SINGAPORE – It is new, it is young, and it will almost certainly be the site of a fierce contest.
Punggol reflects the Singaporean heartland – though with a youthful tilt.
For years, it has been the nation’s youngest town, with over half of its more than 120,000 voters estimated to be aged between 21 and 45.
They will play a key role in shaping voting patterns.
And it is growing, with new Build-To-Order estates completed over the last five years, and more in the pipeline.
Hence, the freshly minted Punggol GRC was created by splitting the existing Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, carving out estates in Punggol and merging those with Punggol West SMC.
With neighbouring Sengkang GRC taken by the Workers’ Party in the last election, and WP busy on the ground in areas of Punggol over the last year, a showdown with the incumbent People’s Action Party is almost inevitable.
How the battle will shape up
While political parties have been keeping their cards close before the Writ of Election is issued, the PAP is virtually guaranteed to face off with the WP in what will be a keen contest, said political observers.
“The likelihood of an upset – a la Sengkang GRC in GE2020 – cannot be understated,” said Singapore Management University law don Eugene Tan.
Dr Mustafa Izzuddin, a senior international affairs analyst at Solaris Strategies Singapore, said that the younger profile of voters means that a party seeking to prevail in Punggol must be able to address the concerns of these “political kingmakers”, or field a slate of candidates who can better resonate with them than the competition.
He pointed to Punggol GRC’s contiguity with Sengkang GRC – which the WP flipped in GE2020 – as a sign of greater unpredictability in the contest for the new GRC.
Without officially staking a claim, the WP has spent the past year laying the groundwork in areas outside of Punggol West SMC, as if in anticipation of the estate becoming a standalone GRC, ST understands.
Punggol West SMC was the only part of Punggol that the WP had contested before. It came away in GE2020 with 39.02 per cent of the vote there.
In late February, ST spotted a WP team of at least six individuals walking the blocks in Punggol Place, which is in the Punggol Coast ward under Dr Janil Puthucheary, who is Senior Minister of State for Health and Digital Development and Information.
The group, comprising WP members and volunteers, was led by three-time candidate and former Non-Constituency MP Yee Jenn Jong. Two WP members accompanied Mr Yee when ST approached – Mr Sufyan Mikhail Putra, an associate director at Abdul Rahman Law Corporation, and Mr Daniel Lee, a self-employed corporate trainer.
Three-time Workers’ Party candidate Yee Jenn Jong (left) seen walking the ground with self-employed corporate trainer Daniel Lee (third from left) and lawyer Sufyan Mikhail Putra (right).ST PHOTO: THAM YUEN-C
Asked why they were covering ground there, Mr Yee said: “We don’t want to be caught by surprise because they typically change boundaries, and the election comes soon after that.”
Analysts such as Associate Professor Bilveer Singh from NUS’ department of political science had noted the effectiveness of WP’s “politics of osmosis”, where growing out of its eastern stronghold of Hougang into Aljunied, and then Sengkang, has paid dividends.
SMU’s Prof Tan also noted the WP’s cachet as Singapore’s leading opposition party for close to three decades, and ground perceptions among some voters of its role in transitioning the Republic away from a one-party dominant system.
Indeed, a fresh-faced WP slate took Sengkang GRC in 2020, with 52.12 per cent of the vote.
For these reasons, Punggol GRC could be a potential “political banana skin”, in that it could trip up the PAP in the next election, said Dr Mustafa.
A team of Workers’ Party members and volunteers seen at the public housing blocks at Punggol Place, which is under Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, on Feb 25, 2025. ST PHOTO: WONG PEI TING
But observers cautioned against drawing a direct link between Sengkang in 2020 and Punggol in 2025, noting that there are a number of differences.
In fast-growing Punggol, PAP MPs have worked hard to address issues affecting new estates.
This has ranged from increasing the number of pre-school facilities to improving traffic congestion.
In addition, PAP has secured victory in Punggol in the past.
