THEY make up less than a quarter - 22 out of 92 members - of Singapore's Parliament.

But our women Members of Parliament (MPs) are certainly making themselves heard.

They make up eight of the top 10 MPs who asked the most number of questions in Parliament in the past four years.

There are 82 elected MPs, one Non-Constituency MP (NCMP) and nine Nominated MPs in Parliament.

The ranking of who asked the most questions includes only backbenchers, as office- holders such as Ministers and Ministers of State usually do not pose questions but are in charge of answering them.

So why are the women out-questioning the men in Parliament?

Madam Halimah Yacob, who heads the list with 180 questions posed over the past four years, said: "I think, in a way, because we are smaller in number, we tend to make up for that by asking more questions so we can cover as many areas of public interest as possible."

She noted that women MPs tend to ask questions cutting across many ministries, which is a reflection of the many roles women play in society - whether it's at work or at home.

Madam Cynthia Phua also noted that because of women's added responsibilities of caring for their families and children, women MPs think it through carefully and must be convinced they can contribute before joining politics.

"Once we are in it, we would have the dedication, commitment and hence contribution," the mother of three added.

Dr Fatimah Lateef said: "Maybe the 20 per cent of women we have (in Parliament) are more passionate, more vocal."

Ms Lee Bee Wah reckoned that women MPs are "more driven, more inquisitive, more aggressive in their approach".

MP Irene Ng said she asks many questions out of a sense of duty to reflect concerns from the ground.

She said: "I was elected by the people to speak up for them... The PAP is not a monolith.

"Anyone who takes the trouble to read the Hansard (the Singapore Parliament Reports System) will find ample evidence of Ministers being taken to task by PAP backbenchers, both men and women."

Madam Halimah said the purpose of allowing MPs to ask questions in Parliament is to strengthen the policy-making process.

She noted: "We cannot assume that all policies are iron-clad and foolproof and that there is no room for improvement.

"If that is the case, then we do not need a Parliament. People just elect a Government which is then free to pass any legislation it deems fit.

But does asking many questions necessarily lead to changes for the better?

Dr Fatimah gave two examples of questions she raised that led to policy changes.

In September last year, she asked Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan if he would consider including the pneumococcal vaccine in the National Immunisation Programme for children, in view of increasing multi-drug resistance and higher case fatalities.

In February last year, she also asked if Medisave could be used to pay for outpatient treatment for common mental illnesses like schizophrenia and major depression. Both times, Mr Khaw said yes.

Right time

Dr Fatimah noted that she was not the first to raise either issue but perhaps she raised the questions again at the right time.

She added that her approach, focusing on a small number of diagnoses instead of a blanket approval for all types of mental illnesses, made her suggestion more practical as mental illness comprises a wide range of conditions, some of which are not easy to diagnose and confirm.

"I was expecting rejection, but when they were approved, I was quite happy," she said.

Ms Ng, MP for Tampines GRC, said she has been persistent in raising questions related to cycling in the past nine years, since she was elected in 2001.

She said: "I have argued for cycling to be integrated into the transport system, given the increasing number of cyclists on the road and cycling- related accidents.

"There is progress. Tampines became Singapore's first cycling town."

But does asking many questions automatically mean you are a good MP?

Not necessarily, said most MPs.

NCMP Sylvia Lim said: "I believe the number of questions per se is not as important as the depth of the issues raised."

Dr Fatimah believes the most important aspect is groundwork - visiting residents regularly so they know you are there for them, and doing the Meet the People sessions conscientiously and consistently.

She said: "It doesn't necessarily have to co-relate to the number of questions you ask in Parliament. Some MPs may be more quiet, depending on their personality. They may prefer to work face-to-face with residents and not speak so much."

Mr Charles Chong, MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, also noted that the tally of questions may not be representative of how vocal an MP is in Parliament as it excludes the length of speeches, and speeches made during Budget debates.

The Singapore Parliament Reports search engine also groups all questions on a single topic together. So if an MP asks five different questions and clarifications about a single topic during a session, it would count as one item in the search - the same number as an MP who asked only one question on the topic.

Mr Chong said he prefers supplementary questions, which are not submitted in advance.

"If we're not happy with the response, anybody can jump up and ask supplementary questions, which (the Ministers) have to answer on the fly," he added.

"It's much more fun... and more spontaneous, and you get a better response. For the main question, you get prepared factsand figures."

Mr Michael Palmer, also an MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, also cautioned against generalising.

He said: "There are also male MPs that ask quite a few questions and some women MPs that don't ask as many questions.

"Every MP has his or her own way of getting their point across. I think it depends on the issue that needs to be raised and the approach the MP decides to take. Not every issue is best dealt with via a parliamentary question.

"Ultimately, it's not how the MP goes about representing the residents that counts but whether he or she does so effectively."

Madam Halimah Yacob (Jurong GRC): 180 questions

Madam Ho Geok Choo (West Coast GRC): 175 questions

Ms Sylvia Lim (NCMP): 137 questions

Ms Lee Bee Wah (Ang Mo Kio GRC): 118 questions

Dr Fatimah Lateef (Marine Parade GRC): 111 questions

This article was first published in The New Paper.