13th Parliament of Singapore

The 13th Parliament of Singapore was the previous Parliament of Singapore. The first session commenced on 15 January 2016 and was dissolved on 23 June 2020.[3][4][5] The membership was set by the 2015 Singapore General Election on 11 September 2015, and changed twice throughout the term; one was the resignation of Bukit Batok Single Member Constituency MP David Ong in 2016, and the resignation of Marsiling–Yew Tee Group Representation Constituency MP and Speaker Halimah Yacob in 2017.

13th Parliament of Singapore
Majority parliament
15 January 2016 – 23 June 2020
House
Seating arrangements of the House
Speaker of Parliament	Halimah Yacob 15 January 2016 – 7 August 2017 Charles Chong (Acting) 7 August 2017 – 11 September 2017 Tan Chuan-Jin 11 September 2017 – 23 June 2020
Prime Minister	Lee Hsien Loong 15 January 2016 – 23 June 2020
Leader of the Opposition	Low Thia Khiang 15 January 2016 – 8 April 2018 Pritam Singh 8 April 2018 – 23 June 2020
Session(s)
1st Session
15 January 2016 – 3 April 2018[1]
2nd Session
7 May 2018[2] – 23 June 2020
Cabinet(s)
13th Cabinet
Lee Hsien Loong 1 October 2015 – 23 June 2020
Parliamentarians
Elected NCMP Nominated 88 3 9
<12th 14th>

The 13th Parliament is controlled by a People's Action Party majority, led by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and members of the cabinet, which assumed power on 1 October 2015. The Opposition is led by the Secretary General of the Workers' Party, Pritam Singh. Tan Chuan-Jin, of the People's Action Party, is the Speaker of Parliament as of 11 September 2017. He succeeds Yacob, who resigned as Speaker to contest in the Presidential Elections 2017. Yacob was previously elected as the 9th Speaker of the House during the 12th Parliament on 14 January 2013.

Result of the 2015 Singapore general election

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	People's Action Party	1,579,183	69.86	83	+2
	Workers' Party	282,143	12.48	6	0
	Singapore Democratic Party	84,931	3.76	0	0
	National Solidarity Party	79,826	3.53	0	0
	Reform Party	59,517	2.63	0	0
	Singaporeans First	50,867	2.25	0	New
	Singapore People's Party	49,107	2.17	0	0
	Singapore Democratic Alliance	46,550	2.06	0	0
	People's Power Party	25,475	1.13	0	New
	Independents	2,780	0.12	0	New
Total		2,260,379	100.00	89	+2
Valid votes		2,260,379	97.95
Invalid/blank votes		47,367	2.05
Total votes		2,307,746	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		2,462,926	93.70
Source: Singapore Elections

The Workers' Party, being the best performing opposition parties were awarded three Non-Constituency Member of Parliament seats in accordance with the Constitution. Lee Li Lian, Dennis Tan, and Leon Perera were appointed as NCMPs,[6] though Lee Li Lian decided not to accept the NCMP post.[7]

Officeholders

Speaker

• Halimah Yacob of the People's Action Party, MP of Marsiling–Yew Tee GRC, was re-elected as Speaker of Parliament on 15 January 2016.[8][9] She relinquished her post on 7 August 2017 to run for the presidency in the 2017 Singapore presidential election, with Charles serving as Acting Speaker until 10 September 2017.[10]
• Charles Chong and Lim Biow Chuan of the People's Action Party were elected as Deputy Speakers on 25 January 2016[11]
• Tan Chuan-Jin was elected as Speaker and becomes the 10th Speaker of the Republic of Singapore on 11 September 2017.[12]

Leaders

• Prime Minister: Lee Hsien Loong (People's Action Party)
• Leader of the Opposition: Pritam Singh (Workers' Party)

House Leaders

• Leader of the House: Grace Fu
• Deputy Leader of the House: Desmond Lee

Whips

• Government Whip: Janil Puthucheary
• Deputy Government Whip: Sim Ann and Zaqy Mohamad

Committees

Select committees

Committee of selection

Chaired by Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin, the committee of selection selects and nominates members to the various sessional and select committees.[13] The committee consisted of seven other members:

