:Jalan Besar Group Representation Constituency
{{Short description|Electoral division in Singapore}}
{{distinguish|Jalan Besar Single Member Constituency}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox constituency
| name = Jalan Besar
| type = Group Representation
| parl_name = Parliament of Singapore
| image = Jalan_Besar_Group_Representation_Constituency,_2025.svg
| image_size = 240px
| caption =
| region = Central Region, Singapore
| electorate = 106,342
| year = {{Start date and age|df=yes|1988}}
| members = Denise Phua
Wan Rizal
Josephine Teo
Shawn Loh
| seats = 4
| party = People's Action Party
| local_council_label = Town Council
| local_council = Jalan Besar
| previous = {{plainlist|
}}
| blank1_name = Dissolved
| blank1_info = 2011
| blank2_name = Dissolved to
| blank2_info = {{plainlist|
}}
| blank3_name = Reformed
| blank3_info = 2015
| blank4_name = Reformed from
| blank4_info = {{plainlist|
}}
}}
Jalan Besar Group Representation Constituency is a four-member Group Representation Constituency composed of several city suburbs along with the Central Area of Singapore. The Jalan Besar GRC is the electoral division representing the largest area of the downtown city centre of Singapore, followed by Tanjong Pagar GRC. There are four wards in the GRC: Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng, Kolam Ayer, Whampoa and lastly Kampong Glam managed by Jalan Besar Town Council. The current Members of Parliament are Denise Phua, Wan Rizal, Josephine Teo and Shawn Loh from the People's Action Party (PAP).
History
It is named after Jalan Besar, a street in Singapore that forms this GRC's centrepiece. The street itself is within the Kallang planning area, Kallang itself being part of this GRC. The GRC encompasses several heritage areas, including Little India, Desker Road, Kolam Ayer and Crawford in the North. Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng itself includes the Singapore River, Chinatown and Bukit Ho Swee.
During 1988 general election, the three-member PAP team led by Lee Boon Yang won the election with 62.68% of the votes against the WP with 37.32% of the votes.
During 1997 general election, the four-member PAP team led by Lee won the election with 67.55% of the votes against the WP with 32.45% of the votes.
In 1999, Choo Wee Khiang was charged with cheating for issuing a false invoice from his company in November 1990 to Wong See Kee, Choo's brother-in-law. Choo resigned from PAP and Parliament before pleading guilty in court to a charge which was reduced from aggravated to simple cheating.{{Cite news |last= |first= |date=3 June 1999 |title=Choo resigns as MP, then pleads guilty |url= |access-date= |work=The Straits Times}} Under the Singapore Law, an MP will lose their seat if they get a year of jail or more than a S$2,000 fine.{{cite web |title=9.30pm Television Corporation of Singapore English News |url=http://misas.nhb.gov.sg/avs/public/internetSearch/catalogueForm.jsp?command=loadUpdate&id=1999000212&total=11725&searchType=1&startIndex=10140¤tPageNo=2216&startPageNo=1&startNoBatch=0&count=10&source=Television+Corporation+of+Singapore |access-date=May 21, 2012 |publisher=National Archives of Singapore}}{{Dead link|date=July 2019|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}} Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had said that Choo has done the right thing in resigning from the party and as an MP, before pleading guilty in court. Choo was sentenced to two weeks' jail and fined S$10,000.{{cite web |title=Ex-table tennis chief Choo Wee Khiang charged with graft |url=http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1170100/1/.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120429085122/http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1170100/1/.html |archive-date=29 April 2012 |access-date=May 21, 2012 |publisher=Channel NewsAsia}}{{Cite web |last=Teoh |first=Hannah |date=2011-12-08 |title=Former table tennis president and manager charged with corruption |url=https://www.asiaone.com/print/News/AsiaOne+News/Crime/Story/A1Story20111208-315071.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171029173825/http://www.asiaone.com/print/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Crime/Story/A1Story20111208-315071.html |archive-date=29 October 2017 |access-date=2020-08-06 |website=www.asiaone.com}}
During 2001 general election, the five-member PAP team led by Lee won the election with 74.49% of the votes against the SDA led by Desmond Lim with 25.51% of the votes.
