Day: March 11, 2025

Major changes to the electoral boundaries for GE2025, we broke it down for you

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:

1. Bukit Batok
2. Hong Kah North
3. MacPherson
4. Punggol West
5. Yuhua

The new SMCs are Bukit Gombak, Jalan Kayu, Jurong Central, Queenstown, Sembawang West and Tampines Changkat.

Other affected Electoral Districts (EDs)

These are:

1. East Coast GRC to absorb Chai Chee and Siglap estates, originally from the current Marine Parade GRC
2. 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.
3. Chua Chu Kang GRC will take in Tengah estates
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Tampines GRC takes in Tampines West estates from Aljunied GRC

Unaffected constituencies

The following constituencies will remain unchanged from GE2020:

1. Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC
2. Jalan Besar GRC
3. Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC
4. Nee Soon GRC
5. Sengkang GRC
6. Bukit Panjang SMC
7. Hougang SMC
8. Marymount SMC
9. 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.

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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.

Also Read: Lawrence Wong is the 2025 election’s fresh face. Can the opposition upstage him with someone?

Featured Image Credit: Elections Department via Facebook

Sole prop, partnership or Sdn Bhd? Read this if you’re deciding how to register your biz.

Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and is not meant to be used or construed as legal advice in any manner whatsoever. All articles have been scrutinised by a practising lawyer from Tristan & Partners to ensure accuracy.

We’ve all seen the term Sdn Bhd after a business’ name, but not every business might have it. So, what exactly does it mean?

Sdn Bhd stands for Sendirian Berhad, aka “private limited.” It is the most common type of legal structure here in Malaysia and is most often used for small and medium enterprises.

In a Sdn Bhd structure, the company is a separate entity from its owners, which means the owners are liable only for the amount they have contributed to the company.

Sole proprietorship/partnership VS Sdn Bhd

Firstly, let’s be clear. You NEED to register your business under a legal entity. Whether you’re selling handcrafted wares on Shopee or sandwiches down the street, not registering your business within 30 days of starting operations could leave you with a fine of up to RM50,000 or even a prison sentence of up to two years!

Now, assuming that you’re starting a new business, some of the major options available to you include sole proprietorship, partnership, and Sdn Bhd.

Below is a list of advantages that the Sdn Bhd entity offers compared to sole proprietorship and partnership type entities.

In a nutshell, the Sdn Bhd structure minimises the risks imposed on business owners and offers significant protection and support to new business owners.

Importantly, registering your business as a Sdn Bhd entity allows for easy expansion and growth down the line.

Due to the ease of registering your business as a sole proprietorship or partnership, many companies and banks might not trust your business, as you can disappear overnight and your business could expire. 

As the Sdn Bhd structure needs to comply with statutory requirements, it can’t be easily closed down overnight, so your company’s credibility improves, meaning banks are more likely to provide loans.

Disadvantages of a Sdn Bhd

Now that we’ve gone over the advantages that the Sdn Bhd structure offers, let’s talk about some of the disadvantages you need to consider when making this decision.

Compared to sole proprietorship and partnership structures, registering your business as a Sdn Bhd can be much more expensive, with the one-time SSM registration fee being RM1,000. 

Additional fees for the required company secretary, compliance processes, and tax filing would further raise total startup costs to RM3,500 to RM15,000+.

For sole proprietorships or partnerships, however, there is a RM30 fee when registering with a personal name, which goes up to RM60 with a trade name. This licence needs to be renewed annually though, with any additional branches incurring an additional RM5 on top of the RM30/60 fee.

As mentioned above, applying as a Sdn Bhd requires an auditor and an assigned company secretary. This is because there is more documentation that needs to be submitted and verified for approval and compliance purposes, including your audited financial statements and annual returns.

That said, as of January 2025 the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) has introduced a new audit exemption framework to ease the burden on small businesses. Eligibility will now be based on three simple factors: annual income, total assets, and the number of employees.

If your company meets these criteria, your financial statements need not be audited annually, reducing costs while still maintaining compliance.

So… should you register as a Sdn Bhd?

If you’re a younger person keen on starting a small business with minimal experience, registering your business as a sole proprietorship or partnership might be great for you to dip your toes into the business world without requiring significant investment.

But if you’re looking to get serious and either start a small business with longevity, or to expand and grow your current business, incorporating as a Sdn Bhd might be worth the extra financial investment and paperwork.

The extra support granted via tax incentives and your option at getting financial support via loans and raising capital can help your business remain afloat during unexpected downturns.

Additionally, registering your company as a Sdn Bhd minimises the risks you and your co-owners could face, be it debts, lawsuits or other liabilities.

Where do we start?

So now that you’ve decided to register your company as a Sdn Bhd, you must be wondering what your first steps might be.

Firstly, you want to start by selecting a distinctive name for your Sdn Bhd company that follows the rules of SSM. You can confirm name availability by searching on SSM’s website or in person at their office. 

When you discover an unused name, you can reserve it for a fee (RM50). This reservation is good for 30 days and you should use this time to prepare the necessary documents for company incorporation.

This includes:

• Statutory Declaration by the company secretary or a director
• Declaration of Compliance with the requirements for company registration
• a copy of your identity card or passport (for foreign directors and shareholders)
• a copy of your business premise’s rental agreement (if applicable)
• other documents as required by SSM

It is advisable to seek legal and professional assistance to ensure that you meet all the requirements and to guide you through the more complex aspects of company registration in Malaysia. Additionally, you need to consider the specific requirements and regulations that apply to your industry or business activities.

Once you’ve fully prepared your documents, you can send your company registration paperwork to SSM either online or in person at an SSM office, along with paying the registration fees. 

