Everything you need to know about the 3 new Branch Chairs of Sengkang GRC

27/03/2022

The Party announced the appointment of three new Branch Chairs of Sengkang GRC on Mar 27, 2022.

(From left) Mr Ling Weihong, Ms Theodora Lai, Dr Lam Pin Min, and Assoc Prof Elmie Nekmat

They are Ms Theodora Lai Xi Yi (Sengkang North), Assoc Prof Elmie Nekmat (Sengkang Central), and Mr Ling Weihong (Sengkang East).  Dr Lam Pin Min, Branch Chair of Sengkang West, will lead the PAP Sengkang GRC team.

Here’s everything you need to know about the three new Branch Chairs.

Theodora Lai 黎曦怡 – Branch Chair of Sengkang North

Who is Theodora Lai?

Ms Theodora Lai started out as a Party activist in 2009 and was Chairperson of the PAP Policy Forum from 2019 to 2020. The 36-year-old is currently the Chief Strategy Officer of Burpple. In her Facebook profile, she describes herself as a first time mum, and community volunteer.

Hmm… Haven’t I seen her before?

Indeed you have.

She moderated the PAP Policy Forum 15th Anniversary Dinner in 2019.

Or maybe you’ve seen her hanging around at a Sengkang coffee shop.

Which tribes does she belong to?

You ready? Here goes:

1. She’s a founding member of the Young Women’s Leadership Connection which pairs young women with seasoned mentors.

2. Also an advisor with Safespace, a mobile platform that connects people who are going through mental health issues, with mental healthcare professionals.

3. Also a coordinator of the Singapore Valley Awards. And her role? You are right: to link up with local universities to provide internship opportunities for undergrads with top Chinese tech companies and venture capitalists.

4. Also an active community volunteer including as a District Councillor in Northeast CDC.

Safe to say, linking communities together is her forte.

What is she like as a person?

Well, her comfort food is chicken rice and teochew porridge and spends her weekends hunting down new playgrounds to visit for her 1-year-old daughter. Her Spotify playlist, which usually reveals someone’s personality, consists of mainly Top 40s and 90s pop.

Where do I ask her for playground recommendations?

You can follow her on Instagram and Facebook.

Associate Prof Elmie Nekmat 埃尔米 – Branch Chair of Sengkang Central

Who is Elmie Nekmat?

A party activist since 2016, Associate Professor Elmie Nekmat is the Young PAP’s Deputy Organising Secretary and is also involved in the Malay Affairs Bureau. The 40-year-old is currently Associate Professor of Communications and New Media and Assistant Dean of Research in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore.

Hey, I think I’ve seen him before somewhere?

Prof Elmie appeared before the Select Committee on Deliberate Online Falsehoods back in 2018.

He was speaking on the spread and potential impact of falsehoods in mother tongue languages and dialects via closed-group platforms such as WhatsApp.

He’s already hit the ground running in Sengkang Central too.

What issues are close to his heart?

He’s big on online safety and wellness. In fact, he has been working with Sengkang residents in this area since last year. He is also a Research Coordinator in the Sunlight Alliance for Action Against Online Harms, which aims to protect women and girls from different types of online harms and harassment.

Also, he’s a keen advocate of digital inclusion. As a member of the Digital for Life Steering Committee under IMDA and chair of the NLB’s Digital Services and Experiences Committee, he pushes for digital experiences to be made accessible for everyone.

He is also a member of the Malay Language Learning and Promotion Committee for MOE, Malay Language Examination Syllabus Review Committee for Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board and Adviser for the Steering Committee of Community Leaders Forum Leadership and Benefactor Scheme for Yayasan Mendaki, and member of the workgroup committee for M3 FA3 programmes for youths.

Where can I absorb his big brain energy?

You can follow him on Instagram and Facebook.

Ling Weihong 凌炜鸿 – Branch Chair of Sengkang East

Who is Ling Weihong?

Mr Ling Weihong has been helping out in the Party since 2015: The 41-year-old was Assistant Branch Secretary of Woodlands Branch from 2016 to 2018 and more recently, the Branch Secretary of Sengkang Central Branch since April 2021. He is currently a lawyer in private practice.

Eh… He’s looks damn familiar?

That’s because he gave a fiery speech at the Party Convention last year.

“We never run away from a fight and never will! Comrade Lee Kuan Yew said this in 1963. Of course, it is still true today,” he said to applause.

And he’s true to his words.

For whom does he fight for?

As a legal practitioner, he has volunteered his services in legal clinics in the community. As a firm believer in Singapore’s social mobility, he helped to launch the Woodlands Mentoring programme, pairing children from low-income families with youth mentors in the community.

Grateful for all the opportunities and mentorship that he has received throughout his life, he’s committed to give back to the community. Mr Ling believes that every action is significant in making a difference to the lives of others.

Where can I absorb some of his passion and zeal?

You can follow him on Instagram and Facebook.

Thank you

Comrade Ng Chee Meng will be the Advisor to the PAP Sengkang GRC team. Comrades Amrin Amin and Raymond Lye Hoong Yip will assist in seeing through the transition for the PAP Sengkang team to continue serving our Sengkang residents. The Party would like to thank the outgoing Branch Chairs for their service and contributions to Sengkang GRC, and we look forward to their future contributions in other capacities.