By: By Dr Vivian Balakrishnan,Acting Minister For Community Development, Youth And Sports And Senior MOS for Trade & Industry
At The Committee Of Supply Sitting 2005, 11 March 2005, 12.45 pm
Yesterday, I spoke about opportunities to help every individual maximise his or her potential.
2 Now, let me focus on my Ministry's second priority. My Ministry will look into how we will nurture and strengthen the relationships that bind us to this home.
Volunteerism and Philanthropy
3 Many Singaporeans feel proud and fulfilled when they look beyond themselves and go out to do something for the community. But there may be some who feel that there is no room for them to make a difference. For our society to be more robust, we need spontaneous participation from all three sectors - public, private and people.
4 Through our ''Many Helping Hands'' approach, we work with various stakeholders in our community - individuals, corporates and community groups. We promote volunteerism and charity work among individuals and corporates, and encourage community groups to come forward and contribute.
5 This approach is working well and we are seeing greater participation from all stakeholders. Singaporeans have been generous in contributing their time, effort and money. From 1998 to 2003, donations to Institutions of Public Character (IPCs) more than doubled to exceed $500 million. Our national volunteerism rate also increased - from 9.3% in 2000 to 15.2% last year. Many of us will remember the spontaneous outpouring of support for the Asian tsunami victims.
6 We also work with community partners to help build capabilities in the people sector, for instance strengthening the professionalism of VWOs so that these organisations can better care for the needy. NCSS for example has been working with VWOs to enhance training for social service personnel and leverage on ICT to improve their services. But we hope to make an even greater impact through greater collaboration across VWOs and other organisations. For example, the Tsunami Reconstruction Facilitation Committee, led by the Red Cross and comprising people sector representatives, is facilitating the people sector?s contribution to the reconstruction of affected overseas communities. It will fund proposals for reconstruction projects, tapping on the $81 million that has been donated to the Singapore Red Cross. Mercy Relief and Red Cross have also worked together to set up Liaison Offices in Medan and Meulaboh to provide support to our VWOs operating in Aceh. Their collaboration, and how they have generously offered their services to other VWOs, demonstrates how we can achieve more by harnessing our collective energies to build a more caring and compassionate society.
Inspired and Committed Youth
7 Let me now turn to our youth. Last year, the Ministry was renamed the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports. This is much more than just a name change. It demonstrates our commitment to engage our youth to shape the Singapore of tomorrow. My hope, sir, is that every young person can proudly say that he or she has made a difference to some corner, some community, some people or some cause in Singapore.
8 This is not wishful thinking. Last August, MCYS launched a nationwide consultation exercise to hear from young Singaporeans. My Parliamentary Secretary Dr Maliki will elaborate on this later. But what I will say is that my interactions with young Singaporeans have reinforced my conviction that our youth are not apathetic. I sense genuine goodwill and enthusiasm in their wanting to contribute and make a difference. And because they do not know what cannot be done, the possibilities are endless. In fact, the feedback and ideas that they shared during various stages of the consultations underpin many of MCYS' plans for youth. It would thus be our loss if we were to dismiss our young people and assume they would not have much too offer. Their energy and idealism should find a happy merger with the older generation's wisdom and experience, to advance Singapore.
9 We will be guided by four principles. First, we want to empower our youth. We won't prescribe what they should do. Neither will we handhold them. Rather, we will play a facilitative and nurturing role, providing the opportunities and support they need to direct their talents and energy towards causes they believe in.
10 Second, we will embrace the diversity that our youth represent. They have different passions - helping the less fortunate, promoting the arts or sports, protecting the environment, mentoring other youth and so on. Let them decide for themselves what is worth doing. We will offer opportunities and resources that affirm and address their diverse interests.
11 Third, in working with young Singaporeans, we will be inclusive. Our youth come from varied backgrounds and have different needs. Some, like youth with disabilities or out-of-school youth, need help to realise their potential. But focusing only on the challenges they face is inadequate. We will ensure that they also have opportunities to contribute and lead, to enrich communities with their distinct experiences, and to connect to the people and issues around them.
