After the announcement by the Prime Minister’s Office of formation of the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC), Workers’ Party Secretary-General Pritam Singh wrote about his take on social media saying to deal with elections is to “Keep calm and keep walking”.
However, he notes how, “they interestingly did not state when in August the committee was convened” which is a factor that serves as a clue to when the ERBC report would be released, and the subsequent calling of elections.
In its media release, the Elections Department said the committee has been directed to further reduce the average size of the Group Representation Constituencies and to have more than the current 13 Single Member Constituencies.
It added that in reviewing the electoral boundaries, the EBRC has to take into consideration significant changes in the number of electors in the current electoral divisions, as a result of population shifts and housing development.
Pritam wrote that despite all the messages he received informing him about the ERBC, he carried on with his house-visits and walkabout.
“Even so, renewed acquaintances this evening with Mdm Choo, a fantastic lady, 84 years young and with a heart of gold. I often see her at the Blk 630 hawker centre with her friends and she is a lovely person to all those who know her, regardless of race or religion. A few floors down, Azmi and his family interrupted their dinner to say hello. It is always heartwarming to see families eating together without the distraction of smartphones getting in the way of real conversations”.
“As serendipity would have it, met Mr Syed and his wife Jenny too. Syed joined the Singapore Police Force and retired after 34 years of service. A police veteran, having served since 1967, he recalled with fondness his posting at the Queenstown Police Station during the time of the 1981 Anson by-election,” Pritam said.
In his post, he wrote about his own family, adding that his wife and daughter were waiting for him to finish his walkabout.
On that note, he concluded his post and summed up his sentiments on the elections, “Like the families I meet during house-visits, the love of my family keeps me going – be it an election this year or the next!” /TISG