By S Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia, 4 Dec 2011
Giving Singaporeans a bigger say in both national and municipal issues is a key way for communicating and connecting with the electorate, say MPs from the ruling People's Action Party (PAP).
The need for the PAP to respond to Singaporeans' desire for greater engagement was highlighted as one of the Party's shortcomings, following a review of its performance in the last general election.
Mr Edwin Tong, MP for Moulmein-Kallang GRC, said that since the general election in May, grassroots leaders at the Jalan Besar division of Moulmein-Kallang GRC have been busy looking at different ways to share the constituency's programmes with residents.
Mr Aldrick Tay, grassroots leader for Moulmein-Kallang GRC, said: "Five years down the road, it is going to be tough.
"As in Jalan Besar, the younger generation is playing a very important role as in the latest GE. And, five years down the road, the competition is much more.
"I don't think we (should) just engage through Facebook, Flicker, Youtube or Twitter.
"What we need to do is (to) emphasize a lot of rightful information on the website on new media channels to let the younger generation know that they have a role to play in Singapore politics."
MPs and Ministers are already taking the lead, by posting issues on their blogs and seeking the views of Singaporeans in policy formulation.
Mr Edwin Tong, MP for Moulmein-Kallang GRC, said: "Not more than half a year ago, the PAP thought that this was noise. It was not relevant and this was a small proportion of people.
"I think that has changed.
"And, that viewpoint change is very important to me because that means it's a recognition that you can look into what's on the blogs and websites to get a sense of what the ground sentiment is.
"And with that, you start taking steps to be more organised.
"There is a lot of misimpression on the Internet. It represents good views but at the same time when there are misimpressions, you have to correct them.
"The PAP has to be organised in correcting them, the government must issue statements and we have seen how some of our senior ministers have embraced it."
MP for Sembawang GRC Ong Teng Koon added that: "Emails and Facebook messagings have been useful to me.
"Previously, residents brought their issues to MPs during MPS (Meet-the-People Sessions), block visits or walkabouts. Now, they can engage via online tools.
"Residents often have a hectic lifestyle, so they appreciate the option to bring up issues at their convenience. This might mean more work for myself and my activists, but it is part and parcel of the digital age that we live in, and it allows us to engage and serve residents more effectively.
"Posters, namecards, calendars now come with the MP's email and Facebook addresses to bring about more awareness."
Views shared by residents can also be useful for MPs during their debates in Parliament, said Mr Zaqy Mohamad.
Mr Zaqy Mohamad, MP for Chua Chu Kang GRC, said: "The first few years were about the PAP sensing the platforms and understanding how to use it.
"Now it's really how to use these platforms for political mileage and political advantage and as well as not just engaging but to a certain sense also.
"How you can use crowd sourcing, sharing ideas, residents telling you how you can do things better or are there gaps in what we are doing today and these are ways we can solicit feedback and that helps a lot.
"MPs for example, you could sense people's opinions on certain things you want to say in Parliament and this gives normal citizens the ability to try to put their voice, have their voices heard in parliament as well so you can carry certain views.
"The MPs can also use the new media for political activism, something they stand for, a cause, and at the same time brand themselves as politicians.
"Politicians today, at least in Singapore, what they don't really have is the personal branding - what do you really stand for as such that you get labelled sometimes either the media or by the general public.
"The way you brand yourself online gives an impression of your view on certain things and what you believe in such that when someone looks at an MP or Minister, they know what you stand and what you have been doing and also your beliefs."
While the social media and the Internet are the buzzwords of the day, Members of Parliament also acknowledge the importance of addressing the needs of the older generation in their respective constituencies and hence the need to continue the traditional house-to-house visits and face-to-face meetings with residents."
Mr Zaqy Mohamad added: "Face-to-face touch points are just as important, otherwise people are going to say we only see our MPs once every five years."
As MP for Sembawang GRC, Mr Ong Teng Koon puts it, there is value in observing first hand the body language and facial expressions, when an MP comes face to face with a resident.
Mr Ong Teng Koon said:"She might tell us about her concerns when we shake her hand which she wouldn't have otherwise, and thereby offering us an opportunity to try to help her and make the human connection.
"Part of the problem with the modern lifestyle is that residents are often at work. We are very happy whenever we have more than 40 per cent of residents at home when we visit.
"With the average MP having around 100 blocks in the constituency, it takes around one to two years to complete one cycle of visitation. So approximately two to three visitations over an election cycle.
"Mathematically, that would mean there is a fair chance that we wouldn't have reached out to every single resident over the course of five years.
"Good neighbourliness therefore pays an important role here, as we have had cases whereby the resident was not at home when we visited, but neighbours then provided her with my email address and resulted in us being able to assist her."
