GABRIEL LAM
Mr Lam is the chief operating officer of moving company Shalom International Movers.
While new to Sembawang GRC, he had previously volunteered in the Chong Pang ward of Nee Soon GRC and at a rehabilitation centre.
“If given the chance in parliament, I will be championing for families and second chances,” said Mr Lam, who highlighted his experience mentoring ex-offenders.
He added that “second chances” need not only refer to those who have been incarcerated, but also those who have “made decisions in life leading to hardship”.
Mr Lam has been a member of the Ministry of Home Affairs’ board of visitors for the Community Rehabilitation Centre since 2021 and has supported Yellow Ribbon Singapore since 2011.
He is also a United Against Drugs ambassador with the Central Narcotics Bureau.
Responding to a question from the media, Mr Lam said his company takes in around five ex-offenders from the Yellow Ribbon Project a year.
“This is because we want to create a nurturing ecosystem for them, which I believe is very important to bring down the recidivism rate, which we have seen going down throughout the years,” said Mr Lam, who added that the number of ex-offenders hired is “kept small” to ensure a supportive environment.
In response to a question from CNA on how his experience as an SME owner is transferable to a political career, Mr Lam said managing daily business operations involves “a bit of firefighting”.
“I’ve been serving the grassroots for quite some years now, and we always use this agility, being able to adapt to new challenges, to also solve challenges on the ground. And I think that is something I hope to bring in to settle some of the challenges that our residents are facing here in Sembawang,” said Mr Lam.
