GE2025 Hot Spots: It was the tightest race in 2020. Will West Coast GRC be too close to call again?

It was the fiercest fight of the 2020 General Election: As votes were counted late into the night and the early hours of the next day, West Coast GRC was finally called for the People’s Action Party (PAP) with the slimmest of winning margins.

The team led by then-Transport Minister S Iswaran pipped their opponents from the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) with 51.69 per cent of the vote, making it the tightest contest of the election.

Fast forward to this year, and residents and political watchers alike are looking forward to another potentially dramatic battle in the next election, which has to take place by November 2025.

With speculation over new candidates, possible boundary changes and lingering voter sentiment, both the PAP and PSP face a crucial fight to secure the constituency.

In 2020, PSP, led by Dr Tan Cheng Bock, a former PAP Member of Parliament (MP), put up such a tough fight that it grabbed 48.31 per cent of the vote at West Coast GRC – no mean feat for the opposition party considering that the PAP team had handily won the GRC with 78.57 per cent of the vote against the Reform Party in 2015.

Aside from Iswaran, the PAP team in 2020 comprised Mr Desmond Lee, now National Development Minister, MPs Foo Mee Har and Ang Wei Neng, as well as then-political newcomer Rachel Ong Sin Yen.

Iswaran, who had served the GRC as MP since 1997, is now no longer in the picture. He resigned in January 2024 in relation to a corruption case. He was eventually convicted and given a 12-month jail sentence in October last year and is now on home detention.

As for Dr Tan, a former Ayer Rajah MP for 26 years, he stepped down as PSP chief in 2021 to become its chairman. Non-Constituency MP Hazel Poa leads the party now.

Stepping into this key battleground, CNA TODAY spoke to some 70 residents and found that they were mostly a contented lot with few complaints about how their estates are being managed.

Though that is not to say that their power to wield the vote should be taken lightly.

One of the biggest questions looming over the GRC is whether Dr Tan will make another bid to contest in the next election, a move that will likely heat up the race. On Sunday (Feb 23), he told reporters that he will run in the next election, though he did not say it would necessarily be in West Coast.

Another question is whether an additional candidate would be introduced to fill Iswaran’s vacant seat.

Some residents believe in Mr Lee’s potential to carry the PAP team, while others said that the ruling party must introduce a strong candidate to replace Iswaran. 

Commenting on the impending election, one political analyst said that what stood out for West Coast GRC the last time was the “Tan Cheng Bock factor”. 

Dr Tan Ern Ser, adjunct principal research fellow at Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), added that the question now is whether this factor would still count and how much the voters in the GRC care about “having some opposition presence” in parliament.

“I reckon there will still be a strong fight if the PSP sees West Coast as its best bet of winning a GRC. By the same token, PAP would also want a decisive win.”

WHAT WEST COAST RESIDENTS WANT

1. NATIONAL CONCERNS

Almost all of the 70 residents interviewed by CNA TODAY shared similar concerns with those in Sengkang GRC and East Coast GRC, including the rising cost of living, job security and increasing housing prices.

One of them is Ms Claudia Lim, 38, a single mother who has to look after her 18-year-old son and support her ageing parents. 

Her father suffered a stroke and is unable to work, while her mother still works in the food-and-beverage (F&B) industry, though her income is not high. 

Ms Lim, a customer service manager, said: “Food prices have gone up quite a lot. In the past, I could buy chicken rice for S$3, but now it’s S$5.50. I got a shock.

“On some days when I’m too tired to cook, I buy food back for the family and it has become more expensive. You don’t get as much change back after paying with a S$50 note.”   

Ms Lim is hoping that the government will introduce support schemes for single parents in the sandwiched generation such as herself.

Some residents expressed concerns about the job market, saying it has been challenging for either themselves or their loved ones to secure employment. 

Some said they felt that job competition has intensified and that employers might be prioritising candidates who are open to accepting lower salaries. 

