The Office of the Clerk of Parliament said yesterday (24 Nov) that Parliament has received 61 Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) proposal forms. This is higher than the 48, 41 and 36 proposal forms that Parliament received in 2018, 2016 and 2014 respectively.
A Special Select Committee had invited the general public and functional groups to submit names of persons for its consideration for appointment as NMPs last month, on 26 Oct.
The eight-member special committee will go through the applications and consult other MPs’ for views of those who applied. The group will then interview shortlisted candidates and recommend a final slate of up to nine nominees to the President, who appoints the NMPs.
The eight-member committee, which is chaired by Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin, includes six other ruling party MPs and one opposition MP.
The Workers’ Party’s Leon Perera will deliberate on the submissions, alongside Mr Tan, Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing, Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong, Ministers in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah and Maliki Osman, as well as Minister of State Gan Siow Huang.
Among those who have stepped forward for consideration are social entrepreneur Anthea Ong and Singapore Chinese Orchestra executive director Terence Ho who are seeking a second term as NMPs.
Anthea Ong, 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.
Others who have put their names up are non-profit firm executive director Johann Annuar, executive director of non-profit organisation Engineering Good, community artist Terence Tan, playwright and poet Nabilah Said and actress Audrey Lim.
The labour movement also announced National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) vice-president Abdul Samad Abdul Wahab as its pick while a group of environmental activists have voted for research scientist Andie Ang as their nominee for NMP.