Women in politics: A match made in Parliament for WP chair Sylvia Lim

Ms Sylvia Lim, who is the Workers’ Party’s first female chairman, said she never faced outright discrimination or judgment in the role. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE

Tham Yuen-C

UPDATED Dec 23, 2024, 05:31 AM

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SINGAPORE - Since she entered Parliament 18 years ago, Workers’ Party (WP) chairwoman Sylvia Lim has held her own in many fierce debates.

Topics on which she has crossed swords with Cabinet ministers and ruling party MPs include goods and services tax hikes and her party’s Aljunied-Hougang Town Council.

But one debate on Aug 13, 2012, stands out for the 59-year-old.

This was when Ms Lim, at her argumentative best, caught the eye of her husband-to-be, Mr Quah Kim Song.

The former national footballer was watching TV at home and saw a clip of the day’s Parliament proceedings.

In it, Ms Lim was having a “major debate” with Law Minister K. Shanmugam on the conviction of a prominent plastic surgeon for giving false information about a traffic offence.

She had told Parliament that lawyers she consulted felt the surgeon had got off too lightly with a $1,000 fine.

In response, Mr Shanmugam cited six similar cases in which the offenders were also fined. Several people had rushed in to allege that the prosecution was acting in bad faith, but MPs should know statements about such an important institution must be made responsibly, he added.

This prompted Ms Lim to ask if the minister was questioning her motive in filing the parliamentary question and alleging bad faith on her part.

“It was quite heated and (Mr Quah) told me that he was actually very impressed with me,” Ms Lim told The Straits Times.

After watching the debate, Mr Quah asked mutual friends to introduce them to each other.

They finally met at a WP event in 2013 and started dating.

“So, actually, we have to thank him,” Ms Lim said of Mr Shanmugam’s part in bringing her and Mr Quah together.

The way she met Mr Quah gave her the confidence that she was with the right guy, Ms Lim added, saying: “From that, I knew that this person is not intimidated by women who speak up.”

She said he has had no issues with her work despite having to contend with the stress and scrutiny from her political career.

“I would say that these 12 years have not been that easy for him as well,” Ms Lim said. “The highs and lows that I went through, he also walks with me, just as my mother walks with me, my family walks with me.”

She added: “I would think that he also faces stress, maybe even more stress than me, but he has not left me, and we are still together happily.”

The couplewill be married in 2025.

Ms Lim, who is her party’s first female chairperson, said she never faced outright discrimination or judgment in the role.

But there may have been uncertainty and apprehension among some party members who needed time to get used to the idea, she said.

“I knew what was important was that I had to demonstrate my commitment and contributions, so I worked hard at that,” Ms Lim said. “Now, in the party, you can see that I’m not the only woman leader, and we take it as normal.”

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Ms Lim said she felt a woman’s perspective on topics typically seen as male-dominated, such as national security, can be unique.

“Because I have some law enforcement experience, although limited… I think during certain debates, I have demonstrated that women are no less capable than men of making contributions to those topics,” she said.

Her personal principle is to “live the life that I’ve chosen”.

“Whatever people want to say or think, that’s up to them, you know, but the important thing is to show that you are contributing to society in the role that you’re playing,” she said.

Tham Yuen-C is senior political correspondent at The Straits Times, where she covers news about local politics.

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