A party political broadcast (also known, in pre-election campaigning periods, as a party election broadcast ) is a television or radio broadcast made by a political party .
134-417: [REDACTED] General elections in Singapore must be held within three months after five years have elapsed from the date of the first sitting of a particular Parliament of Singapore , as per the Constitution . However, Parliament can also be dissolved and a general election called at the behest of the Prime Minister before the five-year period elapses. The number of constituencies or electoral divisions
268-504: A simple plurality voting ("first past the post") basis. A person is not permitted to be an MP for more than one constituency at the same time. In the last general election in 2020 , the incumbent People's Action Party (PAP) won 83 of the 93 seats, but lost Hougang SMC , Aljunied GRC , and the newly created Sengkang GRC to the Workers' Party (WP). This was the first time more than one GRC had been won by an opposition party. With
402-458: A " first-past-the-post " system, while NCMPs are chosen from among the candidates of political parties not forming the Government . The maximum duration of each Parliament is five years from the date of its first sitting. If Parliament has not been dissolved before that period has elapsed, it is automatically dissolved by operation of law . However, in most cases Parliament is dissolved and
536-638: A Council of Ministers would be created, composed of the three ex officio members and six elected members appointed by the Governor on the recommendation of the Leader of the House, who would be the leader of the largest political party or coalition of parties having majority support in the legislature. The recommendation was implemented in 1955. In the general election held that year, the Labour Front took
670-630: A Reconstitution Committee that proposed, among other things, recommended that the council should be made up of four ex officio members; five officials; four nominated unofficials; three representatives nominated by the Singapore Chamber of Commerce, Chinese Chamber of Commerce and the Indian Chamber of Commerce to represent the European, Chinese and Indian economic interests; and six members to be elected by universal suffrage . For
804-479: A Singapore citizen who is ordinarily resident in Singapore, not less than 21 years old, and not subject to any disqualifications. A person not resident in Singapore but entitled to have their name entered or retained in a register of electors for a particular electoral division may apply to be registered as an overseas elector any time before a writ of election is issued for any election in that division. A person
938-401: A broadcast; independent candidates may not do so. Party political broadcasts must be delivered by candidates, and each broadcast must consist of a single script in each of the four official languages of Singapore : Malay , Mandarin , Tamil and English. The duration of the permitted broadcast depends on the number of candidates each party is fielding, and ranges from two and a half minutes for
1072-525: A ceiling of two-thirds of the Member's annual salary. No person has an absolute right to compensation for past services or to any pension or gratuity, and the president may reduce or withhold pensions and gratuities upon an MP's conviction for corruption. The Speaker has overall charge of the administration of Parliament and its secretariat . His or her official role is to preside over parliamentary sittings, moderating debates and making decisions based on
1206-608: A debate the MP is often given the privilege of being one of the first non-Government MPs to speak. Singapore presently does not have a shadow cabinet in Parliament as the People's Action Party (PAP) has held an overwhelming majority of the seats in the House since it came to power in 1959. However, at the 1991 general election four opposition politicians were elected to Parliament: Chiam See Tong , Cheo Chai Chen and Ling How Doong from
1340-402: A foreign country before becoming a Singapore citizen. If an MP becomes subject to any disqualification specified in paragraph 1, 2, 5 or 7 above and it is open to the Member to appeal against the decision, the Member immediately ceases to be entitled to sit or vote in Parliament or any committee of it. However, members are not required to vacate the seat until the end of 180 days beginning with
1474-434: A foreign country if they did so before becoming a Singapore citizen. To be eligible to vote in a general election in a particular year, a person's name must appear in a certified register of electors of that year. A register of electors is prepared for each electoral division in Singapore. A person is entitled to have their name entered or retained in an electoral register of a certain year if on 1 January of that year they are
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#17327726379901608-658: A formal decision on the matter. On 10 November 1986, the MP for Anson, Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam of the Workers' Party of Singapore , lost an appeal against a conviction for making a false statement in a declaration and was sentenced to one month's imprisonment and a fine of $ 5,000. Further applications and appeals in the criminal proceedings to the High Court , Court of Appeal and the Privy Council (then Singapore's highest court) were dismissed. On 9 December,
1742-471: A functioning e-mail address or mobile phone number to enable recipients to indicate that they do not wish to receive further messages from the sender. However, the Internet may not be used to publish the following: Secondly, when candidates wish to publish election advertising on the Internet during the campaign period – that is, the period from the closure of the place of nomination on nomination day after
1876-747: A general election called at the behest of the Prime Minister , who is entitled to advise the President to do so by a proclamation published in the Government Gazette . The President is not obliged to proclaim that Parliament is dissolved unless he is satisfied that the Prime Minister commands the confidence of a majority of MPs. Once Parliament has been dissolved, a general election must be held within three months. The number of elected MPs and constituencies or electoral divisions
2010-564: A general election is a public holiday , and voting is compulsory. Unless the returning officer decides otherwise, polling stations are open from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. Voters must go to the polling stations assigned to them. In 2023, the Elections Department introduced a postal voting trial for overseas Singaporeans to cast their votes at overseas missions and government offices. Since 2018, electronic registration has been used to register voters at polling stations. This makes
2144-542: A majority of the seats in the Assembly, and David Marshall became the first Chief Minister of Singapore . Major problems with the Rendel Constitution were that the powers of the chief minister and ministers were ill-defined, and that the official members retained control of the finance, administration, and internal security and law portfolios. This led to confrontation between Marshall, who saw himself as
2278-614: A minority candidate in a GRC must, after the date of notice of the writ of election and at least two clear days before nomination day, apply to the Malay Community Committee or the Indian and Other Minority Communities Committee for a certificate stating that they are a person belonging to the Malay, Indian or some other minority community. Certificates to this effect will be issued by the respective committees not later than
