119-595: The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau ( CPIB ) is an independent agency of the Government of Singapore responsible for the investigation and prosecution of any possible serious or complex fraud and corruption in Singapore . The CPIB has the mandate to investigate into any acts or forms of corruption in the public and private sectors in Singapore, and in the course of doing so, any other offences under any written law, with
238-401: 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
357-511: A Council of Ministers was created, appointed by the governor on the recommendation of the leader of the house. Constitutional talks between Legislative Assembly representatives and the Colonial Office were held from 1956 to 1958, and Singapore achieved full internal self-government in 1959. The governor was replaced by the Yang di-Pertuan Negara , who had power to appoint to the post of prime minister
476-424: 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
595-405: 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
714-451: A chairman, a deputy chairman, and not less than 10 nor more than 25 other members as the Minister for Digital Development and Information may from time to time determine. The members of the board are appointed by the minister, and hold office for such term as the minister may determine unless they resign during their term of office or their appointment is revoked by the minister. The minister
833-649: A dependency of Bencoolen and was placed under the control of the Presidency City of Calcutta ( Kolkata ) in the Bengal Presidency . On 24 June 1824, Singapore and Malacca were formally transferred to the East India Company, with the result that they came under the control of Fort William . Full cession of Singapore to the company by the Sultan and Temenggung was effected by a treaty of 19 November 1824, which
952-437: 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
1071-468: 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
1190-627: A general election called at the behest of the Prime Minister before the five-year period elapses. The number of constituencies or electoral divisions 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
1309-609: 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
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#17328697062291428-556: 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
1547-596: 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
1666-520: A new term. The President, in their discretion, then appoints a Prime Minister who is a member of Parliament representing any political party or coalition of political parties who in their judgement is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the members of Parliament. The Prime Minister then forms the Government and, along with the Cabinet, sets the general direction and control of the Government for
1785-588: A parliament has been dissolved a general election must be held within three months. Following a general election, the President appoints as Prime Minister an MP who, in their judgment, is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the MPs. In practice, the Prime Minister is usually the leader of the political party holding the majority of the seats in Parliament. The President also appoints other Ministers from among
1904-501: 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
2023-545: A sense of national identity and a spirit of dedicated service to a multiracial community. There are five Community Development Councils (CDCs) appointed by the board of management of the PA for districts in Singapore, namely, the Central Singapore CDC , North East CDC , North West CDC , South East CDC and South West CDC . The functions of a CDC include fostering community bonding and strengthening social cohesion amongst
2142-404: 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
2261-472: 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
2380-509: 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
2499-427: 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
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#17328697062292618-461: 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
2737-436: Is a statutory board, the objects of which include the organisation and the promotion of group participation in social, cultural, educational and athletic activities for the people of Singapore in order that they may realise that they belong to a multiracial community , the interests of which transcend sectional loyalties ; and the establishment of institutions for the purpose of leadership training in order to instill in leaders
2856-404: 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
2975-513: Is composed of the following members. On 16 April 2024, then Prime Minister-designate Lawrence Wong announced that then outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong would assume the office of Senior Minister and stay on in his cabinet after stepping down as the Prime Minister on 15 May 2024. As in the United Kingdom and in a number of Commonwealth countries, Members of Parliament (MPs) may be appointed as Ministers of State to aid Ministers in
3094-554: 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
3213-433: Is generally perceived to be competent in managing the country's economy , and largely free from political corruption . Transparency International 's 2010 Corruption Perceptions Index , which compares countries according to the degree to which corruption is perceived to exist among public officials and politicians, ranked Singapore in joint first place with Denmark and New Zealand out of 178 countries. In addition, Singapore
3332-521: Is hereby notified for general information that, pursuant to Article 30(1) of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore, the Prime Minister has directed that Mr S. Jayakumar shall, with effect from 1st April 2009, be charged with the responsibility for the following matters: and that he shall be designated as Senior Minister and Co-ordinating Minister for National Security. Ministers may be designated by
