In this year-end roundup series, Petir.sg looks back at key moments of 2022.
The Party announced a leadership transition on Mar 27, 2022, with Comrades Associate Professor Elmie Nekmat, Ms Theodora Lai Xi Yi and Mr Ling Weihong appointed as Branch Chairs for Sengkang GRC.
Our Party’s efforts in Sengkang remained in firm, steady hands with these three new Branch Chairs at the helm, as well as with Dr Lam Pin Min (Sengkang West) leading this team.
And in fact, these three weren’t new to Sengkang’s residents. They were already volunteering at Party events and walking the ground diligently.
Just who exactly are they, though?
In no particular order:
Assoc Prof Elmie Nekmat
Source: Elmie Nekmat Facebook
Assoc Prof Elmie Nekmat chairs Sengkang Central, and has been a Party activist since 2016.
He’s a “grounded, hands-on academic”, posted outgoing Branch Chair Mr Amrin Amin that same day.
“He’s passionate about digital wellness for young families, digital literacy for seniors, and greater protection of vulnerable groups and children from online harms such as cyber-bullying,” added Mr Amrin.
And Assoc Prof Elmie’s a busy, busy man. He helps charities like AMP and Pertapis. Serves on boards of organisations like the National Library, Sports SG and Ngee Ann Polytechnic. He is Assistant Head of Communications and New Media, as well as Assistant Dean of Research in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, at the National University of Singapore.
Back in 2018, in fact, he briefed Parliament on how falsehoods can spread in vernacular languages across chat media likes WhatsApp.
“He’s good at multi-tasking as any father of four young girls will tell you,” said Mr Amrin.
Ms Theodora Lai Xi Yi
Ms Theodora Lai chairs Sengkang North, and has been a Party activist since 2009.
Ms Lai, in fact, was the Chairperson of the PAP Policy Forum from 2019 to 2020. And she’s a founding member of the Young Women’s Leadership Connection, which links young women with more seasoned mentors in order “to help drive positive change within their communities”.
She also founded Prep Junior, an app which teaches Mandarin to Singapore’s preschoolers.
Ms Lai advises also with the Safespace app, helping connect people who need mental health support with mental healthcare professionals.
She finds time to do all these while serving as the Chief Strategy Officer of Burpple.
Mr Ling Weihong
And Mr Ling Weihong chairs Sengkang East. He’s been active for our Party in northern Singapore for a few years now; he previously served as Assistant Branch Secretary of Woodlands Branch and Branch Secretary of Sengkang Central Branch before taking on this role as Branch Chair.
He helped launch the Woodlands Mentoring programme which paired children from low-income families with youth mentors in the community — everyone does deserve a good start in life.
And he cares about doing what’s right. He volunteered with the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme between 2007 and 2016 as well as given advice at community legal clinics.
Mr Ling is a lawyer in private practice.
Cover photo credit: Elmie Nekmat / Facebook
