Singapore — The lifting of more Covid restrictions has meant that Members of Parliament from both parties have been able to resume face-to-face Meet the People Sessions (MPS) with residents.
MPs have been allowed to start meeting with people since Monday (Aug 23), after over three months of online and phone meetings, although the Workers’ Party has encouraged virtual meetings and emails if possible, while Singapore is still battling Covid cases.
But for Associate Professor Jamus Lim (Sengkang GRC), his in-person meetings will have to wait a little while longer. The MP went to the United States for family reasons at the beginning of the month, and upon his return after Aug 25, will need to serve a Stay Home Notice.
Meanwhile, fellow Sengkang MP Raeesah Khan, who represents the residents of Compassvale, has stepped in for Dr Lim’s MPSs.
Dr Lim posted a photo of Ms Khan on Facebook on Aug 24, and said that he is leaving the US, where his wife’s family is from, on Aug 25 (Wednesday), and he will need to serve quarantine when he arrives.
The MP for Anchorvale wrote, “The #workersparty resumed in-person meet-the-people sessions this week. This format is generally much better for residents uncomfortable or unaccustomed to virtual meetings of this nature (which we had been performing in the months prior).
I was ably covered in my duties by the #SengkangGRC MP for Compassvale, Raeesah Khan, who kindly stepped in while I am still away (but not for much longer; we depart from the States tomorrow).
My gratitude to her and, of course, all #TeamSengkang volunteers for keeping the ship afloat!
Postscript: for those who prefer meeting with me specifically, team #Anchorvale continues to operate virtual meet-the-people sessions, and will continue to do so until I am out of quarantine. So feel free to reach out to make an appointment, if you so desire.”
Indeed, the WP leaders have stood in for one another in meeting residents when necessary. This happened late last year when both Ms Khan and fellow Sengkang MP Ms He Ting Ru (Buangkok) were both on maternity leave.
Party head Pritam Singh announced on Dec 24, 2020, 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 former WP chief Low Thia Khiang; Aljunied GRC MPs Leon Perera, Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap, Ms Lim and Mr Singh; Hougang SMC MP Dennis Tan; former WP MPs Lee Li Lian and Png Eng Huat; former NCMP Yee Jenn Jong; and WP members Ron Tan, Nicole Seah, Terence Tan, and Kenneth Foo, as well as Dr Lim and Mr Louis Chua (Rivervale-Sengkang GRC).
/TISG
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