Anticipating Singapore’s Future Challenges

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A Q U A R T E R LY P U B L I C A T I O N O F T H E P E O P L E ' S A C T I O N P A R T Y

April 2014

ANTICIPATING SINGAPORE’S FUTURE CHALLENGES

A 12-page Special p Feature

IN THIS ISSUE

Dr Lily Neo’s outreach to the poor and elderly pg16 6 Chai Chee’s kampong spirit pg32

PAP IS 60 YEARS OLD!

PUBLICITY AND PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE Chairman Lawrence Wong Vice-Chairman Seah Kian Peng Secretary Lim Wee Kiak Members Alvin Yeo, Arthur Fong, Baey Yam Keng, Devi Vasantha Haridas, Kalyani Ramasamy, Chiang Heng Liang, Abdul Jafar Darwis District Representative Diana Pang Young PAP Hamidah Aidillah PAP Policy Forum Malminderjit Singh PAP WW Teo Lin Lee Editor Lim Huan Chiang Editorial and Design Focus Publishing Limited (Tel: 6319-2392) Printer KHL Printing Co. Pte Ltd Photos Singapore Press Holdings, istockphoto.com

MCI(P) 081/02/2014 Petir is published by the People’s Action Party Central Executive Committee. Material in this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the prior consent of the publisher. Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the PAP or the Government. All rights reserved. PAP Headquarters Block 57B, New Upper Changi Road, #01-1402, PCF Building, Singapore 463057 Telephone: 6244-4600 Telefax: 6243-0114 Internet: www.pap.org.sg

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April 2014

04

FEATURE

Staying ahead of social challenges

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SHORTIES

A summary of major new policies and news in numbers.

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BUDGET

Levelling up 2014 Budget

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PIONEER GENERATION PACKAGE

Honouring a nation’s pioneers

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CONVERSATION

Tackling new needs on the ground

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PAP 60

The Party Beginnings

Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong has called for the establishment of a committee to review Singapore’s long term social trends and challenges in a holistic manner. In an interview with Petir, he also discusses his various roles: roving elder statesman, MP and more recently, advisor to PAP.SG.

The needs of Singapore’s other stakeholders are also looked after in the budget.

An easy-to-read guide on what’s in store for about 450,000 Singaporeans in this year’s budget.

Dr Lily Neo’s Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng ward, which has a high concentration of elderly residents, has a new group of residents. She tells us who they are, and how she and her grassroots team are helping them.

Our Party turns 60 this year. A host of activities is being planned to mark this milestone. Petir too has a series of interesting articles, Ǥ ơǡ Ǧ an essay written by founder Lee Kuan Yew. We have also unearthed Ƥ Ǥ

T H E PA R T Y B E G I N N I N G S

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April 2014

Contents 12

28 Please send feedback, suggestions and comments to paphq@pap. org.sg.

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GROUNDWORK BRANCHING OUT

38 Kampong Chai Chee: Keeping the kampong spirit alive ǡ ƪ HDB estate. A 19-year old grassroots volunteer was even motivated to donate her bursary to be converted into NTUC FairPrice vouchers to help the needy in her constituency.

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BRANCHING OUT

A tribute to our Members of Parliament

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WOMEN’S WING

Helping the elderly to help themselves

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PAP POLICY FORUM

A steady hand at the till

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BACKBENCHER’S BITE

If only there were more hours …

Long-time activist Koh Soon Yong of Woodlands branch appeals to residents to show more understanding about MPs’ work.

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A number of suggestions was mooted by the Women’s Wing in its policy paper on ageing in Singapore. The paper also encourages our elderly to articulate for their own interests and welfare to be protected.

This year’s budget stands out for its $8-billion Pioneer Generation Package. Malminderjit Singh, chairman of PAP Policy Forum said it is also memorable for its ability to achieve both economic and social agendas.

Edwin Tong is particularly proud of one achievement when he became the new MP for Jalan Besar: keeping intact the grassroots team that has served his predecessor well. He tells Petir why.

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QUOTE & UNQUOTE

Thought-provoking quotes from parliamentarians.

April 2014

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FEATURE

Staying ahead of

Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong tells Petir what he thinks are the broad challenges confronting Singapore and what keeps him busy after stepping down from the cabinet in 2011. BY: CHONG KOH PING PHOTO: MAX CHAN

H

elping Singapore internationally, deliberating Singapore’s key long-term challenges and how to resolve them with fellow parliamentarians and party leaders, and helping residents are Mr Goh Chok Tong’s key preoccupations these days. At 72, Mr Goh sees “the long runway he has travelled”, including nearly 40 years in politics and government, as being an asset he wants to continue using to contribute to Singapore. “I’m focused on what Singapore is going

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April 2014

to be like in the future, and I discuss with the ministers and the MPs regularly on what I think could be the problems and how we can tackle them,” he said. Mr Goh thinks that social challenges, such as social mobility and a rapidly ageing ǡ Ƥ future governments. How Singapore man ơ competitiveness and social coherence in the years ahead. Taking a broad sweep of the social sector,

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FEATURE Mr Goh observes that the government now takes social policy very seriously whereas in earlier years, economic policy dominated. It has been doing more to help Singaporeans level up as signalled by Prime Minister Lee during his National Day Rally last year. He notes that in the past few years, the government has also rolled out a slew of measures such as MediShield Life, the Progressive Wage Model and enhancing preschool education. But the government must continue to study long term social trends and challenges,

and improve the way social services are delivered. What’s needed, he said, is a coherent ˆ”ƒÂ?‡™‘”Â? –‘ ’—ŽŽ ƒŽŽ –Š‡ †‹ƥ‡”‡Â?– …‘Â?’‘Â?‡Â?–• –‘‰‡–Š‡” –‘ Â?ƒÂ?‡ ‹– ƒ Š‘Ž‹•–‹…ǥ Â‡ĆĄÂ‡Â…Â–Â‹Â˜Â‡ and sustainable social compact to ensure Singapore remains a fair and equitable society. This will also help Singaporeans see the overall picture, and not just the parts. At some point, Mr Goh suggested, the Government or party could consider setting up a social review committee, like the government economic review committees that

were established to transform the economy at critical junctures. Such a committee could complement the ‰‘˜‡”Â?Â?‡Â?–ǯ• …—””‡Â?– ‡ƥ‘”–• –‘ •–—†› Ž‘Â?‰ term social trends and challenges. It could recommend ways to restructure the way social services are delivered. Being an important task, it would be good to also involve government, key stakeholders ƒÂ?† ‡š’‡”–• ‘—–•‹†‡ ‘ˆ ‰‘˜‡”Â?Â?‡Â?– ƒÂ?† –Š‡ party. More resources should also be devoted for social research, which has generally been

Mr Goh with PAP activists at the Marine Parade branch.

MARINE PARADE’S TRAILBLAZER

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r Goh believes that we need to have strong local communities, supported by the right national policies. Having a community spirit and strong bonds, and not just relying on national policies, will help a growing population of elders live at ease. It will also tackle the problems that disadvantaged families face, or help weaker kids and youth-at-risk. “I came up with the idea of WeCare because I was looking for a ‘force multiplier’. Can I introduce something very small, very simple, but the VRFLDO EHQHĆŠWV DUH PXFK PRUH WKDQ WKH OLWWOH , SXW LQ"Ĺž VDLG 0U *RK Known as the “WeCare@Marine Parade Community Action NetZRUNĹž WKH SLORW VFKHPH ZLOO EH UXQ E\ D PDQDJHPHQW FRPPLWWHH RI JUDVVURRWV OHDGHUV VXSSRUWHG E\ D FRXSOH RI VWDƨ 7KH VWDƨ ZLOO KHOS WKH community to identify people who need help, delve deeper into their problems and link them up with the various service providers.

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April 2014

,Q HVVHQFH :H&DUH SURYLGHV WKH FULWLFDO Ĺ?ODVW PLOHĹž FRQQHFWLRQ between those who need help and the service providers and relevant government agencies. It will be supported by businesses, volunteers and residents in Marine Parade, so that everyone will feel they have a stake in making the community a better place to live in, said Mr Goh. He sees this as a way to weave a layer of community safety net for the Marine Parade residents. Such community networks could play an important role to allow residents to age gracefully and receive quality health services in their own community. But it takes time to build such community networks, and the comPXQLW\ FDQQRW DƨRUG WR VWDUW EXLOGLQJ WKHP RQO\ ZKHQ WKH SUREOHPV surface. If WeCare succeeds in Marine Parade, it can be replicated in other constituencies.

under-funded in Singapore. For example, Mr Goh notes that HDB is now planning new estates with the future in mind. This means building facilities that not only …ƒ–‡” –‘ Â–Â‘Â†ÂƒÂ›ÇŻÂ• ›‘—Â?‰ǥ „—– ƒŽ•‘ ˆƒ…–‘” ‹Â? •’ƒ…‡ ˆ‘” Â?‘†‹Ƥ…ƒ–‹‘Â?• tomorrow, so that the estate would still be suitable for these young people when they grow old. “This way, they need not move out and can age-in-place,â€? said Mr Goh. ‡ˆ‡””‹Â?‰ –‘ ƒ”‹Â?‡ ÂƒÂ”ÂƒÂ†Â‡ÇĄ ” ‘Š ‘„•‡”˜‡• –Šƒ– –Š‡ ”‡–”‘Ƥ––‹Â?‰ and provision of facilities for an ageing population there could serve as lessons for new estates like Sengkang and Punggol, for the future. Marine Parade was the site of a pilot project in 2010 to test-bed ideas to make HDB estates more elderly-friendly. Many of the pilot Â’Â”Â‘ÂŒÂ‡Â…Â–ÇŻÂ• ƤÂ?†‹Â?‰• Šƒ† •‹Â?…‡ „‡‡Â? ”‡’Ž‹…ƒ–‡† ƒÂ?† ‡š’ƒÂ?†‡† Â?ƒ–‹‘Â?ÇŚ wide to programmes such as HDB’s EASE (Enhancement for Active Seniors) and the Health Ministry’s City for All Ages. “Thirty years ago, Marine Parade was new with a very young ’‘’—Žƒ–‹‘Â?ÇĄ „—– ‹Â? –Š‡ –™‹Â?Â?Ž‹Â?‰ ‘ˆ ƒÂ? ‡›‡ǥ ™‡ ƤÂ?† –Šƒ– ™‡ Šƒ˜‡ –‘ ’—–

ABOVE Mr Goh sees an average of 40 residents every week at his meet-the-people session in Marine Crescent. BELOW Mr Goh called on Japanese PM Shizo Abe when he visited Tokyo in March, 2013.

