Tan Chuan-Jin
Singapore
“A step-parent who wishes to leave any part of his or her estate to a stepchild is encouraged to make a will. Intestacy law would apply in cases where a person passes on without a will.”
“Last year, we reviewed and extended the Child Development Account, or CDA benefits to children of unwed parents. The Government granted CDA benefits, to children of unwed parents born, or with an estimated date of delivery, from 1 September 2016. It is generally good practice to implement our policies prospectively.”
“The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) does not track the number of persons who choose to remain homeless instead of being admitted into shelters. When MSF receives information on persons who may be homeless, we initiate contact with these persons on the ground to offer assistance.”
“Our law places the child's welfare and interests at the heart of an adoption decision. We must not forget that such an adoption is a life-changing event because when an unwed mother adopts her child, the duties, obligations and liabilities of the biological father are terminated.”
“The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) works closely with the Housing and Development Board (HDB) to plan for preschools in upcoming Build-To-Order (BTO) developments, including Bidadari new town. To better meet the needs of young parents, new preschools will have larger capacities and also be completed earlier where possible.”
“The Silver Support Scheme under the Manpower Ministry provides an income supplement to seniors who had low incomes through life and who now have little or no family support. Beyond ComCare, we are also expanding upstream intervention to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable families and their children to set a good foundation.”
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“I fully understand because we do see instances where there might seem to be a compelling need to move along these grounds while, on the other hand, as I have highlighted, there are also other views. Ms Rahayu Mahzam expressed her concerns against it, reminding us that many women are still vulnerable. Her sentiments echoed a The Straits Times commentary in October last year which was titled "A Reality Check in Gender Equality". Let me quote: "Given the reality – supported by surveys – that the burden of care for children and the elderly still falls largely on the shoulders of women, the current law remains relevant." I think attitudes are changing. They are gradually shifting towards greater gender neutrality, but we believe, at this stage, it is best to not rush and force the pace. I also heard concerns about extending maintenance to incapacitated husbands, such as those shared by Ms Tin Pei Ling. The scenario of a woman of lesser means struggling to support herself and the children is a big concern. What more if such a woman had to maintain her incapacitated ex-husband. To reiterate, the incapacitated husband must meet all the criteria set out before he can apply for maintenance from the wife. Even if all these criteria are met, it does not mean that the husband or ex-husband will automatically be entitled to maintenance. Dr Lily Neo expressed concerns for women who may be caught up in these situations where it will be a strain for them to provide maintenance for incapacitated husbands as well. So, the Court will have to consider all circumstances of the case, including the income and earning capacity of the wife or ex-wife, the financial needs of both parties and the needs of the children.”
“There is a whole range of support being brought to bear, before filing for divorce, during the whole process itself and thereafter. We will be quite happy to explore other measures that we can put in place to support families in this process. Mr Louis Ng suggested that the MPP should be automatically waived for victims of family violence in order to expedite the divorce proceedings and highlighted the particular profile of the families undergoing these difficulties. I think there is an even greater need for these divorcing parties to be directed to receive help. We have measures in place to minimise the risk to victims of abuse. Firstly, families facing family violence will attend this programme at the Family Violence Specialist Agencies where the staff are trained to handle cases involving family violence. Secondly, Page: 69 in cases where it is beneficial to the family and child for divorce proceedings to be expedited, section 94A(4) empowers the Courts to allow divorce proceedings to continue even when the parent has not completed the programme. The idea is that while we do recognise the challenges that families face when violence occurs, we also recognise that these families need help and to intervene where we can. We also make sure that clauses are available, steps are available for families to be assisted even when this violence is perpetuated and continues to be perpetuated. Another area that garnered much interest was spousal maintenance. Members have put forth a wide spectrum of views. Members, such as Mr Seah Kian Peng, Er Dr Lee Bee Wah and Assoc Prof Daniel Goh and Mr Louis Ng, spoke about moving towards a more gender-neutral approach. I hear you.”
“What we want to make sure is that throughout the whole process, the children's interests are looked after. We want to make sure that they can undergo individual counselling. They may also attend an evidence-based programme called "Children-In-Between", which equips children with the skills to manage their feelings and develop resilience. Parents are also asked to attend, so that they reinforce the skills learnt by their children. Some of the stories I shared were very much surfaced through some of these processes where the children are encouraged to speak up so they could articulate their concerns and the things that trouble them. Since the programme started in 2015, close to 150 children and their parents have benefited. The overwhelming majority – of about 96% reported a reduction in stress. But that is not something that we take for granted; it is something that we need to continue to work on. Ms Jessica Tan asked for some details of the divorce support programmes. I will just very quickly run through how we are approaching it. We have four DSSAs. The MPP will include a couple of things: to make sure that there are considerations on financial challenges involved; housing and living arrangements in a divorce; child custody and child access; and joint agreement on a workable parenting plan. There are face-to-face sessions. There are also counselling made available to rebuild the marriage and, as mentioned earlier, the "Children-in-Between" programme. There is also a Parenting PACT, which is a consultation session for divorced parents with minor children, designed to help parents understand the impact of a divorce on their children, learn co-parenting strategies and so on.”
“It also helps the couple to understand how their relationship will evolve when they start a family and have children. If the bride is expecting, grandparents are also invited to join in as extended family support is critical to the soon-to-be young parents. Dr Lily Neo would be pleased to know that our enhanced marriage support framework will also help young couples to address challenges during their marriage. This includes link-ups to appropriate parenting programmes and support. Many Members expressed empathy for children caught in the middle of their parents' divorce. Ms Rahayu Mahzam and Ms Jessica Tan spoke on the importance of child-centricity, and I really could not agree more. This is why we want to amend the Women's Charter to require parents contemplating divorce to attend MPP. Dr Lily Neo shared about the negative impact on Page: 68 children and highlighted the need for assistance to ensure that children do not fall through the cracks. My Ministry appointed the Divorce Support Specialist Agencies (DSSAs) to provide a continuum of care to divorced families. There is a very strong child-centric focus. I would like to thank Ms Rahayu Mahzam for sharing with us her experiences on the realities of what actually happens. Many of us come into contact with such cases as well, either through friends or the residents we meet. I think it is important that children remain the centre of our efforts. Giving voice to children comes in many ways but we need to be careful because, as we all know, sometimes, in an acrimonious divorce process, children become part of the game. They are being pitted, back and forth, between the couples. That can be very disturbing and can have a tremendous impact on the children.”
