NCMP Voting

As everyone expected, the ruling People's Action Action (PAP) has announced constitutional amendments to the Singapore Parliament including more Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) who will now have full voting rights.

As widely expected, the Singapore opposition are up in hands on the matter. In their view, Elected MPs (Member of Parliament) vote on behalf of the people they serve because they were elected by them. NCMP represents no one because they are appointed by the Singapore government. Thus, they should not have voting rights on policies in the parliament. 

I am fully on the side of the opposition on this one. Why in the world should NCMP, appointed to Parliament by the government, have full voting rights when they are never elected by no one? The PAP's argument about greater diversity cut no ice when they are trying to change the Elected President to become a figurehead. Honestly, a president without the power to do anything (or worse; controlled by a panel of advisers) is a total waste of public money but that's an argument for another day. 

I know most Singaporeans think the PAP won big in the election last year but I disagree. The opposition Worker's Party (WP) won 6 seats which is the same amount they won in 2011. The only thing that changed was the percentage of votes they won. The number of seats won/loss was the same.

So I don't see the need to give NCMP full voting rights. They are not elected. They are appointed by the government. Thus they have no business voting in a democratic country.