Chen Show Mao

Chen Show Mao (Chinese: 陈硕茂; pinyin: Chén Shuòmào; born 6 February 1961)[1] is a Singaporean politician.

[12] He completed a Juris Doctor at Stanford Law School in 1992 and attained the rank of Master of Arts at Corpus Christi College in 2005.

[14][10] On 1 July 2011, Chen announced on his Facebook page that he had retired from active practice as a partner of his law firm given his new responsibilities as an MP.

On 27 April 2011, Chen submitted his candidacy for the five-member Aljunied Group Representation Constituency (Aljunied GRC) with the WP's Secretary-General Low Thia Khiang, Chairman Sylvia Lim, Pritam Singh, a postgraduate law student, and Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap, a freelance counsellor.

[19] During the intense nine-day campaign period that followed, Chen was singled out by leaders of the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) for criticism.

The PAP's Organising Secretary and Minister for Education, Ng Eng Hen, questioned Chen's motives for entering politics in a letter to The Straits Times.

[20] The PAP's co-founder and former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew also suggested that Chen could return to China after losing in the election.

He also highlighted at a WP rally that he came to Singapore at a young age with his parents and sister, that he served National Service, and that he owns an apartment in Bishan and frequently commutes by train.

In the Singapore General Election 2015, the WP candidates successfully defended Aljunied GRC against a PAP team with little political experience.

"[27] During the Ministerial Salary Review debate in January 2012, Chen further expressed his opinion that political office is a calling and should neither be treated as a discount factor, nor be monetised.

[38] In addition to older Singaporeans, Chen also advocated for investing in the poorer, disabled segments of society, terming this as an "unlocking social value".

[35] Other subjects Chen has spoken on in parliament include angel funding for the arts,[39] data protection,[40] casino control,[41] and scholarships for regional studies.