Seah Kian Peng Explained

Honorific Prefix:The Honourable
Seah Kian Peng
Caption:Seah in 2021
Native Name Lang:zh-sg
Office:9th Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore
Deputy:Christopher de Souza
Jessica Tan
Primeminister:Lee Hsien Loong
Lawrence Wong
Status:Incumbent
Term Start:2 August 2023
Predecessor:Tan Chuan-Jin
Office1:Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore
Alongside1:Charles Chong (2011–2020)
Term End1:14 January 2016
Term Start1:17 October 2011
Successor1:Lim Biow Chuan
Predecessor1:Matthias Yao
1Blankname1:Speaker
1Namedata1:Michael Palmer
(2011–2012)
Halimah Yacob
(2013–2017)
Constituency Mp2:Marine Parade GRC
(Braddell Heights)
Predecessor2:R. Ravindran
Term Start2:27 April 2006
Majority2:20,143 (15.52%)
Alma Mater:University of New South Wales
Party:People's Action Party
Birth Date:5 December 1961
Birth Place:State of Singapore
Spouse:Jean Yap
Children:2

Seah Kian Peng (; born 5 December 1961)[1] is a Singaporean politician who has been serving as Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore since 2023. He served as Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore between 2011 and 2016. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he has been the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Braddell Heights division of Marine Parade GRC since 2006.

Early life

Seah was born into a family of six, consisting of his father, a line worker in a printing firm and his mother, a housewife who took on sewing gigs to supplement the family income, and himself, the third out of the four children.[2] [3] Seah studied at Raffles Institution before he received a Colombo Plan scholarship to study at the University of New South Wales.

Career

Early career

Upon graduation with a first class honours degree in building,[4] Seah returned to Singapore to complete his National Service, then worked in a government-linked company, Indeco Engineers,[5] before joining the Singapore Civil Service. Seah was seconded to the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) to do corporate planning and start NTUC Healthcare's chain of pharmacies. Seah then left NTUC for piling and engineering firm Sum Cheong Corporation between 1994 and 1996. He returned to the public sector in 1996 to head NTUC Healthcare and NTUC Media successively, before being appointed as the chief operating officer of NTUC FairPrice in 2001, then as the chief executive officer of NTUC FairPrice in 2010.

Political career

Seah was fielded as a People's Action Party (PAP) candidate for Marine Parade GRC in the 2006 general election,[6] and was elected as Member of Parliament for Marine Parade GRC (Braddell Heights ward) in a walkover for the 11th Parliament.[7] Seah was re-elected in Marine Parade Group GRC in the 2011 and 2015 general elections when the PAP team was challenged by the National Solidarity Party and Workers' Party respectively.[8] [9]

In Parliament, Seah served as Deputy Speaker from October 2011 to January 2016.[10] On 10 March 2010, Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, suggested that Seah to work out a private member's bill to propose amendments to the Maintenance of Parents Act.[11] After establishing a 10-person workgroup to look at the proposal,[12] the bill was introduced on 18 October 2010 and was passed on 23 November 2010.[13] [14]

Seah was appointed as CEO of NTUC Fairprice from 2010 to 2022 and as chairperson of Social and Family Development Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) in the 14th Parliament.

In April 2020, Seah attracted controversy during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he "played the role of a safe distancing ambassador" during the government-imposed "circuit breaker" lockdown.[15] [16] [17]

On 21 July 2023, it was announced that Seah will be nominated to be the next Speaker of Parliament by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong after the resignation of Tan Chuan-Jin due to his extra-martial affair. [18] Seah was elected as Speaker on 2 August 2023.[19] In his first speech after his election as Speaker, he urged that all members of the parliament must be vigilant in personal conduct and serve the people.[20]

Personal life

Seah is married to Jean Yap and they have two children.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: MP Parliament Of Singapore. 11 June 2020. www.parliament.gov.sg.
  2. Web site: Higher taxes on the rich and being more open to using our national reserves: MP Seah Kian Peng goes On the Record. 11 June 2020. CNA. en.
  3. Web site: migration. 28 April 2013. Save, give, value all. 11 June 2020. The Straits Times. en.
  4. Web site: People's Action Party Constituency Portal - People's Action Party. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120107020503/http://ge.pap.org.sg:80/candidate/seahkianpeng. 7 January 2012. 11 June 2020.
  5. News: Heng . Janice . Achieving a delicate balance . 21 July 2023 . The Business Times . 25 November 2020.
  6. Web site: AsiaOne. 11 June 2020. www.asiaone.com.
  7. Web site: AsiaOne - General Election 2006. 11 June 2020. www.asiaone.com.
  8. Web site: hermesauto. 7 December 2017. Former NSP star Nicole Seah now with WP in East Coast GRC. 11 June 2020. The Straits Times. en.
  9. Web site: Tan. Mindy. 12 September 2015. PAP takes Marine Parade with 64% of votes. 11 June 2020. The Business Times. en.
  10. Web site: hermes. 8 August 2017. 'Either deputy could take over as Speaker'. 11 June 2020. The Straits Times. en.
  11. Web site: SPEECH Report. 11 June 2020. www.nas.gov.sg.
  12. Web site: Feedback on changes to Maintenance of Parents Act. 11 June 2020. www.asiaone.com.
  13. Web site: Maintenance of Parents (Amendment) Bill.
  14. Web site: Maintenance of Parents (Amendment) Act 2010 - Singapore Statutes Online. 11 June 2020. sso.agc.gov.sg. en.
  15. News: MP Seah Kian Peng explains visit to market after Facebook post on 'playing role of safe distancing ambassador' . 21 July 2023 . TODAY . 29 April 2020 . en.
  16. News: PAP MP plays role of safe distancing ambassador to do walkabout and observes most recognize him even with mask . 21 July 2023 . The Online Citizen Asia . 27 April 2020.
  17. News: Furious response to MP’s market walkabout under guise of ‘safe distancing ambassador’ Coconuts . 21 July 2023 . Coconuts Singapore . 27 April 2020.
  18. News: Correspondent . Goh Yan HanPolitical . 2023-07-21 . PM Lee to nominate Seah Kian Peng as next Speaker of Parliament . en . The Straits Times . 2023-08-01 . 0585-3923.
  19. Web site: Election of Seah Kian Peng as Speaker of Parliament . 2023-08-02 . CNA . en.
  20. News: Correspondent . Chin Soo FangSenior . 2023-08-02 . Be vigilant in personal conduct, serve people of S’pore: Newly elected Speaker Seah Kian Peng . en . The Straits Times . 2023-08-02 . 0585-3923.