4 first-term PAP MPs appointed as deputy chairmen in Government Parliamentary Committees
SINGAPORE — The Government Parliamentary Committees (GPCs) for the 14th Parliament have been formed, with several new faces taking up deputy chair positions within some of the 12 committees, the People’s Action Party (PAP) announced in a statement on Wednesday (Aug 19).
- Government Parliamentary Committees scrutinise the legislation and programmes of the various ministries
- Sembawang GRC MP Poh Li San and Holland-Bukit Timah GRC MP Edward Chia will take up leading roles within the committees
- PAP has reappointed Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC MP Janil Puthucheary as party whip and Holland-Bukit Timah GRC MP Sim Ann as deputy party whip
SINGAPORE — The Government Parliamentary Committees (GPCs) for the 14th Parliament have been formed, with several new faces taking up deputy chair positions within some of the 12 committees.
Mooted by Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong in 1987, the GPCs’ role is to scrutinise the legislation and programmes of the various government ministries.
Announcing the appointments on Wednesday (Aug 19), the People’s Action Party (PAP) said in a statement that one of the new deputy chairmen is PAP new face Ms Poh Li San, who is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sembawang Group Representation Constituency (GRC).
Ms Poh, who has been appointed the deputy chairman for the sustainability and environment GPC, said that she is “honoured to be given this responsibility as I’m a newbie, and excited because this is a new role and a very important one especially for our future generations”.
She said that there are “many opportunities to find solutions that are impactful”. For instance, engineering solutions in building material and technology may reduce carbon footprint and save on energy consumption.
Another PAP new face, Mr Edward Chia, has been appointed as deputy chairman for the manpower GPC.
Mr Chia, who is also MP for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, said: “I’m looking forward to working with my colleagues in the GPC... It’s always a team effort and we all have different backgrounds and expertise to be able to contribute.”
He added that the Government faces the challenge of maintaining a strong Singaporean core while ensuring that it provides companies with a talent base to be globally competitive.
“I hope, through the work of the (manpower GPC), to really help create solutions for Singaporeans,” he said.
Other than Ms Poh and Mr Chia, other new faces who have been appointed deputy chairmen in various GPCs are Ang Mo Kio GRC MP Ng Ling Ling (health) and Chua Chu Kang GRC MP Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim (home affairs and law).
Out of the 12 committees, nine of them will be headed by new chairmen. The only GPCs with no change in leadership are trade and industry, defence, finance, foreign affairs, and social and family development.
The GPC appointments will be effective with the start of the 14th Parliament, which opens with President Halimah Yacob’s address next Monday.
Separately, PAP has reappointed Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC MP Janil Puthucheary as party whip and Holland-Bukit Timah GRC MP Sim Ann as deputy party whip.
Dr Puthucheary, who is also Senior Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Communications and Information, had been first appointed the role in June last year, taking over the position from Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing.
A statement on Singapore’s Parliament website said that the party whip is often regarded as the disciplinarian of a political party. The whip “ensures that there are sufficient party members in the chamber to support the party's position and that MPs vote according to the party's line”.
Occasionally, he may lift the whip and allow MPs to “vote according to their conscience”, the statement added.
GPC CHAIRS AND THEIR DEPUTIES
Communications and Information
Tin Pei Ling — chairman
Alex Yam — deputy chairman
Culture, Community and Youth
Sitoh Yih Pin — chairman
Darryl David — deputy chairman
Defence and Foreign Affairs
Vikram Nair — chairman
Alex Yam — deputy chairman
Education
Patrick Tay — chairman
Darryl David — deputy chairman
Finance and Trade Industry
Liang Eng Hwa — chairman
Foo Mee Har — deputy chairman
Health
Tan Wu Meng — chairman
Ng Ling Ling — deputy chairman
Home Affairs and Law
Murali Pillai — chairman
Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim — deputy chairman
Manpower
Desmond Choo — chairman
Edward Chia — deputy chairman
National Development
Cheryl Chan — chairman
Chong Kee Hiong — deputy chairman
Social and Family Development
Seah Kian Peng — chairman
Joan Pereira — deputy chairman
Sustainability and the Environment
Louis Ng — chairman
Poh Li San — deputy chairman
Transport
Saktiandi Supaat — chairman
Melvin Yong — deputy chairman