First-term MPs ready for their big day as 13th Parliament convenes
SINGAPORE — After two unsuccessful attempts to win a seat in Parliament, Mr Desmond Choo was looking forward to being sworn in today as a Member of Parliament for Tampines Group Representation Constituency.
Describing making his debut in the august chamber as “one of (his) life’s most important moments”, the People’s Action Party MP spent last night “doing a fair bit of ironing” to make sure he would be in his Sunday best. “I think it is important to honour the occasion ... (I) will also be praying that I can continue to do my best to honour the trust that Tampines residents have vested in me,” he said.
Today, the 13th Parliament would be convened with a swearing-in ceremony for the MPs, followed by the opening address from President Tony Tan to set out the direction for the Government.
Like Mr Choo, other first-term MPs could hardly wait for the opening session of Parliament, following the General Election (GE) in September last year.
“Finally, the day has arrived,” said Non-Constituency MP Dennis Tan of the Workers’ Party, who would be accompanied by his mother and wife at Parliament House for the special occasion. Mr Tan told Channel NewsAsia that he has been familiarising himself with the rules and procedures of Parliament. “I have also been trying to read up as widely as possible on as many issues which I think may affect our country and people,” he said.
Ang Mo Kio GRC MP Darryl David said he has heard from experienced parliamentarians that it would be a “grand, significant” event. His grandmother and wife would be present.
“I’m quite excited not just for myself but for my grandmother because I’m inviting her as one of my guests. My grandma is 87 years old and she played a big part in raising me. For her — someone who lived in Singapore from the 1920s — to go to the opening of Parliament would be quite a significant event, not just to attend the opening, but to see me being sworn in as well.”
Nee Soon GRC MP Henry Kwek will be listening intently to Dr Tan’s speech which will aid preparation for his own maiden Parliamentary speech later this month, during the debate on the President’s Address. Mr Kwek said he was planning to speak on securing good jobs for Singaporeans amid the economic uncertainty.
To prepare for her inaugural speech in Parliament, Tanjong Pagar GRC MP Joan Pereira said she has been doing research and speaking to residents and shopkeepers in her ward to get first-hand feedback and find out their concerns.
While the swearing-in ceremony would be “memorable”, Ms Pereira noted that work for the MPs started immediately after the GE. Echoing the point, Mr David said that speaking up in Parliament is merely one of the many duties of an MP.
Political analysts expect the President to touch on topics such as the economy and national security in his opening speech.
National University of Singapore Associate Professor Lan Luh Luh pointed out the threat of radicalisation, particularly in neighbouring countries. She said: “There’s also some unrest in the South China Sea. Of course, it doesn’t really concern Singapore, but whatever happens to our neighbouring countries will affect the economy and security of Singapore as well.”
Dr Alan Chong from the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies said that jobs and competition between foreigners and Singaporeans, among other issues, would have to be looked at.
Other items on Parliament’s agenda in the coming months would be the SkillsFuture initiative, the ageing population and transportation, said the analysts. Referring to the government contracting model for buses, Assoc Prof Lan said: “There’s a new operation model where the Government owns the assets. I’m not sure if moving forward, would the (train industry) be the same? The Government could be saddled with lots of assets. How are you going to fund it?”
Dr Chong added: “The ageing population has been around for a while, and I suspect the (Government) will have to deal with that — how to age successfully in a fast-paced society. We have to develop some kind of overarching policy on ageing in Singapore.”
