Seah Kian Peng
Seah Kian Peng (Chinese: 謝健平; pinyin: Xiè Jiànpíng; born 5 December 1961) is a Singaporean politician currently serving as the Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore since 2023. A member of the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP), he has represented the Braddell Heights division of Marine Parade GRC as a Member of Parliament (MP) since 2006. Prior to his current role, he was the Deputy Speaker of Parliament from 2011 to 2016. Beyond politics, Seah held leadership positions within Singapore’s cooperative and retail sectors, including serving as the chief executive officer (CEO) of NTUC FairPrice from 2010 to 2022.
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| Current Role | • Pending • |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Party | Independent
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Early Life and Education
Seah was born in Singapore into a working-class family of six. His father worked as a line operator in a printing firm, while his mother was a homemaker who supplemented the household income through sewing. He was the third of four children. Seah attended Raffles Institution before receiving a Colombo Plan scholarship to study at the University of New South Wales, where he graduated with first-class honours in building.
Career
Early career
After completing his National Service, Seah began his career at Indeco Engineers, a government-linked company, before transitioning to the Singapore Civil Service. He was later seconded to the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), where he played a key role in corporate planning and helped establish NTUC Healthcare's pharmacy chain.
Between 1994 and 1996, Seah worked in the private sector at Sum Cheong Corporation, a piling and engineering firm, before returning to NTUC. Over the years, he held leadership roles at NTUC Healthcare and NTUC Media before becoming chief operating officer (COO) of NTUC FairPrice in 2001. In 2010, he was appointed CEO of NTUC FairPrice, a position he held until 2022.
Political career
Seah entered politics in the 2006 general election as a PAP candidate for Marine Parade GRC, representing the Braddell Heights ward. He was elected unopposed and has since been re-elected in subsequent 2011, 2015, and 2020 general elections, where the PAP faced challenges from the National Solidarity Party and Workers’ Party.
In 2011, Seah was appointed Deputy Speaker of Parliament, a role he held until 2016. During his tenure, he led a parliamentary initiative to amend the Maintenance of Parents Act, which was passed in November 2010 after consultation with a 10-person workgroup.
From 2020 to 2022, Seah served as chairperson of the Social and Family Development Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC).
Speaker of Parliament (2023–present)
On 21 July 2023, following the resignation of Tan Chuan-Jin, Seah was nominated by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong as the next Speaker of Parliament. He was formally elected on 2 August 2023. In his inaugural speech as Speaker, he emphasized the importance of integrity and personal conduct among parliamentarians.
Safe Distancing Ambassador controversy
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Seah drew public attention in April 2020 for acting as a safe distancing ambassador during Singapore’s circuit breaker lockdown. His actions sparked debate, with some viewing them as proactive while others raised concerns about overreach.[1]
Criticism over PAP neutrality
Seah faced criticism over his PAP team's impartiality in response to the parliamentary incident involving MPs from the opposing sides. Some claimed that in the past debates, MPs from the opposition parties never had a chance to clarify.
The criticism came following the statement from NMP Leong Mun Wai, who said in a podcast that he was often one of the last to speak in the parliament".
Seah responded by confirming that his team upholds the principles of fairness and impartiality in the parliament.[2]