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Constituencies in Singapore are electoral divisions which may be represented by single or multiple seats in the Parliament of Singapore. Constituencies are classified as either Single Member Constituencies (SMCs) or Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs). SMCs are single-seat constituencies but GRCs have between four and five seats in Parliament.

Group Representation Constituencies

Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) are a type of electoral constituency unique to Singaporean politics. GRCs are multi-member constituencies which are contested by teams of candidates from one party - or from independents. In each GRC, at least one candidate or Member of Parliament must be from a minority race: either a Malay, Indian or Other.^[1]

In 1988, the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) amended the Parliamentary Elections Act^[2] to create GRCs. The current Act enables the President, acting on the advice of the Prime Minister, to create a GRC from three to six electoral wards. In creating GRCs the President is advised by the Elections Department. The initial maximum size for GRCs was three candidates, but this has subsequently been increased, to four in 1991, and between 1997 and 2020, six. Since the 2020 elections, the number of candidates in a GRC decreased to a rule of five.^[1]

GRCs operate with a plurality voting system, voting by party slate, meaning that the party with a majority of votes combined from all divisions regardless of how many divisions voted for a majority will wins the allocated seats by block for the GRC. Until 2011, all Singaporean GRCs have had a PAP base.

The official justification for GRCs is to allow minority representation. Former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong argued that the introduction of GRCs was necessary to ensure that Singapore's Parliament would continue to be multiracial in its composition and representation.^[3] Opposition parties have criticised GRCs as making it even more difficult for non-PAP candidates to be elected to Parliament. The money required to contest a GRC is considerable as each candidate is required to pay a deposit ranging from S$4,000 to S$16,000 (the recent election is S$13,500).^[1] This means that contesting a GRC is very costly for opposition parties. The presence of Cabinet Ministers in GRCs is often believed to give the PAP a considerable advantage in the contesting of a GRC. The PAP has used this tactic to its advantage on several occasions. Rather than stand in an uncontested GRC, in 1997, then-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong shifted his attention to campaigning for candidates where the PAP believed they were most vulnerable, which was the Cheng San GRC.^[4] The opposition has charged the government with gerrymandering due to the changing of GRC boundaries at very short notice (see below section on electoral boundaries).

Critics have noted that Joshua Benjamin Jeyaratnam won the 1981 Anson by-election in a Chinese-majority constituency, and that since the GRC system was implemented, minority representation in Parliament has actually declined.

Boundaries and gerrymandering allegations

The boundaries of electoral constituencies in Singapore are decided by the Elections Department, which is under the control of the Prime Minister's Office.^[5] Electoral boundaries are generally announced close to elections, usually a few days before the election itself is announced.^[5]^[6] There have been accusations of gerrymandering regarding the redrawing of electoral boundaries and the dissolving of constituencies that return a high percentage of votes for parties other than the ruling PAP.^[7]

One of the cases that is often cited as evidence for gerrymandering in Singapore is the case of the Cheng San Group Representation Constituency (GRC). In the 1997 Singaporean general election, the Cheng San GRC was contested by the PAP and the Workers' Party of Singapore (WP). The final results were close, with the PAP winning with 53,553 votes (54.8%) to the WP's 44,132 votes (45.2%). Cheng San GRC had since dissolved thereafter following the 2001 General Elections. Despite the disadvantages assumed by the opposition party in Singapore, WP was successful in taking over a GRC (Aljunied GRC) during the 2011 General Elections^[7] and later Sengkang GRC in the 2020 General Elections.

Current Electoral Map (2020–present)

As of the revision of the electorates on 15 April 2020, the number of electors in the latest Registers of Electors is 2,653,942.

