Electoral boundaries changes of the 2025 Singaporean general election

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The Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC), which reviews and updates the Singapore's electoral map before the elections, was convened on 22 January 2025 for the 2025 Singaporean general election. The EBRC released their report on 11 March, which called for the creation of 18 Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) and 15 Single Member Constituencies (SMCs). The number of elected MPs in the next parliament has increased by four seats to 97.

Contents

The report introduces six SMCs of Jurong Central, Sembawang West, as well as returning SMCs of Bukit Gombak, Jalan Kayu, Queenstown and Tampines Changkat after these SMCs are subsumed into GRCs. Five SMCs were absorbed into neighbouring GRCs, while the boundaries for four existing SMCs, namely Bukit Panjang, Hougang, Marymount and Pioneer, remained unchanged. Several GRCs in the east and west were reorganised. Jurong GRC was split into the newly-established Jurong East–Bukit Batok and West Coast–Jurong West GRCs. Jurong West GRC was renamed to West Coast–Jurong West GRC. Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC was split into Pasir Ris–Changi and Punggol GRCs. Marine Parade GRC had also been renamed into Marine Parade–Braddell Heights GRC after absorbing MacPherson and parts of Potong Pasir and Mountbatten.

According to the EBRC, these changes were to account for the uneven distribution of growth in the number of electors across the existing electoral divisions. Nevertheless, the South China Morning Post observed that the redrawn constituencies were areas where the PAP faced strong competition against the opposition in the previous election. The boundary changes were accepted by the Singapore government, but some opposition parties felt the changes were "drastic" and criticised the redrawing process for lacking transparency.

History

Background

The electoral divisions in Singapore are organised into Single Member Constituencies (SMCs) and Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs). Each SMC returns one Member of Parliament (MP) using the first past the post voting system, while each GRC returns four or five MPs by party block voting. At least one candidate in the GRC must be from the Malay, Indian or other minority communities. A group of candidates intending to contest an election in a GRC must all be members of the same political party, or a group of independent candidates. Elections are conducted by the Elections Department (ELD), a department under the Prime Minister's Office. [1]

Before elections could be called, the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC) had to be convened. The EBRC evaluates the existing electoral boundaries and recommends adjustments based on changes in the electorate such as population shifts and housing developments. [2] The opposition has criticised the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) of gerrymandering and has called for reforms in the redrawing process, which included appointing a High Court judge as ERBC chairman instead of the Secretary to the Prime Minister. Minister-in-charge of the Public Service Chan Chun Sing denied the claims and insisted the ERBC "functions independently and objectively" in the voters' interests. The proposed reform motion was rejected by 76 MPs in August 2024. [3]

The Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC) was convened on 22 January 2025 for the 2025 Singaporean general election. [4] The members of the EBRC include Tan Kee Yong (as chairman), Lim Zhi Yang (as secretary), Tan Meng Dui (who was also the returning officer in the previous election [5] ), Low Hsien Yang Colin and Koh Eng Chuan. [6]

Report release

The EBRC released their report on 11 March, which called for the creation of 18 GRCs and 15 SMCs. [7] These changes were to account for the uneven distribution of growth in the number of electors across the existing electoral divisions. [8] The number of MPs in the next parliament was increased to 97 elected seats. [9]

The report introduces six SMCs: Jurong Central, Sembawang West, and returning SMCs of Bukit Gombak (which was last seen in the 1997 election), Jalan Kayu, Queenstown and Tampines Changkat (all three were redrawn to GRCs in 1988). Five SMCs of Bukit Batok, Hong Kah North, MacPherson, Punggol West and Yuhua were absorbed into neighbouring GRCs. [10] The boundaries for four existing SMCs were left untouched, namely Bukit Panjang, Hougang, Marymount and Pioneer. [9]

Owing to population and electorate growth in several GRCs from the eastern and western Singapore, these wards were either reorganised into new GRCs or redistricted elsewhere. [11] A majority of Jurong GRC was split into the newly-established Jurong East–Bukit Batok, [12] with the remainder of western Jurong and Taman Jurong distributed to West Coast–Jurong West GRC. [13] The overpopulated Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC was hived into two new four-member GRCs of Pasir Ris–Changi and Punggol. [14] Marine Parade GRC had also been renamed into Marine Parade–Braddell Heights GRC as it absorbes MacPherson, a part of Potong Pasir and Mountbatten. [7] The remaining five GRCs of Bishan–Toa Payoh, Jalan Besar, Marsiling–Yew Tee, Nee Soon and Sengkang were left untouched. [9]

