Big turn-out at Punggol East MPS
by Amir Hussain
04:46 AM Dec 18, 2012
SINGAPORE - While a typical Meet-the-People Session (MPS) at Punggol East would see about 50 residents seeking their Member of Parliament (MP) each week, last night's session - the first since former MP Michael Palmer resigned last week over an extramarital affair - saw a queue of about 50 people even before the session began.
Last night's MPS was conducted by Deputy Prime Minister and Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC MP Teo Chee Hean, who held a combined session with residents from his Pasir Ris West ward.
Nevertheless, grassroots leaders said that most of the residents who turned up at the MPS, which was held at the PAP Community Foundation's Punggol East Education Centre at Blk 124A Rivervale Drive, were from the Punggol East Single Member Constituency.
Residents who TODAY spoke to were there mainly to seek help on getting rental flats or appealing against penalties for their traffic offences.
One resident, Madam Mani, 64, said she was worried about whether there would be continuity for her case after Mr Palmer's resignation.
She is looking for a rental flat and said she had seen Mr Palmer a few times and he told her not to worry about her case. "I hope they will take care of us, just as what Mr Palmer has done," she said.
Another resident, a taxi driver who declined to be named, said he felt assured by the fact that a minister was handling the MPS. "He has weight, let's put it that way."
