Fencing S'pore president Nicholas Fang for NMP?
Some two weeks after Parliament invited nominations for Nominated Members of Parliament (NMPs), president of Fencing Singapore Nicholas Fang has revealed that he is keen on the position.
But that's only if there is enough backing from the sporting fraternity here, he stressed.
He told Yahoo! Singapore on Thursday that it's important to have someone flying the sports flag in Parliament.
The most recent ex-NMP to represent the sporting industry was former national swimmer Joscelin Yeo.
"If I do become an NMP, the first thing I would do is try to place an emphasis on making sports part of the social fabric here. For example, I want more people and families to consider sports events as a form of entertainment when they go out, “said the former national athlete.
Fang, also president of the Singapore Modern Pentathlon Association, added that he would like to call for more sports opportunities for the elderly.
Fang returned to Singapore on Thursday after a few days in Indonesia with Singapore’s fencing team at the SEA Games.
The Oxford University graduate, who has a Masters in Politics, Philosophy and Economics, is also a director at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs and involved in his family's import-and-export business.
He worked as a reporter with The Straits Times’s money desk and was also a news presenter at Channel NewsAsia.
Once the public nominations are in, the Special Select Committee of Parliament will nominate candidates to be appointed as NMPs by the President.
The nominees will have to have either rendered distinguished public service, brought honour to the Republic, or distinguished themselves in the field of arts and letters, sports, culture, the sciences, business, industry, the professions, social or community service or the labour movement.
The Constitution allows for up to nine NMPs at any one time. They will serve a term of 2 1/2 years. Submissions, which must be made using forms obtained from the Parliament House, will close at 4:30pm on 8 December.