Older residents such as Ms Raj, who declined to give her full name, are also increasingly worried about healthcare costs and their financial security in retirement.

The 59-year-old human resources consultant said: “Healthcare costs are high, even with insurance, because the premiums keep increasing as we age. Collectively, my husband and I spend close to S$20,000 a year on hospitalisation, surgery and critical illness coverage. 

“Savings help, but it would be beneficial if costs were kept low so that we still have some disposable income.” 

Beyond these concerns, older residents are also wary of the country’s move towards digitalisation, as they struggle with navigating technology and still prefer face-to-face interactions.

A resident in Telok Blangah said that when she tried to report matters to the authorities such as neighbours feeding pigeons or uneven pavements in the estate, she was redirected to the OneService mobile application.

But the 70-year-old retiree found it hard to use the app. She would have preferred to give her feedback verbally rather than in writing, she added.

Similarly, Mr Steven Lawrence, a 47-year-old resident in the Dover Road area, said that he was not in favour of the estate’s unmanned neighbourhood police post, which relies on self-service kiosks for round-the-clock assistance.

He pointed out that older residents, especially those living alone or who are less familiar with digital technology such as himself, might not know how to use the kiosks when reporting cases.

Travelling to a manned police station further away would also be inconvenient for those needing help with minor matters such as reporting a traffic accident or updating their home address on their identification card, he said.

2. ESTATE CLEANLINESS

Conversations with most West Coast GRC residents revealed that they were generally satisfied with the upkeep of their estates.

These included upgrading work for their toilets under HDB’s Home Improvement Programme, the construction of more sheltered linkways in the neighbourhood and the retiling of pavements and void decks of public housing blocks in their estates.

Mr MJ Foo, a 76-year-old retiree, said that since Iswaran’s departure, there has not been noticeable lapses in estate management and maintenance. The area around his Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat in the West Coast ward has been well-kept, he added. 

“The other minister, Mr Desmond Lee, has also been very helpful. I’ve met him a few times and he would always ask us to suggest any improvements or give feedback,” Mr Foo told CNA TODAY. 

Mr Lee and the other West Coast GRC MPs take turns to cover Meet-the-People Sessions for the West Coast division and Mr Lee also serves the ward in other aspects. 

However, some gripes remain, with some residents flagging concerns over pest problems such as rats, as well as animal droppings that irresponsible pet owners do not clear.

Private-hire driver Goh Kee Siang, 37, said that there are too many birds, including crows, in his neighbourhood and it can get too noisy around his home in the Nanyang ward, which includes part of the Jurong West district.

At Gek Poh, several residents have observed pet owners allowing their pets to urinate or defecate in public places, including the void deck and community function hall, without cleaning up after them. 

Part-time F&B worker Masita Muzafar, 41, said that it was unsightly to see this, especially since the housing block where she lives – Block 741, Jurong West Street 73 – had just been freshly repainted.

She also talked about irresponsible residents littering around the central rubbish chute rather than tossing trash down the chute. When she witnessed their behaviour, Ms Masita said that she advised them to dispose of their rubbish properly, yet the problem persists. 

“I have to notify the town council every time this happens. It takes action promptly, but I think more needs to be done to educate everyone on responsibility.” 

Responding to queries from CNA TODAY, Mr Ang Wei Neng – who is vice-chairman of the West Coast Town Council and the MP overseeing West Coast GRC’s Nanyang ward – said that the town council was aware of the situation involving bird populations in their estates.

“We are adhering closely to the steps of the pilot initiative by multi-agencies and town councils to manage the issue," he added. 

“This involves collaboration efforts to implement effective measures like population control, noise and droppings mitigation, disease prevention, and educating residents on the importance of not feeding birds.”

Mr Ang added that the town council is also stepping up its cleaning efforts to address the issue of bird droppings, and to ensure that the estates remain clean and hygienic.

