SINGAPORE - There will be 13 Single-Member Constituencies (SMCs) in the next general election, up from 12 in the 2011 polls.
This is in line with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's request to the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee to have at least 12 SMCs in the coming election.
Two SMCs - Joo Chiat and Whampoa - have been merged into other constituencies.
Joo Chiat SMC, which saw a fierce electoral battle in 2011, is now part of Marine Parade GRC.
There was speculation before the release of the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee's report that Joo Chiat would be redrawn as it is the only constituency without any Housing Board flats within it.
There was also talk that Joo Chiat MP Charles Chong would be stepping down. The veteran People's Action Party (PAP) politician beat his Workers' Party (WP) challenger Yee Jenn Jong by a narrow margin of 2.04 per cent in 2011.
Whampoa, which was a new ward in 2011, is now part of Jalan Besar GRC.
PAP MP Heng Chee How beat Mr Ken Sun from the National Solidarity Party (NSP) comfortably with 66.1 per cent of the votes in the last election.
Three new SMCs have been created - Bukit Batok, Fengshan and MacPherson.
MacPherson SMC, which was absorbed by Marine Parade GRC in 2011, has made a comeback this time. First-term MP Tin Pei Ling is now the MP for MacPherson ward.
Fengshan SMC was formerly part of East Coast GRC, while in the west, Bukit Batok SMC has been carved out of Jurong GRC.
As expected, opposition-held wards Hougang and Punggol East, which are helmed by WP MPs, remain unchanged.
Contrary to speculation, Potong Pasir SMC, which was won by the PAP in 2011 after 27 years under veteran opposition leader Chiam See Tong, remains as well.
This is despite the ward having an estimated 17,389 voters, which is way below the range of 20,000 to 37,000 electors per MP for other constituencies.
It thus remains the smallest constituency in Singapore.
