In response to a question in parliament by opposition MP Chiam See Tong, Wong said the island state's Electoral Boundaries Review Committee has not yet been formed.

The Committee, which reviews the make up of electoral wards to reflect population changes, can take up to three months to decide where boundary divisions should fall.

Singapore's next General Election must be held by August next year, but persistent rumours of an early election have circulated since December, when Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong told his ruling People's Action Party (PAP) to map out an election strategy.

Goh has subsequently refused to be drawn on the date, other than saying the poll will be before the middle of next year and "there is no special hurry".

But many analysts have forecast the election would be this year, especially after a slew of debates in parliament on election-related issues.

The favoured date was early September, soon after the National Day rally and coinciding with a school break, allowing the use of school premises as polling stations.

But this was no longer likely with the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee yet to be assembled.

With Goh to attend meetings of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperationforum and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in October and November, the next election window opens after the month of Ramadan ends on December 16, analysts said.

Singapore has never held a general election during the Muslim fasting period.

But such is the stranglehold the PAP has on Singapore politics -- holding 89 of the 92 seats -- that timing is unlikely to influence the election outcome.

Compared to its neighbours, affluent Singapore is politically stable with the PAP sweeping every election since 1959, after the former British colony was granted statehood.

The election outcome has often been settled as early as nomination day, when the opposition has failed to muster enough candidates to contest most seats.