Pritam Singh, the Leader of the Opposition and Workers’ Party Secretary-General, recently sparked conversations on Singapore’s political landscape following the release of the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC) report. He urged Singaporeans to work towards a “more balanced political system” while highlighting concerns about the opacity and fairness of the EBRC’s decisions.
Radical Changes in Electoral Boundaries
Singh described the latest boundaries adjustment as “one of the most radical redrawing of boundaries Singapore has seen in recent memory.” Following the recent electoral report, there have been significant changes, with five new Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) and six new Single Member Constituencies (SMCs) created. Notably, the opposition-held Aljunied GRC has undergone its first boundary alteration since the 2011 General Election.
Calls for Transparency
- Singh emphasized the importance of boundaries and questioned the rationale behind their changes.
- He urged for clarity about how the changes stem from shifts in population numbers, poking fun at Western practices of gerrymandering.
- In his social media comments, Singh referred to past remarks made by former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, underscoring the attention given to voting patterns.
“Boundaries are important, and the reasons that justify their changes matter—a lot,” Singh noted in his remarks.
Public Engagement and Fairness
The EBRC’s operations have been described as opaque by Singh, leading to public speculation regarding fairness in the electoral process. He called for the government to release data on voting patterns in the affected precincts to foster transparency and allow Singaporeans to form their own opinions.
The Bigger Picture
Singh also tied his campaign for fairness to the Forward Singapore report, stating that fairness and trust are essential for national unity. He challenged Singaporeans to engage more deeply in the democratic process, asserting that each generation has a responsibility to contribute towards building a more equitable society.
“Let’s press on to build a more balanced political system. It can be done,” he concluded, encouraging Singaporeans to unite around the cause of democracy and equality in the nation’s political framework.