2001 Singaporean general election

2001 Singaporean general election

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All 84 directly elected seats in Parliament (and up to 3 NCMPs)
Registered	2,036,923 [lower-alpha 1]
Turnout	94.61% ( 1.30pp)
First party Second party Third party   Leader Goh Chok Tong Chiam See Tong Low Thia Khiang Party PAP SDA WP Last election 64.98%, 81 seats – 14.17%, 2 seats Seats won 82 2 1 Seat change 1 New 1 Popular vote 470,765 75,248 19,060 Percentage 75.29% 12.03% 3.05% Swing 10.31pp New 11.12pp
Results by constituency
Prime Minister before election Goh Chok Tong PAP Prime Minister after election Goh Chok Tong PAP

General elections were held in Singapore on 3 November 2001. President S.R. Nathan dissolved parliament on 18 October 2001 on the advice of Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong. The ruling People's Action Party (PAP) won 82 of the 84 elected seats in Parliament in a landslide victory. Due to the large number (55) of uncontested seats, only 675,306 of the 2,036,923 eligible voters (33%) had an opportunity to vote. As of the recent election in 2020, this was the most recent, and fourth overall (third consecutive) election PAP returned to power on nomination day with a majority of uncontested walkovers.

This election marked the first time that total eligible voter population exceeded the 2 million mark.

Background

The ruling PAP's secretary-general and Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong initially scheduled for the election to be held in 2002, but pushed to November after Singapore faced an economic crisis due to the events of September 11 attacks in the United States.

For the first time since 1963, a formal political umbrella emerged from within the opposition. The four-party Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA), which consist of the leader party Singapore People's Party (SPP), the National Solidarity Party (NSP), Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Melayu Singapura (PKMS) and Singapore Justice Party (SJP), was led by Chiam See Tong. SDA fielded the most candidates in the election, where NSP provided the bulk of nine candidates, SPP with four, and PKMS providing a required minority candidate.

Former Workers' Party (WP) Non-Constituency Member of Parliament Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam, who lost his seat after being declared a bankrupt owing to lawsuits by PAP leaders, resigned from the party, citing disagreements with the present leadership. The only WP Member of Parliament, Low Thia Khiang took over as secretary-general. During nomination day, WP was nominated on only two wards (Hougang and Nee Soon East SMC), as their sole GRC team who attempt to nominate in Aljunied Group Representation Constituency was disqualified for filing incomplete papers.

A seat had been vacated in 1999 after the conviction of Jalan Besar GRC's MP Choo Wee Khiang over commercial crimes, but no by-election was held as the seat was within a GRC. Under the law, an entire electoral constituency (for both single member and GRC seats) has to be vacated before a by-election could be called, as this was done during the Marine Parade GRC by-election of 1992.

Campaign

This election saw its shortest campaigning period of 17 days after opening of the register of electors, as well as the absence of four-member GRCs from the electoral map (four-member GRCs would reappear again in the 2011 elections, in nearly a decade later). Another increase of the election deposit amount this time was the most significant one in history, which almost doubled.

The result saw WP's Low and SDA's Chiam retaining their seats, but saw their winning margins slashed from the 1997. With these two opposition wins, one NCMP seat was offered to and accepted by Steve Chia of Singapore Democratic Alliance, who became the youngest and first-ever non-WP NCMP.

Chee Soon Juan incident

Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) leader Chee Soon Juan came under fire in the media when he encountered Prime Minister Goh while campaigning at a hawker centre. He used a megaphone to ask Goh, "Where is the $18 billion that you have lent to (Indonesian President) Suharto?". Goh and Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew sued Chee for defamation shortly after the election.

Chee lost the lawsuits and was ordered to pay damages of S$300,000 to Goh and S$200,000 to Lee. On 10 February 2006, Chee was declared bankrupt by the High Court after failing to pay the damages owed to Goh and Lee, and was unable to stand in the elections held later May that year, until on 23 November 2012 where Chee was discharged from bankruptcy, and later returned to participate in the 2015 elections.

