THE outcome of the recent general election provides a strong case that Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs), where voters choose a team of candidates rather than a single candidate, are no longer relevant or needed, even by the ruling People's Action Party (PAP).
By Mano Sabnani, For The Straits Times
A minority PAP candidate, Mr Michael Palmer, scored a relatively good 54.5 per cent of the valid votes in Punggol East, a Single Member Constituency (SMC), where he was in a three-cornered fight with candidates from the Workers' Party (WP) and Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA). WP's Ms Lee Li Lian managed 41 per cent while Mr Desmond Lim of the SDA lost his election deposit with only 4.5 per cent. The electorate chose the best person and his or her racial origin was not an issue.
In the 14 GRCs that were contested, the PAP scored on average 60.3 per cent of the votes cast. It achieved a slightly lower percentage (59.3 per cent) in the 12 SMCs contested.
Interestingly, the opposition parties also scored the same percentages generally for both SMCs and GRCs, with the WP scoring the highest average of 46.6 per cent in all its contests.
This shows that notwithstanding the GRCs being each helmed by ministers, the PAP did not do better in winning over voters or stemming the opposition in GRCs than they did in SMCs. That being the case, PAP's known strategy of using heavyweights to defend GRCs, each with four to six candidates, is no longer effective.
On the contrary, this election has shown that GRCs can be the fastest way for the ruling party to lose important candidates such as ministers and promising new candidates. The loss of the five-seater Aljunied GRC to WP has taken with it an able foreign minister in Mr George Yeo, one other minister, a potential Speaker of Parliament, an able community leader, and a very promising newcomer, Mr Ong Ye Kung.
It should be clear that if Mr Yeo had been fielded in an SMC, he would have won, and handsomely too. The other four PAP Aljunied candidates also stood a good chance to win in SMCs. In fact, the PAP won contests in 11 out of 12 SMCs, losing only in Hougang and actually winning back Potong Pasir. Yet, it can't be said that any of the PAP candidates in the 12 SMCs are of the stature of Mr Yeo.
The GRC system has another negative. It allows relatively weak candidates to enter or remain in Parliament on the coat-tails of the ministers leading each GRC. Some, as in the case of a few in the five-seat Tanjong Pagar GRC, have yet to experience electoral battle.
If the GRC system were to be abandoned, chances are there will be fewer walkovers and most MPs would have been battle-hardened through victories in SMCs, as is the case with the 12 MPs selected this time by voters through the SMC system.
Currently, the GRC system is an odd one, with hard-to-understand electoral boundaries. For example, Tanjong Pagar GRC extends right up to Holland Village, so Holland Village is not in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC. And Marine Parade GRC extends right up to Serangoon Central, with signs welcoming people to Marine Parade GRC outside the Serangoon MRT station.
Our political constituencies should be drawn up in such a way that Singaporeans can identify with constituencies more clearly. This will also facilitate the provision of services to residents and a sense of belonging among them.
In the next general election which will be held by 2016, we could have, say, 90 seats in Parliament, all SMCs. Minority candidates with good credentials, and the backing of their respective parties, should be able to do well and ensure minority representation in Parliament.
After all, Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam led his team in Jurong GRC to an above average 67 per cent tally. Three other minority race ministers - Dr Vivian Balakrishnan (Holland-Bukit Timah), Mr K. Shanmugam (Nee Soon) and Dr Yaacob Ibrahim (Moulmein-Kallang) - also led their teams to victory in GRCs, with performances more or less in line with the PAP's national average of 60 per cent, despite tough contests. They would have done equally well, if not better, in SMCs.
The writer, a former chief editor of Business Times and the Today newspaper, is now adjunct professor at SIM University's business school. He is also chief executive of Rafflesia Holdings, an advisory firm for media and SMEs.
