3 Indian-origin Singaporeans make it to Parliament as nominated members

Three Indian-origin Singaporeans were among nine nominated parliamentarians who took the oath of office on Wednesday (Aug 2).

Also sworn in was Seah Kian Peng as the new Speaker of Parliament. Peng replaced Tan Chuan-Jin who resigned over an extramarital affair with fellow People’s Action Party parliamentarian Cheng Li Hui, who has also resigned.

Of the nine nominated members of Parliament (NMPs), this is the second term for Raj Joshua Thomas, an Indian-origin lawyer and president of the Security Association Singapore. All other eight NMPs are first-timers.

Also read: US: Indian-American woman to head FBI field office in Salt Lake City, Utah

The NMPs are appointed for a two-and-a-half-year term. 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.

The other two Indian-origin NMPs are Parekh Nimil Rajnikant, chairperson of the Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and CEO of acquisition firm Pegasus Asia, and Chandradas Usha Ranee, an art historian, tax lawyer and co-founder of Plural Art magazine.

Also read: Singapore’s Indian-origin investment guru Narayana Iyer Narayanan dies

Among other NMPs, who took oath, are Chua Tiang Choon Keith, vice president of the Singapore Anglican Community Services and executive chairman of food-and-beverage firm ABR Holdings; Mark Lee Kean Phi, CEO of apparel company Sing Lun Holdings; and Ong Hua Han, assistant vice president at Deutsche Bank AG.

The other NMPs are Razwana Begum Abdul Rahim, head of the public safety and security programme at the Singapore University of Social Sciences; Jean See Jinli, director of the NTUC Freelancers and Self-employed Unit at NTUCs Administration Research Unit; Dr Syed Harun Taha Alhabsyi, a consultant psychiatrist.

(With inputs from agencies)