New MPs turn to social media, raise issues in Parliament to connect with Singaporeans

SINGAPORE – Chances are that in the past year, you would have scrolled through an Instagram video by your MP about the issues they raised in Parliament or a Facebook post about their community initiatives.

The newest batch of 25 backbenchers – 20 from the PAP, five from the Workers’ Party – have put up thousands of posts on the two social media platforms to reflect their active work on the ground and in the House. Some are also on TikTok to appeal to a younger audience.

While it is common for politicians to use social media, the new MPs have taken the effort to be “more deliberate and intentional” in what they share, said PAP first-term MP Hazlina Abdul Halim, who represents East Coast GRC.

For many of them, social media has become an essential part of their role. It helps with communicating policy, engaging residents and amplifying their reach, said Jalan Besar GRC MP Shawn Loh, who was elected at the May 2025 polls.

West Coast-Jurong West GRC MP Hamid Razak said amplifying the work that MPs do in Parliament fosters civic participation.

He distils complex issues that are debated in the House into short posts or videos for those who do not have time to tune in to the sittings.

His exchange on recent insurance premium changes with Health Minister Ong Ye Kung sparked meaningful interaction online among regular Singaporeans and fellow medical professionals, he said.

“It’s very important that my constituents are in tune with what is happening in Parliament because it affects their daily lives and livelihood,” he said. “We want Singaporeans to be critical, we want them to be engaged.”

Ms Hazlina said this is why the “Class of 2025” have put up many posts about what they do in Parliament, including exchanges over questions they raise or their speeches in debates on new legislation.

The clips typically do well online, which suggests people are interested, she said.

“When you get a response, whether it’s an encouragement or an alternative viewpoint or a suggestion, then I think we would have done our part to encourage one more Singaporean to be excited about what happens in the House.”

Across the aisle, the newcomers in blue are also active on social media. WP Aljunied GRC MP Fadli Fawzi uses Facebook to do explainers on his parliamentary questions.

“A lot of Singaporeans don’t really look at the parliamentary questions we are asking, and I do ask a lot of questions, and some of them have very good answers,” he said.

He wants to give more context so people better understand how Parliament works and its relevance to their lives, he added.

Beyond parliamentary proceedings, PAP Tanjong Pagar GRC MP Foo Cexiang said he breaks down issues that he encounters on the ground on Facebook – his social media platform of choice as he favours lengthy posts.

He has posted about efforts to improve recycling behaviour in his Tanjong Pagar-Tiong Bahru ward and the complexities in managing vice in Tanjong Pagar Plaza.

In the House

Outside of cyberspace, the new MPs have also been making their mark in Parliament.

Singapore Institute of Technology Associate Professor Jean Liu from its health and social sciences cluster said in a LinkedIn post on May 5 that first-term MPs and NCMPs (Non-Constituency MPs) have been more active in asking questions.

On average, each new MP asked nearly 20 more questions than returning MPs since September, said Prof Liu, who conducts behavioural science research.

Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC MP David Hoe has raised more than 100 parliamentary questions on diverse issues. He often files new questions on the same topics as he tries to push for a solution – for example, converting unused multi-storey carpark space into community spaces or the lack of variety among tenants at Clementi Mall.

After asking in Parliament about the levers available to engage owners to support a mix of tenants, he also met the new owners of the mall to share feedback gathered from residents.

Residents are worried that their familiar local shops will be displaced by mainland Chinese brands, he said.

“The free market does everything, but I believe that it does not always arrive at a good outcome for society, and that’s why there is room for government intervention,” he said.

Mr Hoe has also documented online his journey towards his adjournment motion – a chance to speak on a topic for 20 minutes at the end of a Parliament sitting day.

He balloted eight times unsuccessfully as other MPs had also wanted to speak. There is only one adjournment motion per sitting day. There have been about 17 such speeches since September, with about seven filed by new MPs.

Mr Hoe finally secured a slot on May 7, about four months after his first ballot in January. While waiting, he organised dialogues with people for feedback.