ROVING ELDER STATESMAN

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r Goh Chok Tong still keeps an active travel schedule, visiting other countries and meeting with foreign leaders regularly. “Helping to keep the balloon of Singapore’s international VSDFH LQĆŞDWHGĹž LV KRZ KH SXWV LW “Both PM and Foreign Minister have asked if I could continue to spend some time nurturing the relationships I have built up. That’s the SULPDU\ SXUSRVH EHKLQG P\ WUDYHOOLQJ Ĺž H[SODLQHG 0U *RK :KHQ KH WUDYHOV KH ĆŠQGV RXW ZKDW LV KDSSHQLQJ LQ WKH KRVW country, as well as updates his counterparts on Singapore’s latest GHYHORSPHQWV 2IWHQ WLPHV WKH\ DOVR H[FKDQJH YLHZV RQ LQWHUQDWLRQDO developments.

“It is important to nurture these links and maintain Singapore’s relevance and standing with these major countries so that Singapore can identify opportunities to cooperate with them, or secure their VXSSRUW RQ LVVXHV RI LPSRUWDQFH WR 6LQJDSRUH ZKHQ ZH QHHG WR Ĺž KH elaborated. Having been the Prime Minister and Senior Minister also meant that Mr Goh continues to gain good access to top leaders in most of the countries he visited. Over the past year, he has met the prime ministers of Japan, India and South Korea. He has also met the President of Myanmar, and a Chinese vice-premier.

April 2014

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FEATURE in facilities for the old. “We want to have a ”‡Šƒ„‹Ž‹–ƒ–‹‘Â? …‡Â?–”‡ „—– ™‡ Šƒ˜‡ †‹Ƽ…—Ž–› ‹Â? ƤÂ?†‹Â?‰ ƒ •—‹–ƒ„Ž‡ •’ƒ…‡ ˆ‘” ‹–Ǥ ‡ ™ƒÂ?– –‘ ‡špand the polyclinic, but we don’t have space around it to do so immediately,â€? he said. Marine Parade, where he has been the MP since 1976, is a microcosm of what the rest of Singapore is grappling with. With new facilities that cater to an older population, Marine Parade strives to be a model for ageing-inplace, where the community, though older, remains vibrant. Š‡ ™‡ƒÂ?‡Â?‹Â?‰ ‘ˆ –Š‡ ‡š–‡Â?†‡† ˆƒÂ?‹Ž› •–”—…–—”‡ ƒÂ?† –Š‡ •‹‰Â?‹Ƥ…ƒÂ?– ’‡”…‡Â?–ƒ‰‡ of “transnational marriagesâ€? are also two potentially tricky social challenges that have caught Mr Goh’s attention. Increasingly, he has been encountering cases of older people seeking help at his meet-the-people sessions. They either have no children, or their children are struggling to take care of their own families. This may

inject inter-generation stresses on families. While this has yet to manifest into a major problem, Mr Goh feels that it is important to understand this phenomenon and take preemptive measures. The other issue is the growing number of older Singaporean men marrying younger foreign wives. Challenges arising from such Â?ÂƒÂ”Â”Â‹ÂƒÂ‰Â‡Â•ÇĄ ™Š‹…Š …ƒÂ? ‡š–‡Â?† „‡›‘Â?† ‘Â?‡ ‰‡Â?‡”ƒ–‹‘Â?ÇĄ ‹Â?…Ž—†‡ ™‹˜‡• ™Š‘ ‡š’‡”‹‡Â?…‡ †‹Ƽ…—Ž–‹‡• ‹Â?–‡‰”ƒ–‹Â?‰ ‹Â?–‘ ‹Â?‰ƒ’‘”‡ •‘…‹‡–› and how their children will perform. The medical demands of an ageing population, in particular, the chronically ill senior citizens, are another area of concern.

PAP.SG, ADVOCATE OF THE ELDERLY

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n the party front, Mr Goh has recently taken on a new role – adviser to the newly set up PAP Seniors Group (PAP.SG). “My contribution is to get them to see the bigger picture. I try to get them to see the coherence of what the committee wants to do, and not MXVW IRFXV RQ SDUWLFXODU PHDVXUHV Ĺž KH VDLG 0U *RK WKLQNV WKDW LW LV DOVR LPSRUWDQW IRU 3$3 6* WR ĆŠQG ZD\V WR UHDFK out to the older activists and to recognise them. He observes that there LV RIWHQ D Ĺ?VKDUS EUHDNĹž ZKHQ ROGHU DFWLYLVWV UHWLUH IURP WKH IRUHIURQW Many of them stopped being involved completely as they do not want to be in the way of the younger ones. For the Marine Parade branch, Mr Goh has paired a younger member with an older member to organise regular gatherings of the older comrades. Mr Goh attends these gatherings together with some younger members. “We just talk generally, discuss issues, tell stories; that way, the older PHPEHUV FDQ LPSDUW WKHLU H[SHULHQFHV DQG NQRZOHGJH ZLWKRXW LW EHLQJ VHHQ DV OHFWXULQJ WR WKH \RXQJ Ĺž Another key function of the PAP.SG group, in Mr Goh’s view, would be to act as an advocate for the elderly, much like what NTUC does for workers. Given the more pluralistic political climate today, it is important that PAP.SG takes a proactive stance to advocate for changes in policies or PHDVXUHV WR DGGUHVV LVVXHV DƨHFWLQJ WKH HOGHUO\ “Before, what we think the government won’t do, we won’t advocate

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April 2014

While Mr Goh supports the government’s move to introduce Medishield Life, he worries that cheaper healthcare costs may also bring about another set of problems – families opting for hospitalisation over other alternatives. It is therefore timely that MOH is taking steps to encourage community and homebased care. —””‡Â?–Ž›ǥ ” ‘Š ‹• ‡š’Ž‘”‹Â?‰ ‹†‡ƒ• –‘ set up physical and social infrastructure in Marine Parade where the elderly can receive home care supported by the community, instead of being over-reliant on hospitals.

Older party activists at the inaugural PAP. SG dialogue held in late January. publicly. But now, I think we should do it if we think that’s what the govHUQPHQW RXJKW WR GR Ĺž KH DGGHG Even if the government cannot accept all the suggestions immediately, at least PAP has registered that point as a party, and it has sent signals to the government about what the ground is thinking. However, Mr Goh cautions that the suggestions must be reasonable, and be something that the party can justify. “We mustn’t do this like an LUUDWLRQDO SDUW\ GHPDQGLQJ IRU WKH PRRQ RU WR EH SRSXOLVW Ĺž Mr Goh also believes that it is important to start engaging the “future ROGĹž RU WRGD\Ĺ›V Ĺ?SLRQHHU GLJLWDO JHQHUDWLRQĹž +H FODVVLĆŠHV WKRVH EHWZHHQ 18 and 38 years of age as belonging to this generation as they will be between 68 and 88 years of age when Singapore celebrates its 100th anniversary. This generation is more widely travelled, well-educated, more questioning and digitally savvy. It is important for the government and the party to inspire and mobilise them to keep Singapore going strong. When the future young celebrate Singapore’s 100th anniversary of independence they will be honoured for their contributions, like the way the Pioneer Generation is being honoured now, he added. “So I think it’d be useful to engage this particular generation and allow them to surface their thoughts and ideas on the kind of future they want to carve for themselves. The government cannot dream for them EXW LW FDQ FUHDWH WKH HQYLURQPHQW IRU WKHP WR UHDOLVH WKHLU GUHDPV Ĺž VDLG Mr Goh.

“I keep myself physically and mentally active.” “I never felt that I’m an elderly person. When I go down to my constituency, I’m often helping many people who are younger than me. I still move around regularly in my constituency.”

´%XW , ÀQG LW KDUG WR KHHG 0U /HH .XDQ <HZ·V DGYLFH RI eating 80% of what you normally do. I still eat 100%. When I go to lunch and dinner, I just can’t eat 80%. I have been brought up not to waste food. So I eat everything which is put in front of me!’’ ´, ZDON LQ WKH -RR &KLDW SDUW RI 0DULQH 3DUDGH WRR

Of course I’m not as vigorous as before. But I still exercise regularly. I play tennis, I golf, walk on the

treadmill. I also do brisk walks with my wife. These are about enough to keep me active and energetic.”

“I sleep well. It’s very seldom that I go past midnight. So I get a good seven hours of sleep.” April 2014

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SHORTIES 6LQJDSRUH *'3 WLSSHG WR JURZ WR

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NEWS IN NUMBERS

$ million

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April 2014

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2014 BUDGET

Levelling up

2014 Budget This year’s Budget is as much about the eagerly-awaited Pioneer Generation Package as it is about looking after the needs of other Singaporeans – workers, families and businesses to ensure they also enjoy the fruits of the nation’s growth.

FOR INDIVIDUALS Education

Healthcare

People with disabilities

Families

Older workers

More assistance for low and middle-income households for their kindergarten children. $147 million more a year for bursaries for higher education. Two in WKUHH IDPLOLHV WR EHQHƩW

Subsidies for low and middle-income at Specialist Outpatient Clinics to rise from 50% to 60%, and 70% respectively. Singaporeans aged 55 to 64 this year will receive Medisave annual top-ups of $100-$200 over the QH[W \HDUV From Jan 2015, employer’s CPF contribution to go up by 1%, to Medisave account.

Subsidies of up to 80% for dedicated transport, or IRU WD[L WUDYHO More Handicapped Child Relief of $7,500, up from $5,500.