Timeline

Date	Event
17 October	Publication of Electoral Boundaries report
17 October	Certification of Registers of Electors
18 October	Dissolution of 9th Parliament; Writ of Election issued
25 October	Nomination Day
26 October-2 November	Campaigning Period
3 November	Polling Day
25 March 2002	Opening of 10th Parliament

Electoral boundaries

See also: List of Singaporean electoral divisions (2001–06)

Constituency	Changes
Aljunied GRC	Absorbed the southern Punggol divisions from Cheng San GRC, and Lorong Halus area/Paya Lebar Air Base from Pasir Ris GRC Kampong Kembangan division was split into Aljunied-Kembangan and Kembangan-Punggol divisions (the latter absorbed with Punggol East from Cheng San GRC), while Punggol South division was renamed to Aljunied–Hougang Carved out Changi-Simei division to East Coast GRC and Aljunied division to Marine Parade GRC
Ang Mo Kio GRC	Ward upsized to six members Absorbed Cheng San and Jalan Kayu divisions from Cheng San GRC Ang Mo Kio division was absorbed into Yio Chu Kang and Teck Ghee divisions
Bishan–Toa Payoh GRC	No Change in Boundaries
East Coast GRC	Absorbed Changi-Simei division from Aljunied GRC Carved out Joo Chiat division into SMC
Holland–Bukit Panjang GRC	New Constituency Formed with Ulu Pandan, Bukit Panjang and Buona Vista divisions from Bukit Timah GRC, Sembawang GRC and Tanjong Pagar GRC, respectively Bukit Panjang divisions was split to include Cashew and Zhenghua divisions, while some of Zhenghua division was split from Tanglin division
Hong Kah GRC	Absorbed Bukit Gombak SMC, and a portion of Chua Chu Kang SMC (to form Keat Hong division) Carved out Hong Kah East division to Jurong GRC Hong Kah West was merged into Nanyang division
Jalan Besar GRC	Ward upsized to five members Absorbed Kampong Glam SMC, Kreta Ayer and Kim Seng divisions (which would merge into Kreta Ayer–Kim Seng division) from Kreta Ayer–Tanglin GRC Geylang West division was absorbed into Kolam Ayer and Jalan Besar divisions
Jurong GRC	New Constituency Formed from a majority of Bukit Timah GRC (except for Bukit Timah division, which carved into SMC), and Hong Kah East division from Hong Kah GRC Jurong division was split into Pioneer and Taman Jurong divisions, while Bukit Batok East division was formed from portions of Bukit Batok, Bukit Gombak & Bukit Timah divisions
Marine Parade GRC	No Change in Boundaries
Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC	New Constituency Formed from Pasir Ris GRC (except for the Pasir Ris South division, which was absorbed into Tampines GRC) and northern Punggol divisions of Cheng San GRC (Punggol Central, North and South)
Sembawang GRC	Carved out Nee Soon East division into SMC, and Bukit Panjang division into Holland–Bukit Panjang GRC Sembawang and Woodlands division were split to include Canberra and Admiralty divisions respectively
Tampines GRC	Ward upsized to five members Absorbed Pasir Ris South division from Pasir Ris GRC (renamed to Tampines North)
Tanjong Pagar GRC	Absorbed Moulmein and Tanglin (renamed to Tanglin-Cairnhill) divisions from Kreta Ayer–Tanglin GRC Carved out Buona Vista division to Holland–Bukit Panjang GRC Leng Kee division was absorbed into Queenstown, Radin Mas and Tanglin-Cairnhill divisions
West Coast GRC	Ward upsized to five members Absorbed Boon Lay SMC and some of Bukit Timah GRC (Jurong, Joo Koon, Gul Circle and Tuas) Pasir Panjang division was dissolved into Telok Blangah and West Coast divisions

Outgoing/New MPs

There were a total of 40 (25 PAP) candidates making their political debut in the 2001 election. Notable figures were Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Halimah Yacob, both of which would later go on to become Presidents of Singapore. 24 incumbent MPs retired prior to the announcements. 15 candidates outside PAP were also new, among which new faces include Chee Siok Chin, sister of the SDP's leader Chee Soon Juan, as well as Desmond Lim, who would later lead the newly formed SDA in future years, and a future Perennial candidate Ooi Boon Ewe.

