BALLOT PAPERS FOR GENERAL ELECTIONS (Inclusion of photographs and names in different languages of candidates)

Mr Teo Chong Tee asked the Prime Minister whether the Elections Department will include photographs and names in different languages of candidates in the ballot papers for future general elections.

The Deputy Prime Minister, Prime Minister's Office (BG Lee Hsien Loong) (for the Prime Minister): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Elections Department does not intend to include on the ballot papers photographs of candidates, or the names of candidates in the three other official languages. This would make the ballot papers cumbersome, especially in Group Representation Constituencies. Every polling station already has a notice showing the names of the candidates in the four official languages.

The ballot papers will continue to carry the names of candidates in English together with their respective symbols. Singaporeans have voted this way in many elections and are accustomed to these arrangements. They have never had any difficulty identifying the candidates or the parties which the candidates belong to.