Hougang
Single Member constituency
for the Parliament of Singapore
RegionNorth-East Region, Singapore
Electorate26,468 (as of 2020)
Current constituency
Created1988; 36 years ago (1988)
Seats1
Party Workers' Party
Member(s)Dennis Tan
Town CouncilAljunied–Hougang

The Hougang Single Member Constituency is a single member constituency (SMC) located in the north-eastern area of Singapore. Its current Member of Parliament is Dennis Tan Lip Fong of the Workers' Party (WP).

History

The constituency was first formed prior to the 1988 general election and was won by the People's Action Party (PAP) in its debut.

However, PAP's representation of Hougang SMC would only last three years, when it lost the seat to the Worker's Party (WP) candidate Low Thia Khiang after an almost 12% swing during the 1991 general election.

In the 2006 general election, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong was tasked to help the PAP win back the two opposition wards of Hougang SMC and Potong Pasir SMC with a $100 million plan to upgrade the constituency.[1][2] However, Low retained the seat with 62.7% of the votes.[2]

From 1991 to 2011, it was one of only two opposition-held (i.e. non-PAP) seats in Parliament.

During the 2011 general election, Low Thia Kiang left to contest the nearby Aljunied GRC , Yaw Shin Leong, who retained the seat with 65% of the vote.

On 15 February 2012, Yaw was expelled from the party for personal indiscretions, triggering a by-election.[3] Png Eng Huat retained the seat for the party with 62.1% of the vote.[4]

Png retired prior to the 2020 general election; the WP candidate Dennis Tan Lip Fong retained the seat in that election with 61.2% of the vote.[5]

Constituency profile

The seat is located in the North-East Region of the country, with the closest train station being the namesake Hougang MRT station on the North East Line and the Cross Island Line (currently under construction), although the station itself is not located within the SMC but just outside it, in the adjacent Aljunied GRC – which is also represented by WP MPs. Hougang Community Club and Hougang Neighbourhood Park are located within the constituency.

The constituency is almost entirely an enclave within Aljunied GRC, except for Hougang ActiveSG Sports Centre which consists of Hougang Stadium, a sports hall and swimming pool that comes under Ang Mo Kio GRC on Hougang SMC's western border.[6] The constituency has been labeled a stronghold for the WP by political analysts, having been retained by the party since 1991.[5]

Town council

Hougang SMC is managed by the Aljunied-Hougang Town Council, a combined town council that administers both Aljunied GRC and Hougang SMC.[7]

Members of Parliament

Election Member Party
1988 Tang Guan Seng PAP
1991 Low Thia Khiang WP
1997
2001
2006
2011 Yaw Shin Leong
2012 Png Eng Huat
2015
2020 Dennis Tan Lip Fong

Electoral results

Note: The Elections Department Singapore (ELD) does not include rejected votes for calculation of candidate's vote share. Hence, the total of all candidates' vote share will be 100%.

Elections in 1980s

General Election 1988: Hougang[8][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
PAP Tang Guan Seng 11,983 58.96 N/A
WP Lim Chiu Liang 8,342 41.04 N/A
Majority 3,641 17.92 N/A
Registered electors 21,703 N/A
Total valid votes 20,325 97.37 N/A
Rejected ballots 548 2.63 N/A
Turnout 20,873 96.18 N/A
PAP win (new seat)

Elections in 1990s

General Election 1991: Hougang[10][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
WP Low Thia Khiang 10,621 52.82 N/A
PAP Tang Guan Seng 9,487 47.18 Decrease11.78
Majority 1,134 5.67 Decrease12.25
Registered electors 21,476 Decrease1.05
Total valid votes 20,108 97.77 Increase0.4
Rejected ballots 458 2.23 Decrease0.4
Turnout 20,566 95.76 Decrease0.42
WP gain from PAP Swing Increase11.78
General Election 1997: Hougang[12][13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
WP Low Thia Khiang 13,458 58.02 Increase5.2
PAP Heng Chee How 9,736 41.98 N/A
Majority 3,722 16.04 Increase10.37
Registered electors 24,423 Increase13.72
Total valid votes 23,194 98.68 Increase0.91
Rejected ballots 311 1.32 Decrease0.91
Turnout 23,505 96.24 Increase0.48
WP hold Swing Increase5.2

Elections in 2000s

General Election 2001: Hougang[14][15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
WP Low Thia Khiang 12,070 54.98 Decrease3.0
PAP Eric Low 9,882 45.02 N/A
Majority 2,188 9.96 Decrease6.08
Registered electors 23,320 Decrease4.52
Total valid votes 21,952 98.67 Decrease0.01
Rejected ballots 295 1.33 Increase0.01
Turnout 22,247 95.4 Decrease0.84
WP hold Swing Decrease3.0
General Election 2006: Hougang[16][17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
WP Low Thia Khiang 13,989 62.74 Increase7.76
PAP Eric Low 8,308 37.26 Decrease7.76
Majority 5,681 25.48 Increase15.52
Registered electors 23,759 Increase1.88
Total valid votes 22,297 98.77 Increase0.1
Rejected ballots 277 1.23 Decrease0.1
Turnout 22,574 95.01 Decrease0.39
WP hold Swing Increase7.76

