Impact of Electoral Boundary Changes on Votes

It has been posited that changes in electoral boundaries do not affect the country-wide distribution of votes.

It's not correct.

Die-hard PAP and Opposition supporters will vote PAP and Opposition, respectively, regardless of whether they are in one constituency or another.

But voters in the middle ground or who haven't made up their minds will assess the candidates standing for election in their constituencies.

If the candidates are incumbents, especially if they are from a constituency that the voters have moved to or have been moved to by the Electoral Boundaries Committee, have the incumbents lived up to the voters' expectations in Parliament (how often have they been present, how many questions have they asked and what is the quality of these questions, how often have they presented suggestions and what is the quality of their suggestions) and in looking after the constituents and the constituencies?

If the candidates are incumbents in single member constituencies that have been absorbed into group representation constituencies, the other members of the group will have to be assessed as well.

If the candidates are not the incumbents, do they or their party deserve your vote?

In conclusion, it's not correct to think that changes in electoral boundaries do not affect the country-wide distribution of votes.

Losing Gan Kim Yong

Deputy prime minister Gan Kim Yong was moved from Chua Chu Kang GRC to Punggol GRC, presumably to fortify People's Action Party team in Punggol GRC against a strong The Workers' Party team led by Senior Counsel Harpreet Singh Nehal.

What if Punggol GRC voters voted out PAP and with it, Mr Gan?

1. PAP parachuted Mr Gan from a relatively safe Chua Chu Kang GRC to Punggol GRC. Should Punggol GRC voters feel compelled to vote for PAP just to keep Mr Gan in the Cabinet? Why should this responsibility fall on them?

2. Mr Gan would stand a higher chance of being re-elected if he stayed in Chua Chu Kang GRC although even there, there are uncertainties resulting from parts of Tengah being added to it and Bukit Gombak ward being removed from it and made into an SMC.

3. Mr Gan would stand a good chance of being re-elected if he were parachuted to an SMC. PAP used to think, and probably still thinks, that GRCs makes the party impregnable against the opposition. Until Aljunied GRC fell to WP in 2011 and Sengkang GRC fell, also to WP, in 2020. As more GRCs fall to the opposition, PAP may just abolish GRCs, which are absurd?

4. How important or indispensable is Mr Gan? He was not elected to PAP's Central Executive Committee late last year nor even co-opted, even though he was DPM then. So strange.

5. PAP should learn to govern with half the seats plus one in Parliament. Any more is a bonus.

6. The number of political office holders is mind boggling. There are ministers, senior ministers of state, ministers of state, senior parliamentary secretaries and parliamentary secretaries.