Who Wants to Be an NMP? They Do ...

Today ran this story on 12 May 2009:

Who wants to be an NMP? They do...
By Derrick Paulo and Ong Dai Lin
Additional reporting by Genevieve Loh

SHE was unsuccessful two years ago, but Ms Jolyn Chua is reapplying to be a Nominated Member of Parliament.

The honorary secretary of crime awareness group Crime Library walked in to Parliament House yesterday with her forms and the same passion that motivated her at her first attempt. “I’m looking to have Singapore become more supportive of crime victims.

“There’s no comprehensive package to service them. ... In terms of consoling and support groups, (the support) is zero,” said the 43-year-old. She was one of several who submitted their names as the 4.30pm deadline loomed.

Today counted 11 - in addition to those being nominated by six groups from different sectors of society - who turned up on a rainy afternoon, including theatre practitioner Beatrice Chia-Richmond.

The last person to make it, businessman Lim Beng Cheng, had five minutes to spare as his taxi arrived outside Parliament House.

“I was quite anxious … I was afraid I had missed the deadline, as I was busy attending to other matters before this,” said the 48-year-old who identified the environment and energy as areas of interest.

The silver population had its proponent in Mr Chia Sze Soon, president of the Active Retirees’ Association and a former business editor of Lianhe Zaobao. But the 65-year-old conceded his chances of becoming NMP were “very slim”. “It’s very competitive … I hope that whoever gets in, someone will speak on the behalf of the old people.”

That person could still come from social and community service organisations, for which National Council of Social Service CEO Ang Bee Lian is the coordinator to submit names to Parliament.

NCSS, however, referred Today to the Parliament Secretariat, which was unable to reply by press time about the final tally of applications.

For its part, coordinator for the professions, The Academy of Medicine Singapore, said it considered eight individuals and was nominating two who have “skills and context in the areas we feel are important and relevant in the current climate, namely healthcare and IT”.

Business and industry will have three names for the Special Select Committee, chaired by Speaker of Parliament Abdullah Tarmugi. The Singapore Business Federation convened a meeting as early as April 23 to discuss the potential candidates with the local business chambers and trade associations.

The labour movement nominee is almost certain to be Terry Lee, president of the Singapore Insurance Employees Union and a central committee member of the National Trades Union Congress.

But it is not known who from the tertiary educational institutions could join him. Today was unable to get through to incumbent NMP, law professor Thio Li-ann, 41, who had been earlier undecided about re-applying.

But Mr Siew Kum Hong, 34, was at Parliament yesterday to re-apply.

And along with her theatre peers Audrey Wong and Loretta Chen, Ms Chia-Richmond, 34, finally threw her name in the hat after discussing the matter with her family.

Asked what she would raise in Parliament, she said, “First and foremost, I’m a citizen of Singapore, a working artist and a young mother and wife. This would serve me well.”