NOMINATED MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT (Announcement by Mr Speaker)

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Mr Speaker: On 5th June 1997, Parliament resolved in accordance with the Fourth Schedule of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore that there shall be Nominated Members of Parliament (NMPs) during the term of the present Parliament. On 31st July 1997, the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore was amended to increase the maximum number of NMPs from six to nine.

The Special Select Committee was constituted on 16th June 1997 and its Report was presented to Parliament on 23rd September 1997 as Parl. 2 of 1997.

The Special Select Committee nominated the following nine persons to the President for appointment as NMPs:

Mdm Chiang See Ngoh;

Mr Chuang Shaw Peng;

Mr Gerard Ee Hock Kim;

Dr Lee Tsao Yuan;

Mr Shriniwas Rai;

Mr Cyrille Tan Soo Leng;

Mr Tay Beng Chuan;

Mr Simon Tay Seong Chee; and

Mr Zulkifli B. Baharudin.

On 1st October 1997, President Ong Teng Cheong, by Instruments of Appointment dated 1st October 1997, appointed the nine Members as NMPs for a term of two years with effect from 1st October 1997.

The Nominated Members are present today to take their seats. They will now take their oath or affirmation of allegiance.