Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said on Monday ( Mar 31 ) that the Constitution “expressly allows” a Nominated Member of Parliament ( NMP ) to join a political party after resigning from the position.
On February 14, Mr. Raj Joshua Thomas and Dr. Syed Harun Taha Alhabsyi left their NMP roles, which fueled speculation that they might be running in the General Election ( GE ) this year.  ,
Mr. Thomas has stated that he is a member of the PAP. Dr. Syed Harun has no confirmed whether he has joined the ruling party, but he has been seen at recent community events, including Monday’s attend to the Ahmad Ibrahim Mosque in the GRC, along with Mr. Shanmugam and other Marie Quickly experts.
The NMP program was first introduced in 1990 and became lasting in 2010. The leader elects an NMP to ensure that the House has a more diverse range of separate and non-partisan viewpoints. In each congress, up to nine NMPs may become appointed.
An NMP has a fixed two-and-a-half year name. Both Dr. Syed Harun and Mr. Thomas, who were both appointed in July 2023, had resigned before serving the whole word.
Mr. Shanmugam said he had spoken out in support of the NMP system and that he recalled taking part in the political debate on it in 1989.
He told investigators,” I strongly supported it and thought it was a good idea to take in more tones into congress.”
The Constitution explicitly allows an NMP to move down as an NMP, add a political party, and participate in elections, according to the Constitution.
In addition to the debates, speeches, and background papers that were given at the time, Mr. Shanmugam also noted that Lee Kuan Yew, the then-prime minister, “talked about possible NMPs becoming ministers.”
The secretary said,” We must make sure that NMPs are independent while they are NMPs, but the legal paperwork plainly envisaged that NMPs may join political parties and take part in votes.”
While addressing investigators alongside Nee Quickly GRC MPs Louis Ng, Carrie Tan, and Derrick Goh, he said,” But the fact that they may contribute immediately or before is something that was always understood and provided. Past PAP Hougang tree president Jackson Lam and former NMP Dr. Syed Harun were also present.
Calvin Cheng, an NMP, was a former NMP who was a part of Young PAP before quitting the organization before becoming an NMP.
Su Shan, a lender from the gathering in 2011, before taking on her NMP position.
Gerard Ee, the former president of the National Kidney Foundation, joined PAP in 1997 when he assumed the position of NMP.