General Election 2025

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When is the next Singapore GE? 3 reasons it’s too early for election fever​

There are several considerations that point to the polls being later rather than sooner. Just don’t make travel plans based on this.​

Jeremy Au Yong
Associate Editor (Newsroom Strategy)

The first and biggest reason for a GE in the new year is just how busy the calendar is for the remaining months of this year. PHOTO: ST FILE

May 12, 2024

We are now close enough to the deadline for a general election (GE) – one must be held by November 2025 – that almost every domestic political development sparks a question about the timing of the next GE. Every utterance and policy decision from key office-holders is dissected and analysed for clues that the proverbial button is about to be pressed.
The leadership handover which takes place in the coming week, for instance, had set off a round of tea-leaf reading. At the moment, many political watchers believe it will be sooner rather than later. The majority view – though not a consensus one – is that Singaporeans will likely go to the polls some time before the year is out, rather than in the new year.
There are very sound reasons for both timelines and, as everyone points out, only the prime minister can truly know the answer. But after considering all arguments, it is my belief – and it is purely a belief – that the circumstances point to a general election in 2025 rather than 2024.
A proviso is necessary at this stage. The reasoning I am about to go into is not founded on any special insider knowledge or insight into the new prime minister’s thinking. This is simply an educated guess. Do not make travel plans based on this.

A packed 2024 calendar​

The first and biggest reason for a GE in the new year is just how busy the calendar is for the remaining months of this year. There are very few available suitable time windows left, and those don’t seem very ideal either.
Let’s start with a process of elimination. Most observers have ruled out anything before September. Even in the event that the PM would like an election as soon as possible, it seems unlikely that one would take place before the National Day Rally speech at the end of August.
There are three major speeches in the Singapore political calendar which offer a leader a broad platform and an opportunity to make a mark: the Budget, typically in February; the May Day message; and the National Day Rally. When Mr Lawrence Wong takes over as prime minister on May 15, his next best opportunity to address the nation is at the National Day Rally.

It seems unlikely he would pass up that opportunity, never mind that an election before that would also feel quite rushed. While not impossible, none of the typical milestones one might expect to have been completed before an election in the next three months – training of election officials and the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee report – are ready.
Traditionally, polls have also tended to avoid the end-of-year school holidays, which run from mid-November to January the following year. Then there are the peak school exam periods that start after the September school holidays and run through October. As schools are used as nomination centres and polling centres, and many teachers are appointed as election officials, this crunch time for schools also tends to be avoided.
There is also a need to avoid the major international summits that take place in October and November like the Asean Summit, Apec Summit and G-20 Summit. While skipping them is an option, it is unlikely that Singapore would not want to turn up at the first suite of major international meetings after its 4G leadership takes over.

For those keeping track, that leaves us with about a week or so at the start of September and the first two weeks of November.
An early September election likely means that Singapore will be in election mode for much of its National Day festivities in August. The writ of election will likely have to be issued before the National Day Rally, placing the country very much in campaign mode for that speech. Indeed, last year’s presidential election was held under such circumstances – Nomination Day took place two days after the Rally. But the presidential election is very different in nature to a general election. A GE campaign is a far more divisive affair.

An election in early November thus seems the most viable of the remaining 2024 windows, with the only issue being that the campaign will overlap significantly with a closely watched US presidential election on Nov 5. No prior general election here has coincided with a US presidential election.
None of these strikeouts are definitive, of course. Past general elections have taken place across many different months, including those regarded as non-ideal.
There can be many compelling reasons that can override those considerations. Yet, beyond reasons why holding an election before the end of the year poses challenges, it might be strategic to wait till the new year.

Giving the 4G time to establish itself​

If Mr Wong calls an election before the end of 2024, the seven-month gap between the handover and the GE will be the shortest one in the country’s history.
Granted, this is not a large dataset. When Mr Goh Chok Tong became PM in November 1990, he called a snap election nine months later, in August 1991. This was just three years after the 1988 election. When PM Lee Hsien Loong took office in August 2004, he waited nearly two years, until May 2006, to hold an election.
It is true that because the current handover is taking place later on in an election term than either of the previous two, the difference between the soonest practical time an election can be held and the latest is a matter of months. But an argument can be made that every little bit makes a difference.
For example, holding an election in March 2025 would give the new PM one more national speech – the Budget – to make his mark. Push it back to May, and he will have the May Day message too.
On the flipside, holding a GE within a few months of the new Cabinet being sworn in next week runs the risk of having the election being perceived as one anchored more on the achievements of the 3G. Fairly or unfairly, an election held so soon after the handover – before the new leadership core has had time to chalk up more accomplishments to campaign on – might be viewed as more of a “thank you 3G” election than about the 4G. Mr Wong’s Forward SG exercise has given us some indications of what the 4G leadership is like, but awareness of the contents of that exercise, outside the most politically engaged, remains relatively low.
That’s not to say that past achievements should not play a part in an election. The Government’s long track record is always part of the campaign. And in fact, even taking this into account, it still might make sense to hold the election in 2025.

Feel-good factor​

Next year, Singapore will mark 60 years since independence. There have been no announcements yet, but one can assume there will be a host of SG60 commemorative events and activities. It will likely not be on the same scale as the SG50 festivities in 2015, but I am guessing there will be a fair amount of nostalgia and national celebration.
It is hard to quantify the magnitude of the impact of such things on an election, but after the PAP’s strong showing at the 2015 General Election, many had attributed it to the halo effect around the SG50 celebrations as well as the groundswell of patriotism and national pride in the wake of founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew’s death.
The historical milestone of SG60 could create a national environment just that little bit more conducive to a pro-establishment vote. They could follow the SG50 playbook in terms of the sort of policies and goodies announced in the Budget. A more minor consideration is that a decision to forgo an election during the SG60 year might make scheduling a SG70 or SG80 election more complex, as the normal five-year rhythm of elections will no longer coincide with milestone anniversaries.
So those are the three reasons why an election is more likely in 2025. The calendar is packed, the new leadership needs some time to settle in, and there are some advantages to having one later rather than sooner.

The reason for a 2024 election​

The broad view from political observers who think an election is likely sooner rather than later boils down to needing to secure a mandate for the new leadership.
With the global uncertainties in recent months on issues like the Middle East, Ukraine and the world economy, as well as some concerns about possible violence around the US presidential election, many are of the opinion that the prime minister might not want to wait too long before seeking a mandate.
As SMU associate professor of law Eugene Tan told my colleague: “In other words, to put in place the government for the next five years before things spiral downwards.
“This will enable Singaporeans to be clear-eyed about the issues and challenges, and determine who should represent them in Parliament and which party should form the government.”
On this front, I also agree that a GE on a more accelerated timeline becomes likely, should there be indications that global tensions are about to take a turn for the worse.
The one through-line I see between the arguments for a GE in 2024 and one in 2025 is that the country should not spend too much time in election mode.
This means either hold the GE as soon as possible and get it out of the way, or, and this is the position I am advocating: Given the likelihood that the election will only be next year, for now, let’s all keep calm and carry on.

 

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Will S’pore have a GE in September? Possible but window narrowing, analysts say​

The Elections Department said that as at June 3, the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee had not been convened. PHOTO: ST FILE

Tham Yuen-C
Senior Political Correspondent

Jun 04, 2024

SINGAPORE – Speculation has been rife that the next general election may be called as early as September, but the first step to the polls has not been taken, with the committee that sets out the battleground still not formed.
As at June 3, the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC) had not been convened, said the Elections Department (ELD) in response to a query from The Straits Times.
The move has typically been seen as the surest signal that an election is in the offing.
There has been chatter that an election could be called in 2024 ever since Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong passed the baton to Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on May 15.
In particular, the timeline of the handover has stoked predictions of a possible September election, as it means that PM Wong would have the platform of the National Day Rally in August – one of the major political speeches of the year – where he can lay out his vision and rally the people.
If an election is to be held in 2024, September also provides a window before the busy exam period for schools, which are often used as nomination centres and polling centres, and teachers, who are usually recruited as polling agents. The school holiday runs from Aug 31 to Sept 8 in 2024.
All this has prompted questions about whether a September election is imminent, and there is even a WhatsApp message circulating with claims that the poll will be held on Sept 6.

While political analysts are not ruling out September – they believe there is still time for the EBRC to review boundaries in time for an election then – they also note that the window is narrowing.
Although there is no law mandating the committee’s formation, Singapore’s prime ministers have, since independence in 1965, appointed it to review electoral boundaries before the polls.
The committee, typically made up of civil servants from the Singapore Land Authority, Housing Board, Department of Statistics and ELD, is tasked with drawing up group representation constituencies and single-member constituencies based on terms of reference set out by the prime minister.

In recent decades it has been chaired by the Cabinet secretary, who heads the team providing administrative support to the Cabinet, and has comprised five members.
During SM Lee’s tenure as prime minister, the committee’s formation had always been announced. However, this was not the practice historically and there is no requirement for prime ministers to announce its formation.
Under prime ministers Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong, the fact that the committee had been set up was kept under wraps until its report was released.
The committee took between two and seven months to do its work ahead of the past four general elections in 2006, 2011, 2015 and 2020 being called.
There is no minimum time prescribed for the committee to complete its work, and analysts say it is technically possible for the committee to put out its report for a September election, if the relevant data it needs, such as population shifts, are already available.

Singapore last updated its voter rolls in July 2023, two months before the Presidential Election that year. Recently, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong directed that the Registers of Electors be revised before July 31, 2024.
These updates ensure the committee has the latest population numbers to work with when deliberating on the boundaries of the constituencies.
National University of Singapore (NUS) Associate Professor of Sociology Tan Ern Ser said: “If the relevant data is already available, I don’t see why the electoral map can’t be ready by end-July, if the EBRC is convened by early June.”
Former MP Inderjit Singh reckons the committee can even complete its task within as short a time as a month.
However, Singapore Management University (SMU) Associate Professor of Law Eugene Tan said the committee’s terms of reference could affect how long it needs to do its work.
For instance, if PM Wong directs that the average size of GRCs for the next general election be significantly smaller than what it was in 2020, the committee might need more time, said Prof Tan.
He added: “Should a September 2024 (general election) be held, the EBRC could be convened this month or July, assuming it can complete its work in four to eight weeks.”
Once the electoral divisions are mapped out, the committee submits its report to the prime minister, who then has to accept the report and send it to Parliament. The changes are then gazetted, and this is when political parties and the public come to know of the new electoral boundaries.

