A lawyer by profession, Tay has held positions in various trade unions in Singapore since 2002, and has been an assistant secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress since February 2014.[1]
He subsequently went on to complete a Master of Laws degree at the National University of Singapore in 1999 and an Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School in 2014.[1]
Career
Tay started his career in the Singapore Police Force and served from 1995 to 2002, during which he was the commanding officer of the Special Tactics and Rescue (STAR) unit.[2] From 2002 to 2014, he held positions in various trade unions, including assistant director of the National Trades Union Congress (2002–2004); executive secretary of the Union of Security Employees (2004–2011); Head IR of the Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Employees' Union (2004–2009); and executive secretary of the Healthcare Services Employees' Union (2006–2014).[1]
Prior to formally entering politics, Tay was a grassroots leader who held numerous positions at the community and constituency level, including as Executive Secretary of the Young PAP Executive Committee.[4] After close to a decade in leadership positions in grassroots work, Tay entered politics in the 2011 general election when he joined a five-member People's Action Party (PAP) team contesting in Nee Soon GRC. After the PAP team won with 58.4% of the vote against the Workers' Party, Tay became an elected Member of Parliament representing the Nee Soon East ward of Nee Soon GRC.[2][5] In 2014, Tay raised the concerns of PMEs[6] and how the Budget could support them in terms of protection, progression, placement and privileges. In the 2016 debate on the President's address, Tay called for a PME dependency ratio (akin to those for S Passes and Work Permits) to be implemented for companies which have a weak Singaporean core and a weak commitment to creating a Singaporean core.[7]
During the 2015 general election, Tay switched to join the four-member PAP team contesting in West Coast GRC and they won with 78.57% of the vote against the Reform Party. Tay thus became a Member of Parliament for a second term, representing the Boon Lay ward of West Coast GRC.[5]
In the 2020 general election, Tay contested as a solo PAP candidate in Pioneer SMC and won with 61.98% of the vote against the Progress Singapore Party candidate Lim Cher Hong and independent candidate Cheang Peng Wah. Starting 11 July 2020, he became the Member of Parliament representing Pioneer SMC in the 14th Parliament.[5]
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.
The party affiliation of each member is indicated right after the constituency he or she represents. PAP: People's Action Party; WP: The Workers' Party NMPs do not belong to any party. There were two terms of NMPs in this parliament, with nine NMPs in each term.
The party affiliation of each member is indicated right after the constituency he or she represents. PAP: People's Action Party; SPP: Singapore People's Party; WP: The Workers' Party For NCMPs, Gerald Giam and Yee Jenn Jong are from the WP, while Lina Loh is from the SPP. NMPs do not belong to any party. There were two terms of NMPs in this parliament, with nine NMPs in each term.
