West Coast Group Representation Constituency

West Coast
Former group representation constituency for the Parliament of Singapore
Region	West and Central Regions, Singapore
Electorate	146,251
Former constituency
Created	1997;28 years ago (1997)
Abolished	2025;0 years ago (2025)
Seats	5
Member	Constituency abolished
Town Council	West Coast
Created from	Brickworks GRC Tanjong Pagar GRC
Replaced by	Tanjong Pagar GRC (Telok Blangah and Dover) Radin Mas SMC (HarbourFront, Sentosa and Southern Islands) West Coast–Jurong West GRC (all other areas)

The West Coast Group Representation Constituency was a five-member group representation constituency (GRC) in western and central Singapore. It covered the areas of Jurong, Dover, Pasir Panjang, West Coast and Telok Blangah, as well as Jurong Island, an offshore island of Singapore. ^[1] At abolition, it had five divisions: Ayer Rajah–Gek Poh, Boon Lay, Nanyang, Telok Blangah and West Coast, managed by West Coast Town Council. ^[2]

History

Creation and WP contest (1997)

Prior to the 1997 general election, West Coast GRC was created from the GRCs of Brickworks, which was abolished at the same election, and Tanjong Pagar; it was assigned four Members of Parliament (MPs). ^[3] The governing People's Action Party (PAP) defeated the Workers' Party (WP) with 70.14% of the vote. ^[4]

Walkovers (2001 and 2006)

In the 2001 general election, Boon Lay Single Member Constituency (SMC) was abolished and absorbed into West Coast GRC, which gained one MP to become a five-member GRC. ^[5] The PAP team won unopposed. ^[6]

In the 2006 general election, the GRC absorbed Ayer Rajah SMC; Tan Cheng Bock, incumbent PAP MP for the SMC and future opposition politician, made his initial retirement from politics at the same election. ^[7] The PAP team won unopposed for the second consecutive election. ^[8]

RP contests (2011 and 2015)

In the 2011 general election, Pioneer SMC was carved out of West Coast GRC; ^[9] the PAP defeated the Reform Party (RP) with 66.57% of the vote. ^[10] At the same election, Lawrence Wong, future Prime Minister and MP for Marsiling–Yew Tee GRC, made his political debut as a PAP candidate for West Coast GRC; he was assigned to the Boon Lay division. ^{[11] [12]}

In the 2015 general election, West Coast GRC lost its Clementi division to Jurong GRC, becoming a four-member GRC in the process; ^{[13] [14]} the PAP defeated the RP with 78.57% of the vote. ^[7]

PSP contest/PAP detrenchment (2020)

Founding of PSP (2019)

Main article: Progress Singapore Party

In 2019, Tan co-founded the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) with 11 others, some of whom, including himself, were former PAP members. Together with Lee Hsien Yang, the estranged younger brother of then-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, the 12 said that the PAP had "lost its way" and deviated from its founding principles. The party was officially registered on 28 March 2019 after being approved by the Registry of Societies. ^{[15] [16] [17]}

General election

In the 2020 general election, West Coast GRC was re-expanded to become a five-member GRC, gaining the Nanyang division of Chua Chu Kang GRC and the Jurong West section of Hong Kah North SMC. ^[1]

During the election, Desmond Lee was redeployed to the GRC; Tan, meanwhile, personally led the PSP's "A-team", as it was called by The Straits Times , with the move being framed as a return to his defunct Ayer Rajah SMC. ^{[1] [18]} In its worst performance in the history of West Coast GRC, the PAP defeated the PSP with 51.68% of the vote. ^{[7] [18]}

After the election, two non-constituency MP (NCMP) seats were offered to the PSP team for West Coast GRC by virtue of their electoral performance. Hazel Poa and Leong Mun Wai were appointed. ^[18]

Resignation of S. Iswaran (2024)

In January 2024, S. Iswaran resigned from the PAP, the ministership for transport and his seat as MP for West Coast GRC after he was charged in the State Courts of Singapore with 27 charges relating to bribery and corruption. ^{[19] [20]}

Abolition (2025)

Prior to the 2025 general election, West Coast GRC was abolished, with the majority of its area being merged into the new West Coast–Jurong West GRC, alongside the entire residential area of the Taman Jurong division and the majority of the Jurong Spring division of Jurong GRC. Estates in Telok Blangah and Dover were carved out and given to Tanjong Pagar GRC, while those in Harbourfront and on the offshore island of Sentosa were given to Radin Mas SMC alongside the Southern Islands. ^{[21] [22] [23]}