“We have looked at it intently and, as we have mentioned, there are different views on how we should interpret this. But what I would like to highlight is this: the emphasis on the family remains. Just because we do not call it a Family Charter does not, in itself, mean that we are not placing emphasis on the family. For all intents and purposes, the bulk of what we are setting out in the Women's Charter is aimed at supporting families and, moreover, whilst the Act is so named, its provisions are, in fact, gender-neutral, except in the areas of maintenance – which many Members have raised their views on as well – protection of women and girls, vice, prostitution activities. In other areas of the law, others are also covered. For example, boys are covered under the Prevention of Human Trafficking Act and also under the Children and Young Persons Act (CYPA). We have noted the points raised and this is something that we will continue to review as time goes by. We have made important changes. The Women's Charter, when it was first launched, was a landmark Charter. Over the years, important changes have been made. This time round, important changes are being made as well. While in some areas we are taking calibrated steps forward, society, like I said, is not static. We will continue to monitor how society evolves, continue to consult and continue to look at the suggestions and ideas brought up by many Members. We do not preclude future changes. Let me move on to some of the specific points raised in the debate. Members have given their support to mandate the marriage preparation programme for minor couples. Mr Alex Yam suggested that these young couples also attend a parenting programme. Indeed, the mandatory marriage preparation programme covers aspects of parenting.”
“Mdm Speaker, I thank Members for the robust and heartfelt debate and especially for the support of the Bill and the direction in which we are going. Like many Bills and policies, all of us would like more to be done. Some of us would feel that we could go further, especially on matters, such as maintenance of men, marriages involving minors and enhancing maintenance enforcements for wives, ex-wives and children. These are options we considered but, as I mentioned, societal attitudes, while changing in the directions which Members have highlighted, are also not uniform. From our consultations, it was clear that there were a fair number of Singaporeans who will feel that it would be too fast and too far if we move further at this stage. This is the dilemma. On one hand, while some of us may feel that to make some of these important changes represents a bold direction, but I think it is also Page: 67 about being effective, relevant and calibrating the different sensitivities involved because a lot of these issues are, in many ways, emotive. I would like to thank Mr Louis Ng for highlighting that it is really an entire effort. Legislation is an important part, but it is not everything, because you cannot legislate everything. What we plan and intend to do and carry out is to make sure that where there are needs to be met, the needs will have to be addressed. It need not be addressed fully necessarily by legislation itself, but programmes, services have to be there. And especially, as highlighted, family and community play a very important part as well. I would also like to highlight that this idea of a Family Charter was something our Ministry has looked at as well. It is something, as pointed out by Assoc Prof Daniel Goh, that we keep on the table.”
“They will also enable the Police to take action against a person who aids or will aid the prostitution of another person by providing any service, such as setting up a website to advertise such services, and who receives any gratification, whether cash or in kind, for providing that service. Let me now conclude. The family remains the key pillar of our society. As families continue to change in Singapore, we will also have to continue to review our policies, services and programmes. We will also regularly update our legislation. The legislative amendments I am proposing to the Women's Charter today are one part of this broad effort. Many Singaporean organisations and individuals have contributed to this exercise. Some have generously provided their professional knowledge and expertise. Others have given their inputs and feedback during our consultation. I would like to thank all of them for their contributions. I believe that this set of amendments we are proposing, and the other changes we are making to policies and services will help strengthen marriages, support families and render protection and assistance to those who are more vulnerable. With that, Madam, I beg to move. [(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]”
“The rise of online platforms and social media poses new dangers to victims of abuse and also challenges to the professionals who protect them. A new section 177A will prohibit the publication or broadcast of any information in the mass and social media that would reveal or is likely to identify the location of the shelter, residential facility or its residents. This is to better prevent perpetrators of violence from harassing, intimidating or harming persons residing or working at places of safety. The state may also act against serious breaches by the media which compromise the safety of the residents and staff. A related amendment is made to section 153 to prohibit publishing of information via online media which may lead to women and girls being identified in certain in-camera Court proceedings. The rise of online media has also allowed vice syndicates to take their businesses online to widen their reach to clients, while hiding behind the anonymity of the Internet. This makes it challenging for the Police to prevent and detect criminal groups conducting such a business. Page: 41 Sexual services at hotels and residences arranged by vice syndicates using new technologies also affect the public's sense of safety and security. The proposed amendments will enhance the Police's levers to address online vice. They will make it an offence for persons in Singapore to operate or maintain in Singapore any website or other remote communication service that offers or facilitates the provision of sexual services in return for payment.”
“Today, in the event of violence within the family, a married man or woman below 21 years of age has to rely on others, such as a parent or a guardian, to apply for a protection order on his or her behalf. Given that most married persons below 21 years old already have familial responsibilities, such as care of children, section 65 is to be amended to provide for married or previously married persons below 21 years old to apply for protection orders for themselves and their children. This is similar to the provisions in the Act that govern the parties allowed to apply for maintenance orders. Some women and girls in crisis situations may, at times, need temporary emergency accommodation at places of safety, such as crisis shelters or residential facilities. The Bill introduces new community-based care options by allowing the Director of Social Welfare to also place a vulnerable woman or girl below 21 years of age into the care of a "fit individual". This could be a relative or friend who could provide support in a "home environment", and not only in residential facilities or shelters. Some professionals that my Ministry works with in protection work include the staff in Family Service Centres, Family Violence Specialist Centres and crisis shelters. We will provide immunity for such professionals when they assist vulnerable individuals or discharge their duties in good faith and with reasonable care. In this way, they are protected against lawsuits or other legal proceedings in their personal capacity when carrying out a Court order, acting under the direction of the Minister or the Director of Social Welfare in discharging duties under the Act.”
“As a husband and a father, I would like to take this opportunity to remind all men to be responsible, especially when you have child maintenance to pay. Parenting your child does not stop even when the marriage is over. You can still and always be a loving father by not neglecting your responsibility to provide for your children. Even if your marriage is over, a caring relationship with you as a father will help your child to heal and learn to trust all over again. So, not only in terms of maintenance, spend time. Earlier, I mentioned that there are more marriages between Singaporeans and non-Singaporeans. The number of marriages between Singaporeans and non-residents has been Page: 40 increasing from 5,411 in 2004, to 6,686 in 2014 a decade later. The vast majority of such marriages are genuine. But there are instances where parties enter into a sham marriage for immigration purposes. In 2012, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) introduced a provision in the Immigration Act criminalising such marriages for immigration advantage. Parties convicted can be fined or imprisoned, or both, with their immigration facilities revoked. As of 2015, 218 parties have been convicted. It is an offence for parties to abuse marriage laws for immigration advantage. It follows, therefore, that such marriages should be void. The new section 11A will now make a marriage void if one party to the marriage is convicted of the marriage of convenience offence under the Immigration Act. Let me move on to the issue of protection. Men, women and children who experience family violence require help.”
