Nine Nominated MPs to be appointed to Parliament

[SINGAPORE] Nine Nominated MPs (NMPs) have been selected to enter Parliament, the Office of the Clerk of Parliament said in a media statement on Friday (Jan 2).

The incoming NMPs are:

*Azhar Othman, executive chairman of Enercon Asia

*Associate Professor Kenneth Goh Toh Chuan, Singapore Aquatics president

*Dr Haresh Singaraju, family physician at National University Polyclinics

*Associate Professor Terence Ho Wai Luen, academic and university administrator at the National University of Singapore

*Kuah Boon Theng, managing director of Legal Clinic LLC

*Mark Lee Kean Phi, chief executive of Sing Lun Holdings

*Dr Neo Kok Beng, founder and chief executive of NEO Aeronautics

*Professor Kenneth Poon Kin Loong, professor at the National Institute of Education

*Sanjeev Kumar Tiwari, general secretary of the Amalgamated Union of Public Employees and National Trades Union Congress central committee member

Aside from Mr Lee, who also served as NMP from 2023 to 2025, the eight others are new NMPs.

President Tharman Shanmugaratnam will present the instruments of appointment to the NMPs at the Istana on Jan 8.

The NMPs will then take their oaths and affirmations at the next sitting of Parliament on Jan 12.

A total of 57 proposed names of individuals were submitted for the NMP roles, the second-highest number since the scheme was introduced in 1990. Members of the public could submit names of individuals for the roles from Oct 8 to Nov 6.

The Straits Times previously reported that two independent candidates at the 2025 General Election, Darryl Lo and Jeremy Tan, applied to be NMPs.

Speaker of Parliament Seah Kian Peng, who is also chairman of the eight-member Special Select Committee that assessed the candidates’ suitability before selecting and submitting the nominated names to the President, said on Jan 2 that the committee had received applications from a “strong pool of candidates”. “Having to determine the maximum of nine NMPs to nominate is challenging and we deliberated very carefully on all the candidates,” said Seah.

“We are satisfied that these nine nominees meet the constitutional requirements, demonstrated by their distinguished contributions to society and in their respective fields.

“We are confident they will strengthen and add value to parliamentary debates through their varied backgrounds and experiences, diverse perspectives, and commitment to serving Singapore and Singaporeans.”

The other members of the Special Select Committee are Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing; Education Minister Desmond Lee; Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Finance and National Development Indranee Rajah; Senior Minister of State for Defence and Sustainability and the Environment Zaqy Mohamad; Senior Minister of State for Education and Sustainability and the Environment Janil Puthucheary; Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs Sim Ann; and Sengkang GRC MP Louis Chua.

Indranee Rajah, Leader of the House and a member of the committee, welcomed the new cohort of NMPs and added: “They have made notable contributions in work, community and society, and excelled in their respective fields.

“I am confident that their diverse expertise and experience will enrich the discussions in Parliament as we chart Singapore’s path forward in an uncertain and disrupted world.”

The NMP scheme was introduced with the aim of ensuring a wide representation of views in Parliament, and nominees should have performed distinguished public service, brought honour to Singapore or distinguished themselves in their respective fields.

There can be up to nine NMPs for each term, which lasts 2½ years. A person is qualified for appointment as an NMP if he or she is Singaporean, aged 21 or older on the day of nomination, and on the current Registers of Electors. Among other requirements, he or she should also be able to take an active part in Parliament proceedings. THE STRAITS TIMES