The Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC) in Singapore has announced the electoral boundaries for GE2025 today (March 11, 2025), with a new Group Representation Constiuency (GRC) and an additional Single Member Constiuency, bringing the total to 18 GRCs and 15 SMCs.
The number of elected Members of Parliament (MPs) will increase to 97, up from the current 93. According to the EBRC report, the electoral boundaries will change in 22 out of the current 31 constituencies.
Here’s a breakdown of the changes:
1. Two new four-member GRCs
The EBRC explained in its recommendations that voter numbers have increased in Pasir Ris-Punggol, Sembawang and Tampines GRCs, as well as the single seats of Hong Kah North and Potong Pasir.
This has resulted in the creation of a new four-member Punggol GRC, which will take in Punggol West SMC and parts of the old Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC. The remaining Pasir Ris estates will merge with polling districts comprising the Loyang and Flora estates to form a new 4-MP Pasir Ris Changi GRC.
2. Five SMCs out, six new ones in
The report also showed that five SMCs have been taken off the map, resulting in six news ones carved out of existing GRCs.
The five SMCs removed are:
- Bukit Batok
- Hong Kah North
- MacPherson
- Punggol West
- Yuhua
The new SMCs are Bukit Gombak, Jalan Kayu, Jurong Central, Queenstown, Sembawang West and Tampines Changkat.
Other affected Electoral Districts (EDs)
These are:
- East Coast GRC to absorb Chai Chee and Siglap estates, originally from the current Marine Parade GRC
- Marine Parade GRC to be renamed to Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC, as it will absorb MacPherson SMC, part of Potong Pasir and Mountbatten SMCs.
- Chua Chu Kang GRC will take in Tengah estates
- A new five-member Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC will be formed out of Bukit Batok, Yuehua and the remaining parts of Hong Kah North SMCs and the current Jurong GRC.
- Some estates in Jurong West and Taman Jurong will merge with the adjacent West Coast GRC, and will be renamed as West-Coast Jurong West GRC.
- Tampines GRC takes in Tampines West estates from Aljunied GRC
Unaffected constituencies
The following constituencies will remain unchanged from GE2020:
- Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC
- Jalan Besar GRC
- Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC
- Nee Soon GRC
- Sengkang GRC
- Bukit Panjang SMC
- Hougang SMC
- Marymount SMC
- Pioneer SMC
Here are the key changes made to the existing GRCs and SMCs:
Areas of interest for PAP, WP and SDP
The Singapore parliament saw PAP winning 83 seats and forming the government, while the Workers Party won a total of ten seats in the 2020 general elections.
One of the SMCs which no longer exist for GE2025 is the Bukit Batok SMC, where Singapore Democratic Party’s Secretary-General Dr Chee Soon Juan staked an early claim on earlier last month. The SMC has been absorbed into a new five-member Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC.
In GE2020, Dr. Chee ran against Murali Pillai, the current Minister of State for Law and Transport, in a closely contested race. Mr. Pillai won with 55% of the vote.
Without the SMC, the SDP may need to adjust its strategy to improve its members’ chances of winning seats in Parliament.
The Workers’ Party (WP), with 10 MPs in Parliament, has maintained a strong presence in Hougang SMC since the 1991 General Election and in Aljunied GRC since 2011.
The party also holds Sengkang GRC, which was formed in GE2020. With their constituencies largely unchanged—except for minor adjustments in Aljunied GRC—the Workers’ Party is expected to field candidates in these GRCs.
The return of physical rallies
GE2025 marks the return of physical rallies. In GE2020, first-time candidates had to rely on digital rallies due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so it will be interesting to see how they engage with live audiences this time.
However, nearly half of the rally sites from GE2015 no longer exist, having been replaced by housing and new infrastructure.
To address this, Minister of State for Home Affairs and Social and Family Development, Ms. Sun Xueling, shared in Parliament that the police plan to allocate two rally sites per GRC and one per SMC. Additionally, one site will be designated for lunchtime rallies.
The full list of rally locations will be announced at the end of the nomination proceedings on Nomination Day.
-//-
So how would each political party adapt to the changes in electoral boundaries? Will there be any drastic changes in terms of strategy?
We can only learn more once the parliament is dissolved and the writ of election is issued. When might that happen? We just have to wait and see.
- Read more articles we have written on GE2025 here.
- Read more articles we have written on Singapore’s current affairs here.
Featured Image Credit: Elections Department via Facebook