“The SSOs will help not only the man, but also his wife or ex-wife, with financial assistance so that the family may tide over the difficult period and get back on their feet. In contrast to this more empathetic approach, we do intend to be very much more firm with these recalcitrant maintenance defaulters in the so-called "won't pay" group this means those who have the means but choose not to honour their maintenance payments. This is where there is much distress, anger and bitterness on the part of wives and ex-wives especially. They know their husbands refuse to pay maintenance for themselves and their children, and we intend to seriously stop such irresponsible behaviour. So, we are working closely with the Courts to appoint a Maintenance Record Officer (MRO). This officer will assist the Court in certain maintenance enforcement applications so as to identify those who can afford but refuse to pay maintenance. With the assessment of the individual's ability to pay, judges will be in a better position to make full use of the range of enforcement levers introduced in the 2011 round of amendments. Judges can impose tougher penalties against these recalcitrant individuals and I hope that they do. Related to maintenance are child access issues. As Members, and many of you can relate to this, we have encountered many heartrending appeals from divorced parents to see their children. Often, it is the fathers who have been denied access. By July this year, the Divorce Support Agencies will double their capacity of supervised exchange and visits for children. With an increase in capacity, our agencies will be better able to facilitate child access arrangements. Very importantly, they will work with parents to co-parent more effectively.”
“Today, the Court may order a defaulter's employer to pay maintenance directly out of the defaulter's salary, mandate that a defaulter attend financial counselling and even sentence a defaulter to jail. Page: 39 We do not need more legislative changes this round on this front. Many of the challenges lie instead with implementation. This is where we need to improve and this is what we must tackle. To this end, my Ministry has been working closely with the Family Justice Courts and the Community Justice Centre to strengthen the working relationship among our agencies. We find that there are basically two broad groups of defaulters: firstly, those who "cannot pay"; secondly, those who "won't pay". We will need to address them differently. We will extend timely financial assistance to vulnerable wives and ex-wives and their children in cases where the husband or ex-husband genuinely cannot pay maintenance. For example, he could be in jail or has had a serious accident and cannot work. Such wives or ex-wives will be directed to my Ministry's Social Service Offices (SSOs) for financial assistance. Our SSOs will also refer them to the Community Justice Centre for legal assistance should there be a need. Our focus here is on the women and children, as they are often the victims. But that said, we will also help a husband or ex-husband whose circumstances have changed such that he genuinely cannot pay maintenance. For example, if he has a serious debilitating illness and is not able to work for a sustained period, he may approach the Community Justice Centre for legal assistance to review the maintenance orders. He may also approach the SSOs.”
“This is part and parcel of the mutual help and support expected when a man and a woman enter into a marriage. Stories, such as what I have shared, reinforce our sense that this is one area in which we should do more. We have set three clear criteria that must all be met. Only a man who is: one, incapacitated before or during the course of the marriage; two, unable to earn a livelihood and three, unable to support himself, therefore, can claim maintenance. He must also be unable to support himself at the time when the maintenance application is heard. For clarity, I will give some examples which will not be covered. These include: (a) an incapacitated husband or ex-husband who is able to earn a livelihood sufficient to maintain himself; (b) an incapacitated husband or ex-husband who has other means, such as income from investments or insurance pay-outs, to support himself; and (c) an ex-husband who became incapacitated after the divorce has been finalised. An ex-wife is not expected and does not have any obligation to provide spousal maintenance if her ex-husband does not meet the criteria up to the point of divorce. During our public consultation, we also received a lot of feedback on maintenance enforcement. I think many of us feel very strongly about this issue; I certainly do. We have received many heartfelt appeals and letters talking of maintenance payments slipping, being irregular or not being paid. I can understand how frustrating this can be for an ex-spouse who is not only entitled to but also relies on the maintenance to keep the family going after divorce. In the last round of amendments in 2011, we introduced several measures to strengthen maintenance enforcement.”
“As Members of Parliament, I think many of us would have encountered such real-life examples during our Meet-the-People Sessions and when we meet our residents. After extensive discussions with stakeholders and internal deliberations, we have concluded that, our society is not quite fully ready for gender neutrality on the spousal maintenance front and we will not rename the Women's Charter as a Family Charter at this time, despite some calls to do so, in line with the philosophy of gender-neutrality. There remain many vulnerable women, and many women who hold rank-and-file jobs who need to be able to rely on their husbands or ex-husbands for maintenance for themselves and their children. However, we do note the feedback provided and we will keep this issue on watch and Page: 38 consider it in the future. That said, we do feel that time is right for us to take a step to allow incapacitated husband and ex-husbands to apply for spousal maintenance where there is a clear need. Recently, one of our divorce support specialist agencies highlighted a case they handled. This concerns a man with a professional job. He was unfortunately struck with a debilitating illness while on an overseas work assignment. The illness left him mentally incapacitated and unable to work. His wife, equally successful in her career, divorced him and now he has no way to support himself. In yet another case, my Parliamentary Secretary met a male resident who became severely disabled after a serious work accident. His wife divorced him. He is very bitter because he has no recourse for support, despite years of having provided for his wife and family. We are proposing amendments that will allow, for the first time, spousal maintenance to be extended to such husbands and ex-husbands.”
“At the other end of the spectrum, there are those who feel strongly that men should be the main breadwinner – and by and large, they remain so – and spousal maintenance should be reserved for women only. After all, a wife is more likely to give up her career to care for the family. She is also more likely to be financially more vulnerable post-divorce. Allow me to quote from two emails we have received to illustrate. One said, "Despite the call of gender equality, we must face the reality that there cannot be absolute equality between the two genders. Moreover, it remains in our culture and, in fact, among men themselves, the notion that the husband is deemed the "protector" of the family." Another argued: "Remember that the Women's Charter is supposed to protect women's rights and not allow women to fall prey to the irresponsibility of men who wilfully refused to work, in the name of providing care for the family." Clearly, there are very emotive and strong responses from various ends of the spectrum and in between them as well. I do not honestly think there is one decision that can satisfy all the differing views. This is one issue where there will be a range of issues. There is merit on both sides. Indeed, there are more women today with more successful careers. Some of you may have read about a recent Court of Appeal judgment which disallowed a woman's claim for a nominal maintenance order of $1. The Court found her "more than capable" of taking care of herself. On the other hand, we still have many women who are struggling to provide a decent home for herself and her children, after years of being a homemaker during the marriage.”