Members of Parliament

Year	Division	Members of Parliament	Party
Formation
1997	Clementi Pasir Panjang Telok Blangah West Coast	Bernard Chen S. Iswaran Lim Hng Kiang Wan Soon Bee		PAP
2001	Boon Lay Clementi Pioneer Telok Blangah West Coast	Ho Geok Choo Arthur Fong Cedric Foo Lim Hng Kiang S. Iswaran
2006	Ayer Rajah-West Coast Boon Lay Clementi Pioneer Telok Blangah	S. Iswaran Ho Geok Choo Arthur Fong Cedric Foo Lim Hng Kiang
2011	Ayer Rajah Boon Lay Clementi Telok Blangah West Coast	Foo Mee Har Lawrence Wong Arthur Fong Lim Hng Kiang S. Iswaran
2015	Ayer Rajah Boon Lay Telok Blangah West Coast	Foo Mee Har Patrick Tay Lim Hng Kiang S. Iswaran
2020	Ayer Rajah-Gek Poh Boon Lay Nanyang Telok Blangah West Coast	Foo Mee Har Desmond Lee Ang Wei Neng Rachel Ong S. Iswaran (2020–2024)
Constituency abolished (2025)

Electoral results

Note : Elections Department Singapore do not include rejected votes for calculation of candidate's vote share. Hence, the total of all candidates' vote share will be 100%.

Elections in 1990s

General Election 1997 ^{[24] [25]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	PAP	Bernard Chen S. Iswaran Lim Hng Kiang Wan Soon Bee	48,275	70.14
	WP	Mike Chan D'Cruz Anthony John Gan Eng Guan Ng Teck Siong	20,550	29.86
Majority			27,725	40.28
Total valid votes			68,825	97.50
Rejected ballots			1,762	2.50
Turnout			70,587	95.36
Registered electors			74,022
	PAP win (new seat)

Elections in 2000s

General Election 2001 ^[26]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	PAP	Ho Geok Choo Arthur Fong Cedric Foo Lim Hng Kiang S. Iswaran	Unopposed
Registered electors			110,779		49.66
	PAP hold

General Election 2006 ^[27]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	PAP	S. Iswaran Ho Geok Choo Arthur Fong Cedric Foo Lim Hng Kiang	Unopposed
Registered electors			137,739		24.34
	PAP hold

Elections in 2010s

General Election 2011 ^{[28] [29]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	PAP	Arthur Fong Foo Mee Har Lim Hng Kiang S. Iswaran Lawrence Wong	72,563	66.57	N/A
	RP	Kenneth Jeyaretnam Andy Zhu Frankie Low Kumar Appavoo Haren Hu	36,443	33.43	N/A
Majority			36,120	33.14	N/A
Total valid votes			109,006	97.48	N/A
Rejected ballots			2,821	2.52	N/A
Turnout			111,827	92.38	N/A
Registered electors			121,045		12.12
	PAP hold		Swing	N/A

General Election 2015 ^{[30] [31]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	PAP	Foo Mee Har Patrick Tay Lim Hng Kiang S. Iswaran	71,214	78.57	11.91
	RP	Kenneth Jeyaretnam Andy Zhu Darren Soh Noraini Yunus	19,426	21.43	11.91
Majority			51,788	57.14	24.00
Total valid votes			90,640	97.40	0.08
Rejected ballots			2,416	2.60	0.08
Turnout			93,056	93.71	1.33
Registered electors			99,300		17.96
	PAP hold		Swing	11.91

Elections in 2020s

General Election 2020 ^{[32] [33]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	PAP	Foo Mee Har Desmond Lee Ang Wei Neng Rachel Ong S. Iswaran	71,658	51.68	26.89
	PSP	Tan Cheng Bock Leong Mun Wai Hazel Poa Nadarajah Loganathan Jeffrey Khoo	66,996	48.32	N/A
Majority			4,662	3.36	53.74
Total valid votes			138,654	98.83	1.43
Rejected ballots			1,646	1.17	1.43
Turnout			140,300	96.04	2.33
Registered electors			146,089		47.11
	PAP hold		Swing	26.89

