1. Sad state of affairs in our neighbour, Malaysia with lack of appearance of 'innocence' in the ever expanding 1MDB scandal. Summary dismissal of a DPM and 'retirement of an AG for ill health' investigating the scandal simply are dissatisfactory responses. Now we have the Police Headquarter on fire probably destroying whatever documents that had been collected from the 1MDB investigation. Still, it is for Malaysians to decide what they want from their government. We can only watch and ponder how not to be.
2. "Coordinated support for vulnerable groups among MSF priorities: Tan Chuan-Jin - CNA 29 July 2015
SINGAPORE: Enhancing the support for families and vulnerable groups, as well as having the community play a greater role in taking care of those less well off are among new Social and Family Development Minister Tan Chuan-Jin's agenda for his ministry.
In an interview with Channel NewsAsia, Mr Tan outlined his priorities for the ministry, with one of the priorities on vulnerable children. The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) is looking at how to integrate support given across the various Government agencies, he added.
One of the areas being tackled is enhancing coordination among his ministry, as well as the Health and Education ministries, to better support vulnerable children. There are gaps in coordination efforts currently, he noted.
The three ministries are in the process of pulling together data points to identify who these vulnerable children are and to address issues such as how and when to intervene.
As for adults, the Vulnerable Adults Act will be introduced this year to protect vulnerable adults and those who cannot care for themselves.
Changing family structures would also mean the need for the Government to tweak future policies, and perhaps expand the definition of what a family means. The number of traditional nuclear families is going down, while the proportion of one-person households and couples without children living under the same roof, is increasing.
He added: “We will have to redefine, and not just MSF. Housing will be one classic example. We may need to redefine some of these parameters. I think we will see these things being grappled with. At the moment I think we are not quite at that stage, but it's a matter of time before we really need to address these."
Mr Tan also wants to see greater social outreach within the community. He wants to see more structured opportunities for Singaporeans to get involved in volunteer work, within schools and even workplaces. He said this can transform the lives of not just those being helped, but also those who render the help.
Mr Tan believes there will be a transformational change in society if individuals come forward to help their fellow Singaporeans.
Besides vulnerable groups in society, Mr Tan also revealed that unwed working mothers may soon get the same benefits as married ones under a review being conducted by MSF.
It is the lament of unwed mothers that they do not get the same benefits as married mums. And that just because they are single, why should their children be penalised, is their argument.
Among the differences is how unwed mothers get eight weeks of maternity leave paid for by their employers, while married mothers get 16 weeks. Unwed mothers do not benefit from the Handicapped Child Relief, nor the Baby Bonus cash gift.
It has been a long-standing principle of the Singapore Government that policies should support and encourage parenthood within the context of marriage. But as traditional family structures change, policies too need to be re-looked, he said.
But Mr Tan said he is mindful about the kind of signalling any change in policy sends: "Is it an indication or signal that we condone single-parenthood? That is something that you bear in mind. I do believe that society is sympathetic to single mums but we also need to be careful not to appear to encourage it as something that you could do.
"But be that as it may, it remains one consideration. But recognising that single mothers do have vulnerabilities, how best do we support?"
Mr Tan said the review involves a whole-of-Government approach, bringing together agencies that take care of housing and manpower policies.
Mr Tan did not say when the review will be completed, just that an announcement will be made soon and it will likely be before Budget 2016."
Lessons for me are:
1. The whole-of-government SHOULD be the NORM for many of the cases Minister Tan cited. Ex-MSF Minister Chan Chun Sing initiated the SSO concept to 'centralise' social help provided to beneficiaries. Hopefully this will stay and ALSO let PROFESSIONALLY trained and qualified handle such tasks. These tasks have POWER to disburse REAL $$ Grant and subsidies. Be careful;
2. unwed single mum is one issue. Divorced single mum is another. Do the numbers and provide targeted help to unwed single mum with kids and divorced single mum with kids with distinctive differences. One is maturity and life skills development. One is how to deal with 'missing matrimony' from divorced hubbies and also dealing with kids who could not adjust to the divorce and got 'bad'! BOTH set of such mums definitely NEED help on 'effective parenting skills'!;
3. community outreach is a good idea. NGOs, unfortunately, are also staffed with good intention people with inadequate finance and governance skills and competence! Some of them have great power to disburse grants and subsidies. Real $$. Hope to prevent misuses and abuses as some may succumb to temptations while some are just pure ignorance and incompetence with no dishonesty involved.
Whatever it is, ALL ministries that relate to helping the vulnerable ALWAYS have to have this 'whole-of-government' mind-set since MANY issues are INTERLINKED and INTERRELATED when it come to helping a child, a mum, a father, a family like housing, health care, education, employment, etc.
