Gabriel Lam
| |
| Current Role | Member of Parliament |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Party | PAP 
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Gabriel Lam Yen Li (Chinese: 蓝延理; pinyin: Lán Yánlǐ) is a Singaporean businessman and People’s Action Party (PAP) politician. He has been serving as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Sembawang Group Representation Constituency (GRC) since his election on 4 May 2025.
Professional career
Gabriel Lam is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Shalom International Movers, a family-run logistics firm in Singapore originally founded in 1982 by his father. He joined the company in 2007, initially with a leadership intent to internalize family values into business operations despite his initial career interest in hospitality.[1]
Strategic Leadership & Culture
- He spearheaded initiatives to reinforce a people-centric culture, including implementing regular employee pulse surveys, hosting one-on-one breakfast meetings, and empowering staff through co-determined business values .
- Under his co-leadership, Shalom Movers received recognition as a Great Place to Work and earned the Singapore Quality Class (People & Innovation) award in 2018.[1]
Digital Transformation & Sustainability
- Post his 2021 EMBA from NTU, Gabriel drove sustainability and digital transformation in operations—adopting green warehouses, recycling practices, and carbon footprint reduction measures (e.g. tree-planting).
- He led efforts to integrate AI and technology into service operations, including early adoption of in-house development tools and image-recognition systems to guide safer, more efficient packing.[1]
Social Responsibility & Inclusion
- Shalom Movers actively participates in the Yellow Ribbon Project, hiring and mentoring ex-offenders in a structured, rehabilitation-focused environment.
- The company hosts over 30 outreach programmes annually, including collaborations for road safety education and community engagements involving employees’ families.[1]
Recognition & Professional Development
- His commitment to upskilling led to receiving a SkillsFuture fellowship in 2019, subsequently influencing his decision to pursue the NTU EMBA.[1]
- He credits his international exposure during the EMBA programme—particularly time spent at UC Berkeley—for guiding the company toward more innovative and adaptable business practices .
Political career
Entry into Politics
Gabriel Lam entered the political arena in March 2025, when Health Minister Ong Ye Kung introduced him as a potential PAP candidate for Sembawang GRC during a community event at Bukit Canberra. On 22 April 2025, a PAP social-media video formally unveiled the five-member team contesting Sembawang GRC, including Lam alongside incumbents Ong, Mariam Jaafar, Vikram Nair, and newcomer Ng Shi Xuan. He had also been serving as a grassroots adviser in Chong Pang and volunteering locally for five years by that time.[2]
2025 General Election
On 4 May 2025, the PAP team, anchored by Ong Ye Kung and including Lam, won Sembawang GRC in a three-cornered contest against the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) and National Solidarity Party (NSP), securing **67.75% **of the vote. Lam officially assumed his role as Member of Parliament for Sembawang GRC on that date.[3]
Parliamentary Responsibilities & Focus
- Lam represents the Canberra ward within Sembawang GRC, where he maintains weekly meet‑the‑people sessions and supports local grassroots programming.
- His campaign centered on augmenting community resources, enhancing support for youth and families, and building on his grassroots experience to bring practical improvements to resident lives .
- Ong Ye Kung highlighted Lam’s “dynamism, resourcefulness and enterprise”, expressing confidence that the new faces would actively drive Sembawang’s ongoing transformation into a “green, rustic and healthy estate”.[2]
Community Involvement
Lam has been active in grassroots initiatives, prioritizing lifelong learning, support for low‑income families, and the reintegration of ex-offenders. Specifically:
- He supports and mentors ex-offenders, helping them reintegrate into society with dignity and purpose, and volunteers with the Ministry of Home Affairs’ Board of Visitors (CRC) since 2021, as well as serving as a United Against Drugs Ambassador with the Central Narcotics Bureau.[4]
- During the COVID‑19 pandemic, he spearheaded the Chong Pang Digital Initiative, distributing refurbished laptops to school‑going children from low‑income families to facilitate remote learning.[1]
Personal life
- Lam obtained his Executive MBA from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in 2021 and later completed the Public Leadership Credential from Harvard Kennedy School of Government in 2023.
- He is a devoted father of three, emphasizing work‑life balance in his public statements .
- Lam has been serving on the Board of Visitors for the Ministry of Home Affairs’ Community Rehabilitation Centre (CRC) since 2021 and acts as a United Against Drugs Ambassador, working alongside the Central Narcotics Bureau.[4]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 https://blogs.ntu.edu.sg/nbsgradstudies/2024/07/01/leading-with-values-gabriels-journey-of-lifelong-learning-and-community-service/
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/ge2025-sembawang-grc-ong-ye-kung-candidates-new-faces-gabriel-lam-ng-shi-xuan-5077811
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriel_Lam_%28Singaporean_politician%29
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 https://www.pap.org.sg/representative/gabriel-lam/