Jalan Besar Group Representation Constituency

Jalan Besar Group Representation Constituency is a four-member group representation constituency (GRC) in central Singapore. It has four divisions: Kreta Ayer–Kim Seng, Kolam Ayer, Whampoa, and Kampong Glam, managed by Jalan Besar Town Council.^[1] The current Members of Parliament (MPs) for the constituency are Denise Phua, Josephine Teo, Shawn Loh and Wan Rizal from the governing People's Action Party (PAP).

Jalan Besar GRC was created prior to the 1988 general election with three MPs. Led by Lee Boon Yang, the PAP team defeated the Workers' Party (WP) with 62.68% of the vote.^[2][3]

Prior to the 1991 general election, the GRC was expanded to have four MPs; the PAP won unopposed.^[4][5]

During the 1997 general election, the four-member PAP team, again led by Lee, defeated the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) with 67.55% of the vote.^[6]

During the 2001 general election, the five-member PAP team defeated the Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) with 74.49% of the vote.^[7]

During the 2006 general election, the five-member PAP team defeated the SDA with 69.26% of the vote.^[8]

Jalan Besar GRC was dissolved ahead of the 2011 general election in favour of Moulmein–Kallang GRC and Whampoa Single Member Constituency (SMC). The Kreta Ayer–Kim Seng division was redrawn into Tanjong Pagar GRC.^[9]

In 1999, Choo Wee Khiang was charged with cheating for issuing a false invoice from his company in November 1990 to Wong See Kee, his brother-in-law. Choo resigned from the PAP and Parliament before pleading guilty in court to a charge which was reduced from aggravated to simple cheating.^[10] Under Singaporean law at the time, an MP would lose their seat if they were sentenced to at least one year's imprisonment or a fine of more than S$2,000.^[11] Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that Choo had done "the right thing" in resigning before pleading guilty in court.^[12] Choo was sentenced to two weeks' jail and fined $10,000.^[13][14]

Prior to the 2015 general election, Jalan Besar GRC was reformed with four MPs after one parliamentary term, covering areas it had encompassed before its abolition in 2011.^[9] Led by Yaacob Ibrahim, the PAP team defeated the WP with 67.75% of the vote.^[15][16]

Prior to the 2020 general election, Yaacob and Lily Neo retired from politics; Josephine Teo was redeployed from Bishan–Toa Payoh GRC to lead the PAP team for Jalan Besar GRC. The PAP team defeated Lim Tean and his Peoples Voice (PV) party with 65.36% of the vote.^[17][18]

In the 2025 general election, the PAP announced that Heng Chee How, incumbent MP for Jalan Besar GRC, would be replaced by Shawn Loh as a candidate for the GRC.^[19] The PAP team defeated the People's Alliance for Reform (PAR), a political coalition, with 75.21% of the vote.^[18]

Note: The Elections Department does not include rejected votes when calculating the vote shares of candidates. Hence, all candidates' vote shares will total to 100% at any given election (may not appear so in multi-way contests due to rounding).

• Jalan Besar SMC
• Moulmein–Kallang GRC