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Contents

04 Editorial

A tale of two women Two women applied for a rental flat. One was supported by her children and owned a car. The other had just sold her matrimonial home and had to share a three-roomer with six others. Who got the rental? Minister Mah Bow Tan explains the reasons for HDB’s choice.* Also in Chinese, Malay and Tamil

09 Quick NewsA round-up of new policies.

10 Hot Topic

Herculean taskWhen MP Seah Kian Peng brought up the sharp increase in the number of parents turning to the law for maintenance support, the last thing he expected was to be asked to amend the Maintenance of Parents Act. He reveals how he and his workgroup wrote history.

eye-openerThe Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports and members of the workgroup give their take on the importance of the amendments, the process of making them and their impact.

14 Budget

One is growing Singaporeans’ incomes, the other, strengthening society. Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam lays out how the government is putting its money where its goals lie.* Also in Chinese

Publicity and Publications Committee

Chairman Vice-Chairman Zainudin Nordin, Seah Kian Peng Secretary Lim Wee KiakMembers Ho Geok Choo, Alvin Yeo, Devi Vasantha Haridas, Kalyani Ramasamy, Chiang Heng Liang, Abdul Jafar Darwis District representative Diana Pang Young PAP Niu Liming PAP Policy Forum Ori Sasson

Editor Deputy Editor Editorial and Design

Printer

26 Behind the Scenes

They have tasted defeat in four elections but still hope to emerge winners. Petir finds out what drew activists in the opposition-held ward to grassroots work, why some still offer their services though they no longer live there and how they keep their spirits high.

MARCH / APRIL 2011

MICA (P) 109/02/2011

PAP Headquarters

Minister Yaacob Ibrahim looks back on the progress made by the Malay community in the last 10 years in education, employment and quality of life.

25 Behind the Scenes

The new chairmen of the Constituency Relations, Social and Recreational, and External Relations Committees explain what their groups do and their plans.

Young PAP members give their impressions of the campaigning at Taiwan’s “three-in-one” elections.

30 View from the Front

The lifeguard’s motto, “Whomsoever we see in distress, recognise in him a fellow man”, should be applied to dealing with the recent burst of gangland violence, says Mayor Teo Ho Pin. He explains how the community can help “save” young lives.

32 Forum

Clear statement

Singapore’s “Grow and Share” package offers much-needed hope and relief for the Singaporean in today’s globally tumultuous world, where income gaps are widening, writes branch secretary David Leong.

18 Dialogue

come upHow non-working mums almost stopped a childcare centre from being set up.

Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong brings up three manpower challenges.

Accused terrorist Mas Selamat’s escape and the arrest of a netizen for his online comments dominated the session on national security.

34 My Say

Mr Choo Jin Kiat, the acting executive director of a counseling centre for the elderly, suggests ways to build on the recent amendments to the Maintenance of Parents Act, and how schools and companies can help strengthen parent-children ties.

The changes mean the Salvation Army can allocate more time to reconciliation, writes Ms Low Mui Lang.

37 Happenings

Women’s Day

38 Cyberspeak

The problems of having children and suggestions on what can be done to encourage births was a hot topic online.

39 Backbencher’s Bite

“If we don't think it's worth fighting for our constituents' votes, they will not think that we are worth voting for,” writes MP Charles Chong.

40 OverheardBest of the sound bites by Parliamentarians.

EDITORIAL

A tale of 2 women

At our meet-the-people sessions, one of the most frequent ap-peals is for subsidised HDB

rental housing. Recently, I saw two such appeals. One was from a Madam T, aged 60, who asked to rent a one-room flat, because she was having a hard time living with her married son. The other was from Madam W, a 40 year-old divorcee with custody of two young children.

In processing the appeals, the Housing Board found that Madam T earned a small salary working at her daughter’s tuition centre. She also had money saved from the sale of her previous flats and owned a car. On top of that, her son gave her a regular allowance. She told the HDB that her children would hire a maid to look after her in the rental flat.

On the other hand, Madam W had an income of $450 and no proceeds from selling her matrimonial flat. After her divorce, she and her chil-dren stayed with her mother, sister, brother-in-law and three nephews and nieces in a three-room flat.

The incomes of both Madam T and Madam W are low, but their financial situation and family circum-stances differ greatly.

Their cases are typical of the many hundreds that the HDB receives every week. What should it do? How should we help our low-income families with their housing problems?

4 MARCH / APRIL 11

By Mah Bow TanMinister for National Development

Greater subsidies The PAP way is to help as many

Singaporeans as possible own their homes, and therefore own a stake in Singapore. When Singapore does well, they also benefit, as their homes will grow in value.

But home-ownership is not easy for low-income families. Not only do they earn less than others, they often face greater uncertainty when it comes to employment.

However, to be an inclusive so-ciety, we cannot leave this group of people behind. We need to have as many of them as possible own their homes. That is why the HDB offers a wide range of flat types, so that there are affordable choices for different income groups.

In particular, the HDB is now building more two- and three-room flats in various locations, so that low-income families have more options.

To help them buy their flats, the government introduced the Addi-tional CPF Housing Grant in 2006. We made it more generous in 2007 and 2009. As a result, today, families earning less than $1,500 a month can benefit from an additional $40,000 to help pay for a home of their own.

This is on top of other housing subsidies, namely the one for new flats and the CPF Housing grant for resale flats.

I also recently announced the

introduction of a new Special Hous-ing Grant for low-income families. Families with household incomes of up to $2,250 can now benefit from further subsidies to purchase new flats in non-mature estates.

This will make home ownership even more affordable to these families.

Rentals a safety netHowever, even with these substan-

tial subsidies, there will still be some Singaporeans who find it difficult to own a home. Some may be facing temporary setbacks, such as job loss or divorce. Others may be unable to work due to old age or physical dis-abilities.

HDB rental flats will form the safety net for these people who do not have family support or other housing options.

The subsidy for families in these flats is substantial: It can add up to as much as $100,000 over 10 years. It is no surprise, therefore, that subsidised rental flats are highly sought after.

However, we must save such flats only for those who are truly needy and without other housing options, and those whose families cannot provide the support they need.

One of the government’s basic principles is that the family must be the first line of support for those in need of help; that it should provide help only as a last resort, after the

individual and his family have done their best.

Goal: to build hope The government is committed to

help lower-income families in Singa-pore. But the solution is not about providing them with rental housing for life. Instead, we want to help them work towards a better future in a comprehensive way.

Many of them face more than a housing problem – marital problems, family problems, unemployment due to the lack of necessary skills….

The government will help those who are willing to work, with financial assistance, training, job-matching and counselling. A way will be found to help them, so long as they are willing to work hard and become self-reliant.

Indeed, we have helped many Singaporean families to improve their lives over time this way. We will con-tinue to do so. This is the Singapore story of social mobility, of hope for a better life.

As for the two women who came to me for help in obtaining a rental flat: The HDB turned down Madam T’s appeal, since she had family support and was not in financial difficulty.

However, it acceded to Madam W’s request, in view of her special circumstances, even though she was barred for 30 months from renting after the sale of her previous flat.

5 MARCH / APRIL 11

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Semasa sesi bertemu rakyat, salah satu rayuan yang sering didengar ialah bagi mendapatkan flat sewa

HDB bersubsidi. Baru-baru ini, saya menerima dua rayuan seperti itu. Satu dari Puan T, 60 tahun, yang mahu menyewa flat satu bilik kerana beliau mendapati sukar untuk tinggal bersama anak lelakinya yang sudah berumahtang-ga. Satu lagi ialah Puan W, seorang janda berusia 40 tahun yang mempunyai hak menjaga dua anaknya yang masih lagi kecil.

Lembaga Perumahan telah mendapati bahawa Puan T ada menerima gaji kecil semasa beliau bekerja di pusat tuisyen anak perempuannya. Beliau juga mem-punyai simpanan hasil dari menjual flat-flat nya serta memiliki sebuah kereta. Selain dari itu, beliau mendapat elaun secara tetap yang diberikan oleh anak lelakinya.

Bagi Puan W pula, dia meraih pen-

dapatan $450 dan tidak menerima se-barang keuntungan dari hasil penjualan flat yang dikongsi bersama bekas suami beliau. Selepas penceraian, beliau dan anak-anaknya tinggal bersama dengan ibu, kakak, abang ipar dan tiga anak saudaranya di flat tiga bilik.

Pendapatan kedua-dua Puan T dan Puan W adalah rendah tetapi latar be-lakang kewangan dan keluarga masing-masing jauh berbeza.

Kes-kes mereka adalah lumrah yang biasa terdapat di kalangan beratus-ratus rayuan yang diterima HDB pada setiap minggu. Apakah yang dapat HDB laku-kan? Bagaimana boleh kita membantu keluarga-keluarga yang berpendapatan rendah ini menangani masalah peruma-han mereka?

Subsidi yang lebih besar Cara PAP menangani ialah dengan

membantu seberapa ramai warga Sin-gapura untuk memiliki rumah mereka sendiri, lantas mereka akan mempunyai taruhan di Singapura ini.

Namun pemilikan rumah bukanlah

suatu perkara yang mudah bagi keluarga-keluarga yang berpendapatan rendah. Bukan sahaja gaji mereka ini rendah, malahan mereka akan menghadapi ketidak ketentuan apabila berhadapan dengan pekerjaan oleh kerana pekerjaan mereka yang kurang mantap.

HDB kini membina lebih banyak flat dua dan tiga bilik di pelbagai lokasi supaya keluarga-keluarga yang berpen-dapatan rendah akan mendapat lebih banyak pilihan.

Baru-baru ini saya ada mengu-mumkan Geran Perumahan Khas bagi keluarga-keluarga yang berpendapatan rendah. Keluarga-keluarga yang mem-punyai pendapatan sehingga $2,250 boleh meraih lebih banyak subsidi untuk membeli flat-flat baru di estet-estet yang belum lagi matang.

Ini akan membolehkan pemilikan rumah yang lebih termampu untuk di-miliki oleh keluarga-keluarga ini.

Sewa sebagai jaringan keselamatan

Namun, walaupun dengan adanya

Kisah dua wanita

6 MARCH / APRIL 11

Oleh: Mah Bow TanMenteri Pembangunan Negara

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subsidi yang sebesar ini, terdapat juga segelintir warga Singapura yang masih mendapati sukar untuk memiliki rumah sendiri.

Flat-flat sewa HDB akan membentuk suatu jaringan keselamatan bagi mereka yang tidak mempunyai sokongan keluar-ga atau pemilihan perumahan yang lain.

Subsidi bagi keluarga-keluarga di flat-flat ini agak besar: Subsidi yang boleh diraih boleh mencapai sehingga $100,000 dalam tempoh 10 tahun. Jadi, tidak hairanlah jika flat-flat sewa bersub-sidi ini menjadi rebutan.

Namun, kita perlu mengetepikan flat-flat sedemikian kepada mereka yang benar-benar memerlukan dan tidak terdapat pemilihan perumahan yang lain. Juga kepada mereka yang tidak dapat sokongan yang dikehendaki dari keluarga-keluarga mereka.

