The Constitution will be amended to give Non-Constituency Members
of Parliament (NCMPs) the same voting rights as MPs, Prime Minister
Lee Hsien Loong said in Parliament on Wednesday (Jan 27).
Mr Lee also revealed that the minimum number of oppositions MPs -
including NCMPs - will be increased from nine to 12 from the next
general election.
Here are seven things to know about the NCMP scheme, which was
introduced in 1984.
The scheme offers seats in Parliament to the best-performing losing
opposition candidates - the so-called "best losers" of each general
election.
The People's Action Party (PAP) had won all seats at the four
general elections (1968, 1972, 1976 and 1980) since Singapore's
independence in 1965. That changed only in 1981 when the Workers'
Party's (WP) J.B. Jeyaretnam was voted into Parliament in the Anson
by-election.
Then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew mooted the NCMP scheme as a way
for young voters to learn more about opposition politics. He said
then that the presence of opposition members in Parliament would
also offer a chance for younger PAP MPs to sharpen their debating
skills, while acting as a check and balance against any
governmental impropriety.
Opposition parties were immediately critical of the scheme,
labelling it a ploy by the PAP to dissuade Singaporeans from voting
for the opposition. It was called a "backdoor" into Parliament and
many declared that no self-respecting opposition candidate should
take it up.
The scheme also had its critics among the PAP, with some MPs saying
it diminished the democratic process.
Others, however, felt it represented the best of both worlds, as
NCMPs could contribute in Parliament without being burdened by the
demands of looking after a constituency.
For the moment, NCMPs can debate in Parliament and are allowed to
vote on all issues except the following:
An NCMP receives 15 per cent of an MP's annual allowance.
When the NCMP scheme was first introduced in 1984, it allowed the
highest-scoring losers to enter Parliament if there were fewer than
three elected opposition MPs. The total number was capped at
six.
Changes to the Constitution and Parliamentary Elections Act passed
in 2010 guarantee a minimum of nine opposition MPs in Parliament
after the polls.
If the opposition wins fewer than nine seats, NCMPs will be
appointed from among the highest-scoring losers to make up the
shortfall.
However, there is a cap of two NCMPs coming from any one group
representation constituency (GRC). NCMPs must also get at least 15
per cent of valid votes.
Ms Lee Li Lian (left) has
turned down the parliament seat offered to her. PHOTO: THE NEW
PAPER
There appears to be a need for clearer public understanding about
what happens when an NCMP seat is declined.
With the WP's Ms Lee turning down the seat offered to her, the
party has declared it wants NUS sociology don Daniel Goh to take up
Ms Lee's seat.
However, it is not an automatic process that the next-in-line
candidate is offered or entitled to the seat. There is also no
precedent of passing an NCMP seat within a single party.
The WP has filed a motion in Parliament to declare the seat
vacant and propose an alternative candidate for the seat
rejected by Ms Lee.
ST