2412-484: A month, bringing it to $ 225,000 per year. Subsequently, in 2012, MP's allowances were reduced to $ 192,500 per annum. Persons who have reached the age of 50 years and retired as MPs and who have served in this capacity for not less than nine years may be granted a pension for the rest of their lives. The annual amount payable is 1 ⁄ 30 of the person's highest annual salary for every completed year of service and 1 ⁄ 360 for every uncompleted year, up to
2546-624: A monthly allowance, a non-pensionable annual allowance (commonly known as the 13th month pay), and an annual variable component that is paid in July and December each year. The monthly allowance is 56% of the salary of an Administrative Service officer at the SR9 grade – the entry grade for Singapore's top civil servants – which is itself benchmarked at the salary of the 15th person aged 32 years from six professions: banking, law, engineering, accountancy, multinational companies and local manufacturers. In 1995,
2680-1296: A network license anymore, meaning that in actual practice in the 2020s this provision applies only to the CBC 's main radio and TV networks, and the private French-language networks TVA and Noovo . CBC Television formerly broadcast the regular weekly series The Nation's Business , in which Members of Parliament from all parties could give a short speech on a political issue, but this series no longer airs. In Asia, party political broadcasts have existed in Singapore since 1980, where they are known as political party broadcasts . In Japan, party political broadcasts are known as seiken hōsō ( 政見放送 ) . In Brazil , party political broadcasts are known as horário político . In Chile , party political broadcasts are known as franja electoral . Cross, S. and Wring, D. (2017) The Longest Running Series on Television: Party Political Broadcasting in Britain, in Holtz-Bacha, C. and Just, M.(ed) Routledge Handbook of Political Advertising, Routledge Handbook of Political Advertising European Union This television-related article
2814-843: A non-partisan nature. A similar format exists in the Republic of Ireland , though for smaller parties, because a greater number of them are represented in the Dáil , their allocated time may be as little as one or two minutes each. In Canada , the Canada Elections Act includes provisions for free-time election broadcasts (in addition to paid advertising) during Canadian federal elections, on all licensed terrestrial television and radio networks; notably, however, none of Canada's main English-language private television networks ( CTV , Global and Citytv ) actually operates under
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#17327726379902948-410: A particular Parliament commences when Parliament meets after being formed following a general election. A session ends when Parliament is prorogued (temporarily suspended) or dissolved . The maximum term of each Parliament is five years, after which Parliament automatically dissolves. A general election must then be held within three months. The quorum for a parliamentary sitting is one quarter of
3082-417: A party fielding six or seven candidates, to 13 minutes for one fielding between 89 and 93 candidates. The number of candidates fielded also determines the order of broadcasts, with the broadcast of the party fielding the smallest number of candidates on first and that of the party fielding the largest number last. Parliament of Singapore The Parliament of Singapore is the unicameral legislature of
3216-505: A period starting with the date 12 months before the date when the candidate makes the declaration referred to below and ending with nomination day. After the date of the writ of election and at least two clear days before nomination day, a candidate or prospective candidate must provide the Registrar of Political Donations with a report stating all the donations received from permissible donors that amount to at least $ 10,000 received during
3350-512: A political donation certificate not later than the eve of nomination day stating that the candidate has complied with the provisions of the Act. On nomination day, the returning officer and their representatives will be present at designated nomination centres between 11:00 am and 12:00 noon to receive prospective candidates' nomination papers, political donation certificates, and minority certificates (if required). Each nomination paper must contain
3484-697: A prime minister governing the country, and the governor Sir John Fearns Nicoll , who felt that important decisions and policies should remain with himself and the officials. In 1956, members of the Legislative Assembly held constitutional talks with the Colonial Office in London. The talks broke down as Marshall did not agree to the British Government's proposal for the casting vote on a proposed Defence Council to be held by
3618-604: A range of independent and non-partisan views as possible. Subject to rules on the tenure of MPs in general, NMPs serve for a term of two and a half years. The first two NMPs sworn in on 20 December 1990 were cardiologist Professor Maurice Choo and company executive Leong Chee Whye. NMPs can participate in all parliamentary debates, but cannot vote on any motion relating to: Persons are qualified to be elected or appointed as Members of Parliament if: Article 45 provides that persons are not qualified to be MPs if: A person's disqualification for having failed to properly lodge
3752-495: A return of election expenses or having been convicted of an offence may be removed by the president. If the president has not done so, the disqualification ceases at the end of five years from the date when the return was required to be lodged or, as the case may be, the date when the person convicted was released from custody or the date when the fine was imposed. In addition, a person is not disqualified for acquiring or exercising rights of foreign citizenship or declared allegiance to
3886-676: A sitting of Parliament or is otherwise unable to perform the functions conferred by the Constitution, these functions may be performed by a Deputy Speaker. If there is no Deputy Speaker or the Deputy Speaker is absent or unable to perform the functions, they may be carried out by some other person elected by Parliament for the purpose. The Speaker of Parliament was Tan Chuan-Jin , who was last appointed Minister for Social and Family Development , with effect from 11 September 2017. On 17 July 2023, Jessica Tan became Acting Speaker of
4020-403: A statement signed by the prospective candidate that they consent to the nomination; must include a statutory declaration by the prospective candidate that they are qualified to be elected; and must be signed by a proposer, a seconder, and four or more persons as assentors, each of whom must be a person on the register of electors for the electoral division in which the person seeks election. Since
4154-477: A voters' poll in the newspaper on 10 January. As this was the day after the writ of election for the 2013 by-election in Punggol East was issued, the publication of the poll contravened the ban against publishing election surveys during the blackout period. SPH accepted that an "internal lapse" had occurred. Two forms of political advertising on the Internet are permitted during election time. First, during
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4288-515: Is (or might reasonably be taken to be) based on information so given". The penalty for both of these offences is a fine of up to $ 1,500, imprisonment of up to 12 months, or both. On 20 June 2013, the police, acting on directions of the Attorney-General's Chambers , gave Singapore Press Holdings ("SPH") and Warren Fernandez, respectively the publisher and editor of The Straits Times , a warning in lieu of prosecution for having published
