Pioneers'
health care 'covered for the rest of their lives'
Commitment
will lift burden of care from younger generation too:
Chan
Mr Chan Chun Sing
greeting residents at the annual Chinese New Year dinner for his
Tanjong Pagar GRC and the single-seat constituency of Radin Mas
yesterday. The event was attended by about 600 guests. ST
PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
By CHARISSA
YONG
and THAM YUEN-C
THE upcoming pioneer
generation package will help those who contributed to Singapore's
early development cope with health-care costs for the rest of their
lives, Minister for Social And Family Development Chan Chun Sing
said yesterday.
Emphasising that it would not be a handout that
would be given just for one year, he added: "It will have to last
five, 10, 20 years, even more, so long as they're with us." This
long-term and significant commitment on the part of the Government
will help lift the burden of taking care of the pioneer generation
from younger Singaporeans as well, the Tanjong Pagar GRC MP
said.
He was addressing about 600 guests at the annual
Chinese New Year dinner for his constituency and the single seat of
Radin Mas.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will unveil details
of the package on Sunday, and Mr Chan said yesterday that help with
health-care costs will be the primary focus. This will give the
pioneer generation and their families a "sense of assurance that
their health care will be taken care of by society as a whole", he
added.
The minister also touched on the importance of the
community in helping the elderly to age gracefully with
dignity.
The community can support the elderly's
socio-emotional well-being to complement the tangible benefits the
Government will be providing, he said.
Referring to the year Singapore gained
independence, he also urged the young to learn from the 1965
generation's "fighting spirit" to make the country better.
"Many of them had much less than us today in terms of
an educated workforce, resources and other material things," said
Mr Chan.
"But despite the odds... they had the gumption to
make this country work and to make it our home."
He also pledged that the Government would continue
to act on its promise to do its best for Singapore and the people.
"We want to deliver a better quality of life not only for this
generation, but also to leave behind a better Singapore for future
generations."
Mr Ng Roy Choong, 73, said the pioneer generation
package would be very helpful for the elderly, as many among them
had stopped working for years. The former taxi driver and Tanjong
Pagar GRC resident, who retired a decade ago, said: "Any extra
financial help will definitely come in handy for medical bills and
such."
Yesterday's event at Buona Vista Community Centre
was also attended by Tanjong Pagar GRC MPs Indranee Rajah, Lily Neo
and Chia Shi-Lu, as well as Mr Sam Tan, the MP for Radin Mas.
But former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew skipped it
for the second consecutive year as he was in hospital.
Top of the news, The Straits Times, Wednesday, February 5, 2014,
Pg A3
