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| Low is currently one of only six elected opposition MPs in Singapore's Parliament, all of which are from the Workers' Party. | Low is currently one of only six elected opposition MPs in Singapore's Parliament, all of which are from the Workers' Party. | ||
| == Background == | |||
| Low was educated at Lik Teck Primary School and ], before going on to study at ] where he majored in Chinese Language & Literature, and Government & Public Administration. In 1981, he completed a ] degree in Chinese Studies at the ]. In 1982, he completed a Diploma in Education. He worked as a teacher for a few years, before starting his own business.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.parliament.gov.sg/mp/low-thia-khiang?viewcv=Low%20Thia%20Khiang | title=Curriculum Vitae | publisher=Parliament of Singapore}}</ref> | |||
| ==Political career== | ==Political career== | ||
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 | This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially libelous. Find sources: "Low Thia Khiang" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (November 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| Low Thia Khiang | |
|---|---|
.jpg) At a Workers' Party of Singapore rally in Sengkang on 3 May 2011 for the Singaporean general election, 2011 | |
| Secretary-General of the Workers' Party | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 2001 | |
| Preceded by | Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam |
| Member of Parliament for Hougang SMC | |
| In office 31 August 1991 – 19 April 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Tang Guan Seng |
| Succeeded by | Yaw Shin Leong |
| Majority | 5,681 (25.4%) |
| Member of Parliament for Aljunied GRC | |
| In office 7 May 2011 – Incumbent | |
| Preceded by | George Yeo |
| Majority | 12,333 (9.42%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1956 Singapore |
| Political party | Workers' Party of Singapore |
| Profession | Businessman |
Low Thia Khiang (Traditional Chinese: 劉程強, Simplified Chinese: 刘程强, Pinyin: Liú Chéngqiáng; born 1956) 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 (MP) representing the constituency of Hougang until 2011 where he successful contested Aljunied GRC.
Low is currently one of only six elected opposition MPs in Singapore's Parliament, all of which are from the Workers' Party.
Political career
Low joined the Workers' Party in 1982, and was subsequently appointed its Organising Secretary. At the 1984 general election, he was the election agent for the party's then Secretary-General, J.B. Jeyaretnam, in his successful campaign to win the parliamentary constituency of Anson.
In 1988, Low represented the Workers' Party in a televised debate with the PAP government on proposals to create an elected Presidency for Singapore, where he engaged Ong Teng Cheong and Lee Hsien Loong (who would later become the President and Prime Minister of Singapore respectively). In the general election later that year, Low, together with Gopalan Nair and Lim Lye Soon, contested the Group Representation Constituency of Tiong Bahru and finished second with 42.2% of the vote.
In 1991, Low, as the Workers' Party's Assistant Secretary-General, won the Hougang constituency and entered Parliament.
In 1992, Low was appointed by Singapore's then Prime Minister, Goh Chok Tong, to be a member of the Cost Review Committee. After a year of intensive study, Low decided to produce his own independent report as he had a different perspective from the other members of the committee.
Low was re-elected as the MP for Hougang at the 1997 general election.
In 2001, he became the Secretary-General of the Workers' Party, replacing J.B. Jeyaretnam.
At the 2006 general elections, Low won his fourth straight term for the Hougang constituency. He received 13,987 of the votes cast, a 62.74 per cent victory margin which is an increase of 7.74% from the last general election in November 2001. His opponent, Eric Low, from the ruling party, People's Action Party, received 8,306 votes.
Between 1997 and 2011, Low and Chiam See Tong were the only two elected opposition members in Singapore's 87-seat Parliament. However, he led the Workers' Party to a historic breakthrough in 2011, with a victory in Aljunied GRC. The win marked the first time ever that an opposition party had won a GRC, and returned five Workers' Party MPs to Parliament.
Current posts
- Secretary-General, Workers' Party of Singapore
- Chairman, Hougang Constituency Committee (HGCC)
- Chairman, Hougang Town Council (HGTC)
Electoral results in Hougang
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WP | Low Thia Khiang | 13,989 | 62.7 | +7.7 | |
| PAP | Eric Low Siak Meng | 8,308 | 37.3 | −7.7 | |
| Majority | 5,681 | 25.4 | +15.4 | ||
| Turnout | 22,574 | 95.0 | −0.4 | ||
| WP hold | Swing | +7.7 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WP | Low Thia Khiang | 12,070 | 55.0 | −3.0 | |
| PAP | Eric Low Siak Meng | 9,882 | 45.0 | +3.0 | |
| Majority | 2,188 | 10.0 | −6.0 | ||
| Turnout | 22,247 | 95.4 | −0.8 | ||
| WP hold | Swing | -3.0 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WP | Low Thia Khiang | 13,458 | 58.0 | +5.2 | |
| PAP | Heng Chee How | 9,736 | 42.0 | −5.2 | |
| Majority | 3,722 | 16.0 | +10.4 | ||
| Turnout | 23,505 | 96.2 | +0.4 | ||
| WP hold | Swing | +5.2 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WP | Low Thia Khiang | 10,621 | 52.8 | +11.8 | |
| PAP | Tang Guan Seng | 9,487 | 47.2 | −11.8 | |
| Majority | 1,134 | 5.6 | +23.6 | ||
| Turnout | 20,566 | 95.8 | −0.4 | ||
| WP gain from PAP | Swing | +11.8 | |||
Personal life
Low is married with two sons and a daughter.