According to state media Straits Times, 5 of 9 PAP-Nominated Members of Parliament (NMPs) confirmed they will not be seeking a second two-year term while 4 others are either undecided or uncontactable. The NMP system is a “planted opposition” by the ruling party, and the NMPs are appointed by the PAP-controlled President, Halimah Yacob, on the “advice” of PAP Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan Jin.
Fervent PAP supporter XiaXue told Straits Times that she is nominating herself to be a NMP. The PAP blogger who has no degree or professional qualification is notorious for personal attacks online, and taking local headlines for bickering in the cosmetic and plastic surgery-related community.
XiaXue said she is giving the NMP post “a try” even though she contradicted herself saying it “isn’t really viable”:
“Being an MP isn’t really viable. It’s a full-time job. I haven’t been doing grassroots work for years like others, not to mention a whole host of other qualifications that perhaps I don’t have. Then my friends suggested trying to be NMP instead. I thought about it and researched the process and job scope. I decided to give it a try. I may not be chosen, but who knows, right?”
The existing 9 PAP NMPs had no substantial speeches worthy to mention of in the past 2 years, except for one, Chia Yong Yong. NMP Chia Yong Yong previously in 2015 incited the public’s wrath when she said in one of her speeches declaring that CPF money is not the people’s money:
“In relation to the use of CPF monies, we have heard proponents who argue that CPF money is theirs. It’s our money, it’s in our account, it’s our retirement money, I want it out, I will spend it any way we want. Fine. Is it our money? I’m not sure if I want to go into legalese and I certainly don’t want to argue about ownership rights.”
In 2016, the sister of former PAP MP Eunice Chia criticised Singaporean employees for wanting work-life balance, saying that Singaporeans do not perform as well as foreigners and yet they demand higher salaries.
The PAP proxy MP also created a furore in February this year when she suggested that school children should attend school from 7am to 5pm.