Constituencies of Singapore

Subdivisions of Singapore for electoral purposes of representation in Parliament

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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

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Main article: Group Representation Constituency

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

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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)

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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

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Constituency | Seats  | Minority representation  | Electorate | Polling Districts[8] | Wards

|
|
|
|
|

Aljunied Group Representation Constituency | 5  | Malay & Indian | 150,303 | 51 | Bedok Reservoir–Punggol
Eunos
Kaki Bukit
Paya Lebar
Serangoon
Ang Mo Kio Group Representation Constituency | 5  | Indian or other | 180,186 | 59 | Ang Mo Kio–Hougang
Cheng San–Selatar
Jalan Kayu
Fernvale
Teck Ghee
Bishan–Toa Payoh Group Representation Constituency | 4  | Malay | 100,036 | 34 | Bishan East–Sin Ming
Toa Payoh Central
Toa Payoh East
Toa Payoh West–Thomson
Chua Chu Kang Group Representation Constituency | 4  | Malay | 103,231 | 34 | Brickland
Bukit Gombak
Chua Chu Kang
Keat Hong
East Coast Group Representation Constituency | 5  | Malay | 120,239 | 41 | Bedok
Changi–Simei
Fengshan
Kampong Chai Chee
Siglap
Holland–Bukit Timah Group Representation Constituency | 4  | Indian | 112,999 | 38 | Bukit Timah
Cashew
Ulu Pandan
Zhenghua
Jalan Besar Group Representation Constituency | 4  | Malay | 106,578 | 42 | Kampong Glam
Kolam Ayer
Kreta Ayer–Kim Seng
Whampoa
Jurong Group Representation Constituency | 5  | Indian & Malay | 129,933 | 45 | Bukit Batok East
Clementi
Jurong Central
Jurong Spring
Taman Jurong
Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency | 5  | Malay | 137,906 | 47 | Braddell Heights
Geylang Serai
Kembangan–Chai Chee
Marine Parade
Joo Chiat
Marsiling–Yew Tee Group Representation Constituency | 4  | Malay | 114,243 | 40 | Limbang
Marsiling
Woodgrove
Yew Tee
Nee Soon Group Representation Constituency | 5  | Indian & Malay | 137,906 | 45 | Chong Pang
Nee Soon Central
Nee Soon East
Nee Soon Link
Nee Soon South
Pasir Ris–Punggol Group Representation Constituency | 5  | Malay & Indian | 161,952 | 55 | Pasir Ris West
Pasir Ris Central
Pasir Ris East
Punggol Coast
Punggol Shore
Sembawang Group Representation Constituency | 5  | Malay & Indian | 139,724 | 47 | Admiralty
Canberra
Sembawang Central
Sembawang West
Woodlands
Sengkang Group Representation Constituency | 4  | Malay | 117,546 | 38 | Anchorvale (WP) / Sengkang West (PAP)
Buangkok (WP) / Sengkang Central (PAP)
Compassvale (WP) / Sengkang North (PAP)
Rivervale (WP) / Sengkang East (PAP)
Tampines Group Representation Constituency | 5  | Malay | 147,249 | 51 | Tampines Central
Tampines Changkat
Tampines East
Tampines North
Tampines West
Tanjong Pagar Group Representation Constituency | 5  | Indian | 132,598 | 49 | Buona Vista
Henderson–Dawson
Moulmein–Cairnhill
Queenstown
Tanjong Pagar–Tiong Bahru
West Coast Group Representation Constituency | 5  | Indian | 144,516 | 50 | Ayer Rajah–Gek Poh
Boon Lay
Nanyang
Telok Blangah
West Coast

### Single Member Constituencies

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Constituency | Seats  | Electorate | Polling Districts[8]

|
|
|

Bukit Batok Single Member Constituency | 1 | 29,389 | 10
Bukit Panjang Single Member Constituency | 1 | 35,258 | 12
Hong Kah North Single Member Constituency | 1 | 23,519 | 8
Hougang Single Member Constituency | 1 | 25,629 | 9
Kebun Baru Single Member Constituency | 1 | 22,413 | 7
MacPherson Single Member Constituency | 1 | 27,652 | 10
Marymount Single Member Constituency | 1 | 23,439 | 7
Mountbatten Single Member Constituency | 1 | 23,957 | 8
Pioneer Single Member Constituency | 1 | 24,679 | 9
Potong Pasir Single Member Constituency | 1 | 18,551 | 6
Punggol West Single Member Constituency | 1 | 25,440 | 6
Radin Mas Single Member Constituency | 1 | 25,167 | 10
Yio Chu Kang Single Member Constituency | 1 | 26,046 | 9
Yuhua Single Member Constituency | 1 | 21,188 | 8

## See also

[edit]

* Past Singaporean electoral divisions
* General elections in Singapore

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c 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. ^ a b 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. ^ a b Bilveer Singh, Politics and Governance in Singapore: An Introduction (Singapore, 2007), p. 172.
8. ^ a b "The Report of the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee, 2020" (PDF). Elections Department Singapore.

