As Singapore hunkers down under circuit breaker measures that keep people safe at home from the Covid-19 pandemic, a little flap was caused when an MP was photographed at a hawker centre.

People's Action Party (PAP) MP Chia Shi-Lu was seen handing out face masks to hawkers at Alexandra Village Food Centre on April 12.

The two-term backbencher was accompanied by grassroots leader Eric Chua, tipped as a potential candidate for the ruling PAP, along with a few activists.

All wore masks in public, as is now required under social distancing rules.

The visit would have been an ordinary one as the market is located in his Queenstown ward, and he was reminding hawkers to mask up.

Also, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the Tanjong Pagar GRC MP could have been lauded for checking on his constituents.

But the photo of the two men, masked and greeting hawkers, sparked a firestorm of criticism when published.

Netizens and some opposition politicians accused Dr Chia of breaching safe distancing rules, and using the activity as a cover to campaign for the coming general election (GE).

In essence, they were saying he put political interests ahead of public health and safety, when stringent safe distancing is needed to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

Dr Chia later offered his side of the story, telling The Straits Times that he was "not there to campaign" but to educate hawkers about wearing masks.

Dr Chia was not the only MP out and about during the circuit breaker period, when schools and workplaces are shut. That same weekend, PAP MPs such as Mr Seah Kian Peng and former Minister for Communications and Information Yaacob Ibrahim visited their respective estates, according to their Facebook posts.

However, a day after Dr Chia's visit, the PAP said its ground engagements, including market and house visits, would be suspended for the duration of the circuit breaker.

Opposition parties - such as the Workers' Party, Singapore Democratic Party and Progress Singapore Party - had earlier suspended house visits and walkabouts before the circuit breaker kicked in on April 7.

The issue put the spotlight on MPs' constituency activities, raising the question of whether such activities should be stopped during the circuit breaker period.

Some essential services are allowed to continue during this period, including food establishments, markets and supermarkets, clinics, hospitals, utilities, transport and key banking services, among others.

Apart from these, the Government also allows some social service agencies that provide essential aid for vulnerable groups, such as elderly citizens who do not have family support, to run during the circuit breaker period.

For example, food charities such as Willing Hearts, Food from the Heart, The Food Bank and Free Food For All are permitted to continue food distribution. Volunteer groups and social service agencies are also allowed to provide counselling support, albeit remotely. Government-run Social Service Offices, which administer its financial aid schemes, remain open.

The question is whether MPs, and the services they provide with their grassroots activists, should be allowed to continue in the same way as those providing social services.

The Straits Times checked with four government ministries and agencies whether MPs and the work they do on the ground were considered essential but did not get a response to its queries.

Meanwhile, many MPs have turned to digital methods to stay in touch with residents, wary of flouting circuit breaker regulations. But these methods have limits to their reach.

I believe allowances can be made for MPs - who are the people's elected representatives - to carry out their usual ground activities such as engaging residents and seeking their feedback, during the circuit breaker period.

They can play a more effective role in the fight against this pandemic if they are on the ground - they can help address concerns, give assistance to vulnerable residents, and also provide important feedback to the Government on how its policies are faring.

Doing so as elected representatives is a visible sign of leadership as well in these troubled times.

Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin earlier this month called on MPs to be leaders in the community and rally Singaporeans together.

"We also need to be socially closer to our citizens, to hear and speak their voices here, to provide them comfort, hope and confidence," he said in Parliament a day before the circuit breaker measures kicked in on April 7.

This message is more relevant now, he told The Straits Times last week, adding that it was an MP's responsibility to "remain connected as much as possible".

"The last thing you want is for the infirm, the vulnerable, the isolated, to be caught out in this period with various issues."

Mr Tan has reduced his activities on the ground and cancelled house visits during this period. He put up notices at housing estates telling residents how to get help, and is relying more on ground networks to flag issues.

But from time to time, the Marine Parade GRC MP goes around on his own in his constituency, with his mask on and keeping a safe distance, to check on things and reassure residents anxious about the unfolding Covid-19 situation.

He said that on one of his visits, hawkers told him they were worried they would not be allowed to eat meals at tables in front of their stalls as no dining in is permitted at hawker centres.

Mr Tan relayed their concerns to Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli. The Government on April 10 clarified that hawkers can eat alone at tables immediately in front of their stalls.

"If political opponents want to criticise me for remaining engaged, that's okay. They don't bear any responsibility to my residents but I do," Mr Tan said.

The political atmosphere has been charged since the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee report was released on March 13. Potential PAP electoral candidates have been photographed at constituency events, fuelling talk about an early election, although one need not be held until April next year.

With the circuit breaker measures now extended until June 1, an early GE is probably not an immediate priority. But it continues to loom large, and has created an environment in which the activities of MPs could be misunderstood, said Singapore Management University law don Eugene Tan.

Calling the GE "an inconvenient distraction", he said some flexibility should be given to MPs: "They should be able to move around should there be a pressing need. If care is taken, I think it is possible for MPs to go about fulfilling their duties to residents and stepping up in their roles as leaders. The reality is that people's issues are not in abeyance just because we have a circuit breaker."

Allowing MPs to walk the ground to talk to residents will help MPs fulfil their dual roles of being both lawmakers and community leaders.

After all, MPs channel their residents' concerns to the Government, and act as conduits, giving needy residents grocery vouchers and free meals or linking them to social service agencies.

Some conditions could be imposed on MPs, such as capping the number of people they can gather with, and requiring them to wear a mask and keep a safe distance from people at all times.

Being clear about whether MPs can continue to function on the ground, and the conditions under which they can do so, will also prevent a repeat of the incident involving Dr Chia. But political parties should also not capitalise on this to introduce potential candidates, as this privilege of social engagement during the circuit breaker period should be reserved only for elected MPs.

This way, Singapore's elected leaders can help point the way forward in these uncertain times, reassure constituents and project confidence in their communities.