Potong Pasir Single Member Constituency

Potong Pasir
Single Member constituency
for the Parliament of Singapore
RegionCentral Region, Singapore
Electorate30,897
Current constituency
Created1968; 57 years ago (1968)
Seats1
PartyPeople's Action Party
Member(s)Sitoh Yih Pin
Town CouncilJalan Besar

The Potong Pasir Single Member Constituency is a Single Member Constituency (SMC) in the central region of Singapore. It is managed by Jalan Besar Town Council. The current Member of Parliament of the constituency is People's Action Party (PAP) Sitoh Yih Pin.

History

[edit]

During the 1979 by-elections, Chiam See Tong contested in Potong Pasir Constituency as an independent candidate against Howe Yoon Chong, then a new PAP candidate. After submitting his nomination papers in the by-election, Howe dismissed the opposition candidates as "court jesters" who had come out "to provide comic relief".[1] Howe eventually beat Chiam with almost 67% of the votes to win the Constituency seat.[2][3]

Ahead of the 1980 general election held on 23 December 1980, Chiam founded the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) on 6 August 1980[4] and contested in the election as a SDP candidate against Howe again in the constituency. In an election rally, Howe disparaged Chiam on his professional competence and was subsequently sued by Chiam for defamation.[5] Howe offered compensation which Chiam accepted and dropped the case against him.[5] Howe won again with 59.05 percent of the vote.[6][7]

During the 1984 general election, Chiam contested as an SDP candidate in the constituency again. Howe retired from politics that year and did not contest the constituency[8] with sending a new candidate Mah Bow Tan to contest it. In the lead-up to the election, Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew compared Chiam and Mah's GCE Ordinary Level results in a rally speech: "Mah Bow Tan, age 16, took his O Levels — six distinctions, two credits. Mr Chiam, age 18 — six credits, one pass." The Prime Minister's Office later conveyed an apology from Lee for making an error about Chiam's results; Chiam had actually gotten seven credits.[9] Chiam eventually won the election with 60.28% of the vote against Mah's 39.72%,[10][11] and was elected as the MP representing Potong Pasir SMC.

In the 2011 Singaporean general election, Chiam did not contest his seat but lead a team to contest at the Bishan–Toa Payoh Group Representation Constituency. Chiam's wife, Lina Loh, became his successor for the constituency and contested for the seat against Sitoh. Loh lost the election on a marginal percentage of 0.72%. As the best performing loser at the polls, Loh was offered the non-constituency MP (NCMP) position and accepted it.

In the 2015 Singaporean general election, Sitoh retained his seat, this time with 66.41% of the votes, again defeating Loh.

Following the release of the EBRC report for the 2020 General Election, the Toa Payoh estates under this SMC were transferred into the 4-member Bishan–Toa Payoh GRC while this constituency in return, took the Joo Seng and Woodleigh neighbourhoods from the neighbouring Marine Parade GRC's Geylang Serai ward, to allow further development. Sitoh would defeat Singapore People's Party (SPP) Jose Raymond with a vote count of 60.67% vs 39.33%, winning a third term as the incumbent MP for Potong Pasir.

2025 elections

[edit]

Due to new developments in the Bidadari area under the SMC, the Elections Department Singapore on 11 March 2025 carved part of the SMC out to merge into a new Marine Parade–Braddell Heights Group Representation Constituency for the 2025 Singaporean general election.[12]

On 16 April, it was announced Sitoh will not contest the constituency and Alex Yeo, the PAP branch chair for Paya Lebar in Aljunied GRC, will contest the constituency instead.[13] On 22 April, SPP announced that party treasurer Williiamson Lee will contest the constituency.[14] On nomination day, secretary-general of the coalition People's Alliance for Reform (PAR), Lim Tean, who is also party chief of Peoples Voice, alongside PAP's Yeo and SPP's Lee, was successfully nominated to contest the constituency, resulting in a three cornered fight between PAP, SPP and PAR.[15]

Member of Parliament

[edit]
Year Member Party
Formation
1968 Sellappa Ramaswamy PAP
1972 Baptist Ivan Cuthbert
1976
1979 Howe Yoon Chong
1984 Chiam See Tong SDP
1988
1991
1997 SPP
2001 SDA
2006
2011 Sitoh Yih Pin PAP
2015
2020

Electoral results

[edit]

Note : Elections Department Singapore do not include rejected votes for calculation of candidate's vote share. Hence, the total of all candidates' vote share will be 100%.

