New Sembawang West SMC an 'integral part of Sembawang family': Ong Ye Kung

Although the newly formed Sembawang West single-member constituency (SMC) has split from the Sembawang group representation constituency (GRC) for the upcoming general election, it "remains an integral part of the Sembawang family", said MP Ong Ye Kung.

Ong, who is also Minister for Health, said in a Facebook post on Wednesday (March 12) that the new ward's upgrading and development plans will continue to be part of the GRC's town development plan.

"As an SMC, [Sembawang West] will be able to have more autonomy and flexibility to implement initiatives to address the specific needs of its residents," he wrote.

Ong also said that the change in electoral boundaries in the area was not surprising as more residents have moved into Sembawang GRC, and the population has expanded considerably over the past few years.

"Increasing the number of MPs from five to six in the area will help to better serve the needs of our residents," he said, adding that the key change for the constituency is that it will go from being a five-person GRC to a "five-person GRC plus an SMC".

Additionally, Ong said that if he and his team return to the GRC, he intends to assign Woodlands Galaxy Community Club, located in Woodlands Avenue 6, to the new ward despite it falling just outside the SMC's boundaries.

Sembawang GRC currently comprises of five MPs: Ong Ye Kung, Poh Li San, Vikram Nair, Lim Wee Kiak and Mariam Jaafar.

In February, Ong said that he "expects at least one new member to be added to the People's Action Party team at Sembawang GRC in the upcoming general election", adding that it was part of the party's renewal process in every election cycle, reported The Straits Times.

On Tuesday, the Elections Department said that the report and recommendations submitted by the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC) had been accepted by the Government.

According to the report, voter numbers have grown significantly in multiple wards, including Sembawang GRC, due to population shifts and new housing developments in those areas.

The EBRC recommended 33 electoral divisions which consist of 15 SMCs and 18 four- and five-member GRCs.

There will be 10 five-member GRCs, one less than the 11 in 2020, while the number of four-member GRCs will increase to eight from the six in 2020.

The number of elected Members of Parliament (MPs) will also increase to 97, up from 93.

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bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com