Thirty-one of them were from the general public, and 15 were proposed by six functional groups.

Nominations opened on April 6 and closed on May 11. The six groups are: business and industry; labour; the professions; social and community service organisations; tertiary institutions; and media, the arts and sports.

A Special Select Committee, chaired by Speaker Abdullah Tarmugi, has consulted with elected Members of Parliament seeking their views and comments on the persons proposed, said the statement. The views of the referees on the persons proposed have also been obtained.

The committee will meet later this month to consider eligible candidates. When finalised, the list of nominees will be sent to the President for his appointment.

The NMP scheme was introduced in 1990 to provide for alternative views and constructive dissent in the House.

Initially, the Constitution allowed for six NMPs. Two were appointed in the first round.

This was expanded in 1997 to allow for up to nine NMPs, who will serve a 2 1/2-year term. The term of the present batch ends in July.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in Parliament recently that NMPs will be a permanent part of the political system.

The Constitution will be amended so that after every general election, Parliament no longer has to vote on whether it wants NMPs for the new term, he said, pointing out that the scheme has worked well.

'The NMPs represent non-partisan alternative views in Parliament, and the NMPs have made effective contributions and raised the quality of debate in Parliament,' he told the House on May 27. 'Sometimes, if I may say so, they may have outshone even the opposition MPs.'