Co-founder of art magazine, psychiatrist among 9 Nominated MPs to be appointed on July 24

SINGAPORE - The co-founder of an online art magazine and a psychiatrist are among nine people who will be appointed as Nominated Members of Parliament (NMPs).

Ms Chandradas Usha Ranee, co-founder of Plural Art Mag and course coordinator at the Nanyang Technological University’s (NTU) Nanyang Business School, and Dr Syed Harun Taha Alhabsyi, consultant psychiatrist at Starfish Psychiatry, are first-time NMPs.

Except for lawyer Raj Joshua Thomas, who will be serving his second term, the others are also first-timers.

They are: executive chairman of ABR Holdings Keith Chua Tiang Choon; chief executive of Sing Lun Holdings Mark Lee Kean Phi; assistant vice-president at Deutsche Bank Ong Hua Han; CEO of Pegasus Asia Neil Parekh Nimil Rajnikant; Singapore University of Social Sciences associate professor Razwana Begum Abdul Rahim; and director of NTUC’s Freelancers and Self-employed Unit Jean See Jinli.

Their names were announced by Parliament on Monday.

They will be appointed for a 2½-year term by President Halimah Yacob on July 24 and sworn in when Parliament sits in August.

The nine were selected by a Special Select Committee of Parliament, chaired by then Speaker Tan Chuan-Jin, out of a total of 30 names put up for consideration for NMP positions.

It was the

lowest number submitted since the ninth Parliament was dissolved

in 2001.

Of the people considered, 16 had applied on their own.

The names of the remaining 14 were submitted by seven functional groups representing business and industry; labour; the professions; tertiary education institutions; social service organisations; the civic and people sector; and the media, arts and sports organisations.

Announcing the list, Mr Tan said: “Many exceptional candidates have come forward to put their names up for consideration. After careful deliberation, we have determined that the nine nominees have fulfilled all Constitutional criteria and are eligible for appointment.

“They also have notable achievements in their respective domains and a strong understanding of the issues they are passionate about. We are assured that they will enrich parliamentary debates by bringing to the House a diversity of independent perspectives, views and insights.”

Introduced in 1990, the NMP scheme aims to ensure a wide representation of views in Parliament, and nominees should have performed distinguished public service, brought honour to Singapore or distinguished themselves in their respective fields. 

On March 16, the Special Select Committee had invited the public and the functional groups to submit names of suitable candidates for its consideration for appointment as NMPs.

Submissions

closed on April 19.

In a report, the committee said the selection of only nine candidates was challenging, as most of the people proposed were qualified and of good calibre.

Several candidates were interviewed by the committee in May to get a better assessment of the nominees.

Ms Indranee Rajah, Leader of the House and a member of the select committee, said: “We are pleased to welcome to this House the new cohort of NMPs who have made significant contributions to society and excelled in their respective domains.

“We look forward to their participation which will add to the spectrum of views and experiences shared in the House. I would also like to thank all applicants for their time and interest. The Committee is heartened by their passion and enthusiasm to contribute to the betterment of Singapore.”

Commending the nomination of Ms See, National Trades Union Congress secretary-general Ng Chee Meng described the director as the go-to person for all issues related to freelancers and self-employed persons.

He said: “She championed for our rank-and-file workers in both manufacturing and service sectors to ensure that their interests and welfare are protected.

“With more than two decades with NTUC, Jean is dedicated and committed to uplift the lives and livelihoods of workers.”

Ms Chandradas, who has worked as a tax lawyer for 12 years, hopes to address issues relating to the promotion and sustainability of the arts sector as a whole.

She said: “This is a multi-layered concern which should be addressed from different perspectives – in terms of legal awareness, financial sustainability, freedom of expression, education and good working conditions for artists and other creatives.” 

Here are more details about the nine NMPs, as provided by the committee.

1. Ms Chandradas Usha Ranee

Ms Chandradas, 42, co-founded Plural Art Mag, an online magazine comprising a website, social media platforms, an online shop and a consultancy arm.

She is also a part-time lecturer and course coordinator at NTU’s Nanyang Business School, as well as a member on the Panel of Experts with the Legal Department of the International Monetary Fund.

She has been an active volunteer with Pro Bono SG for more than a decade, serving, among others, as editor and writer for publications which facilitate access to justice in Singapore.

2. Keith Chua Tiang Choon

Mr Chua, 69, is currently the vice-president of Singapore Anglican Community Services, a key service provider in both the health and social services sectors.

It runs a wide range of services, including senior services, a temporary shelter for women and children, and psychiatric services such as residential rehabilitation, community intervention and integrated employment services.

He is also the executive chairman of ABR Holdings, which operates food and beverage companies, and was recognised as Champion of Good by the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre in 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2022.

On his appointment, Mr Chua said: “There continue to be vulnerable and needy individuals and families in our society… Partnership and collaboration among the public, private and people sectors will be key as we forge a more caring, compassionate and cohesive nation.”

3. Mr Mark Lee Kean Phi

Mr Lee, 50, is currently the CEO of Sing Lun Holdings and the managing director of Vac-Tech Engineering.

He is also the deputy honorary treasurer of the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) Council, as well as chair of the SBF’s Jobs and Skills Advisory Committee and vice-chair of its Young Business Leaders Network.