3. MORE PEAK-HOUR BUS SERVICES

On the whole, most residents across the constituency’s five wards said that they were satisfied with their estate’s public transport connectivity, including the number of bus routes serving their neighbourhood and the frequency and intervals of these buses.

Residents were anticipating that there would be increased connectivity over the next few years as public transport networks in their wards expand. The first phase of the 24-station Jurong Region Line – which will cover Boon Lay, Jurong East and Chua Chu Kang – is slated to open from 2027.

However, some residents in the Nanyang division are hoping for more bus routes and for buses to be more frequent during peak periods, such as when students start and end their school day.

Given the close proximity of their housing blocks to nearby schools such as Nanyang Technological University, residents said that it is difficult and a hassle to board the packed bus services 241 and 179 during peak hours.

They have to jostle with students to do so and have, on occasion, missed their buses as a result.

Ms Jasmine Chan, a 50-year-old stay-at-home mother, said: “Every time I want to take bus 241 and the students (from nearby primary and secondary schools) are let off from school … I will take bus 179 (from a different bus stop) instead. Then, when it’s 5pm and many NTU students are going home, I go back to taking 241.”

Mr Ang the MP told CNA TODAY that the team regularly monitors bus services and provides feedback to the Land Transport Authority and the public transport operators, so that they can make adjustments where necessary.

4. SENIOR-FRIENDLY INFRASTRUCTURE AND AMENITIES

With people aged 60 and above constituting almost a quarter (23.32 per cent) of the population in West Coast GRC, several residents across the different wards would like to see more elder-friendly infrastructure being built in their neighbourhoods.

A resident living in Pandan Gardens, who gave her name as Madam Kris, said that the pavements in her neighbourhood are “too high”.

“One neighbour even told me he had a fall and wished that there would be more ramps. There are, but you must also walk a longer way to get there,” the 77-year-old retiree added. 

Beyond infrastructure, some residents would like to foster a stronger community for seniors, especially those living alone, and said that it would be nice to have more communal activities catered to their needs.

Mr Max Teo, an unemployed resident in his 40s, said that there are many senior citizens in his area along Boon Lay Place. Some of them live alone and have limited mobility, making it nearly impossible for them to take part in the ongoing activities. 

“It would be good to have additional forms of engagement for such isolated seniors in the neighbourhood.”

WILL ISWARAN'S CASE SWAY VOTERS?

Last October, former transport minister Iswaran was convicted of obtaining valuables as a public servant and obstruction of justice, following a probe by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau.

Before he resigned from his positions, he had been in charge of the constituency’s West Coast ward and served as an MP for the GRC for more than two decades, between 1997 and 2024.

Several residents told CNA TODAY that they had had a positive impression of Iswaran. Most of them were ultimately unfazed by the outcome of his court case and did not see it significantly affecting their trust in the PAP.

Ms Sun Jie, 35, a health-tech startup founder, said that she did not feel it had affected the party's image, especially since the government had been quite transparent about the case. 

“Honestly, for the amount of money involved, this might not even raise an eyebrow in other countries. Yet, in Singapore, the situation led to his arrest. This case shows that the law is working well here.”

There were a handful of residents who expressed their disappointment, given Iswaran’s long-standing service in the constituency and their positive interactions with him.

Retiree Song Gek Huang, 73, who lives in the West Coast ward, said that she cried when she heard about the news of Iswaran’s conviction. 

“We like Iswaran. He has been very helpful in the years he served us as MP. I’m very sad (he isn’t part of the GRC line-up) anymore.”

Then, there are several other residents in the West Coast ward, including Mdm Song, saying that they also like Mr Lee, who has been filling in for Iswaran.

Besides overseeing the West Coast ward, Mr Lee is also in charge of the Boon Lay ward.

With the elections coming up, some residents said that they are curious about who will eventually replace Iswaran in the next line-up, though many said that it did not matter if the new team member will be a minister.

