Singapore's single-house Parliament, its Group Representation Constituencies and its elected President

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Singapore's single-house Parliament, its Group Representation Constituencies and its elected President

Background

Singapore's Elections Department states that "our Parliament is single house and comprises three types of MPs": "Elected MPs; Non-Constituency MPs; and Nominated MPs". Parliament is therefore unicameral - there is no upper chamber.
"The Parliament has a term of 5 years but may be dissolved at any time before the expiry of its 5-year term by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister." A general election "must be held within 3 months of the dissolution of the Parliament".
Elected MPs are returned from Single Member Constituencies (SMCs) and Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs). "Each SMC returns one MP while each GRC can have three to six MPs, one of whom must be from the Malay Community or the Indian or Other Minority Communities. This is to ensure that the minority groups are represented in Parliament."
The Elections Department records the composition as "15 SMCs and 18 GRCs making a total of 33 constituencies and 97 MPs".
Non-Constituency MPs are drawn from opposition candidates who were not elected, on the basis of the highest percentage of votes polled; the maximum number allowed is 12 minus the total number of elected opposition MPs in Parliament.
"Under the Constitution, the President is the Head of State. The Prime Minister is the Head of Government." The President "is the Head of State and holds office for a term of 6 years", stands above party politics and "cannot be a member of a political party".
The President's custodial powers allow a veto in three areas: measures that would draw on Singapore's past reserves, appointments to key public offices such as the Chief Justice and the Attorney-General, and a protective category that includes authorising a Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau investigation.
Singapore has four official languages: English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil. Government terms and agency names are published in all four, the same multiracial design that the GRC minority requirement serves.

Structure of Singapore's Parliament: Our Parliament is single house and comprises three types of MPs Types of MPs: Elected MPs; Non-Constituency MPs; and Nominated MPs Term of Parliament: The Parliament has a term of 5 years Number of MPs a GRC can have: each GRC can have three to six MPs Minority requirement in a GRC: one of whom must be from the Malay Community or the Indian or Other Minority Communities Constituencies and MPs as recorded by the Elections Department: 15 SMCs and 18 GRCs making a total of 33 constituencies and 97 MPs Term of the President: The President is the Head of State and holds office for a term of 6 years Official languages of Singapore: English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil

Why it matters for exams: The Group Representation Constituency is the one electoral device unique to Singapore that comparative-polity questions reach for, and the elected President with custodial powers over reserves is the standard contrast with India's President.

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2 October 2026 Source: Elections Department Singapore Updated 20 October 2026

In plain words

GRC Group Representation Constituency — A Singapore constituency contested by a team of three to six candidates, at least one of whom must be from a minority community.

NCMP Non-Constituency Member of Parliament — An opposition candidate who lost but is seated in Parliament because of the share of votes polled.

Past reserves Singapore's past reserves — Reserves that were not accumulated during the present term of the Government, and which the President may protect from being drawn upon.