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WP's plans on NCMP seat may not go as intended: Analysts

SINGAPORE — Parliament is set to debate the issue of whether the Workers’ Party’s (WP) Associate Professor Daniel Goh can fill the Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) seat left vacant by Ms Lee Li Lian next week, after the opposition party filed a motion last Friday (Jan 15).

Mr Leon Perera and Mr Dennis Tan at the swearing-in of Non-Constitutency Members of Parliament on Jan 15, 2016. Photo: MCI

Mr Leon Perera and Mr Dennis Tan at the swearing-in of Non-Constitutency Members of Parliament on Jan 15, 2016. Photo: MCI

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SINGAPORE — Parliament is set to debate the issue of whether the Workers’ Party’s (WP) Associate Professor Daniel Goh can fill the Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) seat left vacant by Ms Lee Li Lian next week, after the opposition party filed a motion last Friday (Jan 15).

And political watchers whom TODAY spoke to said that the WP’s plans may not go as intended, with the People Action Party and the WP expected to lock horns on the issue even before the 13th Parliament begins its work in earnest.

“We shouldn’t be surprised if the PAP is not making things easier for WP, but PAP will certainly emphasise that they’re moving from a position of principle,” said Singapore Management University (SMU) law don Eugene Tan. “The counter-argument is the three seats are WP’s, so why not just let them have it?”

Yesterday, Leader of the House Grace Fu said that Ms Lee’s decision to not take up her NCMP seat was one not to be taken lightly. Pointing out that about 15,800 voters in Punggol East had cast their ballots for her in last September’s General Election (GE). Ms Fu said that the voters, along with many other Singaporeans, would want to understand the basis of her decision.

Should WP wish to propose an alternate NCMP candidate, they could do so by filing a parliamentary motion, the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth added.

Today, WP chairman Sylvia Lim said the motion was filed last Friday by WP chief Low Thia Khiang, and seconded by the other five elected WP MPs. The party expects the motion to be debated late next week, she added.

The NCMP seat is offered to the losing opposition candidates who gathered the highest proportion of votes. Associate Professor Tan said the PAP and WP sides held different perspectives of “entitlement versus privilege”. The PAP could be attempting to assert that WP could not “pick and choose who the NCMP will be”, and that voters’ preferences should be respected.

“WP will counter that PAP is not supportive of WP having a full slate of WP MPs, WP probably takes it as its entitlement. For the PAP, the NCMP scheme cannot be about preferring voters from one ward over another,” he said.

Assoc Prof Tan also noted that this is not the first time a WP candidate has declined an NCMP seat. Following the 1984 GE, when the NCMP scheme was first introduced, a seat was offered to WP’s MPD Nair, who obtained the highest proportion of opposition votes in Jalan Kayu constituency. When Mr Nair turned it down, it was offered to Mr Tan Chee Kien of the Singapore United Front who also did not take it up, leaving the seat vacant.

SMU School of Law assistant professor Jack Lee said while Ms Fu’s statement suggested that the PAP may not be inclined to support the WP’s plans for filling the NCMP seat, there was “no reason for the PAP not to fill it, as it in the spirit of the NCMP scheme”.

“It’s a little strange that after doing so well in GE, they’d begrudge the WP for having the full slate of NCMP seats … But it’s hard to say what will happen till it comes to the debate on the motion,” he added.

Dr Lam Peng Er from National University of Singapore’s East Asia Institute said the PAP could face a public backlash if it blocked WP’s bid to nominate a replacement for Ms Lee.

“If you talk constitution you can argue either way, but the coffee shop sentiment among ordinary Singaporeans will be different. Parliament shouldn’t become an echo chamber (of PAP voices),” he said, adding: “It doesn’t reflect well on the party. It is out of sync with what the presidential address said.” TODAY reached out to Ms Lee but did not receive a response by press time.

After her loss in the GE, she announced that she would not be taking up the NCMP post. “I respect the voters’ decision and I should give this chance to my other WP colleagues. We really have some good people who deserve the slot,” she said.

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