Angkatan Islam Singapura

"Singapore Islamic Movement" in Malay, it was formerly known as PMIP. Contested only GE1988 in one seat.

Alliance

A political coalition made up of UMNO, MCA and SMU, which contested GE1955.

Barisan Sosialis

"Socialist Front" in Malay, it is the breakaway faction of PAP formed by Lim Chin Siong and Dr Lee Siew Choh on 13 August 1961. Once the strongest opposition party in Singapore, its MPs resigned their seats in 1966 over Singapore's "phoney" independence and boycotted elections, and could never make a comeback into Parliament after returning to the polls in 1972. In 1988, it merged with WP to strengthen the opposition.

Democratic Party

Formed in February 1955 just before GE1955, it was made up of the Mandarin-speaking upper-class, many whom were members of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce. One of the two mainstream parties with PP in the early days before the growth of LF and PAP, it later merged with PP to form LSP.

Democratic Progressive Party

Registered on 16 March 1973, it contested its first election only in 1997.

Katong United Residents' Association

A non-political organisation originally formed to serve residents of Katong. Led by former LSP member and woman politician Felice Leon-Soh.

Labour Front

Led by David Marshall, it first arised in July 1954 as a coalition of two LP breakaway groups (one of them SSF) before full integration, and was ruling party of British-ruled Singapore from 1955 to 1959 before PAP took power. Saw two Chief Ministers, Marshall and his successor Lim Yew Hock. In 1959, the majority led by Lim abandoned LF to form SPA.

Labour Party

A mirror of the Labour Party of Britain, hatched in 1948 and vanished after GE1955. A chapter of LP also evolved in Malaya around that time. Britain's LP still exists, and is the current ruling party of the United Kingdom.

Liberal Socialist Party

A merger of two once-mainstream political parties - PP and DP - in the fifties to consolidate their position, but its political fortunes never improved. Upon further consolidation of its leaders with LF to form SPA before GE1959, it faded out.

Malayan Chinese Association

The Singapore chapter of MCA Malaya, it is defunct in Singapore today, but still exists as a component of the ruling Barisan Nasional in Malaysia. Now known as Malaysian Chinese Association.

Malayan Indian Congress

The now-defunct Singapore chapter of MIC Malaya. Presently, like MCA Malaysia, it is a member party of the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, and known as Malaysian Indian Congress.

National Solidarity Party

Registered on 6 March 1987 by opposition veterans from different political parties, it clinched its first seat - an NCMP seat won by leader Steve Chia - in GE2001 under the combined SDA banner.

People's Action Party

Established in 21 November 1954, it started out as an umbrella of two left-wing factions - one led by PAP leader Lee Kuan Yew and the other by Lim Chin Siong. The latter group later broke away to form BS. The longest-surviving and undoubtedly the most dominant and successful political party in Singapore's history, it formed the government in 1959 and is still the ruling party today, with a tally of 12 GE victories. Lee was Singapore's first Prime Minister from 1959 to 1990 until he was succeeded by Goh Chok Tong on 28 November 1990, who also took over Lee as PAP's Secretary-general on 15 November 1992. Lee's son Lee Hsien Loong succeeded Goh as Prime Minister on 12 August 2004 and PAP's leader in 2005.

People's Front, The

Registered on 21 May 1971 after a faction left BS, it contested GE1972 and GE1976 before disappearing into obscurity.

Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Melayu Singapura

"Singapore Malay National Organisation" in Malay, it was the Singapore chapter of UMNO Malaya until Singapore's separation from Malaysia, and re-registered in its present name. Now a component of SDA, it still maintains links with UMNO Malaysia.

Pan-Malayan Islamic Party

Emerged in Singapore in 1957 after its Malayan counterpart in 1951 when religious members of UMNO Malaysia broke away. It re-registered on 6 August 1958 and later changed name to AIS while its Malaysian counterpart is today a strong opposition party known as Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS).

Progressive Party

Formed on 25 August 1947, it was the first political party that contested Singapore elections. One of the two mainstream parties in the early days (the other being DP), it was made up of English-speaking upper-class professionals and saw big names like Tan Chye Ching (C. C. Tan), John Laycock and David Marshall. It later merged with DP to form LSP.

Parti Rakyat

Now defunct in Singapore, its counterpart across the causeway, PR Malaya and later PR Malaysia founded on 11 November 1955 remained active as an opposition party until 2003 when it merged with Parti Keadilan Nasional to form Parti Keadilan Rakyat.

Singapore Alliance

A united front made up of SPA, LSP, UMNO, MCA and MIC, affiliated to Malaya's then-ruling coalition, Alliance Malaysia.

Singapore Chinese Party

Formed in 1949 and re-registered on 26 September 1950, it was suspected to be a front of left-wing groups.

Singapore Congress

Headed by Felice Leon-Soh, this group contested only one by-elections and never became a reckoned force.

Singapore Democratic Alliance

Registered on 3 July 2001, the newest political entity in the registers is an umbrella alliance consisting of SPP, NSP, SJP and PKMS, and is led by Chiam See Tong, the longest-serving and second opposition MP to be elected into Parliament in post-independence Singapore.

Singapore Democratic Party

Registered on 8 September 1980 by Chiam See Tong and Fok Tai Loy, it was once the strongest opposition party in post-independent Singapore and had a record of three seats in Parliament, the first opposition party to hold more than one seat since BS in 1963. Due to internal conflict, Chiam quit the party and it later lost all its seats. Now led by Dr Chee Soon Juan, whose confrontational style defers from that of his predecessor. Owing to hefty challenges against laws, Dr Chee became a bankrupt and the party now faces the possibility of being dissolved.