In past elections, prime ministers have waited between 17 days and six months from the release of the report to Polling Day. Under Mr Lee Hsien Loong, this time lag ranged from 49 to 119 days.
Citing examples of past elections when Parliament was dissolved just days after the committee’s report was published – in 2001 it was one day, and in 1991 it was six days – Mr Singh said there was “every possibility of a snap election being called (in September)”.
NUS’ Prof Tan also reckons PM Wong and his fourth-generation team of political leaders would want to secure their own mandate, and the legitimacy that comes with it, as soon as possible.
To this end, a September election makes sense as it follows a month of events in August – such as National Day on Aug 9 and the National Day Rally later in the month – aimed at “strengthening our sense of being a nation, having a common purpose, (and keeping) Singapore flying high, if not higher”, he said.
“In short, the team has already been around. It is not on the runway, it is already flying, with sufficient tailwinds,” he added.

Meanwhile, SMU’s Prof Tan said that while it is “within the realm of possibility” to convene the committee in the next few weeks and for the election to be held in September, he does not think this is on the cards.
“I would be surprised if a (general election) is held this year. Unless the external environment deteriorates rapidly in the rest of this year, a (general election) is more likely after Budget 2025,” he added.
He noted that a big unknown is how conflicts around the world might affect the global and Singapore economies and security situation.
PM Wong, who is also Finance Minister, will deliver the Budget statement, which usually happens in February.
The decision on when to call an election also hinges on other factors, said SMU’s Prof Tan, such as “when is the best time for the People’s Action Party’s (PAP) report card to be placed before voters”, and whether the ruling party is ready for an electoral battle.
This means turning down the heat on hot-button issues such as cost of living, housing affordability and job insecurities, among other things, as well as making sure that the party has the best slate possible, he added.
All this will affect the public mood, he noted.
“So determining when the public mood is most favourable to the PAP will shape the decision of when to go to the polls.”
He added: “PM Wong is not, and should not be, in a hurry to seek a mandate. Rather, he needs time to make a strong case for a strong mandate.
“He needs time to put flesh on his vision of Singapore under his premiership and will seek to use the series of key platforms to articulate his vision, get Singaporeans enthused, even excited.”

 

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Announce all the goodies.

Up to 20,000 homes planned for Turf City, including first Bukit Timah HDB flats in almost 40 years​

An artist's impression of a repurposed grandstand in Bukit Timah Turf City, with a central open space in front of it. PHOTO: URBAN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

Ng Keng Gene
Correspondent

May 24, 2024

SINGAPORE – The first public housing units in Bukit Timah in about 40 years will be built in Turf City, as part of plans to develop 15,000 to 20,000 new homes on the former racecourse site over the next two to three decades.
The upcoming estate will be “inclusive and highly accessible”, with both public and private housing, said Minister for National Development Desmond Lee on May 23 at The URA Centre, where he launched an exhibition showcasing plans for Bukit Timah Turf City.
Mr Lee said the addition of public homes in Bukit Timah will meet “the growing aspirations among Singaporeans to live closer to their workplaces in the city”.
The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) said the new estate will be car-lite, pedestrian-friendly and well-served by public transport, with good walking and cycling connections.
Future residents will be within a 10-minute walk of either of two MRT stations – Sixth Avenue on the Downtown Line or Turf City on the upcoming Cross Island Line. Mr Lee said the latter will be completed in 2032.
URA said the estate will be developed over time, starting with areas closer to existing transport nodes along Dunearn Road – where Sixth Avenue MRT station is located.
Between 1933 and 1999, Bukit Timah Turf City was Singapore’s second racecourse, before the Turf Club relocated to Kranji to ease traffic congestion in the area.

The 176ha Bukit Timah site has been largely zoned for residential use since URA’s 1998 masterplan, and was leased out for interim lifestyle and recreational uses until end-2023.

The site was used for interim lifestyle and recreational uses until end-2023. PHOTO: ST FILE
To accommodate an anticipated growth in traffic as the estate is developed, road improvement works will be carried out in Dunearn Road, Bukit Timah Road and Eng Neo Avenue, URA said.
“Agencies are also studying the technical feasibility and environmental impact of implementing a new exit ramp from PIE, towards Tuas, as an alternative access to the site and to facilitate the distribution of traffic in the area,” it added.

Responding to queries, the Land Transport Authority said studies will be conducted on widening Eng Neo Avenue to three lanes in each direction from two lanes now, and improving existing junctions along Dunearn Road and Bukit Timah Road.
URA said most amenities, such as shops, community and recreational facilities and parks, will be within a 10-minute walk of future homes in the estate.
Fewer parking spaces will be provided to “prioritise space for public amenities, greenery and housing”, in line with plans to make the estate car-lite, URA added.

As part of planning for the site, two studies – one assessing future developments’ impact on heritage, and the other the impact on the environment of the area – were conducted.
Key strategies to minimise future developments’ impact include potentially keeping 27 heritage buildings and structures in the estate, as well as retaining most of Eng Neo Avenue Forest and Bukit Tinggi. Studies had found that these two forested areas house flora and fauna species of conservation significance.
To respect the surrounding environment, said URA, new developments will have to adhere to urban design guidelines, such as keeping building heights lower when they are located near key heritage buildings, green spaces and existing low-rise housing areas.

Centrally located areas within the estate, such as those closer to MRT stations, will be used for high-rise housing to allow more to live near transport nodes, said URA.
Based on URA’s conceptual plans, four distinctive neighbourhoods are likely to be built in Bukit Timah Turf City, “each featuring new public spaces integrated with existing landscape and heritage buildings to reflect their unique characters while promoting community bonding”.
The estate and its neighbourhoods have been given working names, and Mr Lee invited the public to suggest names for them.
The first, Racecourse Neighbourhood, will be anchored by two historic grandstands and a new central open space reminiscent of the racecourse’s original racetracks.

An artist’s impression of the possible view from the North Grandstand in the future. PHOTO: URBAN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
This neighbourhood will be Bukit Timah Turf City’s civic heart, and provide “a wide variety of large-scale sports, recreational, commercial and community amenities” within a five-minute walk of Turf City MRT station.
Stables Commune, the second neighbourhood located near Dunearn Road, will include former workers’ quarters and stables that will house small-scale lifestyle offerings. It will “take after the existing street character of Bukit Timah Road”, said URA.
The third neighbourhood, Saddle Club Knolls, will “be defined by its undulating terrain and surrounding forests”.
Here, the former Bukit Timah Saddle Club and its surrounding landscape will be a lifestyle node, while the old Fairways Quarters could host family-friendly activities.

An artist’s impression of the old Fairways Quarters when repurposed. PHOTO: URBAN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
The last neighbourhood, Tinggi Hills, located within former golf course land, will have homes with good views of the Central Catchment Nature Reserve and Bukit Tinggi.
Holland-Bukit Timah GRC MP Sim Ann, whose Bukit Timah ward includes the former Turf City site, said at the exhibition launch that while the plans to develop the area are not a surprise to residents, the addition of public housing may draw mixed reactions among them.
“Some would welcome it because they would see it as an opportunity for more affordable housing options,” she said, adding that this could allow younger residents to live near their parents.
Others, she said, may “need time to digest this change, because it is after all a change in the neighbourhood”.
Citing the Toh Yi Gardens neighbourhood in Upper Bukit Timah – its 19 HDB blocks had 99-year leases commencing in the late 1980s – Ms Sim, who is Senior Minister of State for National Development, said residents living nearby would be able to picture what having more public housing would look like.
But for residents around Turf City, “it may take some time for them to grapple with this and also to digest this announcement”.
With the planned injection of high-density housing, residents can look forward to publicly funded amenities that would otherwise not be available in less densely populated areas, she said.
Sociologist Ho Kong Chong, an associate professor and head of studies for Yale-NUS College’s urban studies programme, said that with Singapore’s fourth-generation leaders pushing for greater inclusivity in society, “that process must work at the level of housing”.
He noted that inclusivity in housing can be achieved at two levels – first with the integration of rental and sold flats in the same block, and then, at the broader level, by introducing diversity into neighbourhoods.
Given Bukit Timah’s size and its high concentration of private residences, said Prof Ho, the area is prime for greater social diversity to be introduced.
“The infrastructure is right, and it has a great bus network now supplemented by the MRT system,” he added, referring to the Downtown Line, which had its Bukit Timah stretch open in 2015.
On concerns that existing residents may not take well to the injection of public housing, Prof Ho said studies have shown that Singaporeans have a high openness towards diversity – which the country’s multicultural society has helped foster.
URA said its plans for Bukit Timah Turf City have been shaped by “extensive” engagement with residents, heritage and nature groups over the last few years, as well as feedback garnered since the October 2023 launch of public engagement for the upcoming draft masterplan, to be unveiled in 2025.

Senior Minister of State Sim Ann (centre) and National Development Minister Desmond Lee touring the Bukit Timah Turf City exhibition at the URA Centre, on May 23, 2024. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
The masterplan guides Singapore’s development over the next 10 to 15 years.
The agency said that during engagement with existing residents in nearby estates, many said they look forward to better connectivity in the area and more retail and community amenities.
URA also cited a collaboration with nature groups to improve connectivity for Malayan colugos within the site – allowing them to move safely from one place to another – as one of the outcomes of its engagements.
On the heritage front, the agency engaged former workers and residents of Singapore Turf Club to document their work and anecdotes, with discussions yielding suggestions on the provision of amenities and communal spaces.
The Bukit Timah Turf City exhibition at The URA Centre in Maxwell Road will run till July 23, and the public can share feedback on the plans through this feedback form.

 

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Traffic Police starts to clamp down on errant motorcyclists from Malaysia only before the General Elections.

