http://therealsingapore.com/content...-fu-needs-grassroots-leader-carry-her-handbag
[h=1]DEAR TRS, HOW COME GRACE FU NEEDS A GRASSROOTS LEADER TO CARRY HER HANDBAG?[/h]
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Post date:
11 Dec 2014 - 7:49am
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Dear The Real Singapore,
I came across this photo of Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, Grace Fu walking along a park connector with grassroots leaders behind her, one holding on to her pink handbag. I am extremely disappointed that Minister Grace Fu is too pampered to even carry her own handbag. I know that ministers and MPs are surrounded by grassroots leaders most of the time when they visit estates, but that is no excuse for a full minister to outsource even the task of carrying her own handbag to a grassroots leader. The GRLs are not the maids of MPs and ministers. Our role is to serve the community, regardless of who the MP is. I am not serving in Minister Grace Fu's constituency, but I strongly believe that fellow grassroots leaders should not degrade themselves by acting subservient to the MP. Our job is to organize activities for residents NOT to be maids for the MP.
Yes, we are supposed to help the MP understand the sentiments on the ground. That is an important role and a necessary one. But there are already people saying that PA is the same as the PAP and we grassroots leaders are just bootlickers of the PAP government. This photo of Minister Grace Fu making grassroots leaders carry her handbag only makes things worse for us. It makes me very angry when people accuse us of not being sincere when we are actually contributing so much of our free time to organize activities to bond the community. I am starting to think that many of the MPs are out of touch and are not paying attention to GRLs. In other countries, a politician will not make others carry her handbag even if they volunteered. In Singapore, I really don't know. Maybe Grace Fu is too used to being served by people. Maybe she has no political sense and she doesn't know how she will be perceived if she has grassroots leaders carrying her handbag for her wherever she goes.
Sometimes when the MP visits the community centre, I get the feeling that the MP isn't even looking at me. We usher the MP into the hall where the activity is being held and we show the MP to the front row seats, even asking if the MP wants any refreshments. All this while, along with the other GRLs, I feel the stress of making sure the whole event goes along smoothly. Sometimes we are coordinating an entire event not just one activity, and it has already been a tiring day for us even before the MP comes to observe the event. There are occasions when we even have to prepare for days before the event. It makes me annoyed that the MP doesn't talk to individual grassroots leaders much. Yes, the MP does talk to the senior grassroots leaders. But most of the work is done by the other grassroots leaders. I sometimes suspect that the senior grassroots leaders are trying to curry favour with the MP. Yes, I do feel envious about that. Why should they get that special attention when they are just supervising and not participating directly. At the end of the day, I usually put my frustration aside and tell myself that I'm here to serve the community and I've met my own personal targets for the event. But it becomes unbearable for me whenever I see things like this. Why must the more influential grassroots leaders bootlick the MP so obviously? Why does Minister Fu have to be so spoiled that she cannot even lift her own handbag?
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I read the recent news about the Korean Air Lines executive, Heather Cho who caused a commotion on a plane and delayed its flight just because she didn't like nuts served to her in a bag instead of on a plate. She even wanted the plane to turn bag just so that her request could be entertained. At first I laughed it off, saying that's a Korean affair. But then I saw Grace Fu with grassroots leaders walking behind her, holding her pink handbag. Are we producing elite ministers with this kind of snobbish attitude? Seeing Minister Fu with her subordinates carrying her handbag for her has made seriously worry about the type of MPs and ministers in this new batch. And my concerns are genuine. They are not just felt by me but several Singaporeans. I know that from my work in the community. I used to think that it's just the younger generation being whiny and complaining about trivial things, but now I'm starting to think that it's actually because the ministers are seriously out of touch with the commoners.
I urge Minister Grace Fu to come down from her ivory tower and realize that she has to be more down to earth when with commoners like us. GRLs are not her servants; we have our own dignity. Minister Grace Fu, please treat people with respect. If you are too lazy to carry your own handbag on a hot day, you can just leave it in your car. I don't give a damn whether writing this causes you to lose face. I serve the community not you. I think the residents of Yuhua SMC have the right to ask why their MP is acting like some atas VIP whenever she goes around the constituency. Shame on you. Thank goodness I'm not serving in your constituency.
