Straits Times: WP offered NCMP seat, party to decide this week

TAKE IT OR NOT?: Ms Lim confirmed the Elections Department's offer was received yesterday.

THE Workers' Party (WP) has been offered the Non-Constituency MP (NCMP) seat in Parliament, because its Aljunied GRC team was the top scorer among defeated opposition candidates.

However, it has yet to decide if it would accept the offer from the Elections Department.

WP chairman Sylvia Lim told The Straits Times yesterday that a decision will be reached by this week. Ms Lim led the Aljunied team, which got 43.9 per cent of the valid votes cast in the GRC.

In the letter of offer issued to the WP yesterday, the Elections Department asked the party to propose who among the five Aljunied candidates would take up the NCMP post. It was given seven days to submit a name.

Under the NCMP scheme introduced in 1984, the highest-scoring opposition losers are admitted to Parliament if there are fewer than three elected opposition MPs.

An NCMP does not represent any constituency but can take part in all debates. However, such MPs cannot vote on major issues such as no-confidence motion, amendments to the Constitution, the Budget and other financial Bills.

If WP turns down the offer, the NCMP seat will be offered to the next best loser: Mr Steve Chia who received 39.6 per of the votes cast in single-seat Chua Chu Kang.

But the former NCMP said last night he would not take it up.

"Why should I?" said Mr Chia, who had announced that he was quitting politics after he lost in his third attempt at the polls.

He urged WP to accept the offer, as the chosen MP would gain from the higher public profile as well as the experience of debating in Parliament. He was an NCMP for the past five years.

But he cautioned: "It has been proven that the NCMP seat is not effective in winning elections."

However, Ms Lim, whom he expects to be the next NCMP, may fare better, he added.

SUE-ANN CHIA