• Chan Chun Sing
• Cedric Foo
• Grace Fu
• Indranee Rajah
• Masagos Zulkifli
• Ong Ye Kung
• Pritam Singh

Committee of privileges

The committee of privileges looks into any complaint alleging breaches of parliamentary privilege.[14] Chaired by Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin, the committee consisted of seven other members:

• Chen Show Mao
• Grace Fu
• Indranee Rajah
• Maliki Osman
• Seah Kian Peng
• K. Shanmugam
• Edwin Tong

Estimates committee

The estimates committee examines the Government's budget and reports what economies, improvements in organisation, efficiency or administrative reforms consistent with the policy underlying the estimates, may be effected and suggests the form in which the estimates shall be presented to Parliament. The committee consisted of eight members:[15]

• Foo Mee Har (Chairperson)
• Chia Shi-Lu
• Cheng Li Hui
• Darryl David
• Christopher de Souza
• Daniel Goh
• Lee Yi Shyan
• Alex Yam

House committee

The house committee looks after the comfort and convenience of Members of Parliament and advises the Speaker on these matters.[16] Chaired by Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin, the committee consisted of seven other members:

• Amrin Amin
• Gan Thiam Poh
• Henry Kwek
• Low Yen Ling
• Faisal Manap
• Sun Xueling
• Yee Chia Hsing

Public accounts committee

The public accounts committee examines various accounts of the Government showing the appropriation of funds granted by Parliament to meet public expenditure, as well as other accounts laid before Parliament. The committee consisted of eight members:[17]

• Jessica Tan (Chairperson)
• Ang Hin Kee
• Ang Wei Neng
• Liang Eng Hwa
• Lim Wee Kiak
• Leon Perera
• Tin Pei Ling
• Zainal Sapari

Public petitions committee

The public petitions committee deals with public petitions received by the House. Its function is to consider petitions referred to the Committee and to report to the House.[18] Chaired by Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin, the committee consisted of seven other members:

• Cheryl Chan
• Janil Puthucheary
• Desmond Lee
• Louis Ng
• Denise Phua
• Dennis Tan
• Melvin Yong

Standing orders committee

The standing orders committee reviews the Standing Orders from time to time and recommends amendments and reports to the House on all matters relating to them.[19] Chaired by Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin, the committee consisted of nine other members:

• Charles Chong (Deputy Speaker)
• Lim Biow Chuan (Deputy Speaker)
• Chan Chun Sing
• Desmond Choo
• Grace Fu
• Joan Pereira
• Png Eng Huat
• Rahayu Mahzam
• Patrick Tay

Government Parliamentary Committees

Mooted by then-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong in 1987, government parliamentary committees (GPCs) are set up by the governing People's Action Party to scrutinise the legislation and programmes of the various Ministries. They also serve as an additional channel of feedback on government policies.

Current members of the Government Parliamentary Committees
as of 4 May 2018[20]