3451-487: 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
3570-404: 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
3689-492: 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
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3808-650: 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
3927-405: Is not required to provide any reason for revoking the appointment of a board member. The minister may, in consultation with the Board or otherwise, give the board directions as he thinks fit that are not inconsistent with the provisions of the act concerning the exercise and performance by the board of its functions, and the board is required to give effect to such directions. With the approval of
4046-499: Is the sense intended when it is said that a political party "forms the Government". The Constitution of the Republic of Singapore uses the word Government to mean the Executive branch, made up of the President and the Cabinet. This article describes the Government of Singapore in this technical sense, as well as selected aspects of the Executive branch of the Government. On 30 January 1819, Sir Stamford Raffles , an Englishman who
4165-478: Is vested in the President but exercised on the advice of the Cabinet led by the Prime Minister. The President, acting as the Head of State, may only act in their discretion in appointing the Prime Minister, acting as the Head of Government; as well as withholding consent for the dissolution of Parliament; along with performing key checks on the Government in addition to the ceremonial duties of the Head of State inherited from
4284-464: The 11th Parliament , Lim Hwee Hua , who was a Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, also held the posts of Second Minister for Finance and Second Minister for Transport. As of 8 July 2024, the ministries of the Government are the following: A ministry is usually composed of a headquarters and a number of departments, boards or other subordinate entities, and statutory boards . For instance, in May 2007
4403-602: The 1959 general elections , 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. Nine other ministers were appointed to the Cabinet. The executive branch of the Singapore Government remained largely unchanged, although now it governed a state within a larger federation . However, with effect from 9 August 1965, Singapore left
4522-474: 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
4641-858: The Central Provident Fund Board (CPF), the Housing and Development Board (HDB), the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS), the Land Transport Authority (LTA), the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), the National Heritage Board (NHB), and the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) are all statutory boards. The National Heritage Board is an example of a typical statutory board. It
4760-486: 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
4879-672: The Federation of Malaysia and became a fully independent republic . On separation from Malaysia, the Singapore Government retained the executive authority it held, and took on additional executive authority over Singapore that the Parliament of Malaysia relinquished. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong , the Supreme Head of State of Malaysia, also ceased to be the Supreme Head of Singapore and relinquished his sovereignty, jurisdiction, power and authority, executive or otherwise in respect of Singapore, which
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4998-524: 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
5117-401: 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
5236-517: The Westminster system . The Cabinet, consisting of the Prime Minister and ministers appointed by the President on the Prime Minister's advice, is responsible for heading the Executive through ministries and other statutory boards . At the end of the term or at any time during the term, once the President has consented to a request made by the Prime Minister to dissolve Parliament, Parliamentary General Elections are held to elect members of Parliament for
5355-641: 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
5474-418: 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
5593-624: The powers of arrest . Formerly known as the Anti Corruption Branch ( ACB ) within the Singapore Police Force (SPF), the CPIB was first established in 1952 as an independent agency under the purview of the attorney-general . Having been under the purview of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) during its earlier years, the agency remained under the purview of the attorney-general until it
5712-439: 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
5831-400: 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,
5950-636: The Board are: The board is empowered to "do all things necessary or convenient to be done for or in connection with the performance of its functions". Without prejudice to the generality of that provision, the Board also has power to, for example, develop and manage museums, archives, oral history centres and other facilities related to its functions; to advise and facilitate the preservation of historic sites; and to establish liaison with other museums, archives, oral history centres, universities and other institutions to secure maximum collaboration of all activities relevant to its functions. The board consists of
6069-518: The Cabinet since 1959. The term Government of Singapore can have a number of different meanings. At its widest, it can refer collectively to the three traditional branches of government – the Executive branch , Legislative branch (the President and Parliament of Singapore ) and Judicial branch (the Supreme Court and Subordinate Courts of Singapore ). The term is also used colloquially to mean
