Lim Swee Lian Sylvia
Encyclopedia
Sylvia Lim Swee Lian is a politician
, lawyer
and academic
from Singapore
. She is currently the Chairman
of the opposition
Workers' Party
and an elected Member of Parliament
(MP) representing the constituency of Aljunied GRC
. She is in charge of Serangoon division.
Having previously practiced law
and served in the Singapore Police Force
, Lim recently resigned her post as a lecturer
at Temasek Polytechnic
to focus on her commitments as an elected Member of Parliament.
and National Junior College
. She then read Law
at the National University of Singapore
(NUS), graduating with a Bachelor of Laws (Honours)
degree in 1988. She obtained a Master of Laws
degree from the University of London
(University College London
) in 1989, and was called to the Bar
in Singapore in 1991.
During her undergraduate and postgraduate studies, Lim did volunteer work with the Spastic Children's Association, Salvation Army Home for the Aged and University College Hospital
. She later did voluntary editorial work for the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme of the Law Society
.
In 1991, Lim joined the Singapore Police Force for three years as a Police Inspector. She initially did investigation work at the Central Police Division
Headquarters, and then became a staff officer under the Director of the Criminal Investigation Department
.
Lim joined the law firm M/s Lim & Lim in 1994. She handled both civil
and criminal
cases in the High Court
, Subordinate Courts
and Juvenile Court
between 1994 and 1998.
Lim joined Temasek Polytechnic in 1998 as a lecturer on the Diploma in Law and Management
course. She also became the Manager of Professional Development
and Manager of Continuing Education
and Training
at the polytechnic's School of Business. Her main areas of teaching and research are in civil
and criminal procedure
, criminal justice
and private security. During her time at Temasek Polytechnic, Lim has contributed to the volume on Criminal Procedure for Halsbury's Laws of Singapore (2003), a legal practitioners' reference series, and has also collected and published primary research on private security in Singapore.
In March 2006, Temasek Polytechnic modified its staffing policies to enable Lim to run as a candidate in the general election without having to resign her teaching position at the institution.
At the 2006 general election, Lim was a member of the Workers' Party team which contested the Aljunied Group Representation Constituency
. The Workers' Party team lost to the team from the governing People's Action Party
(PAP) by 58,593 votes (43.9%) to 74,843 (56.1%). This was the highest percentage of the vote garnered by any losing opposition candidates in the election, and therefore meant that the Workers' Party was entitled to select one of its team members from Ajunied GRC to become a Non-constituency Member of Parliament
. The party chose Lim to become its NCMP.
During her term in Parliament
, Lim spoke out against ministers' salaries, and also against means testing in hospitals, which resulted in the PAP deferring a decision on this for a period of two years from 2006 to 2008. In addition, she also called for a reduction in the Goods and Services Tax, arguing that it was a regressive tax, and urged the government to do more to help retrenched workers.
In the 2011 general election, Lim again contested in Aljunied GRC, along with Muhamad Faisal Manap, Pritam Singh, Chen Show Mao
and party leader Low Thia Khiang
, who vacated his seat of Hougang to lead the charge in Aljunied. Lim was returned as an elected Member of Parliament
for Aljunied Group Representation Constituency
after her team won 54.71%http://www.ge.sg/results/grc/ of the votes (54.72% including overseas votes), the first time that an opposition party won a Group Representation Constituency
since the system's introduction on 1 June 1988. In addition, the defeat of the incumbent PAP team marked the first time in Singapore's electoral history that a serving cabinet minister lost his seat. She has been assigned to look after the Serangoon ward previously held by the PAP's Lim Hwee Hua and has also been appointed Chairman of the combined Aljunied-Hougang Town Council.
Lim's victory also made her the first female opposition MP in Singapore's post-independence history.
One week after the election, she announced that she would be resigning from her lecturing job at Temasek Polytechnic after 12 years of service. She said that her political activities had already led to her having to take significant time off from her teaching duties in the past, and that she did not think it would be fair to the Polytechnic if she stayed on seeing as her Parliamentary duties would take up even more of her time.
