Residents tell WP team that because of electoral boundary changes, they’ve ‘technically relocated’ twice ‘without physically moving’

SINGAPORE: Workers’ Party politician Kenneth Foo, whom the party fielded as a candidate at East Coast GRC in 2020, took to Facebook to write about how the redrawing of electoral boundaries prior to the coming elections has left some residents, whose constituency has changed twice in the past decade, “confused and amused.”

Though they’ve stayed in the same place, they’ve “technically relocated,” they told Mr Foo.

He wrote that on Saturday (March 29), he and a team of volunteers had carried out a house visit at Opera Estate, which, due to the latest round of electoral boundaries, is now part of East Coast GRC.

He added that the area is familiar to the WP since it was part of Joo Chiat SMC and Marine Parade GRC before the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee announced the changes for the upcoming GE. Mr Foo recalled that the WP’s Yee Jenn Jong had contested at Joo Chiat SMC in 2011, losing to the incumbent by only 388 votes.

That narrow loss was enough to send Mr Yee to Parliament as a Non-Constituency MP. However, in its aftermath, Joo Chiat was made part of Marine Parade GRC.

“Notably, in just five years, it is now grouped under East Coast GRC. Some residents expressed confusion and amusement at the changes, joking that they had technically relocated without physically moving,” added Mr Foo, the WP’s Deputy Organising Secretary.

He wrote that, nevertheless, “The Workers’ Party has maintained continuous engagement with residents since 2011, and we appreciate the warm reception and open conversations during the visit. We look forward to meeting more residents in the future.”

Other WP leaders have also raised questions regarding the newest electoral boundaries.

Last week, party chief and Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh expressed his concerns in a social media post over the EBRC 2025 report, questioning the fairness of the boundary redrawing process, particularly in constituencies where the opposition has made significant gains in recent elections.

He wrote, “Since the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (ERBC) 2025 report was released about two weeks ago, there has been significant public commentary, especially by young Singaporeans questioning the fairness of the political boundary redrawing process by the PAP government.”

The Leader of the Opposition added that constituencies that are closely contested have tended to get redrawn by the following election and noted that there had been incredulity when “population growth” was cited as the reason for “one of the most radical redrawing of boundaries Singapore has seen in recent memory.”

Party chair Sylvia Lim expressed disappointment with how the boundaries of Aljunied were withdrawn. Three polling districts in Tampines West, with 3,834 voters, will be transferred from Aljunied GRC, which the WP has held since 2011, to the People’s Action Party-held Tampines GRC. /TISG

Read also: ‘It’s a pity’: Sylvia Lim expresses disappointment over Aljunied GRC boundary change