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Next Monday, Mr Parekh Nimil Rajnikant (left) will become a Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP). And he believes that, with this appointment, the onus will be on him to air the concerns of the business fraternity in Singapore.
The Pegasus Asia CEO and chairman of the Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry said: “Trade Associations and Chambers represent many small and medium enterprises in Singapore and voicing their concerns will be my priority as we push businesses to go green, global and digital.
“As we have a small domestic economy, we need to facilitate the international expansion of our companies to scale globally.”
Mr Parekh is also board director of Elevandi, set up by the Monetary Authority of Singapore to foster an open dialogue between the public and private sectors to advance fintech in the digital economy.
He is among nine new NMPs whose names were announced in Parliament on Monday. The other new NMPS are Ms Chandradas Usha Ranee, Dr Syed Harun Taha Alhabsyi, Mr Keith Chua Tiang Choon, Associate Professor Razwana Begum Abdul Rahim, Mr Ong Hua Han, Ms See Jinli, Mr Raj Joshua Thomas and Mr Mark Lee Kean Phi.
They will be appointed for a 30-month term by President Halimah Yacob on July 24 and sworn in when Parliament sits in August.
Ms Ranee is the daughter of Mr. S. Chandra Das, former Member of Parliament and chairman of Tamil Murasu newspaper. She completed her Bachelor of Law in 2002 and Master of Professional Accounting in 2009. She also obtained an MA in Asian Art Histories from Goldsmith’s, University of London, in 2017.
The 42-year-old is a Plural Art Mag co-founder and course coordinator at Nanyang Technological University’s Nanyang Business School. She has been associated with the arts industry for more than seven years.
Ms Ranee said: “My focus will be to ensure the stability of the Singapore arts industry and take the industry forward. In order for arts to thrive, there is a need for arts entities and artists to understand how to monetise their assets and protect their legal rights.
“While the Arts Resource Hub has done a good job in raising awareness on these issues, we can do more to educate artists on legal and practical issues that are pertinent to arts businesses.
“Arts and cultural workers should be fully supported for the sector to truly thrive. As many arts workers are freelancers, more can be done to educate the community on its rights and obligations in the gig economy and strategies for better mental and physical wellness.”
Ms Ranee, who said she is very proud of her Indian heritage, added that she felt “honoured and humbled by the NMP appointment”.
“The multitude of Indian arts groups in Singapore are well-known not just among the Indian community but also the wider population. I will focus on championing art among the youth as the sector has to grow strong roots in Singapore.”
Mr Thomas, who is president of the Security Association Singapore and a partner at law firm Wee Swee Teow, will be appointed for a second term.
“I will continue to speak up for low-wage workers and focus on raising the value of these types of jobs among youngsters,” said the 43-year-old who is a volunteer lawyer with Law Society’s Criminal Legal Aid Scheme.
The tenure of the current appointed Members of Parliament ends on July 20.
