Lina Loh

Loh started her political career after her husband, Chiam See Tong, decided to forgo Potong Pasir Single Member Constituency (Potong Pasir SMC), which he had been representing for 27 years, to contest in the Bishan–Toa Payoh Group Representation Constituency (Bishan–Toa Payoh GRC) in the 2011 general election. She filled in the SPP slot in Potong Pasir SMC[1] and contested against Sitoh Yih Pin, the candidate from the governing People's Action Party, in Potong Pasir SMC.[2] She ultimately lost to Sitoh by a narrow margin of 114 votes, securing 49.64% of the votes against Sitoh's 50.36%.[3] However, by virtue of being the "best loser" in an election whereby less than nine non-ruling party MPs were elected, she qualified for a seat in the 12th Parliament of Singapore as an NCMP. Loh took up the NCMP appointment on 12 May 2011.[4]

In the 2015 general election, Loh contested in Potong Pasir SMC again but lost to Sitoh Yih Pin by a larger margin. She garnered 33.59% of the votes against Sitoh's 66.41%. The total number of elected opposition MPs in the election was six and as such, three opposition candidates qualified to be NCMPs in the 13th Parliament. As the SPP's result in Potong Pasir SMC was poorer than that of the losing opposition candidates in Punggol East SMC, Fengshan SMC and East Coast GRC, the election did not see Loh's return to Parliament as an NCMP.