera elected as NCMPs, says ELD". Channel NewsAsia. 16 September 2015. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
- Chai, Hung Yin (13 September 2015). "WP's Lee Li Lian won't accept NCMP position". The New Paper. SPH. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
- "Statement on Nomination of The Speaker, and Appointment of The Leader of The House and The Government Whip" (Press release). Prime Minister's Office (Singapore). 28 September 2015. Archived from the original on 3 October 2015. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
- "Members of Singapore's 13th Parliament sworn in". Channel NewsAsia. 15 January 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
- "Halimah Yacob submits letters of resignation as Speaker, MP, PAP member". CNA.
- "PM Lee accepts Halimah Yacob's resignation from the PAP". CNA.
- "Tan Chuan-Jin becomes Singapore's 10th Speaker of Parliament". CNA.
- "Committee of Selection". Parliament of Singapore. Archived from the original on 18 November 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
- "Committee of Privileges". Parliament of Singapore. Archived from the original on 18 November 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
- "Estimates Committee". Parliament of Singapore. Archived from the original on 18 November 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
- "House Committee". Parliament of Singapore. Archived from the original on 18 November 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
- "Public Accounts Committee". Parliament of Singapore. Archived from the original on 18 November 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
- "Public Petitions Committee". Parliament of Singapore. Archived from the original on 18 November 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
- "Standing Orders Committee". Parliament of Singapore. Archived from the original on 18 November 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
- "Changes to the Government Parliamentary Committees" (Press release). Singapore: People's Action Party. 4 May 2018. Archived from the original on 18 November 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2018.