Please note that Benjamin Matchap has confirmed that he will not be proceeding with the nomination process.
The online signatory campaign is now closed. Thank you for your support for the candidates!
The online campaign to collect indications of support and testimonials for each prospective Arts NMP Candidate closed 11.59pm, 20 November.
We received a total of 1,993 valid expressions of support from 1,686 individual respondents through the campaign. Individual respondents were able to express support for more than one candidate.
By "valid" expressions of support, this means we have excluded:
Repeat / duplicate entries by a single respondent for the same candidate, which are deleted upon detection;
Incomplete or erroneous entries (e.g., missing name)
The Secretariat reached out to individuals with incomplete entries via email, WhatsApp, and SMS to get updates / clarifications on their entries.
For individuals who have responded with clarifications and updates about their details, their amended entries have already been included in the total number of valid entries, and shared with the candidates.
Incomplete entries from individuals who did not respond with clarifications as of 10pm, 21 November, will not have their details or entries counted or shared with candidates.
At time of closing of the online signatory campaign, we had four prospective candidates remaining:
George Leong
Audrey Lim
Nabilah Said
Terence Tan
Each prospective candidate received the list of signatories who have indicated support for them, along with your testimonials and words of support for them, by 4pm, 20 November.
Prospective candidates can append this to their submissions to the Select Committee as part of their application, to demonstrate the community's support for them.
All prospective candidates have also been notified of the number of valid expressions of support each of their fellow candidates received. They will not be able to see the details of those who indicated support for other candidates.
As of 9.30am, 22 November, George Leong has confirmed he will not be proceeding with the nomination process.
The remaining prospective candidates continue to have the prerogative to decide against going ahead with their submissions to be Arts NMP. The deadline for submissions to the Special Select Committee is 4.30pm, 23 November.
As of 4.30pm, 23 November 2020, Ms Audrey Lim, Ms Nabilah Said, and Mr Terence Tan have made their submissions to the Special Select Committee.
The Arts NMP Secretariat also provided a Cover Letter for each of the three candidates which summarises the process of the Town Hall and the collation of expressions of support, urging the Select Committee to consider the voices of all signatories who have expressed their support for the candidates.
The Secretariat would like to thank everyone who has made this process possible — the former Arts NMPs, the members of the arts community who stepped forward to participate and engage in the Town Hall and online campaign process, and most of all, to all the present and former candidates who stepped forward: Mr George Leong, Ms Audrey Lim, Ms Nabilah Said, and Mr Terence Tan, and those have been supporting their work.
As of 6.30pm, the Office of the Clerk of Parliament has announced the names of the nine new Nominated Members of Parliament to be appointed.
The Secretariat is disappointed to learn that none of the Arts NMP candidates who had participated in the Town Hall process were shortlisted nor selected. Our Town Hall was attended by 172 people, and our subsequent online compaign to collect indications of support had also received an overwhelming 1,993 valid indications of support for the five candidates at that time. Two of these candidates eventually withdrew their candidacy, and the remaining three – Ms Audrey Lim, Ms Nabilah Said, and Mr Terence Tan – completed their submissions to the Special Select Committee.
Nonetheless, we hope the current representatives in Parliament will continue to give space for arts and cultural issues and perspectives to be aired in the chamber.