Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore

The Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore is the presiding officer of the Parliament of the Republic of Singapore. Currently, Tan Chuan-Jin is the incumbent Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore.

Speaker of the Parliament of Republic of Singapore
Incumbent Tan Chuan-Jin since 11 September 2017
Style	Mr Speaker (Male) Mdm Speaker (Female)
Nominator	Prime Minister of Singapore
Appointer	Parliament of Singapore With the recommendation of the Prime Minister
Term length	For the duration of each parliament; renewable
Inaugural holder	Sir George Oehlers
Formation	5 June 1955
Deputy	Lim Biow Chuan
Salary	S$600,000 annually
Website	www.parliament.gov.sg

The wig and ceremonial gown of the Speaker of Parliament on display in Parliament House, Singapore. The Speaker dons the gown during the Opening of Parliament ceremony, but the wearing of the wig was discontinued in 1993.

Election

Parliament must elect a Speaker at the beginning of each new parliamentary term after a general election.[1] Parliament has the freedom to choose how to elect the Speaker. By recent tradition, the Prime Minister nominates a person for the role. The person's name is then proposed and seconded by the Members of Parliament (MPs), before being elected as Speaker.[2] The Constitution states that Parliament has the freedom to decide how to elect its Speaker.[3]

The Speaker may or may not be an elected MP, but must possess the qualifications to stand for election as an MP as provided for in the Constitution.[4] The Speaker cannot be a Cabinet Minister or Parliamentary Secretary,[3] and must resign from those positions prior to being elected as Speaker.

Once elected, a Speaker continues in office until the dissolution of Parliament, unless he or she resigns, is appointed as a Cabinet minister or Parliamentary Secretary, or is disqualified from holding their seat as an MP.[5]

Role

The role of the Speaker in Singapore is similar to that in most Commonwealth legislatures. The Speaker presides over the sittings of Parliament, and enforces the rules prescribed in its Standing Orders for the orderly conduct of parliamentary business. In carrying out their duties, the Speaker must remain impartial and fair to all MPs.[4]

The Speaker regulates and enforces the rules of debate. They decide who has the right to speak, and put the question for Parliament to debate on and vote. The Speaker does not take part in the debates, but can abstain or vote for or against a motion if they have a vote as an elected MP.[4]

As the guardian of parliamentary privileges, MPs look to the Speaker for guidance on procedures, and for rulings on any points of order.[4]

The Speaker is second in the order of succession for the office of the President of Singapore. Should the President's office be vacant, and the chairman of the Council of Presidential Advisers is unable to take up the role, the Speaker will assume the duties of the President until a new President is elected.[6] In terms of state protocol, the Speaker sits at the same level as the Chief Justice of Singapore.[2]

The Speaker acts as Parliament's representative in its relations with other legislatures and outside bodies. The Speaker also welcomes visiting dignitaries, and represents Parliament at national events and during official visits abroad. The Speaker is overall in charge of the administration of Parliament and its Secretariat.[4]

The Speaker is one of the few public sector roles which allow its office-holder to automatically qualify as a candidate in the Singapore presidential elections.[7]

List of Speakers

A list of people who have served as Speakers of Parliament is set out below:[8]

Speaker	Party	Took office	Left office	Parliament
Sir George Oehlers (1908–1968)	Independent	22 April 1955	31 March 1959	1st Legislative Assembly
		1 July 1959	3 September 1963	2nd Legislative Assembly
Edmund William Barker MP for Tanglin (1920–2001)	People's Action Party	22 October 1963	30 October 1964	3rd Legislative Assembly
Arumugam Ponnu Rajah (1911–1999)	Independent	2 November 1964	8 August 1965
		9 August 1965	5 August 1966	1st Parliament
Punch Coomaraswamy (1925–1999)	Independent	17 August 1966	7 February 1968
		6 May 1968	18 January 1970	2nd Parliament
Yeoh Ghim Seng MP for Joo Chiat (1918–1993)	People's Action Party	27 January 1970	14 August 1972
		12 October 1972	5 December 1976	3rd Parliament
		7 February 1977	4 December 1980	4th Parliament
		3 February 1981	3 December 1984	5th Parliament
		25 February 1985	17 August 1988	6th Parliament
Tan Soo Khoon MP for Brickworks GRC (until 1991) MP for Bedok GRC (1991-1997) MP for East Coast GRC (from 1997) (born 1949)	People's Action Party	9 January 1989	13th August 1991	7th Parliament
		6 January 1992	15 December 1996	8th Parliament
		26 May 1997	17 October 2001	9th Parliament
Abdullah Tarmugi MP for East Coast GRC (born 1944)	People's Action Party	22 March 2002	19 April 2006	10th Parliament
		2 November 2006	18 April 2011	11th Parliament
Michael Palmer MP for Punggol East SMC (born 1968)	People's Action Party	10 October 2011	12 December 2012	12th Parliament
Halimah Yacob MP for Jurong GRC (until 2015) MP for Marsiling–Yew Tee GRC (from 2015) (born 1954)	People's Action Party	14 January 2013	24 August 2015
		15 January 2016	7 August 2017	13th Parliament
Tan Chuan-Jin MP for Marine Parade GRC (born 1969)	People's Action Party	11 September 2017	22 June 2020

