Upper Secondary SS Content Notes

Issue 1: Exploring Citizenship and Governance: Working for the

good of society, Whose Responsibility Is It?

Chapter 1: What does it mean to be a Citizen of my Country?

- 4 ways to become a Singaporean
 Descent (Definition): Born outside Singaporean, with at
least one of our parents being a Singaporean
 Country of Birth (Definition): You were born in Singapore
with at least one parent who is a Singaporean citizen
 Marriage: Married to a Singaporean for at least two years,
Singapore PR for at least two years
 Naturalization: No longer granted but instead
Registration: PR for at least two years OR You are
employed/have invested in Singapore]
- Society: The community of people around you
- Advantages of joining SG society
 Shared knowledge
 Shared labour
 The Constitution – The Law
 Definition of Constitution: The constitution is the
highest law in the land
 Guides/controls the actions of any future government
 Guides all subsequent laws so they must not go against
it
 More difficult to alter than ordinary laws
 Divided into Legislative Branch, Executive Branch,
Judicial Branch

Legislature Executive Judiciary

Make Laws Consider feedback from public Carries out and upholds laws
(Government Decision) Carries out duty by
government

 Security – protects your rights – your rights are a moral or

legal entitlement to have or do something
 Legality – the Law protects your rights
 Shared Identity/Group Identity/National Identity
 A group identity is a feeling that you are not alone. You
are part of a larger group because you all share
things/actions in common  Hence, it gives us a sense
of belonging to Singapore and its society

- Disadvantages of joining SG society  Having to fulfill these duties

as Singaporean citizens
 Taces
 Economic Activity
  Defence (NS) – expected to play a art in the defence of
Singapore through serving of NS
 Electoral Duties – expected to keep informed about local
current affairs so as to vote wisely in national elections
(above 21)
 Volunteerism – expected to give back to society by either
contribution of money or volunteering of time and effort to
charities

- Hence, being a Singaporean is shaped by Legal Status, Identity,

and Participation in public affairs

Chapter 2: How do we decide what is good for society?

- 2.1 Challenges in deciding what is good for society
 EXAMPLE 1 Bukit brown cemetery  A new road was
proposed to ease traffic congestion on Lornie Road. This road
would cut through this cemetery – considered one of
Singapore’s oldest.
 If they went through with building the road, over 5,000
graves of Singapore’s pioneers would be destroyed
 The habitat of over 30 endangered species of animals
would be reduced
 Reasons to preserve the Bukit Brown Cemetery
 Singapore’s precious history and heritage
 Singapore’s shrinking natural environment
 Singapore’s shrinking animal species
 Alternative plans or locations not properly
considered
 Government’s response
 Ease Traffic congestion on Lornie Road
 Ease Traffic congestion on the nearby PIE
 Reduce travel time
 New highway will serve future housing projects
near the Bukit Brown area

 EXAMPLE 2 Serangoon gardens  In 2008, 1,400 residents

signed a petition against allowing a foreign worker dormitory
being built in their estate. The dormitory would occupy an
unused old secondary school building, which is less than 10m
away from the estate.
 Why the residents did not want the foreign worker
dormitory to be built?
 Littering
 Loitering
 Drunken/Rowdy behavior
 Foreign worker couples
 Higher crime rate
  Lower property value

 The government’s response

 School building is wasted if unused
 Can house 600-1000 workers
 Many construction works are near to their estate
 Not the first estate to have foreign worker
dormitories
 $2 million road to be built to bypass the estate
 Strict rules and security was promised to the
residents

 EXAMPLE 3 Toh Yi Estate  230 residents of a HDB housing

estate signed a petition against a plot of land being used to
build a HDB block of studio apartments specially meant for
the elderly in 2012
 The new block would occupy land used since 2011 as a
basketball court, jogging track, community garden and
exercise area for residents

 All these examples show that it is impossible for every citizen

in a democracy to be satisfied with every decision.

- Chapter 2.2 Decision-making in a representative democracy

 Democracy (Definition): A democracy is a system of
government to control people by allowing the people to
choose their own leaders. A democratic government ie hence
of the people, by the people, and for the people.
 Representative democracy (Definition): It is a system where
we choose our leaders who represent us in in Parliament
 Democratic governments are chosen by elections
 Members of Parliament: Elected leaders – they represent us
on our views in Parliament
 Which is the most important aspect of government in
Singapore?

a. Legislature Legislature is the law-making body of the

government, who meets to make new laws and alter
older ones in Parliament building.