Frustrated Grassroots Leader
TRS Contributor
[h=1]DEAR TRS, HOW COME GRACE FU NEEDS A GRASSROOTS LEADER TO CARRY HER HANDBAG?[/h]
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Post date:
11 Dec 2014 - 7:49am
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Dear The Real Singapore,
I came across this photo of Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, Grace Fu walking along a park connector with grassroots leaders behind her, one holding on to her pink handbag. I am extremely disappointed that Minister Grace Fu is too pampered to even carry her own handbag. I know that ministers and MPs are surrounded by grassroots leaders most of the time when they visit estates, but that is no excuse for a full minister to outsource even the task of carrying her own handbag to a grassroots leader. The GRLs are not the maids of MPs and ministers. Our role is to serve the community, regardless of who the MP is. I am not serving in Minister Grace Fu's constituency, but I strongly believe that fellow grassroots leaders should not degrade themselves by acting subservient to the MP. Our job is to organize activities for residents NOT to be maids for the MP.
Yes, we are supposed to help the MP understand the sentiments on the ground. That is an important role and a necessary one. But there are already people saying that PA is the same as the PAP and we grassroots leaders are just bootlickers of the PAP government. This photo of Minister Grace Fu making grassroots leaders carry her handbag only makes things worse for us. It makes me very angry when people accuse us of not being sincere when we are actually contributing so much of our free time to organize activities to bond the community. I am starting to think that many of the MPs are out of touch and are not paying attention to GRLs. In other countries, a politician will not make others carry her handbag even if they volunteered. In Singapore, I really don't know. Maybe Grace Fu is too used to being served by people. Maybe she has no political sense and she doesn't know how she will be perceived if she has grassroots leaders carrying her handbag for her wherever she goes.
Sometimes when the MP visits the community centre, I get the feeling that the MP isn't even looking at me. We usher the MP into the hall where the activity is being held and we show the MP to the front row seats, even asking if the MP wants any refreshments. All this while, along with the other GRLs, I feel the stress of making sure the whole event goes along smoothly. Sometimes we are coordinating an entire event not just one activity, and it has already been a tiring day for us even before the MP comes to observe the event. There are occasions when we even have to prepare for days before the event. It makes me annoyed that the MP doesn't talk to individual grassroots leaders much. Yes, the MP does talk to the senior grassroots leaders. But most of the work is done by the other grassroots leaders. I sometimes suspect that the senior grassroots leaders are trying to curry favour with the MP. Yes, I do feel envious about that. Why should they get that special attention when they are just supervising and not participating directly. At the end of the day, I usually put my frustration aside and tell myself that I'm here to serve the community and I've met my own personal targets for the event. But it becomes unbearable for me whenever I see things like this. Why must the more influential grassroots leaders bootlick the MP so obviously? Why does Minister Fu have to be so spoiled that she cannot even lift her own handbag?
<ins id="aswift_1_expand" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: currentColor; width: 336px; height: 280px; display: inline-table; visibility: visible; position: relative; background-color: transparent; border-image: none;"><ins id="aswift_1_anchor" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: currentColor; width: 336px; height: 280px; display: block; visibility: visible; position: relative; background-color: transparent; border-image: none;"><iframe name="aswift_1" width="336" height="280" id="aswift_1" frameBorder="0" marginWidth="0" marginHeight="0" scrolling="no" vspace="0" hspace="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="left: 0px; top: 0px; position: absolute;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe></ins></ins>
I read the recent news about the Korean Air Lines executive, Heather Cho who caused a commotion on a plane and delayed its flight just because she didn't like nuts served to her in a bag instead of on a plate. She even wanted the plane to turn bag just so that her request could be entertained. At first I laughed it off, saying that's a Korean affair. But then I saw Grace Fu with grassroots leaders walking behind her, holding her pink handbag. Are we producing elite ministers with this kind of snobbish attitude? Seeing Minister Fu with her subordinates carrying her handbag for her has made seriously worry about the type of MPs and ministers in this new batch. And my concerns are genuine. They are not just felt by me but several Singaporeans. I know that from my work in the community. I used to think that it's just the younger generation being whiny and complaining about trivial things, but now I'm starting to think that it's actually because the ministers are seriously out of touch with the commoners.
I urge Minister Grace Fu to come down from her ivory tower and realize that she has to be more down to earth when with commoners like us. GRLs are not her servants; we have our own dignity. Minister Grace Fu, please treat people with respect. If you are too lazy to carry your own handbag on a hot day, you can just leave it in your car. I don't give a damn whether writing this causes you to lose face. I serve the community not you. I think the residents of Yuhua SMC have the right to ask why their MP is acting like some atas VIP whenever she goes around the constituency. Shame on you. Thank goodness I'm not serving in your constituency.
Frustrated Grassroots Leader
TRS Contributor
