SINGAPORE – The Special Select Committee has received 30 Proposal Forms for nominations to fill the role of Nominated Members of Parliament (NMPs) in Singapore.
The nomination period began on 16 March and concluded at 4:30 pm on 19 April, as announced by the Office of the Clerk of Parliament.
The NMP scheme, introduced in 1990, strives to ensure broad representation of diverse views in Parliament.
Nominees are expected to have distinguished themselves in public service, brought honour to Singapore, or excelled in their respective fields. They can come from various sectors, such as arts, sports, culture, sciences, business, industry, professions, social or community service, and the labour movement.
An eight-member Special Select Committee, chaired by Speaker Tan Chuan-Jin, will assess the candidates.
The committee comprises Education Minister Chan Chun Sing, Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong, Minister of State for Education and Manpower Gan Siow Huang, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for National Development and Finance Indranee Rajah, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Education and Foreign Affairs Maliki Osman, Aljunied GRC MP Leon Perera, and Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan.
Seven functional groups have been invited to submit names of potential candidates. Appointed coordinators will gather input from constituent organizations.
The groups include the Singapore Business Federation, the National Trades Union Congress, the National Council of Social Service, the People’s Association, the National University of Singapore, the National Arts Counil, and the Singapore Academy of Medicine.
Following the submission period, the committee will notify elected MPs and seek their opinions on the proposed individuals.
The committee will then consider various criteria and conduct interviews before deciding on nominations. The list of candidates will be submitted to the President for appointment as NMPs.
Each term can accommodate up to nine NMPs, with terms lasting two and a half years. The current batch of nine NMPs, selected in 2021, will see their term conclude in July this year.