Matlamat: untuk membina harapan

Pemerintah telah komited untuk membantu keluarga-keluarga yang berpendapatan rendah di Singapura.

Tetapi penyelesaiannya bukanlah dengan menyediakan flat-flat sewa untuk mereka selama-lamanya. Sebaliknya, kita mahu membantu mereka mencapai masa depan mereka dengan cara yang menyeluruh dengan lebih baik lagi.

Ramai diantara mereka yang meng-hadapi lebih dari hanya masalah peru-mahan – masalah rumahtangga, masalah keluarga, pengangguran disebabkan oleh kurangnya kemahiran-kemahiran yang diperlukan....

Pemerintah akan membantu mereka yang mempunyai sikap sedia berkerja dengan memberi bantuan kewangan, latihan, pemadanan pekerjaan serta kaunseling.

Bagi dua wanita yang meminta bantuan dari saya: HDB telah menolak rayuan Puan T kerana beliau mendapat sokongan dari keluarganya dan tidak menghadapi masalah kewangan.

Namun, ia menerima permintaan Puan W, memandangkan keadaannya yang khusus, walaupun beliau diharam-kan dari menyewa flat selama 30 bulan se-lepas penjualan flatnya yang terdahulu.

7 MARCH / APRIL 11

8 MARCH / APRIL 11

QUICK NEWS

27 electoral divisions this GESingapore has been carved up into

27 electoral divisions for the next General Election – 12 single

member constituencies and 15 group representation constituencies.

Eight of the SMCs are new. They are Hong Kah North, Mountbatten, Pioneer, Punggol East, Radin Mas, Sengkang West, Whampoa and Yuhua.

This time, there will be two four-

member GRCs, in Holland-Bukit Timah and Moulmein-Kallang. The latter is new. The number of six-man GRCs has been whittled to two – Ang Mo Kio and Pasir Ris-Punggol. The rest will have five members.

The next Singapore Parliament will have 87 MPs, three more than the current one. The estimated number of voters at Jan 1 is 2,349,091.

Community Development Councils reached out to more than one million people last

year, 23 per cent more than 2009. Among their beneficiaries are 14,500

applicants who found jobs through the CDCs. A total of 24,200 jobseekers turned to them for aid.

All in, CDCs organised some 1,200 programmes and events. Two major ones were the Orange Ribbon Celebrations in July to promote racial

harmony, and the district celebrations of the Singapore Youth Olympic Games in August.

About 10,000 volunteers are involved in planning, organising and running some of the CDC activities. They initiated more than 220 community projects.

The CDCs also collaborated with 1,700 community and corporations to raise $10.4 million to help the needy, the elderly and students.

Hong Kah North branch meets on the new electoral divisions.

9 MARCH / APRIL 11

112,500 jobs created

The number of jobs created last year was about three times that in 2009. Almost all were in the

service sector. A little more than half were taken

up by foreigners. Singaporeans and PRs, who hold almost two-thirds of the three million or so jobs here, filled the other openings.

Lay-offs plunged, from 23,340 in 2009, a recession year, to 9,800. Singapore’s overall unemployment rate stands at a seasonally adjusted 2.2 per cent. About 64,800 residents were out of work last year, compared with 86,900 in 2009.

$55m for Edusave

A sum of $130 will be put in the Edusave accounts of all Singaporean primary and

secondary school students. This will bump up their accounts to $330 and $370 respectively.

The money can be used to pay for school enrichment programmes as well as local and overseas learning trips.

The $54.8 million cash injection is part of $155 million the government is spending to insulate children from the rising cost of living.

The remaining money is for government, government-aided and independent schools to spend on IT equipment.

More varsity options

The Singapore Institute of Technology is doubling its intake for its second cohort this year,

taking in 500 more students in August. This will give diploma holders a better chance to obtain a degree.

It plans to double its intake again to 2,000 in four years. The SIT, which was set up in 2009, links the five polytechnics here with reputable universities overseas.

SIT will also double the number of scholarships it gives out to 120.

A group has been set up to keep an eye on food prices, which have been rising steadily and which are

forecast to increase futher. It is chaired by Minister of State

CDCs help 6 in 10 find jobs

Prices to be monitoredfor Trade and Industry Lee Yi Shyan, and will meet at least once a month to review the Consumer Price Index for food, as well as investigate large hikes and anti-competitive practices.

10 MARCH / APRIL 11

For many years, it had been a lot of talk and not enough action. At least that seemed to be the case for the

evergreen debate on the adequacy of the controversial Maintenance of Parents Act.

So when Mr Seah Kian Peng pointed out, during a Committee of Supply Debate last year, a sharp increase in the number of parents filing applications with the Tribunal for the Maintenance of Par-ents in recent years, it looked,like another rumble in the House, rather than chance to write a piece of history.

He suggested that the Commissioner of the tribunal be given more powers to obtain data on the whereabouts and financial status of children who were not supporting their parents.

Community Development, Youth and Sports Minister Vivian Balakrishnan replied that making laws governing intra-family relations is a sensitive business. However, would the Honourable Member like to take up the challenge?

A stunned Mr Seah took a deep breath…and accepted.

Herculean questPetir gets the inside story on what it took

to amend the Maintenance of Parents Act,

only the second time since 1965 that a

Private Member’s Bill has been passed

much less on how to change it.“I had no idea where to start, but I

knew I had to do it because I really felt strongly about the topic,” the 49-year-old told Petir in an exclusive interview.

Almost every MP, he added, hears complaints from parents that their chil-dren are not taking care of them at their meet-the-people sessions.

“The enormity of the task only dawned on me after I agreed. One does not know how much it involves until you're actually doing it. When you're not the one in that seat, it’s quite different.”

Mr Seah, an MP for Marine Parade GRC and chairman of the GPC for Com-munity Development, Youth and Sports, immediately rustled up help – he asked his colleagues in Parliament who had raised the topic before and felt strongly about the issue, to join a workgroup. It was the “best move I made”.

The readiness with which those he ap-proached agreed to join him in his quest “greatly encouraged” him. "They were all genuinely concerned.”

HOT HOT

Never mind that he had been an MP for only four years. Never mind that only one Private Member's Bill had been passed since independence. And never mind that he had no expertise in the law,

Main changesparents who want to claim financial support from their children. Only if they fail to reach agreement will they go before the tribunal. Previously, mediation was voluntary.

has access to government databases, like CPF and tax records, to help him track down missing children and check on their ability to support their parents.

can be dismissed without a full tribunal hearing. Every year, about one in every eight applications has been dismissed.

Forty-eight hours later, he has rounded up a group of 10 MPs and NMPs to work on the changes.

March 24: The group holds its first meeting, at the offices of the Tribunal for the Maintenance of Parents. Six more are held, at the rate of one every month, except in June. The group meets again on April 19, May 11, July 9, Aug 12, Oct 7, Nov12. The gatherings, mostly at MCYS, with a couple at Mr Seah’s office, generally last about two hours.

May 17: First of two media conferences. This one to tell people what the Act is and isn’t; why it is being amended; the planned activities and timelines.

March 10, 2010: MP Seah Kian Peng is challenged in Parliament, by Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Vivan Balakrishnan, to improve the Maintenance of Parents Act, and accepts.

March 24: First visit to tribunal to witness cases being heard and the considerations tribunal members take into account in their decisions.

11 MARCH / APRIL 11

The gang of 10 brought their own expertise to the table. It ranged from knowledge of the law to a keen interest in elderly issues.

Over the next few months, they met at least seven times, conducted six focus group discussions, and received and reviewed the feedback from various plat-forms. This included a website – www.mpa.sg – Mr Seah had set up to tell the public what was happening and to serve as a feedback channel. It elicited more than 100 responses. The group also exchanged countless e-mail and paid two visits to the tribunal.

“The visits to the tribunal were very helpful as they gave us a greater under-standing of the process, as well as a better appreciation of the perspectives of parents and their children. It also allowed us to hear from tribunal members how they thought things could be improved.”

Mr Seah received unexpected help too – from postgraduate students, retired Parliament staff, lawyers as well as from former Attorney-General Walter Woon,

who, in his time as an NMP, was the one who had introduced and got the original Act passed in Parliament in 1995.

“It was very encouraging to know there were a lot of people rooting for the workgroup and who were willing to assist in a cause that's good for society.”

He added: “When I started this jour-ney, there were many unknowns and uncertainties, but with each day, things started to fall into place. It felt like I was on the right highway, that I was not driv-ing on this highway alone; that there were many others in my car, and they were all people who counted and mattered.”

He was a couple of months into the job when a lecturer in charge of a group of Masters students from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy called: Would he

'Being an armchair critic is a lot easier. This required a lot more thinking through.'

like them to survey the public's attitude on the Act?

“It was good to get a perspective from this younger group and their peers as well,” he said.

The students, who later lent their sup-port by attending Parliament at the Bill’s second reading, spoke to almost 4,500 people. Their research “validated our own findings and proposals”, said Mr Seah.

Several people, including two lawyers from a top legal firm and one who had worked at Parliament, also lent their ex-pertise in drafting the Bill.

Professor Woon's stepping down from his post as AG last April came at a good time for the workgroup.

Mr Seah asked the law lecturer if he would meet the gang, so they could hear his views and the problems he encoun-tered in tabling the original Bill. When he agreed, he was invited to join the group.

Prof Woon told Petir: “I can't claim any credit for the amendments. I did have a bit of a look, but all the hard work was done by Kian Peng and his colleagues.”

Aug 6: GPC for Community Development, Youth and Sports get the heads up on workgroup’s progress. They are also asked for their views and feedback.

June: Lecturer from LKY School of Public Policy calls offering to get his Masters students to survey the public on their views on the Act. Accepted! The survey was conducted in July and August.

May & June: The public’s views on the changes needed are sought. Various workgroup members and community leaders join Mr Seah at these sessions. May 19: VWOs (Workgroupers Laurence Wee, Sin Boon Ann are present too)June 1: General public (Laurence Wee, REACH member and grassroots leader Chua Ee Chek)June 2: Chinese community (Sam Tan, Chinese community leader Robin Hu)June 16: General public and Indian community (Mildred Tan, Chua Ee Chek)June 17: VWOs (Denise Phua)July 1: Malay community (Halimah Yacob, REACH member Rahayu Mahzam).

Members of the MPA amendments team in Parliament the day the amendments were passed in November 2010. From left: Mr Sam Tan, Ms Denise Phua, Mr Seah Kian Peng, Mr Viswa Sadasivan, Mr Laurence Wee, Mr Sin Boon Ann, and Ms Ellen Lee.

Stakeholders in ensuring good parent-child ties

and who helped amend the Maintenance of

Parents Act give their take on the changes

12 MARCH / APRIL 11

Tribunal sessions offered insightsBy Yu-Foo Yee Shoon

HOT HOT

Resolution vitalBy Ellen Lee

He added: "The problems for a single MP to introduce a Bill are daunting. Apart from the technical challenges of drafting legislation, the research, conceptualisa-tion, feedback and persuasion takes time.

