SINGAPORE — The plight of vulnerable people in the community should not be politicised and be used as “trojan horses, as pawns or as chess pieces”, said Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family Development Eric Chua in parliament on Monday (March 4).

Mr Chua made the comment while responding to questions about a Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (Pofma) order that was issued to Non-Constituency MP Leong Mun Wai (PSP) last month over false claims he made on Facebook about the lack of financial aid given to a couple with mobility problems staying in West Coast.

MP Melvin Yong (PAP-Radin Mas) asked if the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) was aware of how Mr Leong came to know of the couple’s situation.

COUPLE REFERRED TO LEONG MUN WAI BY PRITAM SINGH

Mr Chua said that volunteers had approached the couple after Mr Leong’s social media posts.

“The couple told our volunteers that they were surprised to find Mr Leong at the door on Feb 12 because they had neither approached the PSP (Progress Singapore Party) nor Mr Leong about their situation,” he said.

“Instead, they had said that they had actually written to Mr Pritam Singh four years ago in 2020. Then, there was no response from the WP (Workers’ Party) nor Mr Pritam Singh.”

Four years later on Feb 11, the couple said they received a call from Mr Singh — WP chief and Leader of the Opposition — and was told “that someone would visit them”, according to Mr Chua.

Mr Leong then visited the couple on Feb 12.

“The couple told us they were told that Mr Singh had informed Mr Leong regarding the email that Mr Singh had received four years ago,” Mr Chua said.

“As to why Mr Singh did not do anything for four years, and why he then chose to speak with Mr Leong and whether Mr Singh knew or agreed with Mr Leong that this matter will be highlighted on social media just four days before the Budget statement was due to be delivered on Feb 16 — that is not clear to us.

“I don't know what Mr Singh was trying to do, and I make no specific comment on his motivations. But I'm sure he and everyone in this chamber here will agree with me that people, especially the vulnerable ones that we serve, and their plights should not be politicised.

“Instead, there must be a sincere intent to help.”

Mr Singh replied that he had picked up the couple’s letter while clearing up files in his office. He decided to check in with the couple and was given “some feedback about still being in difficulty”.

"I asked for the address since the address was not on the letter, and realised that it was in an area where Mr Leong and his party are active," Mr Singh added.

"So I said, 'Look, have you seen your SSO (Social Service Office) or at least gone to the SSO?' The couple said: 'No, because I am blind,' and the gentleman said that his wife was immobile.

“For that reason, I got in touch with Mr Leong and said, ‘Look if your team is visiting, just you may want to find out and follow up’,” Mr Singh told the House, adding that he “did not know how Mr Leong followed up after that”.

The WP chief also noted that he has received similar feedback about the predicament of residents in other constituencies that the WP is not involved in, and he has passed on such information to MSF.

“I hope the MSF acknowledges that in this House that this is how the WP operates as well,” said Mr Singh.

“When we know of residents who are in trouble, who are in need or who are in difficulty, it is not in the Workers' Party's interests to go online and to point fingers at government agencies, point fingers at organisations like SSO for no rhyme or reason.”

Mr Singh stressed that “the idea must always be how do we follow up with this individual”. 

“I hope that clarifies to MSF that when we know of residents who are in need in any constituency, we will try and get assistance rendered to them, be it through people who we know are active on the ground or through the MSF and SSO.”

Responding to that, Mr Chua said the ministry is “out to seek the facts”, which was why it wanted to know if Mr Singh had alerted Mr Leong to the couple’s situation and why he waited four years to do so.

“No disagreement with the process that has been in place all this while and we are definitely not saying that WP and Mr Singh (are) going out there on social media platforms to point fingers at the government,” said Mr Chua.

Noting that his questions remain unanswered, Mr Chua said vulnerable people in the community should not be used “as trojan horses, as pawns or as chess pieces”, and that subjecting them to such situations “is neither good faith” nor helpful to their circumstances.

DISCLOSURE IN LINE WITH PRIVACY PROTECTION RULES

MP Gerald Giam (WP-Aljunied) asked if MSF’s disclosure of the couple’s financial situation, including their Central Provident Fund (CPF) and MediSave balances, is in line with privacy protection standards and whether it could lead to the identification of the couple.

In his reply, Mr Chua said the Pofma correction direction, which was issued on Feb 15, “did not identify the couple in any way”. It listed the various ways the couple had received support. 

He added that the disclosure of the couples’ CPF and MediSave balances was “necessary” to dispel the false claims made by Mr Leong.

“It is unfortunate that there is a habit of rushing to publicise cases of persons in need,” said Mr Chua.

He added that when cases are publicised with falsehoods, they “create the misleading impression that we as a society are failing those of us who are in need”.

Government agencies “have to set the record straight in the public interest”, he said.

“This is consistent with the government’s instruction manual and the Public Sector (Governance) Act on data governance standards, which provide that, among other reasons, personal data can be disclosed if necessary in the public interest,” he said.

Mr Leong did not speak during the discussion. It was unclear if he was in the House, with PSP only saying he was in parliament for a "length of time" today.

Last month, he stepped down as PSP secretary-general to "take responsibility" for the Pofma order. CNA