NMP Appointee Haresh Singaraju Declares No Party Affiliation

Dr. Haresh Singaraju, set to be appointed as one of the new Nominated Members of Parliament (NMPs) in Singapore, has officially stated that he is no longer affiliated with any political party. This announcement follows the emergence of a photograph showing him wearing a shirt featuring the logo of the People’s Action Party (PAP).

The family physician at National University Polyclinics, Dr. Haresh initially told the South China Morning Post on January 5, 2024, that he had previously been a member of the PAP and that the photograph was taken during a People’s Association event. However, after further inquiries from Channel News Asia (CNA), he corrected his earlier statement on Instagram the following day. In his post, he clarified, “In my response to SCMP, I had incorrectly referred to this as a People’s Association activity. The activity did not involve the PA,” confirming that he is “now not a member of any party.”

Dr. Haresh explained that the image was captured during a party activity where he had volunteered in the past. The screenshot of the photograph circulated widely online before he decided to remove it from his account. He indicated that this deletion was part of a broader effort to clean up his Instagram account, aimed at protecting the identities of individuals featured in other pictures as he transitioned his account to public.

This incident has reignited discussions about the independence of the NMP scheme, which was established in 1990 to introduce non-partisan voices into Singapore’s parliament. Concerns about the impartiality of NMPs were raised last year when two appointees, Mr. Raj Joshua Thomas and Dr. Syed Harun Alhabsyi, resigned from their positions in February, just months before the General Election. Dr. Syed Harun later contested as a PAP candidate in the Nee Soon Group Representation Constituency and currently serves as Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education and National Development. Mr. Thomas did not stand as a candidate in that election.

Dr. Haresh is not the first former PAP member to take on the NMP role. Previous appointees, including businessman Calvin Cheng and former NMP Tan Su Shan, resigned from the party prior to their appointments. Additionally, Dr. Gerard Ee was still a PAP member at the time he assumed his NMP role.

Dr. Haresh is among eight new appointees scheduled for confirmation on January 8, 2024, alongside Mark Lee Kean Phi, CEO of Sing Lun Holdings, who is returning for a second term. As the NMP scheme continues to evolve, its ability to maintain a non-partisan stance remains a critical focus for both the public and political observers in Singapore.