“Many MPs hold full-time jobs and it's difficult to find the time and energy to steer something through Parliament.”

For Mr Seah, the chief executive of NTUC FairPrice, the nine arduous months he spent was rewarded when the proposed Bill was passed by Parliament at the third reading.

“I had less time for my family, no time for sports, and yes, some friends gave up trying to meet up with me!”

The week before the amendments were passed was the worst.

“There were so many unexpected things that came up. For example, chang-ing the Act had knock-on effects on other laws, which we had to take into considera-tion as well. In the days leading up to the last reading, we just charged!”

After they got the “Ayes” they needed, they got Dr Balakrishnan to take a photo of them in Parliament – with a mobile phone.

A simple celebratory dinner followed; then it was business as usual. “I'd plenty to catch up on,” said Mr Seah.

He described the experience as “defi-nitely one of my most memorable” since entering politics. “This process allowed me to better understand what policy-making is about. Being an armchair critic is a lot easier. This required a lot more thinking through.”

Mr Seah predicts there'll be more Pri-vate Member Bills to come. As to whether he would attempt another one soon, he said: “I'm taking a break first.”

Oct 4: Second media conference, to explain spirit and intent of review, the proposed amendments and rationale for them.

Aug 24: Second visit to tribunal.

There were 10 people working on the amendments to the Main-tenance of Parents Act in 2010.

They were MPs Sam Tan, Sin Boon Ann, Wee Siew Kim, Denise Phua, Halimah Yacob and Ellen Lee, and NMPs Viswa Sadasivan, Mildred Tan and Laurence Wee. Mr Seah Kian Peng led.

Over nine months, the workgroup deliberated recommendations to help more families settle disputes amicably.

One amendment proposed and passed was to make conciliation compulsory for all cases before going to the tribunal for

the Maintenance of Parents.Throughout the review, there was

close consultation and collaboration be-tween the workgroup and the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports and other agencies.

The workgroup recognised that issues such as filial piety remain close to people’s hearts as well as being a sensitive issue.

It was important to gather views on what people envisioned the revised Act should be.

With the support of government feedback site REACH, the workgroup

I said “yes” without hesitation when Seah Kian Peng asked if I would be one of his workgroup members. I grew up "literally" with the Mainte-

nance of Parents Act: I gave my views to the Select Committee after former NMP Walter Woon introduced the Bill in Parlia-ment for its first reading.

When it became law, I gave public talks on the Act to numerous voluntary welfare organisations and non-government groups, and almost annually to each new cohort of volunteers at the Singapore

Action Group of Elders, until I entered politics.

In my practice as a family lawyer, I am well aware of the grievances of neglected parents as well as children saddled with mercenary parents. Both sides need to be protected from the other and I often ask myself whether legislation is the ultimate solution.

To me, it isn’t.Hence, I often advise parents to re-

strain themselves from taking the extreme route of suing their children.

Sept 13: Formal submission of the proposed amendments to MCYS Minister Balakrishnan, prior to submission to the Attorney-General’s Chambers.

Aug 27: Discussion on communication strategy to the public. Mr Seah: “Halimah Yacob talked to the Malay media; Ellen Lee to the Chinese media, including appearing on TV programme “Frontline”; Sin Boon Ann spoke to the group of LKY School students; I was interviewed on various radio and TV programmes. We had no less than 61 articles featured in the newspapers in various languages! There was also good coverage on radio and online.”

13 MARCH / APRIL 11

It has been 15 years since the Maintenance of Parents Act was enacted. Amidst our changing social and economic landscape,

updating the Act was timely. Singapore’s laws are the glue which

keep our social bonds strong, and I was glad for the opportunity to contribute to the strengthening of such bonds by helping with the updating.

The 10-man team I was on comprised MPs, lawyers like myself and civil servants. Our task was to translate needed policy and procedural changes into new legal provi-sions. We also consulted various interest groups and stakeholders.

We discussed ideas and initiatives through e-mail, and had monthly brain-storming sessions, which were chaired by MP Sin Boon Ann. Because of the different perspectives, the discussions were lively.

Some were in favour of harsher penal-ties, while others were mindful that the amendments should not place an undue and onerous burden on children. Eventually, we reached consensus on the changes.

On a personal level, this journey has been a rewarding experience. It was very different from my work as a corporate transactional lawyer.

Not only was I given the unique oppor-tunity to try legislative drafting, it was an eye opener to witness how policy translates into law, which in turn will have an impact on the public. I was inspired by the team’s com-mitment and enthusiasm for their task.

The writer is a senior associate

at law firm Drew & Napier.

Others wanted it to bite deeper, to pun-ish ungrateful children, particularly those who fleeced their vulnerable parents and then dumped them.

After many rounds of public consulta-tion and closed door deliberations, I was relieved that we decided on the changes that are now law.

I strongly believe in providing a plat-form for resolution of conflicts, and for reconciliation to happen eventually.

The writer is an MP.

Drafting laws an eye-openerBy Mark See

Oct 18: First reading of the proposed amendments.“I decided to also explain our proposals to the House. It caught many by surprise as usually the first reading is not accompanied by any speech and is simply tabled, after which the members consider what is proposed.”

Nov 2: PAP members briefed on proposals.

Nov 23: Second and third readings. “The bulk of the action took place at this point. I opened and closed the debate on the proposed amendments. In all, 19 members spoke on them, including Minister Balakrishnan. “I also proposed another amendment: It concerned providing protection for tribunal members from personal liability when discharging their duties in good faith.”The amendment was incorporated and read a third time. Everything is put to the vote. The Bill is passed!

Jan 7, 2011: President gives his assent and the proposed amendments become law.

I also tell the children that whatever the failings, perceived or real, of their parents, to forgive and to care for them in their old age, as after all, their parents gave them life.

I also come across doting parents who do not blame their children for not behav-ing responsibly towards them, as they do not wish to shame them or affect their standing in society.

The workgroup had to manage the public’s expectations. Some wanted the Act revoked. They saw it as a slur on Sin-gapore’s otherwise good reputation.

extensively consulted the public and stakeholders, such as eldercare agencies and Family Service Centres, both online and through focus group sessions.

Several suggestions were eventually incorporated into the Bill.

The ministry facilitated communica-tion between the workgroup and other related agencies, and their clients. This helped ensure any amendments were feasible, practical and relevant.

The workgroup also sat in at hearings by the tribunal, to gain a better idea of issues dealt with on the ground.

At the same time, MCYS consulted the Attorney-General’s Chambers to ensure the proposed amendments were drafted correctly, and that the public’s interest was protected.

The Maintenance of Parents (Amend-ment) Bill was passed by Parliament on Nov 23. The amendments were to be implemented in the first quarter of 2011.

The review provided an opportunity for the government to explain and clarify some of the common misconceptions

about the Act. These include the factors considered

in a maintenance order, for instance, whether parents have a right to mainte-nance, and the role of the state in helping needy elderly people.

The over-arching principle remains that legal action should be the last resort in the resolution of family disputes. Fam-ily values are best inculcated at home.

Indeed, MCYS launched a TV com-mercial on the value of filial piety last June. It can also be seen in cinemas and on the Internet.

The ad generated a tremendous amount of discussion online and in the mainstream media. It prompted Singapo-reans to reflect on family relations.

MCYS will continue its efforts to reinforce family values and encourage open discussion on this issue.

The writer is a minister of state at the Ministry of Community

Development, Youth and Sports.

14 MARCH / APRIL 11

HOT HOT

Budget sets out new d

ONE-OFF BENEFITS FOR HOUSEHOLDS

OTHERS

Besides the list of benefits offered to cut living costs, and the long-term plans for raising the standard of

living here, Budget 2011 also offers Sin-gaporeans advice on how to handle their finances: First, pay back any outstanding loans; then, invest in the future, and only when that is done, should you reward yourself with any remainder.

Finance Minister Tharman Shanmu-garatnam made the point through the order in which the government will “spend” last year’s windfall.

He began with returning $4 billion bor-rowed from the past reserves in 2009 for the country’s Resilience Package, a $20.5 billion plan to see the country through its worst recession. The money was used to keep as many Singaporeans as possible in jobs, and to minimise business failures.

It was the first time the government had drawn on past savings.

Though there is no legal or constitu-tional obligation to return the money, “it is the responsible and prudent thing to do, once a government has secured a stable fiscal position within its term”, explained Mr Tharman.

Singapore’s Gross Domestic Product saw a 14.5 per cent surge last year.

He added: “This is the way to uphold the philosophy that has enabled us to build up and maintain our reserves, and derive from it income each year to meet our stra-tegic needs.”

Next, he outlined the investments for the country’s future.

“Growth has given us the resources to invest for Singaporeans’ future, in educa-tion and healthcare, and in providing the highest quality living environment in Asia,” he said, before elaborating on how the government intends to realise the two main thrusts of the Budget – to restructure the economy, as well as to strengthen it and Singapore society.

The plans also gave notice of the new directions the government is taking to encourage Singaporeans to shape their

future themselves through innovation, helping each other and raising the level of their skills.

A new billion-dollar fund is an ex-ample of this. The Community Silver Trust, which will provide dollar-for-dollar

matching of donations to voluntary welfare organisations that

provide long-term care to older Singapore-ans, is as much to spur private funding

to these groups as to improve the care available.

At the same time, a credit

scheme will be launched to give pre-schoolers, especially those from lower-income families, a solid start in life. These are part of a $6.6 billion package of benefits for Singaporeans.

There is also a $10 billion plan to reju-venate HDB estates, and top-ups of funds for raising productivity and skills.

One Budget goal is to “grow incomes for all Singaporeans…by 30 per cent in real terms over this decade”. To achieve this, the economy has to grow. This can only be done, he explained, by upgrad-ing businesses and through raising skills, craftsmanship and the quality of service in every job.

“That is the only way we can improve

BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS

15 MARCH / APRIL 11

irections

BUSINESS

LONG-TERM SOCIAL INVESTMENTS

incomes and living standards, including for those at the lower end of the income ladder. This year’s Budget doubles our commitments to achieving this objective.”

Singapore’s “core economic agenda” will be to significantly enhance support for companies to invest in workers’ skills and productivity, to increase assistance for home-grown businesses to venture abroad, and to “entrench high-value economic clusters here”.

He forecast growth of 4 per cent to 6 per cent this year.

Productivity will be the main economic driver now, rather than increasing manpow-er, the case in the last few years. The target – a 2 per cent to 3 per cent annual rise.

Industry associations, businesses, unions and government agencies have been work-ing out “detailed roadmaps” to achieve this through technology and training, he added.

On its part, the government will raise levies on hiring foreigners. “This is the di-rection we are setting…to provide clear and strong incentive for businesses to upgrade their operations, train up their workers….”

The focus for restructuring the economy will be on small and medium-sized busi-nesses that are dynamic and innovative.

The most important way to strengthen society, Mr Tharman continued, would be to sustain growth, create good jobs and provide opportunities for everyone to keep upgrading.