800,000 HDB households receive $110 million in utilities rebates. Another $80 million in service and conservancy charges rebates.

50-80%

Rebates

50 to 55 years old: Another 1% to CPF Special Account. 55 to 65 years old: An additional 0.5% to CPF Special Account. (ƨHFWLYH IURP -DQ

$147 million more

2 in 3

Transport subsidies

1% more

to CPF Special Account 50 to 55 years old

Medisave annual top-ups of IDPLOLHV WR EHQHƩW

$100-$200 1% more

Employer’s CPF contribution to Medisave account

$110 b WLOLWLHV million 8 Handicapped Child Relief

$7,500,

up from $5,500

Service & Conservancy

$80 million

0.5% more

to CPF Special Account 55 to 65 years old

FOR BUSINESSES Productivity (PIC) to 2018 Ǧ Ƥ investments

Improve Infocomm Technology (ICT) ͊͜͡​͜ ͟

2YHUVHDV ([SDQVLRQ ͊͟͜

April 2014

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2014 BUDGET At $8 billion, the Pioneer Generation Package is the largest one-off special transfer for a single programme that gives subsidies for the rest of its beneficiaries’ lives. It provides assurance on where it matters most: focus on healthcare to cope with outpatient and specialist care, hospitalisation and serious illnesses for our seniors. It will help cover the medical expenses of our pioneers for at least the next two decades. More noteworthy is that the funds have been ‘ring-fenced’, which means the package would not have to compete with other budgetary expenditure. It is also funded entirely from this year’s Budget, without any need to tap into the nation’s reserves. All these have been made possible because the nation continues to enjoy growth and prosperity, on the firm foundation laid by this very special group of people – our pioneers.

65 and above

SG citizens

450, 000

2DMHNQR @FDC @MC @ANUD SGHR XD@Q Ń?‍ۍَ ࢥ١â€ŹŃšĐˆŕ¤šâ€ŤŮˇâ€Ź ୚৲

Singapore citizen before 1987 ÖŠ ‍١‏Ӻ͏ۊĐ&#x;‍Ţ?‏ԇ ֡ҚŕĄˆŕ¤šŃŒâ€Ť ג‏

ANTS people Ҽ঴ Đ†ŐĽÖŁŃŒ

Honouring a nation’s

pioneers 12

April 2014

The $8 billion Pioneer Generation Package Today

1

:+$7 '2 7+(< *(7" Help with outpatient costs H ††‹–‹‘Â?ƒŽ ÍĄÍœĎ„ ‘ƥ •—„•‹†‹•‡† „‹ŽŽ ƒ– ’‡…‹ƒŽ‹•– —–patient Clinics (SOCs) and polyclinics, bringing total subsidies to between 75% and 85%

Ô€Ňˆ

ଫŕŹŒâ€ŤŢ?‏ԇַૠ‍ݝ‏ ௅ ŕŚ’ ŕ … ৥ ༟ w w w. s i n g a p o re b u d ge t . gov.sg/budget_2014/ ’‰’ǤÂƒÂ•Â’ÂšŰŤ Ó˛ ம ŕŹ? च ି ŕ­? ŕĄˆ য় ༟ Citizen Connect Centres (www.ecitizen.gov.sg/ Topics/Pages/Citizen ‘Â?Â?‡…–nj ‡Â?–”‡ǤÂƒÂ•Â’ÂšČŒ ઼߳ெՉେ‍׭‏चŕŤ? ŕ 濯

ŕŹ‹ÔŠáŤ‚áž„ࡴႤŕŻ?Ὃ Ôşá–Œŕ°?ܲศá š Ó˛ÔœŕŽ”ĐŒ༥ŕŞ&#x;۲ۍ৕ե ŕŞ&#x;ऑ۲‍Ý?‏Պ୺ŕŞ&#x;ŕĄ&#x;ऑՖ ÖŠÔžß…ॲŕŤŠâ€ŤŕĽ†×ƒâ€ŹĐˆÍŹÓˆ ŕŠƒâ–łÔ˘â€ŤŕĄ˛Ű‰ÍŹŰźÜ’â€ŹŕŤŠŕŹˆ

Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) All Pioneer Generation members to come under CHAS, for subsidies at GPs and dental clinics Those already on CHAS will get even more subsidies, similar to what they will receive for SOCs and polyclinics Disability assistance Those with moderate to severe disabilities, or their nominated caregivers, will get $1,200 a year in cash

2

A Annual Medisave top-ups for the rest of their lives, older members to get more th Aged 65 to 69 (this year): $200 Aged 70 to 74 (this year): $400 Aged 75 to 79 (this year): $600 Aged 80 and above (this year): $800 Š‡› ™‹ŽŽ „‡ ƒ„Ž‡ –‘ —•‡ ‡†‹•ƒ˜‡ Â?‘”‡ ƪ‡š‹„Ž› ˆ‘” ‘—–patient treatments

ਚ ۲߅‍△֣Ú?â€ŹŃ˜ÖŁŃŒŕ­„Ő– Ô‡ŇśŕĽ’Ň’ŕŞŒӧ͏ٞԇҜ ŕĽ’Ň’ŕŞŒӧ৲͏â€ŤŘ˛â€ŹŐ–ŕŠƒŢż â€ŤŕĄ˛×›â€ŹŕŤŠ

Early Jul 2014

Đ™â€Ťŕ źÚ‡ŕ­ŽŰŤÚ‡â€Źŕ¤“৲ी‍١‏ Ő–ŕŠƒ ҏ࣏ŕ­‘

ࣹ తʟொ

áŒťá˘ľŕĽŠŇ ʜࣹʜྒᄉ γϣϹá—§ŕŠ™Üżâ€ŤÜŒâ€Źá›Š Ń?‍َ ١‏ͺ ŇŹ

Sep 2014

Ń?‍َ ١‏ͺ ŇŹ Ń?‍َ ١‏ͺ ŇŹ Ń?‍ۍ ١â€ŹŃšĐˆÍş ŇŹ

ࣹ త

Ő–Ńš޿ࢳॾ֍҆ठŕ­ƒÓ¤

Eligible Singaporeans will receive letter tellHMF SGDL SGD ADMDĆĽSR they will receive. Medisave top-ups to be credited to their accounts ŕŚ†ŐĄŕŤ?ŕ ŕ¤šÖŁŃŒâ€ŤŘ˛â€Ź ŕŽ?ŕ§“â€ŤÝˇâ€ŹÓ˛ŕŹŤŕ¤žŇ“Ń– Ńœŕ¤šŇ’ҢҌŕŠ’Ű°â€Ť×¤â€Ź â€Ť×‹Ú˛ŕŠƒزâ€ŹŕŠŽćżŻ

Additional subsidies for SOCs and polyclinics; cash payout for disability assistance scheme Ó˛ÔœŕŽ”ĐŒ༥ŕŞ&#x;۲պ ৕եŕŞ&#x;ऑ۲हऔ‍Ţ&#x;‏ ч߅ŕŻ?â€ŤŕĄ˛×šâ€ŹŕŤŠćżŻŕ ź ŕ¤“ŃŒâ€Ťŕ­‘࣏ڲŕŠƒزג‏ ŕŤ?ÔŠ濯 Additional CHAS subsidies at GPs and dental clinics

चҒҢҌŕŠ’ßœâ€ŤÝśâ€ŹŃ—ŕ­şŕŞ&#x; ŕŤŒŕ¤

3

Go to www. singaporebudget. gov.sg/budget_ SJS DVS[ or the nearest Citizen Connect Centre http://www.ecitizen. gov.sg/Topics/Pages/ Citizen-Connect&HQWUH DVS[ to check for eligibility.

ÖŠŕĽ’Ň’ŕŞŒÓ§Đ‰ÍŹÓ˛ ࣕؕްଫॡŕŞ&#x;۲պ ŕŁ?༥ŕŞ&#x;۲‍ز‏ਉч߅ ŕŻ?â€ŤŕĄ˛×šâ€ŹŕŤŠ濯

Medishield Life subsidy M Subsidies for premiums to range from 40% for those aged 65, to 60% for those aged 90

áŒťá˘ľĎŁÎłÎłá &#x; ศá š Đ&#x;Ň’ŕŤŒâ€ŤŕŁ•Ň‰Ý–â€ŹÓąŕĄ˛ŕŤŠÍş ॲ૩ŕŻ?ŕŞƒâ€ŤŕŻşŮˇâ€Źŕ§łŘ•ÍŹâ€ŤŮ¸â€Ź

Late 2015

ŕŽ›â€Ťŕ­š×Ž௺١‏濯 ŮŽÖŁ ŃŒŐ–ŕŠƒ ॲ૩ͬ ŮŽÖŁŃŒŕ¤šॲ૩ŕŻ?Ӫ‍׎‏ਚ

ࣹ ʽொ

Subsidies for Medishield Life premiums ৅૰ҢŇ’ŕŞŒÓ§ŕ ´â€ŤÚ•â€Ź ‍ޒؙ‏Ռ͏‍△֣Ú?â€ŹŃ˜ â€ŤÚ˛ŕŠƒزâ€ŹŇ’ŕŤŒॲ૩濯

濯

April 2014

13

2014 BUDGET

65

Warga emas yang berumur 65 tahun dan ke atas tahun ini

SG

Warga Singapura sebelum 1987

450, 000

Kira-kira 450,000 orang

1

Pakej $8 bilion Generasi Perintis

$8 ð¶=\¦ ë|Õ†„‚Ñ¥< Ѧ_‚„ô …£šÑ£®à‚Ú§ƒ„‚ 년Ψ^« ò>‡Ü

Bantuan untuk kos rawatan pesakit luar Tambahan pengurangan 50 peratus bagi subsidi bil di Klinik Pakar Pesakit Luar (SOC) dan poliklinik, membawa jumlah subsidi kepada antara 75 peratus dan 85 peratus Skim Bantuan Kesihatan Masyarakat (CHAS) Semua anggota Generasi Perintis berada di bawah CHAS, untuk subsidi-subsidi di klinik am (GP) dan klinik gigi Mereka yang telah pun berada di bawah CHAS akan mendapat lebih banyak subsidi, sama seperti apa yang terima untuk SOC dan poliklinik Bantuan Kurang Upaya Mereka yang menghadapi kecacatan antara teruk dan sederhana, atau pengasuh mereka yang dinamakan, akan mendapat wang tunai $1,200 setahun

14

April 2014

2

Tokokan tahunan Medisave sepanjang hayat, ahli lebih tua dapat lebih tinggi Umur 65 hingga 59 (tahun ini): $200 Umur 70 hingga 74 (tahun ini): $400  Umur 75 hingga 79 (tahun ini): $600  Umur 80 ke atas (tahun ini): $800 Mereka boleh menggunakan Medisave dengan lebih fleksibel untuk rawatan pesakit luar

3

Subsidi Medishield Life Subsidi untuk premium berada dalam lingkungan antara 40 peratus untuk mereka berusia 65 tahun kepada 60 peratus untuk mereka berusia 90 tahun. Warga usia lanjut akan dapat subsidi lebih tinggi.

