SINGAPORE: The People’s Action Party (PAP) on Thursday (Jul 10) announced new leaders for all 12 of its government parliamentary committees (GPCs), which scrutinise various ministries’ legislation and programmes.
Introduced by Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong in 1987, these backbench committees also serve as an additional channel of feedback on government policies.
MP for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC Alex Yam will chair the Culture, Community and Youth GPC, taking over from Mr Sitoh Yih Pin. Mr Sitoh stepped down ahead of the 2025 General Election after serving three terms.
Mr Yip Hon Weng will chair the Defence and Foreign Affairs GPC, and Mr Darryl David will helm the Education GPC.
Mr Saktiandi Supaat will move from Transport to head the Finance and Trade and Industry GPC, while Ms Yeo Wan Ling will chair Manpower.
Mr Vikram Nair, previously the chairman for Defence and Foreign Affairs, will head Home Affairs and Law.
Meanwhile, the National Development and Social and Family Development committees will be chaired by Mr Henry Kwek and Mr Xie Yao Quan respectively.
The other appointments are Ms Mariam Jaafar, Sembawang GRC MP, who will take over the Health GPC from former Clementi MP Tan Wu Meng.
In a Facebook post late on Thursday, Ms Jaafar reflected that she had, in the last parliamentary term, spoken more during the Ministry of Health’s Committee of Supply Debate “than for any other ministry”, and that this had come as a bit of a surprise to her.
“But like so much of what I do, perhaps it can be traced to family – my mother was a nurse and my late father’s cancer diagnosis played a part in my decision to step into politics,” she said.
On her appointment, she added: “I appreciate the trust. Healthcare touches all of us and is undergoing big transformations. I am energised and look forward to to working with my GPC colleagues on health and healthcare issues that matter to us all.”
Ms Poh Li San, MP for Sembawang West SMC, will head the Sustainability and the Environment GPC, succeeding Mr Louis Ng, former MP for Nee Soon GRC.
Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC MP Tin Pei Ling will move from the Digital Development and Information GPC to chair the Transport GPC. The Digital Development and Information GPC will be headed by Mr Sharael Taha.