25 errant motorcyclists nabbed by traffic police at Tuas Checkpoint​

The offenders were caught after about 400 motorcyclists were checked at the land checkpoint, the police said on May 26. PHOTO: SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE

Carmen Sin

May 26, 2024

SINGAPORE – Twenty-five errant motorcyclists were arrested on May 16 for flouting traffic laws in an enforcement operation by the traffic police at Tuas Checkpoint.
The offenders – aged between 18 and 38 – were caught after about 400 motorcyclists were checked at the land checkpoint, the police said on May 26.
The motorists were arrested for offences such as driving without a valid licence and using a motor vehicle without insurance.
A 21-year-old man was arrested for permitting another person to ride a motorcycle without a valid licence and permitting another to use a vehicle without insurance coverage.
Those found guilty of driving without a valid driving licence may be fined up to $10,000, jailed for up to three years, or both. Repeat offenders face a fine of up to $20,000, jail for up to six years, or both.
The vehicle may also be forfeited.
If found guilty of using a motor vehicle without insurance coverage, offenders may be fined up to $1,000, jailed for up to three months, or both.


For permitting another person to drive without a valid licence, offenders may be fined up to $10,000, jailed for up to three years, or both.
The offence of permitting another person to use a motor vehicle without insurance coverage carries a fine of up to $1,000, a jail term of up to three months, or both.
Earlier in March, 21 motorcyclists were arrested and 70 summonses were issued after an enforcement operation by the authorities near the Woodlands Checkpoint.

 

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Enforcement is stepped up only because the General Elections are coming.

10 PABs and brakeless bikes seized in enforcement operations against errant riders: LTA​

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Operations by the Land Transport Authority against errant riders were carried out at AMK Hub, Waterway Point and The Seletar Mall on May 24, 2024. PHOTOS: LAND TRANSPORT AUTHORITY

Elaine Lee

May 27, 2024

SINGAPORE - Ten power-assisted bicycles (PABs) and brakeless bicycles were seized during an islandwide enforcement operation by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on May 24.
In response to The Straits Times’ queries on May 27, LTA said operations were carried out at AMK Hub, Waterway Point and The Seletar Mall.
It added that the offences by riders included riding their PABs on footpaths, riding and keeping an unregistered PAB, tampering the seal on a PAB, riding brakeless bicycles and failure to attach a registration number plate.
“LTA conducts daily operations islandwide to enforce against errant active mobility users and to educate users on active mobility rules and guidelines,” said the authority, adding that those who breach its regulations will be dealt with.
It reminded active mobility users to comply with regulations put in place to ensure everyone’s safety.
“These include riding their devices in a safe manner and on the proper path or road, staying within the speed limit and ensuring their devices comply with our requirements,” it said.
There were 5,228 active mobility offences recorded in 2023. This is a fall of about 35 per cent from the 8,014 offences in 2021, and a 25 per cent drop from the 6,996 recorded in 2022, according to LTA data.

The top three offences were riding an electric bicycle or a motorised personal mobility device on footpaths, using a non-compliant active mobility device on a public path, and riding an e-bike or an e-scooter without a mandatory theory test certificate.

 

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PAP will engage more widely with S’poreans; to create 2 new groups on mental health, climate change​

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (centre) greets guests at #refreshPAP held at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre on June 8, 2024. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
Wong Pei Ting
Correspondent

Jun 09, 2024

SINGAPORE – The ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) has promised to engage more widely with Singaporeans, including through new channels, to foster two-way dialogue.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on June 8 that the PAP will create two new groups within the party to address cross-cutting issues of mental health and climate change, while he will personally do more in his public communications.
The party will also step up its engagement efforts through its government parliamentary committees (GPCs) – party organs organised along ministry lines – he said at an event to cap a six-month exercise to refresh and strengthen the PAP.
PAP MPs want to engage not just within the party but also with wider community groups and stakeholders, PM Wong told a 400-strong crowd of party activists and partners at the event at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre.
This is so that the PAP can better represent Singaporeans’ views, and have more effective discussions and debates in Parliament, said PM Wong, who is also the party’s deputy secretary-general.
While the PAP has various groups such as its Women’s Wing, Young PAP and PAP Seniors Group which actively engage their respective communities, PM Wong said the key challenges facing Singapore increasingly cut across traditional demographic lines.
Thus, the party will set up a new mental health group to be led by Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information and Health Janil Puthucheary, and a climate action group under Senior Minister of State for Manpower and Sustainability and the Environment Koh Poh Koon.

“These happen to be, amongst other things, two key national issues and also priorities for the PAP Government,” said PM Wong.
“As a party, we want to use these groups to better engage our activists and also all stakeholders, be it healthcare professionals, environmental groups, community organisations or individuals.”
The climate action group will integrate efforts under the PAP’s Action for Green Towns initiative – which has been rolled out at all 15 PAP town councils – and take on board the Young PAP’s 2020 position paper to advance the vision of Singapore as a green hub.

The mental health group, meanwhile, builds on a 2022 mental health survey by the Young PAP which found a strong public call for increased mental health support.
PM Wong urged people with views and ideas on these issues to join the two groups in their deliberations, so that the PAP Government’s policies and plans in these areas are better informed.
Those who join need not be party activists, he stressed. “You may be just a citizen with an interest in these issues – join the groups too,” he said. “We will engage you, involve you in our deliberations and discussions...”
The PAP said it will also pave the way for its GPCs to give greater voice to Singaporeans as their proxies in the House.
GPCs are an existing set-up within the PAP where certain MPs are assigned scopes carved out along broad ministry clusters, such as trade and industry, and national development.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said People’s Action Party MPs want to engage not just within the party but also with wider community groups and stakeholders. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
They were set up by the PAP to scrutinise legislation and programmes of various ministries and to let its MPs give feedback to the Government, said Leader of the House Indranee Rajah during a parliamentary debate in March.
Ministries do not have to brief GPCs, but can choose to do so when they want to seek the GPCs’ input, she added.
PM Wong said: “Our MPs will step up their engagements through the GPCs – we want to engage not just our own activists, but also wider community groups and stakeholders.”

PAP will communicate better: PM Wong​

PM Wong said one area where the PAP gets a lot of feedback is the need to communicate better.
As the party in government, some of its outreach is government communications, such as to explain public policies, he noted.
“But as a political party, we too need to have our own effective communication channels – we cannot just rely on the civil service or Government to communicate policies,” he said.
The PAP will learn and improve on this aspect, he said, adding: “I too will strive to do more, and do it better.”
He said he will meet the media more regularly to address issues of the day and the thinking behind certain policies, and will continue to make use of various social media platforms to reach out to more Singaporeans.
He also promised to conduct more visits on the ground to engage Singaporeans in person and garner their feedback.
On meeting the media more regularly, PM Wong pointed out that during the Covid-19 pandemic, he met the press almost every other day.
While remarking that he does not intend to do this since “there is no crisis”, he said: “I think having some more regular sessions with the media through press conferences can be useful to explain our thinking and why we are implementing certain policies.”
At the party level, the PAP will do more through digital channels to amplify its outreach, on top of relying on more traditional modes such as market walkabouts, house visits and dialogues, he said.
Recognising that good communication is two-way, PM Wong said he wants to hear Singaporeans’ views and suggestions – anything from policy suggestions to feedback on how the party can serve each neighbourhood better.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has promised to conduct more visits on the ground to engage Singaporeans face to face and garner their feedback. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG

‘A party for all Singaporeans’​

Another of the party’s priorities is to strengthen its networks and harness collective expertise for a better Singapore, said PM Wong.
The PAP strives to be a national movement for Singapore and Singaporeans and not just a political party, he said.
This means the party must keep its doors open to anyone prepared to make common cause, whether or not they are prepared to don party colours.
Thus, while its activists are the backbone of the party, PM Wong said he wants to grow the existing Friends of the PAP network.
Gesturing to some in the audience on June 8, he said: “You may not be prepared to wear white (on) white, and that’s fine. But as long as you’re prepared to make common cause with the party, and work with us to build a better Singapore, we welcome you, and we thank you for your support.”
These friends and partners could be corporate organisations, social service organisations or individuals, as long as they see their purpose as working with the PAP to build a better Singapore, he said.
The exercise to refresh the PAP was announced by PM Wong at the party’s Awards and Convention in November 2023. Led by Minister for National Development Desmond Lee – who is also the PAP’s assistant secretary-general – and other fourth-generation leaders, the exercise involved the participation of more than 2,300 party activists across its branches.
Wrapping up his speech, PM Wong noted that 2024 is the PAP’s 70th anniversary, and the party has continually updated how it does things over the years while keeping one thing constant.
“We are always a party that serves the people, that puts the interests of Singaporeans first,” he said. “We are also a party of action. It’s not just about words, but deeds, and we are a party that will always strive to make life better for all Singaporeans.”

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Exercise to refresh PAP not undertaken because of GE, says Desmond Lee​

PAP assistant secretary-general Desmond Lee said the Refresh PAP exercise was driven by the need to adapt to a fast-changing environment. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG

Tham Yuen-C
Senior Political Correspondent

Jun 08, 2024

SINGAPORE – The People’s Action Party wants to recruit more widely as Singapore becomes more diverse, and it hopes to attract activists and even potential candidates who come from a broader cross-section of Singapore, said PAP assistant secretary-general Desmond Lee about the move to refresh the party.
The Refresh PAP exercise was also driven by the need to adapt to a fast-changing environment, and not sparked by the upcoming general election, he added.
Mr Lee was responding to questions from journalists about whether the ruling party’s exercise to refresh itself was undertaken to prepare for the upcoming general election, due by November 2025.
The Refresh PAP exercise, which took place over the past six months, culminated in Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s promise at an event on June 8 for the party to engage more widely and communicate better with Singaporeans.
“The preparation to win the hearts and minds of Singaporeans, to persuade them of the many things that we need to do under Forward Singapore, persuading them about the trade-offs that we need to address in order to put Singapore in a sustainable, forward-looking posture are things that are done the very day after the last GE,” Mr Lee told reporters at the Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre. “It’s not that this is the beginning of the process.”
Instead, the exercise is part of the party’s efforts to better communicate with Singaporeans, and also to better organise itself internally, “to be able to embrace and encompass a greater diversity of aspirations, goals and needs within this broader tent of the PAP”.
This is because greater diversity means not only opportunity for progress but also the potential for new fault lines as well as old ones to surface, for which both the Government and the party must hone their skills to converse and help the people to converge on a decision with give and take, he said.

