Veteran union leader Abdul Samad Abdul Wahab, 49, has been chosen to represent the interest of workers as a Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) by the parliamentary Special Select Committee.
The announcement was made by the Parliament of Singapore on 14 January 2021.
His term, along with eight other NMPs, will commence on 21 January 2021.
NMPs are appointed by the President of Singapore for a term of two-and-a-half years, and Mr Samad will be the 13th NMP since 1992 to represent the unions in Singapore.
He will succeed Singapore Port Workers’ Union (SPWU) General Secretary Arasu Duraisamy as NMP.
Previous NMPs include NTUC President Mary Liew and NTUC Deputy Secretary-General Cham Hui Fong.
Mr Samad has been part of the Union of Power and Gas Employees (UPAGE) since 2003, serving as the general secretary of the union since 2015 – the same year he became a member of the NTUC Central Committee.
In a media statement from NTUC, Mr Samad called the appointment a privilege and an honour, and that he is thankful for the encouragement and support from the Labour Movement.
He wrote: “With the COVID-19 pandemic still affecting the lives and livelihoods of many, I hope to be able to address the immediate needs of my fellow workers and their families as an NMP.
“I look forward to expressing such concerns and aspirations directly to the policy makers in Parliament in order to help our workers achieve better wages, welfare and work prospects.”
Other than guiding other union leaders in UPAGE, Mr Samad is also chairs the NTUC oil, petrochemical, energy and chemical (OPEC) cluster of unions.
Additionally, Mr Samad serves as one of three vice-presidents of NTUC.
He also represents the Labour Movement on the boards of SkillsFuture Singapore, NTUC LearningHub, and the NTUC team on the National Wages Council (NWC).
In 2020, he was a recipient of the Public Service Medal from the Prime Minister’s Office.
Speaker of Parliament and the Chairman of the Special Select Committee Tan Chuan-Jin said in a press release that NMPs have creditable accomplishments in their individual fields, and a good grasp of issues they are passionate about.
“I look forward to the rich diversity of insights and experiences they can bring to the House when we debate matters concerning Singapore and Singaporeans,” he mentioned.
In the same release, Leader of the House Indranee Rajah said the new NMPs’ specialised knowledge will add to the depth and breadth of the debates in Parliament.
“I look forward to the fresh perspectives and ideas the new NMPs will bring to Parliament as we work to help Singapore navigate the Covid-19 pandemic and emerge stronger,” she wrote.