While opposition-held wards were usually left untouched in the redistricting cycle, Aljunied GRC had three polling divisions in western Tampines to be redistricted to the neighbouring Tampines GRC. [15] [16] Kebun Baru and Yio Chu Kang also had relatively minor changes, with one division from Lentor being transferred from Yio Chu Kang to Kebun Baru. [17]

According to ELD, the renaming of Jurong, Marine Parade and West Coast GRCs were to promote identity reflection, citing "better reflect(ion of) the identities of the geographical areas in the GRCs". [18]

Main changes

Electoral boundary changes between 2020 and 2025
Electoral boundaries during the Singapore general elections 2020.svg
2020 electoral boundaries
Constituencies for Singapore's General Election 2025.svg
2025 electoral boundaries

The changes made in the electoral divisions are as follows: [9] [19] [20]

Name of constituencyChanges
Aljunied GRC Carved out portions of Bedok Reservoir areas and Temasek Polytechnic from Bedok Reservoir-Punggol into Tampines GRC
Ang Mo Kio GRC Portions of Jalan Kayu and Fernvale divisions were carved into Jalan Kayu SMC.
Remainder of Jalan Kayu division were split into Buangkok Green and Serangoon North divisions respectively.
Chua Chu Kang GRC Carved out southernmost part of Bukit Gombak into SMC
Absorbed portions of Tengah from Hong Kah North SMC (and forming Tengah division), and Rail Green portion of Holland-Bukit Timah GRC
East Coast GRC Carved out Changi portion (including Pedra Branca, Pulau Tekong and Pulau Ubin, Jewel Changi Airport and Changi Village) from Siglap division into Pasir Ris–Changi GRC.
Carved out Tampines portion (HDB BTOs) into either Tampines Changkat SMC
Absorbed Kampong Chai Chee portion and Siglap/Joo Chiat portion from Marine Parade GRC, further repositioning the Siglap division into the west.
Holland-Bukit Timah GRC Carved out portions of Hillview into Bukit Gombak SMC and Junction 10 / Bukit Panjang Temporary Bus Park to Chua Chu Kang GRC
Kebun Baru SMC
Yio Chu Kang SMC 		A minor area from Lentor was transferred from Yio Chu Kang into neighboring Kebun Baru.
Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC New Constituency
Formed from Bukit Batok SMC, portions of Hong Kah North and Yuhua SMCs, and eastern parts of Jurong GRC (except Jurong Central)
Marine Parade–Braddell Heights GRC New Constituency
Formed from Marine Parade GRC, MacPherson SMC and parts of Mountbatten and Potong Pasir SMCs
Carved out Joo Chiat and Chai Chee divisions into East Coast GRC
Pasir Ris–Changi GRC New Constituency
Formed from the Pasir Ris portions of Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC and Changi portions from East Coast GRC
Punggol GRC New Constituency
Formed from the Punggol portions of Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC and Punggol West SMC
Sembawang GRC Carved out Sembawang West division into SMC
Tampines GRC Absorbed the Bedok Reservoir and Temasek Polytechnic areas from Aljunied GRC, while Tampines Changkat division was carved into SMC
Tanjong Pagar GRC Carved Queenstown division into SMC
Absorbed one-north, Dover and Telok Blangah portions from West Coast GRC (with Sentosa and HarbourFront portions carved into Radin Mas SMC)
West Coast–Jurong West GRC New Constituency
Formed from West Coast GRC (excluding one-north, Dover and Telok Blangah portions), and most of Jurong Spring and Taman Jurong divisions from Jurong GRC

Reactions

The boundary changes were accepted by the Singapore government. [21] Janil Puthucheary, a senior minister of state and a PAP cadre, felt the extensive changes were "appropriate" and reflects the country's population growth. [22] On the other hand, the opposition parties accused ELD officials of gerrymandering. [23] The Workers' Party (WP) acknowledged the "significant changes" in areas where it has been active in recent years but refrained from direct criticism. The party stated that it would announce where it plans to contest "in due course". [24] [25] WP chief and Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh called it "one of the most radical redrawing of boundaries Singapore has seen in recent memory". [26] While the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) is "heartened that the EBRC has somewhat disclosed more of the reasoning behind its decisions, contrary to its previous report in 2020", the party felt "the EBRC could have accounted for population shifts without making drastic changes to existing major electoral boundaries". [27] The PSP plans to examine the ERBC report before announcing where it would contest. [28] [29]

