31 August 1991 1997 → 1990 (as prime minister) 1980 80 seats, 63.2% 1 seat, 12.0% Start date August 31, 1991 | Turnout 95.0% 1980 1971 1 seat, 12.0% 0 seats, 16.7% | |
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Winner Goh Chok Tong | ||
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. Voter turnout was 95.0%, although this figure represents the turnout in the 25 constituencies to be contested, with PAP candidates earning walkovers in the other 41.
Contents
Background
This was Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong's first election as leader of the PAP after Lee Kuan Yew stepped down in 1990. PM Goh decided to call a snap election merely three years after the last GE, setting Parliament's shortest term ever, to court a fresh mandate. However, it lost an unprecedented four seats, the biggest number since the 1963 GE, and its share of votes fell for the third consecutive time since 1984. The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) added two more spoils to the seat retained successfully by leader Chiam See Tong, becoming the main opposition party in Parliament. Eight out of nine SDP candidates came in among the top ten opposition candidates. The Workers' Party of Singapore (WP) made its second in-road into the legislature with the victory of its organising secretary Low Thia Khiang, who would years later become WP secretary-general and leader.
At a post-election press conference on the night of 31 August, PM Goh glumly attributed the loss to his "open and consultative style of government" and pledged to re-evaluate his style. Sizes of Group Representation Constituencies were increased from three to four seats each. Since the introduction of the Non-Constituency Member of Parliament scheme in 1984, this was the first GE with no NCMP seats offered as the four opposition seats exceeded the minimum of three NCMP seats allotted. Therefore, the narrow defeat of WP's Eunos GRC team, helmed by Dr Lee Siew Choh again, did not see to Dr Lee's return as NCMP. This was his final legislature and electoral presence as he resigned from WP and retired from politics in 1993. The maximum of six Nominated MPs were appointed for this term, up from two Nominated MPs previously.
Existing GRCs
Another group of changes were necessary as it increased from 3 to 4. Some of them are in the basis of expansion due to the fast growth of towns.
New GRCs
Division removals
Tan Soo Khoon was shifted to Kampong Chai Chee.
Chng Hee Kok was shifted to Changkat South.
Abbas bin Abu Amin retired.
Ibrahim bin Othman was shifted to Bishan North.
Augustine Tan retired.
New divisions
The newer divisions are those because of developments of Simei, Jurong West, Bishan and Pasir Ris respectively.