Nominated MPs Raj Joshua Thomas and Syed Harun Alhabsyi resign, fuelling talk of a GE2025 run

SINGAPORE: Nominated Members of Parliament (NMPs) Raj Joshua Thomas and Syed Harun Taha Alhabsyi resigned on Friday (Feb 14), fuelling speculation that they could contest in the upcoming General Election which must be held by November.

Mr Thomas said in a Facebook post that he was grateful for the privilege and honour to have served as an NMP over two terms.

In his resignation letter to Speaker of Parliament Seah Kian Peng, the lawyer said he remains dedicated to serving Singapore and Singaporeans to the best of his abilities. 

"I am contemplating doing so in a different way, in which it would be appropriate for me to resign as an NMP at this time," he wrote. 

Dr Syed Harun, a psychiatrist, said he is exploring opportunities to serve in a different capacity. 

"Though there is much that nominated and elected members contribute together to the parliamentary proceedings, their representative roles in the parliamentary process are distinct and different," he said in his resignation letter.

"As I intend to explore opportunity for political service, I feel it would be most appropriate to resign from my role as Nominated Member of Parliament."

Mr Seah confirmed with CNA that he received resignation letters from Mr Thomas and Dr Syed Harun at around noon on Friday, but he did not comment on their reasons for resigning.

"What I can say is that they both told me they enjoyed and found their stint as NMP very meaningful," Mr Seah said.

The NMP scheme was introduced in 1990 and made permanent in 2010. An NMP is appointed by the president to provide for a wider representation of independent and non-partisan views in the House. Up to nine NMPs can be appointed in each parliament.

An NMP serves a fixed term of two-and-a-half years. 

Mr Thomas was first appointed as an NMP in January 2021. He was appointed again in July 2023, along with Dr Syed Harun and seven others.

"TIMING IS EVERYTHING"

Commenting on the resignations, independent political observer Felix Tan said he believes no NMP has previously resigned before the end of their term.

"Whether they’ll be running in the upcoming elections is really their personal conviction and choice," said Dr Tan.

Agreeing that the resignations are unprecedented, Associate Professor of Law at Singapore Management University (SMU) and former NMP Eugene Tan said that signs point towards the pair possibly running for the upcoming General Election.

“Timing is everything," said Assoc Prof Tan. "I suppose (the) imperative is to avoid any accusation of conflict of interests, especially if they have joined a political party."

"It’s clear both men are on the threshold of entering partisan politics," he added. "Time will tell with which party."

If they decide to contest in the General Election, the move might reflect how the NMP system could be seen as a stepping stone into politics, said Dr Felix Tan. 

"Essentially, if it’s true (that they contest in the elections), does it mean that future NMPs can also consider using the pretext of being an NMP and then participate in an election?" Dr Tan asked.

He said that such a practice would put into question the neutrality of being an NMP and the contributions they can make to the political platform and engage in policies in an unbiased manner, regardless of which side of the aisle they take in contesting the GE.

"One can only hope that such (possible) moves do not tarnish the image of NMPs as bringing in unbiased 'alternative views'," said Dr Tan.

He added that if the NMPs decide to contest, it could also turn the NMP position into a potential way for parties to spot talent.

"The long-term ramifications of this will be detrimental to the NMP system," Dr Tan said. "After all, the NMP system was put in place for a specific purpose and not to be used as an avenue to simply 'talent spot'."

Former NMP Calvin Cheng said that while there have been NMPs previously affiliated with a political party, there have not been any that have ended up contesting in a GE.

Mr Cheng was a member of Young PAP (People's Action Party) and resigned from the party before becoming an NMP. Former NMP Tan Su Shan similarly resigned from the party before stepping into the role.

Dr Gerard Ee was still a PAP member when he stepped into the NMP role.

"(Possibly contesting) would be unprecedented," said Mr Cheng.

Mr Thomas is currently a managing partner at Tang Thomas LLC. He is also the president of the Security Association of Singapore and a board member of Workforce Singapore.

He started his career in the public service with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Singapore Land Authority and the Defence Science and Technology Agency.

Dr Syed Harun is a consultant psychiatrist and medical director of The Starfish Clinic, which specialises in psychiatry and mental wellness.

He was a consultant psychiatrist in the Singapore Armed Forces, a visiting consultant psychiatrist at the Institute of Mental Health and an adjunct lecturer and clinical tutor with the Nanyang Technological University’s Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine.

Additional reporting by Justin Ong

Editor's note: An earlier version of this article said Dr Gerard Ee resigned from the PAP before becoming an NMP. This is incorrect. We apologise for the error.