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#17328697062296188-704: The Delegation of Powers (Ministry of Law) (Consolidation) Notification, the Senior Minister of State for Law is deputed to exercise certain powers of the Minister for Law under the Copyright Act, Criminal Procedure Code, Land Acquisition Act, Land Surveyors Act, and Pawnbrokers Act; while the Parliamentary Secretary for Home Affairs is deputed the powers of the Minister for Home Affairs under regulation 157 of
6307-527: The Executive and Legislature together, as these are the branches of government responsible for day-to-day governance of the nation and lawmaking. At its narrowest, the term is used to refer to the Members of Parliament (MPs) belonging to a particular political party (or coalition of parties ) holding a majority of seats in Parliament sufficient to enable the party (or coalition) to form the Cabinet of Singapore – this
6426-468: The Government. As Singapore follows the Westminster system of government, the legislative agenda of Parliament is determined by the Cabinet. At the start of each new Parliamentary session , the President gives an address prepared by the Cabinet that outlines what the Cabinet intends to achieve in the session. Each parliament lasts for a maximum of five years from the date of its first sitting, and once
6545-633: 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 a majority of the seats in the Assembly, and David Saul Marshall became the first Chief Minister of Singapore . Major problems with
6664-564: The Governor was replaced by the Yang di-Pertuan Negara (Head of State), who had power to appoint as Prime Minister the person most likely to command the authority of the Legislative Assembly, and other Ministers of the Cabinet on the Prime Minister's advice. The Constitution also created the post of the British High Commissioner, who was entitled to receive the agenda of each Cabinet meeting and to see all Cabinet papers. In
6783-492: 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
6902-493: The MPs, acting in accordance with the Prime Minister's advice. The Prime Minister may, by giving written directions, charge any Minister with responsibility for any department or subject. In practice, this is done by issuing notifications that are published in the Government Gazette . For instance, the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (Responsibility of Senior Minister and Co-ordinating Minister for National Security, Prime Minister's Office) Notification 2009 states: It
7021-452: 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
7140-644: The Ministry of Law had three departments (the Chief Information Officer's Office, Insolvency and Public Trustee's Office and Legal Aid Bureau), three boards and tribunals (the Appeals Board for Land Acquisitions, Copyright Tribunal and Land Surveyors Board), and two statutory boards (the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore and Singapore Land Authority ). The First Lawrence Wong Cabinet
7259-643: The Official Members. 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 the British High Commissioner to Singapore, who would only exercise it in an emergency. Marshall resigned as Chief Minister in June 1956, and
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#17328697062297378-716: The PA's board of management is empowered to designate the Chairman of a CDC to be the Mayor for the district that the CDC is appointed for. As it is the practice for MPs to be appointed as Chairmen of CDCs, these MPs have also been designated as Mayors. As of 25 July 2020, the Mayors are: Even if Mayors are required to vacate their seats in Parliament because Parliament has been dissolved or otherwise, they continue to hold office until their terms of office expire or they are directed to vacate their office by
7497-478: The PA's board of management. As of January 2012, the Mayors are paid an annual salary of S$ 660,000 (US$ 486,500). General elections in Singapore [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
7616-419: 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
7735-419: The Prime Minister but may also additionally report to the President, especially if the former refuses to give consent for a formal investigation or there's a potential case against the Prime Minister themselves. The agency may also, in the course of its investigations, come across cases which reveal corruption-prone areas or loopholes in procedures in government departments. Based on its findings, CPIB may review
7854-425: The Prime Minister to be in charge of particular ministries , or as Ministers in the Prime Minister's Office . Such Ministers were formerly known as Ministers without portfolio . The Prime Minister may retain any department or subject in their charge. Some Ministers are appointed as Second Ministers for portfolios other than their own to assist the primary Minister in their duties. For instance, on 1 April 2009 during
7973-808: The Prisons Regulations pursuant to the Delegation of Powers (Ministry of Home Affairs) (Consolidation) Notification. A statutory board is an autonomous agency of the Government that is established by an Act of Parliament and overseen by a government ministry. The Act sets out the purposes, powers and rights of the agency. Unlike ministries and government departments that are subdivisions of ministries, statutory boards may not be staffed by civil servants and have greater independence and flexibility in their operations. They are managed by boards of directors whose members usually include businessmen, professionals, senior civil servants and officials of trade unions. The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR),
8092-536: The Registrar will issue 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
8211-609: The Rendel Constitution were that the Chief Minister and ministers' powers 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 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
8330-597: The Rendel Constitutional Commission under 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 a Council of Ministers be created, composed of three ex officio Official Members and six Elected Members of the Legislative Assembly of Singapore appointed by
