IS A MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT NECESSARY?

According to the Middle Ground FB post, general elections is upon us soon. 

I do not deny that is my gut feel as well.

But in the last few years since GE2011, I have been thinking: Is the MP in my ward a necessity?

As Singaporeans progress and become more net savvy and government agencies' feedback/comms channels improve, the two-way communications between government and citizens vastly increase over the years. 

QSMs and ministries' FB pages receive a constant deluge of feedback and complaints from the everyday man. So do the various politicians and office holders. This is not withstanding the usual email and letter writing forms. 

With the advent of the Social Service Offices, help for the needy is now much more accessible than earlier CDC variants. MPs also direct cases, especially more complex ones, to be looked at by the SSO. 

Municipal issues are now taken much more seriously, especially for those that cross multiple agencies and territories. The Municipal Service Office coordinates such multi-office efforts to service the public better.

This leaves me with community bonding, which is the mandate of the Community Development Councils and the Peoples' Association. 

So where does that leave my MP? It's anybody's guess.