Tuition teacher Cai Zhihui, 32, was one who said that a strong candidate was crucial to maintaining a level of trust in the leadership.

“That being said, my vote will be based on the entire team as a whole, rather than on individual candidates. I feel assured under our government's leadership.”

Dr Teo Kay Key, a research fellow at IPS, said it is indeed unlikely that West Coast GRC will see a second minister contesting for PAP alongside Mr Lee. 

PAP's GRC teams usually have at most one minister, with a few exceptions, Dr Teo noted. Moreover, the addition of heavyweight or popular ministers can be a double-edged sword. 

“Doing so can help to shore up votes for GRCs that are hotly contested, but at the same time, there is also a chance of losing the whole team, especially if voters are surprised at the last minute with the addition and have not built up rapport with the candidate, regardless of the person’s overall popularity,” she said. 

Although Iswaran's departure meant that West Coast lost its anchor minister, Dr Teo noted that if the rest of the team remains unchanged, Mr Lee may continue to fulfil that role.

Assuming that West Coast remains a five-member GRC, she added that residents can expect a new minority candidate to be added at the very least, because there is now no minority MP in the team after Iswaran’s departure.

Aside from this new member, Dr Tan Ern Ser from IPS expects Mr Lee and the rest of the current team to stay in the GRC.

This would show that, despite Iswaran’s departure, the team has continued to earn the trust and support of residents, rather than “abandoning them”, he said.

Several new faces have been spotted walking the ground in West Coast GRC in the last few months, including Sembcorp Industries’ head of corporate affairs Valerie Lee and entrepreneur Chua Wei-Shan.

However, since neither is an ethnic minority, their potential candidacies would likely require a reshuffle of the West Coast GRC line-up.

Another new face being hotly talked about, who is said to be joining the PAP line-up, is former SingPost Singapore chief executive officer Shahrin Abdol Salam. He resigned earlier this month to “focus on a new chapter” in his career.  

Mr Shahrin has been active in West Coast GRC since 2011, his LinkedIn profile showed. He is a district representative in PAP’s Malay Affairs Bureau and chairman of the Ayer Rajah Community Club’s Malay Activity Executive Committee.

NEW BOUNDARIES A POSSIBILITY

All the talk also included a possible redrawing of electoral boundaries for the GRC, which could involve carving out existing wards or incorporating new areas, analysts said.

This process, typically carried out before each election, can change a constituency's size and demographic makeup. 

West Coast GRC became a five-member GRC in 2020, up from four in 2015, when some polling districts previously under Chua Chu Kang GRC and Hong Kah North Single Member Constituency (SMC) became part of the GRC. 

Dr Tan Ern Ser raised the possibility that some neighbourhoods in Hong Kah North, which has seen a growth in residents due to new public housing units in Tengah, may be re-zoned to join West Coast GRC. 

This would align with the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee’s mandate, which is to take into account population shifts and new housing developments when determining the electoral boundaries for use in future elections, he said.

Hong Kah North, which neighbours West Coast GRC, is now the only SMC that has breached the upper elector limit of 38,000 for single-seat wards, with its voter population of 38,929.

Associate Professor Chong Ja Ian from the National University of Singapore’s department of political science said that should West Coast GRC see boundary shifts, PSP’s chances might be affected, taking into consideration the generational change that would be reflected in the voter rolls as a result.

“Newer voters will have less memory of Dr Tan Cheng Bock, who was important for the PSP ticket in 2020. Whether Dr Tan is still able to be as active in PSP is a question.” 

THE "TAN CHENG BOCK FACTOR"

Some residents who spoke to CNA TODAY said that they still remember Dr Tan’s tenure as an MP in Ayer Rajah, an SMC that was later absorbed into West Coast GRC. 

Mdm Kris, the Pandan Gardens resident, recalled having a very positive impression of Dr Tan because of his sincerity.

