Mohamad Hamim Aliyas

Mohamad Hamim bin Aliyas (born 1963) is a Singaporean politician and businessman who is currently the Chairman^[1] of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

Career

Hamim worked in Far East Levingston Shipbuilding as a safety coordinator and also became a member of the security committee under Singapore's NTUC. He later worked as a property executive at Asia Premier Property Consultants, prior to setting up his own import and export business - Hamim International Pte Ltd.

Political career

Hamim first entered the Singapore political arena in 1992 when he became a member of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP). In 1994, he was a founding member of the Singapore People's Party (SPP) (which was formed by a breakaway faction of the SDP), together with former SPP Chairman Sin Kek Tong.^[2] He would often helped out Chiam See Tong with his Meet-the-People Sessions at Potong Pasir SMC.

In the 2006 general election, Hamim contested as one of six members including Desmond Lim Bak Chuan under the Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) banner in the Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, raising issues such as transparency and accountability for Singapore’s Reserves. His SDA team lost, receiving just 31.3% of the votes against the team from the People's Action Party (PAP) represented by Teo Chee Hean, Teo Ser Luck, Charles Chong, Michael Palmer, Penny Low and Ahmad Magad.^[3]

In the 2011 general election, Hamim contested as a minority candidate representing the SPP team led by party's chief Chiam See Tong together with Benjamin Pwee, Wilfred Leung Wei Lit and Jimmy Lee Yeong Wee in the Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC. They faced the PAP team led by former Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng, and also included Ng Eng Hen, Josephine Teo Li Min, Hri Kumar Nair and Zainudin Nordin. The SPP team was defeated but obtained a credible 43% of the votes.^[4]

In January 2012, Hamim was among six members who resigned from the SPP, citing differences over the style of leadership within the Central Executive Committee.^[5]

A year later in January 2013, Hamim joined the Democratic Progressive Party following an invitation from the party's founder Seow Khee Leng in December 2012 for its leadership renewal. He was subsequently elected as the party's Chairman at an Ordinary Party Congress meeting on 31 March 2013.^[6]

Education and personal life

Hamim has a Diploma in Interactive Media from James Watt College, Scotland.

A Muslim, he is married to Juliana Juwahir, an architect who is also the current Treasurer of DPP. The couple has four children.

References