Progress Singapore Party questions fairness of electoral boundary changes in EBRC report
The Progress Singapore Party (PSP) has raised concerns over the EBRC’s latest boundary changes, questioning their necessity and fairness. While acknowledging greater transparency, PSP argued that key decisions remain unexplained and urged for a less disruptive approach to account for population shifts.
The Progress Singapore Party (PSP) has expressed concerns over the latest electoral boundary changes, stating that the revisions could have been implemented without making drastic changes to major constituencies. In a statement issued on 11 March 2025, PSP acknowledged that the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC) had provided more reasoning behind its decisions than in previous reports. However, the party argued that the rationale remained insufficient and questioned whether the changes were justified.
Concerns over major boundary shifts
The EBRC report, released on Tuesday, introduced significant changes to Singapore’s electoral map, with only five Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) and four Single Member Constituencies (SMCs) left unchanged. The overall number of constituencies increased from 31 to 33, with three new GRCs and six new SMCs introduced. PSP raised concerns about the removal of certain constituencies and the merging of others, particularly in opposition-contested areas. The party noted that while some adjustments were necessary due to population growth, these could have been made without redrawing so many established electoral divisions. “We are heartened that the EBRC has somewhat disclosed more of the reasoning behind its decisions, contrary to its previous report in 2020. However, PSP’s view is that much of the EBRC’s decision-making remains unexplained, and it could have accounted for population shifts without making drastic changes to existing major electoral boundaries,” said PSP Secretary-General Hazel Poa in the statement.View this post on Instagram
Hong Kah North SMC’s removal questioned
PSP specifically highlighted the changes to Hong Kah North SMC, which has been absorbed into Chua Chu Kang GRC due to the rapid population growth in the new Tengah estate. The party suggested that instead of dissolving Hong Kah North SMC, a more balanced approach could have been taken. “The population changes to Hong Kah North SMC because of the new Tengah estate could have been dealt with by merging it with Yuhua SMC and Bukit Batok SMC to form a new GRC,” the party stated. “Instead, this was used to justify changing the electoral boundaries of Jurong GRC, West Coast GRC, Chua Chu Kang GRC, Tanjong Pagar GRC, and Radin Mas SMC.” PSP’s remarks align with broader concerns raised by opposition parties, who have criticised past boundary revisions for disproportionately affecting constituencies where opposition parties performed well in previous elections.Impact on the opposition and future electoral plans
While PSP has yet to confirm the specific constituencies it will contest in the upcoming General Election, the party stated that it would study the report in detail before making further announcements. “PSP will study the report and make further announcements regarding where we will be contesting in the General Election in due course,” the party said. In the 2020 General Election, PSP contested five GRCs and five SMCs, securing 48.31% of the vote in West Coast GRC, its strongest performance. Given the changes to West Coast GRC—now renamed West Coast-Jurong West GRC—the party is expected to reassess its strategy for GE2025.Broader electoral landscape
The EBRC cited voter population shifts and geographical considerations as the primary reasons for the boundary changes. The report revealed that as of 1 February 2025, Singapore had 2,753,226 registered voters, an increase of 101,791 from the last election. Among the major changes:- Six new SMCs were created, including Bukit Gombak, Jalan Kayu, Jurong Central, Queenstown, Sembawang West, and Tampines Changkat.
- Five SMCs were absorbed into GRCs, including Yuhua, Bukit Batok, Hong Kah North, MacPherson, and Punggol West.
- Five new GRCs were introduced, including Pasir Ris-Changi, Punggol, Jurong East-Bukit Batok, Marine Parade-Braddell Heights, and West Coast-Jurong West.
