Why do political parties get deregistered?

Fourteen inactive political parties in Singapore have been deregistered after no evidence was provided of their continued existence.

- Samuel Devaraj

The Sunday Times finds out what this means.

WHY WERE THE 14 POLITICAL PARTIES DEREGISTERED?

In August, the Registry of Societies called on the 14 inactive parties to furnish proof of their existence within three months, after they had not complied with their reporting obligations under the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act (FICA) and were not contactable by the Registry of Foreign and Political Disclosures.

Under FICA, all political parties here are categorised as defined politically significant people, and have to meet annual requirements related to donations, volunteers, leadership and affiliations.

For instance, they have to report single donations of $10,000 or more, and are prohibited from receiving donations from foreigners. Individuals also need to disclose whether they have been granted migration benefits, such as honorary citizenship or permanent residency, by foreign governments.

However, none of the 14 inactive political parties furnished proof of their existence in the three months they were given, and another notice was published in the Government Gazette on Dec 4 to say that they have ceased to exist.