SINGAPORE - The number of residents seeking help at Meet-the-People Sessions (MPS) has plunged, after in-person meetings were suspended last week because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

MPs have turned to e-mail, SMS and WhatsApp messages as well as phone calls to continue conducting such sessions remotely, but the response is significantly lower, MPs and their activists told The Straits Times on Thursday (April 16).

The change is most apparent in constituencies with a large number of elderly or lower-income people.

In MacPherson, where there are over 20 blocks of rental flats and one-third of the residents are senior citizens, MP Tin Pei Ling said the number of cases she handled on Monday evening was just "a single digit".

Ordinarily, she would go through about 40 cases from residents.

Likewise at the Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng ward of veteran Jalan Besar GRC MP Lily Neo, who has seen appeals for help drop to one-third of the 40 to 50 cases she typically handles on a Monday evening.

Other constituencies, where such a demographic is not dominant, have also registered a decline.

Tampines GRC MP Desmond Choo, who has started doing a "call-back system" in his Tampines Changkat ward in which residents arrange via WhatsApp for volunteers to give them a call, said he received about 20 requests for call-backs this week. Normally, he could have as many as 60 walk-in cases.

The Workers' Party's (WP) Hougang MP Png Eng Huat said he handled four cases this week, down from 10 to 20 usually.

The Government told political parties last week to suspend MPS in the circuit breaker period, from April 7 to May 4, when stringent social distancing rules are in effect to curb the spread of Covid-19.

The People's Action Party (PAP) also suspended ground engagements, such as market and house visits, it said on its Facebook page on Monday.

Conceived in 1955 by then Chief Minister David Marshall, the MPS serves as a link between MPs and their constituents.

Petitioners seek their MP's help on everything, from getting a job to waiving fines and appealing for help with utility bills if they face money woes.

The lack of contact worries some activists, who fear needy residents may not be getting help at a time when the economic impact of Covid-19 is starting to bite.

One activist from a constituency in central Singapore was also worried that MPs are not able to gather feedback from residents at such a critical time.

"MPS is a key way for MPs to feel the pulse on the ground and understand how residents are reacting to policies," said the activist.

MPs The Straits Times spoke to on Wednesday gave several possible reasons for the drop in residents seeking help.

Mr Choo said it might take some time for residents to find out how to reach their MPs, while Dr Neo pointed out that people have become more conscious of the importance of staying home.

Ms Tin said the recent government payouts, such as the $600 Solidarity Payment and the $500 Temporary Relief Fund, have gone some way in helping those with financial difficulty tide through this month.

Dr Neo also said MPs have to be more cautious in how they reach out to residents because of concerns surrounding the coronavirus.

At present, staff from her constituency's senior activity centres deliver meals to elderly residents, keep tabs on them and reflect any concerns they have, she said.

"My concern is that many in the rental blocks are living alone and I want to make sure their daily lives are not too affected," she added.

Ms Tin said "health and safety are the most important priority, so we will adapt our approach to serve residents as and when things change".

Mr Png said he would personally follow up with residents who phone in for help. "For vulnerable residents, in particular the needy, they can call the town council hotline listed on the notice boards all over the estate," he said.

The contact details of PAP MPs can be found on the party's website, while those of the WP can be found on its Aljunied GRC Facebook page.

For now, social service agencies say the greatest need is tackling the isolation faced by vulnerable groups like the elderly.

"Many don't have phones, and if they lose that sense of connection, we are afraid their mental health may deteriorate," said Pastor Billy Lee, executive director of Blessed Grace Social Services.