PAP MP Tan Xiao Ming first to go due to GRC size cuts

UBIN, SIN - People's Action Party (PAP) Member of Parliament (MP) Tan Xiao Ming has officially become the first MP to be voted out by his town council due to anticipated cuts in the size of Group Representative Constituencies (GRC) in Singapore.

Minister of Law and Foreign Affairs K. Shanmugam, who is also an MP in Nee Soon, expressed deep regret at the decision, saying it was a 'painful decision', but that the 'town has spoken'.

He added that in the run-up to General Election (GE) 2015, many tough choices had and have to be made still, as the electoral commission is widely believed to re-draw electoral boundaries as usual but cut the size of GRCs as unusual. 

MP Tan, who has served the GRC for just over 10 years, declined to comment on the decision made last night at the weekly Nee Soon town council meeting. Other MPs in Nee Soon said that although 'he (Mr Tan) was a nice guy, nobody really knows what he's been doing, really.' Residents in Nee Soon the Durian spoke to expressed shock at the news - as one resident who wanted to remain as anonymous as MP Tan put it: "who the hell is this guy, he's my MP?"

As news of the elimination spread, speculation rose at Tampines town council that MP Jane Erica could be next. "She's just not been pulling her weight while the other MPs in her town council have been figuratively catching the fish and building the shelters for her on the island," says fellow MP Sri Vivar.