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NUS Law alumni in Singapore’s 15th Parliament
The proud tradition of service in public office by our distinguished alumni continues, as we congratulate the following alumni who have joined Singapore’s 15th Parliament after the General Elections of 2025: Christopher de Souza Grad Dip ’02, Gho Sze Kee Grad Dip ’02, Cassandra Lee ’16, Desmond Lee ’01, Sylvia Lim ’88, Vikram Nair Grad Dip ’05, Murali Pillai ’92 LLM ’2000, Rahayu Mahzam ’03, Indranee Rajah ’86, K Shanmugam ’84, Patrick Tay ’95 LLM ’99, Edwin Tong ’94 and Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim ’05.
Grad Dip Class of 2002
Member of Parliament
Holland-Bukit Timah GRC
This is Mr Christopher de Souza’s fifth term as Member of Parliament (MP) for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, starting from 2006. He chairs the Government Parliamentary Committees (GPCs) for Home Affairs, Law & Health, and was on the GPCs for Manpower and Education. He is a Partner at Lee & Lee today but earlier in his legal career, he was State Counsel in the Attorney-General’s Chambers and Magistrate of the Subordinate Courts.
Grad Dip Class of 2002
Member of Parliament
Mountbatten SMC
This is Ms Gho Sze Kee’s first term in Parliament. An advocate and solicitor by profession, she is a shipping lawyer with over 20 years of experience, specialising in marine insurance and casualties, regulatory compliance in the maritime and offshore sectors. She is the co-founder of environmental non-governmental organisation H.A.L.T (Humans Against Littering and Trash), was a member of a local hospital’s Medifund committee and is also a pro-bono legal advisor.
LLB Class of 2016
Member of Parliament
West Coast-Jurong West GRC
This is Ms Cassandra Lee’s first term in Parliament. She is the Assistant Director of the Singapore Technology Legal Counsel department at EY Singapore, where she leads the technology and artificial intelligence practice for the Singapore general counsel’s office and the ASEAN excellence centre. Prior to joining EY, she was in the Legal Service where she served as State Counsel and Deputy Public Prosecutor in the Civil Division of the Attorney General’s Chambers.
LLB Class of 2001
Minister for Education
Minister-in-Charge of Social Services Integration under the Ministry of Social and Family Development
West Coast-Jurong West GRC
Before his current fourth term as an MP for the newly formed West Coast-Jurong West GRC, Mr Desmond Lee was an MP for West Coast GRC from 2020 to 2025, and for Jurong GRC from 2011 to 2020. He held a range of appointments including Minister for Social and Family Development & National Development, Second Minister for Home Affairs & National Development, and Senior Minister of State for National Development & Home Affairs. He was on the GPCs for Culture, Community and Youth, Home Affairs, Law & Social and Family Development.
LLB Class of 1988
Member of Parliament
Aljunied GRC
Ms Sylvia Lim has been the MP for Aljunied GRC since 2011, after joining Parliament in 2006 as a Non-Constituency Member. She is the first female chairperson of a major political party in Singapore, and still holds the position of Chair of the Workers’ Party. After starting her career as an Inspector in the Singapore Police Force, followed by work in private practice and as a lecturer at Temasek Polytechnic, she is Counsel at Peter Low Chambers LLC today.
Grad Dip Class of 2005
Member of Parliament
Sembawang GRC
Mr Vikram Nair has served Sembawang GRC for four consecutive terms, starting from 2011. He is the Chairman of the GPCs for Defence & Foreign Affairs, and for the Parliamentary Friendship Group for India. Outside of public service, he is a Partner at Rajah & Tann Singapore specialising in international arbitration and commercial and corporate litigation, with extensive legal experience in the South Asia region.
LLB Class of 1992, LLM Class of 2000
Senior Minister of State for Law & Transport
Jurong East–Bukit Batok GRC
Mr Murali Pillai served two prior terms as MP for Bukit Batok SMC, before being elected to the newly formed Jurong East–Bukit Batok GRC this year. Prior to assuming full-time political office, he was on the GPC for Social and Family Development, chairing the GPCs for Home Affairs & Law. He was also Chairman of the Indian Programmes Advisory Committee of the Infocomm Media Development Authority. He continues to serve as Vice-President of the Singapore Indian Development Association.
LLB Class of 2003
Minister of State for Digital Development and Information & Health
Jurong East–Bukit Batok GRC
Ms Rahayu Mahzam served as MP for Jurong GRC for two prior terms, before her current term in the newly formed Jurong East–Bukit Batok GRC. Her prior political office appointments include Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Law & Health, and Parliamentary Secretary for Communications and Information & Health. Her work spans programmes for women and youth. She co-chaired the Singapore Together Alliance for Action against online harms, was on the Child and Maternal Health and Well-being Taskforce, and leads the M3 Youth empowerment efforts. Her ward, Bukit Batok East, has been recognised as a Dementia-Friendly Community in Singapore.
LLB Class of 1986
Minister, Prime Minister’s Office
Second Minister for Finance & National Development
Pasir Ris-Changi GRC
Ms Indranee Rajah served as MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC for five previous terms. As part of the Cabinet, she has held positions including Second Minister for Education & Law, and Senior Minister of State for Finance, Law & Education. She remains the Leader of the House in the 15th Parliament. Under her law portfolio, she co-chaired the Committees on Family Justice, the formation of the Singapore International Commercial Court, as well as the Committee to Strengthen Singapore as an International Centre for Debt Restructuring.
LLB Class of 1984
Minister for Home Affairs
Coordinating Minister for National Security
Nee Soon GRC
Mr K Shanmugam has served eight previous terms as MP for Sembawang and Nee Soon GRCs. He has also held important political appointments, serving previously as Minister for Law, Foreign Affairs & Home Affairs. Prior to accepting public office in 2008, Mr Shanmugam served on various committees and Boards, including the Advisory Board of the NUS Faculty of Law. In 1998, he was appointed Senior Counsel at the age of 38, one of the youngest lawyers to be so appointed.
LLB Class of 1995, LLM Class of 1999
Member of Parliament
Pioneer SMC
Mr Patrick Tay has been the MP for Pioneer SMC since 2020, after serving in Nee Soon GRC and West Coast GRC for a term each. He is the Assistant Secretary-General at the National Trades Union Congress and was on the GPCs for Health, Manpower, Home Affairs & Law, chairing the GPC for Manpower from 2015-2020. He has also held executive and advisory positions on several employee unions.
LLB Class of 1994
Minister for Law
Second Minister for Home Affairs
East Coast GRC
Mr Edwin Tong was first elected into Parliament in 2011 as MP for Moulmein-Kallang GRC, and was the MP for Marine Parade GRC for the next two terms. His former political appointments include Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, Second Minister for Law, and Senior Minister of State for Health & Law. Between 2011 and 2018, he was the Deputy Chairman of the GPCs for Law & Home Affairs. In March 2018, he was selected to be part of a 10-member Select Committee focused on combating deliberate online falsehoods.
LLB Class of 2005
Member of Parliament
Chua Chu Kang GRC
This is Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim’s second term as MP for Chua Chu Kang GRC. Following a Cabinet reshuffle, he will take on the role of Minister of State for Foreign Affairs & Social and Family Development from 1 February 2026. He is a Litigation and Dispute Resolution Partner at Dentons Rodyk & Davidson LLP. Besides international commercial arbitration and disputes, he also handles pro bono matters as an Assigned Solicitor with the Legal Aid Bureau and volunteers in legal clinics.