Boundary changes set to impact contests in the west, say experts

The rapid population growth in Hong Kah North SMC has triggered major electoral boundary changes in western Singapore, with PAP stronghold Jurong GRC carved up into neighbouring constituencies.

- Ng Wei Kai and Hariz Baharudin

The distribution of these voters could shore up support for the ruling party in the new group representation constituencies, which take in previously hotly contested wards in the region, said political observers.

They noted that the boundary changes would impact two constituencies where two opposition parties made significant inroads at the last election — the current West Coast GRC and Bukit Batok SMC.

However, they also caveated that the PAP's strong performance in Jurong — it was the PAP's best-performing GRC in the past two general elections — also depended on the opposition they had faced and the candidates fielded.

"So it's not a given that a particular area or estate will always pull very strongly for the PAP," said Mr Terence Ho, adjunct associate professor in practice at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

The PAP narrowly won West Coast GRC with 51.68 per cent of the vote against a Progress Singapore Party (PSP) team led by former PAP stalwart Tan Cheng Bock.

In Bukit Batok, the PAP's Mr Murali Pillai secured 54.8 per cent of the vote to beat Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) chief Chee Soon Juan.

The Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC) has recommended redistributing the 132,272 voters from Jurong GRC across four constituencies.

Mr Ho said this could strengthen the People's Action Party's performance in constituencies that have absorbed parts of Jurong GRC.

The new five-member Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC will have 142,510 voters, absorbing 62,424 from Jurong GRC, along with parts of Bukit Batok SMC, Yuhua SMC and Hong Kah North SMC.

Another 41,404 voters from Jurong GRC will move to the newly formed West Coast-Jurong West GRC, which will have 158,581 voters, including residents from Jurong West and Taman Jurong.