SINGAPORE — For the first time in three years, the division bell rang in Parliament yesterday to signal a division.

Workers’ Party Member of Parliament (MP) Low Thia Khiang called for division on the amended motion to endorse the Population White Paper.

In a division, the vote of each Member is collected and tabulated through an electronic voting system.

According to the Parliament website, many decisions in Parliament or in Committee are made by a collection of voices.

However, an MP may challenge the Speaker’s opinion of the outcome and claim for a further vote by calling for a division. The claim for a division must be supported by at least four other MPs.

The last time the division bell was rung was in April 2010, during a parliamentary debate on changes to the constitution to, among other things, increase the maximum number of Non-Constituency MPs and to entrench the Nominated Member of Parliament scheme as a staple feature of all future Parliaments and not a matter to be determined by each new Parliament.

The Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (Amendment) Bill was subsequently passed 74-1, with Mr Low voting against it.