PAP appoints new heads of backbench parliamentary committees

Straits Times

6 days ago

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SINGAPORE – A fresh slate of 12 MPs will head the PAP's backbench committees that scrutinise government policy.
The People's Action Party announced the makeup of its government parliamentary committees (GPCs) for the 15th term of Parliament on its website on July 10.
None of the chairpersons from the previous term continued in their roles. In 2020, three did so.
Mr Alex Yam will head the Culture, Community and Youth GPC while Mr Yip Hon Weng will chair the Defence and Foreign Affairs GPC.
Mr Sharael Taha will be chair for Digital Development and Information while Mr Darryl David will chair Education.
Mr Saktiandi Supaat, who was formerly the chair for Transport, will now head Finance and Trade and Industry, while also serving as deputy chair for Manpower.
Ms Mariam Jaafar will chair Health while Ms Yeo Wan Ling will chair Manpower.
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Mr Vikram Nair moves from chair of Defence and Foreign Affairs to become its deputy, while taking on chair for Home Affairs and Law.
Mr Henry Kwek takes the National Development portfolio while Mr Xie Yao Quan takes Social and Family Development.
Ms Poh Li San, who was deputy chair for Sustainability and the Environment, will take on the role of chair.
Ms Tin Pei Ling will chair Transport, relinquishing her role for Digital Development and Information.
All but Mr Nair, Mr Saktiandi and Ms Tin had never led a GPC before.
The 19 rookie MPs fresh from the May 3 poll who were not appointed to political office were put into GPCs.
These committees, first set up in 1987, bring together PAP backbenchers to look at government policy and serve as an additional feedback channel. They are broadly mapped to the existing ministries of the day and generally serve through a whole parliamentary term.
The 15th term of Parliament, comprising MPs elected at the May 3 polls, opens on Sept 5.
The announcement follows changes to the PAP backbench triggered by the general election and subsequent Cabinet reshuffle. Six of the 12 GPC chairpersons from the previous term of Parliament either retired or will take on political office.
GPC chair for Culture Community and Youth Mr Sitoh Yih Pin and his counterpart for Health Dr Tan Wu Meng retired from politics.
Ms Cheryl Chan, who headed the GPC for National Development and Mr Louis Ng, who did so for Sustainability and the Environment, also did not stand for election.
Two will leave the backbench.
Mr Desmond Choo, who chaired the GPC for Manpower, was promoted to Minister of State for Defence. Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim, who chaired the GPC for Home Affairs and Law will become Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Social and Family Development.
He was also a member of the GPC for Defence and Foreign Affairs.