If laws and policies are not properly debated and

thought through, then the quality of government
decisions will be reduced à quality of life of people
will deteriorate.
b. Judiciary Laws need to be enforced and fairly enforced. If this
is not done well by the judges, then laws will not be
followed and this can lead to the citizens not being
willing to follow these laws and anarchy will occur.
 The judiciary punishes those who break the laws.
c. Executive Consider feedback from public and carries out duty by government.
After the legislature makes new laws or alters older ones, the executive
will carry out the law and enforce it
d. Having an When the citizens feel consulted, they will accept the laws
inclusive and and also feel that they are part of the country  loyalty to
consultative the country will increase and the nation will be socially more
government bonded and cohesive. With feedback better laws are made.
Weighing The most important aspect is that which cannot be left out,
that would be the legislature as the people’s reps are
debated this will affect the quality of the policies and
government decisions.
 Who is GRC? A constituency where voters vote for a whole group of MPs
instead of just 1. However, a GRC must contain at least 1 member from a
minority community in Singapore, and the group will all be from the same
party.
 Strength of the GRC system: (1) Ensures minority
representation in Parliament (2) Economical for Town
Councils to manage larger estates
 Weakness of this system: (1) Strong members of the
GRC team can ‘carry’ weaker/new MPs into Parliament
(2) Difficult for Opposition Parties to field so many
candidates for GRCs
 Who is in the Parliament?
 The Cabinet (17 Ministers)
 6 Opposition MPs
 3 NCMPs (Non-constitutency MPs)  An opposition
candidate that have gained at least 15% of their votes
in their constituency and have scored the highest
among the losers of the elections
 The speaker of the Parliament  1) Acts as leader of
the debates in Parliament 2) Enforces rules of conduct
during debate 3) Decides on who has the right to speak
and what Parliament will debate 4) Does not need to be
an MP 5) Does not take part in parliamentary debates
6) Can only vote if they are elected MPs 7) Must be fair
non-Partisan
 What is the parliament in charge of?
 The Budget – the amount of money that the government
needs to spend in a year to keep Singapore running
 The Supply Bill – the budget which the Committee of
Supply presents to the rest of Parliament for more
debate and voting – only once the supply bill has been
passed, then the money is distributed to the Ministries
to use.
 What is the Executive?
 Helps to carry out government policies
 Runs the day to day administration of Singapore
 Consists of 16 Ministries
  What is the judiciary?
 Punishes those who break the laws
 Consists of 1) The Supreme Court 2) The State Courts
3) Family Justice Courts
 The laws made by the lefislature are interpreted and
applied by the Judiciary
 Judiciary headed by Mr Sundaresh Menon, the Chief
Justice. He heads the Court System in Singapore, and
all the other judges
 Supreme Court: Consists of the High Court, which deals
with all civil and criminal cases, the Court of Appeal,
which deals with appeals against the High Court
Decisions and the Singapore International Commercial
Court, which deals with transnational commercial
disputes
 State Court: 1) District Court (hears civil and criminal
cases that are less serious) 2) Magistrates Court 3)
Coroners Court 4) Small Claims Tribunal – hears civil
cases beteen consumers and businesses 5) Community
Court – hears cases involving youth and animal abuse
6) Community Disputes Resolution Tribunals – Hears
cases involving disputes between neighbours
 Family Justice Court: 1) Family Court (hears all cases
regarding family issues) 2) Youth Court (hears all cases
regarding youth and children) 3) High Court (Hears all
appeals against the decisions of Family and Youth
Court)

- Chapter 2.3 Ideas for Shaping Governance

‘Leadership is key’ ‘Anticipate Change and Stay Relevant’

Honest and capable leaders        Is being forward-looking
       Honest and capable leaders are needed to        Ability to foresee future problems now and
maintain stability and make the right comes up with solutions.
decisions        Ensures that Singapore will not be caught by
       Honest and capable leaders will surprise by unforeseen events that can affect
make wise decisions and place the Singapore’s survival.
interest of the nation first and this will        E.g. 1: NEWater
help the nation progress with better o Government prepare for the future by
policies. ensuring self-sufficiency in water supply
       These leaders need to have moral o   Alternative water supply through NEWater and
courage and integrity to do what is right desalinated water
and not what is popular for the good of
Singapore. o   The government communicated with the people
       Honest leaders will do what is good for to assure them that NEWater is safe for
Singapore rather than for their own drinking through schools, newspapers and
benefit. Internet
o   With these new sources of water, Singapore will
Selection of good leaders
        Good leadership and governance do not not be caught in a situation where we are left
occur by chance, thus potential leaders are without enough water for our needs.
selected and groomed.        A country’s long term success and
       Also, leaders are selected based on good development depends on the government’s
character. ability to look ahead and make sound
       Leaders must be incorruptible to win the decisions to overcome challenges that
confidence and respect of the people could affect the country’s development
       With good leaders selected, Singapore will
always have enough capable and honest
leaders at all levels of government making
quality decisions for Singapore’s good.
       E.g. Mr Liu Thai Ker,  former chairman
of National Arts Council (NAC) was
selected and groomed to head the
National Arts Council
o   Created more opportunities for local talents
o   More Arts events like Singapore Art Festival
were organised
o   Jobs opportunities created for those in the
Arts Industry

