PARLIAMENTARY GENERAL ELECTION 2001

The ruling PAP was facing one of the toughest hurdles in its history. Singapore was saddled with the worse economic challenges since independence. For the first time in 38 years, a political umbrella emerged from the opposition - the four-party SDA consisting SPP, NSP, SJP and PKMS. Former WP Non-constituency Member of Parliament J. B. Jeyaretnam, who lost his seat after being declared a bankrupt owing to lawsuits by PAP leaders, resigned from the party citing disagreements with the present leadership. Sole WP MP Low Thia Khiang took over as Secretary-general and WP's third-generation leader. This GE saw no four-member GRCs since GE1991 and a shortest run-up period of 17 days after opening of the register of electors. A seat was vacated after the conviction of PAP MP Choo Wee Khiang over commercial crimes but there was no BE as the seat was within a GRC. Under the law, an entire electoral constituency, GRC or SMC, has to be vacated before a BE is needed to be called. There was another significant increase of the election deposit, which almost doubled. On nomination day, a WP team with political activist James Gomez was disqualified in Aljunied GRC. Opposition parties contested only two-thirds of the total number of seats, lowest since 1968. PAP achieved the third highest score among GEs it contested in its history. Low and SDA-SPP chief Chiam See Tong saw their winning margins slashed and with these two opposition wins, one NCMP seat was offered to and accepted by Steve Chia of SDA and NSP, who became the youngest and first ever non-WP NCMP. (Colour avatars will be used from this GE.)

9th Parliament dissolution: 18 October 2001 [Thu]
Nomination day: 25 October 2001 [Thu]
Polling day: 3 November 2001 [Sat]
10th Parliament commencement: 25 March 2002 [Mon]

Eligible voters: 2,036,923
Voters in walkover constituencies: 1,361,617 (66.8%)
Total voters: 675,306 (33.2%)
Total voter turnout: 638,903 (94.6%)

Election deposit: $13,000 (+1.6%)

RESULTS
Single member constituencies	Group representation constituencies
Ayer Rajah	Aljunied GRC [5]	Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC [5]
Bukit Timah	Ang Mo Kio GRC [6]	Sembawang GRC [6]
Chua Chu Kang	Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC [5]	Tampines GRC [5]
Hougang	East Coast GRC [6]	Tanjong Pagar GRC [6]
Joo Chiat	Holland-Bukit Panjang GRC [5]	West Coast GRC [5]
MacPherson	Hong Kah GRC [5]
Nee Soon Central	Jalan Besar GRC [5]
Nee Soon East	Jurong GRC [5]
Potong Pasir	Marine Parade GRC [6]
Total seats = 84