4422-427: Is 2% or less, excluding rejected and tendered votes. After all counts, and recounts if any, have been completed, the returning officer ascertains whether the total number of electors registered to vote overseas is less than the difference between the number of votes for the two candidates with the highest number of votes. If so, the returning officer declares the candidate with the highest number of votes to be elected for
4556-459: Is a fine of up to $ 2,000 and barred from being registered as an elector or participating in the election for three years within the date of conviction; if the person has been elected an MP prior to conviction, the seat is also vacated. The following acts are corrupt practices: The penalty for bribery, personation, treating and undue influence is a fine of up to $ 5,000 or imprisonment of up to three years or both; candidates declaring false statements
4690-403: Is associated at an election. It is also an offense to publish on polling day before all the polling stations have closed any exit poll , that is, "any statement relating to the way in which voters have voted at the election where that statement is (or might reasonably be taken to be) based on information given by voters after they have voted", or "any forecast as to the result of the election which
4824-551: Is disqualified from having their name entered or retained in a register of electors if they: A person is deemed to be ordinarily resident in Singapore on 1 January of a year if they have resided in Singapore for an aggregate of 30 days during the three years immediately preceding 1 January, even if they are not actually resident in Singapore on that date. However, such a person is not entitled to have their name entered or retained in any register of electors if: The Prime Minister may from time to time, but not later than three years after
4958-531: Is dissolved , or before that if their seats become vacant for one of the following reasons: NMPs must vacate their Parliamentary seats if they stand as candidates for any political party in an election or if they are elected as MPs for any constituencies. A person whose seat in Parliament has become vacant may, if qualified, again be elected or appointed as a Member of Parliament from time to time. Any person who sits or votes in Parliament, knowing or having reasonable ground for knowing they are not entitled to do so,
5092-553: Is in office. The Speaker may at any time resign by writing to the Clerk of Parliament. The Speaker must vacate the office Parliament shall from time to time elect two Deputy Speakers. Whenever the office of a Deputy Speaker is vacant for a reason other than a dissolution of Parliament, Parliament shall, as soon as is convenient, elect another person to that office. As with the Speaker, a Deputy Speaker may be elected either from among
5226-485: Is legally responsible for the conduct of the candidate's political campaign . In the case of a group of candidates contesting a GRC, a principal election agent must be appointed from among the candidates' election agents. Candidates may name themselves as their own election agents. Election agents are required to appoint candidates' paid polling agents (persons who oversee polling at polling stations on behalf of candidates), clerks and messengers; hire committee rooms for
5360-601: Is liable to a penalty not exceeding $ 200 for each day that they sit or vote. Any question whether any MP has vacated a seat, or, in the case of a person elected as Speaker or Deputy Speaker from among non-MPs, ceases to be a citizen of Singapore or becomes subject to any of the disqualifications specified in Article 45, is to be determined by Parliament, the decision of which on the matter is final. This does not mean that an MP retains his or her Parliamentary seat despite being under some disqualification until Parliament has made
5494-402: Is liable to be fined or imprisoned up to 12 months or both. Similar to illegal practices, candidates convicted are also disqualified from involvement in elections and the vacation of elected seats (if elected) for up to seven years upon conviction. All election posters must bear the election department's stamp or chop if it is a legal poster approved by the election department. Between the day
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5628-494: Is made by any person and directed towards any political end in Singapore". A film is regarded as being "directed towards a political end in Singapore" if it: (a) contains wholly or partly any matter which, in the opinion of the Board [of Film Censors], is intended or likely to affect voting in any election or national referendum in Singapore; or (b) contains wholly or partly references to or comments on any political matter which, in
5762-487: Is no senate or upper house . At present, the effect of the Constitution of Singapore and other legislation is that there can be a maximum of 105 MPs. Ninety-three are elected by the people while up to 12 Non-constituency Members of Parliament (NCMPs) and up to nine Nominated Members of Parliament (NMPs) may be appointed. After the 2020 general election , 93 MPs were elected and two NCMPs were appointed (or, in
5896-874: Is not permanently fixed by law, but is declared by the Prime Minister prior to each general election pursuant to the Parliamentary Elections Act ;( Cap. 218, 2011 Rev. Ed. ), which governs the conduct of elections to Parliament, taking into account recommendations of the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee . In Singapore, the Parliament is unicameral . For the 2020 general election , there are 93 elected seats in Parliament organised into 14 Single Member Constituencies (SMCs) and 17 Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs). Each SMC returns one Member of Parliament (MP) while each GRC returns between three and six MPs, at least one of whom must be from
6030-673: Is not permanently fixed by law, but is declared by the Prime Minister prior to each general election pursuant to the Parliamentary Elections Act, which governs the conduct of elections to Parliament, taking into account recommendations of the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee. Each constituency may be of Single Member Constituency (SMC) or Group Representation Constituency (GRC). Each SMC returns one MP while each GRC returns between three and six MPs, at least one of whom must be from
6164-613: Is the fourteenth. Parliament is sometimes used loosely to refer to Parliament House , which is the seat of the Parliament of Singapore. On 6 February 1819, Sultan Hussein Shah and the Temenggung of Johor , Abdul Rahman Sri Maharajah, entered into an agreement with Sir Stamford Raffles for the British East India Company to establish a " factory " or trading post on the island of Singapore . Raffles, who
6298-429: The 14th Parliament . Throughout the sitting of Parliament, nine NMPs are usually appointed by the president on a biennial basis. The Speaker of Parliament has overall charge of the administration of Parliament and its secretariat, and presides over parliamentary sittings. The Leader of the House is an MP appointed by the prime minister to arrange government business and the legislative programme of Parliament, while
6432-480: The 2011 Presidential election , candidates are also recommended to submit their recent passport photo with a size of no more than 2 MB and 400 x 514 pixels, to the Election Department as photographs are printed to the ballot paper for better identification. In addition, between the date of the writ of election and 12:00 noon on nomination day, candidates are required to lodge with the returning officer