The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) expressed "disappointment with the disappearance of Yuhua and Bukit Batok SMCs" – the electoral districts where the SDP plans to contest [30] [28] – and claimed the process of redrawing boundaries "lacked transparency". [27] The People's Power Party (PPP) also claimed the ERBC report was "skewed to protect (the PAP's) electoral interests", but plans to contest in the new Jalan Kayu and Tampines Changkat SMCs alongside Ang Mo Kio, Nee Soon and Tampines GRCs. Lim Tean, who is leading the People's Alliance for Reform (PAR), criticised "wanton redrawing of the electoral boundaries" and protested against the incorporation of Potong Pasir SMC and Mountbatten SMC into Marine Parade–Braddell Heights. Its component party, Peoples Voice (PV), was active in these districts. [27] Nevertheless, Lim Tean declared that his coalition is ready to contest in 10 constituencies. [31]

The Singapore Democratic Alliance plans to contest in Pasir Ris–Changi GRC, and is open to discussions with WP regarding the boundary changes for Punggol GRC. Spencer Ng, the secretary general of the National Solidarity Party (NSP), said the party was "deeply disappointed and perplexed" by the electoral boundary changes. The NSP plans to contest in Sembawang West and Tampines Changkat, and in the GRCs of Jalan Besar, Marine Parade–Braddell Heights, Marsiling–Yew Tee, Sembawang and Tampines. [28] Ravi Philemon of Red Dot United argued that opposition strongholds in the west had been fragmented to create competition among opposition parties. The RDU announced its plans to contest in Jurong East–Bukit Batok, Nee Soon and Tanjong Pagar GRCs, and the SMCs of Jurong Central, Jalan Kayu and Radin Mas. [28] [32]

Commentary

Political observers interviewed by Channel NewsAsia (CNA) said that the opposition parties in the west should reassess their strategies due to the significant boundary changes. They anticipated that the opposition might find it challenging to build support in these redrawn constituencies. Bilveer Singh, an associate professor of political science from the National University of Singapore (NUS), noted that the establishment of some SMCs from traditional PAP strongholds might benefit the ruling party unless faced against a major opposition party. Eugene Tan, an associate professor of law from the Singapore Management University, said that while the smaller opposition parties might find SMCs easier to contest, multi-cornered fights could instead work against them. Chong Ja Ian from NUS also concurred that these new SMCs and some smaller GRCs might see more competition. Chong believed that the introduction of smaller SMCs and GRCs limits any political losses for the PAP. [33]

Commentators from The Straits Times noted that the boundary changes could strengthen support for the ruling party in the newly formed GRCs in the west. This is because West Coast GRC and Bukit Batok SMC – both constituencies where opposition parties made significant gains in the last election – have been redrawn. Dr Mustafa Izzuddin, a senior international affairs analyst at Solaris Strategies Singapore, felt that the PSP's chances of success in West Coast–Jurong West GRC have been "arguably reduced". Nevertheless, Gillian Koh, Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) senior research fellow, maintained that the EBRC's work was conducted "in a politically neutral fashion". Commentators expected a close fight in West Coast–Jurong West GRC, noting that the PAP's performance in the west also depends on the candidates it fields. [34]

