EBRC yet to convene but Singaporeans speculate on which seats may swing in looming election

SINGAPORE: Education Minister Chan Chun Sing said in Parliament earlier this week that the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC) has yet to be convened in response to a question from Workers’ Party MP Louis Chua, who asked what about terms of reference provided to the ERBC, as well as how the principles underlying them are determined.

Mr Chan said that the Prime Minister will set out the terms of reference when the ERBC is convened.

The EBRC, which sets electoral boundaries before each general election, should consider significant changes in the number of electors in each electoral division due to population shifts and housing developments since the election, the Minister added.

In the meantime, some netizens have been speculating about which seats in Parliament may switch from the ruling party to the opposition or vice versa.

u/limhy0809 asked in a r/Singapore post last month, “What seats do you think might swing this year?”

“2020 to 2024 has been a difficult time for Singaporeans. How will this translate into the results this year? Will the unhappiness and problems of the PAP lead to a stronger opposition than ever before?” they wrote.

The post author called Jalan Besar “an interesting case,” noting that the People’s Voice team, led by Lim Tean, had won 35 per cent of the vote in the last election.

“Due to the general dislike of Jo Teo who now leads the GRC. A credible opposition contesting there could see a tough fight,” they added.

Another possible trouble spot for the PAP could be Marine Parade GRC, which lost the popular ex-House Speaker Tan Chuan-Jin last year, as he resigned due to a scandal.

Meanwhile, the WP, which nearly won East Coast GRC in 2020, is now minus its central figure, Nicole Seah, who resigned over a similar reason.

The WP also may find a tough battle at Sengkang GRC, with the resignation of former MP Raeesah Khan in late 2021 after it was discovered that she had lied in Parliament more than once.

The Progress Singapore Party also nearly wrested West Coast GRC from the PAP in GE2020, but u/limhy0809 has pointed out that it has lost ground in the ward since then.

One Reddit user speculated that former WP chief Low Thia Khiang “Singapore washing,” which has become shorthand for Chinese companies relocating to Singapore to sidestep tensions between the United States and China.

Senior Counsel Harpreet Singh teams up at East Coast or Marine Parade, and the party would have a good chance of winning in those wards.

Others argued, however, that Mr Low’s return to the political arena would signal a loss of confidence in the party’s current leadership.

A Reddit user wrote that they feel Tampines, especially Tampines North, has been ignored, which means better chances for opposition parties who would contest there. /TISG

Read also: EBRC meeting on the cards this week? Release of election map and voter rolls update sparks GE timing speculation