SINGAPORE: Following the release of the Electoral Boundary Review Committee (EBRC) report on Tuesday (March 11), several opposition parties have swiftly staked their claims to various constituencies. However, the Workers’ Party, Singapore Democratic Party and the Progress Singapore Party have yet to make their moves.
While the three opposition parties have responded to the EBRC report, they said they will further study it before revealing which constituencies they will contest in the upcoming general election, which must be held by November this year.
In a media release, the Workers’ Party said: “The report contains some brief justifications for the redrawing of boundaries, such as the population growth of certain electoral districts. We note there are significant changes to areas where WP has been working consistently for the last few years.
“WP will share more information with the public in due course on the likely constituencies we will contest and our potential candidates,” added the WP.
In the 2020 election, WP won the newly-created Sengkang Group Representation Constituency (GRC), while successfully defending Hougang Single Member Constituency (SMC), and Aljunied GRC.
Going beyond its own wards, the party has continued its community outreach with residents in East Coast GRC, Marine Parade GRC (now renamed Marine Parade—Braddell Heights GRC), and Tampines, constituencies held by the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP).
Meanwhile, the SDP has seen two of the constituencies it was active in — Yuhua SMC and Bukit Batok SMC — wiped off the electoral map and absorbed into the newly created Jurong East – Bukit Batok GRC. The new GRC also includes parts of Hong Kah North SMC and Jurong GRC.
Dr Chee Soon Juan, SDP’s long-serving secretary-general, mentioned in a video posted on their social media pages on March 12 that the party will announce its plan for the general election in the coming days.
The now-defunct Bukit Batok SMC was first contested by the SDP in the 1991 elections, with its candidate, Mr Kwan Yue Keng, polling 48.11% (11,347) against Mr Ong Chit Chung (51.82%, 12,205) of the PAP.
It was then absorbed into the Bukit Timah GRC in the following elections. But Bukit Batok SMC popped up again on the electoral map in the 2015 elections when it saw a three-cornered battle between the PAP’s Mr David Ong, the SDP’s Sadasivam and an independent candidate, Samir Salim Neji.
Dr Chee first contested in Bukit Batok SMC during a by-election in 2016, garnering 38.77% against the PAP’s Mr Murali Pillai. Although the SDP’s secretary general lost again in 2020 to the same opponent, Dr Chee performed better than before, winning 45.20% of the votes.
Responding to the EBRC report on Tuesday, the PSP secretary-general Ms Hazel Poa said, “We are heartened that the EBRC has somewhat disclosed more of the reasoning behind its decision, contrary to its previous report in 2020.”
“However, PSP’s view is that much of the EBRC’s decision-making remains unexplained, and the EBRC could have accounted for population shifts without making drastic changes to existing major electoral boundaries,” she added.
The PSP narrowly lost West Coast GRC to the People’s Action Party (PAP), securing the “best loser” status in that election. As a result, the PSP’s Mr Leong Mun Wai and Ms Poa took on the roles of Non-Constituency Members of Parliament (NCMPs).
Other constituencies that the PSP contested in 2020 include Chua Chu Kang GRC, Nee Soon GRC, and Tanjong Pagar GRC, as well as four SMCs: Pioneer, Hong Kah North, Marymount, Yio Chu Kang, and Kebun Baru.
A check of the Progress PSP recent activity on social media reveals a noticeable absence of engagement in Nee Soon and Tanjong Pagar, two constituencies now claimed by Red Dot United.
The four-party People’s Alliance for Reform has also staked claims to constituencies previously contested by the PSP: Tanjong Pagar, Marymount, Yio Chu Kang, and Kebun Baru.
Opposition parties stakes their electoral claims on constituencies
The stage is set for multi-cornered fights between the opposition parties and the ruling PAP in the upcoming general election. In previous years’ elections, multi-cornered contests saw at least one opposition candidate or team losing their deposit as they failed to meet the minimum threshold of 12.5%.
In the 2020 general elections, there were two constituencies that saw multi-cornered battles, Pioneer SMC and Pasir Ris – Punggol GRC, and at least one of the candidates or teams forfeited their election deposit.
In Pioneer SMC, independent candidate Mr Cheang Peng Wah received 2.78% or only a mere 655 votes, while the People’s Voice team at Pasir Ris – Punggol GRC polled only 12.17%, just below the minimum threshold of 12.5%.
Below are details of constituencies that several opposition parties intend to contest following the release of the EBRC report.
1) The Coalition: Red Dot United, National Solidarity Party, Singapore People’s Party, Singapore United Party
Red Dot United – 3 GRCs, 3 SMCs
Jurong – Bukit Batok GRC, Nee Soon GRC, Tanjong Pagar GRC
Jurong Central SMC, Jalan Kayu SMC, Radin Mas SMC
National Solidarity Party – 5 GRCs, 2 SMCs
Tampines GRC, Sembawang GRC, Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC, Jalan Besar GRC, Marine Parade GRC
Tampines Changkat SMC , Sembawang West SMC
Singapore People’s Party – 1 GRC, 1 SMC
Bishan – Toa Payoh GRC, Potong Pasir SMC
Singapore United Party – While they have yet to indicate which constituencies they intend to contest, the party has been active in Ang Mo Kio GRC, Yio Chu Kang SMC, and Kebun Bahru SMC.
2) People’s Alliance for Reform: People’s Voice, Reform Party, Democratic Progressive Party – 2 GRCs, 8 SMCs
Jalan Besar GRC, Tanjong Pagar GRC
Jalan Kayu SMC, Potong Pasir SMC, Mountbatten SMC, Radin Mas SMC, Queenstown SMC, Kebun Baru SMC, Marymount SMC, Yio Chu Kang SMC
3) Singapore Democratic Alliance: Singapore Justice Party, Singapore National Malay Organisation (PKMS)
Pasir Ris Changi GRC
4) People’s Power Party – 3 GRCs, 2 SMCs
Tampines GRC, Nee Soon GRC, Ang Mo Kio GRC, Tampines Changkat SMC, Jalan Kayu SMC