## External links

[edit]

* Constituency Boundaries Map, Parliament of Singapore.
* Electoral boundaries Map, The Straits Times.

* v
* t
* e

Constituencies of Singapore

Numbers in parentheses indicate the number of representatives assigned.

Group Representation
Constituencies (GRCs)|

* Aljunied (5)
* Ang Mo Kio (5)
* Bishan–Toa Payoh (4)
* Chua Chu Kang (4)
* East Coast (5)
* Holland–Bukit Timah (4)
* Jalan Besar (4)
* Jurong (5)
* Marine Parade (5)
* Marsiling–Yew Tee (4)
* Nee Soon (5)
* Pasir Ris–Punggol (5)
* Sembawang (5)
* Sengkang (4)
* Tampines (5)
* Tanjong Pagar (5)
* West Coast (5)

Single Member
Constitutencies (SMCs)|

* Bukit Batok
* Bukit Panjang
* Hong Kah North
* Hougang
* Kebun Baru
* MacPherson
* Marymount
* Mountbatten
* Pioneer
* Potong Pasir
* Punggol West
* Radin Mas
* Yio Chu Kang
* Yuhua

Defunct constituencies|

* Alexandra
* Aljunied
* Ang Mo Kio
* Anson
* Ayer Rajah
* Balestier
* Bedok
* Bo Wen
* Boon Lay
* Boon Teck
* Braddell Heights
* Bras Basah
* Brickworks
* Bukit Gombak
* Bukit Ho Swee
* Bukit Merah
* Bukit Timah
* Buona Vista
* Cairnhill
* Changi
* Changkat
* Cheng San
* Chong Boon
* Chua Chu Kang
* City
* Clementi
* Crawford
* Delta
* Eunos
* Farrer Park
* Fengshan
* Geylang
* Geylang East
* Geylang Serai
* Geylang West
* Havelock
* Henderson
* Hong Kah
* Hong Lim
* Jalan Besar
* Jalan Kayu
* Joo Chiat
* Jurong
* Kaki Bukit
* Kallang
* Kampong Chai Chee
* Kampong Glam
* Kampong Kapor
* Kampong Kembangan
* Kampong Ubi
* Katong
* Keppel
* Khe Bong
* Kim Keat
* Kim Seng
* Kolam Ayer
* Kreta Ayer
* Kuo Chuan
* Leng Kee
* Marine Parade
* Moulmein
* Nee Soon
* Nee Soon Central
* Nee Soon East
* Nee Soon South
* Pasir Panjang
* Paya Lebar
* Punggol
* Punggol East
* Punggol–Tampines
* Queenstown
* River Valley
* Rochore
* Rural East
* Rural West
* Seletar
* Sembawang
* Sengkang West
* Sepoy Lines
* Serangoon
* Serangoon Gardens
* Siglap
* Southern Islands
* Stamford
* Tampines
* Tanah Merah
* Tanglin
* Tanjong Pagar
* Teck Ghee
* Telok Ayer
* Telok Blangah
* Thomson
* Tiong Bahru
* Toa Payoh
* Ulu Bedok
* Ulu Pandan
* Upper Serangoon
* West Coast
* Whampoa

| MMCs|

* Municipal North-East (2)
* Municipal South-West (2)

|

GRCs|

* Bedok (4)
* Brickworks (4)
* Bukit Timah (5)
* Cheng San (5)
* Eunos (4)
* Holland–Bukit Panjang (5)
* Hong Kah (5)
* Kampong Glam (4)
* Kreta Ayer–Tanglin (4)
* Moulmein–Kallang (4)
* Pasir Panjang (3)
* Pasir Ris (4)
* Thomson (4)
* Tiong Bahru (3)
* Toa Payoh (4)

Lists of electoral divisions|

| 1900s|

* 1948–51
* 1951–55
* 1955–59
* 1959–63
* 1963–68
* 1968–72
* 1972–76
* 1976–80
* 1980–84
* 1984–88
* 1988–91
* 1991–97
* 1997–2001

|

2000s|

* 2001–06
* 2006–11
* 2011–15
* 2015–20

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