Mayor Zai's Blog

Save the World

Young at Heart

                    I recently got back from my trip to the US so now I have time to talk about Seniors Fair. For those of you who don’t remember, it was on the 7^th and 8^th of March this year.

                   The whole Fair centred on the theme of “kampong spirit”. It was great fun for the participants who got to play traditional games and watch the many exciting performances over the two days. I personally enjoyed watching the elderly participants getting excited about their make-overs. More than that, I was glad to see that the Fair was meaningful to so many who made friends and signed up as volunteers.

                    Being part of this event has brought back memories of my younger years when aging meant big changes to one’s lifestyle and outlook towards life. Although this has changed, it is sad that the term active aging has not always resonated in the Malay community. Fortunately, things have changed and more are beginning to understand and are able to relate to healthy living too.

                   This event has made me realise one thing: that I can’t wait to grow old. I know many elderly volunteers who are working and helping me with grassroots activities. They are so dedicated and committed to helping residents. I draw lots of inspiration and energy from them. Some have been volunteers for more than 30 years. Their zeal for life and belief in what they do is astounding, and their passion encourages me to do better and assures me that life doesn’t end at fifty or sixty. On the contrary, it only gets better. 

Social Responsibility

In my last entry, I talked about how the Government catered to the needy and what more could possibly be done to help those who are in need. I would just like to add on to that.

Winston Churchill once said “Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most pick themselves up and hurry off as though nothing happened.” It is regrettable that people do sometimes take the same attitude towards helping the less fortunate. It is everyone’s social responsibility to help the less fortunate.

One key focus area would be that of at-risk workers. These people could be helped if all the stakeholders invested themselves to the cause. For instance, businesses which have deeper pockets should look beyond the cheapest bid when outsourcing. The said at- risk workers should stand up for themselves and make reports to the Ministry of Manpower if they feel that they have been exploited. On the part of the government bodies, swift and decisive action must be taken to deal with such errant employers.

Acknowledging that there are problems within society is not enough. We all need to start working proactively to overcome them.  

Is Assistance Really Reaching the Needy?

Wow! It has been quite some time since I last blogged, and so much has happened since then. 

At the top of the news would be Seniors’ Fair 2008, but I will leave that for another entry. I would like to talk about the recent Budget 2008 Debate which brought up many refreshing perspectives and insightful questions from MPs and Singaporeans alike.

It is great that Singapore's economy has done so well in the last financial year. The large surplus of $6.4 billion can now be channelled back to Singaporeans. I am especially happy that the needy and elderly will be getting some much needed financial aid, given the 4.4% inflation in consumer price levels last year. 

I feel that the Government has done an excellent job so far providing short term relief for the needy as well as laying the foundation for long term solutions. Immediate assistance such as Public Assistance has been raised from $290 to $330 and the money promised to community organisations has been doubled this year. Long term solutions include more skills upgrading and development opportunities as well as schemes such as CPF LIFE. This all amounts to more people being helped but I am still concerned that people who need this assistance the most may not be getting it.

It is unfortunate to note that there are many who are still not getting the help that they need. For instance, the CPF LIFE Scheme is tailored to ensure that Singaporeans will have an income for as long as they live. Sadly, over 100,000 casual workers and self-employed people will probably not qualify. To make things worse, there are some who are still not placed on CPF schemes at all and only 9000 out of the 112,000 that qualify for Workforce Income Supplement Scheme have signed up. That means an overwhelming 90% of people who deserve help are not receiving the required assistance.  I strongly feel that more can be done to help these people, and I know that the Government will continue looking for ways to render assistance.

That being said, it would be unrealistic to expect that government assistance can reach everyone immediately. The problems cannot be addressed by simply creating new schemes but rather by outreach on the part of the Government as well as grassroots organisations. Only by reaching out to the community can we understand the basic needs of the people and inform them about the plans that are in place to help them. This will undoubtedly take time and support from the community but I am confident that we can continue to work together to ensure that everyone in our community is given the help they deserve to live life with dignity. 

Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri to one and all !

Whew! What a ride it has been – Fasting month has just ended, and to everyone reading this, Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri! I hope everyone had fun and enjoyed the celebrations with family and friends alike.

Over on my side, we had a Hari Raya Open House at the PCF Centre for the GRLs and friends of Bishan-Toa Payoh North. My family was there to celebrate the Aidil Fitri with our friends.

It was truly an enjoyable occasion, and everyone was in a festive mood.

And of course, we had light musical entertainment as well.

We even had dancers performing to a traditional song. They were splendidly dressed in their costumes and what a sight it was! Together with the GRLs and our friends, we truly enjoyed the dance performances and the songs.

Thank you to all our guests for coming and celebrating with us! I hope your Hari Raya celebrations were as enjoyable too.