Syed Harun Alhabsyi

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The Honourable
Syed Harun Alhabsyi
سَعِيد هارون الحبسي
Member of the Singapore Parliament
for Nee Soon GRC
Incumbent
Assumed office
3 May 2025

Syed Harun bin Taha Alhabsyi [a] (born 1985) is a Singaporean politician appointed as the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Ministry of National Development and Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Ministry of Education. [1]

Contents

He was the first former Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) in Singapore to enter partisan politics, joining the People's Action Party (PAP) and contesting the 2025 general election in Nee Soon Group Representation Constituency. He was subsequently elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Nee Soon GRC.

First appointed as an NMP in 2023, he resigned before completing his term to pursue a political career, a move that drew criticism from former NMPs and observers who argued it undermined the non-partisan intent of the scheme. While Syed Harun defended his transition as a continuation of public service, it sparked renewed debate about the purpose and neutrality of the NMP system. [2] [3] [4]

Education and career

Syed Harun studied at Raffles Institution and Victoria Junior College before graduating from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore with a medical degree. Syed Harun is also a psychiatrist. [5]

Political career

Syed Harun was first nominated into the 14th Parliament of Singapore in August 2023 as a Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP). [6]

In February 2025, Syed Harun resigned before completing his two-and-a-half-year term as an NMP. He stated his intentions were to "serve more directly through grassroots involvement". [2] He subsequently joined the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) and was fielded as a candidate for Nee Soon GRC in the 2025 Singaporean general election, in which the PAP team secured victory. [7]

Prior to the general election, Syed Harun's move move drew significant public and political scrutiny. Several former NMPs and commentators expressed concern that using the NMP position as a springboard into party politics could erode the scheme's credibility. [8] [9] 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. [2] Former NMPs also highlighted that while such transitions are legally permissible, they could affect public trust in the scheme's original intent. [2]

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". [5] He explained that his eventual decision to join the PAP was based on a desire to "serve the public more effectively". [3] Minister for Law and Home Affairs K. Shanmugam defended the move, emphasising that the Constitution does not prohibit NMPs from joining political parties after resigning, and urged the public to assess candidates based on integrity and contributions. [4] Nevertheless, the incident prompted renewed debate on whether clearer guidelines are needed to regulate transitions from non-partisan to partisan political roles.

While fellow NMP Raj Joshua Thomas, who had resigned on the same day as Syed Harun and also hinted on joining partisan politics, announced on 17 April that he will not be running in the 2025 general election, [10] Syed Harun was nominated as part of a PAP team contesting for Nee Soon GRC. Syed Harun was later elected to be a MP for Nee Soon GRC. [11]

Notes

  1. ↑ Jawi: سَعِيد هارون بن طه الحبسي

References

  1. ↑ Remarks by PM Lawrence Wong at the Press Conference on the new Cabinet Line-Up
  2. 1 2 3 4 Kurohi, Rei (17 February 2025). "Former NMPs raise concerns over how members' resignations ahead of GE2025 could impact scheme". The Straits Times. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  3. 1 2 "Syed Harun: Joining politics was the last thing on my mind". Channel News Asia. 21 April 2025. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  4. 1 2 "Constitution allows NMPs to join political parties after resigning: Shanmugam". AsiaOne. 22 April 2025. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  5. 1 2 "GE2025: I was 'absolutely' independent as an NMP, joining politics was last thing on my mind, says Syed Harun". Channelnewsasia. 14 April 2020. Retrieved 4 May 2025.
  6. ↑ "8 new Nominated MPs to be appointed, 1 serving a 2nd term". mothership.sg. Retrieved 4 May 2025.
  7. ↑ "GE2025: Shanmugam's refreshed PAP team retains Nee Soon GRC with 73.81% of vote". The Straits Times. 4 May 2025. ISSN   0585-3923 . Retrieved 4 May 2025.
  8. ↑ Ong, Anthea (19 April 2025). "Two Resignations, One NMP Scheme, and the Questions Sorely Unanswered". RICE. Retrieved 4 May 2025.
  9. ↑ Citizen, The Online (1 April 2025). "RP chief Kenneth Jeyaretnam criticises NMP scheme after Shanmugam's defence of constitutional provision". The Online Citizen. Retrieved 4 May 2025.
  10. ↑ "GE2025: Former NMP Raj Joshua Thomas will not run in upcoming election". CNA. 17 April 2025. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  11. ↑ "GE2025: Shanmugam's refreshed PAP team retains Nee Soon GRC with 73.81% of vote". The Straits Times. 4 May 2025. ISSN   0585-3923 . Retrieved 4 May 2025.
Parliament of Singapore
Preceded by Member of Parliament for
Nee Soon GRC
2025–present
Served alongside:
(2025–present): K. Shanmugam, Goh Hanyan, Lee Hui Ying, Jackson Lam 		Incumbent
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