During 2006 general election, the five-member PAP team led by Lee the election with 69.26% of the votes against the SDA with 30.74% of the votes.
Jalan Besar GRC was dissolved ahead of the 2011 elections and along with Moulmein from Tanjong Pagar GRC to form Moulmein–Kallang Group Representation Constituency while a majority of the Kreta Ayer–Kim Seng and Whampoa were redrawn into Tanjong Pagar GRC and as a SMC, respectively.
However, its GRC were again reformed one parliamentary term later in 2015 Singaporean general election,{{Cite web |last=Ng |first=Jing Yng |date=4 September 2015 |title=Repeated redrawing of boundaries ‘has confused Jalan Besar residents’ |url=https://www.todayonline.com/ge2015/repeated-redrawing-boundaries-has-confused-jalan-besar-residents |access-date=17 April 2025 |website=TODAY |language=en}} where changes made from a majority of the GRC were reversed, while the Jalan Besar division was dissolved into other wards.
In 2015 Singaporean general election, the four-member PAP team led by Lily Neo won the election with 67.75% of the votes while WP got 32.25% of the votes.
In 2020 general election, the four-member PAP team led by Josephine Teo won the election with 65.36% of the votes while the Peoples Voice led by Lim Tean obtained 34.64% of the votes.
On 17 April 2025, PAP announced Heng Chee How was to be replaced by Shawn Loh in the PAP team to contest the GRC for the 2025 general election.{{Cite news |last=Chin |first=Soo Fang |date=16 April 2025 |title=GE2025: PAP stalwart Heng Chee How to step down from Jalan Besar GRC |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/politics/ge2025-pap-stalwart-heng-chee-how-to-step-down-from-jalan-besar-grc |access-date=17 April 2025 |work=The Straits Times |language=en |issn=0585-3923}}
Members of Parliament
| class="wikitable" align="center" style="text-align:center"
!Election !Division !Members of Parliament ! colspan="2" |Party |
| colspan="5" bgcolor="black" |Formation |
1988 ||
|| | rowspan="5" bgcolor="{{party color|People's Action Party}}" | || rowspan="5" | PAP |
|---|
1991 ||
||
|
| 1997 ||
||
|
| 2001 || rowspan=2|
||
|
| 2006
|| |
| colspan="5" bgcolor="black" |Constituency abolished (2011–2015) |
| 2015 || rowspan=3|
|| | rowspan="3" bgcolor="{{party color|People's Action Party}}" | || rowspan="3" | PAP |
| 2020
|| |
| 2025
|| |
{{Refbegin}}
{{note|1}}Choo resigned before being charged and convicted in 1999 for cheating offences.{{Cite news|date=3 June 1999|title=Choo resigns as MP, then pleads guilty|work=The Straits Times|url=|access-date=}} However, no by-election was called on the ground since it was a Group Representation Constituency, and the workload for the Whampoa ward was distributed among the rest of the team.
