Three PAP Members of Parliament thought they were doing the poor amongst us a great favour by standing up in Parliament and declaring that the government’s help schemes were not reaching the needy.
They gave shocking reasons: The needy did not know of the schemes or are confused by the application process.
And what was the response of Minister for Social and Family Development Chan Chun Sing?
“I urge all Members of the House to join us in this, to mobilise the volunteers, to reach out to these groups of people so that …they do not need to go through the difficult moments in life alone.”
It is all nice and good to have the schemes in place. The minister trotted out the various aid schemes that give bigger sums to the low-income. But what is the point if the people who need the help are not getting it?
This is one of the richest governments in the world and it has a vast machinery to reach every nook and cranny in Singapore. So what is the problem?
Maybe the will to reach out is not there.
For the record, the three MPs are: Foo Mee Har (West Coast GRC), Zaqy Mohamed (Chua Chu Kang GRC) and Intan Azura Mokhtar (Ang Mo Kio GRC).
