1980 Singaporean general election
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 95.5%, 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.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
All 75 seats to the Parliament of Singapore 38 seats were needed for a majority | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Turnout | 95.5% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Winning party by constituency |
This article is part of a series on the politics and government of Singapore |
---|
Related topics |
|
Background
Prior to the election, a series of by-elections were called on 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 went on to become Presidents of Singapore) to enter Parliament.
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
Date | Event |
---|---|
5 December | Dissolution of 4th Parliament |
13 December | Nomination Day |
23 December | Polling Day |
3 February 1981 | Opening of 5th Parliament |
Campaign
The school streaming system, as well as Phey Yew Kok'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 run as Independents.
Constituencies
Similar to previous elections, constituencies were either dissolved or created due to population. The constituencies which saw changes were:
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 |
Geylang East | Ward was absorbed to MacPherson |
Upper Serangoon | Ward was absorbed to Punggol |
Results
Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
People's Action Party | 494,268 | 77.7 | 75 | +6 | ||
Workers' Party | 39,590 | 6.2 | 0 | 0 | ||
United People's Front | 28,586 | 4.5 | 0 | 0 | ||
Singapore United Front | 27,522 | 4.3 | 0 | 0 | ||
Barisan Sosialis | 16,488 | 2.6 | 0 | 0 | ||
Singapore Malay National Organisation | 13,435 | 2.1 | 0 | 0 | ||
Singapore Democratic Party | 11,292 | 1.8 | 0 | New | ||
Singapore Justice Party | 5,271 | 0.8 | 0 | 0 | ||
Invalid/blank votes | 17,843 | – | – | – | ||
Total | 654,295 | 100 | 75 | +6 | ||
Registered voters/turnout[lower-alpha 1] | 1,290,426 | 95.5 | – | – | ||
Source: Nohlen et al., Singapore Elections |
By constituency
Constituency | Electorate | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alexandra | 18,163 | Tan Soo Khoon | Elected unopposed | ||
Aljunied | 17,017 | Chin Harn Tong | 13,313 | 84.59 | |
Sim Peng Kim | 2,425 | 15.41 | |||
Ang Mo Kio | 22,542 | Yeo Toon Chia | 17,436 | 81.99 | |
Ang Bee Lian | 3,830 | 18.01 | |||
Anson | 15,077 | Chengara Veetil Devan Nair | 11,564 | 84.10 | |
John Santhirasekaran P. M. Thevar | 2,187 | 15.90 | |||
Ayer Rajah | 15,787 | Tan Cheng Bock | 12,400 | 83.39 | |
Suib bin Abdul Rahman | 2,470 | 16.61 | |||
Bedok | 20,852 | Shunmugam Jayakumar | 14,691 | 75.03 | |
Abdul Rahman bin Mohamed Zin | 3,527 | 18.01 | |||
Thomas Anthony Tay (Loses $1,500 deposit) | 1,362 | 6.96 | |||
Boon Lay | 21,317 | Goh Chee Wee | 15,005 | 74.19 | |
Tan Chee Kien | 5,220 | 25.81 | |||
Boon Teck | 18,705 | Liew Kok Pun | 11,917 | 68.14 | |