8449-582: 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
8568-432: The absence of any provision of law to the contrary, with the approval of the President and by notification in the Government Gazette , depute any person by name or the person for the time being discharging the duties of an office designated by him to exercise that power or perform that duty on behalf of the Minister subject to such conditions, exceptions and qualifications as the President may determine. For instance, under
8687-410: 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
8806-456: The board of management of the People's Association (PA) for districts in Singapore . Where there are not less than 150,000 residents in a district, the PA's board of management may designate the chairman of a CDC to be the mayor for the district that the CDC is appointed for. As it is the practice for Members of Parliament (MPs) to be appointed as Chairmen of CDCs, these MPs have also been designated as mayors. There are currently five districts in
8925-432: The circulation of foreign newspapers deemed to have engaged in domestic politics . The Constitution defines the Government of Singapore as the President and the Cabinet of Singapore. The executive authority of Singapore is vested in the President and is exercisable by them or by the Cabinet of Singapore or any Minister authorised by the Cabinet. However, the President normally plays a nominal and largely ceremonial role in
9044-472: 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
9163-462: 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
9282-423: The corruption trial against Minister of State Wee Toon Boon and the investigation of Minister Teh Cheang Wan . The latest high profile case involved former Transport Minister S. Iswaran . Government of Singapore [REDACTED] The government of Singapore is defined by the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore to consist of the President and the Executive. Executive authority of Singapore
9401-526: The country. From the founding of contemporary Singapore in 1819, Singapore was headed by two residents in succession. Following Singapore's amalgamation into the Straits Settlements in 1826, it was governed by a governor together with a legislative council . An executive council of the Straits Settlements was introduced in 1877 to advise the governor but wielded no executive power. In 1955,
9520-477: 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
9639-475: 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
9758-468: 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
9877-404: The department concerned and recommend changes in their procedures. In addition to its primary function of investigating corruption offences, the CPIB also undertakes public education and community outreach efforts relating to anti-corruption. In April 2019, the CPIB reported that it received 358 corruption-related reports, and registered 107 new cases for investigation in 2018. Cases involving
9996-468: 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
10115-622: 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
10234-475: 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
10353-483: 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
10472-402: The executive branch of government. Although the President acts in their own personal discretion in the exercise of certain functions as a check on the Cabinet and Parliament of Singapore, they are otherwise required to act in accordance with the advice of the Cabinet or of a Minister acting under the general authority of the Cabinet. It is the Cabinet that has the general direction and control of
10591-416: 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
10710-511: The minister, the board is required to appoint a chief executive officer who is responsible to the Board for the proper administration and management of the Board's affairs in accordance with the policy laid down by the Board. The board is entitled to appoint employees and officers on such terms as to remuneration or otherwise as it may determine, and to engage other persons and pay for their services as it considers necessary for carrying out its functions and duties. The People's Association (PA)
10829-432: The next term. A statutory board is an autonomous agency of the Government that is established by an Act of Parliament and overseen by a government ministry. Unlike ministries and government departments that are subdivisions of ministries, statutory boards are not staffed by civil servants and have greater independence and flexibility in their operations. There are five Community Development Councils (CDCs) appointed by
10948-409: 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
11067-485: 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
11186-418: 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
11305-401: The people of Singapore; and advising the PA on matters affecting the well-being of residents in districts, the provision and use of public facilities and services within districts, and the use of public funds allocated to districts for community activities. Each CDC consists of a chairman and between 12 and 80 other members. Where the number of residents in a district is not less than 150,000,
11424-451: The performance of their functions. In addition, the Constitution provides that the President, acting in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister, may appoint Parliamentary Secretaries from among the MPs to assist Ministers in the discharge of their duties and functions. Such office holders are not regarded as members of the Cabinet. Where in any written law a Minister is empowered to exercise any power or perform any duty, he may, in
11543-480: 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