{{Refend}}
Electoral results
{{small|Note : Elections Department Singapore do 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=
{{Election box begin no change | title=General Election 1988: Jalan Besar GRC{{Cite web|url=https://www.eld.gov.sg/elections_past_parliamentary1988.html#J|title=ELD {{pipe}} 1988 Parliamentary General Election Results|website=www.eld.gov.sg}}}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change |
|party=People's Action Party
|candidate=Peh Chin Hua
Lee Boon Yang
Sidek Saniff
|votes=31,604
|percentage=62.68
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change |
|party=Workers' Party of Singapore
|candidate=Marsh Edund Richard
Mohamed Bin Idris
Toh Keng Thong
|votes=18,814
|percentage=37.32
}}
{{Election box majority no change|
|votes=12,790
|percentage=25.37
}}
{{Election box registered electors no change|
|reg. electors = 54,941
}}
{{Election box turnout no change |
|votes=50,418
|percentage=91.77
}}
{{Election box new seat win|
|winner = People's Action Party
}}
{{Election box end}}
=Elections in 1990s=
{{Election box begin| title=General Election 1991: Jalan Besar GRC{{Cite web|url=https://www.eld.gov.sg/elections_past_parliamentary1991.html#J|title=ELD {{pipe}} 1991 Parliamentary General Election Results|website=www.eld.gov.sg}}}}
{{Election box winning candidate unopposed with party link|party=People's Action Party|candidate=Peh Chin Hua
Lee Boon Yang
Choo Wee Khiang
Zulkifli Mohammed}}
{{Election box registered electors|reg. electors = 82,615
}}
{{Election box hold with party link no swing|
|winner = People's Action Party
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin| title=General Election 1997: Jalan Besar GRC{{Cite web|url=https://www.eld.gov.sg/elections_past_parliamentary1997.html#J|title=ELD {{pipe}} 1997 Parliamentary General Election Results|website=www.eld.gov.sg}}}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|party = People's Action Party
|candidate = Peh Chin Hua
Lee Boon Yang
Yaacob Ibrahim
Choo Wee Khiang
|votes = 44,840
|percentage = 67.55
|change=N/A}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Singapore Democratic Party|candidate=Gandhi Ambalam
Jufrie Mahmood
David Chew
Low Yong Nguan|votes=21,537|percentage=32.45|change=}}
{{Election box majority|votes=23,303|percentage=35.10|change=N/A}}
{{Election box registered electors|
|reg. electors = 71,922
|change = N/A
}}
{{Election box turnout||votes=66,377|percentage=92.29|change=N/A}}
{{Election box hold with party link no swing|
|winner = People's Action Party
}}
{{Election box end}}
=Elections in 2000s=
{{Election box begin | title=General Election 2001: Jalan Besar GRC}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.eld.gov.sg/elections_past_parliamentary2001.html#J|title=ELD {{pipe}} 2001 Parliamentary General Election Results|website=www.eld.gov.sg}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party=People's Action Party
|candidate=Lee Boon Yang
Loh Meng See
Yaacob Ibrahim
Lily Neo
Heng Chee How
|votes=68,309
|percentage=74.49
|change={{increase}}6.94
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party=Singapore Democratic Alliance
|candidate=Desmond Lim
Sin Kek Tong
M Rahizan
Reno Fong
Ng Kee How
|votes=23,391
|percentage=25.51
|change= N/A
}}
{{Election box majority|
|votes=44,918
|percentage=48.98
|change={{increase}}13.88
}}
{{Election box registered electors|
|reg. electors = 100,268
|change = {{increase}}39.41
}}
{{Election box turnout|
|votes=91,700
|percentage=91.45
|change={{decrease}}0.84
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
|winner = People's Action Party
|swing ={{increase}}6.94
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin | title=General Election 2006: Jalan Besar GRC{{Cite web|url=https://www.eld.gov.sg/elections_past_parliamentary2006.html#J|title=ELD {{pipe}} 2006 Parliamentary General Election Results|website=www.eld.gov.sg}}}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party=People's Action Party
|candidate=Lee Boon Yang
Denise Phua
Yaacob Ibrahim
Lily Neo
Heng Chee How
|votes=58,913
|percentage=69.26
|change={{decrease}}5.23
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party=Singapore Democratic Alliance
|candidate=Cheo Chai Chen
Sebastian Teo
Reno Fong
Muhammad Ali Aman
Vincent Yeo
|votes=26,151
