Baey Yam Keng branded ‘king of wayang’ for posting about 30 minute walk on the ground

SINGAPORE: Tampines GRC MP Baey Yam Keng has come under criticism online after sharing a Facebook post about a brief walkabout in his ward, with some netizens arguing that elected representatives should be spending significantly more time on the ground.

Last week, Mr Baey, who has represented Tampines GRC since 2011, posted that he had used half an hour before his Meet-the-People Session to conduct an impromptu inspection of Tampines GreenForest in Tampines Central.

In his Facebook post, he wrote: “I had about thirty minutes to spare before my Meet-the-People Session last evening. Decided to check out Tampines GreenForest in Tampines Central. Unannounced, unaccompanied and a random walk through the blocks, MSCP and various floors.”

During the walk, Mr Baey said he observed outdated notices and marketing pamphlets at lift lobbies, as well as carton boxes and rubbish around recycling bins.

“I asked a few residents I met how they assess the maintenance of their estate. They told me it has improved a lot over the last few weeks, and noticed that the void deck was washed that day,” he wrote.

The MP added that the town council team would continue supervising the new cleaning contractor closely and help workers become more familiar with the estate and areas requiring additional attention.

Alongside the post, Mr Baey shared screenshots tracking his route, speed and walking distance, showing that he had covered more than 3km in about 37 minutes.

Photos: Baey Yam Keng FB

While some residents welcomed the visit and thanked him for taking the time to inspect the estate personally, others were less impressed, questioning whether the walk reflected sufficient engagement with residents and municipal issues.

One Facebook user was particularly critical, writing: “Baey YK is really the king of wayang. Spend 30 minutes on the ground, take a few staged photos, and suddenly it looks like he’s done a lot of work.

“If this is the level of engagement from our MP and TC Chairman, it’s no surprise Tampines’ municipal issues are getting worse by the day. Residents don’t need photo ops; we need consistent, hands-on leadership and accountability.

“30 minutes is frankly unacceptable. As Tampines TC Chairperson, we should be seeing at least 30 hours a week on the ground. That’s a basic expectation, not an unreasonable demand, especially when he’s drawing a $16,000 monthly MP allowance.”

Another netizen commented: “I think all TC chairmen are the same. At least he appeared for 30 minutes. Some of us don’t even know who is the chairman.”

Some online commenters focused on Mr Baey’s remuneration as both an MP and a political officeholder, questioning whether the compensation received by elected representatives is justified when residents continue to raise concerns about estate maintenance and municipal standards.

Aside from serving as an elected MP, Mr Baey has been serving as a Minister of State and as a Mayor.

A mayor in Singapore earns an annual base salary of S$660,000, in addition to an annual Member of Parliament (MP) allowance of S$192,500. This brings their total baseline compensation to over S$850,000 annually, excluding any potential performance or national bonuses.

A Minister of State in Singapore earns an annual salary of S$770,000.

Given this hefty pay package, several commenters argued that public office holders should be expected to maintain a strong ground presence and remain more closely connected to residents’ day-to-day concerns.

Others suggested that sharing the statistics of the walk, including distance covered and time taken, was an instance of the MP showing off or “acting” as if he had done something great that is actually just part of his job.

These critics questioned whether a half-hour inspection should be highlighted as a noteworthy activity, while others argued that regular, less publicised engagement would be more meaningful.