SINGAPORE — Seventeen town councils, including the new Sengkang Town Council, have been formed following the General Election, and the town councils have until Oct 28 for their handovers, said the Ministry of National Development (MND) on Thursday (July 30).

The 17 town councils, one more than before, comprise the newly-established Sengkang Town Council, 11 reconstituted town councils and five town councils with unchanged town areas.

Sengkang Town Council was formed to manage Sengkang GRC, which was created from parts of the pre-GE2020 Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, Punggol East SMC and Sengkang West SMC, said MND.

Sengkang and Aljunied-Hougang town councils will be managed by the Workers' Party (WP) and the other 15 will be under the People's Action Party (PAP).

Discussions on the handover to Sengkang Town Council from Pasir Ris-Punggol and Ang Mo Kio town councils, for Sengkang West SMC, are ongoing between WP and PAP MP-elects.

A WP team led by Ms He Tingru had won the newly formed Sengkang GRC with 52.12 per cent of the votes, ousting former minister Ng Chee Meng in GE2020. In all, WP won two Group Representation Constituencies and one Single Member Constituency, while the PAP won 28 constituencies.

Under the Town Councils Act, town councils have up to 90 days from their formation to take over the management of areas to be transferred. This means Sengkang Town Council and the 11 reconstituted town councils will take over the management of the transferred areas from Oct 28, said MND.

"Town Councils involved in the handing and taking over can also mutually agree to an earlier take-over date as permitted by the Town Councils Act," it said.

The ministry added: "MND encourages all Town Councils to work together to ensure a smooth transition, so that the needs of residents can continue to be served."

Eleven town councils have been reconstituted as some areas under their purview became part of other towns due to changes in electoral boundaries or changes in the grouping of constituencies for a town, said MND.

Four new SMCs carved out before GE2020 will be managed under adjacent GRCs.

Ang Mo Kio Town Council will manage the areas in Kebun Baru SMC and Yio Chu Kang SMC, while Marymount SMC's management will come under Bishan-Toa Payoh Town Council. Punggol-West SMC will come under Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council.

The other reconstituted town councils are Chua Chu Kang, Jalan Besar, Marine Parade, Marsiling-Yew Tee, Nee Soon, Sembawang, Tampines and West Coast.

The five town councils that remain unchanged are Aljunied-Hougang, East Coast-Fengshan, Holland-Bukit Panjang, Jurong-Clementi and Tanjong Pagar.

However, East Coast-Fengshan will be renamed East Coast Town Council, after Fengshan SMC was absorbed into East Coast GRC. CNA

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