Gerald Giam

Gerald Giam Yean Song (Chinese: 严燕松; pinyin: Yán Yànsōng; born 1977)[1] is a Singaporean politician. A member of the opposition Workers' Party (WP), he has been the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Bedok Reservoir–Punggol division of Aljunied GRC since 2020.

The Honourable
Gerald Giam
严燕松
Giam in 2021
Member of Parliament
for Aljunied GRC
(Bedok Reservoir–Punggol)
Assumed office
10 July 2020
Preceded byLow Thia Khiang
Non-Constituency Member of the
12th Parliament of Singapore
In office
10 October 2011 – 25 August 2015
Serving with Yee Jenn Jong
Preceded bySylvia Lim
Succeeded byDaniel Goh
Dennis Tan
Leon Perera
Personal details
Born
Gerald Giam Yean Song

1977[1]
Singapore
Political partyWorkers' Party
(2011–present)
Children2
Alma materUniversity of Southern California (BS)
Nanyang Technological University (MS)
OccupationPolitician
In this Chinese name, the family name is Giam.

Giam was previously the NCMP between 2011 and 2015 of the 12th Parliament of Singapore. Giam was elected as Policy Research Team Head of the Workers' Party Central Executive Committee in 2022 and the Vice-Chairman of the Aljuined—Hougang Town Council from 2020.

Education

Giam Was educated at Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) and Anglo-Chinese Junior College. He holds a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from the University of Southern California and a Master of Science in international political economy from Nanyang Technological University.[2]

Career

Giam has worked in various roles in the information technology industry, including as a senior consultant at Avanade and a project manager at MSC Consulting.[2] He was also a foreign service officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and had volunteered as a youth leader in the South West Community Development Council.[3] He was also previously a deputy editor at The Online Citizen.[4][5]

Giam is the chief technology officer of an information technology solutions company which he co-founded. He is a Registered Management Consultant certified by the Institute of Management Consultants (Singapore).[2]

Political career
Giam at a political rally in 2011

Following the 2011 general election, Giam first entered politics in a five-member Workers' Party team contesting in the East Coast GRC against the People's Action Party (PAP). The Workers' Party team lost with 45.2% of the votes.

As the best performing defeated team, Giam was offered a Non-constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) seat in Parliament.[6] On 13 May 2011, the Workers' Party confirmed that Giam would take up the NCMP seat.[7][8]

With Giam taking up the NCMP position together with Yee Jenn Jong, the Workers' Party set a new record in Singapore's electoral history by becoming the first opposition party to have eight (six elected and two NCMP) seats in Parliament.[9]

Giam served as a NCMP in the 12th Parliament from 10 October 2011 to 25 August 2015.[10]

Following the 2015 general election, Giam contested in a four-member Workers' Party team contesting in the East Coast GRC and went against the People's Action Party (PAP). The Workers' Party team lost with 39.27% of the votes.[11]

As the opposition team with third highest percentage of votes among unelected candidates, anyone on Giam's team would be nominated to take up the third NCMP position. Instead of taking up the position for himself as the leader of the team, he proposed within the party that his teammate, Leon Perera to take up to position.[12][13]

During the 2020 general election, both Low Thia Kiang and Chen Show Mao both stepped down as Member of Parliament for Aljunied GRC. Giam joined a five-member Workers' Party team contesting in Aljunied GRC with team members, Pritam Singh, Sylvia Lim, Leon Perera and Muhamad Faisal Manap and they won with 59.95% of the vote against the People's Action Party team. Giam thus became the Member of Parliament representing the Bedok Reservoir–Punggol ward of Aljunied GRC in the 14th Parliament.

Giam was elected as Policy Research Team Head of the Workers' Party Central Executive Committee in 2022 and the Vice-Chairman of the Aljuined—Hougang Town Council from 2020. [14][15][16]

Personal life

Giam is a Christian and is married with two children. [14]

References
  1. "MP | Parliament of Singapore".
  2. "20200714_cv---gerald-giam" (PDF). Parliament of Singapore. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  3. Giam, Gerald (23 January 2010). "Why I joined the Opposition – geraldgiam.sg". Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  4. Sim, Walter (3 March 2016). "The Online Citizen now a one-man show". The Straits Times. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  5. "The Online Media: Untangling Singapore's web of politics". The Online Citizen. 15 October 2015. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  6. "Gerald Giam offered Workers' Party's NCMP seat". www.asiaone.com. 13 May 2011. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  7. "Eric Tan quits Workers' Party over NCMP snub". www.asiaone.com. 14 May 2011. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  8. Wong, Alicia (13 May 2011). "Eric Tan quits Workers' Party over 'betrayal'". sg.news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  9. "Elections Department Singapore". www.eld.gov.sg. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  10. "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.
  11. Chen, May (11 September 2015). "GE2015: PAP retains East Coast GRC with 60.7 per cent of votes | The Straits Times". www.straitstimes.com. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  12. "GE2015: WP's Gerald Giam not among NCMPs". The New Paper. 16 September 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  13. Chong, Zi Liang (16 September 2015). "GE2015: WP's Lee Li Lian, Dennis Tan and Leon Perera declared Non-Constituency MPs | The Straits Times". www.straitstimes.com. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  14. "Gerald Giam – The Workers' Party". www.wp.sg. 14 December 2015. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  15. 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.
  16. Chew, Hui Min (11 July 2020). "GE2020: Workers' Party retains Aljunied GRC with wider margin against PAP". CNA. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
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