Police aim to allocate 2 rally sites for each GRC, 1 for each SMC for GE2025

The upcoming general election (GE) will see the return of physical political rallies, confirmed Minister of State for Home Affairs Sun Xueling in Parliament on Feb. 18, 2025.

The police aim to designate two sites for such rallies for each Group Representation Constituency (GRC) and one site for each Single Member Constituency (SMC).

Sun was responding to Pritam Singh, leader of the Workers' Party and opposition, who asked how many physical rally sites will be available for the upcoming GE, how soon will the list of sites be available, and whether the Elections Department can release the list of physical rally sites when the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC) submits its report to Parliament.

Sun added that one site will be identified for lunchtime rallies.

Such rallies are deeply embedded in Singapore's political lore, with both prime ministers, the late Lee Kuan Yew and Lee Hsien Loong, holding lunchtime rallies at Fullerton Square and UOB Plaza.

Sun said the list of rally sites would be released at the end of nomination proceedings on Nomination Day.

"This is consistent with the approach taken for the parliamentary general elections with physical rallies held in 2011 and 2015," she said of the arrangements, CNA reported.

She added that the police were assessing a range of rally sites that can include open fields, stadiums and schools.

Physical rallies were not a feature in GE2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which meant that Singapore has not witnessed such rallies for a general election in 10 years.

Top image by Mothership.