SINGAPORE: After running for elections, some Members of Parliament are now literally running – in regular sessions with residents in their constituencies.
The informal community runs help foster closer bonds, develop healthier lifestyles and surface feedback beyond formal engagement settings, MPs told CNA.
Held on routes within their wards, the sessions draw participants of all ages. The runs are typically at a relaxed pace, with groups split by distance to accommodate different fitness levels.
For West Coast-Jurong West MP Hamid Razak, the idea grew from a personal passion for running. Since October, he has organised monthly runs alternating between his two wards of Jurong Spring and Gek Poh, drawing around 20 participants each time.
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“I thought it'd be nice to have an informal sort of chat with residents while at the same time doing something healthy,” the first-term People's Action Party (PAP) MP told CNA during a session in February this year.
“I also wanted to explore how sports can bring various types of residents together, whether it's the young, young at heart, people who are enthusiastic about sports, or people who may just be thinking ‘I want to get healthy’ but not sure where to start.”
In Sengkang GRC, the frequency of ground visits made community runs a natural fit, said Workers' Party (WP) MP Jamus Lim.
“We're here three or four times every week, so it absolutely made sense for us to try to incorporate this into the activities that we offer, while also encouraging people of varying fitness levels to feel that they can get a start and join us in a healthy activity,” he said during a session in early April.
Associate Professor Lim, who oversees the Anchorvale ward, said the team has held the run since their first term in 2020. Turnout typically peaks at the start of the year before settling at 20 to 30 participants per session.
In Clementi, Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC MP David Hoe uses the runs to take residents beyond their immediate neighbourhood.
“As I bring residents along the run, I like to show them different parts of Clementi, tell them what are some of the unique stuff around the area – for example, the hawker centre and the food – and also to share some of the concerns that the residents raise in specific areas,” he told CNA.
For instance, in an area with more seniors, one big concern is that the overhead bridge lacks a lift, the PAP MP pointed out.
The fortnightly sessions also give Mr Hoe a chance to share issues he is mulling, gather feedback and crowdsource solutions before taking them to parliament.
Jurong East-Clementi GRC MP David Hoe running with his residents in Clementi. (Photo: CNA/Syamil Sapari)
Word of the runs spreads largely through social media, and participants need not live within the ward.
Sengkang GRC MP Louis Chua, who oversees the Rivervale ward, described the sessions as a free-for-all event.
“We don't really ask where people actually come from,” the WP MP said, noting that some runners hail from outside Sengkang. “It's more informal and not so much like how you used to organise it back during our NS (National Service) days.”
Dr Hamid said he had no expectations when he first posted about his run online, and was surprised by who showed up. The group has since grown into a community with a WhatsApp group of around 50 people.
“I would keep it as loose and unstructured for now … If the group gets very big, then perhaps a loose structure might be important,” he said.
West Coast-Jurong West GRC MP Hamid Razak (far left) leading the pack for a community run. (Photo: CNA/Jeremy Long)
Geography has shaped how some MPs plan their routes. Sengkang GRC is flanked by Sungei Serangoon and Sungei Punggol, and Assoc Prof Lim said the riverside pathways were a natural draw.
“The fact that we have these running pathways by the two rivers means that you have an unimpeded run, which always makes it a little bit easier to keep a group together,” he said.
Monthly runs along the park connector are split into 2.4km and 5km routes. For the past year and a half, the team has alternated between both riverbanks to allow more people to join, said Mr Chua.
For Mr Hoe, the demographics of his ward – many residents are parents with young children – meant it made more sense to schedule their runs at 10pm on Saturdays.
“Because if you think about it, most of our young parents, when our kids are awake, we really can't be away from our families,” he said, adding that the later start time lets parents put their children to bed first.
Beyond fitness, the runs provide an additional avenue of engagement away from formal events and Meet-the-People Sessions (MPS) – and one that can yield more candid ground feedback.