Elections in 1960s

[edit]
General Election 1968[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
PAP Sellappa Ramaswamy Unopposed
Registered electors 11,782
PAP win (new seat)

Elections in 1970s

[edit]
General Election 1972[17][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
PAP Baptist Ivan Cuthbert 7,772 66.22 N/A
WP Rajaratnam Murugason 3,391 28.89 N/A
UNF Harnek Singh 573 4.89 N/A
Majority 4,381 37.33 N/A
Total valid votes 11,736 97.88 N/A
Rejected ballots 254 2.12 N/A
Turnout 11,990 91.51 N/A
Registered electors 13,103 Increase11.21
PAP hold Swing N/A
General Election 1976[19][20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
PAP Baptist Ivan Cuthbert 9,667 74.83 Increase8.61
WP Quek Doh Lam 3,252 25.17 Decrease3.72
Majority 6,415 49.66 Increase12.33
Total valid votes 12,919 97.46 Decrease0.42
Rejected ballots 336 2.54 Increase0.42
Turnout 13,255 93.56 Increase2.05
Registered electors 14,167 Increase8.12
PAP hold Swing Increase8.6
By Election 1979
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
PAP Howe Yoon Chong 9,056 66.9 Decrease7.9
Independent Chiam See Tong 4,491 33.1 N/A
Majority 4,565 33.7 Decrease15.8
Total valid votes
Rejected ballots
Turnout 13,845 94.2 Increase0.6
Registered electors
PAP hold Swing Decrease7.9

Elections in 1980s

[edit]
General Election 1980
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
PAP Howe Yoon Chong 5,509 59.0 Decrease7.9
SDP Chiam See Tong 3,821 41.0 Increase7.9
Majority 1,688 18.0 Decrease31.6
Total valid votes
Rejected ballots
Turnout 9,486 94.2 Increase0.6
Registered electors
PAP hold Swing Decrease7.9
General Election 1984
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SDP Chiam See Tong 10,128 60.3 Increase19.3
PAP Mah Bow Tan 6,674 39.7 Decrease19.3
Majority 3,454 20.6 Increase38.6
Total valid votes
Rejected ballots
Turnout 17,078 95.3 Increase1.1
Registered electors
SDP gain from PAP Swing Increase19.3
General Election 1988: Potong Pasir
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SDP Chiam See Tong 11,804 63.1 Increase2.8
PAP Kenneth Chen Koon Lap 6,893 36.9 Decrease2.8
Majority 4,911 26.2 Increase5.6
Total valid votes
Rejected ballots
Turnout 18,697 95.4 Increase0.1
Registered electors
SDP hold Swing Increase2.8

Elections in 1990s

[edit]
General Election 1991: Potong Pasir
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SDP Chiam See Tong 12,582 69.64 Increase6.5
PAP Andy Gan 5,486 30.36 Decrease6.5
Majority 7,096 39.2 Increase13.0
Total valid votes
Rejected ballots
Turnout 18,325 95.1 Decrease0.3
Registered electors
SDP hold Swing Increase6.5
General Election 1997: Potong Pasir
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SPP Chiam See Tong 9,709 55.15 Decrease14.49
PAP Andy Gan 7,895 44.85 Increase14.4
Majority 1,814 10.30 N/A
Total valid votes
Rejected ballots
Turnout 17,884 95.1 0
Registered electors
SPP gain from SDP Swing Decrease14.4

Elections in 2000s

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General Election 2001: Potong Pasir
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SDA Chiam See Tong 8,107 52.43 Decrease2.72
PAP Sitoh Yih Pin 7,356 47.57 Increase2.8
Majority 751 4.8 Decrease5.6
Total valid votes
Rejected ballots
Turnout 15,463 98.9 Increase3.8
Registered electors
SDA gain from SPP Swing Decrease2.8
General Election 2006: Potong Pasir
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SDA Chiam See Tong 8,245 55.82 Increase3.39
PAP Sitoh Yih Pin 6,527 44.18 Decrease3.4
Majority 1,718 11.6 Increase6.8
Total valid votes
Rejected ballots
Turnout 14,958 94.1 Decrease4.8
Registered electors
SDA hold Swing Increase3.4

