GE2025: WP, PSP and SDP to reveal election plans later after studying boundary changes

SINGAPORE - The confirmation of electoral boundaries is a critical part of election preparations and the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC) report contains some brief justifications for redrawing boundaries, the Workers’ Party (WP) said.

The WP, in a statement after

the EBRC report was released on March 11,

said these justifications include population growth of certain electoral districts.

“We note there are significant changes to areas where WP has been working consistently for the last few years,” it said, without naming the areas.

It added that it will share more information with the public in due course on the likely constituencies it will contest and its potential candidates.

The WP has been walking the ground in

at least eight constituencies,

including Tampines GRC and Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC.

Three polling districts in Tampines West, comprising 3,834 voters, will be moved from the WP-held Aljunied GRC to the People’s Action Party-held Tampines GRC in the upcoming general election.

Sengkang GRC and Hougang SMC – both held by the WP – were left largely intact after the latest redrawing of boundaries.

The Progress Singapore Party (PSP) said the EBRC has “somewhat disclosed more of the reasoning behind its decisions”, compared to its previous report in 2020.

However, it added that much of the EBRC’s decision-making remains unexplained, and the committee could have accounted for population shifts without making drastic changes to existing major electoral boundaries.

For instance, population changes in Hong Kah North SMC – with the development of the new Tengah estate – could have been dealt with by merging it with Yuhua SMC and Bukit Batok SMC to form a new GRC, said PSP.

Instead, population shifts were used to justify changing the electoral boundaries of Jurong GRC, West Coast GRC, Chua Chu Kang GRC, Tanjong Pagar GRC and Radin Mas SMC, it added.

PSP said it will study the report and make further announcements on where it will be contesting in the general election in due course.

PSP founder and chairman Tan Cheng Bock, who intends to contest the next election, had earlier said the party

expects West Coast GRC’s boundaries to change

before the polls. However, it will contest the seat regardless, he added.

The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) said it is “obviously disappointed” with the disappearance of Yuhua and Bukit Batok SMCs.

“It seems coincidental that this happened so soon after the highly successful fundraisers for the SDP campaign in Bukit Batok,” it said in a statement on March 11.

SDP secretary-general Chee Soon Juan had staked an early claim on Bukit Batok SMC in February, posting a video on his Facebook page about a fundraising dinner for the party’s Bukit Batok campaign.

SDP said: “The whole process of redrawing electoral boundaries lacks transparency, done without open discussion among stakeholders. We have had to contend with this for the last few decades.”

It added that it will press on and do its best to give Singaporeans the chance to vote for SDP candidates – men and women who will hold the Government accountable, it said.

SDP said it will have to study the details of all the changes carefully and consolidate its plans.

“While municipal issues are important, Singaporeans everywhere are hurting from the pressures associated with the rising cost of living and the Government’s inability to take meaningful action beyond simply handing out vouchers periodically,” it added.