1979 Singaporean by-elections

Singaporean by-elections in 1979

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1979 Singaporean by-elections

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| <- 1977 | 10 February 1979 | 1981 ->

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7 seats to the Parliament of Singapore
Registered| 80,075
Turnout| 74,887 (93.52%)  1.39%
|  | First party  | Second party

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|  |
Leader  | Lee Kuan Yew | J. B. Jeyaretnam
Party  | PAP | WP
Seats won  | 7 | 0
Seat change  |  |
Popular vote  | 53,222 | 8,036
Percentage  | 72.69% | 10.98%
Swing  |  1.37%  |  5.59%

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| MP before election

Perumal Govindaswamy
Yong Nyuk Lin
Ng Yeow Chong
Ong Soo Chuan
Ivan Baptist
Teong Eng Siong
Shaik Ahmad bin Abdul Haleem
PAP

| Elected MP

Devan Nair
Teh Cheang Wan
Eugene Yap
Koh Lip Lin
Howe Yoon Chong
Tony Tan
Rohan bin Kamis
PAP

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The by-elections were held on 10 February for seven constituencies, with the nomination day held on 31 January. With 80,075 registered voters, the 1979 by-elections remain the largest by-election to have ever taken place in post-independence Singapore.

All People's Action Party (PAP) candidates, Devan Nair, Eugene Yap Giau Cheng, Howe Yoon Chong, Tony Tan, Rohan bin Kamis, Koh Lip Lin, and Teh Cheang Wan, won their respective contests with two walkovers, and the rest defeating candidates from Democratic Progressive Party, United People's Front, and an independent candidate.

## Background

[edit]

Continuing the trend of the PAP's renewal just as they did in the 1970 by-elections, six seats, including Communications minister Yong Nyuk Lin, were vacated on 12 January to make room for six new MPs. A seventh seat in Anson was earlier vacated a year prior following the death of Perumal Govindaswamy. As such, the seven seats at stake are widely regarded as the biggest-ever by-election in Singapore's history, and it had the most seats changed since the Barisan Sosialis' mass exodus in the inaugural Parliament back in 1966.

The United People's Front criticized Barisan Sosialis for abstaining the by-elections citing an uphill contest against opposition stalwarts, notably independent Chiam See Tong, who contested in his eventual safe seat of Potong Pasir for the first time in his career (he contested Cairnhill on his debut in 1976). In the end, only Geylang West (which one United Front (now Democratic Progressive Party) candidate was later disqualified) and Nee Soon were uncontested. As of 2025, this by-election was the most recent by-election in Singapore with walkovers.

The by-election saw the return of Devan Nair into Singapore politics since 1963, as well as future minister Tony Tan; both of these candidates would go on to become Presidents of Singapore.

## Results

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By-election 1979: Anson  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| PAP | Chengara Veetil Devan Nair | 8,127  | 86.2  | N/A
| DPP | Johnny Wee Lai Seng  | 1,300  | 13.8  | N/A
Majority | 6,827  | 72.4  | N/A
Turnout | 9,694  | 86.2  | N/A
| PAP hold | Swing | N/A  |
By-election 1979: Geylang West  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| PAP | Teh Cheang Wan | Walkover |  |
Majority |  |  |
Turnout | 20,874  |  |
| PAP hold | Swing | N/A  |
By-election 1979: Mountbatten  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| PAP | Eugene Yap Giau Cheng  | 10,528  | 79.9  | +14.0
| DPP | Seow Khee Leng | 2,642  | 20.1  | −14.0
Majority | 7,886  | 59.8  | +28
Turnout | 13,536  | 94.9  | −0.4
| PAP hold | Swing | +14.0  |
By-election 1979: Nee Soon  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| PAP | Koh Lip Lin | Walkover |  |
Majority |  |  |
Turnout | 15,932  |  |
| PAP hold | Swing | N/A  |
By-election 1979: Potong Pasir  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| PAP | Howe Yoon Chong | 9,056  | 66.8  | −8.0
| Independent  | Chiam See Tong | 4,491  | 33.2  | +33.2
Majority | 4,565  | 33.6  | −16
Turnout | 13,854  | 94.2  | +0.6
| PAP hold | Swing | -8.0  |
By-election 1979: Sembawang  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| PAP | Tony Tan Keng Yam | 12,824  | 78.4  | −5.2
| United People's Front  | Harbans Singh  | 3,528  | 21.6  | +5.2
Majority | 9,296  | 56.8  | −10.4
Turnout | 16,714  | 94.6  | −0.2
| PAP hold | Swing | -5.2  |
By-election 1979: Telok Blangah  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| PAP | Rohan bin Kamis  | 12,687  | 61.2  | N/A
| WP | Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam | 8,036  | 38.8  | N/A
Majority | 4,651  | 22.4  | N/A
Turnout | 21,089  | 95.0  | N/A
| PAP hold | Swing | N/A  |

## References

[edit]

* Background of 1979 By election[usurped]
* Results of 1979 By election

* v
* t
* e

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