In his speech, he proposed a Curiosity Credits scheme for secondary students to spend on taster courses that would give them more clarity about their interests and help them make more informed choices about their future paths. The Education Ministry said it was open to ideas like his.

“I have learnt that change takes time and does not happen overnight,” said Mr Hoe. “But Parliament works and is a useful tool to enact changes.”

On the other hand, Ms Gho Sze Kee (Mountbatten) has filed questions only when she wants to highlight gaps in policies or seek clarity on them.

From support for the sandwiched class to the competitiveness of the Direct School Admission scheme, the shipping lawyer said it is important to bring these issues up so that policymakers know about differing views, and can make the best adjustments if needed.

WP’s Mr Fadli has raised issues ranging from meritocracy to heritage.

One highlight for him was being able to flag his concerns about artificial intelligence in the recent debate on a motion moved by labour chief Ng Chee Meng for the House to affirm no jobless growth amid the AI transition.

Mr Fadli had cautioned that constantly outsourcing tasks to AI may erode or undermine human capacities for creativity, imagination, judgment, and even empathy. These practical skills may also atrophy from lack of use.

Heritage is also more important than ever in this AI era, he said. “AI, at this point of time, has no heritage. That in itself is an argument for the greater preservation of heritage – because that is something that AI cannot replicate.”

The newcomer MPs have also been working to bring diverse suggestions to the House.

During the Budget debate in February, Jalan Besar’s Mr Loh proposed ideas such as wealth taxes and for the Government to share with Singaporeans any fiscal surpluses exceeding 2 per cent of gross domestic product.

Observers have pointed out that Mr Loh’s suggestions are similar to some raised by opposition MPs. On this, Mr Loh said the PAP “should be its strongest opposition and its own greatest critic”.

He has also pressed the Government on the investments of surpluses by Temasek and GIC, asking about the “trigger point” that would force a review of the entities.

No one, including ministers, has told him to temper his critiques, he said.

“Several MPs and political office holders have said ‘great speech’ or ‘that gives us much food for thought’.”

He added that the PAP should not be seen as a monolithic bloc with only a single idea.

That is why Mr Loh, who edits his speeches on the fly as others bring up their points, has disagreed with not just ideas from the WP but also his own party colleagues during debates.

“I engage with ideas,” he quipped.

He also intentionally speaks on more technical legislation involving the Monetary Authority of Singapore or Finance Ministry, even if there is less public interest in such Bills and “less airtime on national TV”.

“I try to focus on issues that I have a bit more of a value-add to and that make a difference to our policies in the economic and finance sphere,” he said, referring to his background as a former Budget director.

WP Aljunied GRC MP Kenneth Tiong often draws on his finance and trading background to pitch unconventional ideas in Parliament.

“With enough good evidence or good reasons, you can actually try to convince the Government and try to influence the path of policy,” he said.

He spends months researching topics and talking to experts before bringing them up in Parliament.

Before asking in September if Singapore had plans for a space agency, he spoke to people involved in space research.

The Government announced a new National Space Agency of Singapore in February 2026.

Asked about this, Mr Tiong said: “I certainly don’t have any insider information as to what the Government is planning.

“(But) I think there’s some part of a policy-focused politician that is a bit like an investigative journalist, and so one has to do the groundwork.”

He has delivered three adjournment motions, covering pre-schools, the gold industry and co-curricular activities in schools.

Besides his policy ideas, Mr Tiong has also gained attention for his sometimes confrontational debating style.

During an exchange about family offices and sanctioned entities in Parliament in November 2025, he called National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat’s question “stupid”, drawing a reprimand from Speaker of Parliament Seah Kian Peng.

Mr Tiong, who was asked to apologise and did so, said of the incident: “There’s no list of words that you know beforehand about what the Speaker will allow or not. I’m glad that Speaker Seah has clarified them and we all know where the OB markers are, so we’ll be mindful of it next time.”

On the ground

Even as they spar over policy and politics in the House, the eight first-term MPs ST spoke to made clear that constituency work remains the foundation that informs and validates their national policy efforts.

MPs from both parties said it is through regular interaction with residents that they get a better sense of what actually matters on the ground.

