Low Thia Khiang

This is a Chinese name; the family name is Low (Liú).

Low Thia Khiang
Low Thia Khiang during his rally speech at Serangoon Stadium as a candidate of the Workers' Party of Singapore.
Member of Parliament for Aljunied GRC
Incumbent
Assumed office 7 May 2011
Preceded by	George Yeo
Majority	12,433 (9.43%)
Member of Parliament for Hougang SMC
In office 31 August 1991 – 7 May 2011
Preceded by	Tang Guan Seng
Succeeded by	Yaw Shin Leong
Majority	5,681 (25.4%)
Personal details
Born	1956 (age 55–56) Singapore
Political party	Workers' Party of Singapore
Alma mater	Nanyang University National University of Singapore
Profession	Businessman, Teacher
Religion	Buddhism

Low Thia Khiang (simplified Chinese: 刘程强; traditional Chinese: 劉程強; pinyin: Liú Chéngqiáng; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Lâu Thiâⁿ-kiàng; 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 contested and won in Aljunied GRC. He is in charge of the Bedok Reservoir – Punggol Division.

Low is currently one of five elected opposition MPs in Singapore's 12th Parliament.

Background

Low was educated at Lik Teck Primary School and Chung Cheng High School (Main), before going on to study at Nanyang University where he majored in Chinese Language & Literature, and Government & Public Administration. In 1981, he completed a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in Chinese Studies at the National University of Singapore. In 1982, he completed a Diploma in Education. He worked as a teacher for a few years, before starting his own business.

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 in the 1991 Singapore General Elections 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.

On 27 May 2001, he became the Secretary-General of the Workers' Party, replacing J.B. Jeyaretnam. He was re-elected again as the MP for Hougang at the 2001 general election.

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 of Parliament (MP) in Singapore's Parliament, which had 83 seats. However, he led the Workers' Party to a historic breakthrough in the 2011 Singapore General Elections, with a victory in Aljunied GRC. The win marked the first time ever that an opposition party had won a GRC, bringing an additional five Workers' Party MPs into Parliament.

Current posts

• Secretary-General, Workers' Party of Singapore
• Chairman, Aljunied Constituency Committee (AJCC)
• Vice Chairman, Aljunied-Hougang Town Council

Electoral record

General Election 1991: Hougang
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

General Election 1997: Hougang
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

General Election 2001: Hougang
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

General Election 2006: 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

General Election 2011: Aljunied GRC
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	WP	Chen Show Mao Sylvia Lim Swee Lian Low Thia Khiang Muhamad Faisal Manap Pritam Singh	72,289	54.72	+10.81
	PAP	Lim Hwee Hua Ong Ye Kung Cynthia Phua George Yong-Boon Yeo Zainul Abidin Bin Mohamed Rasheed	59,829	45.28	-10.81
Majority			12,460	9.4
Turnout			133,906	93.5	-0.1
	WP gain from PAP		Swing	+10.8

Personal life

Low is married with two sons and a daughter.

Parliament of Singapore
Preceded by Tang Guan Seng	Member of Parliament for Hougang 1991 – 2011	Succeeded by Yaw Shin Leong
Preceded by George Yeo	Member of Parliament for Aljunied GRC 2011 – present	Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by J.B. Jeyaretnam	Secretary-General of the Workers' Party 2001 – present	Incumbent