Constituencies of Singapore

Constituencies in Singapore are electoral divisions which may be represented by single or multiple seats in the Parliament of Singapore. Constituencies, also called (electoral) divisions, are classified as either single-member constituencies (SMCs) or group representation constituencies (GRCs). An SMC is represented by a single Member of Parliament (MP) while a GRC can have anywhere between three and six (in practice, four or five) seats in Parliament.

Group Representation Constituencies

Main article: Group Representation Constituency

In 1988, the People's Action Party (PAP) introduced Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) through an amendment to the Parliamentary Elections Act.[1] The President, acting on the advice of the Prime Minister and guided by the Elections Department, may establish GRCs consisting of three to five electoral wards. The maximum size of GRCs has varied over time: initially three candidates, increasing to four in 1991, six between 1997 and 2020, and then reduced to five from the 2020 elections onwards.[2]

GRCs are a unique feature of Singaporean electoral politics, consisting of multi-member constituencies where teams, or slates, of candidates from a single party or independents compete for all available seats. Each GRC team must include at least one candidate from a minority race, such as a Malay, Indian, or Other.[2] Voting within GRCs follows a plurality voting system, where the party or group winning the most votes in a GRC secures all seats within that constituency. As a result, a party can accumulate a significant number of votes nationally but still fail to win certain GRCs. Historically, the PAP held all GRC seats until 2011.[3] The official purpose of GRCs, as explained by former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, is to ensure minority representation in Parliament and maintain a multiracial composition.[4]

Response

See also: Gerrymandering

Opposition parties have criticised that the GRC system in making it more difficult for non-PAP candidates to win seats in Parliament. The high candidate deposit, which ranges from S$4,000 to S$16,000 and was most recently set at S$13,500 per candidate, increases the financial burden on opposition parties contesting GRCs.[2] Additionally, the inclusion of Cabinet Ministers as candidates in GRCs is viewed as an advantage for the PAP, a strategy that has been employed in vulnerable constituencies such as Cheng San GRC during the 1997 Singaporean general election.[5] The opposition has also raised concerns about last-minute boundary changes and has pointed to examples such as Joshua Benjamin Jeyaratnam's 1981 win in the Anson constituency, arguing that minority representation in Parliament has diminished since the GRC system was introduced.

The boundaries of electoral constituencies in Singapore are set by the Elections Department, which functions under the Prime Minister's Office.[6] These boundaries are typically announced shortly before elections, often only a few days before the election is officially called.[6][7] Some observers have expressed concern over this process, particularly regarding the dissolution of constituencies where opposition parties had performed well.[8]

One frequently cited example in discussions about electoral boundary adjustments is Cheng San GRC. In the 1997 Singaporean general election, it was contested closely by the PAP and the Workers' Party of Singapore (WP), with the PAP winning 54.8% of the vote to WP’s 45.2%. Following the 2001 Singapore general election, Cheng San GRC was dissolved. Despite the challenges faced by opposition parties, the WP has since achieved success in winning GRCs, notably Aljunied GRC in the 2011 Singapore general election[8] and Sengkang GRC in the 2020 Singaporean general election.

Current electoral map (2025 – present)

Further information: Electoral boundary changes of the 2025 Singaporean general election and List of electoral divisions and wards in Singapore

As of March 2025, the number of electors in the latest Registers of Electors is 2,758,095.

Group Representation Constituencies (2025)

