page_title: Non-constituency Member of Parliament
section_title: Steve Chia
hierarchical_section_title: Non-constituency Member of Parliament / Notable issues raised by NCMPs / Steve Chia
caption_attribution_description: English: Steve Chia delivering a typically fiery speech at the Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) rally at Choa Chu Kang Park, Singapore, on Tuesday, 2 May 2006, during the hustings for the 2006 general election. On election day, 6 May, he polled 39.63% of the votes, a marginal improvement from the previous election but not enough to spring a surprise victory over the People's Action Party.
context_page_description: A Non-constituency Member of Parliament is a member of a Singaporean opposition political party who, according to the Constitution and Parliamentary Elections Act, is declared to have been elected a Member of the Parliament of Singapore without constituency representation, despite having lost in a general election, by virtue of having been one of the best-performing losers. The number of NCMPs is 12 less the number of opposition Members of Parliament elected. NCMPs enjoy all of the privileges of ordinary Members of Parliament.
  The NCMP scheme was introduced in 1984, and was a significant modification of the traditional Westminster system of government. Since the ruling People's Action Party had won all parliamentary seats in the four general elections since independence, Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew argued that the NCMP scheme would ensure that opposition voices would be heard in Parliament. According to him, this would be beneficial to Singapore as it would give the younger generation of Singaporeans a chance to see what an opposition can or cannot do.
context_section_description: In November 2002, NCMP Steve Chia supported a motion by the Minister for Education stating that "this House ... (1) supports the new JC [junior college] curriculum which will better develop thinking, communication and other process skills and engage students in greater breadth of learning; and (2) endorses greater diversity and opening of new pathways in JC/Upper Secondary education to cater to the different strengths and interests of students." He suggested that there should be a focus on "creative spontaneity", expressing the view that the education system in 2002 was one that focused on churning out a production line of workers, managers and instruction takers. Given that Singapore had reached the standards of a First World economy, Singapore should focus on instilling an inquisitive spirit within students, to encourage students to ask questions. He placed most emphasis on the importance of ensuring that the focus of education should be character building, stating: "It will be failure of our education system if we are to train our best and brightest with our best resources only to be told that they are going to be the quitters of our society; or that they lack the compassion for the weak and the down; or that they behave in a snobbish class of their own; or behave condescendingly to their peers and followers; or that the elites only care about their own self-interests."
  In 2003, Chia mooted the idea that Singaporeans should be able to borrow from their own Central Provident Fund (CPF) savings to tide over periods of financial difficulty. His rationale was that if individuals could borrow from their own CPF accounts to buy depreciating property and money-losing stocks, there was no reason why they should not be allowed to do so to pay for bills. Dr. Ong Seh Hong, MP for Aljunied GRC, opposed the view, stating that it was important and for the good of Singapore that Singaporeans were independent individuals who could assume the risks and successes of their investments and be self-sufficient.
  With the advent of the Integrated Resorts, which are casino-based vacation resorts, in 2005 Chia expressed concern in Parliament over whether the Government had systems and institutions in place to lessen their negative impact such as problem gambling and the spectre of people gambling away family assets.
caption: Steve Chia at the Singapore Democratic Alliance rally in Choa Chu Kang Park during the hustings for the 2006 general election. An NCMP from 2001, he did not do well enough at the polls to be elected to Parliament or remain an NCMP.
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