She said that her mother, now in her late 90s, had been an active member of the Indian Activity Executive Committee under the Ayer Rajah Community Club.

“Without fail, when he was in office, Dr Tan would charter buses every Chinese New Year to take residents to his home for lunch. My mother attended two or three of these gatherings.

"I thought it was very generous of him to open his home and provide halal food so everyone can eat together.”

Retired gardener Amin Suboh, 69, and his friends Omar Mohd Nor and Ibrahim Dollah, both 79 and also retired, fondly recalled the days when they used to see Dr Tan sitting and chatting with his constituents at coffee shops – a type of warmth rarely seen these days, they said.

“He served everyone so well. Those who visited him at his Jurong West clinic and couldn’t afford the fees, he would treat them for free,” Mr Amin added.  

Before entering politics in 1980, Dr Tan was a general practitioner who operated his clinic in Ama Keng for 41 years before closing it in 2012. 

If Dr Tan does not run in West Coast, Assoc Prof Chong said that a lot may come down to how voters view the performance of PSP's Non-Constituency MPs, assuming they continue to contest in West Coast GRC. 

Ms Poa, who is PSP's secretary-general, and Mr Leong Mun Wai, were offered and accepted seats as Non-Constituency MPs in Parliament after PSP emerged as the “best loser”, or the party that lost a constituency with the thinnest margin in 2020's election.

Some residents said that they had met Ms Poa and Mr Leong during recent door-to-door outreaches, but they had not seen Dr Tan Cheng Bock for a while.  

Dr Tan Ern Ser from IPS said that it is hard to gauge whether the octogenarian will be on the ballot. 

“Keeping one's cards close to the chest till the last hour may be a good election tactic,” he added. 

Responding to queries from CNA TODAY, PSP said that the party’s line-up of candidates would be confirmed only on Nomination Day.

Some residents such as Ms Gwen, who declined to give her full name, believe the competitiveness of the 2025 election will largely depend on the line-up of opposition candidates contesting in the constituency.

“Before Dr Tan Cheng Bock came back to West Coast, the contest was quite poor,” the 30-year-old communications professional said, adding that the opposition could have a good chance of a close fight if they field an equally credible candidate.

“I think without Dr Tan, PSP would have to work a lot harder to achieve a similar result to 2020. I feel like his star power and previous affinity with West Coast residents as an ex-MP of the area really contributed to the strong fight (in 2020).”

THE WEST CHARTS ITS COURSE

Whoever ends up contesting their constituency, West Coast GRC residents were by and large practical about what they hoped for from their eventual MPs.

Underwriter N Shajitha, 53, a resident in Ayer Rajah-Gek Poh ward, said that she would not be unhappy if PSP is able to wrest West Coast from the ruling party because she believes there should be more opposition voices in Parliament to provide checks and balances. 

Sales manager Ivy Chng, 48, agreed with the need for more opposition voices, but she believes that the current PSP representatives in Parliament should improve their performance by better substantiating their findings during their debates.

“It’s a 50-50 thing for me if PSP wins, but at least it is a party willing to speak up for you in Parliament,” the resident in Nanyang ward said. 

Separately, others said that they place greater importance on their elected representatives’ ability to serve the people and manage the estate effectively, no matter the party.

With the occasional pest problem plaguing his estate at around Block 716 Clementi West Street 2, lawyer A Shaktivel, 29, commented: “I’m not too concerned about who wins the GRC, as long as they can do a good job, especially in terms of estate management.” 

Likewise, retail assistant S Malarvili, 60, who had concerns about housing and cost of living, wished both parties all the best.  

“Whoever comes in, I hope they can take care of the people, which is the most important thing. Many people are going through many troubles these days, so the MPs must walk the talk and help those in need.” 

Editor’s note: The data reflected in this article on West Coast GRC’s population and demographic breakdown have been updated, following clarifications from the Singapore Department of Statistics.