“The feedback from the couples and their children, as well as from judges and community partners, has been positive. I will now move on to the next area of amendments, which is on maintenance. Today, under the Women's Charter, maintenance may be ordered for two broad categories. The first is maintenance for children. Both fathers and mothers are responsible for maintaining or contributing to the maintenance of their children. This is so even after a divorce, whether or not they have custody of the children. A mother may, therefore, seek child-maintenance from the father, and vice Page: 37 versa. The second category of maintenance is for a spouse or ex-spouse. This is the focus of the proposed amendment. Today, a woman can seek spousal maintenance from her husband or ex-husband. The law, however, does not enable men to seek spousal maintenance from their wives or ex-wives. This is something that is increasingly being questioned and debated, and my Ministry has certainly received a broad range of opinions. At one end of the spectrum, some Singaporeans have argued that spousal maintenance should be gender-blind and based on needs. Let me cite an email feedback that we received during the public consultation; and I think it sums it up quite neatly. The writer wrote, "I find it hard to believe that Singapore, a First World society, is unable to accept that women should be our equals and should provide towards maintaining their ex-spouse equally if he is unable to do so." Along this line of argument, some Singaporeans proposed that matters relating to marriage and divorce be addressed through a new "Family Charter", rather than the Woman's Charter.”
“But, in many cases, it is probably the best "gift" that divorced parents can give to their children – the certainty that they still have both parents to love them despite everything. Then, the children do not feel that they have to take sides; they do not feel they are to blame; and they do not feel guilty. The process which divorcing parents go through in applying for MPP will also include self-reflection questions − questions that focus parents' minds on their children's well-being. For those who may still have questions about their marriage and divorce, we will also point them to agencies that provide marital counselling. I hope that with this, perhaps some, upon reflection, may actually reconsider divorce and seek help for their problems. During our public consultation on the Bill, some members of the public expressed concern that the new mandatory requirement could lengthen the divorce process. They felt that in some situations, for example, where there is family violence, the divorce process needs to be expeditious. Let me assure the House that our intention is not to make it more onerous for parties to be granted a divorce. Neither do we aim to make it easier. But the objective is to better equip parties with knowledge and awareness of the issues arising in a divorce that will affect their children. It will enable couples to be more informed and make child-centric decisions during the process of divorce. The pre-divorce MPP will be funded by my Ministry and conducted by the Divorce Support Specialist Agencies (DSSAs). These four agencies offer a range of programmes and services. Since they started operating a year ago, they have served over 3,000 divorcing couples.”
“This has been quite effective in helping some divorcing couples to reach agreements on children's matters in less acrimonious ways. But going for mandatory mediation and counselling on children's issues, after first battling it out in Court to settle the divorce, is really not ideal. Many divorcing parties have become hardened Page: 36 in their positions or too caught up with their emotions by then. Social workers, counsellors and lawyers have told us it is much better to have divorcing parents consider their children's well-being early, before the divorce process formally starts. We are, therefore, introducing a new section 94A in the Women's Charter to require divorcing couples with minor children who are not able to agree on all matters of divorces to attend a mandatory parenting programme (MPP) before they can file for divorce. For a start, those with at least one child aged below 14 will be required to attend the programme. We plan to eventually extend this requirement to those with children aged below 21. The new pre-divorce MPP will cover a range of issues that will have a tangible impact on children such as housing, school, care arrangements, and bread and butter. These practical aspects, when overlooked, add unnecessary turmoil to a child's life post-divorce. The new mandatory programme will also stress the importance of positive co-parenting after divorce. Even though a marriage ends, parental responsibilities remain. And it is important that parents remember that. Children need both parents to co-parent even after divorce. Allow me to say this with the best of intentions. I know that co-parenting is not easy.”
“Agencies that currently conduct the Marriage Preparation Programme will do so for this additional group of couples. This will take effect for marriages on and after 1 October 2016. Beyond legislation, we will also enhance the pre- and post-marriage support continuum for this group of couples. We will put in place group marriage education programmes, one-on-one marriage assessments and post-marriage support sessions by 2017. Even as we try to strengthen marriages, there will be those that have irretrievably broken down. Divorcing couples and their family members go through periods of anger, anxiety, grief and stress. The children are often the ones most adversely impacted when caught in the middle of their parents' fights. Let me cite some examples that we had picked up while working with families. There was a child whose paternal grandmother told her that if she really loved her daddy, she should stop thinking of mommy. The little girl grieved over this but hid it from her dad and grandmother because she did not want to disappoint them; she did not want to make them angry. Another example. There was a child who was told by her mother that her daddy did not love her anymore, as he had a new family with a new baby. The child felt abandoned, unloved and insecure. She asked whether her mommy would also not love her anymore if she had a new baby herself. These are stories which the children shared with some of our workers who work with families. And these stories tell us that we must always make sure that children's voices are heard and their interests and needs are taken care of during divorces. In 2011, the Ministry amended the Women's Charter to require divorcing parents with children to attend mandatory mediation and counselling after a writ of divorce has been filed.”
“Specifically, the proposed amendments to the Women's Charter will, firstly, help support younger couples in their transition into married life and parenthood; secondly, better protect the interest of children affected by their parents' divorce; thirdly, allow incapacitated husbands and ex-husbands to apply for spousal maintenance when there is a clear need; fourthly, void marriages of convenience; fifthly, better support vulnerable persons in family violence and crisis situations; and lastly, strengthen law enforcement against online vice. Page: 35 Let me elaborate. First, we must continue to strengthen marriages and families. This is, and will remain, one of the Ministry of Social and Family Development's (MSF's) key priorities. We have different services, programmes and public outreach initiatives towards this objective. However, notwithstanding these efforts, divorces are becoming more common. This is very much a global phenomenon. To cite a statistic, for example, 20.3% of our 1998 marriage cohort had dissolved before the 15th anniversary, compared to 12.3% of the 1987 marriage cohort. Marriages involving couples where one or both parties are very young face a higher risk. A fair number are not adequately prepared for marriage. Those who become parents shortly after marriage do face additional stress. In 2011, the Women's Charter was amended to require minor couples to attend a Marriage Preparation Programme if one party is below the age of 18, or if both parties are minors below 21. About 200 minor couples have gone through the programme. We are very heartened that over 95% of them found it useful. We will now amend the Women's Charter rules to extend the Marriage Preparation Programme to all marriages where one party is a minor.”