But social cohesion cannot be left to market forces, as incomes and opportu-nities will diverge, which is happening around the world. Neither must there be “unsustainable systems of entitlements”.

“Our approach must remain centred on opportunities…. This is why we are focusing on helping the low-income group through education, employment and home ownership.”

There will be educational pathways for every ability and talent, and automatic employment benefits rather than unem-ployment benefits.

This will be complemented with “ComCare and our health subsidies for the needy, and strong incentives to en-courage philanthropy and community giving”.

A priority will be “to provide the best possible care for the elderly and the disa-bled, not just in our hospitals but also in the community and in their own homes”. Hence, the new trust fund.

There will a new subsidy to help peo-ple buy an HDB home, and efforts will be made to bring the arts into the heartlands.

Last year’s surplus, he added, allows the government to complement the longer-term measures with a bonus that will help lower and middle-income households offset their higher cost of living this year.

It includes up to $800 in cash for each adult and extra rebates on utility and conservancy bills.

All in, the average Singapore house-hold will each receive around $3,000 this year, more than double the increase it could see in household expenses.

However, added Mr Tharman, sharing surpluses is not the government’s preferred way of dealing with inflation.

He concluded: “Whichever way the government intervenes, we will only suc-ceed if we preserve and strengthen the things that Singaporeans value most – family, everyone aspiring for a better life and feeling they can get there by working hard, and a sense of community.”

16 MARCH / APRIL 11

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WW DIALOGUE

By Ng Hwee Koon

Long-held, obsolete male attitudes and unrealistically high expecta-tions of women still prevail, which

make finding a spouse difficult. “Unless mothers start bringing up their sons dif-ferently, things will not change,” warned Dr Vivian Balakrishnan.

He made the observation at a discus-sion organised by the Women’s Wing, “The Changing Roles of Women, the Women’s Charter 50 years and Mov-ing Ahead”, which began with a review of some things that have not changed quickly enough.

The two-hour session was chaired by the Minister for Community Develop-ment, Youth and Sports, the only man in the room. MP Jessica Tan moderated the debate, attended by about 30 profes-sionals whose ages ranged from the late 20s to the 60s.

Singapore passed its Women’s Charter in 1961 following a campaign promise made by the PAP. This made monogamy the law, rationalised and equalised the duties of both sexes, and supported equal education and employment opportunities for women.

Five decades later, in January, the charter was amended to facilitate overseas Singaporeans who wished to get married in Singapore, to reduce and mitigate the impact of divorce, and to ensure better support for children and ex-wives, among other things.

The participants suggested courts should appoint lawyers for children in divorce cases, more incentives to encour-age women between 18 and 25 years old to have children, and greater allocation of MCYS’ resources to promote its various social welfare and volunteer programmes.

Singapore’s low fertility rate came up too. The minister observed that having fewer children seems to be a norm, espe-cially for educated and successful Chinese

Guilt-ridden questions

Working mothers often face the dilemma of whether to continue working or stay at home to care for the children.

18 MARCH / APRIL 11

WOMEN’S WING EXCO (2011-2012)

Chairman: Lim Hwee Hua Vice Chairmen: Grace Fu, Josephine TeoSecretary: Lee Bee Wah Assistant secretaries: Foo Mee Har, Lena Lee Siow Ling Treasurer: Jessica Tan Assistant treasurer: Mary Yeo Chor Gek District representatives: Amy Yeoh Kheng Choo, Samantha Wong Sit Ping, Amy Chia Wea Eng, Sandra Chua Kah Hwee, Pauline Sim Seo LianDeputy district representatives: Doris Tan Sai Choo, Lee Su Min, Daisy Chee-Ngiam Moi Kin, Eileen Goh Chiu Guat, Molly Too Suan Gek, Melissa Tan Tien FenMembers: Thang Leng Leng, Ng Hsueh Ling, Ann Tan-Kendrick, Angie Ng Chui Hua Advisors: Grace Fu, Josephine Teo, Penny Low, Ellen Lee, Jessica Tan

women all round the world. In fact, low fertility would be a key limiting factor for China in the medium term.

“The question is, will China grow rich before it becomes old – in which case it’ll be like the rapidly ageing but still wealthy Japan of today – or will it grow old before it gets rich – with all the attendant socio-political consequences?”

To work or not to work?The issue which generated the most

discussion was “one of those terribly guilt-ridden questions working mothers have to grapple with” – whether to put her career on hold to care for her children or keep working.

A child’s IQ and EQ may be strongly co-related to that of the primary care giver, noted the minister. If this is true, “what are the consequences of highly-successful mothers leaving their children in the care of less educated maids?”

One young mother who objected to infant care, proposed the state mandate that new mums join a support network, where they can get help and advice from other mothers on taking care of their new-born.

While no one argued with her on her dismissal of childcare services, it was clear as the discussion proceeded, that not everyone agreed with her.

Also raised was the issue of helping women with post-natal depression, which

prompted Dr Balakrishnan to ask what stresses women out. Feeling cut off par-ticularly after giving birth, he was told.

One major difference between the sexes is that men “network naturally”, while women often become “isolated” af-ter marriage and children, explained WW chairman Lim Hwee Hua, causing her Cabinet colleague to raise his eyebrows.

“For example, it is okay for men to go out for drinks after work. But for women, the moment you have children, you be-come very isolated. Your friends are your husband’s friends.

“Instead of going out with your own friends, you think, ‘I should be going home to take care of the kids’. By the time you realise you’re not feeling great, you have no one to turn to for help.”

One mother’s experience of staying at home to look after her brood rocked the room with laughter. She recounted her panic in dealing with “the toilet paper has run out! Food has run out! Every day I have to go to the supermarket”, and the children driving her “nuts”.

“Work is very orderly. Your roles and responsibilities are clear. In fact, I feel more rested at work. At home, I don’t know the word ‘order’.” She added: “Not that my husband doesn’t want to help, but he doesn’t quite understand the domestic issues and doesn’t know what to do.”

She compared two friends. One tried to go it alone and ended up with post-

natal depression. The other used a child-care centre. “Her child developed well, ate well, slept well, didn’t give her any trouble and learnt to speak early.”

All this, she concluded, underscores the importance of support networks.

On top of dealing with men’s clueless-ness, women are sometimes done in by other women.

A participant spoke of a friend who does not dare confess her “non-working-take-money-from-husband” status in case her working friends criticised it as “a waste” of her university education.

Protests about childcare centreMs Tan recounted how her proposal to

set up a childcare centre in her constitu-ency drew the most vigorous and loudest objections from women with children.

“I was at the point of halting the project but one mother’s comments stopped me. She said, ‘I stopped work to look after my kids. If this is the choice I made, why can’t other women do the same?’ And she was very nasty about it.”

It was that mother’s accusation that those who carried on working were be-ing irresponsible which made Ms Tan decide to have the centre. She found those using it “very grateful”. “So please, women, don’t judge each other and speak up about your needs. It’s alright to take this option. If you have other choices, it’s fine as well.”

How mothers care for their children is best left to the individual, added Dr Balakrishnan. “What the state can do is to provide options.”

In her conclusion, Mrs Lim said: “I’ve sat through many such discussions and the issues remain very much the same. But the ability to make choices is there. Therefore, we should not be swept along by what our colleagues or others have to say.”

Concluded Dr Balakrishnan: “I guess life is much simpler as a man!”

come up

19 MARCH / APRIL 11

20 MARCH / APRIL 11

DIALOGUE

Singapore’s labour market may be tight, but opening the country to an unlimited inflow of foreign

workers is not an option. Employers need to learn to do the same job with fewer workers.

“We can do this by increasing produc-tivity, by introducing new ways of doing business,” stated Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong. He stressed the point at a Feb 12 discussion on manpower, or-ganised by the PAP Policy Forum, which drew about 100 activists.

To illustrate, he cited a bak kut teh stall he had patronised with his grassroots leaders. In spite of the apparent age of the woman who served them, she was in tune with the times in another way – she car-ried a gadget many younger people have today, a PDA (personal digital assistant). On it, she tapped out the complex list of orders from his host.

The customers were impressed.“My grassroots leaders ordered differ-

ent combinations of bak kut teh . But this auntie was able to get all the orders right. Through this innovation, the stall is able to operate with fewer workers.”

He offered the tech savvy “bak kut teh auntie” as an example of how some are turning to new ways of doing busi-ness to increase productivity, and reduce the number of hands they need. This, he added, is necessary, as Singapore cannot continue to grow its economy by expand-ing the labour force with foreigners.

Life, to ensure Singaporeans have savings that last a lifetime.

The hour-long question and answer session which followed was dominated by the hot button topic of foreign work-ers.

It had been the same at an earlier forum with Trade and Industry Minister Lim Hng Khiang. Then, many activists had expressed concern over the social and economic impact of the million or so foreigners that have been added to the workforce in the last decade.

How will the government address this highly-sensitive issue, which is a potential banana skin, at the upcoming elections, they had asked.

How to slow the foreign flow

Balancing higher growth and more foreign labour is one of three challenges faced by the government, said Mr Gan.

The second involves the choice between upgrading skills and stagnat-ing wages. To earn more, Singaporeans need to be better skilled, which would raise productivity and boost earnings, he pointed out.

The third is to push for wage growth while managing the wage gap. “Despite the government’s best efforts, the reality is economic growth may not benefit all equally.”

The government has taken a three-pronged approach to address these challenges, he said: Workfare, to sup-plement low-skilled workers’ wages and encourage them to go for training; the re-employment of older workers and

encouraging employment of women to help support the economy as well as improve their financial security, and CPF

Opening Singapore to an unlimited inflow

“The cost for Workfare is paid for by the government, whereas the cost of having a minimum wage would be borne by the employers, who may pass it on to the consumers,”

– Minister Gan

21 MARCH / APRIL 11

efforts to address another common com-plaint. “We now have a better system in place to verify the credibility of foreign workers’ qualifications and certificates,” Mr Gan said.

While this is helpful, said another participant, it also puts small companies like his at a disadvantage. Now he has problems getting workers! And turning to locals to fill the gap hasn’t been suc-cessful.

Their complaints allowed the minis-ter to underline the need for innovation in doing business and to make a pitch for what he described as the “untapped segments of the labour force” – older workers as well as older women.

This time, they brought up problems they themselves face as a result of current policies.

One pointed out that because of the inability of many foreigners to commu-nicate in English, his company has had to assign local workers to help them, and this had affected productivity.

Acknowledging the problem, Mr Gan said that this is one reason why there are now more stringent criteria for foreigners wanting to work here. One of these is an English test to qualify for a lower levy for those seeking jobs in service sectors which require a lot of interaction with customers, such as retail and hotels.

The government has also stepped up

“Our employment rate for older workers is still low, and this is especially so for older women workers. There is a lot of potential there.”

However, to draw from these two groups, employers may need to provide flexible work arrangements, including offering part-time jobs and allowing people to work from home, he advised.

The issue of having a minimum wage to manage the problem of the widening wage gap, which has also been hotly debated, was examined at the dialogue too. Some said it appeared to be a good way to deal with the gap as well as a use-ful mechanism to protect the income of workers with disabilities.

