Nominated MPs Raj Joshua Thomas & Syed Harun Alhabsyi resign from Parliament ahead of GE2025

Nominated Members of Parliament (NMPs) Raj Joshua Thomas and Syed Harun Alhabsyi resigned from Parliament at around noon on Feb. 14, 2025.

Speaker of Parliament Seah Kian Peng confirmed their resignation with CNA.

Without elaborating on the reasons behind their decision, Seah stated that both Thomas and Syed Harun "enjoyed and found their stint as NMP very meaningful".

Candidates for GE?

According to The Straits Times, the timing of the pair's resignation sparked speculations that they might be fielded as candidates for General Election 2025, which must be held by November.

NMPs are not affiliated with any political party and do not represent any constituency.

No NMP has resigned before the end of his or her term.

As both Thomas and Syed Harun were appointed as NMPs in July 2023, they left their positions approximately a year before the end of their 2.5-year terms.

Thomas, a managing partner at law firm Tang Thomas LLC, was previously appointed as an NMP in January 2021.

His other titles include the president of the Security Association Singapore, board member of Workforce Singapore, and council member of Workplace Safety and Health Council.

As for Syed Harun, before serving as an NMP for the first time, he works as a consultant psychiatrist and medical director at The Starfish Clinic of Psychiatry and Mental Wellness.

According to the clinic's website, he was formerly a visiting consultant at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) and a consultant psychiatrist at the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).

Thomas contemplating serving S'pore & S'poreans 'in a different way'

Thomas announced his resignation as NMP and uploaded a copy of his resignation letter to Seah in a Feb. 14 Facebook post.

In the caption, Thomas shared that he submitted the letter in the morning and felt "grateful for the privilege and honour to have served as an NMP over two terms".

"I spoke up on issues that I felt were important, including on uplifting the wages and dignity of low-wage workers, fair employment opportunities for Singaporeans amidst global talent, and racial and religious harmony," wrote Thomas.

He also reiterated a paragraph from his resignation letter, which stated that he remains "dedicated to serving Singapore and Singaporeans to the best of his abilities".

"I am contemplating doing so in a different way, in which it would be appropriate for me to resign as an NMP at this time," wrote Thomas.

He added that he looks forward to the opportunity "to continue serving Singapore and Singaporeans in the future".

Syed Harun 'exploring opportunity' to serve 'in a different capacity'

Likewise, Syed Harun also published his resignation letter on his Facebook page on Feb. 14.

In the caption, he shared that he had "learnt much" in his journey as an NMP and that it had been "a great honour and [his] deep privilege" to have served in such capacity.

"I am exploring opportunity to do so in a different capacity," wrote Syed Harun.

He also thanked Singaporeans for their "strong support and prayers always", adding that he continues to be grateful for the opportunity to serve Singapore.

Top images via Raj Joshua Thomas/Facebook & Starfish Clinic of Psychiatry and Mental Wellness