Low Thia Khiang

MP for Aljunied GRC, Bedok Reservoir – Punggol Division

Background:

Thia Khiang was the Member of Parliament for Hougang Constituency from 1991 to 2011.

Before venturing into his own business, Thia Khiang was a teacher. Fired by a desire to help promote democracy in Singapore and to shape positive policies affecting the future of Singaporeans, Thia Khiang joined WP in 1982. Not long after, he was appointed as WP’s Organising Secretary.

In 1984, he was J B Jeyaretnam’s election agent for Anson Constituency. In 1988, he represented the WP in a television debate with the PAP government where he engaged Ong Teng Cheong and Lee Hsien Loong on the issue of the elected presidency. In the general election that year, he contested in the Tiong Bahru GRC where the WP team obtained 43.3% of the votes.

In 1991, Thia Khiang won the hearts of the people in Hougang constituency and entered Parliament. Soon after, he became Assistant Secretary General of WP. Over the next 20 years, the people of Hougang courageously supported him despite the ‘carrots and threats’ from the PAP government.

Thia Khiang became the Secretary-General of WP in 2001. Under his leadership, WP went through a renewal process to field a number of young and credible candidates in the 2001 and 2006 elections. This process led to the tough personal and Party decision at the 2011 watershed election where Thia Khiang stepped out of Hougang and led the team which made the breakthrough in the Aljunied GRC.

Philosophy:

Act with a clear conscience. Since we cannot please everybody, we should just strive to do our best.