High spirits, hoarse voices as new MPs hit the ground running at Meet-the-People Sessions

Straits Times

05-05-2025

SINGAPORE - After nine days of marathon campaigning for the 2025 general election, seasoned MPs and newly elected ones alike hit the ground running at Meet-the-People Sessions (MPS) around the Republic on May 5.
ST spoke to 10 MPs from both the PAP and WP, who offered a glimpse into the issues residents brought to them, and what they were doing to help.
In Chua Chu Kang GRC's Brickland ward, Mr Jeffrey Siow kicked off his first MPS 30 minutes ahead of the 8pm start time, having expected more residents to show up after an extended break.
MPS have been suspended since the Writ of Election was issued on April 15.
By 10pm, Mr Siow estimated he had spoken to around 30 residents, who raised issues ranging from senior care to immigration.
Among those seeking his help was a non-Singaporean divorcee with three Singaporean children who sought help to extend her employment pass so she could keep working in Singapore.
'The husband, who is supposed to help her, is not supporting her, so what can she do since her (work) pass is expiring?' said Mr Siow. '(We have to) handle these sorts of issues, often those that do not completely fit the mould.'
Other residents sought help with senior care, including one who needed assistance for an elderly relative whose usual caregivers were unavailable.
Such issues will become more prevalent with Singapore's ageing population, and he expects to bring up such issues in Parliament in his new role as MP, Mr Siow said.
Mr Siow, who was formerly permanent secretary at the Trade and Industry and Manpower Ministries, said: 'We need to think about where we want to draw the line on policies and think about whether the line needs to be shifted as there are more of these cases coming up.'
In East Coast GRC, Mr Dinesh Vasu Dash tapped his experience as former head of the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) to refer one resident to an active ageing centre. The woman had wanted to help her elderly mother, who was recovering from a fall at home, stay socially connected.
'That's where I think we can try to help, by connecting (residents) to the right agencies for support,' Mr Dinesh said.
Both he and his East Coast GRC counterpart, Madam Hazlina Abdul Halim, were hoarse by the end of the night.
Madam Hazlina had pulled double duty with two back-to-back MPS – one in Siglap and the other in Fengshan.
In preparation for her first MPS, she had understudied former East Coast GRC MPs Cheryl Chan and Maliki Osman, as well as Ms Tin Pei Ling, who is currently an MP for Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC.
Of this experience drafting appeals for residents, Madam Hazlina said: '(It) has really helped me to understand how agencies work in how you advocate for residents.'
Other newly elected MPs were no stranger to conducting MPS .
One of these was WP MP Kenneth Tiong, who has been volunteering at their MPS since 2023, before coordinating the Serangoon MPS from 2025. The ward was left vacant when Mr Leon Perera stepped down in July 2023.
'MPS is the foundation of a big majority of the policy stuff that we do, so it's always good to do (them),' said Mr Tiong, who saw about 10 residents with issues ranging from scams to municipal issues.
He hopes to bring up issues such as making sure Singaporeans have a strong social safety net, and that families have strong foundations.
In the west, Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC MP Lee Hong Chuang is also familiar with how MPS work.
Mr Lee has held similar sessions to meet residents since 2015, when he was the PAP's Hougang branch chairman. He was also the losing PAP candidate for Hougang SMC in the 2015 and 2020 elections.
The newly minted MP, who has taken over former MP Amy Khor's Hong Kah North ward, said he intends to meet every resident who attends his MPS personally, and to understand their circumstances.
'My style is when I walk around the area, I will pick up cases. Those are the people who may not even walk into your MPS, but they need help,' he said.
Another seasoned hand, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, made his debut in Punggol GRC's new Punggol Northshore ward, where a crowd had gathered for face time with the 'Task Force Man'.
During the campaign, DPM Gan – who was given the moniker by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong for being on several task forces – had promised Northshore residents to address problems in the ward.
He told reporters that residents raised issues such as poor phone connectivity and 'blind spots' in certain areas, which his team will work with the Infocomm Media Development Authority to tackle.
DPM Gan, who is also Minister for Trade and Industry, wore a mask and had a sore throat, which he attributed to the many engagements he had after the election.
'After the campaign… I had to attend to some of the urgent meetings, so therefore I've been talking the whole day. And tonight, I talked the whole night,' he said.
He only wrapped up the session at 11pm, after seeing around 70 residents.
Over in the east, Tampines GRC's two new faces – Dr Charlene Chen and Mr David Neo – were seen at Tampines East MPS, which Dr Chen has been helming for about a year.
Mr Baey Yam Keng, who has served in Tampines since 2011, said Mr Neo, a former army chief, will tag along with other members before potentially helming a new division that has yet to be demarcated.
The constituency may see a new Tampines Boulevard ward that will mostly comprise new Build-To-Order (BTO) HDB estates north of Tampines Avenue 9.
Mr Baey added that residents can expect an announcement on the new ward and MPS location by the end of May.
Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.