Internally, this means bringing “more diverse voices into the party as activists and certainly... to look out for people who can serve Singaporeans in different capacities, including, if appropriate, as candidates”, said Mr Lee.
Externally, the party is also looking to better meet the concerns of Singaporeans, and a major move to this end is the formation of two new groups within the party focused on mental health and climate action.
Mr Lee said these two issues came to the fore during the Refresh PAP exercise, and also over the years in conversations with activists and Singaporeans.

While the party’s MPs have already been championing causes in these two areas, the new groups, to be set up in the coming months, will allow PAP to better focus its efforts, he said.

PM Lawrence Wong (front, second from right) and PAP assistant secretary-general Desmond Lee (front, right) cheering with other party members, activists and guests at an event to cap the Refresh PAP exercise on June 8. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information and Health Janil Puthucheary, who will chair the mental health group, said the group is looking to bring together all those in different domains, whether it is the health, social, or community space, and to consult widely with those with expertise so that “what we push for is informed by good science”.
West Coast GRC MP Rachel Ong, who co-chairs the group, said one of the things it is looking at is lowering the age of consent to 18 for those who need mental health services, as well as more support for young people between the ages of 14 and 16.
The group is also looking into how to ensure equitable insurance coverage, as those diagnosed with mental health issues are typically not covered by insurance.
Ultimately, the PAP hopes to make common cause with those who care about these issues to inform its policy work and so that it makes better policies, said Mr Lee.

The party’s refreshing comes amid the fourth-generation political team’s ongoing work to enact the plans in its Forward Singapore exercise, which seeks to renew the social compact as society becomes more diverse and the external environment more challenging.
To accomplish this, the PAP must ensure that the party itself is future-ready, energised and better able to organise itself and communicate with Singaporeans, said Mr Lee.
A common consensus that has emerged through this engagement with 2,300 activists, friends and partners is also a desire for the PAP to remain a pan-national movement which unites Singaporeans, said Mr Lee.
“We don’t cater to specific demographic groups, we don’t cater to specific ethnic groups,” he said.
“We want to cater to all Singaporeans, and we want to continue to be seen by Singaporeans and be felt by Singaporeans as a pan-national movement, where all Singaporeans can get represented, and their interests are addressed.”

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Singapore tries to shore up disillusioned middle class before election

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong grapples with cost of living pains in post-Lee future

Singapore’s National Day rally is traditionally an opportunity for the prime minister to outline domestic policy plans, but Lawrence Wong this year used his first address to sound an uncharacteristically ominous tone.

“We have seen what happens in other countries when the broad middle falls behind,” said Wong, who took office in May as Singapore’s fourth prime minister and only the second not from the founding Lee family.

“The centre does not hold. Societies begin to fracture and collapse.”

“Do not assume this cannot happen here,” he added. “It can — and it will — unless we take decisive actions to prevent it.”

Wong’s warning this month reflected the government’s concerns about the political implications of rising living costs ahead of an election that must take place by November 2025 and will initiate a post-Lee political era.

The increased disillusionment of Singapore’s middle class, under pressure from high housing prices, threatens the fragile consensus that has underpinned the city-state’s growth and stability for decades, analysts said.

“The top is not very big, but the middle is huge here,” said Gillian Koh at the National University of Singapore’s Institute of Policy Studies. “It’s core to [the government]’s interests to ensure there is a broad, strong, healthy, stable middle class.”

Economic sentiment has dominated public opinion. According to the latest quarterly survey in June by local pollster Blackbox Research, 52 per cent of respondents said cost of living was the issue that mattered most, followed by salaries and wages, at 16 per cent. Immigration, often a hot-button political issue in the city-state of 6mn, came in at just 5 per cent.

Singapore is generally lauded as an economic success. It ranks fifth in the world in GDP per head, according to the IMF, trailing the likes of Luxembourg and Switzerland. And despite Singapore’s free-market reputation, more than 80 per cent of its resident population lives in public housing, according to government figures. But not everyone has kept pace with rising prosperity.

“Nobody in Singapore is going to die of hunger, but there are food insecurities,” said Robin Lee, chief executive of charity Food from the Heart, which in 2023 fed about 60,000 low-income individuals.

“It is shocking for some people that in a country like Singapore we still have to do this.”

Heading into an election, “definitely cost of living hangs in the mind”, he said.

“It is really, really high, and even though wages are also high, it’s relative.”

Singapore’s ruling People’s Action party — which has governed the tightly controlled country continuously since 1959 — is battling these economic challenges as it faces falling vote shares, including in the 2020 election, when the opposition made significant inroads.

The PAP’s dominance is such that even the opposition Workers’ party bridles at the suggestion of winning power. Its leader, Pritam Singh, demanded a correction to an April article in the Straits Times that suggested his party aspired to form a government, clarifying that its medium-term goal was merely to “play our part in ensuring at least one-third of parliament is not in the PAP’s hands”.

“The WP seeks an evolution, not a revolution of our political system,” he said. With the PAP all but certain to prevail in the polls — and Wong to remain prime minister — he faces the challenge of winning over a disenchanted electorate following a transition from the Lees. Wong was tapped by the party after Lee Hsien Loong, the son of founding leader Lee Kuan Yew, stepped down as prime minister in May, having led the city-state since 2004. Lee Hsien Loong has stayed on in government as a senior minister and secretary-general of the PAP, following his father’s example.

Wong, who was principal private secretary to Lee Hsien Loong before holding a host of ministerial appointments, has highlighted his ordinary-man credentials, often referencing his non-elite schooling, in a bid to appeal to ordinary Singaporeans. His rally speech included a series of handouts and populist pledges, including support for unemployed people to study or reskill, policies to maintain the affordability of public housing, improved shared parental leave and upskilling allowances covering 24 months of full-time training for Singaporeans aged 40 and above. The 2024 budget announced in February also includes a S$1.9bn (US$1.5bn) expansion of the government’s cost of living adjustment system of vouchers, cash payouts and rebates.

Wong’s government has also pledged to develop an Islamic studies institute to support Muslim leaders and another to improve standards of spoken Mandarin — initiatives that reflect attention to maintaining harmony among Singapore’s multi-ethnic population, which is 15 per cent Malay, 7.6 per cent Indian and 75 per cent Chinese.

With a severe reliance on imports, Singapore has limited scope to reduce costs, but recent economic data has pointed to a brightening picture. Core annual inflation in July fell to 2.5 per cent, the lowest level in more than two years, while non-oil exports grew 15.7 per cent year on year, the first annual climb since January. The Monetary Authority of Singapore, which Wong chaired until May, has maintained the currency’s strength around 10-year highs against the US dollar, partly to keep down the cost of imported goods. This focus on affordability, more than tensions over foreign workers or balancing US-China geopolitical frictions, appears to be an imperative for Wong. “It is something the government needs to address very carefully,” said Robin Lee of Food from the Heart.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

When will GE be called? Still a lot of work to be done domestically, externally, says PM Wong​

There has been speculation that the upcoming general election, due by November 2025, may be called this year. PHOTO: ST FILE

Tham Yuen-C
Senior Political Correspondent

Jun 12, 2024

KUALA LUMPUR – There is still a lot of work to be done domestically and externally to take Singapore forward, and the general election will be called at an appropriate time, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on June 12.
He was responding to a question on whether people should expect a general election this year, during an interview with the Singapore media on his introductory visits to Brunei and Malaysia on June 11 and 12.
Since PM Wong took office in May, there has been speculation that the upcoming general election, due by November 2025, may be called this year – as early as September.
The first step on the road to an election is the formation of a committee to review electoral boundaries. In early June, the Elections Department said the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC) had not been convened.
On June 12, PM Wong said: “Eventually, at the time that we decide it’s appropriate, and an election has to be called, people will know. Same for the EBRC. Eventually, when it is convened and it has done its work, people will know, and then I suppose everyone will get ready for the elections.
“But for now, there’s still a lot of work to be done, both for our own domestic agenda and also for me… to engage with our external partners and to take Singapore forward.”
On whether his busy schedule means that there may not be an election this year, PM Wong ticked off the dates of major international summits that will take place in the second half of the year.

They include meetings such as the Asean Summit in Laos from Oct 6 to 11, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Peru from Nov 13 to 15, and the Group of 20 Summit in Brazil from Nov 18 to 19.
“Well, the calendar is quite clear. These meetings are not secret meetings… You know when they are held in the calendar this year,” PM Wong said.
“So you can already mark out which are the dates when I will be busy, when I will be away, and which are the dates when I will be in Singapore,” he added.
“So it’s really for people to speculate.”

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

PM Lawrence Wong to visit various constituencies over coming months​

PM Lawrence Wong (centre) with residents at the Tampines Learning Festival 2024, held at Tampines Community Plaza on June 15. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO

Kok Yufeng
Transport Correspondent

Jun 16, 2024

SINGAPORE - A month after being sworn in to the top post, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong says he plans to visit different constituencies across the island over the coming months to meet as many Singaporeans as he can.
Kicking off this series of visits with an appearance at a community event in Tampines on June 15, PM Wong said his decision is not tied to a political calendar, when asked if he intends to complete his rounds before the next general election. This is due to be held by November 2025.
“All of you know that I’ve just started my introductory visits to countries abroad. I think it’s equally, if not more, important for me to also visit our own districts in Singapore,” he told the media on the sidelines of the Tampines Learning Festival held at Tampines Community Plaza.
“My purpose is really to engage and listen to Singaporeans directly. So through the visits, I hope to meet as many Singaporeans as possible.
“If you have feedback on policies, ideas on making your neighbourhood better, I would like to hear these ideas from you.”
He added: “If you have ground-up initiatives and projects to advance, I too would like to hear from you. And we want to support you, cooperate, collaborate and work together.
“Of course, within the Government, there are already existing platforms for us to engage Singaporeans. But I think it’s important for me, as a new PM, to be present and spend time on the ground, not just in my own constituency but across all of Singapore.”

Asked if he could give a sense of how long he would need to make these constituency visits, PM Wong said he is still working out the schedule.
“I will try to cover as many as I can,” he added.
Last week, PM Wong made a promise that the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) would engage more widely with Singaporeans to foster two-way dialogue, and that he would personally do more in his own public communications.