Since then she has returned to the legal profession and is now a senior associate with Peter Low LLC.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and academic
Academia
Academia is the community of students and scholars engaged in higher education and research.-Etymology:The word comes from the akademeia in ancient Greece. Outside the city walls of Athens, the gymnasium was made famous by Plato as a center of learning...
from Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. She is currently the Chairman
Party Chair
In politics, a party chair is the presiding officer of a political party....
of the opposition
Opposition (politics)
In politics, the opposition comprises one or more political parties or other organized groups that are opposed to the government , party or group in political control of a city, region, state or country...
Workers' Party
Workers' Party of Singapore
The Workers' Party of Singapore is a centre-left opposition political party in Singapore. The party currently has six elected seats in Parliament, with the party's Secretary-General Low Thia Khiang, Chairman Sylvia Lim, Chen Show Mao, Muhamad Faisal Manap and Pritam Singh serving as Members of...
and an elected Member of Parliament
Parliament of Singapore
The Parliament of the Republic of Singapore and the President jointly make up the legislature of Singapore. Parliament is unicameral and is made up of Members of Parliament who are elected, as well as Non-constituency Members of Parliament and Nominated Members of Parliament who are appointed...
(MP) representing the constituency of Aljunied GRC
Aljunied Group Representation Constituency
Aljunied Group Representation Constituency is a five-member group representation constituency in the north-eastern region of Singapore. The GRC consists of a large part of Hougang, Serangoon Gardens, a portion of Bedok and Aljunied...
. She is in charge of Serangoon division.
Having previously practiced law
Practice of law
In its most general sense, the practice of law involves giving legal advice to clients, drafting legal documents for clients, and representing clients in legal negotiations and court proceedings such as lawsuits, and is applied to the professional services of a lawyer or attorney at law, barrister,...
and served in the Singapore Police Force
Singapore Police Force
The Singapore Police Force is the main agency tasked with maintaining law and order in the city-state. Formerly known as the Republic of Singapore Police , it has grown from an 11-man organisation to a 38,587 strong force...
, Lim recently resigned her post as a lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer is an academic rank. In the United Kingdom, lecturer is a position at a university or similar institution, often held by academics in their early career stages, who lead research groups and supervise research students, as well as teach...
at Temasek Polytechnic
Temasek Polytechnic
Temasek Polytechnic is the third polytechnic to be set up in Singapore. The polytechnic was established on April 6, 1990. With a 30 hectare campus overlooking the scenic Bedok Reservoir in the eastern part of Singapore, TP's campus places particular emphasis on the preservation of the natural...
to focus on her commitments as an elected Member of Parliament.
Personal profile
Lim had her early education at CHIJ Our Lady of Good Counsel, CHIJ St Joseph's ConventCHIJ Saint Joseph's Convent
CHIJ Saint Joseph's Convent is an all-girls Catholic secondary school in Sengkang, Singapore. The school is one of 11 Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus schools in Singapore.- History :...
and National Junior College
National Junior College
National Junior College is the first junior college established by the Ministry Of Education, located in Bukit Timah, Singapore. It is considered as one of the top five junior colleges in Singapore. NJC offers a two-year course for pre-university students leading up to the GCE 'A' Levels...
. She then read Law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
at the National University of Singapore
National University of Singapore Faculty of Law
The National University of Singapore, Faculty of Law is the older of Singapore's two law schools. The Faculty was initially established as the Department of Law in the then University of Malaya in 1956, with the first batch of students matriculating in the following year...
(NUS), graduating with a Bachelor of Laws (Honours)
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
degree in 1988. She obtained a Master of Laws
Master of Laws
The Master of Laws is an advanced academic degree, pursued by those holding a professional law degree, and is commonly abbreviated LL.M. from its Latin name, Legum Magister. The University of Oxford names its taught masters of laws B.C.L...
degree from the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
(University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
) in 1989, and was called to the Bar
Call to the bar
The Call to the Bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party, and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received a "call to the bar"...
in Singapore in 1991.
During her undergraduate and postgraduate studies, Lim did volunteer work with the Spastic Children's Association, Salvation Army Home for the Aged and University College Hospital
University College Hospital
University College Hospital is a teaching hospital located in London, United Kingdom. It is part of the University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and is closely associated with University College London ....