Giving Singaporeans a bigger say in both national and municipal issues is a key way for communicating and connecting with the electorate, say MPs from the ruling People's Action Party (PAP).
The need for the PAP to respond to Singaporeans' desire for greater engagement was highlighted as one of the Party's shortcomings, following a review of its performance in the last general election.
Mr Edwin Tong, MP for Moulmein-Kallang GRC, said that since the general election in May, grassroots leaders at the Jalan Besar division of Moulmein-Kallang GRC have been busy looking at different ways to share the constituency's programmes with residents.
Mr Aldrick Tay, grassroots leader for Moulmein-Kallang GRC, said: "Five years down the road, it is going to be tough.
"As in Jalan Besar, the younger generation is playing a very important role as in the latest GE. And, five years down the road, the competition is much more.
"I don't think we (should) just engage through Facebook, Flicker, Youtube or Twitter.
"What we need to do is (to) emphasize a lot of rightful information on the website on new media channels to let the younger generation know that they have a role to play in Singapore politics."
MPs and Ministers are already taking the lead, by posting issues on their blogs and seeking the views of Singaporeans in policy formulation.
Mr Edwin Tong, MP for Moulmein-Kallang GRC, said: "Not more than half a year ago, the PAP thought that this was noise. It was not relevant and this was a small proportion of people.
"I think that has changed.
"And, that viewpoint change is very important to me because that means it's a recognition that you can look into what's on the blogs and websites to get a sense of what the ground sentiment is.
"And with that, you start taking steps to be more organised.
"There is a lot of misimpression on the Internet. It represents good views but at the same time when there are misimpressions, you have to correct them.
"The PAP has to be organised in correcting them, the government must issue statements and we have seen how some of our senior ministers have embraced it."
MP for Sembawang GRC Ong Teng Koon added that: "Emails and Facebook messagings have been useful to me.
"Previously, residents brought their issues to MPs during MPS (Meet-the-People Sessions), block visits or walkabouts. Now, they can engage via online tools.
"Residents often have a hectic lifestyle, so they appreciate the option to bring up issues at their convenience. This might mean more work for myself and my activists, but it is part and parcel of the digital age that we live in, and it allows us to engage and serve residents more effectively.
"Posters, namecards, calendars now come with the MP's email and Facebook addresses to bring about more awareness."
Views shared by residents can also be useful for MPs during their debates in Parliament, said Mr Zaqy Mohamad.
Mr Zaqy Mohamad, MP for Chua Chu Kang GRC, said: "The first few years were about the PAP sensing the platforms and understanding how to use it.
"Now it's really how to use these platforms for political mileage and political advantage and as well as not just engaging but to a certain sense also.
"How you can use crowd sourcing, sharing ideas, residents telling you how you can do things better or are there gaps in what we are doing today and these are ways we can solicit feedback and that helps a lot.
"MPs for example, you could sense people's opinions on certain things you want to say in Parliament and this gives normal citizens the ability to try to put their voice, have their voices heard in parliament as well so you can carry certain views.
"The MPs can also use the new media for political activism, something they stand for, a cause, and at the same time brand themselves as politicians.
"Politicians today, at least in Singapore, what they don't really have is the personal branding - what do you really stand for as such that you get labelled sometimes either the media or by the general public.
"The way you brand yourself online gives an impression of your view on certain things and what you believe in such that when someone looks at an MP or Minister, they know what you stand and what you have been doing and also your beliefs."
While the social media and the Internet are the buzzwords of the day, Members of Parliament also acknowledge the importance of addressing the needs of the older generation in their respective constituencies and hence the need to continue the traditional house-to-house visits and face-to-face meetings with residents."
Mr Zaqy Mohamad added: "Face-to-face touch points are just as important, otherwise people are going to say we only see our MPs once every five years."
As MP for Sembawang GRC, Mr Ong Teng Koon puts it, there is value in observing first hand the body language and facial expressions, when an MP comes face to face with a resident.
Mr Ong Teng Koon said:"She might tell us about her concerns when we shake her hand which she wouldn't have otherwise, and thereby offering us an opportunity to try to help her and make the human connection.
"Part of the problem with the modern lifestyle is that residents are often at work. We are very happy whenever we have more than 40 per cent of residents at home when we visit.
"With the average MP having around 100 blocks in the constituency, it takes around one to two years to complete one cycle of visitation. So approximately two to three visitations over an election cycle.
"Mathematically, that would mean there is a fair chance that we wouldn't have reached out to every single resident over the course of five years.
"Good neighbourliness therefore pays an important role here, as we have had cases whereby the resident was not at home when we visited, but neighbours then provided her with my email address and resulted in us being able to assist her."
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