Fourteen inactive political parties struck off as Singapore trims register

Fourteen inactive political parties in Singapore have been officially deregistered after failing to confirm their continued existence. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) published the cessation notice in the Government Gazette on 4 December, 2025.

The Registry of Societies, under MHA, had called on the parties in August to provide proof of activity within three months. The notification followed the parties' failure to comply with requirements under the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act (FICA). None responded.

Among the deregistered parties are historically significant entities such as Barisan Sosialis (BS), once Singapore’s most prominent opposition force, and the United People’s Party, founded by former PAP leader Ong Eng Guan after his expulsion in 1961.

Singapore now has 20 registered political parties, down from 34.

FICA designates political parties as politically significant persons, requiring annual declarations concerning donations, leadership, volunteer networks, and affiliations. Parties must report donations of S$10,000 or more and are prohibited from receiving funds from foreign sources. Individuals must also disclose any foreign-granted migration benefits such as honorary citizenship or permanent residency.

MHA noted that the Registry of Foreign and Political Disclosures had been unable to contact the parties, which likely no longer function.

The 14 parties deregistered are:

• Alliance Party Singapura

• Barisan Sosialis

• National Party of Singapore

• Partai Rakyat, Singapore State Division

• Parti Kesatuan Ra’ayat (United Democratic Party)

• The People’s Front

• The People’s Liberal Democratic Party

• People’s Republican Party

• Persatuan Melayu Singapura

• Singapore Chinese Party

• Singapore Indian Congress

• United National Front

• United People’s Front

• United People’s Party

Most of these parties were active in the 1950s and 1960s and have remained dormant for decades.

Barisan Sosialis: a prominent fall

Among those struck off, Barisan Sosialis held the greatest historical weight. Formed on 29 July, 1961 by a left-wing faction expelled from the PAP, BS quickly became the dominant opposition force under leaders such as Lim Chin Siong and Lee Siew Choh.

Its momentum was halted in 1963 with Operation Coldstore, a security sweep supported by British and Malayan authorities. Over 100 opposition figures were detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA), including Lim. The detentions crippled the party’s organisational capacity.

Parliamentary boycotts by BS MPs were followed by further arrests in 1966 and 1967, including that of Chia Thye Poh, who was detained without trial for decades. BS boycotted the 1968 general election, resulting in a clean sweep by the PAP and cementing its political dominance.

From 1963 to 1966, BS’s branches shrank from 36 to 33, with only 22 deemed active. In contrast, the PAP maintained all 51 branches.

BS returned for the 1972 general election but failed to secure any seats. Subsequent contests yielded similar results, signalling the party’s diminished influence.

In 1988, with the introduction of the Group Representation Constituency (GRC) scheme – requiring electoral teams to include at least one minority candidate – BS and the Singapore United Front merged into the Workers’ Party (WP) in a bid to strengthen the opposition’s position. While the merger occurred in practice, BS’s formal dissolution was not approved, as its constitution required agreement from all branches, none of which remained active.

The party has remained dormant since, until its formal removal from the register in 2025.

Other historical parties removed

Alliance Party Singapura, also deregistered, was a federation of the Singapore People’s Alliance and local branches of Malaysia’s UMNO, MCA, and MIC. Its poor showing in the 1963 general election contributed to strained federal relations and, eventually, Singapore’s separation from Malaysia.

The Singapore Chinese Party and Singapore Indian Congress were similarly affiliated with Malaysia’s racial-political framework through MCA and MIC.

The People’s Front, or Barisan Rakyat, was a splinter group from BS that contested the 1972 general election. Most of its members would later join the Workers’ Party.

The deregistration of these parties reflects the formal administrative closure of groups that, while inactive for decades, once played defining roles in Singapore’s early political evolution.