NCMPs to get equal voting rights as elected MPs: PM Lee

Minimum number of opposition MPs in Parliament to be raised from 9 to 12 at next GE

Lee U-Wen

Published Wed, Jan 27, 2016 · 09:50 PM

Singapore

THE Constitution will be amended to give Non-Constituency Members of Parliament (NCMPs) the same voting rights as their elected counterparts, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced in Parliament on Wednesday.

He also said that the minimum number of opposition MPs, including NCMPs, will be increased to 12 - from the current nine - at the next general election (GE).

Speaking on the third day of the week-long debate on the President's Address, Mr Lee felt that NCMPs should have the ability to vote on all issues, even confidence motions.

NCMPs are appointed from the batch of losing candidates with the best results in…