by Ravi Philemon/
The original intention of the Group Representation Constituency (GRC) system was to ensure that there will be a fair representation of people from the ‘minority races of Singaporean community’ to be in Parliament; and that the GRC will prevent such a good intention to be thwarted by communities that prefer to live in ‘racial enclaves’ – voting for the candidate of their own ethnicity.
But today with almost ninety per cent of Singaporeans living in HDB Flats, and with the Ministry of National Development’s Ethnic Integration Policy in place, which limits each block to be occupied by X number of families from a certain ethnic group, is it still necessary to have the GRC system to ensure a fair representation of ‘minority races’ in Parliament?
When the GRC system was first introduced, about one-third of the constituencies were grouped into GRCs. However, today almost three-quarters of the constituencies are realigned to become GRCs. This only ensures continued electoral success for the dominant political party in Singapore.
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