Mr Chua said the sessions allow interaction with residents outside the usual festive activities and town halls, where engagements tend to be more deliberate. But the team does not measure the utility of the runs by the volume of feedback received, he added.
Mr Hoe said that Clementi residents would typically email him directly with concerns rather than attend an MPS. The runs surface a different kind of feedback.
He cited the removal of a row of bicycle racks beside a coffee shop – the meeting point for his runs – after participants flagged that the racks posed a hazard to young children using the nearby playground.
“These are not things that they will write to me about, but it's really just through organic conversations,” he said.
Dr Hamid recalled chatting with a Primary 6 participant about his PSLE journey during a session last year. The boy later turned up as a volunteer at a community event, helping to photograph parents and students at an Edusave Awards ceremony.
“So that was something that I didn't expect, was an unintended consequence, but a positive one,” he said.
Assoc Prof Lim said gathering feedback through every available touchpoint matters, given the nature of the job.
“A big part of what we do also is to find out how things are going for the individual resident that we may chat with as we run along, but at the same time also about other broader national concerns.”
Sengkang GRC MP Jamus Lim briefing the running group before they set out for their respective 2.4km and 5km run. (Photo: CNA/Syamil Sapari)
Residents join the runs for varied reasons.
Clementi resident Sek See Yong, a 42-year-old teacher, treats the session as a family bonding activity with her daughter Nichole Ho, 16, whose packed school schedule limits the time they can exercise together.
Nichole said she met runners at a recent session who gave her advice on choosing a polytechnic course.
Aircraft technician Shafiq Hilman, 29, said the regularity of the Rivervale runs motivates him to keep fit. He has been joining the monthly sessions since May last year, travelling to the meeting point by foot or motorcycle.
For Ms Celest Seah, who works in healthcare, the runs offer an easy, informal way to connect with her MP – Dr Hamid, who works in the same sector.
“I would prefer to meet my MP in this kind of setting, because I don't think I have any reason to go MPS at my age,” said the 24-year-old.
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The informal community runs help foster closer bonds, develop healthier lifestyles and surface feedback beyond formal engagement settings, MPs told CNA.
Held on routes within their wards, the sessions draw participants of all ages. The runs are typically at a relaxed pace, with groups split by distance to accommodate different fitness levels.
For West Coast-Jurong West MP Hamid Razak, the idea grew from a personal passion for running. Since October, he has organised monthly runs alternating between his two wards of Jurong Spring and Gek Poh, drawing around 20 participants each time.
CNA Games
Show More Show Less
“I thought it'd be nice to have an informal sort of chat with residents while at the same time doing something healthy,” the first-term People's Action Party (PAP) MP told CNA during a session in February this year.
“I also wanted to explore how sports can bring various types of residents together, whether it's the young, young at heart, people who are enthusiastic about sports, or people who may just be thinking ‘I want to get healthy’ but not sure where to start.”
In Sengkang GRC, the frequency of ground visits made community runs a natural fit, said Workers' Party (WP) MP Jamus Lim.
“We're here three or four times every week, so it absolutely made sense for us to try to incorporate this into the activities that we offer, while also encouraging people of varying fitness levels to feel that they can get a start and join us in a healthy activity,” he said during a session in early April.
Associate Professor Lim, who oversees the Anchorvale ward, said the team has held the run since their first term in 2020. Turnout typically peaks at the start of the year before settling at 20 to 30 participants per session.
In Clementi, Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC MP David Hoe uses the runs to take residents beyond their immediate neighbourhood.
“As I bring residents along the run, I like to show them different parts of Clementi, tell them what are some of the unique stuff around the area – for example, the hawker centre and the food – and also to share some of the concerns that the residents raise in specific areas,” he told CNA.
For instance, in an area with more seniors, one big concern is that the overhead bridge lacks a lift, the PAP MP pointed out.
The fortnightly sessions also give Mr Hoe a chance to share issues he is mulling, gather feedback and crowdsource solutions before taking them to parliament.