“The Women's Charter was passed in 1961. It is a historical and significant Act. It instituted the rights of women, and protected vulnerable women and girls exposed to vice. The Women's Charter was also pivotal in strengthening the family institution, which is a key pillar of our society. It upheld monogamy and outlined the rights and duties of married persons. Strong marriages and families are as important and relevant today, if not more so. However, with the passage of time, families evolve. And families in Singapore are changing as well. Let me share a few trends which we have observed and which led us to review the Women's Charter. First, there are more dual-income families where both the husband and wife work. We also see small, but increasing instances, of wives being the main breadwinner. Second, divorces are becoming more common among recent cohorts, especially so for couples who got married at a very young age. Children are often adversely affected, even long after the divorces. Third, there are more Singaporeans marrying non-Singaporeans. The vast majority are genuine but there are also some marriages of convenience for immigration advantage. Fourth, the increasing prevalence of social media, which requires new measures to protect those who experience family violence and also the professionals who engage in protection work. Our social policies, infrastructure and legal provisions must be regularly updated to support families. My Ministry has been doing so. The proposed legislative amendments we are making to the Women's Charter today are one part of this larger effort.”
“Mdm Speaker, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." With your permission, Mdm Speaker, may I ask the Clerks to distribute the documents that will illustrate the points covered in my speech?”
“Some ComCare applicants are unemployed and seeking employment. The percentage of households receiving ComCare Short-to-Medium Term Assistance (SMTA) and the proportion of assistance disbursed where the main applicant is unemployed and seeking employment are shown in Table 1. These individuals could be unemployed due to a variety or Page: 95 combination of reasons. MSF does not currently have a breakdown on who amongst them are unemployed due to retrenchment or early termination of contract employment. ComCare Interim Assistance schemes provide small amounts of urgent and temporary assistance to families with immediate needs. These could be provided through a number of agencies, including the Social Service Offices and Family Service Centres. Given the nature of the scheme, MSF does not have the breakdown of the detailed reasons for seeking assistance. Page: 96”
“Mdm Speaker, just to give a sense of proportion. In 2013, about 28% of fathers took up the GPPL; in 2014, it was about 36% and, in 2015, 25%. For the 2015 figures, it will increase because the electronic system is not fully up, so the submissions are still coming in. We do expect to see those numbers increase. It is a very good question: why are the fathers not applying? We should ask the fathers why they are not doing so. We all recognise that both parents, that is, fathers and mothers, play a very important part. Fathers do play a very significant role. Why we took this step to introduce this is really to encourage both parents to take up a more active responsibility. At this point in time, this is on a voluntary basis for employers whether to grant or not grant that leave. We do very much encourage employers to do so. I do not have the figures. Actually, I should go and check up on what the figures are on the Government front but certainly, the Government supports this. We do encourage our civil servants who do want to apply and we will be quite happy to support them. The whole role of parents, especially fathers, is something that we are quite particular about. We do encourage and we are working with the various VWOs to encourage fathers to take up a more active role in parenting. Anecdotally, we do see a lot more feedback, certainly in terms of younger fathers, playing a much more active role in a range of different areas. That is encouraging. On this leave front, we would very much like to see the numbers increase as well.”
“Mdm Speaker, 5,500 eligible working fathers applied for Government-Paid Paternity Leave (GPPL) in 2013. The number is small, as the scheme started only on 1 May 2013. In 2014 and 2015, the numbers were 11,900 and 12,300 respectively. The enhanced paternity leave was announced at the National Day Rally in August 2015. With the employers' agreement, fathers of babies born on or after 1 January 2015 can claim an additional week of paternity leave. Employers will be able to submit their claims from mid-2016 after changes to the IT system and processes are completed. The statistics on the take-up of this leave enhancement will be available after that. Page: 13 With the additional week of paternity leave granted, fathers can have more opportunities to spend with their children. I think it is also important for their marriage to allow both parents, the fathers and mothers, to not only enjoy the joys of parenthood but also to partake in the responsibilities of bringing up the child.”
“Mdm Speaker, there are mentally incapacitated individuals who do not have family members, friends or anyone else to be their proxy decision makers. The number is currently small, but it could increase. In fact, I think it will increase. MSF will amend the Mental Capacity Act this year to allow professional donees and deputies to be appointed under such scenarios. For those who do not have anyone to apply for deputyship and are unable to afford private sector services, we have also established a panel of professionals, who could apply to the Court to be appointed as deputies for these individuals. There are currently 18 public-spirited professionals from the financial, healthcare, legal and social work sectors on this panel. As each deputyship case involves multiple steps, the pilot is still on-going. Nevertheless, the feedback that we have received has been positive about how the vulnerable individuals have benefited. Just to cite one example, how the assets of a particular individual without capacity were put to good use, so that she could enjoy better quality care at the nursing home. Transport arrangements were also made to enable her to continue participating in her weekly church activities which she enjoys. This is just one example of the many different things that can happen when we bring this on board. We are now refining the work processes based on our experiences with the pilot, as well as inputs from key partners, such as social workers, to allow more vulnerable individuals to benefit. We would also very much like to encourage anyone who is keen to serve this vulnerable group to step forward. Your services will mean a great deal for these individuals and it will go a long way towards making their lives more comfortable in the last years.”
“Mdm Speaker, in terms of the age profile of the LPA applicants, just a quick breakdown. Those 21 to 34 years of age, we have about 3%; 35 to 55, about 28%; 56 to 70, 41%; 71 to 85, 24%; and above 85, about 4%. It is largely clustered around those who are, perhaps, post-50 and above, which is very natural when we begin to think of those issues. But we encourage more Singaporeans to consider doing this early because you never know when conditions may deteriorate. On the point about the PGO playing that role – that is something that is useful. In fact, the feedback from the public as well as from the Office, the Pioneer Generation ambassadors have been doing a great job in terms of engaging the elderly, as well as informing them of some of these key policies. This is something that we can consider. There are many things that are important. We also do not want to overly burden them with too many things but they are a ready resource base that we should draw on and this is something that we should work on. Page: 12”
“We would be happy to consider those options, as the Member pointed out, with MediShield Life and also even our Pioneer Generation ambassadors. For the whole ageing package, not just with the LPA, this is something that we have been talking a lot about. From MOH's and our perspective, as a whole nation, there is really quite a significant range of issues related to ageing. The volumes are going to be quite significant 10, 15 years from now. We do need to think about how to put in more resources to do this and we will take that suggestion on board.”