New PAP candidates	Outgoing MPs	New opposition candidates
Ahmad Khalis, 40 Amy Khor, 43 Arthur Fong, 37 Balaji Sadasivian, 46 Cedric Foo, 41 Chong Weng Chiew, 32 Cynthia Phua, 43 Eric Low, 53 Gan Kim Yong, 42 Halimah Yacob, 47 Indranee Rajah, 38 Irene Ng, 37 Khaw Boon Wan, 48 Madeleine Ho, 45 Mohammed Maliki bin Osman, 36 Ng Eng Hen, 42 Ong Seh Hong, 37 Penny Low, 34 Raymond Lim, 42 Sitoh Yih Pin, 38 Tharman Shanmugaratnam, 44 Vivian Balakrishnan, 40 Warren Lee, 41 Wee Siew Kim, 41 Zainudin Nordin, 38	Aline Wong (Tampines GRC (Changkat)) Bernard Chen Tien Lap (West Coast GRC (Clementi)) Chng Hee Kok (East Coast GRC (Fengshan)) Eugene Yap (Marine Parade GRC (Mountbatten)) Goh Chee Wee (Boon Lay) Goh Choon Kang (Marine Parade GRC (Braddell Heights)) Harun Abdul bin Ghani (Hong Kah GRC (Hong Kah West)) Heng Chiang Meng (Cheng San GRC (Jalan Kayu)) Ho Tat Kin (Bishan–Toa Payoh GRC (Bishan North)) Ibrahim Othman (Bishan–Toa Payoh GRC (Toa Payoh Central)) Kenneth Chen Koon Lap (Hong Kah GRC (Hong Kah North)) Ker Sin Tze (Aljunied GRC (Paya Lebar)) Lew Syn Pau (Kreta Ayer–Tanglin GRC (Tanglin)) Ow Chin Hock (Tanjong Pagar GRC (Leng Kee)) Peh Chin Hua (Jalan Besar GRC (Geylang West)) Peter Chen (Hong Kah GRC (Nanyang)) Richard Hu (Kreta Ayer–Tanglin GRC (Kreta Ayer)) 1 S Vasoo (Tanjong Pagar GRC (Radin Mas)) Sidek bin Saniff (Aljunied GRC (Eunos)) Sinakruppan Ramasamy (Kreta Ayer–Tanglin GRC (Moulmein)) Tang Guan Seng (Ang Mo Kio GRC (Ang Mo Kio)) Toh See Kiat (Aljunied GRC (Aljunied)) Wan Soon Bee (West Coast GRC (Pasir Panjang))	Chee Siok Chin, 35 (SDP) Fong Chin Leong, 32 (SDA) Foo Kok Wah, 30 (SDA) Mohamad Isa bin Abdul Aziz, 43 (SDP) Desmond Lim Bak Chuan, 34 (SDA) Lim Boon Heng, 25 (SDP) Arthero Lim Tung Hee, 46 (SDP) Ng Kee How, 47 (SDA) Ooi Boon Ewe, 60 (IND) Poh Lee Guan, 40 (WP) Mohamad Rahizan bin Yaacob, 45 (SDA) Tan Kim Chuang, 55 (IND) Sebastian Teo Kway Huang, 53 (SDA) Tong Meng Chye, 53 (SDA) Vincent Yeo Boon Keng, 48 (SDP)

1. ^ Richard Hu initially announced that he would seek another term in leading a team for the new Holland–Bukit Panjang GRC, but the idea was scrapped.

Results

PAP won a landslide victory and its best result since 1980. The party achieved its third highest score among the general elections it has contested since 1959. The PAP's vote percentage of 75.3% signalled an overwhelming endorsement of the PAP to lead the nation out of the crisis that came at a time of great uncertainty over world security and the recession that came after the September 11 attacks.

Two candidates, Tan Kim Chuang and Tan Lead Shake, had each forfeited their $9,000 election deposit, the latter being a straight contest where Tan Cheng Bock won the best performing election result at 87.96% in Ayer Rajah Constituency; This is the last election to date where there was a forfeiture of election deposit outside multi-cornered contests.

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	People's Action Party	470,765	75.29	82	+1
	Singapore Democratic Alliance	75,248	12.03	1	0
	Singapore Democratic Party	50,607	8.09	0	0
	Workers' Party	19,060	3.05	1	0
	Democratic Progressive Party	5,334	0.85	0	0
	Independents	4,253	0.68	0	0
Total		625,267	100.00	84	+1
Valid votes		625,267	97.87
Invalid/blank votes		13,636	2.13
Total votes		638,903	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		2,036,923	94.61
Source: Singapore Elections [lower-alpha 1]

