New town councils formed in Jalan Kayu and Punggol, bringing total to 19

Jalan Kayu Town Council is the first to be formed with just one SMC since 2011

- Goh Yan Han

Two new town councils have been formed in Jalan Kayu and Punggol after the 2025 General Election.

In a statement on May 30, the Ministry of National Development (MND) said it issued an order under the Town Councils Act on the same day to put into effect the formation of 19 town councils, set up at the request of the MPs.

There were 17 of them previously.

Jalan Kayu Town Council covers only the single-member constituency won by the PAP's Mr Ng Chee Meng at the May 3 polls against the WP's Mr Andre Low.

Mr Ng, who is secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress, will chair it.

Punggol Town Council covers the corresponding group representation constituency, which was won by the PAP.

Ms Sun Xueling, Senior Minister of State for Transport and National Development, told The Straits Times that she will chair the new town council. Two of her fellow Punggol GRC MPs, Senior Minister of State for Education and Sustainability and the Environment Janil Puthucheary and Ms Yeo Wan Ling, will be vice-chairs.

The last time a town council was formed with just one SMC was after the 2011 General Election, where PAP candidate Sitoh Yih Pin wrested back the Potong Pasir single seat from the Singapore People's Party. Mr Sitoh ran the town council on his own till 2015, when the constituency was grouped under Jalan Besar Town Council after the election that year.