       Good
leaders make quality decisions
with the country’s interest at heart,
helping the country progress and help
win the confidence and respect of the
people, leading to the stability and
success of the country.

‘Reward for Work and Work for Reward’ ‘A Stake for Everyone, Opportunities for All’
       Meritocracy is the main principle        When people have a say in decision-making, it
       A system that rewards hard work and talent develops a greater sense of belonging
       People are encouraged to do well         More opportunities created to involve people in
       E.g. Edusave Scholarship and Merit decision-making
Bursary schemes        E.g. In 2004: Government consulted people
o   Rewards top 10% and 25% of students on the issue of having casino as part of IR
o   Provides all with equal opportunities to o    People voiced their support and concerns
achieve their best and be rewarded for theiro   The government considered the concerns and
performance regardless of race or religion decided to proceed with setting up casino as
       When every citizen has an equal chance part of IR
to succeed, it encourages them to work        Develop a sense of belonging and
hard and trust the government, thereby rootedness as people feel valued in the
contributing to the country’s process of decision making, thus promoting
development and progress willingly social cohesion and making them more
receptive to government’s decisions

Structured Essay Format

Leadership is Key
- We need honest and capable leaders to maintain stability in the government and make right
decisions.
- Leaders with moral courage and integrity to do what is right and not what is popular with the
people.
- Special selection and grooming of potential leaders with talent, ability and good character

Structured Essay (Leadership Is Key)

[Example 1] Ong Theng Cheong, then an architect, to give up his career, to join government.

[Example 2] Mr Liu Thai Ker was a good leader of the arts scene in Singapore. As a result of
his efforts, Singapore has a more vibrant arts scene.

Anticipate Change and Stay Relevant

The decisions made by the government need to be forward looking in anticipating of future
challenges.

[EXAMPLE 1] NEWater and desalinated water is to ensure that self sufficiency in water
supply. Two water agreements with Malaysia will end in 2011 and 2061.

[Example 2] Integrated Resorts. Marina Bay and Sentosa to boast the tourist industry in face
of fight from countries in Asia that are developing major tourist attractions.

[LINK] By anticipating change and staying relevant, the government is meeting the needs of
the people and ensuring that Singapore remains competitive in the world. We also able to
deal with problems before becoming more serious in the future

Reward for Work and Work for Reward (Meritocracy)

- ‘Reward for Work and Work for Reward’ is when people are rewarded based on their
abilities and hard work. This encourages them to do well because everyone has an equal
chance to succeed.
- This is not only fair, but it also encourages them to work hard in Singapore and help
Singapore succeed.

[EXAMPLE] Hardworking students who are top 10% and 25% in schools or ITE are
rewarded with Edusave Scholarships and Merit Bursaries.

[Explanation] This principle encourages unity, which builds up the nation. It also helps
Singapore develop as people are willing to work hard and contribute to Singapore’s progress.
Being motivated to work hard, they will make to effort to work hard as they will be rewarded.

A Stake for Everyone, Opportunities for All

- Singaporeans have a chance to participate in the decision-making process of the country.
- The government creates as many opportunities as possible to allow Singaporeans to voice
their opinions and provide feedback.

[EXAMPLE] The government listened to the people’s opinions about the building of casinos
as part of the Integrated Resorts.

[LINK] When people have a say in decision-making, there is a stronger bond built between
the people and the country. This allows Singaporeans to develop a sense of belonging
towards Singapore and fulfils the government’s function of building a nation.

[Explanation] Leaders must be honest to win the confidence and being support by the people. This is
important as success and morally upright leaders will put the nation’s interest before self. They will
implement policies that will benefit Singapore

[Explanation / LINK] Leadership is important if Singapore wants to progress. Good leaders help
Singapore to maintain peace and stability, which is a function of the government. With peace and
stability, Singapore can work towards maintaining a competitive edge over other countries.