6566-535: The Broadcasting Act 1990 and earlier broadcasting practice prohibited ) political advertising on television or radio; parties are instead allocated broadcast slots (usually around five minutes long) free of charge on broadcast channels using a formula set by Parliament. From 1953 to 2012 , government and opposition commentaries were broadcast on the evening of the annual budget statement . Ministerial Broadcasts are occasionally made on urgent matters of
6700-854: The East India Company . This made them subordinate to Fort William in Calcutta (now Kolkata ), the capital of the Bengal Presidency. By a treaty of 19 November 1824, the Sultan and Temenggung of Johor ceded Singapore to the East India Company. In 1826, the company constituted Malacca, Prince of Wales Island (now Penang ) and Singapore into the Presidency of the Straits Settlements with Penang as
6834-563: The Leader of the Opposition (LO) is the MP who leads the largest political party not in the government. Some of Parliament's work is carried out by select committees made up of small numbers of MPs. Standing select committees are permanently constituted to fulfil certain duties, and ad hoc select committees are established from time to time to deal with matters such studying the details of bills . In addition, selected backbenchers of
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#17327726379906968-521: The Malay , Indian or other minority communities. A group of persons wishing to stand for election in a GRC must all be members of the same political party , or a group of independent candidates. For the purposes of the 2020 general election , there were 93 electable seats in Parliament organised into 14 SMCs and 17 GRCs. Six GRCs were designated as four-member wards, 11 as five-member wards. 11 GRCs were designated as wards for which at least one member of
7102-401: The Malay , Indian or other minority communities. A group of persons wishing to stand for election in a GRC must all be members of the same political party , or a group of independent candidates. The voting age in Singapore is 21. The most recent general election was held on 10 July 2020. The People's Action Party (PAP) was returned to power to form the Government with 83 seats, while
7236-522: The Republic of Singapore , which governs the country alongside the president of Singapore . Largely based upon the Westminster system , the Parliament is made up of Members of Parliament (MPs) who are elected, as well as Non-constituency Members of Parliament (NCMPs) and Nominated Members of Parliament (NMPs) who are appointed. Following the 2020 general election , 93 (currently 87) MPs and two NCMPs from three political parties were elected to
7370-642: The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), and Low Thia Khiang from the Workers' Party (WP). On 6 January 1992 during a Parliamentary debate on the election of the Speaker of Parliament, the Leader of the House Wong Kan Seng said that he proposed to treat Chiam, then the SDP's secretary-general, as the "unofficial Leader of the Opposition" and that the House should give him "due courtesy and precedence among Opposition MPs". He likened
7504-474: The Westminster model , the Leader of the Opposition is the MP who is the leader of the largest opposition party able and prepared to assume office if the Government resigns. This political party often forms a Shadow Cabinet , the members of which serve as opposition spokespersons on key areas of government. This is taken into consideration by the Speaker when seats in Parliament are allocated, and during
7638-598: The Workers' Party (WP) secured ten seats by winning in Aljunied GRC , Hougang SMC and Sengkang GRC . The election process begins when the President , acting on Cabinet 's advice, issues a writ of election addressed to the returning officer . On nomination day, the returning officer and their representatives will be present at designated nomination centres between 11:00 am and 12:00 noon to receive prospective candidates' nomination papers, and political donation certificates certifying that they have complied with
7772-416: The election deposit equal to 8% of the total allowances payable to an MP in the preceding calendar year, rounded to the nearest $ 500. The exact amount of the deposit is specified in the notice of the writ of election issued by the returning officer. For the 2020 general election, the amount of the deposit was $ 13,500. A candidate who subsequently polls more than one-eighth of the total number of valid votes in
7906-437: The 10th day nor later than the 56th day after publication of the notice); and information such as the names of the candidates, their proposers and seconders, the symbols allocated to candidates which will be printed on ballot papers , and the locations of polling stations . On or before nomination day, every candidate must declare to the returning officer the name of one person who will act as their election agent . This person
8040-423: The 12 months preceding the declaration mentioned in the next sentence. They must also submit to the Registrar a declaration stating, to the best of their knowledge and belief, that they did not receive any other donations required to be mentioned in the donation report, and that only donations from permissible donors or allowable anonymous donations were accepted. If this paperwork is in order, the Registrar will issue
8174-679: The Bengal Presidency's control by the East India Company . In 1833, the Government of India Act passed by the British Parliament created a local government for the whole of India made up of the Governor-General and his counsellors. They were collectively known as Governor-General of India in Council and had the sole power to pass laws for the Straits Settlements. However, India's slow response to problems in
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#17327726379908308-641: The British High Commissioner to Singapore, who would only exercise it in an emergency. Marshall resigned as chief minister in June 1956, and was replaced by Lim Yew Hock . The following year, Lim led another delegation to the United Kingdom for further talks on self-governance . This time, agreement was reached on the composition of an Internal Security Council. Other constitutional arrangements were swiftly settled in 1958, and on 1 August
8442-542: The Executive Council, seven official members, between two and four unofficial members, and nine elected members. The governor continued to hold a veto and certain reserved powers over legislation. As there was a majority of official members in the council, the constitution was criticised for not allowing locals to play an effective role in public affairs. Governor Franklin Charles Gimson therefore formed
8576-491: The Internet material that amounts to election advertising without having to comply with the above regulations so long as they do so personally and not at the direction of another person or on that person's behalf, and do not receive any benefit for doing so. In a statement by the Election Department, any unpaid online election advertisements can be published by anyone if desired, but only candidates and their election agents can publish paid advertisements, and need to be declared to
8710-449: The MPs who are neither Ministers nor Parliamentary Secretaries or from among persons who are not MPs, but those in the latter category must have the qualifications to be elected an MP. Deputy Speakers may resign their office in the same way as the Speaker, and must vacate their office in the same circumstances. If there is no one holding the office of Speaker, or if the Speaker is absent from
8844-448: The Malay community had to be fielded as a candidate, and six as wards for which at least one member of the Indian or some other minority community had to be fielded. Persons are qualified to be elected or appointed as MPs if: Article 45 provides that persons are not qualified to be MPs if: A person's disqualification for having failed to properly lodge a return of election expenses or having been convicted of an offence may be removed by