Lee Siew Choh | 5,571 | 31.86 | |||
Braddell Heights | 14,519 | Lee Khoon Choy | Elected unopposed | ||
Brickworks | 13,054 | Ahmad bin Mohamed Mattar | Elected unopposed | ||
Bukit Batok | 18,275 | Chai Chong Yii | Elected unopposed | ||
Bukit Ho Swee | 12,435 | Seah Mui Kok | Elected unopposed | ||
Bukit Merah | 19,046 | Lim Chee Onn | Elected unopposed | ||
Bukit Panjang | 23,305 | Lee Yiok Seng | 18,510 | 87.03 | |
Mohamed Sani bin Ahmad | 2,759 | 12.97 | |||
Bukit Timah | 15,334 | Chor Yeok Eng | Elected unopposed | ||
Buona Vista | 17,287 | Ang Kok Peng | Elected unopposed | ||
Cairnhill | 18,133 | Wong Kwei Cheong | 11,444 | 71.79 | |
Fok Tai Loy | 4,498 | 28.21 | |||
Changi | 25,464 | Teo Chong Tee | Elected unopposed | ||
Cheng San | 17,044 | Lee Yock Suan | 12,312 | 75.89 | |
Choong Chee Kwong | 3,911 | 24.11 | |||
Chong Boon | 13,877 | Rajagopal Sitaram Chandra Das | Elected unopposed | ||
Chua Chu Kang | 22,363 | Tang See Chim | Elected unopposed | ||
Clementi | 15,129 | Bernard Chen Tien Lap | 12,162 | 85.42 | |
Singh Munjeet | 2,076 | 14.58 | |||
Delta | 14,830 | Yeo Choo Kok | Elected unopposed | ||
Geylang Serai | 19,962 | Othman bin Haron Eusofe | 13,195 | 71.99 | |
Seow Khee Leng | 5,134 | 28.01 | |||
Geylang West | 22,298 | Teh Cheang Wan | 17,585 | 85.45 | |
Long bin Abdullah | 2,994 | 14.55 | |||
Havelock | 12,524 | Hon Sui Sen | Elected unopposed | ||
Henderson | 18,353 | Lai Tha Chai | 13,363 | 77.42 | |
Lim Kang Chew | 3,897 | 22.58 | |||
Jalan Besar | 15,058 | Chan Chee Seng | Elected unopposed | ||
Jalan Kayu | 23,766 | Hwang Soo Jin | 15,275 | 69.02 | |
Madai Puthan Damodaran Nair | 6,855 | 30.98 | |||
Joo Chiat | 12,805 | Yeoh Ghim Seng | 8,542 | 74.18 | |
Soon Kia Seng | 2,973 | 25.82 | |||
Jurong | 18,658 | Ho Kah Leong | Elected unopposed | ||
Kaki Bukit | 21,318 | Saidi bin Shariff | 14,550 | 72.32 | |
Ibrahim bin Ariff | 4,072 | 20.24 | |||
Atim bin Ismail(Loses $1,500 deposit) | 1,496 | 7.44 | |||
Kallang | 16,222 | Suppiah Dhanabalan | Elected unopposed | ||
Kampong Chai Chee | 20,237 | Andrew Fong Sip Chee | 15,421 | 81.22 | |
Leong Yew Thong | 3,565 | 18.78 | |||
Kampong Glam | 17,241 | Sinnathamby Rajaratnam | Elected unopposed | ||
Kampong Kembangan | 15,854 | Mohd Mansor bin Sukaimi | 11,194 | 78.74 | |
Jamal bin Idris | 3,023 | 21.26 | |||
Kampong Ubi | 16,250 | Wan Hussin bin Zoohri | 11,102 | 73.87 | |
Sahid bin Sahooman | 2,813 | 18.72 | |||
Shaikh Ahmad bin Shaikh Salim(Loses $1,500 deposit) | 1,113 | 7.41 | |||
Katong | 12,041 | Joseph Francis De Conceicao | Elected unopposed | ||
Kebun Baru | 17,709 | Lim Boon Heng | 13,632 | 82.83 | |
Lim Tiong Hock(Loses $1,500 deposit) | 1,883 | 11.44 | |||
Jantan bin Taib(Loses $1,500 deposit) | 943 | 5.73 | |||
Khe Bong | 15,425 | Ho See Beng | 10,497 | 72.42 | |
Sim Say Chuan | 3,998 | 27.58 | |||
Kim Keat | 20,781 | Ong Teng Cheong | Elected unopposed | ||
Kim Seng | 14,734 | Yeo Ning Hong | 11,109 | 80.55 | |
Seow Yong Chew | 2,682 | 19.45 | |||
