Neil Humphreys: Don’t make it a pain for politicians to take the train
When I was a kid, our greatest concern on public transport was a man opening his zip and revealing himself. Today, it appears to be a man opening his newspaper and revealing the latest headlines.
We have come so far.
I should point out that I grew up in East London, where I was more likely to encounter a flasher on the train, than someone reading a broadsheet newspaper.
However, in Singapore, our biggest non-story in recent memory began when Workers’ Party leader Pritam Singh was photographed on the MRT, reading a newspaper. Such an unexpected public act earned him praise among netizens, which suggests that netizens might want to raise their expectations a little.
Generally speaking, politicians have to end wars or improve a society’s standard of living to earn widespread acclaim. In Singapore, just read the newspaper on the MRT.
Of course, the sceptics arrived
Initially, I had my suspicions about the veracity of the photograph. First, the carriage was half empty. Was Mr Singh travelling at 11am… in 1998?
My suspicions appeared to be confirmed when I saw the newspaper. In 2026, there is more chance of someone carrying a firearm on the MRT than a newspaper. Just scratch your nose during rush hour and your elbow risks taking out five other commuters.
But opening a broadsheet newspaper on a crowded train? You might as well open a restaurant in the CBD. The success rate is about the same.
But the train wasn’t packed. And Mr Singh really was reading a newspaper.
Cynics still questioned the photo’s motivation, which is yet again a refreshing contrast among political leaders. In Singapore, Mr Singh is accused of posing as “Man of the People”. In the United States, Donald Trump is accused of posing as Jesus Christ.
At least Mr Singh has a genuine beard.
But he does take public transport. By pure coincidence, I once shared an MRT ride from Kallang with Mr Singh, following a Singapore Lions match at the National Stadium.
My daughter pointed out that other commuters were secretly filming us. I whispered that it was because the man beside me was a politician. She whispered that I should stop adjusting my underwear in public.
Still, to use a relevant analogy, local politicians being spotted on the train feels like waiting for a bus. We wait around for ages and then two come along at once.
On the same day Mr Singh was spotted on his MRT trip, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong posted about his experience riding the Punggol LRT — days after urging the public to adopt energy-saving habits such as using public transport.
Cue the comparisons
Inevitably, comparisons were drawn between DPM Gan’s LRT ride and Mr Singh’s MRT ride and there were cynical comments about timing.
But our air-conditioned nation faces a major energy crisis as Mr Trump continues to play Battleship with the Strait of Hormuz.
DPM Gan emphasised the value of public transport, while highlighting the addition of two-car light rail vehicles on the Sengkang-Punggol LRT as he rode one. What else was he supposed to do? Run alongside the LRT with a loudhailer?
He took the train to promote the train. And Mr Singh took the train to read the paper. End of story, right? Of course not.
We swiftly moved on from the train to the plane, via the automobile. Not long after his LRT ride, DPM Gan posted a selfie from his car on the way to Changi Airport.
And it wasn’t just any car — it was a “chauffeured vehicle”. The audacity! Full disclosure, I took a “chauffeured vehicle” to give an author’s talk at a primary school this week. It was called a taxi.
But we are now castigating Members of Parliament for taking a car to the airport. Look, I grew up in a council house with a single mother. We took our first flight when she was in her late 30s — and we still took a car to the airport.
My working-class kakis didn’t sneer like Dickensian street urchins and shout, “Oi, Humphreys, who do you think you are? Taking a car? Why don’t you tie the suitcase to your waist with a frayed rope and hitchhike?”
But this is no time for flippancy. Our Deputy Prime Minister took a “chauffeured vehicle” to the airport. Forget scammers and money launderers — let’s track down politicians who aren’t cycling to Changi on rented bikes while juggling their Samsonites.
Something worth noting
A line in the sand must be drawn here. From now on, all MPs, regardless of rank and political persuasion, should take buses and trains to Changi Airport, never accept a seat, never open a newspaper, and never take up too much space.
In fact, if the trains and buses are full, they should walk to the airport, carrying all suitcases while singing Majulah Singapura.
But seriously, there is a deeper point here, something that we should be rather proud of.
Notice what all the photographs did not include. There were no brawny men in dark glasses tapping earpieces, and no security teams with more automatic weapons than a John Wick movie. There was no need.
There was just the Deputy Prime Minister and the leader of the Workers’ Party travelling on public transport with no concerns for their personal safety. Never take that for granted, especially now.
That said, if the politicians had tried to sit in a priority seat, an auntie would’ve destroyed them.
Neil Humphreys is an award-winning writer and MONEY FM radio host, a successful author and a failed footballer.
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