Creation and first existence (1988–2011) 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. Prior to the
1991 general election, the GRC was expanded to have four MPs; the PAP won unopposed. 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. During the
2001 general election, the five-member PAP team defeated the
Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) with 74.49% of the vote. During the
2006 general election, the five-member PAP team defeated the SDA with 69.26% of the vote. 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.
Corruption by and resignation of Choo Wee Khiang 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. 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.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that Choo had done "the right thing" in resigning before pleading guilty in court. Choo was sentenced to two weeks' jail and fined $10,000.
Second existence (2015–present) 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. 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. 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. The PAP team defeated the
People's Alliance for Reform (PAR), a political coalition, with 75.21% of the vote. ==Members of Parliament==