By Chan Chun Sing, Published The Straits Times, 20 Mar 2012
MANY people have given us positive feedback on Budget 2012. In particular, the initiatives to help the poor, the disabled and the elderly were well received. We changed the ComCare eligibility criteria, committed $1 billion to take care of our disabled and special needs community, and we will do more to help our elderly with their medical expenses and manage their cost of living.
First, I know how much more there is still to do to reach out to those in need. We do care for our needy, disabled and elderly. I would be very concerned if this challenging task was seen as something which could be left to government policies and schemes alone.
We need to strike a balance between what the Government is doing, and encouraging Singaporeans and volunteer welfare organisations to step forward, take responsibility, and play an active part. We can be an inclusive society only if everyone comes forth to help fellow Singaporeans in need. I would hate to see the day when we abrogate our personal responsibilities to others, or outsource the task to some external agency, just because we have paid our taxes. This would make us an impersonal and transactional society with little warmth.
But I have been encouraged by Singaporeans who have come forward to make a difference - students who brought meals to lonely elders, professionals who volunteered their time to engage youth at risk, and many others. One heartening example is Project Dignity Kitchen, a hawker training school for persons with disabilities and the disadvantaged. Dignity Kitchen provides job training and placement, and operates a food court where the students put their training to good use. That is not all. Dignity Kitchen also provides lunch treats for the elderly from various homes and centres.
We need to strike a balance between what the Government is doing, and encouraging Singaporeans and volunteer welfare organisations to step forward, take responsibility, and play an active part. We can be an inclusive society only if everyone comes forth to help fellow Singaporeans in need. I would hate to see the day when we abrogate our personal responsibilities to others, or outsource the task to some external agency, just because we have paid our taxes. This would make us an impersonal and transactional society with little warmth.
But I have been encouraged by Singaporeans who have come forward to make a difference - students who brought meals to lonely elders, professionals who volunteered their time to engage youth at risk, and many others. One heartening example is Project Dignity Kitchen, a hawker training school for persons with disabilities and the disadvantaged. Dignity Kitchen provides job training and placement, and operates a food court where the students put their training to good use. That is not all. Dignity Kitchen also provides lunch treats for the elderly from various homes and centres.
Second, I believe our concept of help cannot be just about giving things or handing out aid to those in need. More importantly, we must help those in need to stand tall again, to be independent and proud that they have regained control of their own destinies. Very often, they are not looking for sympathy but a helping hand to give them a lift to be independent again. People who are weak and needy are not completely helpless. An important part of our help must be to affirm and reinforce their capabilities.
I am always reminded by what the disabled community has shared with me - that it is not 'dis-ability', but 'this-ability'. For example, the Lions Befrienders started a programme to have the elderly befriend other elderly, to provide emotional support and care for those more in need, rather than wait for others to come to their aid. This gives the elderly caregivers a new sense of mission and purpose in life. Indeed, we should identify the strengths of people whom we seek to help, build on their capabilities, and help them become independent and confident again.
Third, I know that as a society, we want to do a lot more for our people. But I worry about where to get more resources to do this. This will not be easy, especially in the years ahead when our economy matures and growth slows. Many countries want to do more but simply lack the resources to carry out their good intentions. Hence, we must always do things in a sustainable way, and not dodge difficult decisions as to which group needs help most urgently, and which group can perhaps wait a little longer.
I am glad that Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam emphasised productivity growth so clearly. Unless we succeed in becoming a more productive economy, we will not generate the prosperity to sustain the programmes to care for our needy, disabled and elderly. Resources go beyond money. We must constantly find new partners to take up and build on the good work started by the public, private and people sectors. Otherwise, we will have little fresh capacity to support new start-ups and try new ideas.
Improving care for our needy, disabled and elderly is an ongoing journey. We want to do more and do better as a society. This cannot depend on the Government alone. All of us can contribute, no matter how small the efforts may be. All of us must work together and support each other.
If a future minister dealing with this issue in Parliament can be less pensive, I hope it will not just be because there are more government programmes, but because we have made further progress mobilising all of Singaporean society to come forth to help the people in need to be self-reliant and stand tall again.
The writer is Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports.
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