SINGAPORE: The Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) seats left vacant by the resignations of Mr Raj Joshua Thomas and Dr Syed Harun Alhabsyi will not be filled in the current term of parliament.
In a report on Tuesday (Apr 8), the Special Select Committee on Nominations for Appointment as Nominated Members of Parliament said that it had come to the decision after meeting to consider the matter a day earlier.
"Considering the time required to invite the general public to submit names of persons who may be considered for nomination by the committee and the term of the current parliament, the committee decided not to nominate any persons for appointment as Nominated Members of Parliament to fill the two vacancies," it said.
The committee members present at the meeting were Speaker of the House Seah Kian Peng, Minister for Education Chan Chun Sing, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, Ms Indranee Rajah, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, Ms Gan Siow Huang, Minister of State for Education and Manpower, and Ms Sylvia Lim from the opposition's Workers' Party.
The committee's two other members, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Maliki Osman and Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan, were not present at the meeting.
The Constitution states that whenever an NMP seat becomes vacant for any reason other than a dissolution of parliament or the expiry of the member's term of service, the committee may, if it thinks fit, nominate a person to fill the vacancy.
Mr Thomas and Dr Syed Harun resigned as NMPs on Feb 14, fuelling talk that they may contest in the upcoming General Election, which must be held by November.
In his resignation letter to Mr Seah, Mr Thomas said that he remained 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.
On a similar note, Dr Syed Harun said that he was 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 an opportunity for political service, I feel it would be most appropriate to resign from my role as NMP."
The NMP scheme was introduced in 1990 and made permanent in 2010. An NMP is appointed by the Singapore president to provide for a wider representation of independent and non-partisan views in the parliament.
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.
Mr Thomas has since joined the ruling People's Action Party (PAP), although he has not yet been seen on the campaign trail.
As for Dr Syed Harun, he has been spotted alongside Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam, who helms PAP's Nee Soon GRC team and other members of the PAP's team in the constituency at recent community events.
Several former NMPs have taken issue with the idea of an NMP resigning and going on to join a political party and stand in an election, though others interviewed by CNA did not.
Red Dot United's party chief Ravi Philemon has also spoken out against such a move, questioning if it is "ethically right" to do so.
Mr Shanmugam, however, has said that the Constitution expressly provides for NMPs to join political parties after they resign from their positions.
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In a report on Tuesday (Apr 8), the Special Select Committee on Nominations for Appointment as Nominated Members of Parliament said that it had come to the decision after meeting to consider the matter a day earlier.
"Considering the time required to invite the general public to submit names of persons who may be considered for nomination by the committee and the term of the current parliament, the committee decided not to nominate any persons for appointment as Nominated Members of Parliament to fill the two vacancies," it said.
The committee members present at the meeting were Speaker of the House Seah Kian Peng, Minister for Education Chan Chun Sing, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, Ms Indranee Rajah, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, Ms Gan Siow Huang, Minister of State for Education and Manpower, and Ms Sylvia Lim from the opposition's Workers' Party.
The committee's two other members, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Maliki Osman and Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan, were not present at the meeting.
The Constitution states that whenever an NMP seat becomes vacant for any reason other than a dissolution of parliament or the expiry of the member's term of service, the committee may, if it thinks fit, nominate a person to fill the vacancy.
Mr Thomas and Dr Syed Harun resigned as NMPs on Feb 14, fuelling talk that they may contest in the upcoming General Election, which must be held by November.
Related:
In his resignation letter to Mr Seah, Mr Thomas said that he remained 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.
On a similar note, Dr Syed Harun said that he was 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 an opportunity for political service, I feel it would be most appropriate to resign from my role as NMP."
The NMP scheme was introduced in 1990 and made permanent in 2010. An NMP is appointed by the Singapore president to provide for a wider representation of independent and non-partisan views in the parliament.
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.
Mr Thomas has since joined the ruling People's Action Party (PAP), although he has not yet been seen on the campaign trail.
As for Dr Syed Harun, he has been spotted alongside Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam, who helms PAP's Nee Soon GRC team and other members of the PAP's team in the constituency at recent community events.
Several former NMPs have taken issue with the idea of an NMP resigning and going on to join a political party and stand in an election, though others interviewed by CNA did not.
Red Dot United's party chief Ravi Philemon has also spoken out against such a move, questioning if it is "ethically right" to do so.
Mr Shanmugam, however, has said that the Constitution expressly provides for NMPs to join political parties after they resign from their positions.
Continue reading...