Singapore — Mr Low Thia Khiang, the former head of the Workers’ Party, stepped in to take Meet the People Sessions for Ms Raeesah Khan, who has had to stay home while recovering from a case of shingles.
In a Facebook post at midday on Thursday (Sept 9), Ms Khan, a Member of Parliament for Sengkang GRC, thanked Mr Low for taking her place.
“Residents recognized Mr Low immediately, and were excited to meet and speak to him,” she added.
The 65-year-old Mr Low, who announced before last year’s General Election that he would not contest but would remain active in politics, served as the secretary-general of the WP from 2001 to 2018, when he was succeeded by Mr Pritam Singh.
A well-respected political figure, Mr Low served as an MP from 1991 to 2020, first in Hougang SMC (1991-2011) and then at Aljunied GRC (2011 to 2020).
He is the longest-serving opposition MP and was the de facto Leader of the Opposition.
Ms Khan added that she was advised by her doctor to stay home for one week due to the possibility of her infecting children or pregnant women with chickenpox.
“Unfortunately because of this I won’t be able to do house visits and our estate walk this week, but will hopefully be back in action next week!”, she added.
Politicians from the Workers’ Party often take turns filling in for one another when one is unable to perform duties such as MPS.
At the end of last month, Ms Khan herself took MPS for Assoc Prof Jamus Lim, who was in the US for a short while for family reasons.
It was around then that in-person meetings were resumed after Covid restrictions were lifted, which Assoc Prof Lim pointed out was “much better for residents uncomfortable or unaccustomed to virtual meetings of this nature.”
He thanked Ms Khan, “and, of course, all #TeamSengkang volunteers for keeping the ship afloat!”
This week was the last that Assoc Prof Lim is missing an MPS, as his quarantine period is about to end. In his place was former Aljunied MP Png Eng Huat, who, like Mr Low, did not seek re-election last year but has remained involved in politics.
From late 2020 to early 2021, when both Ms Khan and fellow Sengkang MP Ms He Ting Ru were on maternity leave, Mr Singh announced that several WP members would “on a rotational basis and for as long as required, support Ru and Raeesah’s work in Sengkang GRC by standing in for their weekly Meet-the-People Sessions, House visits and Estate Walks.”
Among them were Mr Low; Aljunied GRC MPs Leon Perera, Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap, Party chair Sylvia Lim and Mr Singh; Hougang SMC MP Dennis Tan; former WP MPs Lee Li Lian and Mr Png; former NCMP Yee Jenn Jong; and WP members Ron Tan, Nicole Seah, Terence Tan, and Kenneth Foo, as well as Assoc Prof Lim and MP Louis Chua (Sengkang GRC). /TISG
Read also: Ex Aljunied MP Png Eng Huat stepped in to cover MPS as Jamus Lim’s quarantine winds down
Ex Aljunied MP Png Eng Huat stepped in to cover MPS as Jamus Lim’s quarantine winds down