Kolam Ayer | 22,775 | Sidek bin Saniff | 16,995 | 80.35 | |
Mohamed Mansor bin Abdul Rahman | 4,155 | 19.65 | |||
Kreta Ayer | 11,973 | Goh Keng Swee | Elected unopposed | ||
Kuo Chuan | 17,471 | Pathmanaban Selvadurai | 12,378 | 75.92 | |
Sim Chit Giak | 3,925 | 24.08 | |||
Leng Kee | 15,166 | Ow Chin Hock | Elected unopposed | ||
MacPherson | 18,997 | Chua Sian Chin | 15,280 | 86.89 | |
Darus bin Shariff | 2,306 | 13.11 | |||
Marine Parade | 21,903 | Goh Chok Tong | Elected unopposed | ||
Moulmein | 16,999 | Sia Khoon Seong | Elected unopposed | ||
Mountbatten | 14,045 | Eugene Yap Giau Cheng | Elected unopposed | ||
Nee Soon | 16,817 | Koh Lip Lin | Elected unopposed | ||
Pasir Panjang | 17,743 | Abbas bin Abu Amin | 11,824 | 72.57 | |
Zainul Abidin bin Mohamed Rasheed | 4,470 | 27.43 | |||
Paya Lebar | 11,666 | Sia Kah Hui | Elected unopposed | ||
Potong Pasir | 10,068 | Howe Yoon Chong | 5,509 | 59.05 | |
Chiam See Tong | 3,821 | 40.95 | |||
Punggol | 23,333 | Ng Kah Ting | 17,103 | 78.86 | |
Chua Nguan Key | 4,585 | 21.14 | |||
Queenstown | 17,450 | Jek Yeun Thong | Elected unopposed | ||
Radin Mas | 18,854 | Mohamed Kassim Abdul Jabbar | 11,335 | 64.07 | |
Wong Hong Toy | 6,356 | 35.93 | |||
River Valley | 14,950 | Tay Eng Soon | Elected unopposed | ||
Rochore | 14,705 | Toh Chin Chye | Elected unopposed | ||
Sembawang | 17,785 | Tony Tan Keng Yam | 13,415 | 81.55 | |
Harbans Singh | 3,035 | 18.45 | |||
Serangoon Gardens | 16,973 | Lau Teik Soon | Elected unopposed | ||
Siglap | 16,675 | Abdul Rahim bin Ishak | 11,564 | 77.91 | |
Royston George Scharenguivel | 3,278 | 22.09 | |||
Tampines | 18,982 | Phua Bah Lee | 15,065 | 85.92 | |
Kasim bin Ibrahim | 2,469 | 14.08 | |||
Tanah Merah | 15,711 | Lee Chiaw Meng | Elected unopposed | ||
Tanglin | 13,332 | Edmund William Barker | Elected unopposed | ||
Tanjong Pagar | 13,765 | Lee Kuan Yew | 11,730 | 92.74 | |
Johnny Wee Lai Seng (Loses $1,500 deposit) | 555 | 4.39 | |||
Lee Mun Hung (Loses $1,500 deposit) | 363 | 2.87 | |||
Telok Ayer | 12,381 | Ong Pang Boon | Elected unopposed | ||
Telok Blangah | 18,314 | Rohan bin Kamis | 9,187 | 53.02 | |
Joshua Benjamin Jeyaratnam | 8,141 | 46.98 | |||
Thomson | 14,786 | Chau Sik Ting | Elected unopposed | ||
Tiong Bahru | 18,077 | Ch'ng Jit Koon | Elected unopposed | ||
Toa Payoh | 13,799 | Eric Cheong Yuen Chee | 9,872 | 76.73 | |
Ng Ho | 2,994 | 23.27 | |||
Ulu Pandan | 22,048 | Chiang Hai Ding | Elected unopposed | ||
West Coast | 18,949 | Wan Soon Bee | 15,185 | 84.43 | |
Muthusamy Ramasamy | 2,801 | 15.57 | |||
Whampoa | 19,131 | Augustine Tan Hui Heng | Elected unopposed | ||
Yio Chu Kang | 14,012 | Lau Ping Sum | 11,607 | 87.53 | |
Lachhu S. Piaro (Loses $1,500 deposit) | 1,653 | 12.47 | |||
Source: ELD |
Notes
- 605,285 of the 1,290,426 voters were registered in uncontested constituencies.
References
- Dieter Nohlen, Florian Grotz & Christof Hartmann (2001) Elections in Asia: A data handbook, Volume II, p254 ISBN 0-19-924959-8