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SINGAPORE : Nine Nominated Members of Parliament (NMPs) have been officially appointed by President S R Nathan at the Istana, and will serve a two-and-a-half year term.
They include seven first-timers and two who served in the previous term.
59-year-old Dr Kalyani Mehta is the oldest in this batch of NMPs and a grandmother of two.
But the social work professor at the National University of Singapore said age is no barrier.
She hopes to zoom in on the challenges facing the ageing population and their families.
She said, "In the year 2030, one in every five persons will be about 65. We need to prepare now for that time; a lot of policies, services programmes have to be designed so that we are ready for a greying society. I think it's important, as a lot of attention is given to youth issues, but not enough to ageing issues."
Dr Thio Li-Ann, who is 38, is from the post-65 generation.
She hopes her experience as a law professor will help her raise issues close to her heart in Parliament.
She said, "There're a whole myriad of factors, from the treatment of maids to education issues, to political liberalisation, free speech issues, human rights and women's rights."
Another NMP is 52-year-old Gautam Banerjee.
He became a Singapore citizen 16 years ago and is now the executive chairman of PricewaterhouseCoopers here.
He said, "With the Budget coming up, there will be things in the Budget I can perhaps look at from a different perspective, give feedback to the government and the different ministries, so I guess my initial contribution will be in that area... with fiscal policies, new regulations, making sure we continue to encourage businesses to use Singapore as a hub, both for local businesses and international businesses."
Other NMPs who received their appointment letters from President Nathan include 38-year-old Cham Hui Fong from the labour movement, businessman Edwin Khew Teck Fook, President of the Singapore Bowling Federation Jessie Phua, 31-year-old lawyer Siew Kum Hong, as well as second-time NMPs Dr Loo Choon Yong and TV host Eunice Olsen.
The nine NMPs will be sworn in on Monday when Parliament sits.
But those who want to watch and hear them in action will have to wait a little longer.
They are only likely to make their first speeches when the Budget debate kicks off at the end of February. - CNA/ms
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