He was awarded the “Most Outstanding Entrepreneur” during the Asia-Pacific Enterprise Awards 2010 in Singapore, and was the winner of the prestigious Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year (Manufacturing) award in 2015.

Mr Lee said he was asked to consider applying and to speak for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), entrepreneurs, family businesses and the business community.

He said: “I hope to represent SMEs by encouraging dialogue in growing their business in a confident, resilient, and sustainable way, and to encourage the community to be confident of our future even though we will face challenges from time-to-time.”

4. Mr Ong Hua Han

Mr Ong, 29, is currently an assistant vice-president at Deutsche Bank. He told The Straits Times: “It is a great privilege to be given this opportunity to serve my country in this special way.

“During my term in Parliament, I hope to leverage my unique lived experience as a working professional who is also a wheelchair user, to be a genuine voice for young Singaporeans, and champion for equitable and inclusive employment for all, especially communities disadvantaged by society.”

Mr Ong is actively involved in dbEnable, a diversity initiative focused on promoting inclusive hiring for persons with disabilities in Deutsche Bank, where he co-leads the work placement programme.

He is also an employment task force member to promote inclusive employment practices under the Enabling Masterplan 2030, and a committee member of the Our Accessible City@CBD (Raffles Place) to improve accessibility in the Central Business District infrastructure.

5. Mr Neil Parekh Nimil Rajnikant

Mr Parekh, 60, is the chairman of the Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and a council member of the SBF.

He is also the partner and head of Asia, Australia and New Zealand at Tikehau Capital and the chief executive of Pegasus Asia, a special purpose acquisition company listed on the Singapore Exchange.

He currently serves as a board director of Elevandi, a set up by the Monetary Authority of Singapore to foster an open dialogue between the public and private sectors to advance financial technology, or fintech, in the digital economy. As a member of the advisory committee of James Cook University (Singapore), he has initiated programmes that focus on helping to increase financial literacy in Singapore.

6. Mr Raj Joshua Thomas 

Mr Raj, 43, will serve his second term as an NMP and is a partner at Wee Swee Teow.

He is currently serving as president of the Security Association Singapore (SAS). In his tenure as SAS’ president, he established an Office of Industry Transformation within the SAS Secretariat and the Security Consultants Accreditation Programme to recognise security consultancy as a new career path and to set standards.

He has been involved as a volunteer lawyer under the Law Society’s Criminal Legal Aid Scheme and has chaired the National University of Singapore’s Political Science Department’s Singapore Forum on Politics and Policy, which contributed to encouraging dialogue and engagement with policymakers.

7. Associate Professor Razwana Begum Abdul Rahim

Associate Professor Razwana, 48, is currently the head of the Public Safety and Security Programme at the Singapore University of Social Sciences.

She was nominated by her university for the NMP role.

She is also the vice-president of the Singapore Muslim Women’s Association and a member of the Committee on Fostering and the Security Consultants Accreditation Programme.

As an adviser to the Youth Court, she has reviewed the pre-sentence reports for youth and also contributed to the discussion on children in need of care and protection.

She was awarded the Ministry of Social and Family Development Star Service Award in 2018.

She said: “Many women struggle to balance religious, social, and cultural norms with their dreams of becoming independent and self-sufficient, and to support women with these challenges requires a sensitive and informed approach.”

8. Ms Jean See Jinli

Ms See, 42, is currently a director of the NTUC Freelancers and Self-employed Unit at NTUC Administration Research Unit. She first joined the Industrial Relations Department of NTUC as a management executive in October 2003.

She is also the executive secretary to the National Instructors and Coaches Association; the Visual, Audio, Creative Content Professionals Association (Singapore); and the National Delivery Champions Association.

She was formerly the executive secretary of the National Private Hire Vehicles Association and the National Taxi Association.

The associations she was involved in provided immediate and longer-term help and support to the different groups of self-employed persons during the Covid-19 pandemic

Her efforts were recognised with the Public Service Medal (Covid-19).

On her appointment, Ms See said: “I will strive to speak up for the self-employed community and prioritise their concerns in my speeches in Parliament.

“Some of our freelancers and self-employed persons’ concerns, which were especially more evident during the pandemic, include fair terms and payment for work done, workplace safety, training opportunities, the move towards digitalisation, as well as a more holistic ecosystem of protection and support for platform workers.”

9. Dr Syed Harun Taha Alhabsyi

Dr Harun, 38, is a consultant psychiatrist and medical director of The Starfish Clinic of Psychiatry & Mental Wellness. He is currently the president of Lembaga Biasiswa Kenangan Maulud, the honorary secretary of the Singapore Psychiatric Association and a member of the Muslim Healthcare Professionals Association.

He was a recipient of the Commendation Medal (Covid-19) for his contribution during the pandemic in supporting the efforts of the joint task force at the Ministry of Manpower in the two key areas, namely the socio-religious needs of migrant workers and their state of mental health in a protracted period of lockdown. Dr Harun hopes to focus on social mobility, mental health and youth in Parliament.

He said: “In my role as a psychiatrist, I am privileged to be given insight into the lived realities of individuals inflicted with mental health challenges.

“Many of them also struggle with chronic health conditions, face stigma and are apprehensive in seeking help early.

“I hope to lend my voice and perspective from the lens of a mental healthcare practitioner to influence policy and discussions about mental health, and to bring it more mainstream into the larger discourse relating to health in general.”