COS 2024: Strengthening our social compact
FY2024 MSF COS — “STRENGTHENING OUR SOCIAL COMPACT” BY MELVIN YONG (RADIN MAS SMC) ON 6 MAR 2024
1. Mr Chairman, I beg to move that the total sum to be allocated for Head I of the Estimates be reduced by $100.
2. In my Budget Debate speech, I spoke about how this term of Government will see MSF’s budget increase by about 18% from $3.9 billion in FY2020 to an estimated $4.6 billion in FY2024.
3. Why is this significant?
4. Singapore’s economic structure is now closer to that of a mature economy. Resource constraints are starting to bite. It therefore speaks volumes about the caring nature of the PAP Government that, despite harder-to-achieve growth, significant additional resources have been provided consistently to Social and Family Development — to build strong families, foster a caring society, and build resilience among Singaporeans.
5. MSF has done much with the additional resources provided. We have enhanced the Baby Bonus Cash Gift, Child Development Account (CDA) First Step Grant, and the Government CDA co-matching. We have expanded ComLink nationwide to cover 14,000 families with children living in rental housing, to sustain social mobility. And we have expanded KidSTART, which provides support in the development of children from low-income families up to age six.
6. MSF indeed has its work cut out. In the past, Singaporeans could progress up the socio-economic ladder by working hard. Today, economic growth is modest, and climbing the social mobility ladder has become more challenging.
7. The Forward Singapore report found that rising inequality and slowing social mobility could fracture social cohesion. We must prevent this from happening. How does MSF intend to tackle social mobility challenges, so that we can continue to foster a society where no one is left behind? How will MSF improve its suite of assistance schemes, beyond adjusting for inflation, so that they remain adequate in helping lower-income families?
8. ComLink is a good programme, but we need to move beyond assistance to empowerment. We need to address service gaps brought about by siloed programmes — and move from being programme-centric to be client-centric.
9. Can MSF share more information about how will the new ComLink+ better support lower-income families in their efforts towards improving their life outcomes and building a better future for themselves? How can we incentivise lower-income families to take on careers that have a long-term wage growth trajectory, rather than defaulting to gig work?
10. The success of ComLink can be attributed to the many men and women who work tirelessly behind the scenes to bring comfort, support, and hope to those facing difficult circumstances. Social workers are the backbone of our community, providing essential services to those who are struggling with poverty, homelessness, abuse, mental health issues, and more. It takes a special kind of person to do this demanding and often emotionally draining work and I would like pay tribute to all our social workers out there in the frontline. Thank you for the work that you do.
11. Beyond assistance programmes, we must continue to promote active volunteerism and generous giving. Members here would know of countless dedicated grassroots volunteers who work hard, delivering food and daily essentials to seniors, serving as befrienders, and giving to local social assistance programmes.
12. As the Chinese saying goes, 有钱出钱, 有力出力.
13. Loosely translated, it means that we can all contribute in ways that we can, be it in terms of time, talent, or treasures. In this regard, corporate donors and patrons also play important roles in volunteerism. They provide the valuable resources that enable volunteers to deliver aid to vulnerable families. We can do more to deepen philanthropy by corporates.
14. According to various surveys conducted through the years, volunteerism rates in Singapore has gone through ups and downs. Some 20 years ago, less than 10% of Singaporeans volunteered. Volunteerism rates peaked in 2016 at 35%, before coming down to 22% in 2023. What is MSF’s plan to encourage all segments of society to play their part in building a kinder, more generous Singapore?
15. The Forward Singapore report found that Singaporeans want a resilient and united Singapore. As we forge our shared future together, we must strengthen our social compact so that we can ride through the inevitable challenges that will come our way, challenges that can threaten our unity. Together with the 4G team, I am confident that we can continue to make Singapore our best home for our children and our children’s children.