By constituency

Constituency	Seats	Electorate	Party		Candidates	Votes	%
Aljunied GRC	5	125,115		People's Action Party	Ong Seh Hong Cynthia Phua Yeo Guat Kwang George Yeo Zainul Abidin	Uncontested
Ang Mo Kio GRC	6	166,644		People's Action Party	Inderjit Singh Lee Hsien Loong Balaji Sadasivan Seng Han Thong Tan Boon Wan Wee Siew Kim	Uncontested
Ayer Rajah SMC	1	18,475		People's Action Party	Tan Cheng Bock	15,024	87.96
				Democratic Progressive Party	Tan Lead Shake	2,057	12.04
Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC	5	114,621		People's Action Party	Davinder Singh Leong Horn Kee Ng Eng Hen Wong Kan Seng Zainudin Nordin	Uncontested
Bukit Timah SMC	1	26,951		People's Action Party	Wang Kai Yuen	19,121	77.37
				Singapore Democratic Alliance	Tong Meng Chye	4,376	17.71
				Independent	Tan Kim Chuang	1,215	4.92
Chua Chu Kang SMC	1	24,863		People's Action Party	Low Seow Chay	15,349	65.34
				Singapore Democratic Alliance	Steve Chia [lower-alpha 2]	8,143	34.66
East Coast GRC	6	144,012		People's Action Party	Abdullah Tarmugi Chew Heng Ching Lee Yock Suan Raymond Lim S. Jayakumar Tan Soo Khoon	Uncontested
Holland-Bukit Panjang GRC	5	118,834		People's Action Party	Gan Kim Yong Lim Swee Say David Lim Teo Ho Pin Vivian Balakrishnan	Uncontested
Hong Kah GRC	5	129,073		People's Action Party	Ahmad Khalis Abdul Ghani Ang Mong Seng John Chen Amy Khor Yeo Cheow Tong	96,450	79.74
				Singapore Democratic Party	Cheo Chai Chen Lim Boon Heng Lim Tung Hee Sarry Bin Hassan Wong Hong Toy	24,513	20.26
Hougang SMC	1	23,320		Workers' Party	Low Thia Khiang	12,070	54.98
				People's Action Party	Eric Low	9,882	45.02
Jalan Besar GRC	5	100,268		People's Action Party	Heng Chee How Lee Boon Yang Loh Meng See Lily Neo Yaacob Ibrahim	68,309	74.48
				Singapore Democratic Alliance	Fong Chin Leong Lim Bak Chuan Mohd Rahizan Bin Yaacob Ng Kee How Sin Kek Tong	23,391	25.51
Joo Chiat SMC	1	21,745		People's Action Party	Chan Soo Sen	15,426	83.55
				Independent	Ooi Boon Ewe	3,038	16.45
Jurong GRC	5	115,113		People's Action Party	Foo Yee Shoon Halimah Yacob Lim Boon Heng Ong Chit Chung Tharman Shanmugaratnam	84,742	79.75
				Singapore Democratic Party	Chee Siok Chin Chee Soon Juan Karuppiah Ambalam Gandhi Mohamed Isa Bin Abdul Aziz Vincent Yeo	21,511	20.25
MacPherson SMC	1	22,010		People's Action Party	Matthias Yao	16,870	83.73
				Democratic Progressive Party	Tan Soo Phuan	3,277	16.27
Marine Parade GRC	6	140,174		People's Action Party	Gan Lai Chiang Goh Chok Tong Mohamad Maidin bin Packer Mohd Othman Haron Eusofe R Ravindran Lim Hwee Hua	Uncontested
Nee Soon Central SMC	1	22,975		People's Action Party	Ong Ah Heng	16,755	78.52
				Singapore Democratic Party	Ling How Doong	4,583	21.48
Nee Soon East SMC	1	28,465		People's Action Party	Ho Peng Kee	19,566	73.68
				Workers' Party	Poh Lee Guan	6,990	26.32
Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC	5	134,151		People's Action Party	Ahmad Magad Charles Chong Michael Lim Penny Low Teo Chee Hean	Uncontested
Potong Pasir SMC	1	16,616		Singapore Democratic Alliance	Chiam See Tong	8,107	52.43
				People's Action Party	Sitoh Yih Pin	7,356	47.57
Sembawang GRC	6	166,137		People's Action Party	Chin Tet Yung Hawazi Daipi K. Shanmugam Warren Lee Maliki Osman Tony Tan	Uncontested
Tampines GRC	5	125,432		People's Action Party	Mah Bow Tan Irene Ng Ong Kian Min Sin Boon Ann Yatiman Bin Yusof	85,915	73.34
				Singapore Democratic Alliance	Abdul Rahim Bin Osman Foo Kok Wah Neo Ting Wei Sebastian Teo Yip Yew Weng	31,231	26.66
Tanjong Pagar GRC	6	141,150		People's Action Party	Chay Wai Chuen Chong Weng Chiew Indranee Rajah Khaw Boon Wan Koo Tsai Kee Lee Kuan Yew	Uncontested
West Coast GRC	5	110,779		People's Action Party	Arthur Fong Cedric Foo Ho Geok Choo Lim Hng Kiang S. Iswaran	Uncontested
Source: ELD

Notes

1. 1,361,617 of the 2,036,923 voters were registered in uncontested constituencies, leaving 675,306 voters able to vote.
2. Elected as NCMP on 5 November 2001.

References

• "Hsien Loong: Election soon". (8 November 2005). New Straits Times , p. 31.

External links

• Singapore Elections Webpage