Meet-the-People Sessions

The establishment of these sessions can be traced back to Chief Minister David Marshall of the Labour Front in the 1950s. ==Rationale==

The rationale for the Meet-the-People Sessions (MPS) is so that Members of Parliament (MPs) can get a feel of the ground. Even Cabinet ministers are required to go to their weekly MPS, although sometimes they may seek help from other MPs to cover duties when they have ministerial duties to attend to. The 1966 Wee Chong Jin Constitutional Commission had recommended an ombudsman to deal with complaints against the bureaucracy however, Parliament rejected the recommendation and instead preferred that such cases were to be handled by the Members of Parliament themselves or the national Feedback Unit. The need to perform an ombudsman function is probably another rationale for having the Meet-the-People Sessions. ==Process==

The process of meeting the Members of Parliament varies from constituency to constituency, but follow a general pattern: • Registration and take queue number. • Constituent meets the writer who pens the appeal letter (either hand-written or via computer) on behalf of the MP. • Wait for a queue to consult the MP in person. • Meet and consult the MP, constituent narrates to the MP of his/her concerns. • MP will assure the constituent that they will provide assistance to their cases via the letters. For urgent cases, the letter will be typed out, proof-read and sign by the MP and hands it to the constituent on the spot. For typical cases, the letter will be vetted through by the MP and sent out usually after three working days. ==Incidents==

In May 2006, Seng Han Thong was attacked by a constituent of his, a 74-year-old disgruntled former taxi driver who felt that Seng was not taking any action to help him regain his lost taxi licence. The man later made a public apology to Seng, and the charges were dropped. In January 2009, Seng suffered another attack by one of his constituents; a 70-year-old man set him on fire by pouring paint thinner on his back and then igniting him with a cigarette lighter. The man was believed to be mentally ill. Seng suffered burns to roughly 15 percent of his body, and received treatment at Singapore General Hospital. He took time off to recover from his injuries, and resumed his duties in July 2009. On 12 March 2025, K. Shanmugam was confronted by two women at his Meet-The-People session to address Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (Pofma). The People's Action Party said that they were members of the Monday of Palestine Solidarity group. ==See also==