Birth Place: | Colony of Singapore |
Honorific Prefix: | The Honourable |
Honorific Suffix: | MP |
Party: | People's Action Party |
Profession: | Politician |
Nationality: | Singapore |
Birth Date: | 1948 8, df=y |
Zulkifli bin Mohammed (born 8 August 1948[1]) is a former Singaporean politician. A member of the ruling People's Action Party, Zulkifli was involved in politics for 14 years before retiring from politics in 1996.
Zulkifli studied political science at the University of Singapore and graduated with honours in 1970. Following his graduation, Zulkifli worked for Shell Eastern Petroleum. He would continue to work at the firm until his election to parliament.[2] Although Malays were exempted from the National Service draft beginning in 1967,[3] [4] Zulkifli volunteered for the People's Defence Force Volunteer Unit and was an Infantry Officer between 1967 and 1977. In 1983, Zulkifli was elected as the president of Majlis Pusat, otherwise known as the Central Council of Malay Cultural Organisations.
In 1984, Zulkifli ran for election as a PAP candidate in Eunos SMC; he had previously turned down the nomination for the 1976 and 1980 General Elections. He won 64.81% of the votes against Singapore United Front candidate Chong Tung Shang.[5] Following the formation of the GRC system in 1988, Eunos SMC became part of 3-person Eunos GRC. The PAP team contesting the election included Chew Heng Ching and Tay Eng Soon. The election in Eunos GRC was the closest in the 1988 General Election, with the PAP team narrowly beating the Workers' Party with 50.89% of the votes.[6] The WP team comprised Lee Siew Choh, Mohd Khalit B Md Baboo, and Francis Seow. In the 1991 election, Zulkifli switched places with Sidek bin Saniff and joined the PAP team for Jalan Besar GRC. The team ran uncontested for parliament.[7]
Zulkifli was the Political Secretary for Community Development from 1986 to 1991.[8] In the first Goh Chok Tong cabinet, Zulkifli was the Political Secretary to Deputy Prime Minister Ong Teng Cheong between 1991 and 1993 until Ong's election to the presidency. Zulkifli's last position in the cabinet was as the Political Secretary to Minister without Portfolio, now known as Minister in the Prime Minister's Office.
While serving as a Member of Parliament, Zulkifli kept his position as the president of Majilis Pusat.[9] He was also deputy director and subsequently Director of Community Development at the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC).
After Zulkifli stepped down as an MP, he became a vice-president of Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association and executive director of NTUC Eldercare Co-operative Limited. Zulkifli was the chief executive officer of the Singapore National Co-operatives Federation between 2005 and 2009.