“For example, see what steps can be taken, so that they do not even need to go down specifically to submit the form. So, for them to be able to mail it in, so on and so forth. These are steps that we will endeavour to try to make it more accessible. Page: 11 For the less educated, it is the same thing, it is about education and awareness, how to make it more easily understandable in terms of collaterals, but this is where it is better through the grassroots organisations. We should actively put out the message. We know that there are particular areas where there are older Singaporeans, lower income, perhaps, less educated. So, we may perhaps encourage more targeted efforts in those specific geographical areas. Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef (Marine Parade): Madam, I am beginning to see more and more people, especially the elderly and also their family members, who are coming forward with problems related to not signing an LPA. Therefore, I am wondering whether the Ministry can consider doing something like what MOH is doing with MediShield Life, having a one-on-one counselling session kind of thing for those who are in that category and they have elderly with dementia and all that, where they can do that with maybe an outsourced partner, community partners or VWO. Because I think that is really quite helpful. We have got feedback that the MediShield one is really very good.”
“Mdm Speaker, we have not really analysed what are the various top factors but, from what I can gather, I would say that one of it would be inertia. This is something relatively new even though it has been introduced for a few years now. It is not something that is second nature to many of us. I am not sure many people are also necessarily fully aware. So, I think, publicity is one. Secondly, even if you are aware of it, it is not something that is in our lexicon, something we know that our parents used to do and, therefore, we continue on the practice. It is something that we need to get past that stage. One of the other factors is I think a lot of people talk about Singaporeans being under-insured. We sometimes do not take up enough life insurance. I do not know whether it is because we are "pantang" or whether we try not to think about the inevitable. But at some point, we will all degenerate as we grow older physically, mentally. So, this is something that we know is necessary. Intellectually, many of us grasp it, but I am not sure whether we, emotively, fully hoist it on board. It could also be that some think that by taking that step, are we also sort of acknowledging that we may at some stage reach that particular condition? It is a host of various reasons. What we need to do more of is publicity to make sure that the information gets out as far as possible and that is where we would ask everyone to chip in to make sure that the residents are aware. Secondly, to make sure that it is easy. As I have said, we have to strike that balance. We are very mindful of that, to make sure that their individual well-being is catered for but, at the same time, to make the process easy. We are quite happy to improve the process.”
“Mdm Speaker, I agree with Mr Seah that the numbers are not where we would like them to be, but it is growing. So, that is the encouraging thing. With ease of application, it is always a balance of making it easy and also safeguarding the interest of the individuals. Because we are very mindful as individuals apply for the LPA, we also need to make sure that due diligence is applied, so that there is no undue pressure, there is no external influence. This is something that we are also concerned about, with adults growing older, when mental capacities degenerate at some point and they become vulnerable. We do urge every Member of this House to actively encourage and raise awareness. We will, on our part, also try to see what we can do to increase the publicity and to make sure it is as accessible as possible. Indeed, this is something that most, if not all of us, should seriously consider taking up.”
“The Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is a legal instrument which allows an individual to plan ahead and appoint a trusted person to make decisions for him should he lose mental capacity. Since the Mental Capacity Act came into effect in March 2010, we have received more than 20,000 LPAs. The take-up rate has risen after we made it easier and more convenient to make an LPA in late 2014. In 2015 alone, we accepted about 8,360 LPAs, which is an increase of almost 160% from 2014. Some of the changes made in late-2014 include simplification of the LPA Forms and reduction of legal terminology that are hard to understand. For Singapore Citizens, we waived the $50 application fee for the most common LPA form used. In addition, we secured the support of SingPost for a free postal service for the public to submit LPA applications via Business Reply Service envelopes. With this, the public no longer need to visit the Office of the Public Guardian to submit the forms. We very much would like to take the opportunity to encourage more Singaporeans to make an LPA. We also encourage the public to continue to give us feedback, so that we can continue to improve that process to make it a lot more user-friendly. We will continue to improve the process to make sure that the necessary safeguards are still in place.”
“Government agencies, VWOs, corporates, community organisations, social service professionals and the wider public all play a part. Through what we do and how we do it, the Ministry hopes to nurture a culture and spirit of giving in Singapore. Professionals, including early childhood educators, learning support specialists, social workers, counsellors, therapists, psychologists and care workers, lie at the forefront of the social service sector. Through ECDA and the Social Service Institute (SSI), we will groom a larger pool of committed and skilled social service professionals and leaders. We will also expand opportunities for them to develop their capabilities and build fulfilling careers. VWOs play a critical role in mobilising volunteers and donors to complement the work of social service professionals and the effort of the Government. The National Council of Social Service (NCSS) will work with VWOs to improve their organisational capability and management of volunteers so as to involve more Singaporean individuals and groups in enriching volunteering experiences. The Community Chest will extend its reach by tapping on new platforms and partnerships to raise funds and rally public support to meet social needs. Page: 50”
“We have completed the network of 24 Social Service Offices (SSOs) across Singapore, as well as the first phase of the Social Service Net (SSNet) – an integrated information sharing and case management system that will link MSF with other Government and VWO help agencies. Building on their reach on the ground, SSOs will further improve the coordination in planning and delivery of social services for residents within each HDB town. We will also expand SSNet to cover more help agencies. Together, these efforts will ensure that Singaporeans with complex social support needs receive more holistic and integrated help. For persons with disabilities, we will develop the next Enabling Masterplan to build a more inclusive society where they can lead more meaningful lives and become integral members of society. Through assistance in early intervention, education, training and employment, we will help them maximise their potential at different stages of their lives. We will also render greater support for caregivers. We will work with employers, businesses, community organisations and volunteers to raise public understanding and acceptance of persons with disabilities within our communities. To safeguard the interests of the growing number of the elderly in Singapore, the Government will review legislations, policies and services to better protect those who are subject to abuse, neglect or self-neglect. We will also look into strengthening support for vulnerable adults in residential care through streamlining regulatory and care standards for residential homes. The future of caring in Singapore is one where Singaporeans come together to look out for and support one another, especially those amongst us who need a helping hand.”
“We will extend greater attention and support to those from disadvantaged or vulnerable backgrounds so that they, too, can realise their potential. The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) will continue to expand childcare capacity, particularly in housing estates with more young children. There will be one childcare place for every two children by 2017. ECDA will provide parents with more good quality and affordable childcare options through its Anchor Operator and Partner Operator schemes. It will also continue to enhance the quality of preschool education and the professional development of early childhood educators. To help vulnerable children from low-income or disadvantaged families, we will work with other Government agencies and community organisations to identify them and support their developmental needs during their early years. We will also introduce initiatives to help these families improve their home environment for the children's learning and development, as well as support the children at pre-schools. For children who need protection or care outside of their own homes, we will broaden the care options available to them. This will include working with VWOs and volunteers to increase the number of foster families who can offer a nurturing environment for these children to grow up in. To better help youths-at-risk, we will strengthen both Government and community systems, programmes and capabilities in prevention, early intervention and rehabilitation. Page: 49 Those with less and those in need will receive an extra helping hand to overcome their difficulties and improve their lives. We will continue to strengthen our social safety net, review legislations and policies and improve services to keep in step with emerging needs.”