The government had thought long and hard about implementing this, said Mr Gan, but had decided it is “not a right fit for Singapore”.

For one, it could pose a risk to Singa-pore’s drive for productivity, as workers are guaranteed a certain salary regardless of how productive they are. Worse, the disabled could find it even harder to get a job on their own.

Hence, there is Workfare, to help supplement the income of low-wage workers.

“The cost for Workfare, which adds up to some $400 million a year, is paid for by the government, whereas the cost of having a minimum wage would be borne by the employers, who may pass it on to the consumers,” he pointed out.

of foreign workers is not the way to grow its economy.

22 MARCH / APRIL 11

DIALOGUE

This and other questions surfaced at a PPF dialogue

on national security. Susan Tsang reports

Does the government read private e-mail?

He was not present, but Mas Sela-mat Kastari cast a long shadow over the discussion on national

security with Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng, as the news that his relatives had helped him in his escape was still fresh then.

Several questions about him and relat-ed issues were asked at the Jan 19 session, organised by the PAP Policy Forum and held at the Party’s headquarters.

Mr Wong opened the forum by sketching out his role as Coordinating Minister for National Security. National security, he explained, encompasses far more than thwarting terrorists. His sec-retariat also oversees other issues which affect national security.

The questions that followed showed just how wide-ranging security con-cerns can be; so were some of the views expressed. It fell on Mr Wong to steer matters down a middle path, which he did with an occasional touch of humour.

When one participant presented a series of radical suggestions on how to improve Singapore’s total fertility rate, including encouraging married Singapore men to have children with mail-order wives from the region, Mr Wong sug-gested the man ask his wife first.

Everyone had a question on security. A popular issue was, terrorism. The safety of Singapore’s coastlines was also raised.

23 MARCH / APRIL 11

Terrorism was on many minds. A participant expressed her dismay over a new acquaintance saying that blood was thicker than water, and that she would have helped Mas Selamat if they were related. How safe are we, she asked.

“We definitely cannot be compla-cent,” observed Mr Wong. “Mas Selamat is a dangerous terrorist. Even when he was in Indonesia, he was planning attacks. If he had succeeded, how would his brother have felt? His niece was educated, and supposed to inculcate good values in a school.

“But we are all human beings, and we’ll have all kinds of emotions and senti-ments,” he added, citing a report in The Straits Times that said a third of people polled thought it was right to help blood relatives.

“It’s not a great majority, and it’s quite natural for some to want to help family. It’s not just among the Malay commu-nity, but also among the Chinese and other communities,” he noted. He also cautioned against discriminating against any one ethnic group.

Asked about how Mas Selamat got to Malaysia, Mr Wong said that, as well as how he got to his brother’s flat, is still being investigated. “We only have his version, which no one can verify.”

How safe then are Singapore’s coast-lines?

“No matter what system we put in place, we can never prevent the possibil-ity that any determined person leaves,” said the minister. “We have radar and electronic optic systems on coast guard boats to detect movement, but when it’s dark, and you are small, you can evade detection and swim across.

“Even if you don’t swim, you can find a way to leave Singapore in a vehicle, un-less we stop and open up every vehicle at the Causeway, But if we did, no one will ever leave Singapore, or come in without causing a massive traffic congestion. We can prepare and protect ourselves, but we can never guarantee that contraband and explosives cannot come in, or wanted persons.”

On creating a permanent awareness of terrorism, Mr Wong pointed out that the sense of crisis fades after an attack. “And we cannot blame people for this, as they want to get on with their lives.” But community leaders can be prepared, so that “when the time comes, we have a group who are trained”.

Diplomatic means of security in the wake of Wikileaks was raised, as was the dwindling birth rate and the influx of foreign workers.

Companies, the minister explained, don’t come here because of foreign work-ers, but because there are enough workers. From 2004 to 2007, Singapore enjoyed 8 per cent growth, and took in half a million foreigners to help power that prosperity.

“If you have more leisurely growth in population, you can plan for it, build more housing, schools, have more hospi-tal beds. But we don’t have that luxury. When the wind is blowing, you cannot say, ‘Let’s down our sails’. We don’t know when the wind will stop blowing – and it stopped in 2008 and 2009.”

Increasing productivity could mean that demand for workers might slow.

However, currently, the attitude of em-ployers is less towards training workers than hiring more of them.

A participant wanted to know if the authorities read private e-mail. Another asked how Singapore can better balance freedom of speech and deterrence, citing the case of the netizen who suggested “burn Vivian Balakrishnan” over the Youth Olympics and who was investi-gated for inciting violence.

The fact that illegal money-lenders get away with their activities means that such surveillance does not take place, Mr Wong pointed out. Neither is action taken against dissenting voices on the Internet.

He stressed that as long as comments are not made against others’ race, religion and language, one could say anything. “What is it that you want to say in Amer-ica that you cannot say in Singapore?”

Eventually, a member from Marsiling asked: “When is polling day?”

“It gets nearer by the day,” replied the DPM. Activists should have started pre-paring for the General Election, “so that when the bell is rung, you are at least 80 per cent ready”.

DPM Wong answered wide-ranging questions on security, including many on Mas Selamat Kastari.

24 MARCH / APRIL 11

Malay community making strides

an interest-free loan. DPM Teo added that the benefits

of a university education accrue to the individual largely and the fees for this can be recovered within a few years of the graduate starting work. What is important is to disburse the funds to the deserving, so the community is uplifted.

It was also pointed out that opposi-tion parties might accuse the PAP of suffering from the “arrogance of suc-cess”, due to the decades it has been in power.

Both ministers explained that the PAP has never taken things for granted and embraces change. And this is why the government has managed to lead the people successfully over the years.

DPM Teo noted that one cannot as-sume issues are settled when it comes to

an election. Even those l ike hav-ing a minimum wage, which was discussed intense-ly and rejected in Parliament, could be raised again. So, it is important to listen to the peo-ple, and remain humble and work hard to keep their confidence.

He ended with: “Let us prepare ourselves for the u p c o m i n g G E . Fight hard, fight fair and win.”

DIALOGUE

The future of the Malay/Muslim community began to look up as a result of the Mosque Building

Fund, and the formation of self-help group Mendaki, which was set up as a company, the audience at a dialogue was told.

Minister in charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim made the point when he gave an overview of developments in the community from Singapore’s inde-pendence in 1965, at the Jan 22 session organised by the Malay Affairs Bureau.

He was one of two panellists present. The other was Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean.

Mr Yaacob acknowledged the ef-forts of pioneer leaders and recalled the community’s early efforts to embrace urbanisation and, later, to overcome the drug problem which affected it badly.

He also listed more recent ef-f o r t s , l i k e th e formation of the Community Lead-ers Forum and the Education Trust Fund, as frame-works that support the community’s progress among national schemes and efforts.

He ended with figures to show the progress made by the community in

the last 10 years in education, employ-ment and quality of life.

During the dialogue, the minister stressed that Mendaki isn’t and has never been a “Ministry for Malay Af-fairs”. That it was set up to rally the community to address issues of educa-tional performance. Later, together with MUIS, a statutory board, it galvanised support for other efforts in employabil-ity, and family and youth development.

As their resources are not infinite, both focus on efforts that provide the most benefits for the community as a whole.

One topic touched on was the tui-tion subsidy for Malay undergraduates not being readily available. Mr Yaacob said that applicants are means-tested. Those who do not qualify for help get

OTHER ISSUESSingle parents: “The government

is always looking into ways to help sin-gle parents. It’s important for them to get back into the mainstream of society through skills upgrading.”

Immigrants: “There is a need to take a more global outlook. Singapore must remain open to immigrants as long as they can contribute to the na-tion. If not, they go elsewhere taking away talent, investments and jobs.”

HDB policy: “The HDB integra-tion policy is still relevant to ensure a good mix of people in our neighbour-

hoods. Not only is this ideal in practi-cal terms, the social structures in the neighbourhood, like schools, markets and so on, will also be affected if we didn’t have it.”

Tuition: “Besides more Mendaki tuition centres, there’s also collabora-tion among the self-help groups to ensure tuition is widely available. For example, if the nearest tuition facil-ity for a family is run by the CDAC or Sinda, contact Mendaki and we’ll top up the fees for tuition at that facility.”

25 MARCH / APRIL 11

BEHIND THE SCENES

CONSTITUENCY RELATIONS

The group coordinates ministers visits to the community. It pro-vides advice to the host MP and

organisers on how to meet the objectives of these events. We join in the recce, as well as observe the actual visit to see if there are ways visits can be improved.

Sitting on my committee are Mr Lim Biow Chuan (Marine Parade GRC), Ms Ellen Lee (Sembawang GRC), Madam Cynthia Phua (Aljunied GRC) and Mr Liang Eng Hwa (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC).

Our goal is to come up with engag-ing and meaningful programmes that enable the visiting minister to feel the pulse of the community, any changes that have taken place there, and to meet and interact with residents.

We hope these visits become an important and effective channel con-necting the government and the minister with the community. We would also like them to be a platform for the host MP to showcase the initiatives, programmes and work he has done.

We’d like to involve the young in the dialogue that follows each visit, so they can express their views.

Mr Masagos Zulkifli

Group approachesThree new chairmen tell Petir about the work of

their committees and their plans for the next two years

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

We’ve been interecting with leading political parties in other countries, and we will

continue with such party-to-party ex-changes, as they offer an additional and useful channel for engagement.

We will focus on being helpful, by sharing the PAP’s approach in tackling na-tional issues and sustaining our grassroots outreach. We also want to provide more

opportunities to our activists to gain politi-cal insight into other countries.

The mem-bers of the com-mittee include MPs, branch act iv is ts and representatives

The committee organises activities to help bond the members and families of the Party and the PAP

Community Foundation (PCF). It holds four main events each year: PCF Family DayPAP Community Golf and DinnerBranch Secretary Social dinner

Sec-Gen Cup PAP Community BowlOur objective is to attract as many

participants as possible, as such gatherings are also a good platform for nurturing lasting friendships.

My group’s main challenge is how to do these events differently, and make them more interesting and memorable for participants.

The commit-tee is made up of Mr Seah Kian Peng (Marine Parade GRC), Mr Arthur Fong ( Wes t Coa s t GRC), Mr Liang Eng Hwa (Hol-land-Bukit Timah GRC), Mr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim (Marine Parade GRC), Mr Sam Tan (Tanjong Pagar GRC), Mr Michael Palmer (Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC) and Mr Christopher De Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC).

Mr Lam Pin Min

from the Women’s Wing and Young PAP.We have been hosting a growing

number of visitors, some of them quite high level. One idea is to leverage on some of these visits to conduct exchanges with our own party activists. This could be quite educational.

We will also plan an overseas visit each year. Several countries are on our radar screen, including India.

One important consideration is whether the timing is right for our host. They may have pressing concerns to deal with – elections, leadership renewal etc. We also consider if there are interesting developments to observe and understand.

