- Meet-the-People Sessions
-
Singapore 
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Meet-the-People Sessions (MPS) is the name of a feedback/redress system developed in Singapore for citizens to meet their member of parliament. The MPS are usually held once a week. Many citizens see the MPS as an opportunity to resolve problems that they are having with the bureaucracy.The MP will write a petition letter to the relevant ministry, statutory board or any concerned parties to appeal on behalf of the resident. The letters are accorded a higher priority by the Civil Service as they come from elected representatives.
Cases deal with a wide range of problems. These include, but are not limited to, family financial problems (eg. health-cost issues, jobs, financial assistance), CPF matters, various licenses, HDB related problems (eg. subsidized rental housing, obtaining a subsidized HDB flat), immigration issues, and appeals for school admissions and school fee subsidy.[1]
Most sessions last past midnight, and are staffed by volunteers.
Contents
History
The establishment of these sessions can be traced back to David Marshall of the Labour Front in the 1950s.[2]
Rationale
The rationale for the MPS is so that Members of Parliament can get a feel of the ground.Even cabinet Ministers are required to go to their weekly MPS, although sometimes they may seek help from another MP when they have ministerial duties to attend to.[3]
The 1966 Wee Chong Jin Constitutional Commission had recommended an Ombudsman to deal with complaints against the bureaucracy, but Parliament rejected that idea and preferred if such cases were handled by the Members of Parliament or the Feedback Unit.[4] This need to perform an Ombudsman function is probably another rationale for having the MPS.
Process
The process of meeting the MP or Ministers varies from constituency to constituency, but they follow a general pattern:
1) Registration and take queue number
2) Constituent meets the petition writer who pens the letter (either hand-written or via PC) on behalf of the MP
3) Wait and queue to meet the MP
4) Meet the MP in a separate room, constituent informs the MP of his/her problems one-to-one.
5) MP assures the constituent that they will look into the case and send the letter. For urgent cases, the letter will be typed out, sign by the MP and hands it to the constituent immediately. For normal cases, the letter will be vetted through by the MP’s or Minister’s Personal Secretary and sent out within three working days.[5] http://pap.chongpang.org/content/day-mps
Criticism
There has been criticism that MPs do not give enough time to each individual resident. There has also been criticism that volunteers at MPS are unable to connect with residents, and that the general attitude of volunteers has changed with time, for the worse. It has been alleged that some MPS volunteers are only there for self-gain. Other criticism include using standard templates for the petitions, the inability to deal with residents who have mental issues, and a perceived lack of empathy.[6]
References
- ^ MP, I want help with...
- ^ Leon Comber, Asian Studies Review, Volume 18, Issue 2 November 1994 , pages 105 - 112
- ^ http://singaporegovt.blogspot.com/2005/08/paps-meet-people-sessions-mps-what.html
- ^ Li-ann Thio, "The Passage of a Generation" in Li-ann Thio and Kevin YL Tan Evolution of a Revolution (Oxon: Routledge-Cavendish, 2010) 7 at 38
- ^ http://singaporegovt.blogspot.com/2005/08/paps-meet-people-sessions-mps-what.html
- ^ "More Head or Heart?" The New Paper (10 May 2009)
External links
Categories:- Singaporean culture
- Members of the Parliament of Singapore
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