Syed Harun Alhabsyi

Syed Harun bin Taha Alhabsyi (born 1985) is a Singaporean politician and psychiatrist. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Nee Soon Link division of Nee Soon Group Representation Constituency (GRC) since 2025. He had previously been a Nominated MP (NMP) between 2023 and 2025. He was the first former NMP to enter partisan politics.

First appointed as an NMP in 2023, Syed Harun resigned before completing his term to pursue a career in electoral politics, a move that drew criticism from former NMPs and observers who argued that it undermined the non-partisan intent of the scheme. While he defended his transition as a continuation of public service, it renewed debate about the purpose and neutrality of the NMP system.

Education and career Syed Harun studied at Raffles Institution and Victoria Junior College before graduating from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore with a medical degree. He is a psychiatrist by profession.

Political career Syed Harun first entered Parliament in August 2023 after being nominated in July as an NMP for the 14th Parliament.

In February 2025, ahead of the general election in the same year, Syed Harun resigned before the end of his two-and-a-half-year term as an NMP, stating that he intended to "serve more directly through grassroots involvement". He subsequently joined the PAP and was fielded as a candidate for the five-member Nee Soon GRC.

In the second Lawrence Wong cabinet after the 2025 elecction, Syed Harun was appointed as Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education and Ministry of National Development.

Controversies Resignation as NMP and candidacy as a PAP MP Prior to the general election, Syed Harun's move move drew significant public and political scrutiny. Several former NMPs and commentators expressed concern about the erosion of the credibility of the NMP scheme when the position was used as a springboard into party politics. Critics argued that the NMP role was intended to provide independent, non-partisan perspectives, and that early resignations for electoral ambitions could undermine its perceived neutrality. Nevertheless, the event prompted renewed debate on whether clearer guidelines were necessary to regulate transitions from non-partisan to partisan political roles. Syed Harun was later elected after the PAP team he belonged to defeated Red Dot United (RDU) with 73.81% of the vote. During his speech, Syed Harun emphasised that leaders should "uphold the highest ethical standards". Workers' Party (WP) chairperson Sylvia Lim responded by questioning whether Syed Harun's own actions, specifically his resignation from his position as a NMP ahead of the 2025 general election, followed by his subsequent candidacy and election under a political party banner, raised questions about his "adherence to integrity" and the non-partisan expectations of the NMP scheme. Syed Harun denied that his integrity was in question, and stated that his decision to resign and later contest an election was "already a matter of public record".