Living under the spotlight

SINGAPORE - If there was one regret veteran politician Cynthia Phua, 55, had from her 10 years as a public figure, it would be that her late father had to wait till the end of the Meet-the-People Sessions (MPS) just to see her.

"He would turn up at the MPS, wait till it ended after midnight, just to chat with me," said the former Member of Parliament (MP) for Aljunied GRC.

It was only when Madam Phua stepped down two years ago that she managed to spend time and take care of her ailing father.

The former mechanic died in March last year from stomach cancer.

Madam Phua is not alone in having to grapple with the demands of being in the public eye, serving residents and being with loved ones.

And it can take its toll.

Opposition politician Nicole Seah has been a casualty. She bared her soul through a recent Facebook post about her struggles and self-doubt after being propelled into the spotlight at the 2011 General Election. She wrote that she has been used for her public profile by others, faced rape threats and death threats, lost two jobs and contracted dengue fever.

These issues were part of a "meltdown" that put her in and out of hospital.

Social media, especially, tends to put public figures under scrutiny - US President Barack Obama's selfie with British Prime Minister David Cameron and Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt at a recent memorial for late South African leader Nelson Mandela drew flak for making light of a sombre event. Punggol East MP Lee Li Lian seems to be holding up well to such pressure.

But even she has her moments of doubt. Since taking over the Punggol East seat after winning the by-election in January, Ms Lee, 35, has dedicated most of her time to her ward.

"The most challenging issue for me (during these months) was managing people's expectations and also trying to resolve some of the pertinent issues in Punggol East," she told The New Paper.

These include the acute shortage of childcare centres, food establishments and bus services for Rivervale Crescent.

She is impatient for change. But she is also realistic. "I understand that changes cannot occur overnight," she said.

Knowing she has half a term left before the next general election (GE), Ms Lee began her house visits shortly after the by-election, hoping to complete all 135 blocks by the next GE.

She admitted there were times she had wanted "to do much more".

"But I would also need to think about the volunteers. They need a break too," she said.

FAMILY

Her family - her parents and her husband - is foremost in her mind. She does not have children.

"I try to pack my constituency work into weekdays and leave weekends for my family.

"Of course, there would be many times when I would still need to attend grassroots events or residents' festive invitations during the weekends.

"Sometimes my mother laments that she doesn't get to see me often enough. But perhaps my parents don't want to add to my stress, so they usually don't ask me about my work when we meet," she said, adding that her husband, Mr Jacky Koh, travels frequently for work .

"Whenever he is in Singapore, he would join me at grassroots events either as a photographer or a volunteer, helping out with various tasks," she said.

Ms Lee, who has lived separately from her parents since she got married about three years ago, said she used to dine out alone or with friends when her husband was away, leading to concern from her parents and residents that she was not eating regularly.

"Nowadays I dine more often with my family, or I will prepare some really simple home-cooked food for myself and my husband," she said.

SUPPORT

Madam Phua, who had her share of pressure and, of course, online flak, said: "I am blessed with a supportive mother-in-law and husband. They took care of the children when I was not around.

"Whenever I was home, my time belonged to the children, especially the two younger ones. Hardly did I have personal time. The commitment was there and you just had to continue to push on."

Madam Phua's children, aged 16 to 26, understood her schedules.

"When they were younger they joined me in the walkabout, MPS and some of the social activities, so they knew that mummy was working. The understanding was there and they hardly made demands of me," she said.

Yet, there were times when both Ms Lee and Madam Phua were physically and mentally spent.

"I would be lying if I say 'no'. There would be days when I wonder if I am doing enough for the constituency," said Ms Lee. "There would also be days when I wonder whether I am spending too much time in the constituency and have neglected my family."

While Madam Phua did pottery in the middle of the night to de-stress, Ms Lee said she would look at pictures taken during holidays with the family, watch comedies or simply snack.

"It was something I started doing when I was in school," she said.

"That's why I tend to put on weight when I'm stressed."

juditht@sph.com.sg

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