Tin Pei Ling Shows How She Quietly Improved Her Results Since Her Kate Spade Days

As the Ivan Lim saga has proven, entering politics is not an easy endeavour.

Lim, who currently holds the position of general manager at Keppel Offshore and Marine, was introduced as one of PAP’s fresh candidates for the 2020 general election.

But, just a few days later, Lim withdrew his candidacy.

Allegations of elitism, arrogance, and being “two-faced” surfaced online, with many netizens coming forward to share their negative experiences with the 42-year-old.

As I said, entering politics isn’t easy. Just ask Tin Pei Ling.

A Rough Start

In 2011, Tin Pei Ling became the youngest MP to be elected into office after the People’s Action Party (PAP) beat out the National Solidarity Party (NSP) in Marine Parade GRC.

She was 28 years old at the time.

Shortly after the win, several photos from Tin’s social media spread online, including this unforgettable image:

According to The Independent SG, the circulation of the image led to widespread accusations online of ignorance, materialism and privilege.

Also, Tin famously said: “I don’t know what to say!” in a video, and netizens didn’t exactly warm to her immediately.

In fact, public criticism of Tin was so great that then-MP Goh Chok Tong had to defend her in the press.

He dismissed the online criticisms as a “distortion”, and even though “some sound bites of hers… pitted her as a rather light-weight person”, it was just “a superficial view”.

“My Reputation was Hurt”

Speaking to AsiaOne in 2014, Tin said her reputation suffered as a result of the online backlash, and that it was a “struggle” and a “baptism of fire”.

“I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. It was unpleasant and I felt a lot of pressure,” she said.

Ivan Lim would understand.

But she soon gained some perspective through her work as an MP.

“My reputation was hurt, but that is intangible. There are residents who are struggling to pay the bills. That’s a real problem.”

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Since she was a new candidate at the time, Tin felt pressured to prove herself at first, but that soon gave way to more important objectives.

“There was that feeling at first. But now that I’ve hit 30, I feel a greater sense of confidence and mission. Now, it’s not about wanting to prove myself, but about doing my best,” said Ms Tin. She’s, by the way, 36 this year, though she still looks 26.

According to AsiaOne, Tin has brought up several important issues in Parliament, from mental health to Medisave.

Her team had also implemented more programmes for the elderly and children from low-income families in her constituency.

Won Next Two Elections Like a Boss…Alone

In GE2015, Tin was fielded in MacPherson SMC alone where she defeated two other candidates from the Worker’s Party and National Solidarity Party with 65.58% of the votes.

Five years later, Tin announced she would be defending her post in MacPherson SMC, hoping to begin her third term as an MP.

According to The Straits Times, Tin’s campaign for GE2020 was centered on caring for the community and making estates in her constituency more of a home for residents.

She also held Facebook Live sessions nearly every night and engaged in dialogues and e-rallies with residents.

Whatever Tin’s strategy was, it seems to have worked.

Tin came out on top for the third consecutive election, beating out People’s Power Party (PPP) secretary-general Goh Meng Seng with an impressive 71.74%.

For someone with such a rocky start to her time in parliament, Tin has certainly impressed with her results:

• GE2011: 56.64% (as a team)
• GE2015: 65.58% (alone in three-cornered fight)
• GE2020: 71.74% (alone)

Numbers don’t lie, so if you need a comeback story, read her story.

And on a side note, politicians have been talking about NCMP (Non-Constituency Member of Parliament) in recent days. So, what’s an NCMP? Do you know that it’s just like an MP but the allowance is much lower? Watch this video to find out more: