Sylvia Lim, NCMPThe motion filed by 2 Nominated Members calls for the electoral system to be “fine-tuned”.
We in the Workers’ Party are unable to support the motion for the simple reason that we have never accepted the Group Representation Constituency system, and the motion attempts to entrench it.
The motion is also flawed in some respects.
First, it attempts to refine the GRC system by providing that the moment the Minority member has left GRC, a by-election for the GRC will be called.
We do not see the justification for the departure of any single Member, including the Minority member, to trigger a by-election in the whole GRC. In our view, this is a disproportionate outcome. Elections are won or lost by GRC teams not on the merits of the minority Member alone. Each voter votes for the GRC team for different reasons - some may well vote because of the Minority member, but others may do so because of the team leader or Anchor Minister, or because of some other MP.
Read More
