Good move to get opposition MP to give commencement speech

It is commendable that the National University of Singapore (NUS) picked an opposition MP to deliver the commencement speech at a recent graduation ceremony (WP chief addresses grads at NUS commencement; July 20).

The rare appearance by Workers' Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh at the graduation ceremony appears to be a first for an opposition MP.

I do not know Mr Singh personally, but from the description of his early days as a student, I cannot help but be greatly inspired by his tenacity, mental resilience and self-belief.

That he was chosen to lead the Workers' Party, indeed, speaks for itself.

Mr Singh appears to have the credentials to motivate and inspire the graduating class to excel and never give up hope to accomplish their dreams and aspirations.

That a current MP is willing to make known his weak spots to the public is commendable and admirable.

It is also laudable that our leaders are forthright, upfront and gracious.

If I may hazard a guess, the selection committee may initially have been a tad hesitant to invite an opposition MP to give a speech.

In any case, this unprecedented act augurs well for the future of our beloved nation.

Kudos to NUS for selecting Mr Singh to be the commencement speaker.

Tan Teck Huat

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on July 23, 2018, with the headline Good move to get opposition MP to give commencement speech. Subscribe