Constituency Seats District Prefix Minority representation Electorate Polling Districts[9] Wards
Aljunied 5 AJ Malay 144,276 51 Bedok Reservoir–Punggol, Eunos, Kaki Bukit, Paya Lebar, Serangoon
Ang Mo Kio 5 AM Indian or other 161,494 55 Ang Mo Kio–Hougang, Buangkok–Fernvale South, Cheng San, Seletar–Serangoon, Teck Ghee
Bishan–Toa Payoh 4 BS Malay 98,679 35 Bishan East–Sin Ming, Toa Payoh Central, Toa Payoh East, Toa Payoh West–Thomson
Chua Chu Kang 4 CK Malay 93,512 35[note 1] Brickland–Tengah, Chua Chu Kang, Keat Hong, Tengah
East Coast 5 EC Malay 151,024 53 Bedok, Changi–Simei, Fengshan, Joo Chiat, Kampong Chai Chee
Holland–Bukit Timah 4 HT Indian or other 123,169 40 Bukit Timah, Cashew, Ulu Pandan, Zhenghua
Jalan Besar 4 JB Malay 106,327 42 Kampong Glam, Kolam Ayer, Kreta Ayer–Kim Seng, Whampoa
Jurong East–Bukit Batok 5 JE Indian or other 142,728 48 Bukit Batok, Bukit Batok East, Clementi, Hong Kah North, Yuhua
Marine Parade–Braddell Heights 5 MH Malay 131,789 47 Braddell Heights, Geylang Serai, Kembangan, MacPherson, Marine Parade
Marsiling–Yew Tee 4 MY Malay 119,516 41 Limbang, Marsiling, Woodgrove, Yew Tee
Nee Soon 5 NS Indian or other 151,836 50 Chong Pang, Nee Soon Central, Nee Soon East, Nee Soon Link, Nee Soon South
Pasir Ris–Changi 4 PC Malay 100,706 32 Changi, Pasir Ris Central, Pasir Ris East, Pasir Ris West
Punggol 4 PG Indian or other 123,778 43 Punggol Coast, Punggol North, Punggol Shore, Punggol West
Sembawang 5 SB Malay 134,103 46 Admiralty, Canberra, Naval Base, Sembawang Central, Woodlands
Sengkang 4 SK Malay 126,808 41 Anchorvale (WP) / Sengkang West (PAP), Buangkok (WP) / Sengkang Central (PAP), Compassvale (WP) / Sengkang North (PAP), Rivervale (WP) / Sengkang East (PAP)
Tampines 5 TM Malay 148,098 55[note 1] Tampines Boulevard, Tampines Central, Tampines East, Tampines North, Tampines West
Tanjong Pagar 5 TP Indian or other 140,075 52 Buona Vista, Henderson–Dawson, Moulmein–Cairnhill, Telok Blangah, Tanjong Pagar–Tiong Bahru
West Coast-Jurong West 5 WJ Indian or other 158,817 54[note 1] Ayer Rajah, Boon Lay, Jurong Spring–Gek Poh, Nanyang, Taman Jurong, West Coast

Single Member Constituencies

Constituency Seats District Prefix Electorate Polling Districts[9]
Bukit Gombak 1 BG 26,418 7
Bukit Panjang 1 BP 33,594 12
Hougang 1 HG 29,466 9
Jalan Kayu 1 JK 29,620 10
Jurong Central 1 JU 29,669 12
Kebun Baru 1 KR 22,251 9
Marymount 1 MR 23,264 7
Mountbatten 1 MB 22,831 7
Pioneer 1 PI 25,195 9
Potong Pasir 1 PS 30,959 10
Queenstown 1 QT 28,905 11
Radin Mas 1 RM 25,559 11
Sembawang West 1 SE 24,192 7
Tampines Changkat 1 TC 24,032 9[note 1]
Yio Chu Kang 1 YK 25,404 9

See also

References

  1. ^ Now the Parliamentary Elections Act (Cap. 218, 2011 Rev. Ed.)
  2. ^ a b c Hussin Mutalib, 'Constitutional-Electoral Reforms and Politics in Singapore', Legislative Studies Quarterly 21 (2) (2002), p. 665.
  3. ^ Elections types - electoral Archived 23 April 2025 at the Wayback Machine, accessed 18 Apr 2025.
  4. ^ Hussin Mutalib, 'Constitutional-Electoral Reforms and Politics in Singapore', Legislative Studies Quarterly 21 (2) (2002), p. 664.
  5. ^ Hussin Mutalib, 'Constituational-Electoral Reforms and Politics in Singapore', Legislative Studies Quarterly 21 (2) (2002), p. 666.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ Diane K. Mauzy and R.S. Milne, Singapore Under the People's Action Party (London, 2002), p. 143.
  8. ^ a b Bilveer Singh, Politics and Governance in Singapore: An Introduction (Singapore, 2007), p. 172.
  9. ^ a b "The Report of the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee, 2025" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 March 2025. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
  1. ^ a b c d Polling districts AJ53, AJ54, CK01, CK02, EC42, HT40, JR47, MY14, PS11 and WE27 have to share polling stations near each other to optimise demand.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.