8978-452: The Parliament of Singapore while the new speaker is nominated at the next parliament sitting on 2 August 2023. This came after Tan Chuan-Jin resigned as Speaker following revelations of an extramarital affair. At the open of the parliament sitting on 2 August 2023, Seah Kian Peng was appointed and sworn in as the 11th Speaker of Singapore. The Leader of the House is an MP appointed by the Prime Minister to arrange government business and
9112-476: The President. If the President has not done so, the disqualification ceases at the end of five years from the date on which the return was required to be lodged or, as the case may be, the date on which the person convicted was released from custody or the date on which the fine was imposed. In addition, a person is not disqualified for acquiring or exercising rights of foreign citizenship or declared allegiance to
9246-514: The Republic of Singapore Independence Act 1965, passed on 22 December 1965 and made retrospective to 9 August, declared that the legislative powers of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and Parliament of Malaysia ceased and vested in the president and the Parliament of Singapore respectively. The Parliament of Singapore is unicameral – all Members of Parliament (MPs) make up a single chamber, and there
9380-588: The Returning Officer by the candidate or election agent under existing requirements. Posting or republishing of ads (which include sharing, resharing, reposting or boosting existing advertisements) can be done at anytime before Cooling-off day . The Films Act defines a party political film as a film "(a) which is an advertisement made by or on behalf of any political party in Singapore or any body whose objects relate wholly or mainly to politics in Singapore, or any branch of such party or body; or (b) which
9514-546: The Settlements such as the ineffective court system and the lack of Straits representation in the Indian legislative council prompted merchants and other prominent people to call for the Settlements to be governed directly by the Colonial Office in London . Finally, on 1 April 1867, the Straits Settlements were separated from the Government of India and became a Crown colony . Under letters patent dated 4 February 1867,
9648-402: The Speaker of Parliament made a statement in the House that Jeyaretnam had ceased to be an MP with effect from 10 November by virtue of having been convicted of an offence and sentenced to a fine of not less than $ 2,000. Jeyaretnam did not object to the statement at the time. Under Article 45(2) of the Constitution, he was disqualified to be an MP until five years had elapsed from the date the fine
9782-633: The Standing Orders of Parliament for the proper conduct of parliamentary business. The Speaker does not participate in debates, but can abstain or vote for or against a motion if entitled to do so by virtue of being an MP. The Speaker also acts as the representative of Parliament in its external relations, welcoming visiting dignitaries and representing Parliament at national events and overseas visits. The Speaker must be elected when Parliament first meets after any general election, before it proceeds to deal with any other business. Similarly, whenever
9916-543: The Straits Settlements were granted a colonial constitution in the usual form. The Governor of the Straits Settlements ruled with the help of an executive council and a legislative council . The executive council was made up of the governor, the commanding officer of the troops in the Straits, and six senior officials—including the colonial secretary , lieutenant-governor of Penang, attorney-general and colonial engineer. The legislative council, in which legislative authority
10050-554: The United Kingdom Parliament passed the State of Singapore Act 1958 ( 6 & 7 Eliz. 2 . c. 59 (UK)), granting the colony full internal self-government. Under Singapore's new constitution, which came into force on 3 June 1959, the Legislative Assembly consisted of 51 elected members and the governor was replaced by the Yang di-Pertuan Negara , who had power to appoint the prime minister who most likely to command
10184-520: The Workers' Party securing ten elected seats in Parliament, this was the best opposition parliamentary result since the nation's independence. Out of the current 93 elected MPs, 26 (about 27.96%) are female. This was an increase from the figure of about 22.47% for the 13th Parliament (before the resignation of Halimah Yacob ), in which 20 of the 89 elected MPs were women. Non-constituency Members of Parliament (NCMPs) were introduced in 1984 to ensure
10318-487: The authority of the Legislative Assembly, and other ministers of the Cabinet on the prime minister's advice. During the 1959 general election , the People's Action Party (PAP) swept to power with 43 out of the 51 seats in the Assembly, and Lee Kuan Yew became the first prime minister of Singapore. In 1963, Singapore gained independence from Britain through a merger with Malaysia . In the federal legislature, Singapore
10452-409: The ballots counted. Since 2018, vote counting is conducted by counting machines similar to those used to handle bank notes. This makes the counting process three times faster than the previous practice of manually counting the ballot papers by counting assistants. To curb speculation from unofficial sources, a sample count is typically performed at the start of the counting process to get an indication of
10586-614: The capital. The general power to make laws for the Straits Settlements remained with the Supreme Government in India and the Parliament of the United Kingdom ; Penang's legislative power was limited to making rules and regulations relating to duties and taxes that the Settlements was empowered to levy. On 20 June 1830, as a cost-cutting measure, the Straits Settlements ceased to be a separate presidency and were placed under
10720-569: The chairmanship of Sir George William Rendel , which had been appointed to comprehensively review the constitution of the Colony of Singapore, rendered its report. Among other things, it recommended that the Legislative Council be transformed into a legislative assembly of 32 members made up of three ex officio official members holding ministerial posts, four nominated unofficial members, and 25 elected unofficial members. In addition,
10854-472: The close of nomination up to the day before the eve of polling day. No campaigning is permitted on the eve of polling day itself, which is known as "cooling-off day". Candidates can advertise on the Internet, conduct house-to-house visits, distribute pamphlets, put up banners and posters, and hold election rallies. Political parties fielding at least six candidates are allocated airtime for two pre-recorded party political broadcasts on radio and television, one on
10988-460: The close of the nomination period, where there is more than one candidate in an SMC or more than one group of candidates in a GRC, the election is adjourned for a poll to be taken, otherwise, the election is uncontested and the returning officer will declare that the candidate has or the group of candidates have been elected. The returning officer issues a notice of contested election which states when polling day will be (which must not be earlier than
11122-599: The current Parliament House on 6 September 1999. The term Parliament is used in a number of different senses. First, it refers to the institution made up of a group of people ( Members of Parliament or MPs) who are elected to discuss matters of state. Secondly, it can mean each group of MPs voted into office following a general election . In this sense, the First Parliament of the independent Republic of Singapore sat from 8 December 1965 to 8 February 1968. The current Parliament, which started on 24 August 2020,
