SDP's Chee has walked long political path, but not served the community: Poh Li San

Organising town hall meetings to hear residents' issues, reducing waiting times at Meet-the-People Sessions (MPS), and arguing for full-time MPs to manage estate work make for good rally speeches.

- Zaihan Mohamed Yusof Senior Correspondent and Tay Hong Yi Correspondent

But such suggestions demonstrate a lack of understanding of how PAP MPs work, said Ms Poh Li San, the party's candidate for Sembawang West SMC.

Ms Poh, 50, was speaking at a PAP rally next to Sun Plaza on April 28, together with the party's Sembawang GRC team members.

In her speech, Ms Poh countered Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) chief Chee Soon Juan's recent rally pledge to hold town hall meetings to address residents' concerns and shorten MPS waiting times, if he is elected.

Dr Chee, at an April 27 rally in Sembawang, had also said SDP candidates will outdo those from PAP in managing town councils and raising issues in Parliament as they are committed to becoming full-time MPs if elected.

Dr Chee is contesting Sembawang West SMC.

Ms Poh, who is senior vice-president at Changi Airport Group, said: "This is a fundamental mistake about what MPS is about. MPS is a safe, private space for residents to tell me of their life challenges so we can work on these together. It is not a town hall for public political theatre."