Nicole Seah from The Workers’ Party shares the importance of house visits as it enables them to reach out to each resident and listen to their issues. Along with Abdul Shariff Aboo Kassim who contested with her in East Coast GRC in the 2020 Singapore General Election, the team in blue were out in Bedok South earlier this week.
One encounter saw a wet market stallholder lamenting about how her business is seeing a slowdown during covid as many consumers are now changing their purchasing habits and going online.
“I enquired if she had plans to list her business on food delivery apps, but she felt that it was perhaps time to slowly consider retirement,” said Nicole.
“Though it is encouraging to see many stallholders embrace digital initiatives in preparation for the future, it is also challenging for stallholders who are teetering on the edge. Let’s support wet markets where possible.”
Apart from just listening to the ground, Nicole and her party members also went the extra mile by furnishing details to those that needed additional help. She feels that although the channels for help are readily available, sometimes residents are not sure where to seek it as they may be ‘mentally paralysed by the situation at hand’.
“Another resident shared difficulties seeking assistance since he was rendered jobless and wife fell chronically ill over the last two years,” shared the WP youth wing president.
“We went down the list of financial assistance schemes and asked if he had approached these institutions. Also provided him with the MPS details for his area and encouraged him to bring the right documents to expedite his appeal.”
“This underscores the importance of house visits in reaching out to them one by one.”
In the 2020 Singapore General Election, the WP team which included Nicole and Shariff garnered 46% of the votes against the PAP team headed by then Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat.