February 1979 Parliamentary By-election

A by-election was held for seven constituencies to fill parliamentary seats left vacant by the death of People’s Action Party (PAP) member of parliament (MP), P. Govindasamy (Anson), as well as the resignations of six PAP MPs: Ong Soo Chuan (Nee Soon), Teong Eng Siong (Sembawang), Ahmad Haleem (Telok Blangah), Yong Nyuk Lin (Geylang West), Ivan Baptist (Potong Pasir) and Ng Yeow Chong (Mountbatten).^[1]

Nomination day was held on 31 January 1979 with polling to follow on 10 February.^[2] PAP candidates, Teh Cheang Wan (Geylang West) and Koh Lip Lin (Nee Soon), were returned unopposed.^[3]

The remaining five seats were contested by the PAP with five candidates, United Front with two, and one each from the United People’s Front and the Workers' Party. An independent candidate, Chiam See Tong, contested against Howe Yoon Chong of the PAP in Potong Pasir.^[4] All the PAP candidates – C. V. Devan Nair (Anson), Eugene Yap Giau Cheng (Mountbatten), Howe Yoon Chong (Potong Pasir), Tony Tan Keng Yam (Sembawang) and Rohan bin Kamis (Telok Blangah) – won in their  respective constituencies, garnering 71 percent of the total votes cast in all five constituencies.^[5]

References
1. Fong, L. et al. (1979, January 7). Six MPs to step down. The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
2. Ministry of Culture. (1979, January 22). Parliamentary by-elections for seven electoral divisions [Press release]. Retrieved November 28, 2013, from National Archives of Singapore website: http://archivesonline.nas.sg/
3. Fong, L. (1979, February 1). Two PAP men in unopposed. The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
4. Government of Singapore. (2011, October 18). 1979 parliamentary by-election results. Retrieved September 17, 2013, from Singapore Elections Department website: http://www.eld.gov.sg/elections_past_by1979.html
5. Fong, L., et al. (1979, February 11). All the way. The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.