WP notes 'significant changes' to electoral boundaries, PSP says most of EBRC decision-making remains 'unexplained'

The Workers' Party (WP) and the Progress Singapore Party (PSP), the two opposition parties with Members in Parliament, have released statements regarding the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC) report on Mar. 11.

In statements on their social media, both opposition parties noted the changes announced in the report.

WP noted that the report contained "significant changes" in the boundaries, while PSP said that much of the EBRC's decision-making remains "unexplained".

In its report, EBRC cited reasons for its recommendations, such as population growth and its terms of reference including keeping the average ratio of electors to elected Members of Parliament (MPs) about the same as the previous election.

WP's statement

WP acknowledged the release of the EBRC's report and noted that it contained "some brief justifications for the redrawing of boundaries," such as the population growth of certain electoral districts.

WP said there were "significant changes to the areas where WP has been working consistently for the last few years."

Aljunied Group Representation Constituency (GRC) saw a change to its boundaries. According to EBRC's report, the Committee recommended "regularising some of the electoral boundaries along key geographical features."

It therefore moved polling districts in Tampines West and east of Bedok Reservoir will be moved from Aljunied GRC to Tampines GRC.

There were also changes to the boundaries of Marine Parade and East Coast GRC, areas where the WP won over 40 per cent of the vote in the 2020 general election.

The EBRC stated:

"Following the creation of the new Punggol GRC, the Committee recommended merging the remaining polling districts of Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC with the adjacent polling districts from East Coast GRC, comprising the Loyang and Flora estates, to form a new 4-MP Pasir Ris-Changi GRC.

Consequentially, the Committee recommended that East Coast GRC take in adjacent polling districts from Marine Parade GRC, comprising the Chai Chee HDB estates and the Siglap private estates, and remain as a 5-MP GRC."

Sengkang GRC and Hougang Single Member Constituency (SMC), both held by the WP, saw no changes.

"WP will share more information with the public in due course on the likely constituencies we will contest and our potential candidates," it said.

PSP's statement

PSP shared that they were "heartened" that EBRC had "somewhat disclosed" some of the reasoning behind its decision.

However, PSP said that "much of the EBRC's decisions remain unexplained" and that EBRC "could have accounted for population shifts without making drastic changes to existing major electoral boundaries."

The party cited the changes to Hong Kah North SMC due to the new Tengah estate.

PSP suggested that Hong Kah North SMC could have merged with Yuhua SMC and Bukit Batok SMC to form a new GRC.

"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," the party said.

The EBRC's report stated that Hong Kah North SMC had grown significantly and would continue to grow "rapidly" due to new housing developments in Tengah and Bukit Batok West.

"It has become too big to remain as an SMC," said the EBRC.

Therefore, the committee recommended that the Tengah estates be absorbed into Chua Chu Kang GRC.

To maintain Chua Chu Kang GRC as a four-member of Parliament GRC, the committee recommended carving out the Bukit Gombak and Hillview estates to form a new Bukit Gombak SMC.

Despite the Tengah estates being absorbed into Chua Chu Kang GRC, the EBRC said the remaining Hong Kah North SMC that comprises Bukit Batok West is "still too big and growing".

As such, the remaining polling districts of Hong Kah North SMC and the adjacent polling districts of Bukit Batok and Yuhua SMCs will merge with Jurong GRC to form a new Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC.

PSP said they would study the report and make further announcements about where they would contest at a later date.

The beginning

The EBRC published its report on Mar. 11, recommending 18 Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) and 15 Single Member Constituencies (SMCs).

Out of 15 SMCs, there are six newly formed SMCs —Bukit Gombak, Jalan Kayu, Jurong Central, Queenstown, Sembawang West and Tampines Changkat.

Yuhua, Bukit Batok, Hong Kah North, MacPherson and Punggol West SMCs have been absorbed into GRCs.

Out of 18 GRCs, there are five newly formed GRCs — Pasir Ris-Changi, Punggol, Jurong East-Bukit Batok, Marine Parade-Braddell Heights, and West Coast-Jurong West.

Based on these proposed changes, the Committee recommended increasing the number of MPs to 97 from the 93 that were elected in the last General Election.

The next milestone we can expect once the EBRC report is issued is the dissolution of Parliament.

By examining the 2006, 2011, 2015, and 2020 elections, after the EBRC report was published, it took between one month and slightly over three months before Parliament was dissolved and the Writ was issued.

Related stories

Top photos via WP/Facebook & PSP/Facebook