 There are two types of constituencies ( electoral divisions ) in Singapore : Single Member Constituencies ( SMCs ) and Group Representation Constituencies ( GRCs ) . In SMCs candidates vie individually for parliamentary seats , whereas in GRCs the contest is between teams of candidates . Under the GRC scheme , which came into effect on 1 June 1988 , the Government may , having regard to the number of voters in a particular constituency , advise the President to declare it to be a GRC and designate it as a constituency in which at least one of the candidates is from the Malay community , or from the Indian or some other minority community in Singapore . Each team in a GRC may have between three and six candidates . 
