<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>Erring on the side of caution
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><TR>Most MPs play it safe when it comes to accepting invitations; they also do background checks </TR><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Jamie Ee Wen Wei
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Joo Chiat MP Chan Soo Sen says he carried out an Internet search before accepting the invitation.
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->When in doubt, do not attend. That is the guiding principle MPs contacted by The Sunday Times say they stick to when invited to non-official functions.
Noting that they can receive as many as 20 invitations a month, they explain how they sieve through these invites.
Their comments came in the wake of some netizens' concerns that Joo Chiat MP Chan Soo Sen's presence last Monday at the graduation ceremony of an unaccredited university might be misconstrued as an endorsement.
Mr Chan, a former minister of state for education, has clarified that he had done an Internet check before agreeing to be the guest of honour at the graduation ceremony here of West Coast University (WCU), an unaccredited university based in Panama.
The search engine led to links to the website of West Coast University, an institution of the same name based in California and reputed for its nursing and health science-related degrees.
In a Forum letter last Thursday, he said the invitation he received had a West Coast University letterhead with a Los Angeles address. All these factors, and the fact that the grassroots leader who issued the invite was someone he knew well, led him to make the 'mistake'.
The other MPs contacted also said they would err on the side of caution and do checks when invited to events. They would turn to the Internet, their business network, ministries or grassroots leaders for clarification.
When in doubt, MPs can also consult the Party Whip to check if they should attend certain events, said Dr Teo Ho Pin, an MP for Bukit Panjang GRC.
Mr Baey Yam Keng, an MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC, said that about a year ago, he attended a charity event organised by a statutory board and a private company which later came under investigation for its business dealings.
'I was very disappointed when I found out about the investigations,' he said.
MPs said that most of the time, they do not attend commercial events. The only exceptions are when the commercial project has a 'national significance'.
'If, for example, a company is setting up a $1 billion solar plant, we will consult the Trade Ministry to see if we should attend,' said Dr Teo.
MPs also said they will give priority to events that will benefit their constituency.
Madam Cynthia Phua, an MP for Aljunied GRC, said: 'I hardly have time so I usually don't attend external functions.'
Dr Amy Khor, an MP for Hong Kah GRC, agreed. She said: 'There may also be invites where you feel that it would be more appropriate for someone else to attend.'
In Mr Chan's case, he said the grassroots leader had not deliberately set him up for embarrassment and was 'even more upset' by the turn of events.
Asked if he would be more careful in future, he said he has 'always been careful, but you may make mistakes still'.
'If you end up not attending all events, then you won't be able to perform your political duty,' he said.
[email protected]
Additional reporting by Zureena Habib
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><TR>Most MPs play it safe when it comes to accepting invitations; they also do background checks </TR><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Jamie Ee Wen Wei
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --><TR vAlign=bottom><TD width=330>
</TD><TD width=10>
Joo Chiat MP Chan Soo Sen says he carried out an Internet search before accepting the invitation.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->When in doubt, do not attend. That is the guiding principle MPs contacted by The Sunday Times say they stick to when invited to non-official functions.
Noting that they can receive as many as 20 invitations a month, they explain how they sieve through these invites.
Their comments came in the wake of some netizens' concerns that Joo Chiat MP Chan Soo Sen's presence last Monday at the graduation ceremony of an unaccredited university might be misconstrued as an endorsement.
Mr Chan, a former minister of state for education, has clarified that he had done an Internet check before agreeing to be the guest of honour at the graduation ceremony here of West Coast University (WCU), an unaccredited university based in Panama.
The search engine led to links to the website of West Coast University, an institution of the same name based in California and reputed for its nursing and health science-related degrees.
In a Forum letter last Thursday, he said the invitation he received had a West Coast University letterhead with a Los Angeles address. All these factors, and the fact that the grassroots leader who issued the invite was someone he knew well, led him to make the 'mistake'.
The other MPs contacted also said they would err on the side of caution and do checks when invited to events. They would turn to the Internet, their business network, ministries or grassroots leaders for clarification.
When in doubt, MPs can also consult the Party Whip to check if they should attend certain events, said Dr Teo Ho Pin, an MP for Bukit Panjang GRC.
Mr Baey Yam Keng, an MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC, said that about a year ago, he attended a charity event organised by a statutory board and a private company which later came under investigation for its business dealings.
'I was very disappointed when I found out about the investigations,' he said.
MPs said that most of the time, they do not attend commercial events. The only exceptions are when the commercial project has a 'national significance'.
'If, for example, a company is setting up a $1 billion solar plant, we will consult the Trade Ministry to see if we should attend,' said Dr Teo.
MPs also said they will give priority to events that will benefit their constituency.
Madam Cynthia Phua, an MP for Aljunied GRC, said: 'I hardly have time so I usually don't attend external functions.'
Dr Amy Khor, an MP for Hong Kah GRC, agreed. She said: 'There may also be invites where you feel that it would be more appropriate for someone else to attend.'
In Mr Chan's case, he said the grassroots leader had not deliberately set him up for embarrassment and was 'even more upset' by the turn of events.
Asked if he would be more careful in future, he said he has 'always been careful, but you may make mistakes still'.
'If you end up not attending all events, then you won't be able to perform your political duty,' he said.
[email protected]
Additional reporting by Zureena Habib
