The consultant psychiatrist pointed out that during his NMP term, there were times he had challenged the government in its position on certain issues and “nudged it to consider things differently”.
From his appointment in July 2023 to his resignation in February, he had filed five adjournment motions on diverse issues.
These ranged from foreign policy to mental healthcare, one on creating opportunities for youths to thrive, another on social cohesion and the last in February was for taking a whole-of-society approach to addressing discrimination.
“In fact, even with the minister I now support on the ground in Nee Soon, I disagreed and expressed some reservations with Minister Shanmugam on one of the Bills tabled by MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs),” he said.
“Specifically, it was in relation to the sentence for enhanced public protection, but subsequently, with the arguments that were put forward, I was a bit more reassured after some safeguards were explained.
“So in that sense, as far as the independence of myself as an NMP is concerned, I spoke my mind and where I felt it was fit, I was always ready to be able to give a different point of view.”
When asked, he did not say when he was approached to join the PAP.
Asked if he felt that would conflict with his NMP role, he said he decided to resign once he began seriously considering going into politics.
“After my resignation, I took it upon myself to understand the PAP better, to understand what it stood for, the work it was doing on the ground, before taking the decision to join the party,” he said.
CNA also asked how he would respond to criticism of his move.
“My resignation as an NMP to join a political party, really at its core, was to serve Singapore and Singaporeans at a deeper level, and to give more of myself to the community and to the country, and not less,” he said.