To be inclusive, we try to keep the costs of visits abroad to a level that most activists will find affordable.

Mrs Josephine Teo

SOCIAL AND RECREATIONAL

26 MARCH / APRIL 11262222 MARCH / APRIL 11

BEHIND THE SCENES

The ‘fighters’ of HougangNg Hwee Koon meets the feisty breed of PAP activists in the opposition ward

When you ask a Hougang ac-tivist why he volunteers his services, don’t expect reasons

like “I want to help others” or “I want to repay society”, which is what most oth-ers in the PAP who do grassroots work give. Hougang activists talk of tradition, friendship, interest.

Perhaps their different attitude is because they have tasted defeat for four elections. More probably it is because it takes people with a spine of steel, people of caliber to keep soldiering on despite being called “traitor”, being jeered at, and seeing the pity in the eyes of other

grassroots leaders from PAP wards when they meet up.

“Hougang is a tough job because of the fight,” admitted Madam Jenny Khoo. “But everyone here is prepared to fight. When we lose an election, we’re down-cast, but very quickly, we start asking why we failed, and how we can continue the battle.”

Added Mr Lee Moh Choon: “We’ve been making preparations for the up-coming GE since October. Anytime PM announces elections, we’re ready to go.”

He joined the grassroots movement because it was a family tradition. His

wife comes from a family of 70-strong who are all grassroots and PAP support-ers. Their roots are in Punggol but have spread to encompass Tampines, Jurong, Bukit Batok and Hougang.

Now 65 years old, he was roped in in the 1970s with three other graduate friends by his late father-in-law. “He encouraged me to do community work, saying it is a very good thing.” Mr Lee was newly-married then and decided to go with the flow. “Then, I got more interested.”

Many of the old Chinese residents in the ward’s HDB flats lived in Kampong

34

5

1

2

27 MARCH / APRIL 11 27 MARCH / APRIL 11

1. Mr Lee Moh Choon, 65 Retired teacher

In his 35 years volunteering, he has seen all sorts come and go. In the early days, some helped just to get

their children into good schools. “Once they achieved that, you didn’t see them anymore.”

There are fewer such cases in Hou-gang, he said. “I feel comforted that even though we’ve lost several elections, vol-unteers continue to stay on. That’s why I feel proud of the people here. We’ve remained very united.”

2. Madam Jenny Khoo, 61

Banking administrative

manager

She may no longer live in the con-stituency, but returns because of the residents. A typical conversa-

tion goes something like this:Resident (in Teochew): “You are so

clever! You did the decorations for this event so well!”

Madam Khoo: “You like it?”Resident: “Yes.”Madam Khoo: “Then come to our

activities more often!”Resident: “I come and look for you?”Madam Khoo: “Yes, come look for

me.”She added: “That’s why you see me

here three to four days a week.”

3. Mr Quek Kia Meng, 73

Retired businessman

Do volunteers get any special consideration in return for their help? “No,” he said em-

phatically and recounted how, when the government abolished agriculture in the 1980s, many of his customers closed shop and moved out – without paying what they owed him.

“My MP told me then that since the government wants to abolish agri-culture, I should be a role model and be the first to quit,” said the one-time farmer.

4. Mr Lien Wai Poh, 54

Contractor

His starkest memory is the day the PAP lost the 1991 elec-tion. “The day before, when

we were still a PAP ward, people called me ‘Brother’. The moment we lost, the snide remarks started. So, you don’t know what people can be like until the day you lose power.”

5. Mr Soh Yew Heng, 58

Semi-retired florist

While some might argue that it is not in PAP’s overall interest to have no opposition at all in

Parliament, Mr Soh believes: “You can’t possibly say that there’s no need to cam-paign in the two opposition wards. This is where attention will naturally focus.

“Besides, it’s not in the Party’s inter-est to allow one constituency to be lost forever. Our hope is that our turn will come and maybe someone else can be the loser for a change.”

Punggol when he began. They used to be pig and poultry farmers, until farming was phased out and they were relocated to Hougang in the 1980s.

Grassroots work before that, said the chairman of the Citizens’ Consultative Committee (CCC), involved marathon walks to visit residents and many “gotong royong projects” – community self-help projects – such as improving the neigh-bourhood’s muddy, uneven roads.

“My father-in-law used to own a gro-cery shop in the village and he’d prepare refreshments for those who came to help out.” Generally, the whole village would

turn up. Even religious groups and the army would respond to then MP Ng Kah Ting’s invitation. Together, they would lay soil and stones to pave the roads.

In the last few years, he has been in-spired to keep going by Mr Eric Low, the grassroots groups’ adviser.

“He told PM that he’s not doing the work in the hope of becoming an MP, but to help the government keep its links with the people. I can’t help but admire him for this. That’s why I’m still helping.”

But Mr Low is leaving, and like the other veterans in the crowd who have worked with the man for 12 years to

recover the ward from the Workers’ Party, the activist feels it keenly. They had weathered storms together.

Mr Lien Wai Poh, 54, the CCC’s vice-chairman, told Petir: “Before, when WP’s Mr Low Thia Khiang turned up at events and functions, everyone clapped; but when Mr Eric Low appeared, everyone jeered.” Mr Soh Yew Heng, 58, recalled that when the PAP first lost the seat, many WP supporters called him “traitor” and “lapdog”.

But hostility has given way to accept-ance, though there is still the occasional door slammed in their faces when they

28 MARCH / APRIL 1128 MARCH / APRIL 11

visit homes. Residents ask the long-time PAP hopeful why he is not continuing the fight now that his “chikus have finally ripened”, recounted Mr Lee.

“He tells them that he’s getting older and can’t climb trees anymore, so he is bringing a younger fellow, Mr Desmond Choo, to help him harvest the chikus.”

What keeps Madam Khoo still work-ing in Hougang 20 years later, even though she no longer lives there, is the warmth of the residents, including those on the other side politically.

“It’s not easy to put down. I used to think ‘Aiyah, three to four months to prepare for one event. I don’t want to do it!’ Then the event ends, the residents hold my hands and ask me, ‘When can I see you again?’ So I come back and start on something else.”

Hougang is like a “second home”, said the 61-year-old, who lived there from 1990 to 1996, and who is first vice-chairman of the branch’s Women’s Wing.

Love and Sunshine Influenced by her late father, also a

grassroots leader, she began volunteering in her 20s. “At first, it was just curiosity about the activities, and it was fun to take part in group events like telematches.”

She added: “There is love and sun-shine here. In some other place, you may find the people petty; but here they’re optimistic and helpful. I have lots of old friends here. The branch staff are very close too. ”

To some extent, friends, too, prompt-ed CCC “patron” Quek Kia Meng to join up. He has also been doing grassroots work since the 1970s, when he was asked by some of his pals to join them after his father, a former grassroots leader, died.

Initially, he declined, as he was busy with his animal feed business. He also felt he did not have what was needed: He has little education, cannot speak English and cannot “write letters”. But his friends kept asking, and “it was embarrassing to keep rejecting them”.

Thirty or so years later, he still does not feel he is up to the mark, but “friends”

like MP Heng Chee How, who was the PAP flag bearer in the 1997 elections, and Mr Eric Low have persuaded him to stay on.

He claims his job is to “just show up and have fun”. “Community events also need old folks; we’re always on time. The young people, they’re busy. They have to take care of their family, work and so on. But we older ones, we boost participation, make things lively.”

Election energyFor the relatively younger Mr Lien and

Mr Soh, the adrenaline rush of the elec-tions is what keeps them going. Said Mr Soh: “When the election is coming, you feel your blood begin to course.”

Mr Lien, who has 24 years of grass-roots experience, elaborated: “There is a lot of anticipation, a lot of tension. From nomination to polling, it’s very intensive. Every election is very exciting.”

To him, working the ground is not work, it is an interest. He enjoys the plotting and planning, the strategising. It gives him a high, he confessed. And when his contributions are recognised by his teammates, it is deeply satisfying.

Mr Soh, too, so relishes the battle, that he is continuing volunteering at Hougang though he moved out in 2009. He was

roped in to help out in the 1997 GE be-cause of his strong network due to being the neighbourhood florist. That contest stands out for him as the toughest fight of all the three he has taken part in since.

During that battle, as part of the strat-egy, the Hougang branch was told to cut short its final rally. Mr Soh still feels the heartbreak of watching supporters being borne away by the bus-load to support another PAP rally, which was a stone’s throw away, in the more intensely fought and high-stakes Cheng San GRC.

He learnt then that sometimes, an individual constituency’s considerations must bow before the greater good of the Party’s overall interests.

“Sometimes, I feel we’re like clowns. We must put on a smile and engage resi-dents who scold us when we’re doing our walkabouts, even while we hurt inside.

“Even within our own party, people from other constituencies look at us dif-ferently. When we attend party events, people’s faces change when they learn we’re from Hougang. They see us as losers, yet, we are the ones with the real battle experience.

“We’re not afraid of failure. If we man-age to turn the tables one day, the sense of achievement will be incredible. I’m waiting for that day to come.”

The challenge, and the warmth of the residents are two of the reasons Hougang activists still put their all in the oppositon ward.

BEHIND THE SCENES

By Allan Koh and Leroy Solomon Tan

The street food set the tone of our visit that chilly November day last year. We indulged in fried egg

with oysters, braised pork belly and sau-teed sotong before sallying forth to what was termed “A Concert Rally”.

They were 20 of us YP members and we were in Taipei for four days to ob-serve the often creative campaigning for local government posts, as well as meet representatives from Taiwan’s two main political parties, the Kuomintang (KMT) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

This 2010 event was dubbed a three-in-one election. It was the first time the island was offering this brew.

Usually, municipal mayors, council-men and ward chiefs are elected separate-ly. But the cost of holding elections had been rising. More than NT$13.1 billion (about S$574 million) was reportedly spent on 21 elections in the last 10 years.

So, to economise, it was decided to have an all-in-one approach for five special municipalities – Taipei, Xinbei,

Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung, four of which were newly created – where nearly 70 per cent of Taiwan’s population live.

Besides the five mayors, the Taiwan-ese were voting for 314 councillors, the equivalent of MPs, and 3,747 ward chiefs, similar to our Community Development Council heads.

We started with a DPP rally, where Mr Su Tseng-chang was campaigning for Taipei mayor. He had tried to win the nomination to represent his party as president in 2008, but had to settle for the No 2 post, vice-president. He and the man who beat him, Mr Frank Hsieh, eventually lost to KMT candidates.

The rally had the feel of a carnival as there were lots of balloons, banners and party flags. The 1,000-strong crowd was singing ballads written for the DPP and we were asked if we’d like to buy CDs of these. When he took to the stage, Mr Su asked for a chance to lead a Taipei that would outshine the one under the incumbent, Mr Hau Lung-bin.

The next morning, we met the KMT’s director of its Department of Overseas Affairs, Mr Kuo Yun-kuang, at the rul-ing party’s HQ. He and YP chair Teo Ser Luck discussed the Singapore and Taiwan political systems.