Jurong East-Clementi GRC MP David Hoe running with his residents in Clementi. (Photo: CNA/Syamil Sapari)
INFORMAL BY DESIGN
Word of the runs spreads largely through social media, and participants need not live within the ward.
Sengkang GRC MP Louis Chua, who oversees the Rivervale ward, described the sessions as a free-for-all event.
“We don't really ask where people actually come from,” the WP MP said, noting that some runners hail from outside Sengkang. “It's more informal and not so much like how you used to organise it back during our NS (National Service) days.”
Dr Hamid said he had no expectations when he first posted about his run online, and was surprised by who showed up. The group has since grown into a community with a WhatsApp group of around 50 people.
“I would keep it as loose and unstructured for now … If the group gets very big, then perhaps a loose structure might be important,” he said.
West Coast-Jurong West GRC MP Hamid Razak (far left) leading the pack for a community run. (Photo: CNA/Jeremy Long)
Geography has shaped how some MPs plan their routes. Sengkang GRC is flanked by Sungei Serangoon and Sungei Punggol, and Assoc Prof Lim said the riverside pathways were a natural draw.
“The fact that we have these running pathways by the two rivers means that you have an unimpeded run, which always makes it a little bit easier to keep a group together,” he said.
Monthly runs along the park connector are split into 2.4km and 5km routes. For the past year and a half, the team has alternated between both riverbanks to allow more people to join, said Mr Chua.
For Mr Hoe, the demographics of his ward – many residents are parents with young children – meant it made more sense to schedule their runs at 10pm on Saturdays.
“Because if you think about it, most of our young parents, when our kids are awake, we really can't be away from our families,” he said, adding that the later start time lets parents put their children to bed first.
FEEDBACK ON THE GO
Beyond fitness, the runs provide an additional avenue of engagement away from formal events and Meet-the-People Sessions (MPS) – and one that can yield more candid ground feedback.
Mr Chua said the sessions allow interaction with residents outside the usual festive activities and town halls, where engagements tend to be more deliberate. But the team does not measure the utility of the runs by the volume of feedback received, he added.
Mr Hoe said that Clementi residents would typically email him directly with concerns rather than attend an MPS. The runs surface a different kind of feedback.
He cited the removal of a row of bicycle racks beside a coffee shop – the meeting point for his runs – after participants flagged that the racks posed a hazard to young children using the nearby playground.
“These are not things that they will write to me about, but it's really just through organic conversations,” he said.
Dr Hamid recalled chatting with a Primary 6 participant about his PSLE journey during a session last year. The boy later turned up as a volunteer at a community event, helping to photograph parents and students at an Edusave Awards ceremony.
“So that was something that I didn't expect, was an unintended consequence, but a positive one,” he said.
Assoc Prof Lim said gathering feedback through every available touchpoint matters, given the nature of the job.
“A big part of what we do also is to find out how things are going for the individual resident that we may chat with as we run along, but at the same time also about other broader national concerns.”
Sengkang GRC MP Jamus Lim briefing the running group before they set out for their respective 2.4km and 5km run. (Photo: CNA/Syamil Sapari)
JOINING THE RUNS
Residents join the runs for varied reasons.
Clementi resident Sek See Yong, a 42-year-old teacher, treats the session as a family bonding activity with her daughter Nichole Ho, 16, whose packed school schedule limits the time they can exercise together.
Nichole said she met runners at a recent session who gave her advice on choosing a polytechnic course.
Aircraft technician Shafiq Hilman, 29, said the regularity of the Rivervale runs motivates him to keep fit. He has been joining the monthly sessions since May last year, travelling to the meeting point by foot or motorcycle.
For Ms Celest Seah, who works in healthcare, the runs offer an easy, informal way to connect with her MP – Dr Hamid, who works in the same sector.
“I would prefer to meet my MP in this kind of setting, because I don't think I have any reason to go MPS at my age,” said the 24-year-old.
Continue reading...