“When you’re trying to build a more fair and more equal society … sometimes there’s also inequalities of whether people feel able to make their concerns heard,” said Dr Tan.
“You want to make sure these residents are heard in what is the highest law-making body in the land, which is parliament.”
That sense of connection also shaped his approach to digital engagement, which he said has changed dramatically in the past decade. MPs now deal with residents not just in person, but also through Facebook, Instagram and even TikTok. Still, nothing replaces the intimacy of face-to-face conversations.
“Sometimes, someone shares their story, there’s that moment, that pause, and you just kind of know there’s something that you need to try and discover a bit more to help that family,” Dr Tan said.
“It’s that sense of emotional availability. So if your resident is having a terrible time in life, people can tell you whether you feel for it, people can tell whether your heart is there in that moment.”
Not all in-person encounters went smoothly. In 2018, Dr Tan was attacked during an MPS session. A 32-year-old resident rushed into the venue and assaulted him, leaving him with bruises on his arm and abrasions on his neck.
His first thought was that he hoped no one else was hurt, since there were also seniors and children at the MPS, he told CNA.
The man was apprehended by police, while Dr Tan returned to his MPS duties that same night after getting checked at the National University Hospital.
The attacker had a history of drug abuse and was trying to seek help with a pending court case. He was later sentenced to three months’ jail for the assault.
Dr Tan has not met the attacker since, but has met his mother, who was apologetic. His team later helped the man with an unrelated appeal.
SERVING IN GOVERNMENT
Dr Tan said his experience as a political office holder helped him become a more effective backbencher.
“You now know how the policy is made, you now know how the policy paper is written, you also know how the PQ – parliamentary question – answer and follow-up is designed,” he said.
He believes the backbench offers MPs more freedom to express convictions and represent constituents directly. However, he acknowledged that office holders also advocate for citizens – just through different channels.