We also visited the office of Taipei mayor Hau and the campaign centre of Xinbei City mayor Eric Chu Li-lun. They briefed us on their campaign efforts and strategies. That night, we attended a KMT rally.

Here, rows of chairs had been put out for the thousands of supporters. Drum-ming was used at parts of the speeches where the party wanted the crowd to agree with points. In his speech, Mr Hau talked of his performance since 2006 and portrayed Taipei as “home”. President Ma Ying-jeou was there to lend support.

We also caught Mr Chu in action at a rally in Banqiao District in Xinbei, in the north of the island. This university area is the third most densely populated one in Taiwan. While he made a pitch for voters to elect the KMT, at a another rally nearby, his DPP rival, Ms Tsai Ing-wen, called for them to take the municipality into a “new era”.

Besides the meetings and rallies, our group also took in the iconic 101 Taipei, once the world’s tallest building with its 101 floors and five basements, the Sun Sun Yat Sen Museum, to get an idea of Taiwan’s history, and Taipei’s famous shopping stops, Ximending and Shilin Night Market.

Back in Singapore, we learnt that the KMT won in Taipei, Xinbei and Taichung, and the DPP in Tainan and Kaohsiung. One mayor’s post and half the council seats were filled by women.

The writers are in the YP International Relations

Sub-committee.

Drums and ballads

One for the album at the campaign centre of Xinbei City mayor Eric Chu.

29 MARCH / APRIL 11

VIEW FROM THE FRONT

30 MARCH / APRIL 11

I am very concerned over the spate of youth-related gang activities in our community that happened last year.

They showed a marked increase in the level of violence. We must work to prevent such incidents from recurring, through each of us recognising our collective re-sponsibilities and reaffirming ownership of our community.

There are important lessons to be learnt from these occurrences. First of all, we should never take law and order for granted, despite Singapore having a low crime rate. We must also stay vigilant as a community and work with law enforce-ment agencies to prevent our young from getting out of control.

One way to do this is to fully engage our youth in wholesome activities, to reduce the risk of them getting involved in violent or criminal behaviour. Com-munity stakeholders can provide the plat-forms for such activities, starting with the basic building block of society, the family.

We should help parents to be more proactive and better engage their children more meaningfully within the family en-vironment. If parents feel their children need more specialised guidance, they should seek out professional help.

There are also many religious and voluntary welfare organisations which can complement parental guidance. These, too, can provide the platforms on which youth can flourish.

Schools are equally important. Young people’s main responsibility is to study, so the school environment should be made more conducive for both learning and leisure.

The play element should be stepped up, so that children want to spend time in the controlled environment of their school.

The best societies

look out for

Young people spend most of their time at home or in school, but there are periods when they mix with neighbours of the same age group. Though gang formation and activity is not strictly location-based, the community at large should keep an eye out for potentially wayward behaviour by neighbourhood children.

This gathering of community “intel-ligence” would help the police to monitor potential young offenders. With high-risk

youth identified, a more focused outreach can be implemented and preventive ac-tion taken.

There are always young people who do not realise the consequences of their actions. It is this group that should be the target of an intensive outreach and follow-up programmes from law enforce-ment agencies.

I am convinced that the firm discipline my generation received while growing up

Singaporeans should never take law and order for granted despite Singapore having a low crime rate.

31 MARCH / APRIL 11

By Teo Ho Pin

one another

in the 1960s and 1970s has stood us in good stead. Our parents and teachers were strict with us. And policemen were there to enforce the law.

Today, Singapore displays zero toler-ance to crime and violence, but this is a message that has to reach everyone, especially the young, who may not yet fully understand it.

This is the time for action to be taken. We are faced with a fast-ageing popula-

tion, people who are the potential victims of crime and violence. And every society has its undesirable element that needs particular attention and guidance.

If we do not meet this situation head-on, right now, we’ll be faced with the double whammy of a large group of vulnerable citizens and an equally large group to prey on them.

This is a condition I’m personally not prepared to tolerate. The high-risk

group of youth today has to be reached. Otherwise, there is no alternative but to segregate them from society, in the inter-ests of the majority.

The old kampong spirit has been one of the best forms of social resilience. Strangers or any unusual activity were im-mediately noticed within the closely-knit community of the kampong.

Strengthening social cohesion would bring back that same deterrence to crimi-nal behaviour. Firm policing is one thing, but the community protecting itself is still surer and better.

The root of the gang violence appears to be the huge amount of distractions the young face today, of which the Internet is the most major.

There is also not enough family and generational bonding. A detailed study is required to identify the main fault lines and how best to overcome them, with everyone playing a role and monitoring the outcome.

I have always found exceptionally pertinent the lifeguard’s motto, “Whom-soever we see in distress, recognise in him a fellow man”.

If we can appeal to the humane spirit of our young, and inculcate in them the passion to help anyone and all in need, we would have won a great moral victory – with our young the main beneficiaries.

For only when we all care for and help one another can we call ourselves a compassionate society.

The writer is the mayor of the Northwest District.

32 MARCH / APRIL 11

FORUM

In the post-1965 years, the problem of unemployment was addressed with the help of investments by foreign MNCs, These which brought along technology and know-how, raised productivity and, most importantly, created employment.

Today, this model is no longer suf-ficient to tackle the divisive effects of globalisation. Certain segments of Sin-gapore’s workforce, especially those in the low-skilled industries, are unable to

The recent Budget has allocated a substantial amount to raising workers’ level of skills, in the

drive to promote and boost productivity. The costs and benefits of globalisa-

tion are not always evenly spread, and Asia’s development is not insulated from this.

The rich-poor divide is glaringly large for many nations, including developed ones. Some of these nations become sus-ceptible to revolts and protests that dis-rupt and displace governments, as seen in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Bahrain. Unemployment and restless youths, and growth for a small group at the expense of the citizenry at large are huge national concerns.

It is therefore crucial that all sectors of society feel they have a stake in their country’s economic prosperity. The “Grow and Share” package is a clear, loud statement that Singapore wants the dividends of its growth spread among all Singaporeans.

It must be understood, however, that the economic pie cannot be divided equally; nevertheless, each Singaporean must feel that he is part of the nation’s growth and can aspire to a better life.

As the world’s economies become more inter-connected and inter-depend-ent, competition is bound to intensify. Outsourcing, largely adopted by compa-nies, brings down prices for consumers, but also has the adverse effect of pushing down the wages of the lower-skilled or, worse, resulting in a loss of jobs for them.

Clear statement on sharing growth

meet today’s technological demands. If there are no initiatives to upgrade their employability skills, they are likely to be disenchanted and helpless.

This problem is not peculiar to Singapore; the US and Europe are also grappling with unemployment, under-employment and low productivity issues.

I hope Singapore can continue to in-novate its Workfare concept of providing help to the vulnerable working class, and

33 MARCH / APRIL 11

By David Leong More help is needed for the lower income group. One way to provide this is by expanding

the scope of Comcare funds to help school children whose parents are in the lower income group.

The money could be spent on the children’s transport, meals, fees, books etc, and provided until these youngsters finish secondary school or ITE, to help them break away from their current level of poverty.

The various self-help groups will need to expand and organise more free tuition classes for these children. The cost for that can be defrayed by Comcare too.

To cut red tape, the Comcare admin-istrators could be given more power and flexibility in disbursing funds.

Briefly

Much of the focus on Budget 2011 has been on the imme-diate assistance that will be

given to the public. However, while this has attracted attention, more than half of the Budget will actually be devoted to protecting Singapore’s future.

A large portion of the $6.6 billion being spent is being set aside for long-term social issues.

One way this is being done is through top-ups of the CPF Medisave accounts of Singaporeans above the age of 45.

Another, is an injection of $500 mil-lion to support programmes and services that will help increase productivity and provide the means for life-long learning. This will increase the size of the Learn-ing Fund to S$3.6 billion this financial year. The sum will be complemented

to tie in further help schemes to their families – education for their children and more housing subsidies.

Help in these two areas will have direct impact and will ensure that each vulnerable worker and his family can feel that they have a stake in Singapore’s pros-perity and, most importantly, a future.

The writer is the secretary of the Thomson branch.

Comcare funds could also be used to support private enterprises, such as those VWOs that support the poor and the weak in programmes. This could be done by giving matching grants. By doing this, more assistance would be rendered because of the multiplier effect from these programmes.

Indeed, Singapore should consider raising the income ceiling for all its current help schemes, as well as take into account household per capita as another measure for disbursing financial assistance.

At the end, how a society looks after its citizens reflects how far a society has progressed.

The writer is the secretary of the 4th PPF Council.

Expand scope of ComcareBy Chiang Heng-Liang

Budget for tomorrowBy Ibrahim Hassan

by further top-ups by future Budgets.On top of that, the subsidy for Sin-

gaporeans who get their first degree or diploma on a part-time basis at any of the polytechnics, Continuous Educa-tion and Training centres, universities and UniSIM will be raised.

As further inducement, a completion award will be given to those who obtain their first part-time polytechnic di-ploma, ITE NITEC or Higher NITEC certificate, as well as those who complete their first Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ) diploma.

To widen educational opportunities, bursaries for those from the bottom one-third of households will be substantially increased.

The writer is from the Pasir Ris West branch.

There is a need to inculcate in Singapore’s young the values of filial piety and the moral responsibility of taking care of their parents.

34 MARCH / APRIL 11

MY SAY

After the dust has settled...Two people involved in care for their elderly

give their views on the recent amendments

to the Maintenance of Parents Act

35 MARCH / APRIL 11

By Choo Jin Kiat

A

few months have passed since the amendments to the Maintenance of Parents Act became law in

January. Despite the short time period, anecdotal evidence gathered from my interaction with elderly parents, their grown-up children and mediators sug-gest that the amendments have produced positive results.

From the elderly parents’ perspective, there is now an avenue through which they can appeal. For the grown-up chil-dren, there would be closure on their financial obligations to their parents. And to the mediators, a sense of social achievement.

The introduction of mandatory me-diation under the Act has resulted in a more humanistic approach in resolving parental maintenance issues faced by the elderly. This is because it is difficult for those who are neglected by their children to have a conversation with their children for a start.

The mediation sessions have given the older folks the way to hold the con-versation. Hopefully, in the process, their children will empathise with their parents’ financial plight, notwithstanding some parents’ behaviour towards their children in their earlier years.

Conversely, the mediation sessions also allow the children an avenue to raise issues faced by them and jointly work towards a resolution. These issues could range from limited financial resources to strained rela-tionships with siblings or in-laws.

For those in financial difficulties, it is my hope that assistance from the state be given to them. I do not advocate perma-nent assistance but something which is temporary, where help is given to the indi-vidual to tide him over a difficult period.

Resources neededOther resources will also have to be

channelled to help these families be self-sufficient, going forward. It should be a systemic approach to resolving the issue. To avoid abusing the system, the current procedure of reviewing public assistance cases can be used to ensure that only genuine cases are given help by the state.