“The social needs of our citizens and families are becoming more complex as the demographics, economics and family structures in Singapore change. Our social policies and services must evolve so that we can continue to nurture resilient individuals and strong families. Our societal culture must also evolve so that we can become a more inclusive and caring society where no Singaporean is left behind. MSF will focus on (a) strengthening marriages and families, (b) providing a good start for our young, (c) extending a helping hand for the vulnerable, and (d) fostering a caring community. The family must remain the basic building block of our society. The Ministry is committed to making Singapore a great place for families. We will work with Government agencies, businesses and employers, as well as community organisations, to create a conducive environment for Singaporeans to start families and raise children, enjoy family life and experience meaningful family ties. We will provide greater support for couples to prepare for and strengthen their marriages and offer evidence-based parenting programmes in our schools and community. These will include marriage preparation and support programmes for young couples and Singaporeans marrying foreigners. MSF will also strengthen support for vulnerable families so that they can overcome their challenges and become more stable and resilient. We will look into new ways of engaging such families early and work with social service agencies to assess their needs holistically to provide more coordinated and effective assistance. Children are our hope and future. The Ministry will strive towards giving all our young children a good start in life.”
“From 2004 to 2014, the total number of live births in Singapore increased from about 37,000 to just over 42,000 per year. Over the same period, single-parent births registered without the father’s name on the birth certificate ranged between 450 and 560 each year, or about 1% to 1.5% of the total live births. The number of abortions has declined for both married and unwed females over the past decade. For married females, the figure was 4,538 in 2014, compared to 6,522 in 2004. For unwed females, the number was 3,406 in 2014, compared to 4,857 in 2004. There could be many reasons behind these trends. It is not possible to pinpoint a single cause. The Government is committed to helping Singaporeans achieve their marriage and parenthood aspirations. We will continue to examine how we can support more and earlier marriages, and support parents in raising and caring for their children. Page: 92”
“Healthcare and social service professionals play important roles in identifying and providing support to higher-risk individuals, especially those with a history of suicidal and self-harming behaviours. For persons who have attempted suicide, the first step is to eliminate acute suicide danger through hospitalisation and crisis-intervention, and follow- Page: 157 up care, such as counselling and support groups. The wider public can play a role in preventing suicides. The Samaritans of Singapore, which receives Community Chest funding, undertakes regular public education efforts to raise public understanding on suicides and the available avenues for help. It also runs a 24-hour crisis intervention and suicide prevention hotline. We can all play our part to raise awareness of suicides, reach out to those among us who may be at risk and refer those who need support to the services available. Page: 158”
“Between 2010 and 2014, there were an average of about 400 cases of suicides and 1,000 cases of attempted suicides each year. There were about twice as many males as females. The median age of persons committing suicide was 50.9 years in 2014. Chinese and Indians have higher suicide rates compared to Malays. Breakdown in terms of income is not available. The causes of suicide are complex and multifaceted. They could be due to a combination of factors related to relationship and family, social, economic and mental and physical health issues. These were also the common reasons of suicides identified in a locally published study. Government agencies including the Ministry of Social and Family Development, Ministry of Health and Health Promotion Board (HPB), have funded and put in place efforts in public education, prevention and support. They have worked closely with voluntary welfare organisations on several of these efforts. In our schools, for example, students are taught to set realistic goals for themselves, build healthy relationships with others and seek help where necessary. HPB has a peer support programme which trains selected tertiary students on mental health issues such as, suicide prevention and peer support skills, to reach out to their schoolmates. For the elderly, there are active ageing programmes to promote an active lifestyle and encourage socialisation. Senior Activity Centres provide befriending programmes, centre-based activities and home visits for needy elderly who live alone. Family Service Centres provide support to help individuals and families resolve their relationship, financial and emotional difficulties.”
“In July 2013, the Ministry of Social and Family Development set up SG Enable, an organisation which will serve as a focal point to enable and serve persons with disabilities. Amongst its services, SG Enable supports persons with disabilities in their employment and training. Community touchpoints, such as Family Service Centres and Social Service Offices, can refer persons with disabilities, including persons with intellectual disabilities, to SG Enable for job referrals and job matching. The referred persons will undergo work preparation and job-related training and receive job placement and support services offered by SG Enable and its voluntary welfare Organisation (VWO) partners, including the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS). In financial year 2014, SG Enable and its VWO partners placed more than Page: 156 350 persons with disabilities in jobs. About one in three have intellectual disabilities.”
“So, I think raising awareness; education, that is something we need to do; strengthening the laws is important because the change of the laws will allow us to step in even when the barriers are there, meaning that where we deem that an individual's welfare is at stake, the laws will allow us to step in and intervene. But this is where I said there is only so much that you can mandate. But I think there is a very big role for the community to play. If all of us begin to be aware of how we could contribute to that, we can actually bring down the numbers. Although the numbers may not be large but for the elderly who are affected by this, it is not just physically traumatic, it is emotionally very trying, especially when it comes from family members. So, it behooves all of us to play a part.”
“Mdm Speaker, I fully agree with the concerns expressed by the Member. As more of us age, like I said, it is important that we age well but there are vulnerabilities. For the reasons that the Member has cited, there are various barriers, which is why, as a whole, the community needs to play a part, so that among all of us, somewhere along the line, we ensure that no one falls between the gaps. Firstly, families; and I think one will be education – and we will want to step up more in terms of creating awareness amongst family members. And this is even amongst the elderly themselves to understand what represents neglect and what recourse is available to them. Secondly, within the family, it is not just immediate family, there is also the extended family, when we begin to detect that something is not quite right, would the family members, whether immediate or otherwise, be able to intervene? And then you have the broader community, you have friends, neighbours, people who are in the community that you associate with, such as medical healthcare workers, will be one example. I am not sure whether we are at the stage where we want to make it mandatory. But we can also make sure that they do understand what the symptoms are, what are the signs to look out for, and whether they could, in turn, trigger the process in terms of alerting the local SSOs, Family Page: 36 Service Centres, to be able to follow up on these cases. So, really, it takes the whole community. Just as we say it takes the entire village to raise a child, I think it takes an entire village to look after our elderly as well.”
“For this reason, we are spreading the message that abuse and neglect should not be condoned and all of us in the community can play a role.”
