‘Nothing short of massive gerrymandering in plain sight’: Changes to electoral boundaries for upcoming GE slammed by opposition

Major changes to electoral boundaries for upcoming GE sparks uproar among opposition

The Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC)’s significant changes to Singapore’s electoral map ahead of the upcoming General Election (GE) has sparked uproar among opposition parties.

Of the 33 electoral divisions, only five Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) and four Single Member Constituencies (SMCs) remain unchanged from the last election.

The report introduced five new GRCs and six new SMCs, resulting in the redistribution of several constituencies.

Source: Elections Department Singapore on Facebook

These changes are expected to have a major impact on two key opposition-contested areas — West Coast GRC and Bukit Batok SMC — where non-ruling parties made significant gains in the 2020 GE, The Straits Times (ST) reported.

Opposition slams electoral boundary changes as ‘gerrymandering’

In response to the changes, People’s Power Party (PPP) Secretary-General Goh Meng Seng criticised the report in a Facebook post, calling it “skewed” to protect the electoral interests of the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP).

“It is nothing short of massive gerrymandering in plain sight,” Mr Goh said, adding that such changes “disrupt democratic development”, waste resources in town council reorganisations, and show disrespect to Singaporeans.

Jurong GRC split into 4, redrawing opposition contested areas

Jurong GRC, a PAP stronghold in past elections, has been carved up into four new constituencies:

• Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC
• West Coast-Jurong West GRC
• Jurong Central SMC
• Holland-Bukit Timah GRC (absorbing some areas)

While Jurong has traditionally been PAP-dominated, opposition parties have gained ground in nearby West Coast and Bukit Batok.

In the 2020 GE, PSP contested West Coast GRC and lost by a narrow margin, securing 48.31% of the vote. Meanwhile, SDP’s Chee Soon Juan faced off against PAP in Bukit Batok SMC, clinching 45.2% of the vote.

With both West Coast GRC and Bukit Batok SMC now merged into new constituencies, opposition parties may face a tougher battle in the next election.

SDP’s Chee Soon Guan calls PAP out for ‘manipulating the system’

SDP’s Secretary-General Chee Soon Juan, who contested in Bukit Batok SMC in 2020, has strongly condemned the redrawing of electoral boundaries.

In an Instagram video posted on Thursday (13 Mar), he expressed frustration that Bukit Batok SMC was being absorbed into a GRC after SDP’s close fight with PAP.

He recounted how “through sheer hard work”, they “won over the trust of residents”, losing to PAP by a close margin.

He noted that this is the second time Bukit Batok SMC has been absorbed by a GRC after a close fight with PAP.

“[PAP] resorts to manipulating the system and gerrymandering the boundaries so that it can maintain its grip on power,” he said, adding that “with the stroke of a pen,” years of hard work had been undone.

The change means that SDP will now have to field a team instead of a single candidate if it wishes to continue contesting in the area, independent political observer Felix Tan told ST.

Changes to electoral boundaries seen as strengthening PAP’s hold on the west

Political analyst Associate Professor Tan told ST that the addition of Taman Jurong — a known PAP stronghold — to the new West Coast-Jurong West GRC would likely weaken PSP’s chances.

“The PSP will see their prospects affected negatively. They would rather not have Taman Jurong in the GRC, put simply,” he said.

Another analyst, Associate Professor Bilveer Singh, told Lianhe Zaobao that the division of Jurong GRC suggests PAP may be concerned about its electoral prospects without former MP President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who played a key role in its past successes.

Source: Tharman Shanmugaratnam on Facebook

Also read: ‘We’ll have to pass it on’: Aljunied MPs express sadness about losing 3 polling districts to Tampines GRC in upcoming GE

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Featured image adapted from @cheesoonguan on Instagram, Elections Department Singapore on Facebook, and People’s Power Party on Facebook.