Seah Kian Peng takes helm as Speaker of Parliament, fresh faces sworn in as NMPs amidst scandal fallout

SINGAPORE: Parliament resumed its proceedings on Wednesday (2 Aug), with Seah Kian Peng, a Member of Parliament (MP) from Marine Parade GRC, assuming the role of the new Speaker of Parliament as the 11th Speaker.

Seah’s appointment, proposed by the Leader of the House, Indranee Rajah, and seconded by MP Wan Rizal of Jalan Besar GRC, fills the void left by his predecessor, Tan Chuan-Jin, amidst a scandal that has shaken public trust in the political establishment.

Tan Chuan-Jin, along with fellow People’s Action Party (PAP) MP Cheng Li Hui, resigned from their positions on 17 July following revelations of an extramarital affair that persisted despite repeated advisements against it. This affair, which began before the 2020 General Election, and the subsequent resignations were formally announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Prior to this appointment, Seah had served as Deputy Speaker between 2011 and 2016. On top of his MP position, Seah also served as CEO of NTUC Fairprice from 2010 to 2022. PM Lee announced his nomination of Seah for the post on 21 July.

Wednesday’s session also marked the oath-taking ceremony of a new batch of Nominated Members of Parliament (NMPs), bringing fresh perspectives into the political landscape.

First-time NMPs include Ms Chandradas Usha Ranee, co-founder of Plural Art Mag and a course coordinator at Nanyang Technological University’s Nanyang Business School, and Dr Syed Harun Taha Alhabsyi, a consultant psychiatrist at Starfish Psychiatry.

Joining them in their inaugural term 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. Lawyer Raj Joshua Thomas also takes the oath as he embarks on his second term as an NMP.

The list of NMPs was announced by Parliament on 17 July. Nine individuals were chosen by a Special Select Committee of Parliament from a pool of 30 candidates—the smallest number submitted since the dissolution of the ninth Parliament in 2001.

The selection process was chaired by then-Speaker Tan Chuan-Jin. The new NMPs, appointed by President Halimah Yacob on 24 July, will serve a 2½-year term and were officially sworn in on Wednesday.

Seah’s appointment, in the wake of the scandal, underscores a renewed emphasis on ethics and personal integrity in public service. In his acceptance speech, he highlighted these values, reminding his colleagues that while all humans have weaknesses, MPs should exhibit even greater self-discipline and fearlessness in revealing the truth, and should dutifully fulfil their roles and responsibilities.

“I say this not to join the chorus of sanctimony, but to reflect on the need for us all to be vigilant in our personal conduct,” said Seah. He reminded members that their words and work live on far beyond their tenure, “We must therefore remember and bear the weight of our office with dignity and a constant sense of duty.”