SINGAPORE — The resignation of Workers' Party (WP) member Leon Perera as Member of Parliament (MP) on Wednesday (July 19) marked an abrupt end to a political career that started in 2015.

Mr Perera, 53, has also resigned from the party, owing to his extramarital affair with party member Nicole Seah.

Here is look at Mr Perera's political career over the years.

FROM NCMP TO PARTY LEADERSHIP

Mr Perera made his political debut as a WP candidate for the East Coast Group Representation Constituency (GRC) alongside Mr Gerald Giam, Associate Professor Daniel Goh and Mr Mohamed Fairoz Shariff during the 2015 hustings.

When he was unveiled, Mr Perera said voters should not see themselves “just as happy consumers” of the state’s services. 

“We are citizens. We can and should take an interest in the political and social system of our country and try to change it to reflect what we want the country to be,” he said during his introduction at a WP press conference.

The team eventually lost to the People's Action Party, garnering about 39 per cent of the votes. Nevertheless, the result allowed him to qualify as a Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) due to the narrow loss.

He served as NCMP until the next election was called in 2020.

In the 2020 elections, he joined the Aljunied GRC team led by party chief Pritam Singh, which won 59.93 per cent of votes. 

The WP team comprised incumbents Mr Singh, Ms Sylvia Lim and Mr Muhammad Faisal Abdul Manap, with Mr Perera and Mr Giam being new additions replacing Mr Chen Show Mao and party stalwart Low Thia Khiang.

He also contributed to the party's policy research work, according to his latest profile uploaded on the Parliament page.

His electoral performance mirrored his rising stature within the Opposition party. He headed the party's Youth Wing, before handing the role to party member Nicole Seah in 2021.

Mr Perera first entered the party's main decision-making body, the Central Executive Committee, in 2020.

His most recent CEC position was the head of WP's media team, taking over from Assoc Prof Goh who had stepped down due to health reasons.

Mr Perera is also the vice chairman of the Aljunied-Hougang Town Council.

ACTIVISM, VOLUNTEERISM, CIVIL SERVICE

Prior to politics, Mr Perera served in the Economic Development Board (EDB) in various positions, including as assistant head of its Enterprise Development Division.

He then joined a consultancy firm in the private sector, before co-founding his own, Spire Research and Consulting Group, in 2000.

Mr Perera is a member of the Economic Society of Singapore, the Singapore Institute of Directors and the EDB Society, according to his latest profile uploaded on the Parliament website.

Outside his professional career and prior to joining politics, Mr Perera has served in various non-government organisations in a voluntary capacity, including as a family service centre volunteer for 10 years.

He was a member and volunteer of local human rights organisation Maruah, and was at one point the vice-president on the board of the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics.

Mr Perera graduated from Oxford University with double first-class honours.

He is married with a daughter and son.