. She later did voluntary editorial work for the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme of the Law Society
Law Society of Singapore
The Law Society of Singapore is the organisation that represents all lawyers in Singapore. It publishes the Law Gazette and operates a scheme for needy people to benefit from legal services free-of-charge. The Society also sets out rules for how lawyers should advertise. The Law Society is...
.
In 1991, Lim joined the Singapore Police Force for three years as a Police Inspector. She initially did investigation work at the Central Police Division
Central Police Division
The Central Police Division is the oldest police division of the Singapore Police Force. It was formerly located at Beach Road Police Station...
Headquarters, and then became a staff officer under the Director of the Criminal Investigation Department
Criminal Investigation Department
The Crime Investigation Department is the branch of all Territorial police forces within the British Police and many other Commonwealth police forces, to which plain clothes detectives belong. It is thus distinct from the Uniformed Branch and the Special Branch.The Metropolitan Police Service CID,...
.
Lim joined the law firm M/s Lim & Lim in 1994. She handled both civil
Civil law (common law)
Civil law, as opposed to criminal law, is the branch of law dealing with disputes between individuals or organizations, in which compensation may be awarded to the victim...
and criminal
Criminal law
Criminal law, is the body of law that relates to crime. It might be defined as the body of rules that defines conduct that is not allowed because it is held to threaten, harm or endanger the safety and welfare of people, and that sets out the punishment to be imposed on people who do not obey...
cases in the High Court
High Court of Singapore
The High Court of the Republic of Singapore is the lower division of the Supreme Court of Singapore, the upper being the Court of Appeal. It consists of the Chief Justice of Singapore and the Judges of the High Court. Judicial Commissioners are often appointed to assist with the Court's caseload...
, Subordinate Courts
Subordinate Courts of Singapore
The Subordinate Courts of Singapore is one of the two tiers of the court system in Singapore, the other tier being the Supreme Court. The Subordinate Courts comprise the District and Magistrate Courts—both of which oversee civil and criminal matters—as well as specialised family, juvenile,...
and Juvenile Court
Juvenile court
A juvenile court is a tribunal having special authority to try and pass judgments for crimes committed by children or adolescents who have not attained the age of majority...
between 1994 and 1998.
Lim joined Temasek Polytechnic in 1998 as a lecturer on the Diploma in Law and Management
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
course. She also became the Manager of Professional Development
Professional development
Professional development refers to skills and knowledge attained for both personal development and career advancement. Professional development encompasses all types of facilitated learning opportunities, ranging from college degrees to formal coursework, conferences and informal learning...
and Manager of Continuing Education
Continuing education
Continuing education is an all-encompassing term within a broad spectrum of post-secondary learning activities and programs. The term is used mainly in the United States and Canada...
and Training
Training
The term training refers to the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies as a result of the teaching of vocational or practical skills and knowledge that relate to specific useful competencies. It forms the core of apprenticeships and provides the backbone of content at institutes of...
at the polytechnic's School of Business. Her main areas of teaching and research are in civil
Civil procedure
Civil procedure is the body of law that sets out the rules and standards that courts follow when adjudicating civil lawsuits...
and criminal procedure
Criminal procedure
Criminal procedure refers to the legal process for adjudicating claims that someone has violated criminal law.-Basic rights:Currently, in many countries with a democratic system and the rule of law, criminal procedure puts the burden of proof on the prosecution – that is, it is up to the...
, criminal justice
Criminal justice
Criminal Justice is the system of practices and institutions of governments directed at upholding social control, deterring and mitigating crime, or sanctioning those who violate laws with criminal penalties and rehabilitation efforts...
and private security. During her time at Temasek Polytechnic, Lim has contributed to the volume on Criminal Procedure for Halsbury's Laws of Singapore (2003), a legal practitioners' reference series, and has also collected and published primary research on private security in Singapore.
In March 2006, Temasek Polytechnic modified its staffing policies to enable Lim to run as a candidate in the general election without having to resign her teaching position at the institution.
Political Career
Lim joined the Workers' Party in 2001 and quickly rose to become the Chairman of the party in 2003.At the 2006 general election, Lim was a member of the Workers' Party team which contested the Aljunied Group Representation Constituency
Aljunied Group Representation Constituency
Aljunied Group Representation Constituency is a five-member group representation constituency in the north-eastern region of Singapore. The GRC consists of a large part of Hougang, Serangoon Gardens, a portion of Bedok and Aljunied...
