PARLIAMENTARY GENERAL ELECTION 1980
Nearly half the number of seats were uncontested and PAP was one seat away from forming the government on nomination day. This GE saw the debut of the newly formed SDP that was to wax and wane in years to come. The school streaming system and embezzlement of trade union funds by former PAP Member of Parliament Phey Yew Kok were the main election issues. Also president of National Trades Union Congress, Phey's Boon Teck seat was vacated on 2 April 1980 after he jumped bail and fled the country but no by-election was called as an election was impending. The Electoral Boundaries Delineation Committee report, submitted to the government on 2 June 1980, was tabled in a bill on 25 June and passed on 29 July the same year. Nine wards were carved out and three were dissolved, namely Farrer Park, Geylang East and Upper Serangoon. For the first time, no independent candidates emerged. Election deposit increased for the second consecutive time but less drastically this time. For the fourth consecutive time, PAP achieved a clean sweep of all Parliament seats and Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew's Tanjong Pagar seat topped the chart in terms of vote share. Both PAP and PM Lee's vote share was the second highest following the 1968 GE. Two years later in 1982, several Malay members of Barisan, PKMS, SUF and WP, some whom were former election candidates, were detained under the Internal Security Act for their involvement in the clandestine Singapore People's Liberation Organisation, which aimed to overthrow the government by invoking communal sentiments.
4th Parliament dissolved: 5 December 1980 [Fri]
Nomination day: 13 December 1980 [Sat]
Polling day: 23 December 1980 [Tue]
5th Parliament opening: 3 February 1981 [Tue]
Electorate: 1,290,426
Walkover voters: 605,285 (46.9%)
Eligible voters: 685,141 (53.1%)
Voter turnout: 654,295 (95.5%)
Election deposit: $1,500 (+$300)
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