Five from environmental, arts sectors apply to be NMPs
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There can be up to nine NMPs each term, which lasts 2½ years.
ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
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SINGAPORE - At least five people have put their names up to be considered for the role of Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP), with four seeking to represent the environmental and sustainability sector and one seeking to represent the arts sector.
Ms Madhumitha Ardhanari from Forum for the Future, a non-profit organisation that focuses on sustainability; Ms Jayden Ong, founder of Soil Social that turns waste into horticultural inputs; Ms Nithiya Laila, a food anthropologist; and Mr Xavier Tan, a beekeeper, are being put up by environmental activists in Singapore. Ms Noorlinah Mohamed, a theatre actor and arts educator, is being put up by the arts community.
The NMP scheme was introduced in 1990 to ensure a wide representation of views in Parliament. There can be up to nine NMPs each term, which lasts 2½ years.
The Constitution states that those who are nominated must be “persons who have rendered distinguished public service, or who have brought honour to the Republic, or who have distinguished themselves in the field of arts, letters, culture, the sciences, business, industry, the professions, social or community service or the labour movement”.
Both the arts community and green activists had held town hall meetings to hear from those who wanted to apply for the post.
At an online town hall organised by a group of volunteers called the Arts NMP Secretariat on Monday night, Ms Noorlinah said to more than 70 attendees that she hopes to be the bridge between different groups within the arts community, as well as between the community and policymakers.
She added that she will also champion the issue of a better livelihood for artists.
Former NMPs Kok Heng Leun and Audrey Wong also spoke about their parliamentary experience.
A group of environmental activists calling themselves SG Green Groups held a town hall at the Singapore Sustainability Academy last Saturday.
Besides submissions from the public, seven functional groups – business and industry; the professions; the labour movement; social service organisations; the civic and people sector; tertiary education institutions; and media, arts and sports organisations – are typically invited to submit names of suitable candidates.
Each of the groups has an appointed coordinator to seek the views of its constituent organisations.
After the close of submissions, a Special Select Committee chaired by Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin will interview and consider the eligible candidates and nominate up to nine for the President to appoint as NMPs.
The others in the eight-member committee are Minister for Education Chan Chun Sing, Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Maliki Osman, Minister of State for Manpower and Education Gan Siow Huang and Workers’ Party MP Leon Perera.
The deadline for those interested in submitting their names is 4.30pm on April 19.