BILA AKAN MEREKA TERIMA? Hari ini

Kunjungi www.singaporebudget. gov.sg/budget_2014/pgp.aspx atau Pusat Warga terdekat di http://www.ecitizen.gov.sg/ Topics/Pages/Citizen-ConnectCentre.aspx untuk ketahui kelayakan.

Awal Julai 2014

Warga yang layak akan terima surat menyatakan faedah yang mereka akan terima. Tokokan Medisave akan disalurkan ke akaun mereka.

Sept 2014

Subsidi tambahan untuk SOC dan poliklinik; pemberian tunai untuk skim bantuan kurang upaya

Lewat 2015

Subsidi untuk premium Medishield Life

Tambahan subsidi CHAS di GP dan klinik gigi

April 2014

15

CONVERSATION

Tackling new needs on the ground From focussing on the elderly, Dr Lily Neo now has to reach out to low-income families in the rental flats in her constituency. She tells Wong Sher Maine how she is tackling the challenge. PHOTO: MAX CHAN

I

t is hard to tell, looking at fresh-faced Dr Lily Neo, but she has never been as busy. The general practitioner has, in 17 years of work as a MP, largely worked with the low-income elderly. But now, she is facing new issues in her constituency. Why this is happening is because back in 2010, the Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng MP had nine “spare” HDB blocks in her Jalan Kukoh precinct, ͝ǡ͢͟͡ Ǧ Ǥ ǡ ǡ ƪ low-income. Ƥ with families, some with serious social issues. It is arguably a good consequence. Dr Neo reckoned these families are turning up because the Ministry of Social and Family Development – established in November 2012 – is doing all it can to identify

16

April 2014

and help these families. “With families and young children, the challenges are completely ơ ǡ ǯ Ǥ worked with families in need,” said Dr Neo. “The problem is the volume and that everything is urgent. I have to act fast because of the overwhelming numbers that are coming in. If each family has four members, for 500 homes I need to cope with 2,000 people.” Big families of nearly 10 members, children who may not have ǡ Ƥ ǡ sick or in prison, broken families, and parents with psychiatric issues are among her challenges. Then there are the ageing Singapore men who married foreign brides and then died, leaving behind wives who are not permitted to work and thus have no money to send their children to school.

Elderly comfort zone DR LILY NEO Age: 60 Family: Married with a son aged 26 and a daughter aged 32 Hobbies: Swimming, aerobics, playing the piano

Each case weighs on her mind. During the interview, she described one case after another, shaking her head and sighing: “I have one child aged 10 who has never been Ǥ ơ schools but he wouldn’t stay there. What can I do?” Her priority is the children. She wants to make sure they go to school and stay on track. She started the Children and Teen Community Hub (CATCH) Centre, which will be ƥ Ǥ centre at Block 8 Jalan Kukoh, it takes care

“With families and young children, the challenges are completely different from what I was used to, but that’s not the issue. I have worked with families in need. The problem is the volume and that everything is urgent. I have to act fast because of the overwhelming numbers that are coming in. If each family has four members, for 500 homes I need to cope with 2,000 people.” of over 100 children at primary and secondary school level. They go there for free food, tuition, entertainment like computer games and enrichment like music classes. “We have to keep them occupied,” said Dr Neo. She also hoped the mothers can earn some money, and directs some of them to work at Chinatown Social Enterprise, a shop set up by the Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng CCC at the former Majestic Theatre which sells Ƥ Ǥ

It can be said that while much needs to be done for the low-income elderly, it is somewhat of a comfort zone for Dr Neo, who has focused on their needs for the past 17 years. The Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng constituency which she oversees has the largest concentration of elderly and needy in Singapore. Nearly 40 per cent are aged over 55. She has helped them by providing physical, social and mental stimulation. The MP, who has raised over 180 motions and issues in Parliament NUDQ SGD XD@QR HR JMNVM ENQ GDQ ƥDQX speeches which champion the elderly. Dr Neo innately feels close to the elderly because of her maternal grandmother, who helped to raise her and whom she was close to. “She was my protector and I always ran to her when I was in trouble, like when I was teased,” said Dr Neo of her growing up years in Indonesia. Her Facebook page is full of photos with Ah Gongs (grandfathers) and Ah Mas (grandmothers). Every Chinese New Year, she even pays out of her own pocket to buy shiny new sets of clothes for nearly 300 senior citizens in her constituency who are on the Public Assistance scheme. She is therefore heartened at how the government is now acknowledging the elderly, through schemes like the Pioneer Generation package. “Singapore has always focused on the youth and children, on the future. But I am glad we are at the stage where we can say, it’s not just about the future but also the past. That the elderly are just as important.” For the low-income elderly, schemes which are very useful to her constituents include Comcare, the Public Assistance scheme and the Community Health Assist Scheme that subsidises medical and dental care. Asked what needs to be done in future, she said there has to be more hands on deck, beyond solving problems with money. In her constituency’s “Stop Pest” anti-bed bugs project, for instance, it takes about 15 volunteers to organise, clean and

April 2014

17

CONVERSATION

disinfect just one home. “As people age and get weaker, they will need more physical help on the ground. We need more social workers, home care deliverers and a more targeted approach as SGD DKCDQKX G@UD CHƤDQDMS MDDCR Ś she said. In response, she is starting a new initiative called Ageing Gracefully at Home (AGH). To be rolled out over the next few months, it consists of a suite of services to make life better for the elderly VGN @QD BNMƥMDC @S GNLD EQNL food delivery, to befriending to house cleaning. Dr Neo decided AGH was necessary as she noticed that many of the elderly she had been visiting over the years were getting frail @MC G@C CHƧBTKSX DUDM FDSSHMF NTS of bed. She said: “This goes beyond active ageing. As they grow older, they can no longer prevent the inevitable. We want to make their life at home as pleasant as possible.”

More kueh lapis layers at

Dr Lily Neo sharing a dance with residents at the annual Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng Citizens' Consultative Committee Chinese New Year dinner in late January this year.

Ageing well You are very busy. Once you even attended up to eight events in one night. How do you GR LW"

:KDW GR \RX VHH \RXUVHOI GRLQJ LQ WKH QH[W \HDUV"

Every morning I prioritise what I need to do, and put my energy into the work that is most needed for the day. I also don’t look too far; I take one day at a time.

I have always loved medicine from young. I hope to continue seeing patients for the next 10 to 20 years, as long as I maintain my physical and mental agility.

In terms of wellness, how do you take care RI \RXUVHOI"

'R \RX KDYH D OLIH PRWWR RU OLIH SKLORVRSK\"

I hardly exercise; I only do some stretching every morning.

18

But I watch my diet carefully; I avoid fats, oils and sugar. My parents were both diabetic. I also need at least seven hours of sleep every night. In terms of social well-being, I spend time with and maintain close relationships with immediate family members and relatives. Lastly, mental well-being for me is about having the right mindset and attitude towards life, feeling good about myself to do my best in all tasks, and always being thankful.

April 2014

Be thankful and happy for each day as you never know what tomorrow will bring.

SPECIAL FEATURE

PAP 60

People’s Action Party celebrates its 60th year this year. A host of activities is being planned to mark the anniversary with comrades and their families. In September and October, we can expect PCF Family Day and a Bursary Ceremony for deserving students. In November, there will be the Party Awards ceremony, with a gala dinner. A book and an exhibition to mark the 60th anniversary will also be launched. The Party Conference in December will round off the celebrations.

P A R T Y

T H E

B E G I N N I N G S April 2014

19

T H E PA R T Y B E G I N N I N G S

3HWLU UHSURGXFHV H[WUDFWV RI 0U /HH .XDQ <HZśV HVVD\ ŝ:KDW RI WKH SDVW LV UHOHYDQW WR WKH IXWXUHŞ LQ WKH WK Anniversary issue of Petir, to retrace the beginnings of the party since its formal inception 60 years ago.

