Merlene was born in Singapore and came to London in 1979 as a law student. She became a sollicitor following study at Kings College London, and Cambridge University. In 1990 she became a CEDR accredited commercial mediator in the UK. She stood in May 2008 as the Liberal Democrat Candidate for the London Assembly, West Central Constituency. Today Merlene is the mother of three boys aged 13-19 and she is standing as Liberal Democrat candidate for Hammersmith in London.

What are the main issues that people in your electorate/UK are concerned about?
I think the state of the economy takes centre stage as it impacts on jobs as well as on cuts in public services. In Hammersmith, there are huge concerns over the lack of affordable housing as the Tory Council are known for wanting to knock down some existing housing estates. However this election is also about big issues such as the future of politics, whether the surge in the popularity of the Lib Dems is an indication that people want changes to the whole political system and the end to two party politics. Certainly at the doorstep I hear that people are tired of Labour but do not trust the Tories, so it is a good time to be a Lib Dem at the moment.

What are the policies that your party (Con, Lib Dem, Lab, Indie) are bringing to address them?
Rather a lot to ask - do check my website -http://merlene.org.uk. What I would say is that policies may change but the values of each should be a better measure of what we stand for. For us it is social justice, greater freedom and civil liberties, pro-environment, pro-localism and internationalist in outlook. (As opposed to the preservation of the status quo, autocratic top down government and xenophobic and nationalist.)

What have you personally achieved for your constituency?
I have been campaigning locally since 2007 when I was selected to stand as the GLA candidate for West Central constituency (which includes Hammersmith).This includes a myriad of issues ranging from transport, saving of post offices, improving Shepherds Bush market to more investment in housing and local amenities.

If elected, what will you do for the British Chinese community?
In a way I have already been working for the Chinese community in helping engage the population to vote, to fight for migrants rights and lobbying for the interests of the catering and other businesses.

How would you encourage the British Chinese to be more politically active in the UK?
I co-founded Chinese Liberal Democrats in 2006 with Cllr Linda Chung and it is part of our aims to encourage British Chinese not only to vote but also consider standing for elections and enter public life themselves. This year Chinese Lib Dems have 4 Parliamentary Candidates which is more than the other parties.

Why should people vote for you / your party?
We stand for fairness, not just in terms of distribution of wealth but also of opportunity, we will reform Parliament and bring back faith in politicians and lead Britain on the green road to recovery from the current economic problems.

Any other comments /quotes for Dimsum readers?
If you have chosen to make Britain your home, then you should also have a say in how the country is run. In a democracy, your vote is your voice so use your vote wisely to be heard.