Constituencies in Singapore are electoral divisions which may be represented by single or multiple seats in the Parliament of Singapore. Constituencies are classified as either Single Member Constituencies (SMCs) or Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs). SMCs are single-seat constituencies but GRCs have between four and five seats in Parliament.

Group Representation Constituencies

Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) are a type of electoral constituency unique to Singaporean politics. GRCs are multi-member constituencies which are contested by teams of candidates from one party - or from independents. In each GRC, at least one candidate or Member of Parliament must be from a minority race: either a Malay, Indian or Other.[1]

In 1988, the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) amended the Parliamentary Elections Act[2] to create GRCs. The current Act enables the President, acting on the advice of the Prime Minister, to create a GRC from three to six electoral wards. In creating GRCs the President is advised by the Elections Department. The initial maximum size for GRCs was three candidates, but this has subsequently been increased, to four in 1991, and between 1997 and 2020, six. Since the 2020 elections, the number of candidates in a GRC decreased to a rule of five.[1]

GRCs operate with a plurality voting system, voting by party slate, meaning that the party with a majority of votes combined from all divisions regardless of how many divisions voted for a majority will wins the allocated seats by block for the GRC. Until 2011, all Singaporean GRCs have had a PAP base.

The official justification for GRCs is to allow minority representation. Former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong argued that the introduction of GRCs was necessary to ensure that Singapore's Parliament would continue to be multiracial in its composition and representation.[3] Opposition parties have criticised GRCs as making it even more difficult for non-PAP candidates to be elected to Parliament. The money required to contest a GRC is considerable as each candidate is required to pay a deposit ranging from S$4,000 to S$16,000 (the recent election is S$13,500).[1] This means that contesting a GRC is very costly for opposition parties. The presence of Cabinet Ministers in GRCs is often believed to give the PAP a considerable advantage in the contesting of a GRC. The PAP has used this tactic to its advantage on several occasions. Rather than stand in an uncontested GRC, in 1997, then-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong shifted his attention to campaigning for candidates where the PAP believed they were most vulnerable, which was the Cheng San GRC.[4] The opposition has charged the government with gerrymandering due to the changing of GRC boundaries at very short notice (see below section on electoral boundaries).

Critics have noted that Joshua Benjamin Jeyaratnam won the 1981 Anson by-election in a Chinese-majority constituency, and that since the GRC system was implemented, minority representation in Parliament has actually declined.

Boundaries and gerrymandering allegations

The boundaries of electoral constituencies in Singapore are decided by the Elections Department, which is under the control of the Prime Minister's Office.[5] Electoral boundaries are generally announced close to elections, usually a few days before the election itself is announced.[5][6] There have been accusations of gerrymandering regarding the redrawing of electoral boundaries and the dissolving of constituencies that return a high percentage of votes for parties other than the ruling PAP.[7]

One of the cases that is often cited as evidence for gerrymandering in Singapore is the case of the Cheng San Group Representation Constituency (GRC). In the 1997 Singaporean general election, the Cheng San GRC was contested by the PAP and the Workers' Party of Singapore (WP). The final results were close, with the PAP winning with 53,553 votes (54.8%) to the WP's 44,132 votes (45.2%). Cheng San GRC had since dissolved thereafter following the 2001 General Elections. Despite the disadvantages assumed by the opposition party in Singapore, WP was successful in taking over a GRC (Aljunied GRC) during the 2011 General Elections[7] and later Sengkang GRC in the 2020 General Elections.

Current Electoral Map (2020–present)

As of the revision of the electorates on 15 April 2020, the number of electors in the latest Registers of Electors is 2,653,942.