Without a link to their constituencies, MPs may not understand the real problems people face and risk proposing irrelevant policies in Parliament, said WP’s Mr Tiong.

They will also find it hard to successfully carry good ideas forward without ground support, he added.

Interaction is not just online but offline – PAP’s Mr Hoe believes in “different strokes for different folks”.

He meets younger families every fortnight at 10pm for a 5km run and has breakfast with elderly residents every Saturday.

Frequent engagements also help new faces gain familiarity among residents.

WP’s Mr Fadli said he is now best remembered for his rendition of the Chinese song The Moon Represents My Heart at a Mid-Autumn Festival performance.

After singing the song in both Chinese and Malay, he was asked to serenade residents again at a subsequent getai event.

Tanjong Pagar’s Mr Foo, whose social media feed has several clips of him dancing, rapidly overcame his initial shyness to dance. He realised that doing so with his residents brought them excitement and spurred them to join in to be active.

He also learnt quickly the importance of being consultative, after being thrown into the deep end to solve municipal issues soon after the election.

Some residents were unhappy that their flats would be painted purple, with the issue gaining media attention. Mr Foo facilitated a poll where four in 10 Boon Tiong Road households eventually voted for a taupe colour scheme instead.

Since then, he has also partnered residents on a new recycling trial launched earlier in 2026. The Seng Poh estate residents wanted their blue recycling bins, which were overflowing with rubbish, removed. Now, residents can deposit their recyclables during fortnightly community drives at the community centre.

His Spottiswoode residents are also the testers in an ongoing participatory budgeting project, which allows them more say in how funds are allocated for neighbourhood improvements.

He cited these engagements with his residents in an adjournment motion on May 5, when he called for an active citizenry to collaborate with the Government.

“There has to be a deep trust in the residents that we will be able to have a constructive process and a productive outcome,” he said.

“It cannot be that every initiative comes from the MP or even the grassroots leaders, and you don’t need to be a grassroots leader to be able to propose community projects.”

Initiatives from MPs typically arise from gathering data on their residents’ needs through ground work.

It was through house visits and meet-the-people sessions that Dr Hamid met many “no-buffer households” – those unable to get back on their feet because of one mishap or mistake leading to a cascade of challenges – whose problems he often highlights in Parliament.

In his Jurong Spring-Gek Poh division, he has started a system to help them, based on his experience as an orthopaedic surgeon.

Much like how a team of physiotherapist, occupational therapist, doctor and surgeon are assigned to patients with complex problems, he has taken a multidisciplinary team approach for these complex cases.

Each month, he gathers representatives from the Housing Board, social service offices, family service centres and volunteers to go through the different cases.

Mr Fadli has started various activities in his Kaki Bukit ward, such as a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) talk and certification event as well as flea markets for people to donate and receive pre-loved items to encourage sustainability and help the poorer residents.

For Ms Hazlina, constituency work is both a privilege and a sobering responsibility.

“It really is quite something else to go to bed at night and wake up the next day knowing that you are the hope and aspiration or even the shoulder to cry on for 42,000 residents,” she said.

In her Fengshan ward, she has focused on different initiatives for different demographics. For the elderly, she has focused on infrastructural upgrades, such as adding ramps, shelters, and piloting anti-slip flooring.

For the influx of young families, she recently launched a parents’ support club.

Over in Mountbatten, Ms Gho started a Compassionate Care Fund, which provides $400 cash relief to residents in the ward who have caregiving and palliative care needs. The scheme ran from November 2025 to February 2026.

Ultimately, it is about creating a considerate and kind Mountbatten home, she said.

In the past year, she has realised this comes with some compromises – a lesson she learnt from a pickleball dispute.

Some residents had complained about the noise generated by the plastic balls striking hard paddles and ricocheting off the ground.

She introduced foam balls for quieter gameplay instead of banning the sport – a change supported by players and residents. Complaints have since reduced.

“What I’m very much hopeful for is a collaborative, give-and-take approach, and a kampung spirit that can be inculcated in society.”