George Yang, Author at Goody Feed

The Elections Department announced on 19 May that Workers' Party (WP) candidates Andre Low and Eileen Chong will take up the two Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) seats in Singapore's 15th parliament. This brings the total number of WP MPs to 12 for the upcoming parliamentary term. WP Candidates Secure NCMP Positions After Strong Electoral Performance Mr Low, 34, contested in Jalan Kayu Single Member Constituency (SMC) and received the highest percentage of votes among all unelected opposition candidates at 48.53 percent. He narrowly lost to labour chief Ng Chee Meng, 56, in what became the closest fight of the 2025 General Election. Ms Chong, 33, was part of the WP's five-member team in Tampines Group Representation Constituency (GRC), which garnered 47.37 percent of votes. The Tampines GRC team, led by party vice-chair Faisal Manap, lost to a People's Action Party (PAP) team headed by Social and Family Development Minister Masagos Zulkifli in a four-cornered contest. Returning officer Han Kok Juan wrote to the WP's Tampines team on 9 May, asking them to determine which candidate would take the NCMP seat by 19 May. The group informed him of their decision to nominate Ms Chong on 18 May. In a statement released on Monday, the WP said it welcomes Mr Low and Ms Chong's contributions in parliament. "The Workers' Party remains steadfast in our mission of working for Singapore, and all WP Members of Parliament will carry forward the Workers' Party's longstanding mission to represent the interests of all Singaporeans, hold the government to account, and advance reasoned, principled debate in parliament," the statement read. NCMP Scheme and WP's Parliamentary Representation The NCMP scheme, first introduced in 1984, guarantees a minimum of 12 opposition MPs in Parliament. In 2016, changes were made to increase the minimum number from nine to 12, while also granting NCMPs the same voting rights as elected MPs. NCMPs are typically offered to the best-performing losing opposition candidates if the number of elected opposition candidates falls short of the minimum 12. The WP successfully defended its 10 parliamentary seats in the 2025 General Election – the five-member Aljunied GRC, four-member Sengkang GRC, and single-seat constituency Hougang. With only 10 elected opposition MPs, two NCMP seats became available. You can watch this video to know more about the history of the NCMP scheme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?vufb2ZU6REX4&listPLoa9nNa48ZVVXfpU_D8m-qrVpTSdM3NLI Profiles of Singapore's Newest NCMPs Both Mr Low and Ms Chong were first-time election candidates in the 2025 General Election. Mr Low is a disputes lawyer-turned-staff product manager at a global financial technology firm. He joined the WP in 2020 and previously served as secretarial assistant to Sengkang GRC MP Louis Chua. Mr Low had initially been walking the ground in Tampines before being fielded in Jalan Kayu SMC. Ms Chong is a former diplomat who currently works at the Singapore-based charity Asia Philanthropy Circle. She spent six and a half years with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including three years at the Singapore Embassy in Beijing during the Covid-19 pandemic. Ms Chong joined the WP in December 2024 as a volunteer. The WP's Tampines GRC team included former Aljunied GRC MP Faisal Manap along with four political newcomers – Ms Chong, Dr Ong Lue Ping, Mr Jimmy Tan, and Mr Michael Thng. They faced a PAP team comprising Minister Masagos Zulkifli, Senior Minister of State Koh Poh Koon, Senior Parliamentary Secretary Baey Yam Keng, and newcomers David Neo and Charlene Chen.