PARLIAMENTARY GENERAL ELECTION 1984
In his 1983 National Day Rally speech, Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, a strong believer of eugenics, lamented that declining birth rates and graduate women remaining single or not marrying their intellectual equal could affect Singapore's future talent pool. The PAP government launched the "Graduate Mother Scheme" to offer incentives to graduate women to settle down. This was believed to be a major reason for the single biggest dip in PAP's vote share, which plummetted by more than 10% to below 70%, and its worst result since the 1963 GE. The Electoral Boundaries Delineation Committee report of 21 May 1984 was passed on 29 June 1984. Seven new wards were introduced and removed were Bukit Ho Swee, Katong and Havelock, the last of which no by-election was held after the demise of Minister Hon Sui Sen in 1983. This was the debut of PM Lee's son, Lee Hsien Loong, and retirement of PAP veterans Goh Keng Swee and Ong Pang Boon. For the first time in 14 years and three GEs, women candidates were elected as Members of Parliament, all whom were from PAP. WP retained its sole Anson seat under leader J. B. Jeyaretnam with an increased majority, while SDP would make its maiden appearance in Parliament with the victory of Chiam See Tong, who would hold his seat for the next 27 years. Barisan sent the same four candidates in the 1980 GE to the same seats. SUF chief Seow Khee Leng was sued by PM Lee over a defamatory statement in a rally speech. On 25 July 1984, the Constitution was amended to include the Non-Constituency MP scheme. Should a single party win all seats, a minimum of three NCMP seats, except when the President of Singapore decides to provide for up to six at the advice of Cabinet, would be offered to defeated opposition candidates with highest percentages who must obtain at least 15%. One NCMP seat would be subtracted for every one opposition MP elected. Opposition parties dismissed it as a scheme to mislead voters into thinking that they could have opposition MPs without voting for them. WP's M. P. D. Nair was eligible for NCMP but WP declined on his behalf. Parliament tabled a motion to offer it to SUF's Tan Chee Kien, who also turned it down and no further offers were made.
5th Parliament dissolved: 4 December 1984 [Tue]
Nomination day: 12 December 1984 [Wed]
Polling day: 22 December 1984 [Sat]
6th Parliament opening: 25 February 1985 [Mon]
Electorate: 1,495,389
Walkover voters: 550,765 (36.8%)
Eligible voters: 944,624 (63.2%)
Voter turnout: 903,499 (95.6%)
Election deposit: $1,500
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