Government policies that have been enacted over the years

Control the traffi c in Singapore

Area Licensing Scheme

 1970s  rapid growth  high traffic
 Motorist had to pay to use of certain roads in the Central Business District (CBD)
 This is successful – ensured smooth traffic flow in CBD
 Motorist were unhappy about the increased cost travelling into CBD.
 Before the ALS June 1975, 32500 cars entered into CLB. After ALS June 1975, 7700
cars entered into CLB at 7.30am to 9.30am.

Electronic Road Pricing (ERP)

Replaced the ALS in 1998 – more convenient, efficient and effective than the ALS. ALS
is successful but to stay relevant and using up to date technology, the ERP is introduced.
Park and Ride Scheme
 Introduced together with the ALS, to control the amount of cars entering the CBD.
 Car parks that are outside the city, for motorist to park their vehicles and use the
public transport to enter CBD.
  Not successful, car parks are unused, motorist either take the public transport or
drove into the CBD before 7.30am (ALS operates after 7.30am)
 Serious oversight, invest millions of dollars in this scheme
 Scheme is still used today – needs and wants to change over time.

Vehicle Quota System (VQS)

 In the 1990s  sharp increase of ownership need to control amount of cars in
Singapore
 Under the VQS, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) decide the amount of cars
allowed for registration.
 The LTA sets the quota for a month.
 Before the car buyer, buy the car, they bid for Certificate Of Entitlement (COE) which
need to renew after 10 years.
 After bidding, the car buyer pay the quota premium (quota premium – based on the
bids receive for COE

Control of population growth in Singapore (1966-1981)

Reasons
 Unemployment
 Shortage of housing
 Insufficient healthcare services
 Shortage of education/schools

Measures taken to control population growth

Three Five-year plan ‘Stop at Two’ Policy
- Need of smaller families - Encouraged couples to stop at two children
- Aimed to maintain total fertility rate at 2.1 and to use contraception and legal abortion.
or only two children per family - No paid maternity leave for the third child
onwards.
- No priority given to the large families in
allocation of HDB flats.
- No income tax relief for the fourth children
onwards
- Delivery charges increases with each
additional child in the hospital

Chapter 3: How can we work for the good of society?

3.1 Role of Government in Society

- Main responsibilities of the government

 Maintain internal order and external security
 Ensure justice
 Provide goods and services for the public
  Safeguard the interest of citizens

- Mainthienance of Internal Order

 Agencies such as the police, prisons and civil defence forces protect citizens,
property
 Social services such as schools and hospitals can exist with the peace and
safety that the government provides

- Maintenance of external security

 Agencies such as the army, navy, and air forces
 Singaproe’s defence is strengthened and potential enemies are deterred from
attacking Singapore

- Public good
 Governments devote significant resources to improving the well-being of their
citizens. In their daily ives, citizens enjoy benefits from the goods and services
provided or subsidized by the governments.
 Definition: A public good is a good or service provided within profit to all
members of society by the government.
 Examples: Security, Public Housing, Healthcare, Water, Education

- Maintenance of diplomacy with other countries

 Definition: Diplomacy is the work of maintaining good relationship between
governments of different countries.
 Example 1: Singapore was a key player at the United National Convention on
the Law of Sea during the 1970s and early 1980s to safeguard the country’s
maritime and economic security.
 Example 2: Together with other countries in ASEAN, they strongly contested
the Vietnamese occupation of Cambodia in 1978.

- CASE STUDY 1: Singapore’s transport system (Providing goods and services

for the public)
 The government works towards developing a people-centred public transport
system
 Provided more connections + better service
 Tower Transit: New buses, New USB Charging ports, new driver fatigue and
collision detection system, new seats

- CASE STUDY 2: Water (Providing goods and services for the public)
 For instance, the Singapore government started manufacturing Newater using high
technology processes called reverse Osmosis. This is needed because Singapore’s
water agreements with Malaysia end in 2011 and 2061. Although the 2 nd water
agreement is still far off from expiring, the Singapore government prefers to plan
ahead in anticipation that Malaysia may not be willing to renew the water agreement
on terms that are acceptable. To prevent Singapore from being held hostage by our
dependency on Malaysia for water, Singapore developed its own water sources by
recovering pure water from waste water. This policy is forward looking and helps
ensure that Singapore will always have water to use, thereby ensuring Singapore’s
survival.
  Four national taps: Local catchment water, NEWater, Imported water,
Desalinated water

