Does the Speaker of Parliament have to be a Member of Parliament?

Last updated on May 7, 2011

A question during the General Elections 2011 was whether Zainul Abideen Rasheed had to be a Member of Parliament in order to be Speaker of Parliament. He had been earmarked as such by the People’s Action Party, and there were claims that he had to be elected in order to be Speaker. If that were the case, Malay voters might vote for him to have a Malay as the Speaker.

But the answer is no, one does not have to be a Member of Parliament to be a Speaker of Parliament, according to section 40(2) of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore.

However, if Mr Zainul is not elected to be a Member of Parliament, the PAP with its likely majority in Parliament may well decide to choose someone who has been elected to be the Speaker of Parliament.

General Election

Conducting the Election
  1. Voting in the Singapore General Election
  2. Singapore General Elections: Voting Criteria and Election Procedure
  3. Explaining the Singapore General Election process in 4 points
  4. Is it compulsory to vote in the elections?
  5. When does a Singapore Parliament election have to be held?
  6. What is section 49, sub section 7E, paragraph A of the Parliamentary Elections Act?
Candidates
  1. Who can be a candidate in the general elections?
  2. Is it better to run as a party candidate or as an independent?
After the Election
  1. Does the Speaker of Parliament have to be a Member of Parliament?
  2. What are the Functions and Duties of a Town Council?
  3. Leader of the Opposition in Singapore: Roles and Resources
  4. What is the monthly allowance for a Singapore Member of Parliament (MP)?
  5. What is the monthly allowance for a Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP)?
  6. Is it possible for Singapore to have a coalition government in the future?