If your application is accepted, you’ll get a Certificate of Incorporation and a Business Registration Certificate, signifying the official creation of your Sdn Bhd company and you may now enjoy the benefits of extra credibility and financial support, along with the relief of limited liability for you and your partners.

• Learn more about the Companies Act here.
• Read our startup stories here.

Also Read: At 23, he coded a startup in his bedroom. Now, his M’sian HR firm serves 450+ global clients.

Quitting their jobs to grow their pet food biz paid off, now it’s on track to RM2mil revenue

I’m a sucker for good packaging. There, I said it. 

I know that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. I know that good branding doesn’t necessarily mean a good product. 

At first glance, Paw-cipes looked to be one of those brands that might be more visually appealing than actually effective. Its clean, modern, and minimalist design is a huge contrast compared to the usual loud and busy pet food products I see in stores. 

Learning more about the homegrown business, though, I think they might just be more than a pretty face after all. 

The brainchild of marketing experts

Sharing more about the business to Vulcan Post is Tan Min Chuen, the 28-year-old founder of Paw-cipes. 

While Min Chuen got his start in creative design before moving into brand development, he actually graduated from Taylor’s University with a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Architecture. 

But all his career choices have been integral to starting Paw-cipes. After all, it was a dream of his to start a pet food business, having noticed how few good and healthy diet options there were for his own pets locally. 

“My partner and I loved the idea of creating something truly high-quality and accessible here in Malaysia,” he elaborated. 

With that in mind, Min Chuen dipped his toes into ecommerce after graduation, specifically in pet supplies for the US market. Unfortunately, some payment processor hurdles kept that from taking off. 

So, he decided to team up with his partner to offer freelance services including brand design, product design, and graphic design. That ended up growing into a marketing and design agency with a team of five in 2021, working with clients from the US, EU, China, and Singapore. 

“That experience taught me so much about branding, marketing, and supply chains, which came in handy when we launched Paw-cipes,” Min Chuen said. 

He and his partner juggled their full-time jobs at first, using their background in design and branding to gradually build Paw-cipes on the side. 

Today, though, they’ve gone all-in with Paw-cipes.

“Once we saw its potential, especially how much local pet owners craved fresh, high-quality options, we closed our design agency and invested the capital we’d saved straight into Paw-cipes,” Min Chuen proudly said. 

“It was definitely a leap of faith, but I believed, and still do, that this is something really special.”

By pet owners, for pet owners

As Min Chuen shared, the reason for starting Paw-cipes was for their own furbabies. According to the founders, they kept hitting dead ends looking for nutritious pet food locally. 

To create something different from the market, the team dove into R&D. 

“Our initial R&D involved a whole lot of research, recipe trials, and consultations with industry contacts,” Min Chuen explained. 

Through that, they eventually landed on their current range of products, which include canned foods and freeze-dried meats, and wet licking treats. 

“We do smaller, more frequent production runs to keep everything fresh, this also helps us control quality more closely,” Min Chuen assured “Our meat source is of 100% human grade quality, and the products are manufactured in a dust-free, professional facility.”

The products are manufactured in China, where the relevant technology and industries are much more mature, he shared. 

For now, Paw-cipes’ products are sold on ecommerce platforms including Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok. This isn’t just because it’s easier and cheaper to list online, but because of shelf-life too. 

Paw-cipes’ focuses on preservative-free products, so online channels allow for a better turnaround time. 

“Since our freeze-dried range is more sensitive to shelf life, online is the best avenue for now,” Min Cheun added. “We are, however, working on rolling out some wet food/wet treat offerings that have a longer shelf life, so those will gradually appear in retail stores.”

Going up against the big dogs (and smaller ones, too) 

The pet food industry is rather large, though, with lots of notable and well-established names in the market. Going up against those options hasn’t been easy, understandably. 

Yet, the Paw-cipes team believes in their niche, where authenticity and quality is king. Keeping customers close is a big deal for them, and that involves listening to feedback and engaging with them via social media. 

Min Chuen added, “Word of mouth has been huge for us. We’re also building a community around Paw-cipes, so people feel they’re part of something, not just buying a random product off the shelf.”

But it’s not only the big businesses that they have to worry about. In recent years, there’s actually been quite a number of local pet food brands that have cropped up, such as Notti Pet Food and StreetPaw. 

For Paw-cipes, they understand that the barrier to entry for their industry isn’t super high. But rather than compete with others by just pushing for scale or sales volume, the team wants to focus on crafting a truly top-notch product. 

“We produce in small batches to ensure maximum freshness and consistency, instead of chasing huge output. That quality-first approach is what sets us apart,” Min Chuen determined. 

Despite going head-to-head with so many competitors, from established pet industry giants to up-and-comers, Paw-cipes seems to have done quite well for themselves. For one, Min Chuen claimed that the brand has become one of the best-selling pet care brands on Shopee. 

“It hasn’t been easy, but staying laser-focused on quality and engaging with customers has really helped us stand out,” he said. 

Beyond expanding their product line, the team wants to shape healthier pet diets, raise awareness about nutrition, and expand their reach both locally and beyond. 

Barking up the right tree

Ambitions and missions are one thing, but real results are another. 

For Paw-cipes, the results seem to speak for themselves, though. Min Chuen shared with Vulcan Post that the brand is on track to achieve more than RM2 million in annual revenue. 

“Paw-cipes started off bootstrapped, literally just putting in whatever funds we had from our previous agency, and continuously reinvesting any profits right back into the brand,” the founder expressed. 

Turns out, pretty packaging and aesthetic branding are just a few of the many ingredients to the recipe behind Paw-cipes. 

• Learn more about Paw-cipes here.
• Read other articles we’ve written about Malaysian startups here.

Also Read: Not just a fad: How this entrepreneur plans to seriously grow Malaysia’s pickleball scene

Featured Image Credit: Paw-cipes