Government Parliamentary Committee	Member of Parliament
Communications and Information
Chairperson	Cedric Foo
Deputy Chairperson	Tin Pei Ling
Members	Darryl David Ong Teng Koon Rahayu Mahzam Teo Ho Pin Teo Ser Luck Vikram Nair
Culture, Community and Youth
Chairperson	Lim Wee Kiak
Deputy Chairperson	Darryl David
Members	Joan Pereira Henry Kwek Lee Yi Shyan Saktiandi Supaat Alex Yam Yee Chia Hsing
Defence and Foreign Affairs
Chairperson	Vikram Nair
Deputy Chairperson	Joan Pereira
Members	Charles Chong Chong Kee Hiong Fatimah Abdul Lateef Henry Kwek Seah Kian Peng Teo Ho Pin
Education
Chairperson	Denise Phua
Deputy Chairperson	Intan Azura Mokhtar
Members	Ang Wei Neng Cheng Li Hui Foo Mee Har Lim Wee Kiak Murali Pillai Zainal Sapari
Environment and Water Resources (including Climate Change)
Chairperson	Lee Bee Wah
Deputy Chairperson	Gan Thiam Poh
Members	Amrin Amin Cheng Li Hui Chia Shi-Lu Liang Eng Hwa Louis Ng
Finance and Trade and Industry
Chairperson	Liang Eng Hwa
Deputy Chairperson	Teo Ser Luck
Members	Cedric Foo Cheryl Chan Desmond Choo Foo Mee Har Henry Kwek Saktiandi Supaat
Health (including Ageing and Silver Generation Office)
Chairperson	Chia Shi-Lu
Deputy Chairperson	Lily Neo
Members	Charles Chong Christopher de Souza Fatimah Abdul Lateef Joan Pereira Melvin Yong Murali Pillai Tin Pei Ling
Home Affairs and Law
Chairperson	Christopher de Souza
Deputy Chairperson	Murali Pillai
Members	Desmond Choo Jessica Tan Louis Ng Rahayu Mahzam Patrick Tay Sitoh Yih Pin
Manpower
Chairperson	Patrick Tay
Deputy Chairperson	Zainal Sapari
Members	Cheryl Chan Chong Kee Hiong Intan Azura Mokhtar Jessica Tan Lee Yi Shyan Lim Biow Chuan Yee Chia Hsing
National Development (including Municipal Services Office)
Chairperson	Alex Yam
Deputy Chairperson	Chong Kee Hiong
Members	Cheryl Chan Gan Thiam Poh Lee Bee Wah Louis Ng Ong Teng Koon Saktiandi Supaat
Social and Family Development (including National Population and Talent Division)
Chairperson	Seah Kian Peng
Deputy Chairperson	Rahayu Mahzam
Members	Ang Hin Kee Darryl David Denise Phua Lily Neo Melvin Yong Tan Wu Meng
Transport
Chairperson	Sitoh Yih Pin
Deputy Chairperson	Ang Hin Kee
Members	Ang Wei Neng Cheng Li Hui Intan Azura Mokhtar Lim Biow Chuan Melvin Yong Sun Xueling Yee Chia Hsing

Members

References

1. "Parliament takes a mid-term break, to reconvene on May 7". CNA.
2. "President's Address on Monday night to set out Government's priorities and plans". The Straits Times. 7 May 2018.
3. "Sessions of Parliament". Archived from the original on 25 June 2017. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
4. "First session of 13th Parliament to be held on Jan 15 next year". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. 22 October 2015. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
5. "Dissolution of Parliament on 23 June 2020 | Prime Minister's Office Singapore". www.pmo.gov.sg. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
6. "GE2015: WP's Lee Li Lian, Dennis Tan and Leon Perera elected as NCMPs, says ELD". Channel NewsAsia. 16 September 2015. Archived from the original on 23 March 2017. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
7. Chai, Hung Yin (13 September 2015). "WP's Lee Li Lian won't accept NCMP position". The New Paper. SPH. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
8. "Statement on Nomination of The Speaker, and Appointment of The Leader of The House and The Government Whip" (Press release). Prime Minister's Office (Singapore). 28 September 2015. Archived from the original on 3 October 2015. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
9. "Members of Singapore's 13th Parliament sworn in". Channel NewsAsia. 15 January 2016. Archived from the original on 25 April 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
10. "Halimah Yacob submits letters of resignation as Speaker, MP, PAP member". CNA. 7 August 2017. Archived from the original on 3 November 2019.
11. "PM Lee accepts Halimah Yacob's resignation from the PAP". CNA. 7 August 2017. Archived from the original on 13 July 2020.
12. "Tan Chuan-Jin becomes Singapore's 10th Speaker of Parliament". CNA. 11 September 2017. Archived from the original on 20 August 2020.
13. "Committee of Selection". Parliament of Singapore. Archived from the original on 18 November 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
14. "Committee of Privileges". Parliament of Singapore. Archived from the original on 18 November 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
15. "Estimates Committee". Parliament of Singapore. Archived from the original on 18 November 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
16. "House Committee". Parliament of Singapore. Archived from the original on 18 November 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
17. "Public Accounts Committee". Parliament of Singapore. Archived from the original on 18 November 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
18. "Public Petitions Committee". Parliament of Singapore. Archived from the original on 18 November 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
19. "Standing Orders Committee". Parliament of Singapore. Archived from the original on 18 November 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
20. "Changes to the Government Parliamentary Committees" (Press release). Singapore: People's Action Party. 4 May 2018. Archived from the original on 18 November 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2018.