Syed Harun bin Taha Alhabsyi[a] (born 1985) is a Singaporean politician and psychiatrist. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Nee Soon Link division of Nee Soon Group Representation Constituency (GRC) since 2025. He had previously been a Nominated MP (NMP) between 2023 and 2025. He was the first former NMP to enter partisan politics.
First appointed as an NMP in 2023, Syed Harun resigned before completing his term to pursue a career in electoral politics, a move that drew criticism from former NMPs and observers who argued that it undermined the non-partisan intent of the scheme. While he defended his transition as a continuation of public service, it renewed debate about the purpose and neutrality of the NMP system.
Syed Harun first entered Parliament in August 2023 after being nominated in July as an NMP for the 14th Parliament.[2]
In February 2025, ahead of the general election in the same year, Syed Harun resigned before the end of his two-and-a-half-year term as an NMP, stating that he intended to "serve more directly through grassroots involvement".[3] He subsequently joined the PAP and was fielded as a candidate for the five-member Nee Soon GRC.[4]
Prior to the general election, Syed Harun's move move drew significant public and political scrutiny. Several former NMPs and commentators expressed concern about the erosion of the credibility of the NMP scheme when the position was used as a springboard into party politics.[5][6] Critics argued that the NMP role was intended to provide independent, non-partisan perspectives, and that early resignations for electoral ambitions could undermine its perceived neutrality.[3] Former NMPs also highlighted that while such transitions were legal, they were able to affect public trust in the scheme's original intent.[3]
In response to the criticism, Syed Harun stated that he had acted independently during his NMP tenure and had not "initially intended to enter party politics",[1] and that he eventually joined the PAP with a desire to "serve the public more effectively".[7]K. Shanmugam, Minister for Law and Home Affairs, also defended the move, emphasising that the Constitution did not prohibit NMPs from joining political parties after resigning, while urging the public to assess candidates based on "integrity and contributions".[8] Nevertheless, the event prompted renewed debate on whether clearer guidelines were necessary to regulate transitions from non-partisan to partisan political roles. Syed Harun was later elected after the PAP team he belonged to defeated Red Dot United (RDU) with 73.81% of the vote.[4]
The party affiliation of each member is indicated right after the constituency/seat he or she represents. PAP: People's Action Party; WP: The Workers' Party; PSP: Progress Singapore Party All of the leaders of the respective GRCs are in underline. MP(s) who is go on a leave of absence is in italic. NMPs do not belong to any party.
The party affiliation of each member is indicated right after the constituency/seat he or she represents. PAP: People's Action Party; WP: The Workers' Party; The leaders of their respective GRCs are underlined. MP(s) who go on a leave of absence are italicized. NMPs do not belong to any party.
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