The PAP: Why and how TO LAUNCH A MOVEMENT ͥǤ͟͜ Ǥ Ǥ Sunday, November 21, 1954 at the Victoria Memorial Hall. For two years, the PAP had been under gestation. Sometimes weekly, most times fortnightly, a group – Goh Keng Swee, Toh Chin Chye, S Rajaratnam, K M Byrne, Samad Ismail (a self-asserting communist, now under detention by the Malaysian government) and I – met in the basement dining room of my home ͤ͟ Ǥ a political party which would make a broad appeal to nationalists and those with radical political views. The Emergency had led to a vacuum in the constitutional arena in Singapore. The communists were underground, and the stage was occupied by lightweights, opportunists and time servers, none of them with any broad following. Our primary concern was how to muster a mass following. How did a group of Englisheducated nationalists – graduates of British universi Ȃ politics or the conspiracies of revolution, move people whose many languages they did not speak, and whose problems and hardships they shared only intellectually? The party was to be consciously radical and anticolonial. We understood communists and their fellow travellers would be admitted into the ranks of the party in a united front for the struggle for independence against the British; hence Samad Ismail’s presence. We were riding a tiger and we knew it. No non-communist faction in any united front of the communists had ever emerged in one piece, let alone retain its grip over the united front organization. For how could a bunch of armchair critics of British colonialism hope to stay in charge of events when they went into an unequal partnership with agents of the Malayan Communist Party (MCP), a party secretly organized ͥ͟͝͞ǡ

20

April 2014

We wanted the British out; We believed nationalism to be a more potent force than communism; We pressed on regardless of the horrendous risks because our visceral urges were stronger than our cerebral inhibitions.

a party that the British colonial government could not eradicate before the war, a party hundreds of whose members were released from prisons in Singapore in January 1942 as the Japanese Imperial Army closed in on the city? Did we, an English-educated, bourgeois group, with no organization, and little ability to communicate with the Chinese dialect speaking Chinese masses or the Mandarin speaking educated elite, believe we could cope with Chinese pride in Chinese language, culture, history, in a period of intense resurgence, and stand up to the MCP, the protégé of the Chinese Communist Party? In all honesty, we did not think in those terms; we wanted the British out; we believed nationalism to be a more potent force than communism; we pressed on regardless of the horrendous risks because our visceral urges were stronger than our cerebral inhibitions.

MUSTERING UNION SUPPORT Before launching the party in November 1954, we had established links with the unions. I had been called to the English bar and had come back on August 1, 1950. I was working as a legal assistant in Ƥ Ǥ ͥ͝͡͞ǡ President, Secretary, and several committee members of the Postal and Telecommunications Uniformed ơ Ǥ Govindaswamy. The union was about to go on strike and needed someone to advise it, about its rights and duties, and to draft its press statements. I became their legal adviser to negotiate a settlement. The strike drew tremendous public interest and wide press coverage and sympathy. The colonial because since 1948, when it had banned all communist unions and arrested communist leaders, the

SPECIAL FEATURE

November 21, 1954: The People's Action Party was formally constituted in Singapore at a public meeting in the Victoria Memorial Hall. More than 1,000 people attended the meeting, making it the biggest political rally since 1948. Waiting to enter the Victoria Memorial Hall to attend the PAP’s inaugural meeting.

situation was unnaturally quiet. The wild and violent communist-type strikes, demonstrations, and vociferous political opposition had gone underground. The colonial government was careful, even anxious, that it should be seen to allow non-communist activity in the unions and in political parties. They were government servants, not Chinese-educated and patently non-communist. After three week of negotiations, the 500 postmen and their uniformed senior ranks, up to Inspector of Postmen, went back to work with every one of their demands conceded in full or in part. I had ơ workers and a successful negotiator for the Union. Ƥ supporters to line up behind the PAP. P Govindaswamy, then a supervisor of postmen, was later to be promoted Inspector of Postmen. In September 1963 he was to retire, contest and win Anson, and become its MP till he died in 1978. In December 1952, 10,000 workers of the Naval Base Labour Union went on strike. They sought my services. The strike ended with an arbitration. The arbitrator’s Ƥ the award to be accepted. In 1954, the clerical workers in the postal and telecommunications services threatened to go on strike.

November 21, 1954: Mr Lee Kuan Yew speaking at the PAP public meeting.

April 2014

21

T H E PA R T Y B E G I N N I N G S

1959: PAP poster at Empress Place bus stop for the 1959 Singapore Legislative Assembly General Election.

It was another non-communist union of Englisheducated workers. I represented them in negotiations which ended in an arbitration. This historical backdrop is important to an understanding of the politics, and later the policies, of the PAP government. We had grown up in the unions; we had built up our political following working on and ǯ ǡ Ƥ treatment and injustice. We never allowed the tail to wag the dog; the unions were not allowed to decide national policy as we had seen them do to the Labour Front government in 1955-59.

MALAYSIA 1963-1965 On September 16, 1963, we joined Malaysia. Polling Day, September 21, was after the merger. Many people feared we would lose to Barisan Sosialis. They made detention of their open front leaders and our alleged “sell-out to Malaysia” the burning issues of the elections. Barisan rallies drew huge crowds; their speakers were wildly cheered. It proved the communists were good at organizing big crowds to intimidate neutral onlookers. They were meant to demoralize and rout our supporters. They failed. Although the percentage of PAP votes fell from 53.4% in 1959 to 46.5% in 1963, we won 37 seats against 13 seats for Barisan Sosialis.

COMMUNAL RIOTS: SEPARATION ͥ͢͝͠ǡ ǡ Ƥ communal riots on Prophet Muhamad’s birthday, 21 July. Singapore had been initiated into the politics of communal intimidation in the Federation. It was a horrendous shock to discover how trusting and innocent we had been. We refused to be cowed into acquiescence. In May 1965, the PAP teamed up with all the opposition parties in Malaysia to form the Malaysia Solidarity Convention. The PAP began to gather support in peninsular Malaysia. We fought back peacefully and constitutionally. On August 9, that year, Singapore left Malaysia; the Tunku had told me on Friday, August 6, in Kuala Lumpur, that he knew

22

April 2014

no other way; he was not able otherwise to prevent a bloodbath.

This historical backdrop is important to an understanding of the politics, and later the policies, of the PAP government. We had grown up in the unions; we had built up our political following working on and through workers’ ǡ Ƥ ing against unfair treatment and injustice.

January 1, 1961: PAP’s 6th anniversary rally at the Singapore Badminton Association Hall.

TURNING POINT: UNFLINCHING IN CRISIS When was the turning point for the PAP? PAP votes hit their lowest in September 1963 at 46.5%. The Hong Lim by-election in July (1965) was a straight Ƥ Ǥ Hong Lim by 58.9% of the votes, although 22 months earlier in the general elections of September 1963, we had lost Hong Lim, getting only 33.1% of the votes. We had increased our support by 25.8%. In the 1963 general election, we lost Bukit Merah. In the 1966 by-election, we got 80% of the votes polled, against 38.7% in 1963, an increase of 41.3%. Bukit Merah’s increase of 41.3% support was not a ƪ Ǥ

July 22,1956: Mr Lee Kuan Yew speaking at the PAP meeting held at the Singapore Badminton Association Hall.

SPECIAL FEATURE

Leaders must lead SOME LESSONS OF 20 YEARS IN GOVERNMENT Six basic principles guided us in government from 1959-79. We enjoined ourselves to: Give clear signals: don’t confuse people We have been a coherent united group not given to cliques and Ǥ ơ Ǥ In public we never contradicted each other. Be consistent: don’t chop and change We have kept faith with ourselves and our supporters. Our policies ƪ Ǥ ple. The next generation of PAP leaders will inherit this trust. They ơ Ǥ Stay clean; dismiss the venal ǡ ƥ Ǥ Ǣ ƥ are great. Whether it is licences for hawkers and taxi drivers, or balloting for ƪ ǡ ǯ tracts, PAP members, MPs and Ministers have not taken advantage of their positions. The leadership as individuals and as a group has not allowed it and will not tolerate it. Win respect, not popularity; reject soft options The government has not hesitated to implement policies despite the unpopularity they caused in the short-term, in order to secure the long-term interest of the people. We have never allowed ourselves to forget that popular government does not mean that we have to be popular in every act of government. 6SUHDG EHQHƩWV GRQśW GHSULYH WKH SHRSOH Do not tolerate the cornering of the fruits of group endeavour for

June 1, 1959: Mr Lee Kuan Yew at a press conference held at the PAP headquarters.

the exclusive, and worse, ostentatious enjoyment of a privileged few, depriving the many workers, who contributed, of their fair share of Ƥ Ǥ Strive to succeed; never give up However formidable the opposition, be they communists or communalists, or having to defend ourselves as when the British announced their pull-out in January 1968, we did not waste time wringing our hands and sighing at our misfortune. Keep cool, take a realistic look at the size of the problems and have a hard-headed assessment of possible solutions; narrow the solutions down to those mostly likely to succeed; decide on your course of action and set to work on it with all your might. If your best is not enough, and there can be such situations, history will forgive you. But if you fail because you dared not try, or did not give of your best, you are a disgrace. These precepts are deceptively easy to spell out; they are exceed ƥ Ǥ are as relevant in the future as they were in the past 20 years.

November 21, 1964: The biggest-ever political convention was held when the PAP met to mark its 10th anniversary. About 8,000 members attended a congress at the National Theatre where the secretarygeneral and Prime Minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew made a policy speech.

April 2014

23

T H E PA R T Y B E G I N N I N G S

Over the years, the party moved its headquarters several times, from a succession of small shop locations in the late 1950s to 1960s, to Orchard Road, then to a black and white bungalow in Napier Road in the late 1970s to mid 1980s.

Party

In 1996, it settled into a four-storey building tucked away among blocks of housing board ƪ ơ ǡ Ǥ

1962-1964 192B Waterloo Street

1955-1957 Mr Lee Kuan Yew outside PAP HQ at Neil Road on August 6, 1957.

140 Neil Road

1965-1977 143-145 Orchard Road

1958-1961 ͢͞ ͢

Didja know?

24

April 2014

In the 1950s, PAP HQ opened from 9 am to 11 pm, and frequently up to 1 am or 2 am.

3$3 +4 VWDUWHG Rƨ with just one fulltime clerk in 1955. 7RGD\ LW KDV VWDƨ members.

SPECIAL FEATURE

Housing 1986-1996 510 Thomson Road #07-02 SLF Building

1996 to now

1978-1986

Block 57B New Upper Changi Road #01-1402 PCF Building

11 Napier Road

When PAP HQ was at Napier Road, the party did not hire a gardener. Instead, once a month, members took turns to mow the grass and sweep the compound.

At one point, the PAP thought of developing its own building for rental income, but decided against it.

The current PAP HQ is a tenant in the PCF Building, occupying RQO\ D VPDOO RƫFH RQ the building’s ground ƪRRU April 2014

25

T H E PA R T Y B E G I N N I N G S

Party

KNNJ @S GNV SGD O@QSX LDLADQRŗ HMSDQOQDS@SHNM

January 24, 1988 PAP convention at Singapore Conference Hall

January 1, 1961 PAP’s 6th anniversary celebrations

December 13, 1976 1976 General Election nomination day

March 11, 2005 Inauguration of Young PAP Women

Didja know?