11256-461: The date of the adjudication, declaration or conviction, as the case may be. After that period, the MP must vacate the seat if subject to one of the previously mentioned disqualifications. Otherwise, the MP is entitled to resume sitting or voting in Parliament immediately after ceasing to be disqualified. The above rules do not operate to extend the term of service of an NMP beyond two and a half years. MPs also cease to hold office when Parliament
11390-475: The date of the writ), and the places of nomination. The returning officer issues a notice stating that the writ of election has been issued by the President and stipulating the date, time and places for nomination of candidates, the documents that candidates must submit on nomination day, and the amount of the deposit that must be lodged. This notice must be issued at least four clear days before nomination day. Any person who wishes to participate in an election as
11524-481: The day before nomination day. Under the Political Donations Act, candidates for general elections may only receive political donations from Singapore citizens who are at least 21 years old, or Singapore-controlled companies which carry on business wholly or mainly in Singapore. The receipt of anonymous donations is prohibited, except for anonymous donations totalling less than $ 5,000 received during
11658-471: The day following nomination day and the other on cooling-off day. The amount of airtime granted depends on the number of candidates each party is fielding. The maximum amount which a candidate or their election agent can pay or incur for an election campaign is currently $ 4 ($ 3.50 before 2011) per the electorate in an SMC, or in the case of GRC, the average electorate per the size of the GRC itself. Polling day at
11792-423: The divisions are specified by the prime minister by notification in the Government Gazette . Fourteen of these divisions are Single Member Constituencies (SMCs) and 17 are Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs). GRCs were introduced in 1991 for the purpose of ensuring representation of the Malay , Indian and other minority communities in Parliament. In a GRC, all the candidates must either be members of
11926-466: The election is adjourned to enable a poll to be taken, to the start of the eve of polling day – they must provide to the returning officer, within 12 hours after the start of the period, declarations containing information on all the online platforms the advertising has appeared on in that time. Subsequently, a similar declaration must be provided before election advertising is published on such platforms. Individuals who are Singapore citizens may publish on
12060-619: The election period – that is, the period between the day the writ of election is issued and the start of polling day – political parties, candidates or election agents may use the Internet to further candidates' campaigns, including using websites, chat rooms or discussion forums , video and photograph sharing or hosting websites, e-mail , micro-blog posts (such as Twitter), SMS and MMS messages, digital audio and video files, electronic media applications, and blogs and social networking services (such as Facebook). Election advertising sent by e-mail, micro-blog post, SMS or MMS must contain
12194-482: The electoral division they contest but who is not elected will have the deposit returned; otherwise, the deposit is forfeited and paid into the Consolidated Fund (the Government's main bank account). For GRCs, the election deposit is multiplied by the number of candidates in a team; for Presidential election, the election deposit is tripled. Nomination papers and certificates must be personally delivered to
12328-482: The electoral division. If not, the returning officer states the number of votes cast for each candidate and the date and location where the overseas votes will be counted. The Parliament of Singapore is unicameral and consists of three types of Members of Parliament: elected Members of Parliament (MPs), Non-constituency Members of Parliament (NCMPs), and Nominated Members of Parliament (NMPs). Of these, MPs are chosen by universal suffrage or popular election under
12462-577: The first time, non-officials held a majority in the legislature. A new constitution embodying these arrangements came into force on 1 March 1948 and Singapore's first democratic elections were held on 20 March that year. Three out of the six elected seats were won by the Progressive Party . In 1951, three more elected seats were created in the council. In February 1954, the Rendel Constitutional Commission under
12596-428: The governing People's Action Party (PAP), the current largest political party in Parliament, sit on Government Parliamentary Committees (GPCs) that examine the policies, programmes and proposed legislation of government ministries . The main functions of Parliament are lawmaking, controlling the nation's finances, and ensuring ministerial accountability. Parliament convenes when it is in session . The first session of
12730-636: The governor nominated the others on an ethnic basis: five Europeans, including one each from Penang and Malacca, three Chinese British subjects, one Malay , one Indian and one Eurasian . This system remained in place until Singapore fell to the Japanese in 1942 during World War II . Following the Second World War, the Straits Settlements were disbanded and Singapore became a Crown colony in its own right. The reconstituted Legislative Council consisted of four ex officio members from
12864-480: The governor, but the unofficials could speak and vote as they wished. In 1924, the system was changed such that two unofficial members of the legislative council were nominated by the governor to sit on the Executive Council. In addition, the number of members of the legislative council was increased to 26, with equal numbers of officials and unofficials. The governor retained his casting vote. The Penang and European chambers of commerce each nominated one unofficial, while
12998-509: The highest percentage of votes is entitled to be declared the first NCMP, followed by other opposition candidates in descending order according to the percentages of votes polled by them. If any candidates have an equal percentage of votes and the number of such candidates exceeds the number of NCMPs to be declared elected, the NCMPs are determined as follows: Following the 2020 general election, since ten opposition MPs were elected to Parliament,
13132-435: The interests of the companies or lobby the Government". In essence, PAP party rules clearly define that an MP "must not exploit" his public position for either his or her own personal interest or the benefit of his or her own employer. As of the 2020 general election , for the purpose of parliamentary elections , Singapore was divided into 31 electoral divisions (also known as constituencies). The names and boundaries of
13266-414: The last general election, direct that the electoral registers be revised; and may, before a general election, require the registers to be brought up to date by reference to a particular year. After registers have been prepared or updated, they are made available for public inspection to enable people to submit claims to be included in registers or to raise objections concerning the inclusion of other people in
13400-616: The law provides for up to two NCMPs to be declared elected. The seats were taken up by Hazel Poa and Leong Mun Wai of the Progress Singapore Party , who were part of the team that contested in West Coast GRC in the election and were the best performing opposition candidates that did not win in their constituency. In 1990, the Constitution was amended to provide for the appointment of up to nine Nominated Members of Parliament (NMPs) to Parliament. The change
