Punggol East MP Charles Chong said it was possible for three new GRCs to emerge from the northeast: Punggol GRC, Sengkang GRC and Pasir Ris GRC. Electoral boundaries committee formed: What does it mean and when will Singapore's GE be? Going by the numbers, divisions in the north-eastern part of the island are prime candidates to be redrawn. By registering, you agree to our T&C and Privacy Policy. This time around, the four-member constituency could see two of its MPs retire. Mr Chong had won by a thin margin of 51.77 per cent of votes in 2015. General Enquiries Until we resolve the issues, subscribers need not log in to access ST Digital articles. A senior cadre said one possibility being floated around is for Mr Chan to break away from Tanjong Pagar GRC, and form a new GRC comprising his Buona Vista ward, Radin Mas SMC and Telok Blangah ward in West Coast GRC - a spot currently held by retired minister Lim Hng Kiang. GOH CHOK TONG REMAINS "VERY MUCH INVOLVED": PAP. meREWARDS lets you get coupon deals, and earn cashback when you complete surveys, dine, travel and shop with our partners. They can read the article in full after signing up for a free account. But grassroots leaders in his Bedok ward are privately saying that they expect a new candidate to replace him. The committee that reviews Singapore's electoral boundaries has been formed, signalling the formal countdown to the next general election. Marine Parade Town Council was inaugurated on 5 July 1989 following the passage of the Town Councils Act in 1988.
Within the constituency, MP Teo Ser Luck's Sengkang Central ward, which grassroots leaders estimate to have around 85,000 residents, is said to be the largest in Singapore. Nearby Punggol East, with a similar profile, is also edging closer to the maximum voter capacity with 35,477 voters. East Coast GRC was formed in 1997 as a six-member Group Representation Constituency. "There will be the regular retirement of former anchor members of the GRCs in the east and with that, there may be the usual reconfiguration of boundaries.".
"If you think (Mr Goh) is not standing and therefore he’s not going to be around, I think you’ll see in the course of this campaign that that’s really not going to be the case," said Mr Tong. I don’t think it’s a question about replacement, I think all of us bring different abilities, different experiences, different talents, and importantly also work together as a team. But he said they are likely to be tweaks instead of a major chop and change. December, April-May dates seen as likeliest for next Singapore GE, Six-member GRCs may vanish in Singapore, say analysts, Electoral boundaries committee convened in first formal step towards next Singapore GE. "It's only as Sengkang has gotten bigger, that the MPs decided it was better to come together and talk to the agencies for better coordination and more efficiency," he said. Even the three constituencies that did not meet the PAP's vote share - Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC, Holland-Bukit Timah GRC and Bukit Panjang SMC - garnered a more-than-respectable portion in the high 60s percentage range. Another example they cite is Moulmein-Kallang GRC, which was broken up in 2015 after then Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew stepped down amid mounting unhappiness over rail disruptions. History. “The world is facing a crisis the likes of which we have not seen for many, many years. Cynics often speculate that some constituencies may be wiped out or broken up because the opposition had fared creditably in previous elections or PAP heavyweights are stepping down.
"It would be nice to preserve it, albeit that we will be below 20,000," he said. You can read this subscriber-only article in full, All done! The Electoral Boundaries Review Committee's (EBRC) report will set out the battleground for the next general election, which has to be held by April 2021. While the committee gets its terms of reference from the Prime Minister, and the main factors it is asked to consider are population changes and shifts, this has not stopped discussions over the years of political motivations behind boundary changes. Others suggested that labour MP Patrick Tay, who helms Boon Lay ward in West Coast GRC, is popular enough to helm a single-seat ward. Copyright© Mediacorp 2020. Mr Yee was part of the WP team that contested Marine Parade GRC in 2015, while Mr Ron Tan contested in Nee Soon GRC that year. Said Prof Singh: "We might see a chunk of Jurong GRC from Senior Minister Tharman's ward moved into West Coast GRC. With 242,225 voters as of April, Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC has swelled by almost a third since 2015, ballooning beyond the upper limit of 227,000 voters for a six-member GRC. Please click the links on the right to find out more about events happening at Parliament. "Punggol estate, once fully developed, is so big it could sustain a five-man GRC. The new faces replace Mr Goh and Dr Fatimah Lateef, who were part of PAP’s 2015 team.
In fact, it is possible for these two behemoths to both be reduced in size in one fell swoop, with the creation of a new Sengkang GRC. In the past three GEs under Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, the period between the announcement of the EBRC's formation and Polling Day has ranged between two and six months. It has been tasked to create more SMCs than the current 13, and further reduce the average size of GRCs, which were introduced in 1988 to ensure minority representation in Parliament. ©2017 Singapore Parliament. Last year's announcement accommodated the increase in new flats and included the Buangkok neighbourhood. ", Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates: https://cna.asia/telegram. SMCs Potong Pasir is the only ward among the 29 constituencies that has fallen below the minimum voter benchmark. The EBRC typically decides on the minimum and maximum number of voters per Member of Parliament by dividing the total number of electors by the existing number of MPs, then allowing for a generous variation of up to 30 per cent. "The boundary changes in themselves must be seen to be reasonable and fair," he added. Candidates from both parties successfully filed their nomination papers at Kong Hwa School on Tuesday (Jun 30). Some observers see the move as a prelude to a new GRC, which will take in Sengkang West and Punggol East SMCs to deal with the new demographics. National University of Singapore (NUS) sociologist Tan Ern Ser reckons that the constituency will stay, as there is no compelling reason to enlarge a nearby GRC. Address Block 57B New Upper Changi Road #01-1402 Singapore 463057. Both are expected to remain in politics for some time and could conceivably head their own GRCs in the coming election. This website is optimised for Chrome 68, 67, Safari 11, 10, Internet Explorer 11, 10, Firefox 61, 60 and Microsoft Edge 42, 41. Of the 10 constituencies clearly in the west, seven surpassed the PAP's national vote share of 69.9 per cent, with Jurong GRC - helmed by then-Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam - clocking the highest percentage of votes, with 79.29 per cent.
The gift link for this subscriber-only article has expired. For now, any changes are more likely to be the knock-on effect of changes to other wards.