Elections in 2010s

General Election 2011: Hougang[18][19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
WP Yaw Shin Leong 14,850 64.8 N/A
PAP Desmond Choo 8,065 35.2 N/A
Majority 6,785 29.6 Increase4.12
Registered electors 24,560 Increase3.37
Total valid votes 22,915 98.87 Increase0.1
Rejected ballots 261 1.13 Decrease0.1
Turnout 23,176 94.36 Decrease0.65
WP hold Swing Increase2.06
By-election 2012: Hougang[20][21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
WP Png Eng Huat 13,460 62.08 N/A
PAP Desmond Choo 8,223 37.92 Increase2.7
Majority 5,237 24.16 Decrease5.44
Registered electors 23,368 Decrease4.85
Total valid votes 21,683 98.66 Decrease0.21
Rejected ballots 295 1.34 Increase0.21
Turnout 21,978 93.9 Decrease0.4
WP hold Swing Decrease2.7
General Election 2015: Hougang[22][23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
WP Png Eng Huat 13,012 57.69 Decrease4.39
PAP Lee Hong Chuang 9,543 42.31 N/A
Majority 3,469 15.38 Decrease8.78
Registered electors 24,097 Increase3.12
Total valid votes 22,555 98.96 Increase0.3
Rejected ballots 236 1.04 Decrease0.3
Turnout 22,791 94.58 Increase0.18
WP hold Swing Decrease4.39

Elections in 2020s

General Election 2020: Hougang[24][25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
WP Dennis Tan 15,451 61.21 Increase3.52
PAP Lee Hong Chuang 9,791 38.79 Decrease3.52
Majority 5,660 22.42 Increase7.04
Registered electors 26,432 Increase9.69
Total valid votes 25,242 98.93 Decrease0.03
Rejected ballots 272 1.07 Increase0.03
Turnout 25,514 96.53 Increase1.95
WP hold Swing Increase3.52

References

  1. ^ "SM Goh to help PAP candidates win back Hougang, Potong Pasir seats". Archived from the original on 21 March 2006.
  2. ^ a b "WP chief Low Thia Khiang wins fourth term as Hougang MP". AsiaOne. 6 May 2006. Archived from the original on 14 October 2012. Retrieved 13 November 2010.
  3. ^ "Expulsion of Yaw Shin Leong from Party Membership". The Workers' Party press release. Archived from the original on 18 February 2012. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
  4. ^ "Hougang Stadium, Serangoon JC are assembling centres for Housing by-election". Channel News Asia. Archived from the original on 23 June 2012. Retrieved 19 May 2012.
  5. ^ a b Cheng, Kenneth (11 July 2020). "GE2020: Workers' Party retains Hougang stronghold". Today. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  6. ^ "ELD | Electoral Divisions". www.eld.gov.sg. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  7. ^ "Aljunied-Hougang Town Council". AHTC. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  8. ^ "ELD | 1988 Parliamentary General Election Results". www.eld.gov.sg. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  9. ^ "Singapore Parliamentary General Election 1988 > Hougang". www.singapore-elections.com. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  10. ^ "ELD | 1991 Parliamentary General Election Results". www.eld.gov.sg. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  11. ^ "Singapore Parliamentary General Election 1991 > Hougang". www.singapore-elections.com. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  12. ^ "ELD | 1997 Parliamentary General Election Results". www.eld.gov.sg. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  13. ^ "Singapore Parliamentary General Election 1997 > Hougang". www.singapore-elections.com. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  14. ^ "ELD | 2001 Parliamentary General Election Results". www.eld.gov.sg. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  15. ^ "Singapore Parliamentary General Election 2001 > Hougang". www.singapore-elections.com. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  16. ^ "ELD | 2006 Parliamentary General Election Results". www.eld.gov.sg. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  17. ^ "Singapore Parliamentary General Election 2006 > Hougang". www.singapore-elections.com. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  18. ^ "ELD | 2011 Parliamentary General Election Results". www.eld.gov.sg. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  19. ^ "Singapore Parliamentary General Election 2011 > Hougang". www.singapore-elections.com. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  20. ^ "ELD | 2012 Parliamentary By-election Result". www.eld.gov.sg. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  21. ^ "Singapore Parliamentary By-Election 2012 > Hougang". www.singapore-elections.com. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  22. ^ "ELD | 2015 Parliamentary General Election Results". www.eld.gov.sg. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  23. ^ "Singapore Parliamentary General Election 2015 > Hougang". www.singapore-elections.com. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  24. ^ "ELD | 2020 Parliamentary General Election Results". www.eld.gov.sg. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  25. ^ "Singapore Parliamentary General Election 2020 > Hougang". www.singapore-elections.com. Retrieved 13 July 2021.

Further reading

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