- Safeguard the interests of citizens

 Governments implement legislation that safeguards the interests of citizens 
Ensures that citizens have a sense of security

 CASE STUDY 1: Workright initiative

 Purpose: Ensuring that there is no abuse by employers as well as give
older employers a sense of security
 Aims: (1) Understand rights and responsibilities of employees and
employers (2) Create awareness of employment rights amongst low-
wage workers (3) Better ensure retirement security for this group of
workers
 Central Provident Fund (CPF): Helps Singaporeans to finance their
housing, healthcare needs, and to have a source of lifelong income in
retirement
o CPF LIFE was introduced in 2009 to provide Singaporeans
with a lifelong monthly payout in retirement to give them
greater peace of mind in retirement
o Level of payout depends on the amount of CPF savings they
have accumulated from the moment they start working the kind
of CPF Life Plan chose

3.2 Roles of Citizens in Society

- Question: What can citizens do to contribute towards the good of society?

- Roles of citizens: (1) Vote for representatives in government (2) Influence
government decisions (3) Strengthen citizens’ sense of belonging
- Outcome of citizen participation:
 External:
 Improve government policies by providing feedback through various
platforms
 Address needs of their fellow citizens
 Respond to issues and challenges they care about  Hence improving
outcomes in society
 Internal:
 Be more conscious of how they complement government actions
 Strengthen sense of belonging  So they feel like they have a role to
play in the development of the country

 Contribute to the needs of the society

 Individuals:
 Are important in contributing to the needs of society through
volunteering their time, effort, and money towards meaningful
social causes
  They feel that their actions will be helpful and feel strongly for the
cause they are contributing towards
 CASE STUDY 1: “A LITTER AT A TIME”  started by Ms
Elisa Ng in 2013 to encourage citizens to go an extra mile and pick
up a piece of litter a day

- Civil society
 Definition: The civil society re ups or organizations working in the interests of
the citizens but operating outside of the governmental and business sectors

- Organized groups
 Citizens with common interests organize themselves into groups to contribute
towards the needs of society.
 Have a significant effect on the are of need they are addressing as they direct
collective efforts, ideas, and resources towards their causes
 Formal Groups:
 Devote continued efforts to support a specific cause  Benefit to
society is sustainable
 Characteristics: (1) Clear objectives (2) Formally registered with the
government (3) Address a wide range of interests such as protecting
the environment
 Consists of: (1) Non-governmental organizations (NGO), an
organization that is neither a part of a government not a conventional
for-profit business. They are funded by governments, foundations,
businesses, or private persons and (2) Voluntary Welfare
Organizations, which is a non-profit organization that provides
welfare services and services that benefit the community at large
 CASE STUDY: Riding for the Disabled Association Singapore
(RDA).
o RDA Singapore provides equine-assisted therapy to children
with adults with physical and mental disabilities. They are the
only organization in Singapore that provides this therapy and
sessions are given free of charge.
o RDA Singapore was founded in 1982, with just 5 riders and a
whole lot of heart. Since then, more than 6,000 disabled
children and adults have experienced the benefits of the therapy
that the horses and ponies provide
 Informal Groups:
 Have specific short-term objectives, as efforts of these informal groups
could help improve a specific situation society may encounter
 Characteristics: (1) Organize with a specific, short-term objective to
attend to issues that arise suddenly (2) Temporarily formed and might
not be registered (3) Complement the support structures provided by
the government at that point in time
 CASE STUDY: SG Haze Rescue
o Singaproeans headed by Mr Jeremy Chua join hands to help
people weather haze
o SG Haze Rescue is an effort by an individual in 2013 to
complement government’s efforts
 o This group distributed masks to senior citizens and less
privileged individuals across Singapore
o Outpouring of charity and goodwill arose from spontaneous
people-powered initiatives.
o Mr Jeremy Chua contributed in a constructive and responsible
manner by identifying the country’s efforts to manage the haze
situation. Hence, he contributed towards the efforts to ensure
Singaporeans remain healthy during the haze period.