|percentage=30.74
|change={{increase}}5.23
}}
{{Election box majority|
|votes=32,762
|percentage=38.51
|change={{decrease}}10.47
}}
{{Election box registered electors|
|reg. electors = 93,025
|change = {{decrease}}7.22
}}
{{Election box turnout|
|votes=85,064
|percentage=91.50
|change={{increase}}0.05
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
|winner = People's Action Party
|swing ={{decrease}}5.23
}}
{{Election box end}}
=Elections in 2010s=
{{Election box begin no change | title=General Election 2015{{Cite web|url=https://www.eld.gov.sg/elections_past_parliamentary2015.html#J|title=ELD {{pipe}} 2015 Parliamentary General Election Results|website=www.eld.gov.sg}}}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|
|party=People's Action Party|candidate=Denise Phua
Yaacob Ibrahim
Lily Neo
Heng Chee How
|votes=63,644
|percentage=67.75
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change|
|party=Workers' Party of Singapore
|candidate=Frieda Chan
L Somasundaram
Redzwan Hafidz Abdul Razak
Adrian Sim
|votes=30,302|percentage=32.25
}}
{{Election box majority no change|
|votes=33,342
|percentage=35.50
}}
{{Election box registered electors no change|
|reg. electors = 102,540
}}
{{Election box rejected no change|
|votes = 1,550
|percentage = 1.6
}}
{{Election box turnout no change|
|votes=95,496
|percentage=93.1
}}
{{Election box new seat win|
|winner = People's Action Party
}}
{{Election box end}}
=Elections in 2020s=
{{Election box begin | title=General Election 2020{{Cite web |title=ELD {{pipe}} 2020 Parliamentary General Election Results |url=https://www.eld.gov.sg/finalresults2020.html#J |website=www.eld.gov.sg}}{{cite act |type= Notification |index= 1427 |year= 2020 |legislature= Republic of Singapore Government Gazette |title= Parliamentary Elections Act – Statement of the Poll after Counting the ballots for Electoral Division of Jalan Besar |url= https://www.eld.gov.sg/gazettes/2020/Statement_of_Poll_for_the_Electoral_Division_of_Jalan_Besar.pdf |access-date= 16 July 2020 }}}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party=People's Action Party|candidate=Denise Phua
Wan Rizal
Josephine Teo
Heng Chee How
|votes=64,631
|percentage=65.36
|change={{decrease}}2.37
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link||party=Peoples Voice (Singapore)|candidate=Lim Tean
Leong Sze Hian
Nor Azlan Sulaiman
Michael Fang Amin|votes=34,261|percentage=34.64|change=N/A}}
{{Election box majority||votes=30,370|percentage=30.72|change={{decrease}}4.78}}
{{Election box total valid|votes=98,892 |percentage=97.11 |change=}}
{{Election box rejected|
|votes =2,948
|percentage =2.89
|change ={{increase}}1.29
}}
{{Election box turnout||votes=101,840|percentage=94.54|change=}}
{{Election box registered electors|
|reg. electors = 107,720
|change = {{increase}}5.05
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
|winner =People's Action Party
|swing ={{decrease}}2.37
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin| title=General Election 2025{{Cite web |date=16 May 2025 |title=Statement of Poll for the Electoral Division of Jalan Besar | url=https://www.eld.gov.sg/gazettes/2025/25gg1669_Jalan%20Besar.pdf}}}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|party=People's Action Party|candidate=Denise Phua
Wan Rizal
Josephine Teo
Shawn Loh|votes=70,602|percentage=75.21|change={{increase}}9.85}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|party=People's Alliance for Reform|candidate=Chiu Shin Kong
Mohamad Hamim Aliyas
Sarina Abu Hassan
Vigneswari V Ramachandran|votes=23,267|percentage=24.79|change=N/A}}
{{Election box majority|votes=47,335|percentage=50.42|change={{increase}}19.70}}
{{Election box total valid|votes=93,869|percentage=96.56 |change={{decrease}}0.55}}
{{Election box rejected|votes=3,349|percentage=3.44|change={{increase}}0.55}}
{{Election box turnout|votes=97,218|percentage=91.42|change={{decrease}}3.12}}
{{Election box registered electors|reg. electors =106,342|change={{decrease}}1.28}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
|winner =People's Action Party
|swing ={{increase}}9.85
}}
{{Election box end}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Constituencies of Singapore}}
Category:2015 establishments in Singapore
Category:Singaporean electoral divisions