Analysts on The Straits Times suggested that East Coast GRC could be highly competitive. The GRC now incorporates upper middle-class, better-educated voters from Joo Chiat, who might prioritise political pluralism and parliamentary checks and balances. Observers like Eugene Tan and Inderjit Singh noted that WP's candidate selection for East Coast could be a decisive factor, particularly if they fielded Pritam Singh, the Leader of the Opposition. On the other hand, analysts believed the PAP would have a stronger advantage in the newly renamed Marine Parade–Braddell Heights GRC, particularly with the inclusion of MacPherson SMC, a PAP stronghold. However, Teo Kay Key noted that MacPherson's 27,000 voters formed only a fraction of the GRC's 131,000 voters. The PAP's performance would also depend on how Manpower Minister Tan See Leng leads the party's campaign in the district. [35]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Singapore Elections Department – About Us". eld.gov.sg. Archived from the original on 9 August 2017. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
  2. ↑ "Committee that reviews Singapore's electoral boundaries not yet convened". CNA. 18 April 2024. Archived from the original on 16 January 2025. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  3. ↑ Koh, Fabian (7 August 2024). "Govt rejects opposition MPs' electoral boundary suggestions, says EBRC is free from political intervention". CNA. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  4. ↑ "Electoral boundaries committee formed in key step towards next Singapore General Election". CNA. Archived from the original on 22 January 2025. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  5. ↑ "GE2020: Nomination Day on June 30; Polling Day on July 10". Today. 23 June 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2025.
  6. ↑ "Formation of the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee" (PDF). Elections Department. 22 January 2025. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  7. 1 2 "10 key takeaways from GE2025 boundaries report". The Straits Times. 11 March 2025. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
  8. ↑ "The Report of the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee, 2025" (PDF). Elections Department. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 March 2025. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Koh, Fabian (11 March 2025). "GE2025: Extensive changes to electoral boundaries due to population shifts; only 5 GRCs, 4 SMCs left intact". CNA. Archived from the original on 12 March 2025. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  10. ↑ "GE2025: Six new SMCs created as the EBRC lays out changes to constituencies". CNA. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
  11. ↑ "GE2020: Nomination Day on June 30; Polling Day on July 10". Today. 23 June 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2025.
  12. ↑ Baharudin, Hariz (11 March 2025). "Jurong GRC to be split into four constituencies, including new GRCs and SMC". The Straits Times. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  13. ↑ Ng, Ng Wei Kai (11 March 2025). "West Coast GRC renamed West Coast-Jurong West GRC, will absorb parts of Jurong". The Straits Times. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  14. ↑ Goh, Yan Han (11 March 2025). "New Punggol and Pasir Ris-Changi GRCs in north-east, following rapid population growth". The Straits Times. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  15. ↑ "Aljunied MPs sad to lose part of constituency to Tampines GRC at GE2025". The Straits Times. 12 March 2025. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  16. ↑ "EBRC report: Opposition wards largely untouched; slight change to Aljunied GRC's boundaries". The Straits Times. 11 March 2025. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  17. ↑ "6 new SMCs for GE2025, five single seats gone". The Straits Times. 11 March 2025. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  18. ↑ Oh, Tessa (11 March 2025). "Singapore election 2025: Changes to Singapore's electoral divisions with more MPs, new GRCs and SMCs". The Business Times. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  19. ↑ "Singapore GE2025: Which constituency will you be in?". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 12 March 2025. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
  20. ↑ "Interactive map of Singapore general elections: A closer look at Singapore General Elections and electoral boundaries". Singapore Government. 12 March 2025. Archived from the original on 19 February 2025. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  21. ↑ "10 key takeaways from GE2025 boundaries report". The Straits Times. 11 March 2025. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
  22. ↑ "GE2025: Changes to electoral map 'appropriate', reflect population growth, says Janil Puthucheary". CNA. 11 March 2025. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  23. ↑ Wan, Audrey (12 March 2025). "Singapore's Opposition Claim 'Gerrymandering' Ahead of Election". Bloomberg. Retrieved 13 March 2025.
  24. ↑ Yeo, Renald (11 March 2025). "Singapore election 2025: Singapore's opposition parties lay early claims, question electoral boundaries". The Business Times. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  25. ↑ "WP response to EBRC Report". Workers' Party. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  26. ↑ Wong, Pei Ting (26 March 2025). "WP chief Pritam Singh questions fairness of electoral boundaries report". The Straits Times . Retrieved 26 March 2025.
  27. 1 2 3 Iau, Jean (11 March 2025). "Singapore's election battle lines set as body increases seats, redraws hot wards". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  28. 1 2 3 4 Tham, Davina (11 March 2025). "GE2025: WP notes 'significant' changes to boundaries in areas it's been working; PSP questions 'drastic' tweaks". CNA. Archived from the original on 12 March 2025. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  29. ↑ "GE2025: WP, PSP and SDP to reveal election plans later after studying boundary changes". The Straits Times. 11 March 2025. Archived from the original on 12 March 2025. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  30. ↑ Zachariah, Natasha Ann (11 November 2023). "Singapore Democratic Party moves headquarters west, outlines plans for 2024". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 23 February 2024. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  31. ↑ Loh, Dylan (11 March 2025). "Singapore election edges closer as new boundaries revealed". Nikkei Asia. Archived from the original on 12 March 2025. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  32. ↑ "RDU's Statement on the EBRC's Report". Red Dot United. Archived from the original on 12 March 2025. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  33. ↑ Koh, Fabian (11 March 2025). "GE2025: Analysts expect interest to heat up in the west of Singapore, as parties relook strategies amid boundary changes". CNA. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  34. ↑ Ng, Wei Kai; Baharudin, Hariz (12 March 2025). "Redrawn boundaries set to have an impact on electoral contests in western Singapore: Experts". The Straits Times. Retrieved 13 March 2025.
  35. ↑ Goh, Yan Han; Anjali, Raguraman (12 March 2025). "East side shake-up: Boundary changes make East Coast, Marine Parade election battles harder to call". The Straits Times. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
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