Parliamentary pursuits: Retiree’s ‘secret’ autograph book holds over 90 MP signatures

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SINGAPORE – Madam Soh Siew Geok, 72, is perhaps Singapore’s most avid attendee of Meet-the-People Sessions (MPS). The Yishun resident has ventured as far as Jurong and Marine Parade to meet various Members of Parliament – but not exactly to seek out help on municipal or personal issues.

Instead, the affable retiree takes a bus to MPS across the island to collect the autographs of the country’s political representatives as a hobby. Since 2015, she has acquired more than 90 signatures from active stalwarts like Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong and Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh, and retired politicians such as Mr Lim Swee Say.

“It all started in 2015, when I bought the SG50 commemorative notes in Tampines and bumped into some MPs after my purchase. I thought it would be a good idea to get their signatures,” she tells The Straits Times in Mandarin, though admitting that she has forgotten who those MPs were.

“And, since I’d already got a few signatures, I thought I should just try to collect everyone else’s,” adds the former newspaper distributor and toy factory worker. That idea has blossomed into a spirited quest to obtain the signature of every MP, no matter his or her party colour.

With the nine-day campaigning period of GE2025, Madam Soh no longer has to limit herself to MPS and has started walking the ground too.

On April 25, she was spotted at Mayflower Market and Food Centre requesting the autograph of Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong. The leader of the PAP slate in Ang Mo Kio GRC was on a walkabout in Kebun Baru SMC.

This was not her first time collecting his signature but it was special. This time, SM Lee signed her autograph book in Chinese, having previously penned his name in English.

He did not recognise her, she says with a laugh, but she never expected him to. Her encounters with MPs are typically fleeting. It took eight visits to SM Lee’s constituency before she finally met him and got his autograph the first time.

One of her friendliest interactions was with Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung, who took the time to ask her about her plans for the book, which he said “must be worth a lot”.

“I might give this to my son if he wants it, or I might donate this to a museum,” responded Madam Soh, who has a 32-year-old son. Her husband, who is 68, prefers to keep a low profile, and she declined to reveal what either of them does for a living.

Not every encounter is warm, and some MPs have been less than friendly, she lets on. Declining to reveal names, she says: “You don’t have to sign in my book, I’ll just leave an empty space beside your face.”

Her book is a patchwork of faces snipped from residents’ committee brochures. Her cut-out of SM Lee’s face was from a brochure given to her by her brother, who lives in Ang Mo Kio GRC. She taps friends living across the island to send her brochures and MPS timings.

The book is kept in her cabinet, and her husband and son are not aware of its existence, she says.

“I do it secretly and I don’t need anyone’s permission,” she says. “Of course, I’m very happy about the signatures I’ve collected – I often take my booklet out from the cabinet and admire it.”

A few friends have questioned her about collecting the signatures of candidates who have yet to be elected. But Madam Soh tells them it is her book and she makes the rules.

She times her outings for the golden hour – just before the evening MPS begin. A decade of travelling around Singapore has rewarded this retiree – who might otherwise be cooped up at home – with something special.

“Because of this hobby, I’ve realised how beautiful Singapore can look at night. The most beautiful place in this country is the east coast because of the sunsets,” she says.