12 Finally, we will embed the objective of youth development in all our efforts. Just as the community and nation gain from our youth's participation, we will ensure that our young people themselves benefit and grow from their involvement in community life.
13 Ms Penny Low and Dr Chong Weng Chiew asked about our initiatives and upcoming plans. Let me share some of them. Many are a direct result of feedback from our youth during the consultation exercise and we should give them due credit.
Youth Voice
14 Many youth told me during the consultation that they want a greater voice. Arising from this, we linked our young budding writers up with the Straits Times. Three months later, we witnessed the birth of YouthInk - a weekly section in the newspaper written by youth for youth.
15 I met some of these young student writers recently. They are a diverse bunch, including full-time national servicemen, interns, as well as students from our universities, polytechnics, and, soon ITE. I have been following their articles closely, and I am impressed. They are doing a good job reporting on happenings that affect young people, and lending a unique, youthful perspective to the paper.
Consultation and Feedback
16 Youth who want to be heard on national issues and government policies can also look forward to more opportunities. The Feedback Unit will expand its youth outreach efforts. The National Youth Council recently initiated the National Youth Forum - a platform for young Singaporeans to learn about policy making and discuss national issues with political and community leaders. We will enhance this forum and extend its reach so that more young Singaporeans can learn about and contribute to national affairs.
Supporting Youth Volunteerism & Community Action
17 While we encourage our youth to give us their views and feedback, there is no reason for them to stop at words. Many have the ability to act on the causes and beliefs they feel strongly about. Here, I agree with Ms Penny Low's suggestion to support more bottom-up efforts.
18 To raise awareness of the opportunities and resources available for ground-up initiatives, we will develop a Youth Portal. This will be a first stop databank and advisory service for youth interested in community participation.
19 We will also launch a new initiative called ''Young ChangeMakers''. Young Singaporeans will be appointed as decision-makers to assess and award seed grants to community projects proposed by their peers. The scheme will target informal groups trying out smaller projects. I am confident that with some training and experience, our Young ChangeMakers will make sensible decisions and allocate the funds wisely.
20 While we help those already keen to pursue community action, we know that diverse interests compete for our youth's time. Not all may fully appreciate the value of volunteerism to the community and to themselves. Currently, the NCSS has in place the Sharity Programme - a public education programme for children between 6 and 12 years of age. NCSS will build on the success of this programme and extend its efforts beyond this age group to reach out to our youth. It has just launched a competition called `Youths Embrace Social Service' to promote better understanding of social service issues amongst school-going youth.
''Space'' for Youth Activities and Showcasing of Youth Talent and Contribution
21 One refrain we often hear from our youth is that they want more community spaces they can call their own. As part of the Orchard Road rejuvenation project, we will be setting aside a 1.2-hectare youth community space beside Orchard Cineleisure. This space is three times larger than the current Youth Park at NYC. We will involve our youth in the design of this space, and to run activities there when it is completed. We want to make this a vibrant and exciting space for recreational and social activities, community events and performances by young Singaporeans.
22 Ms Penny Low highlighted the importance of establishing ''Youth Parks'' in various parts of Singapore rather than just Orchard Road. I agree with her. The project I just mentioned will certainly not be the only community space for youth. But it will be an important one in this natural catchment area for youth.
Helping vulnerable youth
23 Sir, in our work for youth, the Ministry will not forget those who need more support. Our approach in helping youth-at-risk is to intervene early. We want to provide them with the support they need before their challenges become too much to bear.
24 Here, some of our newer programmes and services such as STEP-UP and Out-of-School Youth Development Scheme have shown encouraging progress. We will expand them so that more of our youth can complete their education, fulfil their potential and contribute to our society, despite having a more difficult journey than others. We will also review our range of services for youth-at-risk.