The WP had actually held a piece of Sengkang prior to 2020, noted Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) senior research fellow Gillian Koh. This was when Ms Lee Li Lian prevailed at the 2013 Punggol East by-election in a four-way contest with the PAP, Reform Party and Singapore Democratic Alliance.
PAP veteran Charles Chong wrested it back in 2015 with 51.77 per cent of the vote.
At GE2020, the former Sengkang West SMC was also represented by Dr Lam Pin Min, who was the face of unpopular transport policies that had hit the working class in particular, while another PAP candidate, Mr Amrin Amin, was parachuted into the new GRC from Sembawang, Dr Koh noted.
The PAP is unlikely to repeat its mistakes in Sengkang from the last election, said SMU’s Prof Tan.
He noted that incumbent MPs such as Dr Janil, Minister of State for Home Affairs and Social and Family Development Sun Xueling and National Trades Union Congress assistant secretary-general Yeo Wan Ling can be expected to continue on the PAP ticket for Punggol, though that leaves open the question of who will fill the remaining seat in the four-member GRC.
Dr Koh said the PAP would be mindful of the need for a strong anchor minister in Punggol GRC, given the likely contest with WP or even a multi-cornered fight in what looks to be a more hotly contested election.
MP for Punggol West Sun Xueling (second from left) with Mr Sharael Taha (left), Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean (second from right) and Dr Janil Puthucheary, who are among the MPs for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC.PHOTO: SUNXUELING/FACEBOOK
She also emphasised the differences during the pandemic-era 2020 election, when anxiety over economic conditions played a large role in the swing from the PAP to the opposition, based on IPS’ post-election surveys.
Prof Tan agreed: “The WP won’t go into the battle in the same way as it did in Sengkang in GE2020, even as it might seek to replicate the victory.
“If it does, it will not likely have the dividends desired. Context matters immensely.”
Responding to residents’ concerns
Punggol Arcadia resident Olivia Wei had little hesitation when asked what was foremost on her mind for the coming election.
A nursing cover over her shoulders, the new mother, who gave birth to her first child in January, said plainly that cost of living is the biggest factor for how she will vote, and her choice will depend on which political party persuades her with its plan to keep a lid on the price of essentials.
“I’ve not made a decision yet, but what I’m looking out for is what the PAP and the opposition will propose to tackle rising costs,” said the 37-year-old pre-school teacher.
A few blocks away at Punggol Regalia, another Housing Board development, an operations manager who gave her name as Madam Chua also raised inflation as a pain point.
The 49-year-old said she had found herself “counting each dollar” in recent years, and has taken to crossing the Causeway from her workplace in Woodlands to stretch her grocery dollars.
“I’m worried about my retirement, and how the Government will take care of us residents in such a climate of rising costs,” she said.
The election in Punggol is likely to centre on such bread-and-butter issues.
ST spoke to residents of Punggol GRC in the days after the new constituency was firmed up on March 11 by the electoral boundaries report that officially kicks off election season in Singapore.
In this election, Punggol is the sole group representation constituency in which over half of voters are working adults between 21 and 45. This observation is based on ST’s analysis using Department of Statistics data dated June 2024.
These young voters – widely referred to as millennial and Gen Z voters – are over-represented in the GRC by a wide margin of over 10 percentage points.
The analysis also found that close to one in 10 residents is an infant or pre-schooler aged six or under, while about one in five is of school-going age (between seven and 20 years old).
Punggol will be the youngest GRC to head to the polls in 2025. ST’s analysts found that over half its over 120,000 voters are working adults between the ages of 21 and 45.ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI
New housing projects added over the years meant it was timely for the town to become a GRC in its own right, said organisation development lead Muhammad Hafiz Abdul Khalid, 38.
A Punggol resident for close to a decade, he cheered the move to make Punggol a self-contained GRC, which the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee has done by combining the Punggol part of the existing Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC with Punggol West SMC.