The party badge used to be made of cloth. Now, it’s a piece of metal combined with plastic.

badge reminds \ The members what the party stands for: 1) Red lightning: action 2) Blue circle: solidarity 3) White background: purity

PAP issues membership cards for cadre and ordinary members. In the early years, membership cards had a hard cover, which could be ƪ Ǥ ͥͤ͜͝ ǡ the cards became a simple laminated card. From 1990s, cards no longer carry photos.

Party Membership 26

April 2014

SPECIAL FEATURE

Fashion of the white-on-white uniform has changed over the years

August 15, 2008

WHAT IS IT: hite • White-on-w ge ad • Party b EAR: WHEN TO W ions ct • Party fun mpaigns ca n • Electio

YP exco election

April 17, 2011 YP 25th anniversary rally

July 4, 2009 WW’s 20th anniversary celebrations When the PAP started, there was only one category of membership and no membership cards were issued.

After Nov 23, 1958, a cadre system was established, where cadre members are chosen by party leaders.

Annual membership fee was $4 in the 1950s. Members were mostly workers, hawkers, petty traders, clerks, shopkeepers and farmers.

April 2014

27

T H E PA R T Y B E G I N N I N G S

Petir, the Lightni ǡ ǡ Ƥ ͥ͢͝͡Ǥ ǡ format to a tabloid-sized newspaper, to a magazine look. From the 1990s to the early 2010s, Petir was a bimonthly magazine. Today, it is published every quarterly and is also available online.

1956 1st issue

1960s to 1970s

Didja know?

28

April 2014

Petir in the 1950s was available in three GLƨHUHQW HGLWLRQV LQ English, Chinese and Malay.

In the early days, writers for Petir included party leaders such as Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Mr Lim Kim San, and Mr S. Rajaratnam.

SPECIAL FEATURE

1980s to 1990s

ng

2000s to now

The cover price for Petir was 15 cents in the 1950s. By 1990, it had risen to 40 cents.

Current look

For a period from mid 1959 to the 1960s, Petir was known as Petir Weekly, and it was published every week.

In the early years, the PAP also published policy papers in the form of special publications. April 2014

29

T H E PA R T Y B E G I N N I N G S

Anniversary Publications

Special Publications

NEX XT ISSUE: 6D VHKK S@JD @ BKNRDQ KNNJ @S SGD /@QSX HM @BSHNM GNV AQ@MBG @BSHUHSHDR @MC DKDBSHNM B@LO@HFMHMF BG@MFDC NUDQ SGD XD@QR 30

April 2014

April 2014

31

alive G RO U N DWO R K

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B R A N CH I N G O U T

Keeping the kampong spirit

The PAP’s Kampong Chai Chee branch has about 300 members in its ranks, with those above 50 years old accounting for about 60 per cent of the membership. The branch leadership is working doubly hard to attract younger members, even as the surrounding estates and its residents matured. Petir speaks to two long-time activists and three “new blood� grassroots volunteers.

Christopher Seet, 67 • Branch exco member • Member since 1985

Lua Kian Kee, 65

• Branch exco member • Member since 1989

Veteran activists

“M

Ps come and go. But you guys are the ones who stay and look after the residents.â€? That’s how former MP for Fengshan and Bedok GRC, Dr Arthur Beng characterised the work done by grassroots leaders and PAP activists, recalled Mr Christopher Seet, 67, who has been a PAP activist since 1985. In fact, between him and another veteran, Mr Lua Kian Kee, 65, they have served nearly a dozen MPs over the decades. They have Ž‹˜‡† ‹Â? –Š‡ •ƒÂ?‡ Í ÇŚÂ”Â‘Â‘Â? ƒÂ?† Í&#x;nj”‘‘Â? ĆŞÂƒÂ–Â• ‹Â? ‡†‘Â? ƒÂ?† ƒÂ?pong Chai Chee ever since they moved into their respective wards in the late 70s and early 80s when these estates were developed. “Bedok was a new estate and there was only one bus service number 14, to take to my Somerset Road work place, there were no shopping malls,’’ says Mr Seet who worked with SingTel for close to 40 years until he retired 10 years ago. “Bedok has become a mature HDB estate with the elderly

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comprising more than half the residents because the younger ones prefer to live in the newer towns like Tampines and Punggol. Most of –Š‡ ĆŞÂƒÂ–Â• Š‡”‡ ƒ”‡ Â?‘”‡ –ŠƒÂ? Í&#x;ÍĄ ›‡ƒ”• ‘Ž† ƒÂ?† Šƒ˜‡ —Â?†‡”‰‘Â?‡ •‘Â?‡ upgrading programmes,â€? he added. Mr Seet, who joined the party in 1985, is currently a branch exco member. Often described as a one-man walking information centre for his vast store of information, he is tapped by his younger colleagues for his insights into policies and help schemes for residents. Mr Lua, a retired contractor and grandfather of six, is also a branch exco member. He became active at the branch after he moved to Kampong Chai Chee from a kampong in Tai Seng in 1984. He was cajoled into joining the estate’s activities as his wife thought it was one way of getting to know their new neighbours. He became a party member in 1989 and act as a mentor to younger members these days.

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New blood activists

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Desmond Tan

” ‡•Â?‘Â?† ƒÂ?ÇĄ Í&#x;ͤǥ ‰”‡™ —’ ‹Â? ƒ Â?ƒÂ?pong in nearby Changkat Changi. As a child, he remembered the idyllic days of picking ˆ”—‹–• ƒÂ?† •™‡‡– ’‘–ƒ–‘‡• ‘Â? Š‹• ‡š–‡Â?†‡† family’s vegetable farms as well as playing truant in his secondary school days. “Looking back, I sometimes think that it might have helped if I had a mentor because of time wasted in my youth. Perhaps I could Šƒ˜‡ †‘Â?‡ Â?‘”‡ ˆ‘” •‘…‹‡–›ǥdz Š‡ ”‡ƪ‡…–‡†Ǥ Which was why he switched tack and Œ‘‹Â?‡† –Š‡ ĥ ƒÂ? ‘Ƽ…‡” ‹Â? –Š‡ ‘—–Š Development Unit after a stint running his own mobile phone and accessories business a few years ago. That was when he also became ƒ ‰”ƒ••”‘‘–• ˜‘Ž—Â?–‡‡” „‡…ƒ—•‡ Š‡ Šƒ† ƪ‡šibility of time. He joined the party in 2010 and is now the assistant branch secretary as well as the YP chair. He likes to help families with single parents, often roping in student volunteers to give tuition and organise outings for underprivileged kids. “I think our government has done well to build the infrastructure and ensure economic growth over the years, we have now the hardware. It’s time that we also focus on the software, like looking after our pioneer generation as well as the young ones,â€? said Mr Tan, who is married.

Sebastian Sim

An assistant vice president of a media company, Mr Sebastian Sim, 42, said he became interested in politics during his undergraduate days at the University of Wollongong in New South Wales, Australia. He was drawn to the political debates between the Labour and Liberal parties on national policies. At the same time, he was also troubled by the abuses committed by welfare recipients as well as his encounters with racism and the homeless. A party member since 2007, Mr Sim, who is the deputy branch secretary, said he liked –‘ Â?‡‡’ ƒ„”‡ƒ•– ‘ˆ …—””‡Â?– ÂƒĆĄÂƒÂ‹Â”Â• „‘–Š ‹Â? Singapore and abroad. “Many of the young today like to support causes by NGOs (non-government organisations) but I felt that taking part in grassroots politics gives you a wider breadth of the social ‹••—‡• ÂƒĆĄÂ‡Â…Â–Â‹Â?‰ –Š‡ ’‘’—Žƒ–‹‘Â? ƒ– †‹ƥ‡”‡Â?– levels.â€? He supports a multi-party political system despite the gridlocks in many countries, including the United States. “It keeps the ruling party from becoming complacent,â€? said Mr Sim, who added that he decided to join the PAP as he felt the opposition parties have yet to get their act together to be able to form a viable governing coalition.

Lee Zi Xin

ÂƒĆŤÂ‡Â• Â?•–‹–—–‹‘Â? •–—†‡Â?–ǥ ‡‡ ‹ ‹Â?ÇĄ 19, who recently obtained her ‘A’ levels results, had applied to join the PAP’s Youth Wing when she was still in secondary school but was told that she did not meet the minimum age requirement. Instead, she was advised she could help at the meet-the-people session (MPS) at Kampong Chai Chee branch where she has been volunteering since joining the party in 2012. Ms Lee, who lives in one of the two condominiums in the district, said she was inspired to help after a stint as a mentorteacher at Eunos Primary School as part of ƒ ˜‘Ž—Â?–‡‡”‹•Â? ’”‘‰”ƒÂ?Â?‡ „› ÂƒĆŤÂ‡Â• ‹”Ž•ǯ School. Dz Â?Ž‹Â?‡ –Š‘•‡ ‘ˆ —• ™Š‘ ƒ”‡ „‡––‡” ‘ƥǥ who are able to attend Montessori classes, these kids have minimum reading and writing skills and would have problems catching up with their classmates,â€? she recalled. So moved she was by the under-privileged that she donated her $400 Edusave bursary for conversion into NTUC FairPrice vouchers. “Twenty dollars is what I may spend on a couple of meals at a mall, but to some of these folks, it can buy a lot more,â€? she noted.

