Excerpt from the ST - Insight dated 3 Feb 06
1988
Changes
>>The concept of Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs)
introduced. They will be bigger than the existing consituencies,
about three times the size.
>>Each GRC to have three MPs, at least one of whom must be
from a minority group. In the thre-fifths of the GRCs, the minority
MP must be a Malay and, in others, Indian or other minority
representatives.
>>At least one quarter but no more than half of all MPs to
come from GRCs.
Why?
>>To ensure that Parliament remains multi-racial and will
always have some non-Chinese MPs.
>>To fit in with the proposal to set up town councils, which
will give residents more authority and more responsibility to
manage their own housing estates. MP in a GRC can form a town
council.
1991
Changes
>>Each GRC allowed to have up to four MPs, from the original
team of three.
>>Maximum number of MPs fro GRCs increased from half to
three-qaurters of the total number of elected MPs
Why?
>>To give the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee more
flexible when it reviews electoral boundaries.
It would minimise major changes to the boundaries to GRCs which
have grown too big for the number of MPs serving them.
1996
Changes
>>Maximium number of MPs in each GRCs increased to six.
>>No limit imposed on the number of GRCs. Instead, minimum
number of single seat ward reduced, from one quarter of all seats
in the Parliament to eight.
Why?
>>To pave way for the creation of a community development
councils (CDCs), which have the powers to dispense government funds
to the needy consituents.
They give voters a bigger stake in the result of their choice,
because MPs will manage more matters.
Explaining these changes in the Parliament, then-prime minister Goh
Chok Tong said: "For CDCs to be effective, they need to have the
responsibility for a critical mass of residents."
"Increasing the maximum number of MPs in a GRC from four to six
will give more flexibility to the Electoral Boundaries Review
Committee to configure a GRC which is the right size for this
purpose", he added.
