Singapore’s opposition parties lay early claims, question electoral boundaries

[SINGAPORE] Opposition parties staked claims and raised objections following Tuesday’s (Mar 11) release of new electoral boundaries for the upcoming election.

The People’s Alliance for Reform (PAR) signalled its intentions, but the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) and Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) both said they would study the report, while questioning some changes.

The Workers’ Party (WP) did not make specific criticisms, but said: “We note there are significant changes to areas where WP has been working consistently for the last few years.”

It added that it will share information on the likely constituencies to contest and potential candidates “in due course”.

PAR intends to contest eight Single Member Constituencies (SMCs) – including the newly formed Jalan Kayu and Queenstown – and Jalan Besar and Tanjong Pagar Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs).

The other SMCs it will contest are: Potong Pasir, Mountbatten, Radin Mas, Kebun Baru, Marymount and Yio Chu Kang.

The opposition alliance comprises the Peoples Voice (PV), the Reform Party and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

PAR secretary-general Lim Tean said the alliance was “outraged at the wanton redrawing of the electoral boundaries with no good reasons given”, particularly the absorbing of parts of Potong Pasir SMC and Mountbatten SMC into the new Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC.

In GE 2020, PV, led by Lim, contested Mountbatten SMC, Jalan Besar GRC and Pasir-Ris Punggol GRC.

The new Jalan Kayu SMC was carved out of Ang Mo Kio GRC, which the Reform Party contested in GE2020.

No need for ‘drastic changes’

The Electoral Boundaries Review Committee’s (EBRC) report recommended widespread changes, with only five GRCs and four SMCs untouched.

Five SMCs were split up or absorbed into GRCs – including Hong Kah North SMC, which the PSP had contested in GE2020 alongside four GRCs and four other SMCs.

On Tuesday, the PSP questioned the treatment of this SMC, which was absorbed into Chua Chu Kang GRC and the newly formed Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC.

The PSP said it was “heartened that the EBRC has somewhat disclosed more of the reasoning behind its decisions” but felt “much of the EBRC’s decision-making remains unexplained”.

It added that “the EBRC could have accounted for population shifts without making drastic changes to existing major electoral boundaries”.

Hong Kah North SMC could have been merged with Yuhua SMC and Bukit Batok to form a new GRC, suggested the PSP. “Instead, this was used to justify changing the electoral boundaries of Jurong GRC, West Coast GRC, Chua Chu Kang GRC, Tanjong Pagar GRC and Radin Mas SMC.”

Of those, the PSP contested West Coast GRC, Chua Chu Kang GRC and Tanjong Pagar GRC in GE2020. It also contested Nee Soon GRC, which was unchanged.

West Coast GRC – where PSP secured 48.3 per cent of votes in GE2020 – was renamed West Coast-Jurong West GRC, absorbing estates in Jurong West and Taman Jurong and losing its Harbourfront and Sentosa polling districts.

Tanjong Pagar GRC had Queenstown SMC carved out, while absorbing the Dover and Telok Blangah estates from West Coast GRC.

Chua Chu Kang GRC had Bukit Gombak SMC carved out and took in Tengah estate from Hong Kah North SMC, along with new public housing estates from Holland-Bukit Timah GRC.

As for its GE2025 plans, the party said: “PSP will study the report and make further announcements regarding where we will be contesting in the General Election in due course.”

“Disappointed” with disappearing SMCs

Meanwhile, the SDP said it was “obviously disappointed with the disappearance of Yuhua and Bukit Batok SMCs”, where it contested in GE2020.

Both were merged into Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC, with some Yuhua SMC districts also going into the new Jurong Central SMC.

“It seems coincidental that this happened so soon after the highly successful fundraisers for the SDP campaign in Bukit Batok,” said SDP, adding that the redrawing of electoral boundaries “lacks transparency”.

SDP did not indicate where it plans to contest, saying: “We will have to study the details of all the changes carefully and consolidate our plans.”

Of other divisions that SDP contested in GE2020, Bukit Panjang SMC and Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC remained unchanged, while Holland-Bukit Timah GRC saw minor changes.

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