Group Representation Constituencies

ConstituencySeats Minority representation ElectoratePolling Districts[8]Wards
Aljunied Group Representation Constituency5 Malay & Indian150,30351Bedok Reservoir–Punggol
Eunos
Kaki Bukit
Paya Lebar
Serangoon
Ang Mo Kio Group Representation Constituency5 Indian or other180,18659Ang Mo Kio–Hougang
Cheng San–Selatar
Jalan Kayu
Fernvale
Teck Ghee
Bishan–Toa Payoh Group Representation Constituency4 Malay100,03634Bishan East–Sin Ming
Toa Payoh Central
Toa Payoh East
Toa Payoh West–Thomson
Chua Chu Kang Group Representation Constituency4 Malay103,23134Brickland
Bukit Gombak
Chua Chu Kang
Keat Hong
East Coast Group Representation Constituency5 Malay120,23941Bedok
Changi–Simei
Fengshan
Kampong Chai Chee
Siglap
Holland–Bukit Timah Group Representation Constituency4 Indian112,99938Bukit Timah
Cashew
Ulu Pandan
Zhenghua
Jalan Besar Group Representation Constituency4 Malay106,57842Kampong Glam
Kolam Ayer
Kreta Ayer–Kim Seng
Whampoa
Jurong Group Representation Constituency5 Indian & Malay129,93345Bukit Batok East
Clementi
Jurong Central
Jurong Spring
Taman Jurong
Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency5 Malay137,90647Braddell Heights
Geylang Serai
Kembangan–Chai Chee
Marine Parade
Joo Chiat
Marsiling–Yew Tee Group Representation Constituency4 Malay114,24340Limbang
Marsiling
Woodgrove
Yew Tee
Nee Soon Group Representation Constituency5 Indian & Malay137,90645Chong Pang
Nee Soon Central
Nee Soon East
Nee Soon Link
Nee Soon South
Pasir Ris–Punggol Group Representation Constituency5 Malay & Indian161,95255Pasir Ris West
Pasir Ris Central
Pasir Ris East
Punggol Coast
Punggol Shore
Sembawang Group Representation Constituency5 Malay139,72447Admiralty
Canberra
Sembawang Central
Sembawang West
Woodlands
Sengkang Group Representation Constituency4 Malay117,54638Anchorvale (WP) / Sengkang West (PAP)
Buangkok (WP) / Sengkang Central (PAP)
Compassvale (WP) / Sengkang North (PAP)
Rivervale (WP) / Sengkang East (PAP)
Tampines Group Representation Constituency5 Malay147,24951Tampines Central
Tampines Changkat
Tampines East
Tampines North
Tampines West
Tanjong Pagar Group Representation Constituency5 Indian132,59849Buona Vista
Henderson–Dawson
Moulmein–Cairnhill
Queenstown
Tanjong Pagar–Tiong Bahru
West Coast Group Representation Constituency5 Indian144,51650Ayer Rajah–Gek Poh
Boon Lay
Nanyang
Telok Blangah
West Coast

Single Member Constituencies

ConstituencySeats ElectoratePolling Districts[8]
Bukit Batok Single Member Constituency129,38910
Bukit Panjang Single Member Constituency135,25812
Hong Kah North Single Member Constituency123,5198
Hougang Single Member Constituency125,6299
Kebun Baru Single Member Constituency122,4137
MacPherson Single Member Constituency127,65210
Marymount Single Member Constituency123,4397
Mountbatten Single Member Constituency123,9578
Pioneer Single Member Constituency124,6799
Potong Pasir Single Member Constituency118,5516
Punggol West Single Member Constituency125,4406
Radin Mas Single Member Constituency125,16710
Yio Chu Kang Single Member Constituency126,0469
Yuhua Single Member Constituency121,1888

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Hussin Mutalib, 'Constituational-Electoral Reforms and Politics in Singapore', Legislative Studies Quarterly 21 (2) (2002), p. 665.
  2. Now the Parliamentary Elections Act (Cap. 218, 2011 Rev. Ed.)
  3. Hussin Mutalib, 'Constituational-Electoral Reforms and Politics in Singapore', Legislative Studies Quarterly 21 (2) (2002), p. 664.
  4. Hussin Mutalib, 'Constituational-Electoral Reforms and Politics in Singapore', Legislative Studies Quarterly 21 (2) (2002), p. 666.
  5. 1 2 Alex Au Waipang, 'The Ardour of Tokens: Opposition Parties' Struggle to Make a Difference', in T.Chong (eds), Management of Success: Singapore Revisited (Singapore, 2010), p. 106.
  6. Diane K. Mauzy and R.S. Milne, Singapore Under the People's Action Party (London, 2002), p.143.
  7. 1 2 Bilveer Singh, Politics and Governance in Singapore: An Introduction (Singapore, 2007), p. 172.
  8. 1 2 "The Report of the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee, 2020" (PDF). Elections Department Singapore.
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