7-term PAP MP Charles Chong contested 2 different SMCs against WP, only for them to be absorbed into GRCs

The veteran MP who makes SMCs disappear.

Jason Fan | March 14, 2020, 03:33 PM

According to the newly released electoral boundaries report, Punggol East single member constituency (SMC) has been absorbed by Sengkang GRC, the only new Group Representation Constituency (GRC) created.

Punggol East SMC is currently represented by seven-term People's Action Party (PAP) Member of Parliament and Deputy Speaker Charles Chong.

This means that Lee Li Lian from the Workers' Party (WP) will not have the chance for a rematch with Chong.

Lee represented Punggol East SMC as its MP before losing to Chong's first attempt at the SMC in General Election 2015.

The situation is somewhat similar to WP's Yee Jenn Jong, who narrowly lost to Chong in his first attempt at Joo Chiat SMC in GE 2011.

Joo Chiat SMC was also drawn to be part of a GRC - Marine Parade GRC - in 2015.

WP's Lee Li Lian won the by-election in 2013 by a decisive margin

In late 2012, PAP MP and Speaker Michael Palmer, who was representing Punggol East, resigned from his seat, due to him having an extramarital affair.

A by-election was held, and Koh Poh Koon, who is now the Senior Minister of State for the Ministry of Trade and Industry, as well as an MP representing Ang Mo Kio, squared off against WP's Lee.

Lee emerged victorious, garnering 54.50 per cent of the votes, as compared to Koh's 43.73 per cent.

The Reform Party and the Singapore Democratic Alliance both fielded candidates as well, who won 1.20 per cent and 0.57 per cent of the vote respectively.

Lee won the by-election with a decisive margin of almost 11 per cent.

Lee lost her seat in 2015 to Chong

However, the tides turned during GE2015, when PAP fielded veteran MP Charles Chong, who was a six-time MP then.

Chong managed to wrest control of Punggol East SMC from Lee, with 51.76 per cent of the votes, against Lee's 48.24 per cent.

However, Chong's victory was significantly less decisive than Lee's in the 2013 by-election, given how he only won by a little more than 3 per cent.

Chong is apparently no stranger to close contests.

In 2011, Chong was sent to Joo Chiat SMC to replace retiring PAP MP Chan Soo Sen, where he faced off against WP's Yee Jenn Jong.

Chong won another narrow victory against Yee, with 51.02 per cent of the votes, compared to Yee's 48.98 per cent, with a difference of only 388 votes.

Both Joo Chiat SMC and Punggol East SMC were absorbed after Chong entered

With Punggol East SMC being absorbed into the new Sengkang GRC, Lee will no longer be able to re-contest her previous constituency.

Lee responded to this new development with a brief Facebook post, where she claimed that it was "not surprising", as Punggol East SMC is "swelling".

This makes her situation similar to WP's Yee, who similarly lost his chance to re-contest his previous constituency after Joo Chiat SMC was absorbed into Marine Parade GRC in 2015.

Back in 2015, after receiving the news that Joo Chiat SMC has been absorbed, Yee said that he was "highly, highly and absolutely disappointed," and said that there was no clear justification for the changes.

This means that for two election cycles in a row, Chong has managed to contest an SMC against the WP, win in his first try, only for the SMC to be part of the GRC the following election.

Will the joint third longest serving parliamentarian, after Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, be third time lucky in making a third SMC a white elephant ?

Stay tuned.

Top image from Gov.sg.