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WP files motion for Daniel Goh to take up NCMP seat

SINGAPORE – The Workers’ Party (WP) has filed a motion in Parliament for the Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) seat offered to Ms Lee Li Lian to be declared vacant, and for Associate Professor Daniel Goh to take up the seat, said WP chairman Sylvia Lim in a statement on its website today (Jan 18).

Mr Daniel Goh. Photo: Wee Teck Hian

Mr Daniel Goh. Photo: Wee Teck Hian

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SINGAPORE – The Workers’ Party (WP) has filed a motion in Parliament for the Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) seat offered to Ms Lee Li Lian to be declared vacant, and for Associate Professor Daniel Goh to take up the seat, said WP chairman Sylvia Lim in a statement on its website today (Jan 18).

The motion was filed last Friday (Jan 15) by WP chief Low Thia Khiang, and seconded by the other five elected MPs. WP expects the motion to come up for debate in Parliament late next week, added Ms Lim.

Assoc Prof Goh was part of the WP team that unsuccessfully contested in East Coast Group Representation Constituency in the General Election (GE) last September.

Yesterday, Leader of the House Grace Fu had said in a media statement that Ms Lee’s decision to not take up her NCMP seat is one not to be taken lightly. Ms Lee’s election to the seat is determined in accordance to the Constitution and related legislation, and on the basis of the results of the General Election (GE), Ms Fu added.

Pointing out that about 15,800 voters in Punggol East had cast their ballots for her, Ms Fu said: “They, along with many other Singaporeans, would want to understand the basis of her decision. Taking up the NCMP seat would have enabled her to participate fully in parliamentary debates, raise motions, and ask questions in Parliament.”

In last year’s GE, Ms Lee lost to her People’s Action Party rival Charles Chong, but garnered the highest percentage of votes – 48.2 per cent – among the losing opposition candidates. This qualified her for an NCMP seat. Ms Lee had announced shortly after the GE results were out that she would not take up the seat, and was not at the opening of Parliament last Friday when MPs were sworn in.

In a Facebook post on Sep 16, Ms Lee explained that she wanted to respect the choice of voters who had not voted for her, and hoped to give other aspiring WP MPs a chance to speak in Parliament. She also said she wanted to spend more time with her family.

Further adding that she had quit her job after becoming an MP in Punggol East following the 2013 by-election so she could dedicate her time to the residents, she wrote: "However, unlike for an MP, it is not possible to be a full-time NCMP. It will not be fair to my future employer to take leave from work every month.” 

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