Tin Pei Ling has resigned from her job at Ernst & Young to focus on serving the residents of MacPherson - the only current PAP MP to do so
By Nigel Tan
Chief Editor
Tin Pei Ling may be the one politician that all of Singapore loves to hate, but quiet and unassuming way in which she has conducted herself in the one month since being elected as MP for Marine Parade is certainly deserving of at least some credit.
Ever since she was introduced as a PAP candidate, she has been mercilessly criticised by Singaporeans from all walks of life, first having her personal life scrutinised and taken apart, and then being made into the butt of what has possibly been the longest-running national joke in history. 8 Days magazine sported actor Tay Ping Hui on its cover in a parody of her infamous Kate Spade pose, while actress Michelle Chong – in her comic Barbarella persona - hilariously spoofed her on comedy show The Noose. A police report was even filed against her by an irate member of the public, citing an alleged violation of cooling-off day rules.
More recently, a Black Sunday event was organised by users of Facebook – where dozens of people turned up at Starbucks outlets around Singapore dressed in black to protest against Ms Tin’s aforementioned violation. Such acts of civil protest are rare in Singapore, and the fact that it took place only goes to show the extent of the public sentiment against Ms Tin.
The flak that has been directed at Ms Tin has ranged from impassioned, principled criticism to abuse of a highly personal nature: some take issue with the fact that she rode into Parliament through the GRC system, on the coat-tails of former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong; others have alleged that she is only in politics for the money and that she was selected by the PAP only because her husband is the principal private secretary to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Tin Pei Ling has been mercilessly targeted on the internet and in the media for her perceived lack of substance
To her credit, however, Ms Tin has taken all of the criticism in her stride, even humbly accepting that some of the comments have been valid. She has also acknowledged her inexperience and pledged to accelerate her learning curve, steering clear from adopting controversial policy positions and instead choosing to focus on grassroots issues in her MacPherson ward – which has a high concentration of low-income households.
Unlike some other past and present PAP MPs, she has not responded to her critics in an antagonistic manner, either by slamming them openly or through the use of lawsuits. Quite frankly, some of the comments made against her have been nothing short of defamatory.
Now, she has decided to resign from her full-time job at Ernst & Young to focus on serving her constituents. This demonstrates that she has been studying the feedback that has been posted on the internet, where many have questioned the logic of having “part-time MPs” when an increasing number of Singaporeans requires help. Though Ms Tin has left the door open on the possibility of exploring other career opportunities in the future, she will be, at least for now, the only (and possibly the first) PAP MP to serve on a full-time basis.
Seeing as Aljunied MP Sylvia Lim received a flurry of accolades after resigning from her law lecturer job to serve on a full-time basis, Ms Tin should similarly be given credit for her move. Her inexperience, coupled with her image problems, remain an issue for many Singaporeans, but she should be given a fair chance to try and correct the initial impressions that people have of her.
Though she still has much to prove, it must be said that she is taking steps in the right direction, however tentative they may be. If she keeps this up, and surprises us by performing well in Parliament, Mr Goh Chok Tong’s prediction that Singaporeans will see a different Tin Pei Ling in five years time could yet prove to be prophetic.
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The author is Chief Editor of The Satay Club
Why is it that when Sylvia Lim resigns from her job, she is treated like some kind of heroine, but when Tin Pei Ling resigns from her job, people are quick to say that this is a “wayang” or that she has other vested interests?
You mean to say that Sylvia has no other vested interests? She is a politician too. Since when have we had politicians who did not have a personal agenda?
When a PAP MP does it, she has a personal agenda, but when a WP MP does the exact same thing, she just wants to serve the people?
This is blind double standards and hypocrisy of the highest order.
Everyone has a personal agenda. Its whether that agenda comes aligned with perceived sacrifices made for the public’s well-being, that determines what’s deemed/seen as good or bad in the public eye. Since when have we had such a good politician? Recognise late President Ong Teng Cheong’s conduct over the years when he was alive -> he is the reason why we have the MRT and a (still strong) public demand for Accountability over public funds, etc. He pushed hard for our own people’s welfare even at the expense of ‘offending’ his party colleagues. That is Strength of Character for a true public servant. It is not blind double standards when people notice the ability and patient commitment of Sylvia over the years in her role as an NCMP and her “substance” in what she says at rallies or in parliament, and give affirmation. It’s noticing her true potential as a future capable public servant from past and present conduct. WP or otherwise. Compare that to the inexperienced Intern MP Tin who sneaked in like MBT through the GRC system, who doesn’t sound anywhere credible in her speech and worse still “hides” behind the incumbent party’s powerful influence. Just bring up her outright “cooling day” conduct violation which is still unaddressed to this day and notice how your last sentence sounds even more apt;
“This is blind double standards and hypocrisy of the highest order.”
Wendy C, please understand. Ms Tin broke the election law regarding the cooling off day by posting a snide remark against Nicole Seah on her facebook. This automatically makes Ms Tin undeserving of an MP post because we Singaporeans, as law-abiding citizens, do not want a lawbreaker to become our lawmaker.
It is not a secret that most if not all PAP MPs were offered very good income position in private enterprises or government related companies after they became MP. If TPL holds no such position throughout her term I will give her the credit.
As far as I could see she is there for the money, unless she can prove us wrong.
What a fool. She is there for the money? If so, why did she resign from E&Y? If she had worked hard in the private sector, she could have made a lot more. E&Y is a brand name company. From there you can go work in a foreign bank become FC/CFO in a corporation, making millions. Do you really think $15,000 a month is a lot? Compared to the amount of sacrifices that MPs have to make, it is really nothing. Of course, losers like you will never be able to comprehend what it means to make $15,000, but I can tell you that it is not a lot at all. Go offer Ms Olivia Lum or Mr Liew Mun Leong an MP position for $15,000 a month and see whether she takes it up or not?
@Nani: Go see what advancing one’s own social and political agenda is about first before insulting others here. It is so obviously the case for Tin here. It’s Long term Investment for her own movement up the societal ladder compared to your own short term loser myopia. Supposed sacrifices MPs have to make can be big but not necessarily always the case when the whole Political+Societal systems are providing so much more resources at their beck and call eventually. As you so aptly mentioned, “of course, losers…will never be able to comprehend what it means to make $15,000″ -> in that context, certainly losers like you can’t even distinguish “Investment” from what is “short-term Profit/sacrifice” for her which comes at a time when the income gap is widest in our people’s history.
We had Ris Low now we have Tin Tin.
Call me a cynic, but the only reason she resined from E&Y is because it’s not easy facing colleagues day in day out knowing that you are incompetent. Their will be a lot of talking going on about her dumb ass comments and behavior.
So no credit to this dimwit. She even added that she is keeping her options open about whether she will take on other work.
it is pple like you that gives opposition supporter a bad name.. is there really a need to resort to name calling?
in the first place, how do you know she is incompetent in her work?
CREDIT WHERE IT’S DUE – exactly. The credit should go to ESM Goh and BG Tan – not to TPL.
…resignation as an MP of course. Since todate the govt, the police, her party has kept unusually quiet over her cooling off day incident.
What steps in the right direction – have you seen her resignation?
Sylvia Lim has 5 years of Parliamentary experience. She has been working the ground in Aljunied for close to 10 years. She has raised many issues that are close to the hearts of Singaporeans. She has also proven her credentials as a party leader, town councillor and politician. There is simply no comparison between her and a $15k/month Parliamentary “intern”. Sorry, TPL has to do much more in order for anyone to treat her seriously. There is a reason why she is a national joke.
She still has lots to prove before I would be willing to give her credit. Let’s see how she perform in Parliament first.