Elections in 2010s

[edit]
General Election 2011: Potong Pasir
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
PAP Sitoh Yih Pin 7,992 50.36 Increase6.18
SPP Lina Chiam 7,878 49.64 Decrease6.2
Majority 114 0.8 Increase12.4
Total valid votes
Rejected ballots
Turnout 16,112 93.0 Decrease1.1
Registered electors
PAP gain from SDA Swing Increase6.2
General Election 2015
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
PAP Sitoh Yih Pin 10,581 66.41 Increase16.05
SPP Lina Chiam 5,353 33.59 Decrease16.05
Majority 5,228 32.10 Increase31.30
Total valid votes 15,934 98.61
Rejected ballots 224 1.39
Turnout 16,158 92.82 Decrease0.18
Registered electors 17,407
PAP hold Swing Increase16.05

Elections in 2020s

[edit]
General Election 2020
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
PAP Sitoh Yih Pin 11,264 60.67 Decrease5.74
SPP Jose Raymond 7,302 39.33 Increase5.74
Majority 3,962 21.34
Total valid votes 18,566 98.52
Rejected ballots 279 1.48
Turnout 18,845 95.51 Increase2.69
Registered electors 19,731 Increase13.35
PAP hold Swing Decrease5.74
General Election 2025
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
PAP Alex Yeo
SPP Williiamson Lee
PAR Lim Tean
Majority
Total valid votes
Rejected ballots
Turnout
Registered electors 30,897 Increase5.39

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Jeremy Au Yong (22 August 2007). "The reluctant politician". The Straits Times. p. H8.
  2. ^ "ELD | 1979 Parliamentary By-election Results". www.eld.gov.sg.
  3. ^ The Straits Times (print edition) 9 December 2009, page B6.
  4. ^ "The Singapore Democratic Party's Journey | Singapore Democratic Party | Dr Chee Soon Juan". 3 September 2024. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Election remarks; Chiam accepts Howe's apology". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Archived from the original on 20 October 2021. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  6. ^ "ELD | 1980 Parliamentary General Election Results". www.eld.gov.sg. Archived from the original on 29 November 2018. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  7. ^ "Former Cabinet Minister Howe Yoon Chong dies at age 84". Channel NewsAsia. 21 August 2007. Archived from the original on 23 August 2007. Retrieved 21 August 2007.
  8. ^ "Former Cabinet Minister Howe Yoon Chong dies at age 84". Channel NewsAsia. 21 August 2007. Archived from the original on 23 August 2007. Retrieved 21 August 2007.
  9. ^ Loke, Hoe Yeong (2014). Let the People Have Him: Chiam See Tong: The Early Years. Singapore: Epigram Books. ISBN 9789810791735.
  10. ^ "ELD | 1984 Parliamentary General Election Results". www.eld.gov.sg. Archived from the original on 28 November 2018. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  11. ^ The Straits Times (print edition) 9 December 2009, page B6.
  12. ^ Koh, Fabian (11 March 2025). "GE2025: Extensive changes to electoral boundaries due to population shifts; only 5 GRCs, 4 SMCs left intact". CNA. Archived from the original on 12 March 2025. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
  13. ^ Chan, Gabrielle; Chelvan, Vanessa Paige (16 April 2025). "GE2025: PAP to field ex-Aljunied branch chair Alex Yeo in Potong Pasir, Sitoh Yih Pin stepping down". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  14. ^ Chan, Gabrielle (22 April 2025). "GE2025: Singapore People's Party's Williiamson Lee to contest Potong Pasir SMC". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  15. ^ Lim, Ry-Anne (23 April 2025). "GE2025: Three-way fight set for Potong Pasir's single seat between PAP, PAR and SPP". The Business Times. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  16. ^ "ELD | 1968 Parliamentary General Election Results". www.eld.gov.sg. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  17. ^ "ELD | 1972 Parliamentary General Election Results". Elections Department of Singapore. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  18. ^ "Singapore Parliamentary General Election 1972 > Potong Pasir". sg-elections.com. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  19. ^ "ELD | 1976 Parliamentary General Election Results". Elections Department of Singapore. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  20. ^ "Singapore Parliamentary General Election 1976 > Potong Pasir". sg-elections.com. Retrieved 23 April 2025.