Gerald Giam

Gerald Giam Yean Song (simplified Chinese: 严燕松; traditional Chinese: 嚴燕松; pinyin: Yán Yànsōng; born 22 November 1977) is a Singaporean politician and a member of the opposition Workers' Party (WP). He has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Aljunied GRC for Bedok Reservoir–Punggol since 10 July 2020 & he along with Dennis Tan were appointed as the co-vice-chairman of Aljunied-Hougang Town Council. He was elected as the Workers’ Party Central Executive Committee member as Treasurer.

In this article, the surname is Giam (严).
The Honourable

Gerald Giam

MP
严燕松
Giam at a Workers' Party rally in Bedok Stadium on 30 April 2011 during the 2011 general election
Member of the Singapore Parliament
for Aljunied GRC
(Bedok Reservoir–Punggol)
Assumed office
10 July 2020
Preceded byLow Thia Khiang (WP)
ConstituencyAljunied GRC
Majority28,485 (19.90%)
Non-constituency Member of the 12th Parliament of Singapore
In office
10 October 2011 – 25 August 2015
Serving with Yee Jenn Jong
Personal details
Born
Gerald Giam Yean Song

(1977-11-22) 22 November 1977
Singapore
CitizenshipSingapore
NationalitySingaporean
Political partyWorkers' Party (WP)
Children2
Alma materAnglo-Chinese School (Independent)
Anglo-Chinese Junior College
University of Southern California
Nanyang Technological University

Early life

Giam attended Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) and Anglo-Chinese Junior College. Giam has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, University of Southern California, and a Master of Science in International Political Economy, Nanyang Technological University.[1]

Giam's first job was as an IT consultant. He has also worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and volunteered as a youth leader in South West Community Development Council.[2]

Political career

Giam first stepped into politics in 2011 contesting as one of 5 members, of a Workers' Party (WP) team led by Eric Tan which included Png Eng Huat, Glenda Han and Mohamed Fazli bin Talip, in the East Coast Group Representation Constituency.They contested against a team from the People's Action Party which was led by Minister Lim Swee Say together with Lee Yi Shyan, Lim Siang Keat Raymond, Maliki Osman, and Tan Soon Neo Jessica. The WP team obtained 45.17% of the votes and were offered a NCMP position as third best loser in the election.[3]

On 13 May 2011, the Workers' Party confirmed that Giam would take up the NCMP position. As a result of not being offered to take up the NCMP seat, the East Coast GRC team leader and party veteran, Eric Tan, quit the party.[4][5]

With Giam taking up the NCMP position together with Yee Jenn Jong, Workers' Party set a new record in the Singapore's post-independence political arena becoming the first non-ruling party to have 8 (6 MP+2 NCMP) seats in parliament.[6]

He served as the Non-constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) from 10 October 2011 to 25 August 2015.[7]

After the 2015 General Elections, Giam did not take up the NCMP seat at the 13th Parliament.

Giam contested in, and won in Aljunied GRC in the 2020 General Elections. He replaces former Workers' Party Secretary-General Low Thia Khiang, who was one of the constituency's MPs from 7 May 2011 to 23 June 2020.[8][9]

Giam is a member of the Workers’ Party Central Executive Council.[10]

Giam is the Town Councillor chairman of the Tenders and Contracts Committee in Aljuined-Hougang Town Council.

Personal life

Giam is an IT solutions architect by training, and is married with two children.[10]

He was previously a deputy editor of The Online Citizen.[11][12]

References
  1. "20200714_cv---gerald-giam" (PDF). Parliament of Singapore. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  2. Giam, Gerald (23 January 2010). "Why I joined the Opposition – geraldgiam.sg". Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  3. "Gerald Giam offered Workers' Party's NCMP seat". www.asiaone.com. 13 May 2011. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  4. "Eric Tan quits Workers' Party over NCMP snub". www.asiaone.com. 14 May 2011. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  5. Wong, Alicia (13 May 2011). "Eric Tan quits Workers' Party over 'betrayal'". sg.news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  6. "Elections Department Singapore". www.eld.gov.sg. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  7. "MP | Parliament Of Singapore - Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song". www.parliament.gov.sg. Archived from the original on 15 July 2020. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  8. Tan, Audrey; Kurohi, Rei (26 June 2020). "Singapore GE2020: Workers' Party confirms Aljunied GRC slate, introduces second batch of candidates". The Straits Times. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
  9. Chew, Hui Min (11 July 2020). "GE2020: Workers' Party retains Aljunied GRC with wider margin against PAP". CNA. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  10. "Gerald Giam – The Workers' Party". www.wp.sg. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  11. Sim, Walter (3 March 2016). "The Online Citizen now a one-man show". The Straits Times. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  12. "The Online Media: Untangling Singapore's web of politics". The Online Citizen. 15 October 2015. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
Parliament of Singapore
Preceded by
Low Thia Khiang		 Member of Parliament for Aljunied GRC
(Bedok Reservoir–Punggol)
2020 – present		 Incumbent
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