The BASIC principle must always be: To teach the beneficiaries how to fish instead of just given them fishes. Each may have different fishing skills to learn and that must be identified. Only when the beneficiaries become 'independent thinker and doer' can he or she or they be rid of the shackles of 'dependency' or the 'crutches'!
2. "Coordinated support for vulnerable groups among MSF priorities: Tan Chuan-Jin - CNA 29 July 2015
SINGAPORE: Enhancing the support for families and vulnerable groups, as well as having the community play a greater role in taking care of those less well off are among new Social and Family Development Minister Tan Chuan-Jin's agenda for his ministry.
In an interview with Channel NewsAsia, Mr Tan outlined his priorities for the ministry, with one of the priorities on vulnerable children. The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) is looking at how to integrate support given across the various Government agencies, he added.
One of the areas being tackled is enhancing coordination among his ministry, as well as the Health and Education ministries, to better support vulnerable children. There are gaps in coordination efforts currently, he noted.
The three ministries are in the process of pulling together data points to identify who these vulnerable children are and to address issues such as how and when to intervene.
As for adults, the Vulnerable Adults Act will be introduced this year to protect vulnerable adults and those who cannot care for themselves.
Changing family structures would also mean the need for the Government to tweak future policies, and perhaps expand the definition of what a family means. The number of traditional nuclear families is going down, while the proportion of one-person households and couples without children living under the same roof, is increasing.
He added: “We will have to redefine, and not just MSF. Housing will be one classic example. We may need to redefine some of these parameters. I think we will see these things being grappled with. At the moment I think we are not quite at that stage, but it's a matter of time before we really need to address these."
Mr Tan also wants to see greater social outreach within the community. He wants to see more structured opportunities for Singaporeans to get involved in volunteer work, within schools and even workplaces. He said this can transform the lives of not just those being helped, but also those who render the help.
Mr Tan believes there will be a transformational change in society if individuals come forward to help their fellow Singaporeans.
Besides vulnerable groups in society, Mr Tan also revealed that unwed working mothers may soon get the same benefits as married ones under a review being conducted by MSF.
It is the lament of unwed mothers that they do not get the same benefits as married mums. And that just because they are single, why should their children be penalised, is their argument.
Among the differences is how unwed mothers get eight weeks of maternity leave paid for by their employers, while married mothers get 16 weeks. Unwed mothers do not benefit from the Handicapped Child Relief, nor the Baby Bonus cash gift.
It has been a long-standing principle of the Singapore Government that policies should support and encourage parenthood within the context of marriage. But as traditional family structures change, policies too need to be re-looked, he said.
But Mr Tan said he is mindful about the kind of signalling any change in policy sends: "Is it an indication or signal that we condone single-parenthood? That is something that you bear in mind. I do believe that society is sympathetic to single mums but we also need to be careful not to appear to encourage it as something that you could do.
"But be that as it may, it remains one consideration. But recognising that single mothers do have vulnerabilities, how best do we support?"
Mr Tan said the review involves a whole-of-Government approach, bringing together agencies that take care of housing and manpower policies.
Mr Tan did not say when the review will be completed, just that an announcement will be made soon and it will likely be before Budget 2016."
Lessons for me are:
1. The whole-of-government SHOULD be the NORM for many of the cases Minister Tan cited. Ex-MSF Minister Chan Chun Sing initiated the SSO concept to 'centralise' social help provided to beneficiaries. Hopefully this will stay and ALSO let PROFESSIONALLY trained and qualified handle such tasks. These tasks have POWER to disburse REAL $$ Grant and subsidies. Be careful;
2. unwed single mum is one issue. Divorced single mum is another. Do the numbers and provide targeted help to unwed single mum with kids and divorced single mum with kids with distinctive differences. One is maturity and life skills development. One is how to deal with 'missing matrimony' from divorced hubbies and also dealing with kids who could not adjust to the divorce and got 'bad'! BOTH set of such mums definitely NEED help on 'effective parenting skills'!;
3. community outreach is a good idea. NGOs, unfortunately, are also staffed with good intention people with inadequate finance and governance skills and competence! Some of them have great power to disburse grants and subsidies. Real $$. Hope to prevent misuses and abuses as some may succumb to temptations while some are just pure ignorance and incompetence with no dishonesty involved.
Whatever it is, ALL ministries that relate to helping the vulnerable ALWAYS have to have this 'whole-of-government' mind-set since MANY issues are INTERLINKED and INTERRELATED when it come to helping a child, a mum, a father, a family like housing, health care, education, employment, etc.
The BASIC principle must always be: To teach the beneficiaries how to fish instead of just given them fishes. Each may have different fishing skills to learn and that must be identified. Only when the beneficiaries become 'independent thinker and doer' can he or she or they be rid of the shackles of 'dependency' or the 'crutches'!
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