- Influence government decisions

 Singaporeans’ feedback and suggestions can influence the decisions made and
plans for Singapore
 CASE STUDY: ‘Our Singapore Conversation’ in 2012 (An Individual’s
Role)
 National-level conversation where citizens can come and share their
views and ideas about what matters to Singapore, as well as their
hopes and dreams.
 OSC was also conducted through social media channels such as the
Facebook page, where some Singaporeans participated
 Through this programme, the common hopes and desire of
Singaporeans were collated and reflected

 Organized Groups’ Role

 Efforts of NGOs can also help refine government policies and point to
areas which need more attention
 CASE STUDY 1:
o For example in 2011, two NGOs – the Humanitarian
Organization for Migration Economics (HOME) and the
Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) put forth their
recommendations on improving the working conditions of
foreign workers in Singapore
o They fought for foreign domestic workers to be given a day off
a week in recognition for the work they do.

 CASE STUDY 2: THE SINGAPORE ENVIRONMENT

COUNCIL
o Conducted an ENVision dialogue sessions to understand
Singaporeans’ values and redefine a vision for our
environment
o Recognized that Singapore’s clean, green and safe
environment should not be taken for granted

 CASE STUDY 3: MINDS

o MINDS is a voluntary welfare organization which contributes
to society
o Focuses on catering to the needs of persons with intellectual
disability
 o Ensures equal education opportunities are given to children
with intellectual disabilities so that they will become
contributing and responsible citizens in Singapore
o MINDS runs (1) Special education Schools (2) Employment
deployment centres (3) Training and development centres (4)
A multi-service residential home for adults and children (5) A
social reintegration programme for clients (6) Home-based
care services

 CASE STUDY 4: RETURN MY CPF RALLY

o This rally in 2014 highlighted needs related to financial
security
o While some agreed that more can be done to support citizens
after retirement, some others felt that the government is
ensuring that citizens will have continued finance after
retirement and that the organizers are highlighting issues in an
unconstructive manner

- Strengthen citizens’ sense of belonging

 By involving citizens in the sharing and discussion of views related to the
future of Singapore

 CASE STUDY 1: REACH (Reaching Everyone for Active Citizenry

@Home)
 Singaporeans can engage with the government by providing feedback
through channels such as REACH

 CASE STUDY 2: SCAPE

 In 2007, the government wanted to create a space for youths to create,
explore and showcase their creative talents and hence consulated a
range of interest groups. This consultation resulted in SCAPE.
 SCAPE is in the heart of Orchard Road and is a place for recreational,
social and community activities for the youths to take place.
 Youths were involved in the planning and development of the space in
this project – ideas were submitted in the form of videos, impressions,
and models.
 Hence, the youths played an active role in changing the landscape in
Orchard Road

 Citizens also provide feedback on societal issues through feedback pages

found in media platforms and websites of government agencies  This will
help inform future planning and decision-making
 Singaporeans should share and discuss their views with the government in a
responsible manner  This ensures that feedback can be carefully considered
and relevant as well as feasible changes can be made  Society will hence
benefit from the collective views and efforts of citizens
Promotion of Population Growth from 1980s

Reasons

 Increased cost of living

 People marrying at later age
 Preference for small families by couples who wants to pursue career advancement.

Results in…
 Ageing population (lesser babies, more elderly)
 Fewer men to recruit for NS  weaken SIN’s defence force
 Lesser talented Singaporeans (TNCs will have difficulty and expensive to hire
singaporeans)

Measures Taken
The Graduate Mothers Three or More If Other Pro-Family Attracting Foreign T
Scheme You Can Afford It Measures
Encourage graduates to have Encourage families (A) Equalised More successful as foreigne
marriage and more children. to have more medical benefits (for their families add on to the
Less educated people felt children. mothers) numbers of Singapore.
discriminated against Couples have only (B) Grandparent
none, one or two caregiver relief.
children. C) Five days work
week for civil
service
(D) Extended
maternity leave
(from 8 weeks to 12
 weeks)

Preparing for ageing population

Reasons:
 Demand for higher healthcare
 Smaller security force
 Less competitive
 Strain on working population

Measures Taken:

Senior Individual Family Community Support Government Support

Citizens as Responsibility Support
Assets to
Society
Opportunities Live in a healthy Strengthen Government gives Tribunal for the
are given and lifestyle (diet family bonds subsidies to voluntary Maintenance of Parents
continue to and exercising) by: welfare organizations Tax relief for taking care
work. Contribute Annual Senior which run of elderly parents ,
their knowledge, Citizens Week, community-based grandparents taking care
talent. encourage services for elderly eg. of grandchildren
elderly stay Free health checks Central Provident Fund
active. and recreational (CPF)
activities Public housing Scheme
Grandparents where buyers get housing
day. grant if buy house near
their parents.