meet the people

I went to my MP's meet-the-people session to appeal for deferment from my overseas exercise. No, not really.

I was actually there at the MP's invitation (via the baby sister) to see what they do, and explore it as a possible avenue for volunteerism. At least, that was the MP's intention ... I personally had no expectations but was just curious what on earth these MPs do. I expected to spend an hour there but it stretched to three ... really tiring but nevertheless I did gain some useful insights from talking to other volunteers and listening to the peoples' problems.

The role of a writer at these sessions is pretty straightforward. Just talk to the people, listen to their problems and craft a letter to the relavent government agency. (MPs do not write to private organisations.) The MP flits from booth to booth lending her perspectives, asking some piercing questions, and telling the writer what to focus on. It was quite cute to see how the people visibly brightened up the moment the MP arrived at their booth, as though the answer to their problems was at hand.

The sad truth is that the success rate for MP letters is rather low. This is not due to lack of efficacy on the part of the MP, but stems from the MPS usually being the last resort for most people. And the MP will still try, no matter how ridiculous the demands of the constituent - it is then the role of the government agency to weigh the case and issue the appropriate rejection or rebuttal.

It was a very interesting experience, and one I would certainly consider if I had time for a number of reasons. Firstly, it gives me a chance to see the issues and problems faced by a strata of society I would otherwise rarely deal with. Second, it also gives me a worm's eye view into various government policies I would otherwise never have thought about. And third, there is the potential to actually help people, although in many cases the requests seem a little over the top. But there really is a chance to do good and make a difference in someone's life from time to time.
At the end of the whole thing, I just had one question: "So is the role of the writer to present the case in the most favourable light or in the most objective light?" As it turns out, it is somewhere in between, with some political nuancing, but if you want to find out more you can arrange your own info session with Young PAP.