“How do we reach out to find out who these old people are, how are they doing, what is their welfare like, are we able to organise amongst ourselves regular visits to check on them or to visit them just to keep them company? We can build a network which actually will strengthen community ties but at the same time looking out for the elderly in our community. And how do we then fuse this in with the broader systems provided by VWOs and the agencies concerned? I think that is an area that we can look at as a model to develop not only just in a particular area, which is ageing, but across the island because this is a trend that will develop in Singapore in the not very distant future. In addition, we will also – and this is important – strengthen our laws to better protect vulnerable adults. We will be introducing a new Vulnerable Adults Bill later this year which will empower public officers to gain access to homes, assess the risks, act on suspected abuse and provide statutory protection to the victim where needed. To be able to attend to suspected cases early and prevent serious harm, again, we will need help from the community. Those of us who are living in the environment – neighbours, friends – we can help to pick up tell-tale signs. Doctors, social workers, various people in the community, when we begin to pick up issues, we can flag them up when we are concerned. Community partners and members of the public, really, are the eyes and ears on the ground. Neighbours can reach out and offer practical support to caregivers, such as referring them to support services or attend to the elderly where possible. But if abuse or neglect is suspected, they should notify the Police, call the Comcare hotline or alert MSF-funded Family Page: 35 Violence Specialist Centres.”
“Mdm Speaker, ageing well is something that we should all strive for. Just as there are exciting opportunities, there are also concerns that we need to look out for. Some elderly persons will become vulnerable due to their physical state, mental condition or social isolation. There is a need to step up efforts to protect these seniors from abuse and neglect. Page: 34 One main cause of abuse is caregiving, which can be challenging and stressful. To support caregivers, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) and Ministry of Health (MOH) are expanding the range of services available – day care centres, home-care and respite care. There is also an eldercare hotline and a Caregiver Training Grant for caregivers to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to care for their loved ones. My Ministry is taking further steps to strengthen our system to detect and respond to potential abuse and neglect of vulnerable persons. We are working with social service agencies to train our community partners and grassroots leaders to better recognise signs and symptoms. We are also bringing more community agencies and touchpoints into our National Family Violence Network to be more responsive to reports of abuse and neglect. If I may illustrate, just yesterday, Edwin Tong and I were visiting the residents in the Joo Chiat area to understand the issues on the ground. One of the issues was precisely what the Member had raised – the number of elderly in the estate. A number of them may be living alone and, therefore, how best do we look out for their welfare. This is where I think there is a system approach from Government agencies and volunteer welfare organisations (VWOs). But I believe that there is space for the community to play an active role.”
“The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) monitors the existing and projected demand for childcare in each estate, including mature estates. Should the need to expand capacity arise in a mature estate, ECDA may work with HDB and childcare operators to build extensions to existing childcare centres within the estate. ECDA may also source for alternative sites, such as retail malls, commercial buildings and co-location with other community facilities. As for new Build-To-Order (BTO) developments in mature estates, ECDA typically works with HDB to pre-build childcare facilities within the new development if there is anticipated demand.”
“Mdm Speaker, the Ministry recognises the challenges families may face when they need to make an application to the Court to appoint a proxy decision maker or what we call a "deputy" for their loved ones. MSF is working actively with the Family Justice Courts to simplify the Page: 41 process of deputy applications. Improvements which we intend to make include changing forms and rules, providing standard templates for key documents, such as medical reports, and enabling individuals to apply on their own without a lawyer. While we do more to simplify the application process, we also need to make sure that we continue to safeguard the interests of the mentally incapacitated individuals. We aim to complete our review and introduce the improvements in the fourth quarter of 2015. We do encourage those who have particular feedback and suggestions for improvements on how we should manage the process, to let us know so that we can incorporate them into the review itself.”
“This model, in itself, will allow us to also have a glimpse into, firstly, are we able to scale it, and, secondly, what aspect of that you can incorporate into, perhaps, something that is more mainstream and across-the-board. While we are looking at elderly Singaporeans with needs, we will also find, as the Member has mentioned, younger Singaporeans who may have special needs. The whole idea is to be able to provide these services and support in the community. The way we ought to look at it also is that for those who may not meet the age criterion – we could argue whether it is at 55, 65 or whatever age it may be – but the question is, really, about needs and that actually transcends age. If we do have Singaporeans with specific needs, we can look at how best to accommodate them. I suspect that some of these services that are provided will be able to cater for that, but there may be very specific and specialised needs for persons with disabilities which may not be addressed through those service providers. The numbers are very different from the numbers I believe that we will be having. So, in those circumstances, we need to look at alternative models of how best to support them.”
“Mdm Speaker, the Government is building up our home and community care options to support our seniors to live and be cared for in their own homes. We are looking beyond just rental flats. Obviously, with the demographics going the way they are, we will have a lot more older people living in our estates and, therefore, we need to look at how best to cater for this. For seniors with higher care needs, MOH has introduced subsidised centre-based elderly care services which include day care for seniors and healthcare services, such as community rehabilitation and centre-based nursing. MOH also provides additional support for seniors at home in the form of home-based healthcare and social care services. These include home medical and home nursing as well as home personal care, such as help with personal care and hygiene. MOH also has caregiver support schemes to support families who are caring for their elderly at home. So, whether this particular model can be extended, we are in the process of looking at how best to design our living spaces, as we go forward into Page: 40 the future. There are many different views. We are going to try out different things. The whole idea is to see how best to integrate and to have our elderly living in and amongst us. You will find, as we discussed earlier, that for people with special disabilities and so on, some of the needs overlap with some of those for elderly folks. In terms of providing some of these services, for some of them, there will be an overlap. This is a work-in-progress but it is something that we are, as a Government, dealing with quite comprehensively. The ageing issues encompass so many different things. Healthcare is one. Our living space itself is quite critical. So, we are looking at that.”
“Mdm Speaker, MSF started the Senior Group Homes in 2012 to promote ageing-in-place for seniors who are too frail to continue living alone in HDB rental flats. Page: 39 Each Senior Group Home is located in a rental block and comprises five to eight units of flats. Each unit is shared by two to three frail seniors. MSF funds Voluntary Welfare Organisations to operate the Homes. They coordinate and monitor a range of services for the seniors. Examples of services include Home Care, rehabilitation services and encouraging the seniors to engage in social activities in the community. The residents are also encouraged to provide mutual support to one another. Two Senior Group Homes are currently in operation with a capacity of 36 places and we are completing another 12 Homes in different towns this year. When fully operational, the 14 Homes will accommodate up to 250 seniors. MSF will review the take-up and plans for Senior Group Homes after they are rolled out this year.”