Five new faces are among the nine Nominated MPs named yesterday.
The other four are from the previous group of NMPs whose term was cut short when Parliament was dissolved last August for the general election.
The five newcomers are company managing director Azmoon Ahmad, 54, who chaired the Association of Muslim Professionals; media executive Ganesh Rajaram, 49; artistic director Kok Heng Leun, 50; law academic Mahdev Mohan, 37; and veteran union leader K. Thanaletchimi, 50.
The other four were first appointed in August 2014 but served only one year of their 21/2-year term.
They are lawyer Chia Yong Yong, 54, who heads SPD, which supports people with disabilities; Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Thomas Chua, 62; social entrepreneur Kuik Shiao-Yin, 39; and labour economist Randolph Tan, 52.
All nine were selected by a parliamentary committee chaired by Speaker Halimah Yacob. It included Cabinet ministers Grace Fu and Lawrence Wong, and five other MPs, including Workers' Party chairman Sylvia Lim.
The nine were selected from a total of 41 applications.
"As Singapore navigates a much more challenging economic and social environment, we are confident that they will add colour to and elevate the quality of debate in Parliament," Madam Halimah said yesterday.
Ms Fu said the committee considered all qualified candidates.
President Tony Tan Keng Yam will appoint the nine NMPs next Tuesday.
They will take their oath at next Thursday's Parliament sitting, when Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat will deliver the Budget.