Singapore Justice Party

Registered on 10 August 1972, it is most well-known for persistently contesting Marine Parade GRC election after election from 1988 to 1992. Now a component of SDA although most members have joined fellow component party SPP.

Singapore Malay Union

Was briefly a coalition partner of Singapore's UMNO and MCA during GE1955, but went its own way and remained relatively weak before fading away.

Singapore People's Alliance

Formed just before GE1959 by then Chief Minister Lim Yew Hock, it was a revamped force made up of LF, stalwarts from LSP and other parties to counter PAP's growing appeal. In 1965, the year of Singapore's independence, it was dissolved.

Singapore People's Party

Registered on 21 November 1994, it is a breakaway faction of SDP formed by some ex-SDP cadres after the conflict between ex-SDP leader Chiam See Tong and his party. Just before GE1997, Chiam left SDP to join SPP. When SDA was formed, SPP gave up its logo to SDA and adopted the present one.

Singapore United Front

Formerly known as UF. In 1988, it merged with WP, the hinderland party which it broke away from in 1973. BS also merged with WP at around the same time.

United Democratic Party

The Singapore chapter of UDP Malaya, which re-registered on 18 June 1962 under its Malay name "Parti Kesatuan Raayat". The Malaysia chapter, with Malaysia's LP and an MCA Malaysia breakaway group formed Parti Gerakan Rakyat (Gerakan), and is a radical member party of Malaysia's ruling coalition today.

United Malays National Organisation

The Singapore counterpart of Malaysia's UMNO formed in 1946, the leading party in Alliance Malaysia and later Barisan Nasional coalition that provided all of Malaysia's Prime Ministers. Renamed PKMS after Singapore's independence.

United Front

Formed in 1973 from a breakaway faction of WP led by Seow Khee Leng, it was renamed SUF in 1984.

United National Front

Registered on 6 March 1970, it was once a forerunning opposition party in the sixties and seventies.

United People's Front

Registered on 20 March 1975 by some former UPP members, it appears to be the continuity of UPP.

United People's Party

Formed in 1961 by ex-PAP Cabinet Minister Ong Eng Guan after being expelled from PAP, it only won the Hong Lim seat several times throughout its existence. Ong resigned this seat not long after winning it in GE1963 and the party, which had shrunk considerably, officially dissolved in 1968 and a few crossed over to WP.

Workers' Party, The

Founded on 3 November 1957 by ex-LF leader David Marshall, it is the second longest-surviving and oldest opposition party today. From 1963, it went into a comatose until 1971 when a group of professionals led by J. B. Jeyaretnam revived it. Ten years later in 1981, Jeyaretnam broke PAP's monopoly in Parliament by winning the by-election to become the first elected opposition MP in 15 years. He served as MP until 1986 and remained as party chief until 27 May 2001 when he resigned as Secretary-general owing to disagreements with younger members. From then on, it was led by Low Thia Khiang, Singapore's second longest-serving opposition MP and the party's first ethnic Chinese leader.

Independent(s)

Election candidate(s) not affiliated to any political party. It was an alternative for solo political players, but has not been doing too well since the late sixties. Note that some independent candidates adopted a logo during their election campaign.

Alliance Party Singapore (APS)

Registered on 17 February 1966, it took off from SA and had its roots to Alliance Malaysia, with component parties such as PKMS and SIC.

Malayan Democratic Union (MDU)

Inaugurated on 21 December 1945 by a group of professionals, it was the first political party to emerge in Singapore. Started out moderate but turned more radical after co-operating with communist fronts. In June 1948, the British began clamping down on these fronts, and MDU dissolved itself.

National Party of Singapore (NPS)

Formed on 26 February 1971. It never took off as soon after formation, a group of key founders including J. B. Jeyaretnam left to join and revive WP to bypass restrictive constitutions placed on new political parties by the local societies registrar not inherent in pre-independence parties.

People's Republican Party (PRP)

Registered on 30 August 1973, with no other details available.

Persatuan Melayu Singapura (PMS)

"Singapore Malay Society" in Malay, it was registered as far back as on 2 February 1952 and was active for a short while in the eighties.

Singapore Indian Congress (SIC)

Registered on 7 August 1962 by members of Singapore's MIC who left.

Singapore National Front

A breakaway faction from PKMS registered on 15 August 1991.

Singapore Socialist Party (SSP)

A detachment with Lim Yew Hock and Francis Thomas that broke away from LP in October 1953 after a leadership tussle, and formed SSP in April 1954. Three months later, it merged with another LP exit faction to become LF.

Alliance Malaysia

Began in 1952 as an allied force of UMNO and MCA, with MIC joining the next year, Alliance Malaya and later Malaysia has won every election in the Peninsular and Borneo territories to date. In 1974, it officially laid the foundation of Barisan Nasional, which is today still the ruling coalition with 14 member parties.

Malayan Party

Not much is known about this party except that it did not contest FSE1964 despite clinching one seat in FSE1959.

Malayan People's Socialist Front

A left-wing umbrella alliance consisting of PR Malaysia, LP Malaysia and a National Convention Party (NCP). Many from LP Malaysia were later detained under security laws and PR Malaysia went back under its own banner whilst NCP faded away.

Parti Negara

Founder Onn Jaffar was UMNO's first President, but quitted the party in 1951 and formed PN in 1954. Expecting to command strong Malay support in the Peninsular, it met dismal electoral results and later became defunct.

People's Progressive Party

Originally Perak Progressive Party in 1953 (renamed in 1956), this Malayan opposition party founded by the Seenivasagam brothers was in the Malaysian Solidarity Convention with PAP during the years Singapore was part of Malaysia. In 1972, it joined as a small component of Barisan Nasional in the name of national unity.