Nine new Nominated Members of Parliament to be appointed

SINGAPORE: Nine new Nominated Members of Parliament (NMPs) will be appointed by President Halimah Yacob for a two-and-a-half-year term which starts on Jan 21.

They include labour union representative Abdul Samad Abdul Wahab, former national swimmer Mark Chay and conservation scientist Professor Koh Lian Pin.

The names were announced by the Office of the Clerk of Parliament in a news release on Thursday (Jan 14). 

All nine are first-time NMPs. They are: 

• SP Group principal technical officer Mr Abdul Samad Abdul Wahab 
• SISTIC chairman Ms Janet Ang
• Global Esports Federation secretariat director Mr Mark Chay
• Guocoland group managing director Mr Cheng Hsing Yao 
• Singapore Management University school of economics dean Professor Hoon Hian Teck
• National University of Singapore conservation scientist Professor Koh Lian Pin
• Lawyer Mr Joshua Thomas Raj
• Khoo Teck Puat Hospital orthodontic registrar Dr Shahira Abdullah
• Thomson Breast Centre surgeon Dr Tan Yia Swam

A total of 61 proposal forms were received by Parliament for NMP nominations. 

They were then considered by a special committee of MPs chaired by Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin.

The eight-member committee comprises Mr Chan Chun Sing, Mr Gan Kim Yong, Ms Gan Siow Huang, Ms Indranee Rajah, Dr Mohamad Maliki Osman, Mr Leon Perera and Dr Vivian Balakrishnan.

MAXIMUM OF 9 NMPS

The NMP scheme was introduced in 1990 to ensure a wide representation of community views in Parliament. Up to nine NMPs can be appointed in each Parliament.

Besides submissions from the public, seven functional groups - including business and industry, the professions and social service organisations - are invited to submit names of candidates.  

Among those who stepped forward was social entrepreneur Anthea Ong, who submitted her name for a second term. Ms Ong's previous NMP term ended when Parliament was dissolved on Jun 23, less than two years after she was sworn in on Oct 1, 2018.

Environmental activists had announced research scientist Dr Andie Ang as their pick for NMP, while the labour union chose Mr Abdul Samad, the vice-president of National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), as its candidate. 

READ: 61 proposal forms received by Parliament for NMP nominations

READ: For Nominated Members of Parliament, it's not just about talking in Parliament

“With many high-calibre candidates stepping forward for consideration, it was not an easy task for the Select Committee to nominate the maximum of nine NMPs," said Mr Tan.  

"After careful deliberation, we have determined that the nine nominees have fulfilled all Constitutional criteria and are eligible for appointment. Collectively, they also have creditable accomplishments in their individual fields and a good grasp of issues they are passionate about," he added.

"I thus look forward to the rich diversity of insights and experiences they can bring to the House when we debate matters concerning Singapore and Singaporeans”.

Ms Indranee, who is also Leader of the House, said that the nine had distinguished themselves through their contributions to society or in their respective fields, adding that their specialised knowledge would "add to the depth and breadth of the debates in Parliament".

"I look forward to the fresh perspectives and ideas the new NMPs will bring to Parliament as we work to help Singapore navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and emerge stronger," said Ms Indranee.

The selected nine will take their oath at the next sitting of Parliament in February.