Giving his children a S’pore with alternative voices, solutions

SINGAPORE — Admitting it was not easy choosing between serving the nation as a public servant and as a potential opposition Member of Parliament, Mr Mohamed Fairoz Shariff said his three young children were what spurred him to opt for the latter.

The 36-year-old, whose children are aged 10 months, five and seven, said: “When I look at my children, the question that I ask myself is, ‘What kind of Singapore will I be giving to my children? Am I going to give my children a Singapore that is dominated by one voice or am I going to give them a Singapore that allows for many voices to be heard?’”

Mr Fairoz feels that for Singapore to progress, there is a need to have a “strong and rational” opposition party to provide alternative solutions to tackle the challenges that Singapore will face in the next decade. Mr Fairoz’s last job was as an associate librarian at the National Library Board. Before that, he was a part-time lecturer at UniSIM’s School of Arts and Social Sciences.

During the campaigning period, Mr Fairoz hopes to address education and work-life harmony issues. For instance, he shared how he used to juggle working as a claims officer at NTUC Income Insurance Cooperative and studying part-time for his Masters at NUS. He also cited how his students at UniSIM had to struggle between work and study. “How can we as a nation help our adult learners to realise their dream?” he asked. Amanda Lee

About the candidate

Mohamed Fairoz Shariff, 36

Member of WP Youth Wing Executive Committee

FACT FILE:

• Graduated with Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in History and Masters of Arts in Southeast Asian Studies from the National University of Singapore

• Married with three children — aged 10 months, five and seven

• Resigned from his position as associate librarian, Content & Services with the National Library Board recently to participate in the General Election.

WHAT HE SAID: “Having lectured at UniSIM, I am most concerned for our adult learners and the kind of support that we are able to provide them. At UNISIM, I saw the many challenges that my students had to face to realise their dream of attaining their first degree. For example, it is always a challenge for them to juggle between their work, their studies and their family. So how can we as a nation help our adult learners to realise their dream? This is the question that I hope to address at the upcoming elections.”