9 new Nominated Members of Parliament announced

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An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:

The new NMPs include NTUC Vice-President K Karthikeyan, Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Thomas Chua, and President of the Society for the Physically Disabled Chia Yong Yong.

• PHOTOS

Photo: (Top row from left) K Karthikeyan, Chia Yong Yong, Thomas Chua, (Middle row) Randolph Tan, Rita Soh, Tan Tai Yong, (Bottom row) Mohd Ismail, Kuik Shiao-Yin, Benedict Tan.

SINGAPORE: Nine people have been selected as Nominated Members of Parliament (NMPs), following the deliberations of the Special Select Committee of Parliament. This was announced in a press statement on Monday (Aug 11)
There were 36 candidates considered during the process. The nine that were eventually selected are:

• Ms Chia Yong Yong, President, Society for the Physically Disabled (SPD)
  President of the SPD since 2008, Ms Chia helped expand the organisation's number of satellite centres to serve the disabled, and launched various programmes to help people with disabilities to integrate with the community.
• Mr Thomas Chua, President, Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry
  Mr Chua is also Vice-President of the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan, and was awarded the Public Service Medal in 2012.
• Mr K Karthikeyan, Vice-President, National Trades Union Congress
  His interests are in promoting workplace safety and health, and workers' skills upgrading. He has been a member of the National Wages Council and the Public Transport Council.
• Ms Kuik Shiao-Yin, Co-Founder and Director, The Thought Collective
  Her interest is in working with youths, and she is a Board Member of *SCAPE Youth Talent and Leadership Development.
• Mr Mohd Ismail Hussein, Director, Association of Muslim Professionals
  Mr Mohd Ismail is active in the area of corporate social responsibility, focusing on the disadvantaged and youth-at-risk.
• Ms Rita Soh Siow Lan, President, Singapore Board of Architects
  Ms Soh was also previously President of the Singapore Institute of Architects and, in that capacity, worked with the Urban Redevelopment Authority to review policies on conservation, urban design and development control.
• Dr Benedict Tan, Chief and Senior Consultant, Changi Sports Medicine Centre, Changi General Hospital
  The former national sailor, who won gold medals in the 1994 Asian Games and SEA Games, was also the recipient of the National Youth Council's Singapore Youth Award and the Public Service Star.
• Associate Prof Randolph Tan Gee Kwang, Deputy Director, Centre for Applied Research at SIM University
  Assoc Prof Tan has published many academic titles and taught on the subjects of statistics, econometrics and applied economics. His research work includes labour and housing matters.
• Prof Tan Tai Yong, Vice Provost (Student Life), National University of Singapore
  Prof Tan is the founding Director of the Institute of South Asian Studies, and also the Honorary Chairman of the National Museum of Singapore. He was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Silver) in 2009.

According to the statement by the President's Office, President Tony Tan Keng Yam will be presenting the Instruments of Appointment to the NMPs at the Istana on Tuesday, Aug 26. The NMPs' term will commence on the same day, and they will take their oath at the next sitting of Parliament on Monday, Sep 8.

Madam Halimah Yacob, Speaker of Parliament and Chairman of the Committee, said: "We looked for eligible candidates who had distinguished themselves through their contributions to society or in their respective fields, and who could bring their specialised knowledge to add to the depth and breadth of the debates in Parliament.

"The Committee also took into consideration the candidates' ability to contribute alternative ideas and fresh perspectives as this will help Singapore navigate challenges in the years ahead."

Dr Ng Eng Hen, Leader of the House, Minister of Defence and a member of the Committee, added that they were looking for NMPs who could add to the discussions of issues facing Singapore in this term.

"These included, among others, issues related to ageing, economic restructuring and productivity, sporting excellence, a better living environment, retention of our heritage and appreciation of Singapore's history, challenges of working mothers, aspirations of the youth and the entrepreneurial spirit," Dr Ng said. "We believe that the new NMPs will help Singapore deal with these challenges."

- CNA/kk


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