Hougang Single Member Constituency

Hougang
Single Member constituency
for the Parliament of Singapore
Region northeastern Singapore
Electorate 24,555
Current constituency
Created 1988
Number of members 1

Hougang Single Member Constituency (Hougang SMC) (Traditional Chinese: 後港單選區;Simplified Chinese: 后港单选区) is a Single Member Constituency with borders roughly enclosing the town of Hougang, located in the north-eastern area of Singapore. The seat of Hougang is currently held by the opposition Workers' Party and its Member of Parliament Png Eng Huat.

The constituency was formed in 1988 and was held by the People's Action Party (PAP) until the 1991 General Elections, when the ruling party lost the seat to the Workers' Party. The seat was one of two opposition seats of the Parliament of Singapore, until the 2011 General Elections (when the Workers' Party's Aljunied GRC team captured the ward of five seats, while the PAP won Potong Pasir from the opposition). Despite Singapore's current dominant-party system, Hougang SMC has been difficult to recapture by the PAP since losing the constituency in 1991.

Low did not contest Hougang in 2011's General Election, choosing instead to head a GRC team at Aljunied Group Representation Constituency.

On 15 February 2012, Yaw Shin Leong was expelled from the Workers' Party, leaving a vacant seat in Hougang SMC.[1] A by-election was held, with Nomination Day on 16 May 2012 and Polling on 26 May 2012. Png Eng Huat won with 62.1% of the vote.[2]

Members of Parliament

Member of Parliament Party Dates Notes
Tang Guan Seng PAP 1988-1991
Low Thia Khiang WP 1991-2011 Leader of the Workers' Party from 2001
Yaw Shin Leong WP 2011-2012 Expelled over non-disclosure over allegations of an extramarital affair precipitating the Hougang by-election
Png Eng Huat WP 2012 – Incumbent

Electoral results

Elections in 2010s

By-election 2012: Hougang
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
WP Png Eng Huat 13,460 62.08 -2.7
PAP Desmond Choo 8,223 37.92 +2.7
Majority 5,237 24.2 -5.4
Turnout 21,951 93.9 -0.4
WP hold Swing -2.7
General Election 2011: Hougang
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
WP Yaw Shin Leong 14,850 64.8 +2.1
PAP Desmond Choo 8,065 35.2 -2.1
Majority 6,785 29.6 +4.2
Turnout 23,176 94.4 -0.6
WP hold Swing +2.1

Elections in 2000s

General Election 2006: Hougang
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
WP Low Thia Khiang 13,989 62.7 +7.7
PAP Eric Low Siak Meng 8,308 37.3 -7.7
Majority 5,681 25.4 +15.4
Turnout 22,574 95.0 -0.4
WP hold Swing +7.7
General Election 2001: Hougang
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
WP Low Thia Khiang 12,070 55.0 -3.0
PAP Eric Low Siak Meng 9,882 45.0 +3.0
Majority 2,188 10.0 -6.0
Turnout 22,247 95.4 -0.8
WP hold Swing -3.0

Elections in 1990s

General Election 1997: Hougang
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
WP Low Thia Khiang 13,458 58.0 +5.2
PAP Heng Chee How 9,736 42.0 -5.2
Majority 3,722 16.0 +10.4
Turnout 23,505 96.2 +0.4
WP hold Swing +5.2
General Election 1991: Hougang
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
WP Low Thia Khiang 10,621 52.8 +11.8
PAP Tang Guan Seng 9,487 47.2 -11.8
Majority 1,134 5.6 +23.6
Turnout 20,566 95.8 -0.4
WP gain from PAP Swing +11.8

Elections in 1980s

General Election 1988: Hougang
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
PAP Tang Guan Seng 11,983 59.0 N/A
WP Lim Chiu Liang 8,342 41.0 N/A
Majority 3,641 18.0 N/A
Turnout 20,873 96.2 N/A
PAP win (new seat)

References

  1. ↑ http://wp.sg/2012/02/expulsion-of-yaw-shin-leong-from-party-membership
  2. ↑ "Hougang Stadium, Serangoon JC are assembling centres for Hougang by-election". Channel News Asia. Retrieved 19 May 2012.