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䔆䊝䓴ι࡮‫ژ‬ᎡͶߎ⹫ጒ≨ߕ ͚喑᜾⌞‫ݨ‬ౝᙌऄ̻ⰛⲦపч䃛 অЙ䗐Ъ䳍䏙ᅪ⬮喑ͧపͧℾ⮱ 䉎⡛㇫⺋喑᭜䗐͵Бϧ᪙Җ̻䊋䉼ȡ ♣㔹᜾ᒵ⬈ᓰ̻̺㼐ͧ҂чᰶຯₑ็ᄦ పч䃛অЙ䉌䲏⮱䃱䄚ȡపч䃛অЙល⑁⮱ ᭜็䛺㻿㞟喑䮑γឬ៲Ꭳ㗖䉌䔶ℾ༁ចℾ⩌ 䄫䷅ШߎȠ䔅ᓄ‫ܧ‬ፚ⿸∂⼸Ꮌపч䓖䃧Ƞा ऱ䭣ᅯᅲℾ䃟㼐ᩬᏉ᫪㵹᳽䶦ᩬゃ‫ݺ‬఍ऻ ᳉Ƞ㜿㑀᳽䶦ᩬゃᄦϧℾ䕍᜽⮱̺␎ᗲ㐗ȡ ЃЙΌល⑁ᩬᏉহϧℾશ㜹喑ϑ≮⇌䕇̸ࣷ ᗲ̷䓫喑᭜ϧℾࣺ亵⮱‫ڠ‬䩛ᶒᶮࣷノ䖀ȡ 㮪♣喑⣝Ϸ䉱䃜⻾ឭࣾ䓫喑Όᰶ䄥็ℾ ᗲᎠझ⇌䕇ノ䖀喑ѳ᝭䅀㻮䲏̶ܳᗲ喑䲏ᄦ 䲏䓾䌊⻨ᣒ㼓喑ӊ♣᭜పч䃛অ̺जᄾ⮱ߌ 䄫ȡჇᬣ⃼কᣒ㻮䔶ℾহ⇬ᝤᡕუᣏ䃬喑䮑 γ᭜ᰡ⌞‫Ⱑڒ‬ᣒγ㼐ℾ⩌ℾᗲ⮱̭䉜х㞜э 㐌᫦ᐼ喑ΌजВ៶䓾䌊⻨Ƞកⵡ䯁䬯Ƞ‫܊‬㖇 ᙌᗲ㖁㈨ȡ

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䔈㵹უ䃬ᬣ喑పч䃛অ䌕㶄䓴ጤ喑☚᭿ 䰕⋸喑ↄ≮≰㗹喑ЃЙᬍ䃧ᰶ็ࠑλ҉ᡕუ ⇬ᝤუ䃬喑䕇፥̭Ꮤ㏱ᅸ喑ग㘪䃬䬛‫ܳ⮫ݝ‬ ͸̶࡮‫ݝ‬ఈ࡮็͸䬡Ѽᝤȡ 䮑γⷝ෮䕴‫ݝ‬ᅲℾౕ̺უ⮱ᗲۢ喑⣝Ϸ ⮱ᅲℾΌ๔䘪ⴒ䖀㜗ጞ᱙䏘⮱Фթহᱰ߈喑 ᝭ВⰥᄦᲒ䄡喑ЃЙᎣ̺‫׼‬ℾ䷻㏜ᱡ⮱⩅ỉ ᬣА喑ᄦ‫ݺ‬Გ䔈㵹უ䃬⮱పч䃛অЙ喑ᰶЪ ᄷ᪙ȡ 㔹పч䃛অᣒ㻮䔶ℾ⮱䓴⼸ΌᎣ̺᭜౧ ౧ఋఋ䘪̭ጳ䷻䶧ȡ‫ݺ‬ᲒᄨⅯపч䃛অЙᤡ ߖ⮱ϧ㓑Ꭰ౴䘪ᰶ‫็࡮̰ݝ࡮ښ‬ϧ喑పч䃛 অᒭᒭ䘪ᓄ᰺ߎ㜠۹ᮕᬣ‫ٶ‬喑ЃЙᰶᬣΌч ⷝ̷㙫⅁℁䒰ᯡ䎮喑ᔮᏓᖣߐ⮱ᅲℾȡ♣ 㔹喑పч䃛অЙ䔅ᓄ㏳ᓰ㕳ख़䔶ℾЙऱᐼऱ ㆨ̺㘉᳇ͫ⮱䲏ᄦℾ⩌䃛䷅喑ຯ喟䗨ᅲ㏍ ㏤喑ᬍ∂֬䔅ࡨ⫄䉦喑⼌䉤㏱ᅸ䬛䷅ぶȡ 㮪♣పч䃛অ䘪ч䔽͗䃑ⱌᄦᒲ喑Ꭳ䛼 ߈᣽ӈᤡߖノ䖀喑♣㔹Ό᱗ᓲ⃼ЪᄨⅯపч

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B R A N CH I N G O U T A tribute to our Members of Parliament

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䃛অЙᤡߖ⮱͗ᵵ䄫䷅喑䘪㘪䶧‫ݖ‬㼐۠ȡ 䔶ℾЙᏁᒀ䄲㼐పч䃛অЙᤡߖ㠰డ‫ڲ‬㐊 ̺‫ٮ‬䃥䊲䊷ᝃ␒⩕㕹ᱰ⮱㠓㶤喑Ό̺Ꮑᰶపч 䔶ͫᬣ᝸ᤎ⮴❹̭⺕喑㔹ಇᠮ㺮పч䃛অЙ܎ θᰶⅯᓲჇᰶఋᏁȡ ᫝ߍಎపч䃛অЙ̺ϲϲ᭜㜗ጞపუუ૨ ᝤᮀ⮱ᒏ䆎ϧ➖喑ౕప䭲ᩬಈ̷Όᴾ⿸ሴ倅৮ ❹ऐⶾȡ᜾ౕ䗨ప࣯ߍ྇ፚსᬣ喑ᰶѺ䭬࿯ᄦ ᜾ప᳽Ѻຠᕔపч䃛অߋθ᩵⢴䓲䕌喑㐆ε倅 Ꮣ䃱Ф䊋䉼喑㗜Ⴧγపч䃛অ⮱᰺ߎ㉍䉕ȡ పч䃛অౕᅲℾЙ䲏ᄦ⾮䕴θᩲᬣᢿᔔ㼐 ఝ喑ᰡ᭜᜾Йի䃶ᓰฝ⮱㞜᰸⯷ࣸȡ᜾ᒵ䄇ᖠ ᱌Ⱙ喑䔆ヴ᪴」㘪⊵䮑ВᒭᅲℾЙᄦపч䃛অ Й⮱̺␎ᗲ㐗হ䄜㼐喑Ӱ䔈Ƞᩦ઱Ꭳ䄰᪡ᒩₑ ͸䬡ࡼੳȠϑ≮ࣷ⇌䕇⮱Ꭰ㶎喑ߍᑧᎣ᣽ࡴ‫܊‬ 㖇߈喑吅๾হԎШȡ ౕₑՌߖ⣺䉢❵Ѻ喑㶤ᓰᙌ䅏పч䃛অЙ 㐆εᅲℾ⮱᜾Й⻺⻺ᖖᘍ喑᜾ЙⅥ䔉䨚䃝ౕ ᓰȡ

aving served at the grassroots for 28 years, ( G@UD VHSMDRRDC @S ƥQRS G@MC @MC BNLD to respect the dedication and humility of our Members of Parliament (MPs) in serving the country and our people. MPs represent constituents on municipal issues and attend parliamentary meetings; they also explain to the ground the rationale behind government policies, placate any unhappiness that may arise and most importantly, bridge the gap between the government and people. 'NVDUDQ CDROHSD SGD L@MX CHƤDQDMS @MC CDmanding roles MPs play, criticisms are still levelled at them. Given my up-close view of their work, it O@HMR @MC A@ƨDR LD SN GD@Q SGDL Today, technological advancements provide an array of platforms for MPs to connect with their residents, but this can never replace the personal SNTBG SG@S E@BD SN E@BD HMSDQ@BSHNM NƤDQR 6DDJKX meet-the-people (MPS) sessions and house visits are therefore not just traditional means to understand the ground, but also essential in building rapport with the constituents. House visits are physically challenging. Not only do MPs have to overcome the weather, they also have to put up with the fact that they might end up meeting only 30 to 40 per cent of the residents in each block. While some residents may not be around during their visits, there are also some, who are so aware of the power of the vote they wield, that they no longer display respect towards their guests, like in the old kampong days. The MPS are not any easier. The number of residents seeking help averages around 60 to 70 each MPS, extending the sessions past midnight. If there are impatient or demanding residents among them, the MP will have to patiently listen to their OQNAKDLR @MC ƥMC V@XR SN ADRS RNKUD OQNAKDLR such as neighbourly disputes, medical and housing arrears. Our MPs have made a name for themselves, even beyond the local shores. When I attended a wedding in a neighbouring country, an auntie even expressed admiration for one of our woman MP’s DƧBHDMBXʖ I wish more constituents will understand the limitations of MPs’ assistance, and not expect them to accede to their every single demand, simply because they hold a vote in their hands. With this essay, I hope to address the unhappiness and misunderstanding some residents may have towards our MPs, and seek to build trust and rapport together.

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G RO U N DWO R K 1. Why did the Women’s Wing (WW) pick the issue of ageing in Singapore for its third policy paper? A position paper on ageing was already in the WW’s scheme of things as a very important topic that must be addressed given the rapid greying of our population. WW felt compelled what we could suggest to the Government to tackle it. We had discussions with our activists and residents. Our recommendations have been submitted to the party leadership for their consideration.

2. What prompted you to take the lead on this issue? Since becoming an MP, I have received requests from many elderly people and their family members for more help from the government, especially in housing, healthcare and employment. I also came across elderly who are without adequate social or family support, there are also some without any form of support at all. I feel duty-bound to advocate and lobby support for them. The urgency was heightened when PM Lee Hsien Loong announced at last year’s National Day Rally that he was giving the pioneer generation a tribute package to show the country’s gratitude to them.