List of Deputy Speakers

The following table contains a list of Deputy Speakers of Parliament:[9]

Speaker	Party	Took office	Left office	Parliament	Speaker
Richard Lim Chuan Hoe Nominated Member (1904–1968)	Labour Front (until 1959)	26 April 1955	31 March 1959	1st Legislative Assembly	Sir George Oehlers
	Malayan Chinese Association (from 1959)
G. Kandasamy MP for Kampong Kapor (1921-1999)	People's Action Party	15 July 1959	24 September 1961	2nd Legislative Assembly	Sir George Oehlers
John Mammen MP for Telok Blangah	People's Action Party	16 November 1961	3 September 1963	2nd Legislative Assembly	Sir George Oehlers
Fong Kim Heng MP for Joo Chiat (1923-1975)	People's Action Party	9 December 1963	8 August 1965	3rd Legislative Assembly	Edmund William Barker Arumugam Ponnu Rajah
		9 August 1965	9 December 1965	1st Parliament	Arumugam Ponnu Rajah
Punch Coomaraswamy (1925–1999)	Independent	23 February 1966	16 August 1966	1st Parliament	Arumugam Ponnu Rajah
Yeoh Ghim Seng MP for Joo Chiat (1918–1993)	People's Action Party	11 July 1968	26 January 1970	2nd Parliament	Punch Coomaraswamy
Tang See Chim MP for Chua Chu Kang (born 1930)	People's Action Party	22 November 1972	5 December 1976	3rd Parliament	Yeoh Ghim Seng
		22 February 1977	4 December 1980	4th Parliament	Yeoh Ghim Seng
Hwang Soo Jin MP for Jalan Kayu (born 1937)	People's Action Party	6 March 1981	3 December 1984	5th Parliament	Yeoh Ghim Seng
Tan Soo Khoon MP for Alexandra (born 1949)	People's Action Party	1 March 1985	17 August 1988	6th Parliament	Yeoh Ghim Seng
Lim Boon Heng MP for Kebun Baru SMC (born 1947)	People's Action Party	16 January 1989	13th August 1991	7th Parliament	Tan Soo Khoon
Abdullah Tarmugi MP for Siglap SMC (until 1991) MP for Bedok GRC (from 1991) (born 1944)	People's Action Party	16 January 1989	13th August 1991	7th Parliament	Tan Soo Khoon
		6 January 1992	30 June 1993	8th Parliament	Tan Soo Khoon
Eugene Yap Giau Cheng MP for Mountbatten SMC (until 1997) MP for Marine Parade GRC (from 1997)	People's Action Party	26 February 1993	15 December 1996	8th Parliament	Tan Soo Khoon
		26 May 1997	17 October 2001	9th Parliament	Tan Soo Khoon
Lim Hwee Hua MP for Marine Parade GRC (born 1959)	People's Action Party	1 April 2002	11 August 2004	10th Parliament	Abdullah Tarmugi
Chew Heng Ching MP for East Coast GRC (born 1953)	People's Action Party	1 April 2002	19 April 2006	10th Parliament	Abdullah Tarmugi
S. Iswaran MP for West Coast GRC (born 1962)	People's Action Party	1 September 2004	19 April 2006	10th Parliament	Abdullah Tarmugi
Indranee Rajah MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC (born 1963)	People's Action Party	8 November 2006	18 April 2011	11th Parliament	Abdullah Tarmugi
Matthias Yao MP for Marine Parade GRC (born 1956)	People's Action Party	8 November 2006	18 April 2011	11th Parliament	Abdullah Tarmugi
Seah Kian Peng MP for Marine Parade GRC (born 1961)	People's Action Party	17 October 2011	24 August 2015	12th Parliament	Michael Palmer Halimah Yacob
Charles Chong MP for Joo Chiat SMC (until 2015) MP for Punggol East SMC (from 2015) (born 1953)	People's Action Party	17 October 2011	24 August 2015	12th Parliament	Michael Palmer Halimah Yacob
		25 January 2016	22 June 2020	13th Parliament	Halimah Yacob Tan Chuan-Jin
Lim Biow Chuan MP for Mountbatten SMC (born 1963)	People's Action Party	25 January 2016	22 June 2020	13th Parliament	Halimah Yacob Tan Chuan-Jin

Notes

1. Constitution, Art. 40(1).
2. Lee, Min Kok (8 January 2016). "Halimah Yacob to be renominated as Speaker of Parliament: 7 things you may not know about the post". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 7 August 2017. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
3. Constitution, Art. 40(2).
4. "Speaker of Parliament". Parliament of Singapore. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
5. Constitution, Art. 40(4).
6. Constitution, Art. 22N.
7. Constitution of the Republic of Singapore, Art. 19(3)(a).
8. "List of former speakers". Parliament of Singapore.
9. "Speakers of Parliament". Parliament of Singapore. Archived from the original on 21 January 2020. Scroll to bottom and expand the list of former Deputy Speaker