“We are all public figures. But for you [MP Tin], you’re also a political figure. Does that make things harder for your kids?” asks a curious Charlyn.
MP Tin replies: “There is quite a bit of stress. When we’re out, I have higher expectations of them when it comes to how they conduct themselves. When we bump into people who recognise us, I’ll remind them to be polite and poised.”
Becks, on the other hand, believes that every job comes with its own pressures. She says for celebs, when their actions are deemed “wrong”, it can sometimes be taken as entertainment news.
“But when it is negative news regarding political figures, the public will find it harder to accept. They feel like people in politics have to be like a sheet of blank paper,” she says.
Charlyn then asks MP Tin: “Have you ever had trouble coping with news about yourself?”
MP Tin replies: “Yes. It’s been suffocating at times. Sometimes, it really feels like a bolt from the blue.”
In a B-roll interview, MP Tin elaborates: “It was the darkest period of my life so far. I made my political debut in the 2011 general election and became a member of parliament. Things were very difficult that year, and the few years that followed.”
For those who didn’t know, MP Tin entered politics at 27 as a member of the PAP team led by former PM Goh Chok Tong contesting in Marine Parade GRC.
MP Tin was labelled an “undeserving candidate”, with many saying she was “not mature enough”. Her personal photos from Facebook began circulating online, with one in particular — her posing with a Kate Spade box — drawing intense backlash from those who accused her of “ignorance, materialism and privilege”.
Public sentiment on her was so unkind, Goh Chok Tong had to speak up for her.
“I simply wished to serve the public, but the political scene was very heated, and social media just started taking off. I received a lot of criticism, and people would take pictures from my family’s social media pages to make jokes,” she says.
MP Tin recalls how she would “cry at home every night” because things were so stressful for her.
During that period of time, she counted on the support of her loved ones to push on.
Fast forward 13 years, and it looks like MP Tin’s resilience has paid off. Becks even revealed that her mum is a big fan of the politician, whom she says is the kind of woman to “rise up stronger” after every challenge.
MP Tin’s adorable response to the compliment? She sent Becks’ mum a finger heart together with the message “Hi Auntie! Love you!”.