A pro-Palestinian advocacy group, Monday of Palestine Solidarity (MPS Palestine), has publicly praised former Workers’ Party (WP) Member of Parliament for Hougang SMC, Dennis Tan, for following through on residents’ concerns raised during a Meet-the-People Session earlier this year.
In an Instagram post published on Tuesday, 21 April, the group stated that Tan was the only elected representative they had approached who had followed up on discussions surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Residents raise concerns about arms trade and humanitarian issues
According to MPS, three residents had met Tan in January 2025 to discuss various issues related to Palestine.
While only one of the individuals was from Hougang SMC, all were allowed to attend the session without restriction.
Over the course of a one-and-a-half-hour conversation, residents expressed concerns over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the wider occupied Palestinian territories.
These included reports of mass arrests of Palestinian children, sniper killings of civilians, and intensified military actions in areas such as the Nur Shams refugee camp.
One resident noted, “There have been mass arrests of Palestinians, some as young as six years old. They are basically children, being rounded up at gunpoint and sent to prison.”
They further questioned Singapore’s arms trade with Israel, citing figures from the Defence Industry Monitoring Southeast (DIMSE), which estimated that Singapore has engaged in approximately US$73 million worth of arms transactions with Israel in recent years.
Singapore-Israel investments draw scrutiny
Another concern raised by the residents involved Singapore’s deepening investment ties with Israel.
They cited investments and research grants, particularly in artificial intelligence and start-up sectors, amounting to at least US$10 million.
“We’re not talking about weapons,” said one resident. “We’re just talking about business and research. Who will be held accountable if these investments fail in Israel’s unstable economy?”
Tan acknowledged the concerns raised, indicating that while it may not be immediately possible to effect change, he would consider discussing the matters with his colleagues and potentially raise Parliamentary Questions (PQs) where appropriate.
Tan’s response: balancing principle and practicality
“I agree with what you say in principle,” Tan reportedly told the residents.
“It’s a nice surprise, thank you very much for raising this question. I can’t promise I will raise everything, but I’m interested to study a little bit more and see what we can raise.”
He added that while Singapore is a small country, it was still worth considering these matters seriously, particularly when grounded in principle and civic responsibility.
Residents applaud respectful and sincere engagement
MPS praised Tan’s conduct and his team’s hospitality, noting that the residents were treated with dignity and kindness.
Volunteers reportedly offered Chinese New Year goodie bags and facilitated a calm, respectful environment without any intimidation or hostility.
“There were no photographs, no mobbing, no unsolicited intimidation,” the group stated.
“They treated us as regular residents here for any other Meet-the-People session.”
Parliamentary follow-up on Gaza conflict by WP MPs
On 8 April 2025, WP MPs raised several questions in Parliament concerning Singapore’s role and response to the ongoing situation in Gaza.
Dennis Tan questioned the effectiveness of Singapore’s medical aid following the destruction of hospitals in Gaza.
He also asked whether Singapore could step up its medical assistance and consider transporting Palestinian patients to Singapore for treatment.
Another WP MP, Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap, queried the Ministry for Foreign Affairs on recent diplomatic exchanges between Singapore and Israel, the impact of resumed hostilities on previous ceasefire agreements, and Singapore’s efforts in multilateral forums toward peace.
MPS urges greater civic engagement with politicians
In its Instagram post, MPS emphasised the importance of citizen engagement in a functioning democracy.
“No one is above reproach, and no policy is above review,” the group wrote. “As voting citizens, we should feel empowered to discuss concerning matters with our politicians.”
MPS also challenged the notion that Meet-the-People Sessions should be restricted to “bread-and-butter” concerns, as sometimes argued by some members of the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP).
“This importance cannot be understated when everyday people have so few avenues to speak and be heard by the government,” the group said.
The group concluded its post with a pointed rhetorical question: “Do we want leaders who ignore our requests and belittle our questions? Or leaders who demonstrate their willingness to listen and respect us?”
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