Workers’ Party questions EBRC decision to dissolve 3 SMCs

SINGAPORE: The Workers’ Party (WP) on Friday (Mar 13) questioned the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee’s decision to dissolve three Single-Member Constituencies (SMCs) following the release of the EBRC report.

Fourteen SMCs were announced for the upcoming General Election, up from the current 13. Four of these SMCs are new, while three constituencies – Sengkang West, Fengshan and Punggol East – have been dissolved.

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“As it is custom, the EBRC has not disclosed how it came to its decisions,” the party said. 

“For instance, while the number of SMCs has increased from 13 to 14, the EBRC has not explained why it chose to carve out some new SMCs while dissolving Sengkang West, Fengshan and Punggol East SMCs, areas where WP has been active for many years,” it added. 

“That said, there is finally clarity. The WP will decide on the areas where it can best serve Singaporeans, and make its announcement when the election is called,” WP said.

In the 2015 General Election, WP contested all three now-dissolved SMCs, with the candidates garnering at least 35 per cent of the votes in each, despite losing to People’s Action Party (PAP) candidates.

READ: Registers of electors ready for public inspection from Mar 14

Two seats for non-constituency Members of the Parliament (NCMP) went to WP after the last election on the back of the candidates’ performance in Punggol East SMC and Fengshan SMC.

NCMP seats go to candidates with the highest percentage of votes among the losing opposition candidates.

PAP MP Charles Chong scraped a narrow win in Punggol East with 51.77 per cent against WP’s Lee Li Lian. She decided to give up her NCMP seat, which went to fellow party member Daniel Goh.

WP’s Dennis Tan was made an NCMP after getting 42.5 per cent of votes in Fengshan SMC, losing to Ms Cheryl Chan.

In Sengkang West, WP’s Koh Choong Yong got a 37.87 per cent vote share against Dr Lam Pin Min.