If the issue is that of the relationship between parent and child, mediation will be able to suss out the root cause of the issue so this, rather than the symptoms, can be treated. Counselling can then be extended to both parties on how to im-prove ties. O’Joy Care Services, a counsel-ling centre for the elderly, would be able to contribute in this area.

These measures should suffice for a start. However, they may not be ad-equate during recessionary years. Then, the Workfare scheme could be emulated.

A similar top-up concept could be introduced for those children who have difficulty paying the maintenance allow-ance when they either lose their job or have their wages reduced.

This top-up would be given on the condition that the children have been diligently paying the allowance, similar to Workfare, which is paid out only if the citizen is working. In such instances, the fact that children have been doing their part would be reciprocated with compas-sion from the state.

The filing of maintenance applications has increased over the last five years. The number is expected to rise further in the future with the greying population and

Over the past 10 years, we en-countered great difficulty in implementing orders made by

the Tribunal Court under the Main-tenance of Parents Act on the sum to be paid by children for their parent in residential care.

Voluntary welfare organisations are known to be empathetic due to the nature of their core business. And some children expect us to provide care and do not make attempts to pay outstand-ing fees.

Changes help in our workBy Low Mui Lang

In one case, a son refused to make payment and challenged this VWO to sue him or leave his father on the “street”. He refused to comply with the order from the tribunal.

It was only through subsequent and numerous direct “contacts” with him that this organisation managed to get the man to take responsibility for the financial and social needs of his father.

The changes and the authority given to the Tribunal Court make the execution of an order easier. Children who fail to

carry out the order can now be arrested. This has indirectly ensured that chil-

dren communicate with a VWO home on payment, thus relieving the facility of spending time in tracing and contacting the family.

My organisation for one truly appreci-ates this change, as it has enabled us to re-allocate our time to counseling and the reconciliation of families.

The writer is from the Salvation Army’s Peacehaven Nursing Home.

36 MARCH / APRIL 11

erosion of family values. So the amend-ment to the Act is timely, and for this, we voluntary welfare organisations have to thank the workgroup of MPs, chaired by Mr Seah Kian Peng.

While immediate issues can be re-solved now, society as a whole, needs to think long-term, with a view to reducing the number of maintenance applications filed. There is a need to inculcate in the country’s young the values of filial piety and the moral responsibility of taking care of their parents.

More can be done by expanding the moral education lessons in classrooms to field activities which allow the younger generation to interact with the elderly and form an emotional bond with them.

In turn, this should lead to better bonds with their own parents and better understanding of the special needs of their parents when they are old.

Companies, too, can play a role in pro-moting filial piety in their social responsi-bility programmes. Currently, there is the mandated Child Care Leave that allows parents time off from work to attend to their children’s needs. Companies could consider implementing time-off schemes to employees who are care-givers to their elderly parents to attend to their needs.

It is an opportunity for employees to reciprocate the reversal of the care-givers’ role as their parents were their care-givers in their early years.

Finally, I wish for better coordination among the many organisations that are involved in the social service sector.

One way to achieve this is to have joint reviews, such as the Community Development Councils reviewing public assistance cases together with ComCare Local Network organisations which deal with parental maintenance cases, instead of each organisation working on its own.

This would allow for a holistic ap-proach in resolving issues which are multi-faceted, and improve efficiency in delivering services to the elderly.

The writer is the acting executive director of O’Joy Care Services,

a counseling centre for the elderly.

HAPPENINGS

Armed with paintbrushes and pots of paint, 10 Young PAP members had a field day leaving their “sig-

natures” on a wall at the entrance of the Singapore Council of Women's Organisa-tions (SCWO) headquarters at Waterloo Street on March 19.

They were part of a group of around 100 people who took part in the mural painting event. This was organised by the SCWO to celebrate 100 years of Interna-tional Women’s Day.

Festive cheer for children

Provisions for the needy

YP celebrates International Women’s Day

The Braddell Heights branch of the PAP joined hands with the Singapore Nurses Association to

provide a special home delivery service to 35 homes in the constituency on Jan 29.

Under the “We Care” project, volun-teers from both groups brought packages of food and household items to the needy families. The items, which were sponsored, included cooking oil, rice, washing powder, canned food, packet noodles, condiments and more.

It was the third day of Chinese New Year. Instead of hong baos and mandarin oranges, a group of Young

PAP members brought pizza, games and goodie bags for the children at the Melrose Home, which is managed by the Children’s Aid Society.

The event on Feb 5 was jointly or-ganised by the YP and Youths United by Passion (YUP) members. The YUP is a new subgroup under the YP for teenagers between 15 and 17, who have an interest in the Party. It was started in May last year.

The 21 volunteers spent the

afternoon playing games and creating artwork with the children as well as get-ting to know each other.

Children on their mind

CYBERSPEAK

The government has done a lot to encourage people to have babies but not to address the issues. This is because of a fundamental change in our lifestyles and thinking.

There is a clearer pathway now from rags to riches, compared to before. Hence, people prefer studying over socialising.

In the old days, people reproduced more so that their children could help them bring in income, help with their work or farming chores. Now people don’t do that because they can earn that type of money themselves.

– Kopichyez

Singapore now is a stressful society. It’s not ideal for raising a family. Those with busy, high-paid jobs do not have enough time with their family. Those with lower paid jobs do not have enough money. I can understand why some couples here do not want to have children.

– khunying

Be more family oriented in workplaces and reduce the cost of living to encourage having a family. Workplaces demand that you are single if you want to be employed. Also,

provide daycare centres within reach of family members.

– sg_unemployed

How much can the Govt do to encourage singles to marry? Whatever Govt does will only be feasible if singles wish to marry but can’t find a partner.

– stvincent2010

Mandatory paternity leave would be a positive thing if I’m working in the government sector, but a bad move in the private sector. Bosses in the private sector will not think twice about firing a liability.

My wife was fired because she was pregnant, then invited back to work by her company after her maternity period!

– SickofSociety

Paternity leave will benefit only highly-paid workers and the well-to-do who can afford to lose their job.

– Kokoobird

As a “First World” country, it is strange that Singapore has no rules on paternity leave. All developed countries have this in some form. In SG, it is “up to the discretion of the employer”, which puts the employee

Plus netizens’ reactions to the 2011 Budget and casino levies

at a disadvantage.– Baloobaloo

Basic needs like food are consumed by both rich and poor. They both probably pay the same amount for it. The only difference is the bulk of a poor man’s income is spent on food, whereas it is just “loose change” for the rich. For that reason, I hope the government considers lowering GST for basic commodities like rice, sugar, bread, noodles etc.

– JoJo2008

A very sound and prudent budget that is a good balance between corporate and workers’ interests. Payouts may not meet everyone’s expectation, but it is still better to think long-term than short-term gain. However, raising the foreign workers’ levy may restrict reliance on FWs but will eventually result in price hikes, as the cost of business is increased.

– Jasontanyeowwee

The government should just do away with the casino levy, and restrict the number of times Singaporeans are allowed to enter the casinos each month, or implement a stop loss for those who go.

– GhostRider666

38 MARCH / APRIL 11

39 MARCH / APRIL 11

BACKBENCHER’S BITE

My first time standing in a General Election was in 1988. Four contested general elec-

tions, five Parliamentary terms and 23 years later, I have found myself in the rather peculiar position of being the only remaining backbencher from the '88 vintage.

As the next GE looms large (possibly having been called by the time this article is printed), here are some thoughts on what elections mean to me.

Elections are serious events which determine which party will go on to form the next government and who will look after your constituency for the next five years. A misstep could have profound consequences on the future of the country and what happens in your constituency.

However elections are a great time for those standing to bond with each other. In the run-up to polling day, we live, breathe, eat and drink our campaign. We stick with each other through the late nights and early mornings, and encour-age each other to keep going even when our energy stores seem to have run out.

The GE is also a test of how well we know our constituents, and whether or not we have responded adequately to their needs in the preceding term.

It is like an examination which re-quires years of preparation. While scor-ing 50.01 per cent is enough to get us a “pass”, like most Singaporeans, we always aim to do better and try for a distinction.

That is why, for our party – as has been said many times – preparations for the next election start the day after poll-ing day. It should also be about the same time you start working hard to deliver on your election promises.

A GE is, of course, an integral part of our democratic process. It allows Singa-poreans to choose who to lead them in

GE: Advice from a veteran

the next few years, and signals to political parties and independents whether or not the electorate support their philosophies and programmes.

It represents the collective will of the people. And we need to work hard to convince every Singaporean to give us his or her vote.

In line with that, we must never underestimate any of our political op-ponents. Every vote is worth fighting for, and we must not be complacent in campaigning.

If contested, we should fight as hard as we can and give our all, whether our competition is from a well-established opposition party, a not-so-well established opposition party, or is an independent candidate, without any party affiliation.

People don't like to be taken for granted and if we don't think it's worth fighting for our constituents' votes, they will

not think that we are worth voting for.Elections, while tiring, are fulfilling

when you know you have earned your constituents' trust and are rewarded with their vote.

And while walkovers may provide an earlier sense of relief, the 2001 GE, when Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC was not contested, was the least fulfilling of the five GEs I have gone through, because we didn't get the chance to have our earlier work and preparations put to the test of an election.

There was also a feeling of being left out of the action that comrades

in the contested wards were experiencing.

We should therefore embrace contests in the next GE, and hope that the opposition gives

every Singaporean in all constituencies the chance to exercise his or her vote. That, unfortunately, is

something that is complete-ly out of our hands.

Charles ChongMP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC

40 MARCH / APRIL 11

OVERHEARD

Emphasising meritocracy alone is like standing on one leg. You need the other leg in order to be stable. You want to think beyond yourself, beyond the family to the community.

– Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong advises youth leaders

to walk the path of consideration

“The best way to be prepared is…to be united. A tsunami can destroy buildings, an earthquake can kill people, but social capital, if we have it, that would be indestructible.”

– Minister George Yeo draws lessons from the recent Japanese disaster

“Many of these highly qualified women make a choice to put their families first…and we should respect them for this.”

– MP Amy Khor dismisses suggestions that

the number of women entering politics is low is due to

society being prejudiced against them

“In a sense, the security blanket has been taken away.”

– MP Lim Biow Chuan, who is slated to stand in new single–member ward

Mountbatten after being part of a GRC team, is well aware of the adage about

there being safety in numbers

"I stand corrected.”– Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew’s admission that

his views on Malays here not integrating into society

are outdated, has become the latest buzz phrase

"I don't believe that it all comes down to your paper qualifications – there is also yuan fen or fate."

– MP Chan Soo Sen offers another reason why some get married late

"We need to seek qualitative rather than quantitative growth."

– MP Lee Yi Shyan on the direction

Singapore’s economic planners should take

“What is the election about? Is it about the ambitions of a political party or individuals to make history?”

– Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng questions the

intentions of opposition parties aiming for a GRC

"The question we need to ask is: Is this a novelty factor?"

– MP Halimah Yacob contemplates why

Singaporeans are visiting the two casinos in droves

"Companies win…older employees win…Singapore's economy wins."

– Minister Gan Kim Yong explains why Singaporeans should work beyond the retirement age of 62