“It makes sense for it to be a dedicated GRC that focuses on Punggol-specific concerns,” said Mr Muhammad Hafiz, who is married with five children.
Young couples and families had, over the years, asked for more infant care and pre-school spots. That has largely been addressed with the opening of more and larger pre-schools, such as a My First Skool at Punggol Waterway Point with over 1,000 spots.
But other concerns remain.
Human resources practitioner Cindy Lin, 41, who has two children aged six and 10, would like to see childcare leave days increased further so that parents can better attend to their young children’s needs.
Meanwhile, 47-year-old account executive Gloria Lau is worried about whether her children, aged 13 and 17, can afford homes once they are ready to settle down.
Besides cost-of-living concerns, residents whom ST spoke with surfaced other grouses, such as traffic jams, aircraft noise, and the lack of amenities for marketing and eating out.
Ms Sun, who has represented Punggol West for two terms, said various initiatives have been introduced to cushion the impact of rising costs for her residents. These include a programme that since 2021 has let lower-income households buy up to $200 worth of basic groceries at half price every two months.
Punggol West residents participating in a half-priced grocery shopping session in March 2024. PHOTO: SUN XUELING/FACEBOOK
There is also a community shop that distributes free groceries to 800 vulnerable families every month, she added.
To deal with transport-related issues in the town, Ms Sun said she and her team of MPs rolled out a new City Direct bus service in October 2024 to shorten peak-hour commutes to the city centre.
The Land Transport Authority is also on track to deliver two-car LRT trains for the Punggol LRT West Loop in the third quarter of 2025, which would add train capacity, she noted.
Other initiatives that have been rolled out in recent years include Lighthouse@Punggol, a children and youth-centric hub which provides free academic support, after-school enrichment activities and counselling support for children and teenagers.
As much as Punggol trends young, it also has older estates, such as some in Punggol Shore that were built about two decades ago, and also older residents.
ST’s analysis suggests that almost one in 10 residents of the town is over 65, or half the national average of one in five residents.
One of them is Madam Lai Yim Mei, 75, who lamented the lack of eldercare facilities and activities in her neighbourhood.
“There are many childcare (centres), pre-schools and playgrounds here, but I hope there can be more amenities and activities for the elderly in Punggol, like group exercises for example,” she said.
“My husband and I are getting old, so we care more about convenience and the cleanliness of the estate.”
Ms Yeo, who oversees Punggol Shore, said new active ageing centres have been introduced, while a second free traditional Chinese medicine clinic was added to support the community’s needs.
Older parts of the town have also been refreshed with sporting and recreational facilities, health and mental wellness programmes for youth and seniors have been added, and residents are looking forward to the construction of the new Cross Island MRT line, she said.
Ms Yeo added that the Punggol MPs’ approach has always been to keep up “open and proactive communication” with residents through town halls, block visits and social media engagements.
“As such, our team, which includes volunteers, merchants, religious organisations and the grassroots, maintains a very close pulse on the ground,” she said.
“Our residents see our team as friends and fellow neighbours, and residents know who to speak with on their challenges and aspirations.”
Dr Janil said Punggol has grown very rapidly over the last 14 years that he has been an MP there.
The MPs have been able to deal with issues that affect new estates by working together with grassroots volunteers, helpful neighbours and the community liaison officers from the various agencies, he said.
“Some issues do take a bit of time and effort to sort out, and I’m very grateful to the residents as they have been patient with us as we try our best to help make Punggol a better home for all the families that enjoy the greenery, the waterways and the friendly neighbours.”
- Wong Pei Ting is a correspondent at The Straits Times. She covers politics and social affairs.
- Nadine Chua is a crime and court journalist at The Straits Times.
- Zhaki Abdullah is a correspondent at The Straits Times. He is on the health beat, in addition to occasionally covering science, environmental, tech and Muslim affairs issues.
- Lee Li Ying is a correspondent on the health beat at The Straits Times. She has a keen interest in mental health, health technology, ageing and reproductive care.
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