Singaporean by-election, 1981
Encyclopedia
By election was held on 31 October 1981 while the nomination day was held on 21 October 1981 because the original MP of Anson constituency C. V. Devan Nair
had been nominated as the third President of Singapore, succeeding Benjamin Henry Sheares
who had died on 12 May 1981.
had left the parliament in 1966 on the grounds of Singapore's independence was "phony". It is also the third by election to be held on this constituency and there are three candidates contested in this seat, namely Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam, Pang Kim Hin and Harbans Singh after Chiam See Tong
had decided to withdraw at the last minute in the name of "opposition unity".
It was also the Workers' Party
's return to the legislature since 20 years ago in 1961 and in the same seat David Marshall
, then WP chairman, held.
, or 56.8% of votes while Chiam See Tong
gained the seat of Potong Pasir
from the PAP as the Singapore Democratic Party
candidate on an swing of 19.3 percent. He would go on to represent the seat for a further 6 terms until the 2011 general election and become Singapore's longest-serving opposition MP.
However, Jeyaretnam was convicted for allegedly misreporting his party accounts and vacated the seat in 1986. Therefore, the constituency was abolished subsequently and split into mainly nearby Tanjong Pagar and Kreta Ayer constituency as well as a significant of the portion was used to form the then Tiong Bahru GRC in 1988 elections
, which in turn absorbed the Tanjong Pagar constituency in 1991 elections
that forms the present day Tanjong Pagar GRC. It has an overall impact of Singapore's political landscape as since then, People's Action Party
had failed to garnered all seats in parliament.
Devan Nair
Devan Nair a/l Chengara Veetil, also known as C. V. Devan Nair , was the third President of Singapore and was elected by Parliament on October 23, 1981. He served as President until his resignation on March 28, 1985.-Youth:Nair was born in Malacca, Malaysia, the son of an Indian immigrant I.V.K...
had been nominated as the third President of Singapore, succeeding Benjamin Henry Sheares
Benjamin Henry Sheares
Benjamin Henry Sheares, GCB , was the second President of Singapore.-Early life:Sheares was born the second of six children in Singapore to a Eurasian family with an English lineage. His father Edwin H. Sheares, a technical supervisor of the Public Works Department, was born in England and raised...
who had died on 12 May 1981.
Historical significance
This is one of the most significant elections in Singapore's political history because it was the first opposition victory after Barisan SosialisBarisan Sosialis
The Barisan Sosialis is a former Singaporean left-wing political party formed in 1961, by left-wing members of the People's Action Party and led by Dr Lee Siew Choh and Lim Chin Siong.-Formation:...
had left the parliament in 1966 on the grounds of Singapore's independence was "phony". It is also the third by election to be held on this constituency and there are three candidates contested in this seat, namely Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam, Pang Kim Hin and Harbans Singh after Chiam See Tong
Chiam See Tong
Chiam See Tong is a politician and lawyer from Singapore. He is the country's longest-serving opposition Member of Parliament . Between 1984 and 2011, he represented the constituency of Potong Pasir in Singapore's Parliament....
had decided to withdraw at the last minute in the name of "opposition unity".
It was also the Workers' Party
Workers' Party of Singapore
The Workers' Party of Singapore is a centre-left opposition political party in Singapore. The party currently has six elected seats in Parliament, with the party's Secretary-General Low Thia Khiang, Chairman Sylvia Lim, Chen Show Mao, Muhamad Faisal Manap and Pritam Singh serving as Members of...
's return to the legislature since 20 years ago in 1961 and in the same seat David Marshall
David Marshall
Dave Marshall or David Marshall may refer to:* Dave Marshall , former professional baseball player* Dave Marshall , guitarist with Vince Neil and Slaughter...
, then WP chairman, held.
Aftermath of this by election
Jeyaretnam would successfully retain his seat with an larger vote majority of 2,376 in the 1984 electionsSingaporean general election, 1984
General elections were held in Singapore on 22 December 1984. 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 they had not won every seat...
, or 56.8% of votes while Chiam See Tong
Chiam See Tong
Chiam See Tong is a politician and lawyer from Singapore. He is the country's longest-serving opposition Member of Parliament . Between 1984 and 2011, he represented the constituency of Potong Pasir in Singapore's Parliament....
gained the seat of Potong Pasir
Potong Pasir Single Member Constituency
Potong Pasir Single Member Constituency is a Single Member Constituency in the central region of Singapore.-Location:The SMC encompasses Potong Pasir, Lorong 8 Toa Payoh and Tannery...
from the PAP as the Singapore Democratic Party
Singapore Democratic Party
The Singapore Democratic Party is an opposition political party in Singapore.The party was founded in 1980 by Chiam See Tong, who as Secretary-General became the party's first Member of Parliament in 1984 when he was elected as MP for Potong Pasir...
candidate on an swing of 19.3 percent. He would go on to represent the seat for a further 6 terms until the 2011 general election and become Singapore's longest-serving opposition MP.
However, Jeyaretnam was convicted for allegedly misreporting his party accounts and vacated the seat in 1986. Therefore, the constituency was abolished subsequently and split into mainly nearby Tanjong Pagar and Kreta Ayer constituency as well as a significant of the portion was used to form the then Tiong Bahru GRC in 1988 elections
Singaporean general election, 1988
General elections were held in Singapore on 3 September 1988. The result was a victory for the People's Action Party, which won 80 of the 81 seats...
, which in turn absorbed the Tanjong Pagar constituency in 1991 elections
Singaporean general election, 1991
General elections were held in Singapore on 31 August 1991. The result was a victory for the People's Action Party, which won 77 of the 81 seats...
that forms the present day Tanjong Pagar GRC. It has an overall impact of Singapore's political landscape as since then, People's Action Party
People's Action Party
The People's Action Party is the leading political party in Singapore. It has been the city-state's ruling political party since 1959....
had failed to garnered all seats in parliament.