He said he planned to meet the media more regularly to address the issues of the day and the thinking behind certain policies, conduct more visits on the ground to garner feedback in person, and continue to make use of various social media platforms to reach out to more Singaporeans.
These proclamations came at an event to cap a six-month exercise to refresh and strengthen the PAP, which was led by Minister for National Development Desmond Lee – who is also the PAP’s assistant secretary-general – and other fourth-generation PAP leaders.
In earlier interviews and speeches, PM Wong had similarly signalled his desire to take a more consultative approach, telling more than 1,000 cadre members at the PAP’s Awards and Convention in November 2023 that he prefers to begin by listening to a diverse range of perspectives and views, and staying open to different ideas.

Before he was sworn in as prime minister, PM Wong, who was at the helm of the nationwide Forward Singapore engagement exercise, told the media that the Government is also prepared to relook fundamental assumptions as society’s circumstances, needs and expectations change.
At the Tampines event on June 15, PM Wong made a brief speech and visited some booths. He walked around the bus interchange to say hello to residents as well.
He also had a dialogue session at the Tampines East Community Club with grassroots leaders, community volunteers and different organisations in the area.
A range of issues was discussed, some linked to families, parents and children.
Also present at the dialogue were interest groups looking at environmental issues, which were discussed too.
“That will be the kind of engagements I hope to have across the different constituencies. We try as much as possible for it to be organic. I may visit a market, I may visit a hawker centre, I may engage different groups. I may make use of existing events that are already being organised in the constituency,” he said.
“But we will also try to engage and curate dialogue sessions with different stakeholders so that we can have deeper conversations with one another,” he added.

(From left) Second Adviser to Tampines Grassroots Organisations Charlene Chen, Mayor for North East District Desmond Choo, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli, and Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and the Environment and for Transport Baey Yam Keng at the Tampines Learning Festival 2024. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
June 15 marked exactly one month since he took office, and PM Wong said the reception he has received so far has been warm.
“I am keen to build on this momentum, to build on this reception,” he said. “Having aspirations is one thing... but I would like to see how we can translate that sense of idealism and aspiration into more concrete collaborations and partnerships.”
Asked how his life has changed since becoming prime minister, PM Wong said he used to be able to walk around without security, as not so many people would recognise him.
“But now, somehow, even when I put on a cap and even with a mask, people can recognise me and there (is) security everywhere,” he said.
“I can summarise it as more work, more stress and less privacy,” he added. “But I will do my best to adapt and adjust to these new realities,” he said.
Long-time Tampines resident Junita Awang, 45, a part-time cashier, said she does not know much about PM Wong apart from what she has seen in the news, and hopes he will do more to make himself known to Singaporeans.
IT professional Selwyn Yeow, 39, said it is good for PM Wong and others to walk around and learn the sentiments on the ground.
Asked what he thought about PM Wong choosing Tampines as his first stop, the resident said the constituency is large, with a good mix of young and old.
On his impressions of PM Wong, Mr Yeow added: “I think he will be a good PM. I saw how he handled Covid-19, and from the things he has done so far, I feel it is quite positive.”

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

NTU marketing professor introduced as new face in Tampines East​

(From left) NTU assistant professor of marketing Charlene Chen, Mayor for North East District Desmond Choo, PM Lawrence Wong, Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli and Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and the Environment and for Transport Baey Yam Keng on June 15. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO

Kok Yufeng
Transport Correspondent

Jun 16, 2024

SINGAPORE - A new grassroots leader for the Tampines East ward of Tampines GRC was introduced to residents by anchor minister Masagos Zulkifli on June 15.
Speaking at the Tampines Learning Festival, Mr Masagos, who is Minister for Social and Family Development, said Nanyang Technological University assistant professor of marketing Charlene Chen will be working with him to serve the residents of Tampines East, which he has been in charge of since July 2023.
Former MP Cheng Li Hui, who used to be MP for the area, resigned in 2023 due to an extramarital affair with former Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin.
Noting that Prof Chen has been appointed second adviser to the grassroots organisations in Tampines GRC, Mr Masagos said she had volunteered to step in.
“I have... two divisions. It’s very hard to run everything, and it’s not fair for the residents,” the minister said. “She said she will help us, and she will be working with me in serving residents in Tampines East.”
Prof Chen, who was wearing a polo shirt with the word “Tampines” emblazoned on it, was flanked on stage by Mr Masagos and two other Tampines GRC MPs – Mayor for North East District Desmond Choo, and Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and the Environment and for Transport Baey Yam Keng. She said it has been a couple of weeks since she joined the team.
“I’ve been amazed by the amount of dedication the grassroots leaders here have, and they are a wonderful bunch that are very concerned about raising the well-being and welfare of residents here. I’m very glad to be able to support them,” she said.

“Please don’t be shy to say hello to me when I walk about in your neighbourhood, when I do my house visits. Please feel free to come up and share your concerns and issues with me. I’ll always be there to be a listening ear,” she added.
Prof Chen, a social and consumer psychologist who holds a PhD in marketing from Columbia Business School, was appointed a member of Tampines Town Council on May 1 for a two-year term.
On the same day, she made a post on her public Facebook account, which was created on April 21, expressing gratitude for the support she received from the grassroots and residents in Buona Vista, where she appears to have volunteered previously.

She has since been posting about her various engagements in the Tampines area.

In October 2023, Prof Chen was among the speakers at a PAP Policy Forum dialogue held at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre, where she spoke about the need to take a softer, less top-down approach when engaging with young people.
While there is no firm indication yet whether she will be fielded as a People’s Action Party (PAP) candidate at the next general election, which must be held by November 2025, Prof Chen is the latest of several “new faces” to be appointed second adviser to grassroots organisations here.
Chinese-language daily Lianhe Zaobao reported on June 14 that another prospective PAP candidate, Dr Choo Pei Ling, was recently appointed second adviser to Marine Parade grassroots organisations, looking after Kembangan-Chai Chee – Mr Tan’s former ward.
The assistant professor at the Singapore Institute of Technology’s Health and Social Sciences cluster was introduced as a new grassroots leader in Marine Parade GRC by Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong in April.
Similarly, Dr Hamid Razak, an orthopaedic surgeon who has been active in Jurong GRC and touted as a future candidate there, is second adviser to Jurong Spring grassroots organisations.
In the past, Tampines GRC MP Desmond Choo and Nee Soon GRC MP Carrie Tan had also been second advisers to grassroots organisations before they stood for election.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

S’pore voter rolls updated; public inspection opens from June 19​

The exercise to bring the registers up to date comes amid speculation that the next general election, which must be held by November 2025, may be called as early as September. PHOTO: ST FILE
Wong Pei Ting
Correspondent

Jun 18, 2024

SINGAPORE – Singapore’s voter rolls have been updated to contain the names of all eligible electors as at June 1, 2024, and will be open for public inspection from June 19 till July 2.
The exercise to bring the registers up to date comes amid speculation that the next general election, which must be held by November 2025, may be called as early as September.
Announcing the update in a statement on June 18, the Elections Department (ELD) said Singapore citizens can check their particulars in the Registers of Electors electronically via “Voter Services” on the ELD website, or under “My Profile” on the Singpass mobile application.
If their names have been left out or their particulars are different from what is shown on their NRIC, they can file a claim during the inspection period.
They may also submit an objection to remove a name from the register for the electoral division that the person is in during this time.
A person is eligible to vote if he is a Singapore citizen aged 21 and above with a Singapore residential address or local contact address, and is not disqualified as an elector under any written law.
The ELD said the claims and objections may be submitted through its website, or in person at its office at 11 Novena Rise, the 110 community clubs or centres and ServiceSG centres across the country, as well as the 10 Singapore overseas missions serving as overseas registration centres.

A list of claims will be put up for inspection at these physical locations between July 13 and 20.
Those who are unable to check their particulars in the registers electronically may also do so at the same locations.
However, those who choose the ELD office option should first make an e-appointment via its website, or call 1800-225-5353. The hotline is also available to anyone who needs help.
The ELD said those whose names were removed from the registers for failing to vote in a past election may apply to have their names restored.
This can be done under the same “Voter Services” tab on the ELD website.
However, the ELD, a department under the Prime Minister’s Office, encouraged citizens to “apply early”, stating that it will, under the law, not be able to restore their names in time for the next election once the Writ of Election is issued.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Elections Department calls tender for 10 mobile workstations​

The tender comes after the recent updating of Singapore’s voter rolls. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG

Anjali Raguraman
Correspondent

Jun 22, 2024


SINGAPORE - The Elections Department (ELD) has called for quotations for the supply and delivery of 10 mobile workstations.
The tender listing on the GeBiz platform asked for submissions by 1pm on July 5.
The tender comes after the recent updating of Singapore’s voter rolls, as well as speculation that the next general election, which must be held by November 2025, may be called as early as September 2024.
The revised register of electors is currently open until July 2 for public inspection. Singaporeans can check their particulars in the registers on the ELD website or via the Singpass application.
GeBIZ, or Government Electronic Business, is the Singapore Government’s one-stop e-procurement portal. All the public sector’s invitations for quotations and tenders are posted on GeBIZ.
ELD’s listing calls for mobile workstations with specifications including 64GB of random access memory, 1TB primary solid state drive (SSD) and 512GB secondary SSD, as well as no internal webcam, or a removed integrated webcam.
The listing also states that the contractor who gets the tender has four weeks or earlier from the issuing of the Letter of Acceptance or Purchase Order to deliver the items.

It added that while price competitiveness, including the assessment to the overall value of the proposal, is among the critical criteria for deciding the awardee, ELD “shall be under no obligation to accept the lowest or any quotation”.
The Straits Times has contacted ELD for comment.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Electoral Boundaries Review Committee not yet formed: Chan Chun Sing​

The committee is typically made up of civil servants from the Singapore Land Authority, Housing Board, Department of Statistics and ELD. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
Wong Pei Ting
Correspondent

Jul 03, 2024

SINGAPORE – The Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC), which determines electoral boundaries ahead of each general election, has not been convened, Education Minister Chan Chun Sing said on July 2 in a written reply to a parliamentary question.
He added that the committee’s terms of reference will be set out when it is convened.
Mr Chan was responding on behalf of Prime Minister Lawrence Wong to Workers’ Party (WP) MP Louis Chua (Sengkang GRC), who had asked what terms of reference were provided to the EBRC, and what principles underlie how these terms are determined.
Mr Chan said that, based on the terms of reference for past committees, the EBRC will review the electoral boundaries and recommend the size and number of group representation constituencies and single-member constituencies.
“In its review, the EBRC should consider significant changes in the number of electors in each electoral division as a result of population shifts and housing developments since the last boundary delineation exercise,” he added.
For the last three general elections, the committee had also been tasked with reducing the size of GRCs and creating more single-member constituencies.
The committee is typically made up of civil servants from the Singapore Land Authority, Housing Board, Department of Statistics and Elections Department (ELD).