11662-565: The person most likely to command the authority of the assembly, and other ministers of the Cabinet on the prime minister's advice. In the 1959 general elections , 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. The executive branch of the Singapore Government remained unchanged following Singapore's merger with Malaysia in 1963, and subsequent independence in 1965. The PAP has been returned to power in every general election and has thus formed
11781-414: 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
11900-444: The private sector continued to form the majority, or 88%, of all new cases registered for investigation by the CPIB in 2018. The conviction rate remained high, averaging 98% from 2014 to 2018. The CPIB is committed to fight corruption with resolve, by strengthening its interview tradecraft, intelligence and investigative support capabilities. Some notable cases tackled by the CPIB are the operation against Chap Ji Kee lottery syndicates,
12019-616: 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
12138-732: The public service. In such urgent cases, the governor had to inform the council of the measures he had taken. During the Second World War , the Japanese Empire invaded Singapore; the Japanese were victorious and set up their own government for a few years. Following the Second World War, the Straits Settlements were disbanded and Singapore became a Crown colony in its own right. The reconstituted Executive Council consisted of six officials and four nominated "unofficials". In February 1954,
12257-467: 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
12376-406: 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
12495-472: 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
12614-411: 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
12733-510: 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
12852-494: 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
12971-492: 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
13090-582: The whole of Asia as per indexes such as the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). Enacted on 17 June 1960, the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) is the primary anti-corruption law in Singapore. The following are provided for under the PCA: The CPIB also operates with functional independence from the police and nominally from the government, and is headed by a director who reports directly to
13209-402: 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
13328-677: Was established on 1 August 1993 with the enactment of the National Heritage Board Act. Section 3 of the Act states: "There shall be established a body to be known as the National Heritage Board which shall be a body corporate with perpetual succession and shall, by that name, be capable of—(a) suing and being sued; (b) acquiring, owning, holding, developing and disposing of property, both movable and immovable ; and (c) doing and suffering all such acts or things as bodies corporate may lawfully do or suffer." The functions of
13447-457: Was introduced in 1877 by letters patent issued by the Crown , Composed of "such persons and constituted in such manner as may be directed" by royal instructions, it existed to advise the governor and wielded no executive power. The governor was required to consult the executive council on all affairs of importance unless they were too urgent to be laid before it, or if reference to it would prejudice
13566-444: Was ratified by Calcutta on 4 March 1825. Between 1819 and 1826, Singapore was headed by two Residents of Singapore in succession, Maj.-Gen. William Farquhar and Dr. John Crawfurd . In 1826, Malacca, Penang and Singapore were amalgamated into the Straits Settlements , which were made a Crown colony with effect from 1 April 1867. The colony was governed by a governor together with a legislative council . An executive council
13685-591: Was replaced by Lim Yew Hock . The following year, Lim led another delegation to the UK for further talks on self-government. 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 the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed the State of Singapore Act 1958 , granting the colony full internal self-government. Under Singapore's new constitution which came into force on 3 June 1959,
13804-486: Was revested in the Yang di-Pertuan Negara of Singapore. The Republic of Singapore Independence Act 1965 then vested the executive authority of Singapore in the newly created post of President, and made it exercisable by him or by the Cabinet or by any Minister authorised by the Cabinet. The PAP has been repeatedly returned to power by voters and has thus formed the Cabinet since Singapore's 1959 general election . The Government
13923-613: Was second only to New Zealand in the Asia-Pacific region. On the other hand, the Government has been criticised for using unfair election tactics, such as discouraging voting for opposition parties in the 2006 general election by stating that wards that elect opposition candidates will receive state-subsidized improvements to public housing only after all PAP-held wards have been attended to. It has also been accused of violating freedom of speech through Ministers bringing defamation suits against opposition politicians, and by restricting
14042-642: Was the Governor of Bencoolen (now Bengkulu , Indonesia ), entered into a preliminary agreement with the Temenggung of Johor , Abdul Rahman Sri Maharajah, for the British East India Company to establish a " factory " or trading post on the island of Singapore . This was confirmed by another agreement signed by Raffles, the Temenggung and Sultan Hussein Shah on 6 February. In June 1823 Singapore ceased to be
14161-417: Was transferred to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in 1969. Nevertheless, the director of the CPIB can also report to the president if the prime minister refuses any investigation or prosecution to be taken place. The CPIB has been credited for being one of the main contributors to the transformation of Singapore into one of the least corrupt nations in the world, additionally being the most transparent in
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