13534-401: The legislative programme of Parliament. The leader initiates motions concerning the business of the House during sittings, such as actions to be taken on procedural matters and extending sitting times. The current Leader of the House is Indranee Rajah who has assumed this office on 14 August 2020. She is assisted by Deputy Leader Zaqy Mohammed . In parliamentary systems of government on
13668-404: The minority candidates in each GRC are to be from the Malay, Indian, or other minority communities. At all times there must be at least eight divisions that are not GRCs, and the number of Members of Parliament (MPs) to be returned by all GRCs cannot be less than a quarter of the total number of MPs to be returned at a general election. Each electoral division returns one MP, or if it is a GRC
13802-453: The monthly allowance was S$ 8,375 ($ 100,500 per year). The allowance was revised in 2000 to $ 11,900 ($ 142,800 per year). In 2007, it was announced that civil service salaries had lagged behind those in the private sector and required revision. MPs' salaries were therefore increased in phases. In 2007, the monthly allowance was revised to $ 13,200, raising the annual sum to $ 158,400. A gross domestic product (GDP) bonus payable to civil servants
13936-405: The nomination papers of other candidates which have been received for that electoral division. Candidates may object to other candidates' nomination papers on the following grounds only: The returning officer may themselves lodge objections. All objections must be made between 11:00 am and 12:30 pm on nomination day. The returning officer must then, with the least possible delay, decide on
14070-447: The number of MPs designated for the constituency by the president, to serve in Parliament. A GRC can have a minimum of three and a maximum of six MPs. In other words, a successful voter's single vote in an SMC sends to Parliament one MP, and in a GRC sends a slate of between three and six MPs depending on how many have been designated for that GRC. At present, SMCs return to Parliament 14 MPs and GRCs 79 MPs. All elected MPs are selected on
14204-480: The office of Speaker is vacant for some reason other than a dissolution of Parliament, no business must be transacted other than the election of a person to fill that office. The Speaker may be elected from among the MPs who are not Ministers or Parliamentary Secretaries, but even a person who is not an MP can be chosen. Nonetheless, a candidate who is not an MP must possess the qualifications to stand for election as an MP. The Speaker's salary may not be reduced while he
14338-485: The only one candidate in an SMC or the sole group of candidates in a GRC being MP-elects. The returning officer issues a notice of contested election which states when polling day will be; and information such as the names of the candidates, their proposers and seconders, the symbols allocated to candidates, and their passport photos, all of which will be printed on ballot papers , and the locations of polling stations . Candidates can only mount election campaigns from after
14472-416: The opinion of the Board, are either partisan or biased; and "political matter" includes but is not limited to any of the following: In general, it is an offence for importing, reproducing, distributing or exhibiting any party political film, with a penalty of up to $ 100,000 fine or imprisonment of up to two years or both. However, a film is not regarded as a party political film if it is: In addition, during
14606-477: The period starting with the day when the writ of election is issued and ending with the start of the eve of polling day, election campaign recordings are exempted from the requirement that films must be submitted to the Board of Film Censors for review, and may be published on and distributed through the Internet. Such recordings are unmodified live recordings of lawful performances, assemblies or processions held in connection with election activities which do not depict
14740-413: The possible electoral outcome. This is based on a random bundle of 100 ballot papers from each polling station in the contested electoral division. A candidate or his counting agent may ask the returning officer for a recount of votes if the difference between the number of votes for the candidate or group of candidates with the most votes and the number of votes of any other candidate or group of candidate
14874-432: The president as NMPs. The persons to be nominated must have rendered distinguished public service, or have brought honour to Singapore, or have distinguished themselves in the field of arts and letters, culture, the sciences, business, industry, the professions, social or community service or the labour movement; and in making any nomination, the special select committee must have regard to the need for NMPs to reflect as wide
15008-411: The private sector or even may run their own private business as an entrepreneur. Rules regarding conflict of interest within Parliament, are not defined by Parliamentary codes of conduct but instead the political parties internally define the code of conduct for their representatives within Parliament. Notably, PAP internal rules stipulate that party MPs "should not use their political position to champion
15142-629: The proceedings in a dramatic way or consist of unscripted or "reality" type programmes. Under content codes issued by the Media Development Authority , political advertising is not permitted on radio or television. Instead the Authority arranges for pre-recorded party political broadcasts to be made on radio and TV, one on the day after nomination day and the other on the eve of polling day. Only political parties fielding at least six candidates at an election are eligible to make
15276-464: The registers. After all claims and objections have been dealt with, the registers are certified as correct. The election process begins when the President, acting on Cabinet's advice, issues a writ of election addressed to the returning officer , who is the official responsible for overseeing the election. The writ specifies the date when the nomination of candidates is to be taken (which must not be earlier than five days nor later than one month from
15410-405: The registration process faster than the previous practice of manually checking and striking off the names against a hardcopy register. After the poll closes, the presiding officer of each polling station seals the ballot box without opening them. Candidates or their polling agents may also affix their own seals to the ballot boxes. The ballot boxes are then taken to counting centres to be opened and
15544-424: The representation in Parliament of a minimum number of MPs from a political party or parties not forming the Government. The number of NCMPs in Parliament is 12 less the number of opposition MPs elected. To be eligible to become an NCMP, a candidate must have polled not less than 15% of the total number of valid votes in the electoral division contested by him or her. The unelected opposition candidate who receives
15678-483: The requirements of the Political Donations Act ;( Cap. 236, 2001 Rev. Ed. ). A person intending to contest in a GRC as a minority candidate must also submit a certificate confirming that they are a person belonging to the Malay, Indian or some other minority community. In addition, between the date of the writ of election and 12:00 noon on nomination day, candidates must lodge with