Ahead of the past four general elections in 2006, 2011, 2015 and 2020 being called, the committee had taken between two and seven months to do its work. The committee was last convened in August 2019, ahead of the July 2020 election.
This is not the first time an opposition MP has asked about the EBRC’s work.
In February, Mr Chan said in response to a question by WP MP Gerald Giam (Aljunied GRC) that there will be sufficient time between the release of the EBRC’s report to the time of election for candidates and political parties to make preparations.

Then, Mr Giam asked if the Prime Minister will require the EBRC to provide detailed reasons for each constituency boundary change beyond considerations for constituencies’ sizes, to ensure fair representation and the need for adjustments as a result of population shifts.
Addressing this, Mr Chan said the committee independently considers relevant data before making its recommendations, so it will not be practicable for it to explain the technicalities and details of every change that it recommends.
Mr Giam had also asked if the Prime Minister would announce the EBRC formation when it happens.
Mr Chan responded: “As a matter of practice, the committee should be allowed to carry out its work professionally, away from media attention or public pressures.”

Ang Mo Kio GRC MP Gan Thiam Poh had also asked for an update on the number of voters in each electoral division, as well as the changes in voter numbers for divisions with the largest and smallest number of voters.
The ELD had said in a statement on June 18 that Singapore’s voter rolls have been updated to contain the names of all eligible electors as at June 1, 2024.
Mr Chan said there are 2,713,051 electors on the updated voter rolls. This is an increase of 3,644 people from the number of electors in the 2023 presidential election.
The largest electoral division is Ang Mo Kio GRC with 188,722 voters. This is a decrease of 1,076 from the presidential election.
The smallest electoral division is the single-seat ward of Yuhua with 20,349 voters, a decrease of 468 from the presidential election.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Will the social media battle sway voters in S’pore?​

As politicians ramp up their online presence, the distinction between reach and conversion is worth noting.​

Teo Kay Key

As a nation, regardless of age, Singaporeans appear to be chronically online, with an Internet penetration rate of 96 per cent as at early 2024. PHOTO: ST FILE
Updated

Jul 04, 2024

The term “chronically online” has become a feature in the popular lexicon.
As a nation, regardless of age, Singaporeans appear to be chronically online, given that the internet penetration rate was 96 per cent as at early 2024, and that in January 2024, around 85 per cent of the population were social media users.
It’s no surprise, then, that politicians and political parties are increasingly focusing on growing their social media presence.
In the 2023 Presidential Election, we saw the candidates’ heavy usage of online platforms for their campaigns. Mr Ng Kok Song, in particular, focused most of his resources on digital outreach.
All three candidates also went beyond just putting up social media posts on their official accounts to interacting with other influencers, giving podcast interviews and engaging with popular local social media personalities.
In the realm of partisan politics, social media has become an increasingly important part of the playbook in recent years.
It is apparent from both Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s outgoing interview and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s handover interview that the People’s Action Party (PAP) leadership sees social media engagement as a necessary part of the new political playing field.

The PAP has been engaging social media influencers and MPs have taken to social media as part of their outreach.
Opposition parties such as the Workers’ Party, Progress Singapore Party and the Singapore Democratic Party have been regularly updating their social media accounts on their walkabouts and updates.
It is not just in Singapore that we see this trend of using social media to reach out to the electorate and for election campaigning.

In the recently concluded Indian general election, political parties actively posted updates and engaged with one another online. Meanwhile, the 2024 Indonesian presidential candidates used TikTok extensively to connect with the electorate, especially younger voters. The same platform is also being utilised in the US presidential election campaigns – despite both President Joe Biden and nominee Donald Trump calling for it to be shut down.
On the receiving end, we see that electorates are leveraging social media as a source of information on politics.
Indian social media users made use of the internet to engage with election proceedings, with various posts going viral, including an AI-generated video of PM Narendra Modi dancing.
In the US, a recent Pew report noted that most users of X (formerly known as Twitter) say keeping up with the news is one of the reasons they use the platform.
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What does it mean for Singapore elections?​

In Singapore, the 2020 General Election was fought completely online in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. While that was a practical decision rather than a strategic one, it is clear social media is now an important aspect of political campaigning strategy, rather than a peripheral one.
But how effective has social media been in helping political parties’ election campaigns here? And how receptive is the local electorate when it comes to politicians using social media channels to broadcast their message in creative ways?
According to the Institute of Policy Studies’ Survey on Internet and Media Use during GE2020, led by my colleague Dr Carol Soon, it was clear that compared with GE2015, people made more use of online sources to obtain information.
But the importance of social media should not be overstated.

ST ILLUSTRATION: MIEL
While people used social media the most to learn and interact with political parties and candidates, it was a slightly different story when it came to seeking information. Social networking sites and instant messaging platforms were still used less frequently compared with online websites of Singapore mainstream media, television and online-only news and information websites reporting on Singapore.
The same IPS Survey on Internet and Media Use revealed that primary reasons for voting – which included factors like whether they were steadfast voters who always voted for the same party or satisfaction with policy issues – were the strongest predictor of how people voted, rather than social media use.
Hence, while engagement on these sites appears important for voter outreach, the electorate is unlikely to depend solely on social media to make their voting decision.
In the 2023 Presidential Election, Mr Ng, the candidate with the most online-intensive campaign, eventually earned just 16 per cent of the vote, a far cry from President Tharman Shanmugaratnam’s 70 per cent.
One may argue that this comparison is unfair, given the large disparity in the candidates’ popularity levels going into the race. But I would argue that his campaign is a case where we can see clearly the power – and limits – of social media.
With minimal offline campaigning, Mr Ng still managed to garner a 16 per cent vote share, despite there being a third candidate who was better known than he was, Mr Tan Kin Lian.
At the same time, this result also shows the limits of social media in terms of reach. There is still a portion of the electorate who do not spend that much time online. Anecdotal accounts had suggested that some voters, many of them older, did not know Mr Ng because they had not seen him or his posters around, as opposed to President Tharman and Mr Tan.

Overall strategy will matter​

Social media is likely to feature prominently in the upcoming GE campaigning.
Major political parties have already been quite consistent in maintaining their official accounts and reach. But there are several considerations they have to make for effective social media outreach.
The prerequisite to reaching a wide audience lies in the social media account being known in the first place. Public awareness will be key, whether offline or online.
Post content is also crucial. Viral posts may help candidates get their name out, but they are unlikely to change the minds of decided voters. In fact, viral posts can backfire. If the posts showcase a side of the party or candidate they do not want to highlight, it might even worsen public perceptions.
The use of social media influencers might also be a double-edged sword, given that their business model is to generate revenue out of their posts. Content clearly supportive of one party could invite questions of authenticity or whether they are sponsored posts.
Just as with any other campaign tool, candidates will have to consider the target audience of each post. As SM Lee has said, his photography or “jalan-jalan” posts usually receive better responses than posts about his official engagements. But like counts may not present the full picture, because the audience for these posts likely differs.
If the idea is to expand reach, then posts will also have to be more public-friendly and take the form of introducing the candidate or issue to people with zero knowledge. Effort will also have to be taken to reach those who do not browse political content, rather than being caught up in a social media echo chamber.
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However, if the objective is instead to reinforce a message or entrench existing support, the crafted message will likely have to take a different tone, with reach less of a priority.
Age is also a likely factor in the platforms people use. Hence, analysis of user demographics will have to be conducted before deciding on the style of engagement on each platform – for example, modifying the language of posts to make them more accessible to the target age group.
Social media is definitely a convenient tool. But at the end of the day, the message still matters. Just as with any other campaigning tool, it will help a candidate only if used in the right way.

• Teo Kay Key is a research fellow at IPS Social Lab, Institute of Policy Studies, National University of Singapore.

 

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How might S’pore’s electoral boundaries be redrawn, as several constituencies see a jump in voter numbers?​

Three GRCs - Tampines (left), Pasir Ris-Punggol (right) and Sembawang - each saw increases of about 11 per cent since 2020. PHOTOS: LIANHE ZAOBAO

Chin Soo Fang
Senior Correspondent

Jul 05, 2024

SINGAPORE – Five constituencies have seen their voter numbers increase by more than 10,000 since the 2020 General Election, the latest figures from Singapore’s updated voter rolls show.
They are Pasir Ris-Punggol, Sembawang and Tampines GRCs, and the two single-seat wards of Hong Kah North and Potong Pasir.
Hong Kah North SMC now has 38,883 voters, a 65.33 per cent increase from 23,519 in 2020. One contributing factor is the growing development of Tengah New Town. The keys to 2,908 of the 3,753 units in the first three Build-To-Order (BTO) projects in Tengah had been collected by Jan 18, the Housing Board said earlier in 2024.
There are another 20 BTO projects still under construction in Tengah. From the third quarter of 2024 to the fourth quarter of 2027, about 19,100 units will be delivered progressively to flat buyers, HDB added.
Potong Pasir registered a 68.38 per cent increase from 18,551 to 31,236 voters, largely due to the influx of voters from Bidadari estate.
The three GRCs – Pasir Ris-Punggol, Sembawang and Tampines – each saw increases of about 11 per cent since 2020. Pasir Ris-Punggol now has 180,185 voters, while Sembawang has 155,704, and Tampines, 164,339.
The latest figures are stated in a written parliamentary reply by Education Minister Chan Chun Sing on July 2. The reply detailed the number of voters in each of the 17 GRCs and 14 SMCs as at June 1, 2024.

Among them, voter numbers rose in 13 GRCs and seven SMCs. Four GRCs – Aljunied, Bishan-Toa Payoh, Jalan Besar and Marine Parade – and seven SMCs saw voter numbers shrink.
The largest GRC by number of voters is now Ang Mo Kio, while the smallest is Bishan-Toa Payoh. Meanwhile, the largest single-seat ward is Hong Kah North, while the smallest is Yuhua.
Mr Chan, who is also Minister-in-charge of the Public Service, said the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC) has not been convened.