Team Singapore
25 Sir, we want Singaporeans from different races, cultures and backgrounds to interact, play, celebrate and bond together. Sports can be a powerful vehicle. Participation in sports develops healthy bodies and minds, and enhances interaction between Singaporeans. Supporting our national athletes and celebrating our sporting achievements also brings us closer as a people. On 16 January, our young Lions took on the Indonesian national soccer team in the Tiger Cup final. I was struck by the sense of common purpose among the Singaporean fans, both in the stadium where I was and all over Singapore.
26 I thank Mr Wee Siew Kim for his suggestion to work with STB to attract key sports events to Singapore. Apart from bringing in the tourism dollars, we recognise that marquee sports events help inject vibrancy. Over the past four years, the SSC has seeded and grown several annual marquee sporting events such as the marathon, triathlon and rugby sevens. We have worked with STB to successfully facilitate such events and will continue to do so going forward.
Funding for Sports
27 Mr Wee also said that we should provide adequate resources for sports programmes. I assure him that the Government will continue to do so. In 2001, the Government, together with Singapore Pools, committed $500m over a five-year period to a Sporting Singapore Fund. Part of this was used for the Sports School infrastructure. To build on this momentum, I am happy to announce that the Sporting Singapore Fund will receive an additional $300 million for the next five years, from 2006 to 2010. Funding for the Sports Hub will be catered for separately. This additional injection will ensure that there are adequate resources for sports programmes going forward.
Opportunities to Play - School Fields and State Land
28 Part of building a sports culture is giving Singaporeans more opportunities to play. Countries like Brazil have become a soccer powerhouse because there are ample opportunities for kids to play on the streets and on vacant fields. In Singapore, our land resources are limited. But we have tried to work around these constraints by making more extensive use of existing facilities. MCYS and MOE will be opening up a total of 50 school fields for public use, from April 2005, under the Dual-Use Scheme.
29 Under this scheme, schools will continue to have first right to use their fields during curriculum hours, including Saturday mornings. Members of the public can book the fields outside curriculum hours and on weekend slots for a small fee through the SSC website. The public can use these fields for any sports or recreational activities.
30 In addition, there are over 150 plots of vacant State land provided by the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) for community recreational activities. However, some of these fields may be uneven, or they may contain potholes. To help convert these fields into level ground suitable for sports, the SSC will offer a matching grant to help upgrade these vacant plots of land. Grassroots organisations that wish to develop these fields for sports and recreational activities can apply for this grant. MCYS will set aside $2 million for this purpose for the next three years.
Sports Participation
31 We will continue to promote sports participation. First, SSC aims to achieve wider outreach by identifying and promoting sports that appeal to different demographic groups. Here, exposing our youth to sports early is one key focus as we want them to grow up with a lifelong interest in this area. Second, we want to work with more sports partners. The SSC will build on the successful Sports Partners Promotion Programme which subsidizes private sports programme providers. For example, there is a successful recreational soccer league - ESPZEN - involving more than 40 teams playing regularly throughout the year, and supported by MCYS and SSC. The SSC will further promote participation in sports through its comprehensive network of public sports facilities. This includes some 18 stadiums, 22 swimming complexes, 14 sports halls, 14 multi-purpose fields and 52 tennis courts. Moving forward, the SSC will take a holistic view of the entire spectrum of sports and recreational facilities in Singapore. It will analyse where the gaps are, so as to better meet emerging demand.
Conclusion
32 Will Singapore be as successful in the next 40 years as it has been in the last? I cannot predict the future. But what I am clear about is that we will need to bring all Singaporeans along as the country progresses, and make sure that the less able are not left behind. There will be a place for every Singaporean as we journey on and reach for greater heights. Singapore will then be a place where there are plenty of opportunities, and hope. We will also need to strengthen the relationships that bind us together as one cohesive people. Hope and commitment unite us as a people and sustain us as a nation. Only in this way will our people regard this country as their HOME. And that ultimately, is what will ensure that we secure our place in the world for the next 40 years and beyond.
MCYS SPEECH NO: 15/2005
DATE OF ISSUE: 11/03/2005