Parliament of Singapore

Parliament of Singapore

Parlimen Singapura
新加坡國會
சிங்கப்பூர் நாடாளுமன்றம்
14th Parliament
Coat of arms or logo
Type
Type
History
Established9 August 1965 (1965-08-09)
Preceded byLegislative Assembly of Singapore
Leadership
Seah Kian Peng (PAP)
since 2 August 2023
Jessica Tan (PAP)
since 31 August 2020 (Acting Speaker from 17 July to 1 August 2023)
Christopher de Souza (PAP)
since 31 August 2020
Lee Hsien Loong (PAP)
since 12 August 2004
Indranee Rajah (PAP)
since 24 August 2020
Janil Puthucheary (PAP)
since 6 June 2019
Pritam Singh (WP)
since 24 August 2020
Structure
Seats104[c]
Political groups
Government
  PAP (79)[a]
Opposition
  WP (8)[b]
  PSP (2)
Nominated Members
  Non-partisan (9)
Vacant
  Vacant (6)
Length of term
5 years
SalaryS$192,500 annually
Elections
First-past-the-post
General ticket
Last election
10 July 2020
Next election
By 24 November 2025
Meeting place
Parliament House
Downtown Core, Singapore
Website
www.parliament.gov.sg Edit this at Wikidata

The Parliament of Singapore is the unicameral legislature of the Republic of Singapore, which governs the country alongside the president of Singapore. Largely based upon the Westminster system, the Parliament is made up of Members of Parliament (MPs) who are elected, as well as Non-constituency Members of Parliament (NCMPs) and Nominated Members of Parliament (NMPs) who are appointed. Following the 2020 general election, 93 (currently 87)[a][b] MPs and two NCMPs from three political parties were elected to the 14th Parliament. Throughout the sitting of Parliament, nine NMPs are usually appointed by the president on a biennial basis.

The Speaker of Parliament has overall charge of the administration of Parliament and its secretariat, and presides over parliamentary sittings. The Leader of the House is an MP appointed by the prime minister to arrange government business and the legislative programme of Parliament, while the Leader of the Opposition (LO) is the MP who leads the largest political party not in the government. Some of Parliament's work is carried out by select committees made up of small numbers of MPs. Standing select committees are permanently constituted to fulfil certain duties, and ad hoc select committees are established from time to time to deal with matters such studying the details of bills. In addition, selected backbenchers of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), the current largest political party in Parliament, sit on Government Parliamentary Committees (GPCs) that examine the policies, programmes and proposed legislation of government ministries.

The main functions of Parliament are lawmaking, controlling the nation's finances, and ensuring ministerial accountability. Parliament convenes when it is in session. The first session of a particular Parliament commences when Parliament meets after being formed following a general election. A session ends when Parliament is prorogued (temporarily suspended) or dissolved. The maximum term of each Parliament is five years, after which Parliament automatically dissolves. A general election must then be held within three months.

The quorum for a parliamentary sitting is one quarter of the total number of MPs, not including the speaker. An MP begins a debate by moving a motion and delivering an opening speech explaining the reasons for the motion. The speaker (or chairman, if Parliament is in committee) then puts the motion in the form of a question, following which other MPs may debate the motion. After that, the mover may exercise a right of reply. When the debate is closed, the speaker puts the question on the motion to the House and calls for a vote. Voting is generally done verbally, and whether the motion is carried depends on the speaker's personal assessment of whether more MPs have voted for than against the motion. MPs' votes are only formally counted if an MP claims a division.

Parliament first convened at the Old Parliament House between 1955 and 1999, before moving into the current Parliament House on 6 September 1999.


Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).

  1. ^ "Workers' Party MP Raeesah Khan resigns, leaves party a month after lying admission in Parliament". TODAY. 30 November 2021. Archived from the original on 8 December 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  2. ^ Parliamentary Elections Act (Cap. 218, 2021 Rev. Ed.) ("PEA"), s. 24(2A).
  3. ^ "Raeesah Khan resigns: What happens when MPs vacate their seats". TODAY. 1 December 2021. Archived from the original on 8 December 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  4. ^ "No by-election in Sengkang GRC after Raeesah Khan's resignation: WP". CNA. 2 December 2021. Archived from the original on 4 February 2022. Retrieved 8 December 2021.

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