3. What are the paper’s key recommendations? The four key recommendations to the government are: (i) Healthcare. Provide a higher health screening subsidy for needy seniors, free assistive equipment to enable them to be active, legislate elder care leave, respite care for caregivers and preventive health courses for women while they are young. (ii) Employment. Encourage entrepreneurship and lifelong learning among active seniors, bolder incentives to retrain seniors, and educate employers not to be ageist. (iii) HousingǤ ơ ƪ seniors in their retirement, broaden the age criterion and eligibility for Enhancement for Active Seniors (EASE) scheme. (iv) Family & Social Support/Volunteerism. Promote “Elder Ready Singapore” with infrastructural improvements to create more spaces for the elderly, and to encourage able-bodied seniors to help their less able-bodied peers to age successfully and gracefully.

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Help the elderly to

help themselves Women’s Wing suggests a raft of proposals in policy paper on the elderly. Ellen Lee, Adviser of WW North West District, tells Petir more about it

4. How does the WW intend to work with the government to carry out some of recommendations in the paper? Our position paper has been submitted to the relevant government ministries. As women parliamentarians, we will advocate that the recommendations be studied and implemented ǡ Ƥ Ǧ the needs and welfare of our elderly. We will also encourage our elderly to articulate for their interests and welfare to be protected and advanced.

5. A common problem faced by the elderly (especially blue collar workers) is the lack of a sustainable nest egg for retirement, with many being assetrich and cash poor. What can be done? Is encouraging delayed retirement a realistic option for them? Some people have said that the most logical thing is to ask the elderly to sell their asset, usually landed property, to cash out and buy a smaller property so that they can have both the cash and a home, although non-landed. I can understand why the elderly will not agree because this has been their home for decades, something that they have worked their whole life for; they will prefer to starve than to sell it. We have to respect their wishes and think of other ways to help them. Perhaps the best way is to provide them with some form of subsidies in their areas of need, such as healthcare and transport. These are Ǥ pay for them. As for the elderly who are still gainfully employed, the government could top up their Medisave accounts whenever there are budget surpluses. Most retirees actually hope to continue working as work gives to them a sense of purpose in life. For those who need money but don’t want to be on welfare assistance, delaying retirement would be a blessing. They would also contribute shortage.

Scan and read Women’s Wing position paper on Seniors in Singapore in full.

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PA P P O LI CY F O R U M

A steady hand at the till Budget 2014 is outstanding for its ability to achieve both economic and social agendas

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he Singapore Budget announced by Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam will leave its mark on Singaporeans for years to come. There were several factors that made it memorable, many of which Ƥ Ƥ Ǥ The budget typically provides the government with the opportunity to redistribute some of Singapore’s growth to the less-fortunate in our society. But the 2014 Budget went a notch further in sharing the fruits of progress through the Pioneer Generation Package. ͊ͤ Ƥ broad social initiative to be rolled out under the budget. With Singapore ͜͡ ǡ growth with the very pioneers who built the nation? ƫ Ǥ ͢͡ Ƥ package. This showed it was put together with compassion, not just hardnosed economics.

2014 Budget addresses economic and social agendas ǯ healthcare, housing and education for lower and middle-income Singaporeans as well as funding to improve the lives of the disabled ƪ Ǥ This is not new as the PAP government has rolled out comprehensive social initiatives at each budget, but the magnitude of these packages in recent years is noteworthy. For instance, spending to improve the lives of lower and middle-income Singaporeans in Ƥ ǡ ͜͞͝͠ǡ ͞Ǥ͡ more than what it was a decade ago. As in previous budgets which addressed Ƥ ǡ ǯ ơ Ǥ However, 2014 stood out for the raft Ƥ economic and social issues; they were not Ǥ ǡ a fair and equitable society while economically it pressed on with Singapore’s economic restructuring.

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´7KH 3LRQHHU *HQHUDWLRQ 3DFNDJH LV DQ H[DPSOH where the government chose not to exclude more DIÁXHQW 6LQJDSRUHDQV IURP EHLQJ UHFRJQLVHG µ Progressive approach to social compact It is not just the planned outcomes that should be lauded but the progressive methods to achieve them which also made this budget memorable. The government could have opted to narrow the income gap by penalising higher income earners through higher income or ǡ Ǥ Instead, it chose to level up those at the lower-end of society through more targeted subsidies. This progressive approach strengthened the principle that there should be no disincentive for hard-working Singaporeans from doing well because they also help to create employment and incomes for other Singaporeans.

Staying the course There was considerable pressure from the business community on the government to ǡ Ǥ The government stood its ground though, knowing full well the economic restructuring plans are in the best interest of Singapore. These are signs of a steadfast government that will stay the course and not waver from the long-term focus on the betterment of Singapore and Singaporeans. Budget 2014 is testimony to that.

MALMINDERJIT SINGH

The writer is the chairman of PAP Policy Forum (PPF) and a member at Kebun Baru branch.

BACKBENCHER'S BITE WHO: Edwin Tong, MP for the Jalan Besar V@QC HM ,NTKLDHM *@KK@MF &1" 'D DMSDQDC ONKHSHBR HM @MC HR BTQQDMSKX @ O@QSMDQ @S K@V ĆĽQL KKDM &KDCGHKK ++/ WHERE: "G@MF "GDMF ,DD 6@G JNOHSH@L @S !KNBJ !DMCDLDDQ 1N@C 3GHR HR @ E@UNTQHSD G@MFNTS ENQ ,Q 3NMF @MC GHR FQ@RRQNNSR SD@L ADB@TRD NE SGD U@QHDSX NE RS@KKR @MC FNNC ENNC

ON THE MENU (all from the vegetarian stall) ÂŞ %QHDC ĆĽRG ADD GNNM RNTO Ę™ ÂŞ /K@SD NE UDFDS@QH@M R@S@X RSHBJR Ę™ ÂŞ 3NL X@L ADD GNNM RNTO Ę™ ÂŞ "GHMDRD ROHM@BG VHSG SGQDD SXODR NE DFFR Ę™

If only there were more hours‌

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dwin Tong wishes there were more than 24 hours in a day. Apart from his full-time job as a lawyer, he has to split his time between parliament, grassroots functions and block visits, among the many other activities that constantly demand his time and attention. The 44-year-old frets when asked what he does in his free time, the little there is of it. Playing with his children, catching up on his reading and photography, and watching his favourite Manchester United football team in action are squeezed into it. ‡–‹” Â?‡‡–• –Š‡ Ƥ”•–nj–‹Â?‡ ’‘Ž‹–‹…‹ƒÂ? ˆ‘” a short chat over a cup of tea, just before he •Š—––Ž‡† ‘ƥ –‘ ›‡– ƒÂ?‘–Š‡” ƒ’’‘‹Â?–Â?‡Â?–Ǥ TOPICS DISCUSSED Work-life balance

ÇŻÂ? Ž—…Â?› –‘ ™‘”Â? ™‹–Š …ƒ’ƒ„Ž‡ ƒÂ?† ‡Ƽ-

…‹‡Â?– –‡ƒÂ?•Ǥ ÇŻÂ˜Â‡ ™‘”Â?‡† ‹Â? –Š‡ •ƒÂ?‡ Žƒ™ Ƥ”Â? for the last 20 years and that has provided a strong level of stability. In the grassroots, one of my proudest achievements is to have kept the team that served under former MP Lee Boon Yang intact. I’m new on the ground so I tap on their experience and guidance, giving me invaluable continuity. I involve my family in my grassroots activities too. They get to spend time with me and also see a bit of what I do as an MP. I make it a point to have a family vacation at the end of the year to spend quality time with them. Football lover I was appointed vice-president of the Football Association of Singapore last September. Football has always been a passion of mine since I played at school level.

Being a big supporter of local football, I remember jumping on a bus with some friends to watch our Lions beat Pahang 4-0 ‹Â? –Š‡ ƒŽƒ›•‹ƒ —’ ƤÂ?ƒŽ ‹Â? Í?ÍĽÍĽÍ Â‹Â? —ƒŽƒ Lumpur. That was magical! Football transcends more than sport, ‹– —Â?‹Ƥ‡• ƒŽŽ ‹Â?‰ƒ’‘”‡ƒÂ?•Ǥ Š‡ ”‘Ž‡ ™ƒÂ?– to play at FAS is to improve local football standards and create more opportunities for younger players to excel. The big challenge is to strike that balance between pursuing both academic and sporting excellence, so that more people will see sports as a viable career. Animal rights

ƒÂ? ‘Â?‡ ‘ˆ Ƥ˜‡ • ’ŽƒÂ?Â?‹Â?‰ –‘ –ƒ„Ž‡ a Private Member’s Bill to toughen animal welfare laws in Singapore. We are looking at Š‡ˆ–‹‡” ƤÂ?‡• ƒÂ?† Ž‘Â?‰‡” Œƒ‹Ž –‡”Â?• ˆ‘” ƒÂ?‹Â?ƒŽ abusers. Every mature and developed society must Šƒ˜‡ ƒÂ?‹Â?ƒŽ ™‡Žˆƒ”‡ ”‹‰Š–•ǥ ƒ ”‡ƪ‡…–‹‘Â? ‘ˆ –Š‡ kind of society we are. While we want to protect animals, we also don’t want to make it so prohibitive and onerous to own a pet. The idea is to establish a set of rules that can be followed.

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QUOTE & UNQUOTE “Parliament is the prime symbol of democracy in Singapore... Yet, do many people really know how Ƥ overall scheme of the Singapore government?” - Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob questioning the number of Singaporeans who actually know the Singapore Constitution.

“When we open employment opportunities to foreigners and PRs, the least they can do is to respect our people and our nation... You do not bite the hand that feeds you.”

And ƩQDOO\ “What is a typical minister? Does it mean you cannot wear shorts to a coffee shop? But I am wearing shorts and sitting right here at the prata shop.” - Minister of State for Trade and Industry Teo Ser Luck when asked about people who say he is not like a typical minister.

“If I am gifted, I don't have to go to a gifted school where I mix only with other gifted students. I go where there are other types of learners Ƥ programme during certain hours. But during other hours, I wouldn't catch any disease by being with people who learn ơ Ǥdz - MP Denise Phua, calling for an end to streaming in schools.

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April 2014

- MP Zainal Sapari commenting on Anton Casey, a British expatriate who described users of public transport as "poor people" on his social media site.

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