He Ting Ru (Chinese: 何廷儒; pinyin: Hé Tíngrú; born 16 June 1983)[1] is a Singaporean politician and lawyer. A member of the opposition Workers' Party (WP), she has been the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Buangkok division of Sengkang GRC and was elected to the party's Central Executive Committee (CEC) as Treasurer since 2020.
He Ting Ru began volunteering with the Workers' Party (WP) in the Paya Lebar division in 2011.[4]
She made her political debut in the 2015 general election as part of the five-member team with team members, Yee Jenn Jong, Dylan Ng, Firuz Khan and
Terence Tan contesting in Marine Parade GRC where the team garnered 35.9% of the votes and lost to the PAP team. [5]
She previously served as Secretary of the Workers' Party Youth Wing, and oversees the youth wing's outreach efforts in the areas of service, education and heritage.[6]
She was elected to the party's Central Executive Committee (CEC) as Treasurer and the Chairwoman of the Sengkang Town Council since 2020.[9][10]
2020–Present Member of Parliament
While an advocate for reform of the public health system[11] and active intervention on cost of living issues,[12] He Ting Ru regularly intervenes in Parliament on various political accountability issues in Singapore.
In 2020, she supported a motion by Aljunied MP Sylvia Lim pertaining to the issues raised by a major court case involving Parti Liyani, a domestic worker who worked for former Changi Airport and Surbana Jurong Chairman Liew Mun Leong. The motion called on the Government to "...recognise and remedy its shortcomings in order to enhance justice for all, regardless of means or social status, including facilitating a review of the justice system."[13] During the debate she pushed for the creation of a publicly funded Public Defender's Office and for statutory compensation for miscarriages of justice.[14] In response to the motion, PAP MP Murali Pillai put forth amendments removing the call for a review of the justice system, which WP MPs dissented against.[15]
In 2021, He Ting Ru raised a motion on gender equality with then Aljunied MP Leon Perera.[16]
During the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act 2021 debate, she tabled amendments to the bill introducing judicial oversight with hearings to be held in camera. The amendments were rejected by the Government.[17]
She also tabled amendments to the Carbon Pricing (Amendment) Bill in 2022, proposing that businesses permitted to exceed the limit for use of international carbon credits are listed on a public registry. The Government rejected the amendment, citing the need for business confidentiality.[18]
In 2024, He Ting Ru raised an adjournment motion pushing for tougher regulations and economic interventions in order to tackle the impact of urban heat in Singapore.[19]
Legal career
Since 2013, He Ting Ru has been Head of Legal and Communications of a listed multinational company which oversees legal and communications matters in Asia, North America, Europe and Africa.[20]
She was trained at and worked as a solicitor at the law firm Clifford Chance, working in London and Frankfurt, before joining a European financial institution in Singapore as a derivatives lawyer.[21][22]
Personal life
She married Terence Tan, a fellow WP member in 2016. The couple were part of the five-member WP team contesting Marine Parade GRC in 2015. They have three sons.[23][24]
The party affiliation of each member is indicated right after the constituency/seat he or she represents. PAP: People's Action Party; WP: The Workers' Party; PSP: Progress Singapore Party All of the leaders of the respective GRCs are in underline. MP(s) who is go on a leave of absence is in italic. NMPs do not belong to any party.
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