The EBRC determines electoral boundaries for elections, taking into account population shifts and new housing developments since the last boundary delineation exercise.
For the 2020 General Election, the committee worked on a range of 20,000 to 38,000 electors per MP. This was the approach taken by previous EBRCs, and meant that the number of voters in SMCs should fall within this range.
Four-member GRCs should have between 80,000 and 152,000 voters, while five-member GRCs should have between 100,000 and 190,000 voters.
This means the number of voters in Hong Kah North has exceeded the upper limit of 38,000 for an SMC.
Updated figures for the other four constituencies that have seen significant increases in voter numbers are still within the upper limits set by the previous EBRC.

Changes expected in west and north-east​

The Straits Times spoke to political observers on how these demographic changes might affect electoral boundaries ahead of the upcoming general election, which must be held by November 2025.
Singapore Management University (SMU) law don and former Nominated MP Eugene Tan believes that new HDB estates in areas like Tengah and Punggol mean there will be more boundary changes in the western and north-eastern parts of Singapore.
There could also be adjustments in other areas, such as Bidadari, where development is taking place.
“Generally speaking, where an electoral division has seen relatively significant changes in the size of its electorate, the EBRC will determine if boundary changes are needed,” he said.
Political observer and former MP Inderjit Singh sees changes for the west due to the jump in voter numbers in Hong Kah North, with possible shifts in the boundaries of Jurong GRC and West Coast GRC as a result.
West Coast GRC saw the exit of former transport minister S. Iswaran due to his ongoing corruption case, which is now before the courts. In 2020, the People’s Action Party team there came out on top with 51.69 per cent of the vote in a closely fought contest against the Progress Singapore Party, led by former PAP MP Tan Cheng Bock.
Mr Singh believes Marine Parade GRC – which saw the resignation of former Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin – may absorb parts of Potong Pasir. There will also likely be changes to the boundaries of Tampines, Pasir Ris-Punggol and East Coast GRCs, given that Tampines and Pasir Ris-Punggol GRCs, as well as Mountbatten SMC, have grown in voter size.
Sengkang GRC has also grown – from 117,546 to 124,773 voters – making it the largest four-member GRC now. It is bigger than the smallest five-member GRC of East Coast, which has 121,786 voters.
For the 2020 General Election, the EBRC was mindful that GRCs with fewer MPs should not have more electors than GRCs with more MPs, leading some observers to believe that changes to East Coast GRC are likely too.

The Woodleigh Glen Build-To-Order project in Bidadari. Potong Pasir registered a 68.38 per cent increase from 18,551 to 31,236 voters, largely due to the influx of voters from Bidadari estate. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY

More GRCs and SMCs​

In 2016, then Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong called for smaller GRCs and more SMCs.
He said smaller GRCs foster a closer connection between the MPs and residents. SMCs also give the MP direct responsibility for everything that happens in the constituency.
Dr Mustafa Izzuddin, a senior international affairs analyst at Solaris Strategies Singapore, said Singapore may see an increase in the number of constituencies due to the larger voting population.
“There is a likelihood that the 17 GRCs may increase to 18, as has been the trend in the past four elections,” he said.
Dr Mustafa said there may be more SMCs in the next election, given how the number of such constituencies has progressively increased from nine in 2006 to 14 in 2020.
Associate Professor Tan of SMU agrees that there will be one or more additional SMCs in the next general election.
Dr Tan Ern Ser, adjunct principal research fellow and academic adviser to the IPS Social Lab, believes newer estates like Bidadari and Tengah will likely be part of GRCs and not form new single-seat wards. This is to ensure that each constituency has a diverse population, reflecting more or less a microcosm of Singapore society.
Agreeing, Mr Singh said the chances of these new areas becoming SMCs are small. Meanwhile, the divisions where there are good incumbent MPs may be carved off to become SMCs, he said.
Potong Pasir MP Sitoh Yih Pin said: “The number of residents in Potong Pasir SMC has grown with the new Bidadari estate. At GE2020, we also welcomed residents from Joo Seng estate, which was my childhood home.”
He said he is focused on improving the living environment and quality of life for residents.
“In Potong Pasir, our focus remains solely on serving our residents... We remain a tightly knit community with a strong and unique kampung spirit.”

Smaller GRCs​

Prof Tan noted that the average size of a GRC has been decreasing over the years, and believes there is room for GRCs to become incrementally smaller.
Singapore removed six-member GRCs in 2020, when the mammoth six-member Ang Mo Kio and Pasir Ris-Punggol GRCs became five-member constituencies.
“Six-member GRCs may well be a footnote in local electoral history,” he said. “There will probably still be five-member GRCs in the next GE.”
NUS associate professor of political science Chong Ja Ian said Singapore may see more SMCs and smaller GRCs, and some of the larger GRCs may be adjusted.
“In essence, more SMCs and smaller GRCs may strain the opposition parties’ more limited resources, especially in campaigning,” he said. “More smaller GRCs may also put pressure on opposition parties to find more minority candidates.”
Mr Singh believes large GRCs, like Ang Mo Kio, Pasir Ris-Punggol and Jurong, will remain large, but there is a case for some five-member GRCs to become four-member GRCs, and Singapore may see fewer five-member ones.
“It is easier for the MPs in smaller GRCs to coordinate things better and also connect with the ground better too, making it more personal.”
Whatever the changes, NUS associate professor Bilveer Singh, a political scientist, said voters are discerning, and the election result will be determined by who the PAP and opposition contestants are, as well as the issues they are concerned about.
“Where the changes take place, or more or fewer GRCs and SMCs, are of less importance,” he said.

 

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PM Wong attends West Coast family event in ongoing effort to visit constituencies across country​

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Prime Minister Lawrence Wong with West Coast GRC MP Desmond Lee greeting residents at the PA Family PLAYGround event at West Coast Community Centre on July 13. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO

Ng Wei Kai

Jul 14, 2024

SINGAPORE – For Mr Tan Wei Hong, weekend family time is often an extended affair as his tight-knit maternal family of 54 come together from across West Coast, where many of them live.
Twenty-two of them – representing four generations aged between two and 91 – were out in force on the morning of July 13 for PA Family PLAYGround, an event for families held at West Coast Community Centre.
They were among more than 1,000 families at the event, many of whom met and took pictures with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
He attended the event along with West Coast GRC MPs Desmond Lee, Ang Wei Neng, Rachel Ong and Foo Mee Har, as well as Pioneer MP Patrick Tay.
In June, a month after he was sworn into the top job, PM Wong visited Tampines GRC, where he announced his intention to visit constituencies across the country and to meet as many Singaporeans as he could.
In a speech on July 13, PM Wong said it was good to be back in West Coast GRC, where he served as an MP when he entered politics in 2011.
He was MP for the Boon Lay ward from 2011 to 2015, and is now an MP for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC.

There is something distinctive about each part of Singapore, and a lot of what makes each area special is the memories residents have with their families and loved ones, he said.
“We want to work with all of you to keep on building a better home for everyone in Singapore. Not just for you, but also for your children and your grandchildren,” he said.
PM Wong added that this is why he will be visiting the country’s different districts to engage and listen to citizens’ feedback and ideas – to keep working on this sense of belonging and to continue building a better home for everyone in Singapore in its next bound of nation-building.
He also visited West Coast Food Centre with Mr Lee, who is Minister for National Development, and chatted with diners and hawkers such as Mr Md Zainal, 62, and his brother, sister, wife and sister-in-law, who together own and operate Hani Food Stall.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at West Coast Food Centre on July 13, where he chatted with people and took wefies. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
Mr Zainal, whose stall has been selling nasi lemak and other Malay food there for 43 years, said he was surprised to see PM Wong.
He said: “I’m happy to see the new PM here in West Coast, and I found him approachable and with a good aura for the job.”

 

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2.7 million Singaporeans eligible to vote in next GE; voter rolls open for inspection from July 23​

The revised Registers of Electors were certified on July 21 and will be available for public inspection from July 23. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG

Ng Wei Kai

Jul 23, 2024

SINGAPORE – Singapore’s revised voter rolls have been certified and are ready for public inspection, the Elections Department (ELD) said in a statement on July 22.
There are a total of 2,715,187 electors in the updated registers, an increase of 5,732 from the 2,709,455 electors at the last revision in July 2023, before the 2023 Presidential Election.
There were 2,651,435 eligible voters at the last general election in 2020.
The revised Registers of Electors were certified on July 21 and will be available for public inspection from July 23, ELD said.
Singapore citizens may check their particulars in the registers electronically via Voter Services on the ELD website, or with the Singpass mobile application, it added.
Those who are unable to do so can check their particulars in-person at community centres and clubs, ServiceSG Centres or at ELD’s office by making an appointment.
Certification of the registers is a routine exercise that must be done after the registers are revised between elections, and is meant to bring voter rolls up to date.

The registers contain the names of all Singapore citizens qualified to be electors as at June 1.
This includes Singaporeans who had turned 21 since June 1, 2023, the cut-off date when the registers were last revised, and immigrants who had become citizens since June 1, 2023.
In the past, there was no fixed period between the certification of the registers and the time that an election was called. The voter rolls have also been updated multiple times in a term.

The exercise comes ahead of the next general election, which must be held by November 2025.
There is a register of electors for each electoral division in Singapore.
Taken together, the registers for all 31 group representation constituencies and single-member constituencies tally all qualified voters in the Republic.
The lists of Singaporeans eligible to vote in elections here were last updated on June 1, 2023, and were open for public inspection a fortnight later, from June 15 to 28.
People whose names were removed from the registers for failing to vote in a past election may still apply to have their names restored to the registers via Voter Services on ELD’s website, so that they can vote in future elections, said the department.
Such persons are encouraged to apply early as, under the law, ELD will not be able to restore their names during the period from the date the Writ of Election is issued until after Nomination Day if the election is not contested, or until after Polling Day if a poll is to be taken.
They will therefore not be able to cast their vote if the electoral division they reside in is contested, it said.
Overseas Singaporeans whose names are in the Registers of Electors may register as overseas electors to vote by post or in-person at one of 10 overseas polling stations, added ELD.
The overseas polling stations are in Singapore missions in Beijing, Canberra, Dubai, Hong Kong, London, New York, San Francisco, Shanghai, Tokyo and Washington.

