PAP stops all ground engagements until May 4 due to Covid-19

SINGAPORE — All ground engagement efforts by the People’s Action Party (PAP), such as market visits, house visits and face-to-face meet-the-people sessions, are halted during the circuit-breaker period, the ruling party said.

“At this time it is critical that, as far as possible, all of us play our part, to protect all of us, especially our seniors,” the party said in a Facebook post on Monday (April 13).

“Once this is over we will be out there again, meeting you, organising activities and hosting meet-the-people sessions. For now please stay home. Stay safe and take care.”

The announcement did not make any reference to any particular event but it came after Dr Chia Shi-Lu, a PAP Member of Parliament (MP), received some online criticism for visiting Alexandra Village Food Centre within his constituency on Sunday.

He was there to distribute reusable face masks after the circuit-breaker measures to restrict movement of people were imposed from April 7 to May 4, to curb the transmission of the coronavirus. 

On his Facebook page, the MP for Tanjong Pagar Group Representation Constituency posted about the activity, where he was accompanied by members of his grassroots team.

Dr Chia leads the PAP’s government parliamentary committee for health and is a senior consultant with the department of orthopaedic surgery at the Singapore General Hospital.

He said that he had made a “quick trip” to the hawker centre on Sunday morning to see how the stallholders there were coping by the end of the first week of the circuit-breaker regulations.

Present with him was Colonel Eric Chua Swee Leong, director of the SGSecure Programme Office at the Ministry of Home Affairs. Colonel Chua was named as a possible future candidate in the upcoming General Election by Chinese evening daily Lianhe Wanbao.

Several online users, including some opposition figures, lashed out at Dr Chia for visiting the hawker centre during this period and questioned the purpose of the visit. 

Mr Koh Choong Yong, vice-chairman of the Hougang Constituency Committee with the Workers' Party (WP), and former candidate for Sengkang West in the 2011 and 2015 General Elections, noted that Dr Chia was not there to buy food, but to give out masks.

“He even has an entourage that (includes) a new face! Is that considered an essential activity? Looks like he has breached the (circuit-breaker) measures. If this activity was undertaken by anyone else, would it be tolerated? Why is he not slapped with an immediate S$300 fine?” Mr Koh asked.

When contacted later, Mr Koh said he was commenting in his personal capacity and was not representing the party.

TODAY could not reach Dr Chia for comment. 

Several PAP MPs have already suspended their in-person meet-the-people sessions during this period, choosing to hold them via online video conferencing, phone consultations or through email. 

WP has temporarily stopped these sessions at its wards in Hougang and Aljunied. It has also halted all house visits for the time being, but its MPs and town councillors will continue to inspect the estates with the help of one to two volunteers, staff members, or Non-Constituency MPs, the party said in a statement on March 26.

TODAY reported last month that most of the opposition parties have suspended their community outreach activities owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.