Good MPs do well in Parliament, not estate management
Protected August 30th, 2015 | Author: Online Press
To improve their lives of their constituents and citizens at large, a Member of Parliament (MP) must have ears on the ground, and part of this is done by walking the ground, holding Meet-the-People sessions, receiving and acting on residents’ complaints and resolving issues, and overseeing how their town councils are run.
WP chief Low Thia Khiang debating in Parliament (Photo: CNA)
But their crucial role is unquestionably in Parliament, where they can shape laws and policies that affect citizens’ lives. MPs should be judged primarily by the quality of their contributions to debates in Parliament and how well they reflect the concerns of their constituents, rather than how well they micromanage estate maintenance duties, which are generally contracted to third-party estate maintenance firms.
It makes little sense for political parties to seek out high-flier candidates — with ones selected by the ruling party meant to become office-bearers — and then expect them to be estate managers, which they had little experience in before being elected. If MPs are judged mainly on how well they manage their towns, then professional estate managers would be the most qualified to be MPs. But we know this has not been the case. Many of our MPs hold day jobs. Running an estate is a full-time job, and we should not expect our MPs to be a jack of all trades. As it is, we often see rows of empty seats when Parliament is in session, although it is our MPs’ office and where they’re reasonably expected to be in attendance.
Quek Soo Beng
* Letter first appeared in Today Online – Voices (22 Aug).
Protected August 30th, 2015 | Author: Online Press
To improve their lives of their constituents and citizens at large, a Member of Parliament (MP) must have ears on the ground, and part of this is done by walking the ground, holding Meet-the-People sessions, receiving and acting on residents’ complaints and resolving issues, and overseeing how their town councils are run.
WP chief Low Thia Khiang debating in Parliament (Photo: CNA)
But their crucial role is unquestionably in Parliament, where they can shape laws and policies that affect citizens’ lives. MPs should be judged primarily by the quality of their contributions to debates in Parliament and how well they reflect the concerns of their constituents, rather than how well they micromanage estate maintenance duties, which are generally contracted to third-party estate maintenance firms.
It makes little sense for political parties to seek out high-flier candidates — with ones selected by the ruling party meant to become office-bearers — and then expect them to be estate managers, which they had little experience in before being elected. If MPs are judged mainly on how well they manage their towns, then professional estate managers would be the most qualified to be MPs. But we know this has not been the case. Many of our MPs hold day jobs. Running an estate is a full-time job, and we should not expect our MPs to be a jack of all trades. As it is, we often see rows of empty seats when Parliament is in session, although it is our MPs’ office and where they’re reasonably expected to be in attendance.
Quek Soo Beng
* Letter first appeared in Today Online – Voices (22 Aug).