 

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Electoral boundaries drawn to serve interests of S’poreans, not political parties: Chan Chun Sing​

Goh Yan Han and Ng Wei Kai


Aug 08, 2024

SINGAPORE – Electoral boundaries are drawn to serve the interests of the people, not those of political parties, said Education Minister Chan Chun Sing on Aug 7.
The interest of Singaporeans is to have MPs who can take care of and represent them, and for a Parliament that can form a functioning government, added Mr Chan during a motion that called for a review of the process by which electoral boundaries are decided.
While the Government will continually seek to improve Singapore’s electoral system, it opposed the motion as it was based on a fundamentally wrong premise that the process should be in the interest of political parties, and that the current process is not transparent or fair, he added.
Mr Chan, who is also Minister-in-charge of the Public Service, was speaking in Parliament during a motion raised by the Progress Singapore Party’s (PSP) Non-Constituency MPs (NCMPs) that called on the Government to reform how electoral boundaries are drawn, so as to “increase the transparency and fairness of the electoral boundary review process for all political parties”.
The drawing of electoral boundaries is carried out by the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC), which taps the specific expertise of its members, who include qualified senior civil servants with domain knowledge in the technical areas required for boundary delineation.
In recent years, the EBRC has consisted of the Cabinet secretary, the chief executives of the Elections Department, the Housing Board, the Singapore Land Authority and the Government’s chief statistician.
These are senior civil servants with no party allegiance, Mr Chan said as he addressed concerns raised by opposition MPs of potential gerrymandering.

The EBRC’s composition and process have allowed the committee to do its work independently and objectively, said Mr Chan. For instance, it does not have access to voting information and hence does not make its recommendations based on voting patterns.
Kicking off the debate, NCMP Hazel Poa laid out several proposals by the PSP to reform the boundaries drawing process.
These included requiring the EBRC to publicly and sufficiently explain all changes made so as to dispel suspicions of gerrymandering.

Mr Chan replied that while “all of us also want more explanation from the EBRC”, a practical balance has to be struck so that public officers are given the space to do their work independently and objectively, without fear that every change will be politicised if viewed unfavourably by certain political parties.
Ms Poa, who is secretary-general of the PSP, also proposed that the range of number of voters per MP be narrowed, saying the current range of 20,000 to 38,000 voters per MP is too wide.
This would result in a fairer distribution of duties among MPs and be fairer to voters in the weighting of their votes, she said.
Mr Chan noted that in putting forth this proposal, Ms Poa had cited the United Kingdom and Australia as examples.
But the number of electors per MP in those countries is two to three times that of Singapore, and applying the same parameters here will lead to more frequent and drastic changes to boundaries due to the high rate of movement within a small city state, he said.
He noted that some 200,000 electors here change their residential address annually.
On vote weighting, Mr Chan said the Government had studied other countries very carefully, and no electoral system could definitively claim that every vote is exactly the same or near equal.

The PSP also advanced the idea of minor and major boundaries, which it said would reduce the potential for gerrymandering.
Such a system would have major boundaries – corresponding closely to local ties and geographical considerations – that remain unchanged for many elections, while minor boundaries within that delineate different constituencies could be changed by the EBRC, said Ms Poa.
Mr Chan disagreed with the proposal, noting that it had also been studied before.
“There would be the question of who and how should we delineate what constitutes major and minor boundaries, and we are back to square one,” he said.
Ms Poa also called for the EBRC to be chaired by a High Court judge, instead of reporting to the prime minister. Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh made a similar call later in the debate.
Mr Chan said the Government had thought about this carefully and looked at the experience of other countries, but did not think it would resolve concerns about political interference.
“Other jurisdictions that have done so continue to face allegations and doubts concerning the independence of their electoral boundary delineation process,” he said.
“Their debate instead sinks into questions on who appoints the judge, and whether the judge has any political leaning or bias. The judiciary ends up getting drawn into the political debate, and the judiciary is politicised.”
He added that the EBRC’s work also does not consist of legal issues that require a judicial official to weigh in.
“What is required is political neutrality, integrity and objectivity, which I trust all my public service officers have whether they are in the EBRC or not,” he said.

Both the PSP and the Workers’ Party (WP) also proposed that political parties have some say in the changes made to electoral boundaries.
But Mr Chan said the EBRC has been able to do its work independently and objectively due to its composition, and also that its processes are insulated from party politics.
“Hence, we do not have the horse trading and gerrymandering that have taken place in other countries,” he said. “If we get all political parties involved, present or future, it will politicise the whole process and not bring us forward, but bring us backwards.”
During the debate, opposition MPs raised examples of previous boundary changes to constituencies with close vote margins as instances of gerrymandering.
Mr Singh cited how Braddell Heights SMC was incorporated into Marine Parade GRC in 1997, Joo Chiat SMC was merged into Marine Parade GRC in 2015, and three single seats “where the PAP had their smallest percentage of wins” in the 2015 General Election – Fengshan, Sengkang West and Punggol East – became part of group representation constituencies in 2020.
Mr Chan stressed that the EBRC does not take political interests into account. Rather, it looks holistically at both population shifts and the need for continuity in community formation, and with the objective that an MP can serve the constituency effectively, he said.
Noting that Mr Leong had called for constituencies to be more compact, Mr Chan said this suggested that the prime minister give the EBRC more specific instructions, rather than to let the EBRC do its work objectively with some basic instructions.
“Sometimes the more we interfere, the more we fall into this trap to make it a politically motivated process,” he said.
The motion was not carried at the end of the two-hour debate: 76 MPs voted against it, while the opposition MPs – eight from WP and two from PSP – voted in its favour.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Suicide squad
The expendables
Sacrificial lambs

PAP appoints two new faces in WP-controlled Aljunied GRC​

Mr Jagathishwaran Rajo (left) has been appointed chair of Eunos ward, while Mr Kenny Sim will take over Paya Lebar. PHOTOS: PAP

Ng Wei Kai

Aug 12, 2024

SINGAPORE – The People’s Action Party (PAP) has appointed two new branch chairs in the Workers’ Party-controlled Aljunied GRC, refreshing its slate in a constituency which has been held by the WP since 2011.
Trade unionist Jagathishwaran Rajo, 37, has been appointed chair of Eunos ward, while Mr Kenny Sim, 55, chief executive of IT reseller and distributor Serial Achieva, will take over Paya Lebar, said the PAP in a statement on Aug 12.
Mr Jagathishwaran replaces bank executive Chua Eng Leong, while Mr Sim takes over from lawyer Alex Yeo, the PAP said.
The moves mean the two new branch chairs will likely be fielded as part of the PAP’s Aljunied GRC slate in the coming general election, which must be held by 2025.
Both Mr Chua and Mr Yeo had contested and lost to a WP team headed by Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh in the last general election (GE) in 2020.
The pair will assist the two new branch chairs during this period of transition, the PAP said.
In its statement, the party thanked them for their service and said it looks forward to their future contributions in other capacities.

Mr Jagathishwaran has been a PAP activist in Zhenghua in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC since 2009, where he also served as branch secretary for eight years, the PAP said.
He is currently executive secretary at the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore Staff Union and assistant director at NTUC’s Freelancers and Self-employed Unit.
He is also principal industrial relations officer for the Visual, Audio, Creative Content Professionals Association.

Meanwhile, Mr Sim has been a PAP activist in Woodlands and Bukit Timah since 2015, and he also served as vice-chair of the Bukit Timah branch for six years.
He is chairman of charity Cheng Hong Welfare Services Society, as well as honorary secretary and chairman of Chinese clan association Teochew Poit Ip Huay Kuan’s local and international affairs committee.
He is also executive director and CEO of Serial Achieva, which operates in Thailand and Malaysia.
Mr Sim also sits on the boards of several other companies, such as Global Invacom Group, Meta Health and USP Group.
In separate Facebook posts, the pair thanked their predecessors and said they were honoured to join their new branches.
Mr Jagathishwaran said: “I am looking forward to work alongside team Eunos to engage and serve our residents. Please feel free to approach me when you see me in the neighbourhood.”




The pair have been spotted at party walkabouts with other former candidates and their predecessors in Aljunied in recent months.
At the National Day weekend, Mr Jagathishwaran joined members of the PAP’s GE2020 Aljunied team at community celebrations in the heartland.
Mr Yeo and Mr Chua were also present.
When asked, the PAP did not say whether the two outgoing branch chairs would be moved to other GRCs.


Dr Gillian Koh, senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, said the appointment of the new branch chairs in the two wards is to be expected as the PAP is moving into election footing.
The party will probably see how well residents identify with both men before making a final decision on whether to field them as candidates, she added.
She pointed out that it was notable that the party had appointed Mr Jagathishwaran, a union leader, and Mr Sim, a Teochew entrepreneur, to a GRC that has a sizeable Teochew community and a wide range of working- and middle-class Singaporeans.
“They will now have time to walk the ground and demonstrate that they understand residents’ concerns and are willing to serve them,” she said.
“This is (the) WP’s heartland, and it will be interesting to hear what ambitions they have as new branch chairs for the PAP there in Eunos and Paya Lebar.”
The two new potential candidates appear to bring grassroots and social service experience to the Aljunied GRC slate, but are not particularly senior within the PAP, said Associate Professor Chong Ja Ian from the National University of Singapore.
“If the PAP were serious about challenging Aljunied, they should commit a senior party leader, such as a sitting 4G (fourth-generation) minister, to the constituency. That has not yet happened,” said Prof Chong.
The PAP has been steadily refreshing its branch chairs in opposition-controlled constituencies such as Sengkang and Hougang.
On Oct 17, 2023, the party said Mr Jackson Lam would take over as branch chairman in Hougang from Mr Lee Hong Chuang.
About a week later, it announced that Mr Marcus Loh would replace Mr Ling Weihong in Sengkang East from Nov 1.
Other new faces, including Ms Chua Wei-Shan, Dr Hamid Razak, Mr Edmund Twohill and Mr Kawal Pal Singh, have been seen at grassroots events, and pictured alongside sitting MPs on social media.