MPS(1 of 4 sessions)
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Yesterday after tennis, I met up with Stella, a fellow Talent Management student (and the debates Vice-Prez) to go to a nearby kindergarten to observe a meet-the-people session in the Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC.
Basically, all the TM students have this attachment programme, and I chose the one I'm in because I saw that Mr Teo Chee Hean was the current MP 'stationed' there. Also, I didn't know Stella almost at all, save for seeing her some times when she and Vijay were chatting, or when I happened to be among my two debates classmates. (Vijay and Amos)
After tennis, I rushed to get changed, despite me perspiring quite a bit. I thought it would be common sense that going for these types of things dictated school uniforms. The toilets were all locked for some reason, so I got changed in some classroom and rushed to meet her at the nearby bus stop. We walked there and came on time.
Introductions were brief but warm and friendly, and I had a small meal consisting of a small bowl of hokkien mee they had there. Then the session began, and we were attached to case writers sitting at different tables, in a format not any different from
our MPS- meet the parents sessions.
This whole thing was very enlightening to me, because never before did I know this was how an MPS was conducted. Basically people come into the kindergarten, (it usually is held there, at the void decks.) register with their ICs (to make sure they're from the correct GRC) and get a case number allotted to them, after which they wait their turn to be seen.
A case writer is stationed at each table, and they basically find out what the party wishes to obtain from various organisations. There are in total 23 case types, ranging from Traffic Police Summons, Loan (deferments), domestic disputes and Permanent Residency status. The objective of the case writer is to find out all he needs about the person's case, advice, where possible, other alternatives to writing a letter to concerned organisations, and most importantly, come up with a convincing, well-worded letter to assist the person's case.
I observed about 5 or 6 cases, one with this old 50+ year old case writer who was apparently very experienced at this, and with this guy Ori, an Israeli, whom when asked why he came to Singapore and volunteered as a case writer, replied by saying that "Singapore is the Best."
Case writers don't get any rewards, and barring a grateful thanks, don't get much in return for their help. They are free to come and go when the sessions take place. Still, through the session, I realised that the people who come to them for help in drafting a letter are very much dependent on the ability of the case writer to know his stuff and language. I think I could do the job, but the I'm pretty sure the people who come to see me will view me as too inexperienced for the job. It's all about the presentation. All the cases I sat through were unique and interesting, and I'd love to write them out here, (nothing to do with spreading salacious rumours, no.) but they're just too long.
After those few cases, we met with the branch secretary who took us through what the GRC does, and in the larger picture, how we can be involved in the PAP when we get older. 17 years and above grants you the ability to join the PAP as a member, but only if you don't belong to a school. Being in a Polytechnic is okay, interestingly. When he finished fielding three of our questions, it was already 10:30, but we were asked to wait for Mr Teo to finish attending to a few cases first, and greet and chat with him for a bit.
Seeing him was a feeling a bit mixed to me. To me he seemed like a bigshot, having such an important portfolio, but in the casual setting we more or less seemed to be in, I didn't feel very intimidated.
posted by joseph at 2:05 PM