. The Workers' Party team lost to the team from the governing People's Action Party
People's Action Party
The People's Action Party is the leading political party in Singapore. It has been the city-state's ruling political party since 1959....
(PAP) by 58,593 votes (43.9%) to 74,843 (56.1%). This was the highest percentage of the vote garnered by any losing opposition candidates in the election, and therefore meant that the Workers' Party was entitled to select one of its team members from Ajunied GRC to become a Non-constituency Member of Parliament
Non-Constituency Member of Parliament
Non-Constituency Members of Parliament are members of the opposition parties who are appointed as members of the Parliament of Singapore even though they had lost in the parliamentary election....
. The party chose Lim to become its NCMP.
During her term in Parliament
Parliament of Singapore
The Parliament of the Republic of Singapore and the President jointly make up the legislature of Singapore. Parliament is unicameral and is made up of Members of Parliament who are elected, as well as Non-constituency Members of Parliament and Nominated Members of Parliament who are appointed...
, Lim spoke out against ministers' salaries, and also against means testing in hospitals, which resulted in the PAP deferring a decision on this for a period of two years from 2006 to 2008. In addition, she also called for a reduction in the Goods and Services Tax, arguing that it was a regressive tax, and urged the government to do more to help retrenched workers.
In the 2011 general election, Lim again contested in Aljunied GRC, along with Muhamad Faisal Manap, Pritam Singh, Chen Show Mao
Chen Show Mao
Chen Show Mao, J.D. is a Singaporean politician and lawyer. He is a member of the opposition Workers' Party, and has been a Member of Parliament for the Aljunied Group Representation Constituency since 7 May 2011. He represents the Paya Lebar ward, replacing PAP's Cynthia Phua.-Personal...
and party leader Low Thia Khiang
Low Thia Khiang
Low Thia Khiang is a politician and businessman from Singapore. He is currently the leader of the opposition Workers' Party, and since 1991 has been a Member of Parliament representing the constituency of Hougang until 2011 where he contested and won in Aljunied GRC. He is in charge of the Bedok...
, who vacated his seat of Hougang to lead the charge in Aljunied. Lim was returned as an elected Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Aljunied Group Representation Constituency
Aljunied Group Representation Constituency
Aljunied Group Representation Constituency is a five-member group representation constituency in the north-eastern region of Singapore. The GRC consists of a large part of Hougang, Serangoon Gardens, a portion of Bedok and Aljunied...
after her team won 54.71%http://www.ge.sg/results/grc/ of the votes (54.72% including overseas votes), the first time that an opposition party won a Group Representation Constituency
Group Representation Constituency
A Group Representation Constituency is a type of electoral division or constituency in Singapore, the Members of Parliament of which are voted into Parliament as a group...
since the system's introduction on 1 June 1988. In addition, the defeat of the incumbent PAP team marked the first time in Singapore's electoral history that a serving cabinet minister lost his seat. She has been assigned to look after the Serangoon ward previously held by the PAP's Lim Hwee Hua and has also been appointed Chairman of the combined Aljunied-Hougang Town Council.
Lim's victory also made her the first female opposition MP in Singapore's post-independence history.
One week after the election, she announced that she would be resigning from her lecturing job at Temasek Polytechnic after 12 years of service. She said that her political activities had already led to her having to take significant time off from her teaching duties in the past, and that she did not think it would be fair to the Polytechnic if she stayed on seeing as her Parliamentary duties would take up even more of her time.
Since then she has returned to the legal profession and is now a senior associate with Peter Low LLC.
Current posts
- Chairman, Workers' Party of SingaporeWorkers' Party of SingaporeThe Workers' Party of Singapore is a centre-left opposition political party in Singapore. The party currently has six elected seats in Parliament, with the party's Secretary-General Low Thia Khiang, Chairman Sylvia Lim, Chen Show Mao, Muhamad Faisal Manap and Pritam Singh serving as Members of...
- Co-Chairman, Aljunied Constituency Committee (AJCC)
- Chairman, Aljunied-Hougang Town Council