Legislative power is vested in parliament, which consists of the president as its head and a single chamber whose members are elected by popular vote.
The role of the president as the head of state has been, historically, largely ceremonial although the constitution was amended in 1991 to give the president some veto powers in a few key decisions such as the use of the national reserves, as well as the appointment of key judiciary, civil service and Singapore Armed Forces posts.
Thomas Friedman of the New York Times also considers the country's civil service to be one of the most efficient and uncorrupt bureaucracies in the world, with a high standard of discipline and accountability.
This directly impacted the handful of small parties with links to Malaysia, most of which renamed themselves and/or cut formal foreign ties.
The government announced[10] that it was to "prevent foreigners from interfering in domestic politics through the financial support for any association's cause", and cited an example of a case in 1959 when S$700,000 was sent to Chew Swee Kee, then Education Minister from the Singapore People's Alliance by a "neighbouring intelligence service in a "black operation" against the interests of Singapore".
Another case was also cited pertaining to foreign financial support for Francis Seow of the Workers' Party in 1988.