SINGAPORE : Finance Minister and People's Action
Party (PAP) candidate for Jurong Group Representation Constituency
(GRC), Tharman Shanmugratnam, has emphasised that self-help groups
like SINDA will only achieve a "win-win" solution when they work
closely with the government and community.
He also stressed that it is naive to think that a
system which rests on race-blind national initiatives can achieve
the same level of improvement for the different
communities.
Mr Tharman was speaking to reporters on the
sidelines of his campaign in Jurong GRC on Thursday.
Mr Tharman, who is also the chairman of the SINDA Board of
Trustees, said: "If it is purely race-based self-help groups, it
will end up being a little divisive. If it is purely a government,
you miss out on a touch that is necessary, the human touch and the
emotional connection to motivate people, especially those in the
disadvantaged situation. That is the reality.
"Working in partnership with the government and working in
partnership with the community and now increasingly working in
partnership with Narpani, and the grassroots organisations, we have
learnt a lot as to what works and what does not work. But one thing
is very clear - being Indian helps, being Indian is a tremendous
advantage when you approach an Indian family, when you want to
motivate the kids, because they see in you something that is
possible.
"We get our successful young people, those who are doing well in
ITE, those who are doing well in JC, we get them to join us and be
the motivators. And it would be different if they were not
Indians.
"Likewise in the Malay community, it would be different if we did
not have Malay volunteers there, showing the way as role models,
and that is the human reality all around the world, and to deny it
is naive, and suggests that you are out of touch. I want to say
this not because of politics, I want to say this to make sure it
succeeds."
- CNA/ms