How MP Tin Pei Ling continues to serve her residents amid public scrutiny

MacPherson MP Tin Pei Ling was PAP’s youngest candidate at 27 years old during the 2011 General Election when she was put in the spotlight – remember the Kate Spade bag episode? – and it’s never quite left her.

Since then, she has had, arguably, one of the most closely watched political journeys among MPs. From her pregnancies to career moves, she has drawn much public and media attention.

On this episode, Ms Tin, 41, tells The Usual Place host Natasha about how she deals with hate comments, her perceived job-hopping in the past few years, and why she hopes to be the MP for her current ward for a long time to come.

And given the current geopolitical climate, she makes a case to young voters why her party would be the best choice now.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:09 Is Ms Tin sick of people talking about her Kate Spade bag?

5:01 Dealing with hate comments when she ran in the GE for the first time

9:41 Putting aside her feelings to deal with her residents’ issues

13:17 Why she wants to fight to be with the MacPherson ward

14:20 Should more MPs be full-time as she was at one point?

19:38 Ms Tin’s advice for new candidates

24:59 How to keep the online space safe and civil

30:54 What scares this mum-of-two about what’s online

36:40 On the optics of her changing her job three times in the past few years

38:28 Does she think the spotlight on her career moves was unwarranted?

40:00 Getting involved in the grassroots during her university days

49:43 It should not be age that matters, but rather the willingness to connect: Ms Tin on older MPs and young voters

51:29 Her pitch to young voters to support PAP

55:43 Is highlighting geopolitical tensions “overblown” or “fearmongering”?

Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah (

natashaz@sph.com.sg

)

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Filmed by: Studio+65

Edited by ST Podcast producers: Eden Soh and Teo Tong Kai

Executive producers: Ernest Luis

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