References

1. "GE2020 Hot Spots: West Coast GRC – not all quiet on the western front as ex-PAP man returns to stomping ground". Today . Archived from the original on 2 October 2025. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
2. "West Coast Town Council: Our Members of Parliament". West Coast Town Council. Archived from the original on 24 February 2022. Retrieved 23 October 2025.
3. "On the ground... in West Coast GRC". The Straits Times . 24 December 2010 – via NewspaperSG (only viewable at NLB multimedia stations).
4. "ELD | 1997 Parliamentary General Election Results". www.eld.gov.sg. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
5. Henson, Bertha (20 October 2001). "Bigger GRCs in the next election". The Straits Times– via NewspaperSG (only viewable at NLB multimedia stations).
6. "ELD | 2001 Parliamentary General Election Results". www.eld.gov.sg. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
7. "GE2020 official results: PAP retains West Coast GRC with 51.69% of votes against Tan Cheng Bock's PSP". The Straits Times. 11 July 2020. ISSN   0585-3923. Archived from the original on 11 July 2020. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
8. "ELD | 2006 Parliamentary General Election Results". www.eld.gov.sg. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
9. "Singapore GE2020: Three-cornered fight for Pioneer's single seat between PAP, PSP and independent". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 25 March 2023. Retrieved 4 October 2025. PAP's Mr Tay was previously the MP for the Boon Lay ward in West Coast GRC since 2015. Before he moved over, Pioneer SMC was helmed by Mr Cedric Foo for four terms, even after the single-seat constituency was carved out of West Coast GRC in 2011.
10. "ELD | 2011 Parliamentary General Election Results". www.eld.gov.sg. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
11. "What we know about Singapore's fourth Prime Minister Lawrence Wong". CNA . Archived from the original on 17 May 2024. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
12. "Crowd at West Coast GRC event attended by DPM Wong remembers his time as MP there". The Straits Times. 12 August 2023. ISSN   0585-3923. Archived from the original on 14 November 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
13. "GE2015: PAP reveals candidates for Jurong GRC, Bukit Batok SMC". Yahoo! News. Archived from the original on 19 October 2025. Retrieved 23 October 2025.
14. "Battleground Singapore: Who's standing where". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 25 April 2018. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
15. Mokhtar, Faris (18 January 2019). "Former presidential hopeful Tan Cheng Bock applies to form new party in political comeback". Today. Archived from the original on 1 October 2023. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
16. Rajah, Obbana (25 June 2020). "Lee Hsien Yang joins PSP because "the PAP has lost its way"". The Independent News. Archived from the original on 10 July 2020. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
17. Yun Ting, Choo (31 March 2019). "Tan Cheng Bock's Progress Singapore Party formally registered; party symbol to follow". The Straits Times. ISSN   0585-3923. Archived from the original on 13 October 2019. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
18. "Election spotlight: PSP set to field A-team against PAP in new West Coast-Jurong West GRC". The Straits Times. 7 April 2025. Archived from the original on 1 June 2025. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
19. Taufiq Zalizan. "Iswaran handed 27 charges for corruption, receiving gratification as a public servant and obstructing justice". Today. Archived from the original on 13 September 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
20. Iau, Jean; Zachariah, Natasha Ann (18 January 2024). "Iswaran resigns as Transport Minister, from the PAP amid charges including corruption". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 25 April 2025. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
21. "West Coast GRC renamed West Coast-Jurong West GRC, will absorb parts of Jurong". The Straits Times. 11 March 2025. ISSN   0585-3923. Archived from the original on 5 April 2025. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
22. Ang, Hwee Min (11 March 2025). "GE2025: Major boundary changes to West Coast, East Coast and Marine Parade GRCs". CNA. Archived from the original on 18 May 2025. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
23. 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 2 August 2025. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
24. "1997 PARLIAMENTARY GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS". Elections Department Singapore . Retrieved 19 October 2020.
25. "Singapore Parliamentary General Election 1997 > West Coast GRC". Elections Department Singapore . Retrieved 14 July 2025.
26. "ELD | 2001 Parliamentary General Election Results". Elections Department Singapore . Retrieved 14 July 2025.
27. "ELD | 2006 Parliamentary General Election Results". Elections Department Singapore . Retrieved 14 July 2025.
28. "ELD | 2011 Parliamentary General Election Results". Elections Department Singapore . Retrieved 14 July 2025.
29. "STATEMENT OF THE POLL AFTER COUNTING THE BALLOTS" (PDF). Elections Department Singapore . 12 May 2011. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
30. "ELD | 2015 Parliamentary General Election Results". Elections Department Singapore . Retrieved 14 July 2025.
31. "STATEMENT OF THE POLL AFTER COUNTING THE BALLOTS" (PDF). Elections Department Singapore . 16 September 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
32. "ELD | 2020 Parliamentary General Election Results". Elections Department Singapore . Retrieved 14 July 2025.
33. "Statement of Poll for the Electoral Division of West Coast" (PDF). Elections Department Singapore . 16 July 2020. Retrieved 19 October 2020.