Singapore’s Elections Department (ELD) announced on Friday, February 1, that electoral registers are currently being prepared. Moreover, it also said that the island of Pedra Branca has now been added to the East Coast electoral division.
Today reported that the ELD also said that the registers will be available for inspection by the public in the latter half of this month.
All citizens from the ages of 21 years old and older, and who have not been disqualified from voting under the law, will have their names listed in the registers.
Voters should have local home addresses written in their NRICs as of February 1. If they are living abroad, they should still have a local address registered with the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) in order to be able to vote.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong included Pedra Branca island under the East Coast GRC due to section 8 of the Parliamentary Elections Act. The East Coast electoral division also includes Pulau Ketam, Pulau Ubin, Pulau Sekudu, Pulau Tekong Kechil, Pulau Tekong, the islands of Pulau Serangoon.
Pedra Branca has a history of being a disputed territory since both Singapore and Malaysia laid claim to it. But in 2008, the International Court of Justice declared that the island is part of Singapore’s territory. While Malaysia challenged this in February 2018, it decided to no longer contest the ruling by May 2018.
Today inquired from the ELD as to why Pedra Branca is included in the East Coast electoral division now, and why not in time for the 2011 General Election. “All off-shore islands that are part of Singapore’s territory are included in our electoral map,” the ELD told Today.
Read related: Singapore happy Malaysia dropped Pedra Branca challenge
https://theindependent.sg.sg/singapore-happy-malaysia-dropped-pedra-branca-challenge/