Group Representation Constituencies

Constituency	Seats	Minority representation	Electorate	Polling Districts^[8]	Wards
Aljunied Group Representation Constituency	5	Malay & Indian	150,303	51	Bedok Reservoir–Punggol
					Eunos
					Kaki Bukit
					Paya Lebar
					Serangoon
Ang Mo Kio Group Representation Constituency	5	Indian or other	180,186	59	Ang Mo Kio–Hougang
					Cheng San–Selatar
					Jalan Kayu
					Fernvale
					Teck Ghee
Bishan–Toa Payoh Group Representation Constituency	4	Malay	100,036	34	Bishan East–Sin Ming
					Toa Payoh Central
					Toa Payoh East
					Toa Payoh West–Thomson
Chua Chu Kang Group Representation Constituency	4	Malay	103,231	34	Brickland
					Bukit Gombak
					Chua Chu Kang
					Keat Hong
East Coast Group Representation Constituency	5	Malay	120,239	41	Bedok
					Changi–Simei
					Fengshan
					Kampong Chai Chee
					Siglap
Holland–Bukit Timah Group Representation Constituency	4	Indian	112,999	38	Bukit Timah
					Cashew
					Ulu Pandan
					Zhenghua
Jalan Besar Group Representation Constituency	4	Malay	106,578	42	Kampong Glam
					Kolam Ayer
					Kreta Ayer–Kim Seng
					Whampoa
Jurong Group Representation Constituency	5	Indian & Malay	129,933	45	Bukit Batok East
					Clementi
					Jurong Central
					Jurong Spring
					Taman Jurong
Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency	5	Malay	137,906	47	Braddell Heights
					Geylang Serai
					Kembangan–Chai Chee
					Marine Parade
					Joo Chiat
Marsiling–Yew Tee Group Representation Constituency	4	Malay	114,243	40	Limbang
					Marsiling
					Woodgrove
					Yew Tee
Nee Soon Group Representation Constituency	5	Indian & Malay	137,906	45	Chong Pang
					Nee Soon Central
					Nee Soon East
					Nee Soon Link
					Nee Soon South
Pasir Ris–Punggol Group Representation Constituency	5	Malay & Indian	161,952	55	Pasir Ris West
					Pasir Ris Central
					Pasir Ris East
					Punggol Coast
					Punggol Shore
Sembawang Group Representation Constituency	5	Malay & Indian	139,724	47	Admiralty
					Canberra
					Sembawang Central
					Sembawang West
					Woodlands
Sengkang Group Representation Constituency	4	Malay	117,546	38	Anchorvale (WP) / Sengkang West (PAP)
					Buangkok (WP) / Sengkang Central (PAP)
					Compassvale (WP) / Sengkang North (PAP)
					Rivervale (WP) / Sengkang East (PAP)
Tampines Group Representation Constituency	5	Malay	147,249	51	Tampines Central
					Tampines Changkat
					Tampines East
					Tampines North
					Tampines West
Tanjong Pagar Group Representation Constituency	5	Indian	132,598	49	Buona Vista
					Henderson–Dawson
					Moulmein–Cairnhill
					Queenstown
					Tanjong Pagar–Tiong Bahru
West Coast Group Representation Constituency	5	Indian	144,516	50	Ayer Rajah–Gek Poh
					Boon Lay
					Nanyang
					Telok Blangah
					West Coast

Single Member Constituencies

Constituency	Seats	Electorate	Polling Districts^[8]
Bukit Batok Single Member Constituency	1	29,389	10
Bukit Panjang Single Member Constituency	1	35,258	12
Hong Kah North Single Member Constituency	1	23,519	8
Hougang Single Member Constituency	1	25,629	9
Kebun Baru Single Member Constituency	1	22,413	7
MacPherson Single Member Constituency	1	27,652	10
Marymount Single Member Constituency	1	23,439	7
Mountbatten Single Member Constituency	1	23,957	8
Pioneer Single Member Constituency	1	24,679	9
Potong Pasir Single Member Constituency	1	18,551	6
Punggol West Single Member Constituency	1	25,440	6
Radin Mas Single Member Constituency	1	25,167	10
Yio Chu Kang Single Member Constituency	1	26,046	9
Yuhua Single Member Constituency	1	21,188	8

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Hussin Mutalib, 'Constituational-Electoral Reforms and Politics in Singapore', Legislative Studies Quarterly 21 (2) (2002), p. 665.
^ Now the Parliamentary Elections Act (Cap. 218, 2011 Rev. Ed.)
^ Hussin Mutalib, 'Constituational-Electoral Reforms and Politics in Singapore', Legislative Studies Quarterly 21 (2) (2002), p. 664.
^ Hussin Mutalib, 'Constituational-Electoral Reforms and Politics in Singapore', Legislative Studies Quarterly 21 (2) (2002), p. 666.
^ ^a ^b Alex Au Waipang, 'The Ardour of Tokens: Opposition Parties' Struggle to Make a Difference', in T.Chong (eds), Management of Success: Singapore Revisited (Singapore, 2010), p. 106.
^ Diane K. Mauzy and R.S. Milne, Singapore Under the People's Action Party (London, 2002), p.143.
^ ^a ^b Bilveer Singh, Politics and Governance in Singapore: An Introduction (Singapore, 2007), p. 172.
^ ^a ^b "The Report of the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee, 2020" (PDF). Elections Department Singapore.