15812-411: The returning officer a deposit equal to 8% of the total allowances payable to an MP in the preceding calendar year, rounded to the nearest $ 500, which varies in each election. At the close of the nomination period, if there are multiple candidates in an SMC or more than one group of candidates in a GRC, the election is adjourned for a poll to be taken, otherwise, the election is declared walkover and that
15946-507: The returning officer in duplicate by the person seeking nomination. The person's proposer, seconder and at least four assentors must also be present in person; any authorized proxy representatives may also allow to represent candidates in-person if the candidate is unable to come on person such as illness. Each nomination paper is then posted outside the place of nomination; and candidates, their proposers, seconders, assentors and one other person appointed by each candidate to be present may examine
16080-405: The same political party or independent candidates standing as a group, and at least one of the candidates must be a person belonging to the Malay, Indian or some other minority community. The president, at Cabinet 's direction, declares the electoral divisions that are to be GRCs; the number of candidates (not less than three but not more than six) to stand for Parliament in each GRC; and whether
16214-636: The situation to that in the Legislative Assembly of Singapore in 1955 when the PAP won three out of four contested seats, and Lee Kuan Yew was de facto Leader of the Opposition. After Chiam was replaced by Ling as secretary-general of the SDP in 1993, the latter was referred to as the unofficial Leader of the Opposition. Party political broadcast In the United Kingdom the Communications Act 2003 prohibits (and previously
16348-490: The speaker puts the question on the motion to the House and calls for a vote. Voting is generally done verbally, and whether the motion is carried depends on the speaker's personal assessment of whether more MPs have voted for than against the motion. MPs' votes are only formally counted if an MP claims a division . Parliament first convened at the Old Parliament House between 1955 and 1999, before moving into
16482-581: The term of that Parliament. With effect from 1 July 2010, such a decision became unnecessary as NMPs were made a permanent feature in Parliament. A special select committee of Parliament chaired by the Speaker of Parliament is established, and invites the general public to submit names of persons who may be considered for nomination by the Committee. From these names, the special select committee then nominates not more than nine persons for appointment by
16616-615: The terms of the Parliamentary Elections Act, declared elected) to Parliament. Unlike many legislatures in the world, any legislator who is a Member of Parliament in Singapore (representing either the party in Government or in Opposition) and does not possess a portfolio within the executive Cabinet , is free to hold a full-time occupation in the private sector as well as holding executive, advisory and directorship positions within private-sector companies and non-government organisations. In Singapore, Non-Cabinet MPs are commonly employed in
16750-400: The total number of MPs, not including the speaker. An MP begins a debate by moving a motion and delivering an opening speech explaining the reasons for the motion. The speaker (or chairman, if Parliament is in committee) then puts the motion in the form of a question, following which other MPs may debate the motion. After that, the mover may exercise a right of reply. When the debate is closed,
16884-490: The use of candidates; pay for expenses incurred for the conduct or management of the election; and receive money from third parties for election expenses. The maximum amount which a candidate or their election agent can pay or incur for an election campaign is $ 4 for each elector in an SMC, or for each elector divided by the number of candidates in the group standing for election in a GRC. The following expenses are illegal practices: The penalty for committing in illegal practice
17018-489: The validity of the objections made and inform candidates of their decision. If any objection is allowed, the grounds of the decision must be provided. The rejection of any objection is final and cannot be challenged in court, but any objections that are allowed may be reversed on application to an election judge. Each candidate may only be nominated in one electoral division at a general election, and only nominated once in an electoral division. Multiple nominations are void. At
17152-402: The writ of election is issued and the close of all polling stations on polling day, it is an offence to publish the results of any election survey, which is defined as an opinion survey of how electors will vote at an election, or of the preferences of electors concerning any candidate or group of candidates or any political party or issue with which an identifiable candidate or group of candidates
17286-674: Was Lieutenant-Governor of Bencoolen (now Bengkulu , Indonesia ), placed Singapore under Bencoolen's jurisdiction . As Bencoolen was itself a factory subordinate to the Bengal Presidency in British India , only the Governor-General in Council in Bengal was authorised to enact laws for Singapore. On 24 June 1824, Singapore was removed from Bencoolen's control and, together with Malacca , formally transferred to
17420-497: Was allocated 15 out of 127 seats. Under its new State Constitution, Singapore kept its own executive government and legislative assembly. However, with effect from 9 August 1965, Singapore left Malaysia and became a fully independent republic . On separation from Malaysia, the Singapore Government retained its legislative powers, and the Parliament of Malaysia gave up all power to make laws for Singapore. Similarly,
17554-559: Was also extended to MPs to link their annual remuneration to the state of the economy . They would receive no bonus if GDP growth was 2% or less, one month's bonus if the GDP grew at 5%, and up to two months' bonus if the GDP growth reached or exceeded 8%. MPs' allowances to engage legislative and secretarial assistants were also increased from $ 1,000 to $ 1,300 and from $ 350 to $ 500 respectively. With effect from January 2008, each MP received another increase of his or her allowance package to $ 13,710
17688-507: Was imposed. Jeyaretnam subsequently applied to court for a declaration that, among other things, he had not ceased to be an MP in 1986 and that the Speaker's statement had been ineffective because Parliament itself had not determined that he had vacated his seat. On 9 July 1990, the High Court ruled that Jeyaretnam had ceased to be an MP by operation of law and that no separate determination by Parliament had been necessary. MPs receive
17822-478: Was prompted by the impression that the existing two Opposition MPs had not adequately expressed significant alternative views held outside Parliament, and that the scheme would allow the Government to take advantage of the expertise of Singaporeans who were not able or prepared to take part in elections and look after constituencies. Formerly, within six months after Parliament first met after any general election, it had to decide whether there would be any NMPs during
17956-493: Was vested, consisted of the executive council and the chief justice—together known as the official members, and four unofficial members nominated by the governor. As the unofficial members were outnumbered by the official members, they and the governor—who had a casting vote , had effective control of the council. Legislation was generally initiated by the governor, and they had the power to assent to or veto bills . During legislative debates, official members were required to support
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