MPs to propose changes to Maintenance of Parents
Act
By Imelda Saad | Posted: 17
May 2010 1832 hrs
SINGAPORE : Needy elderly parents who are abandoned by
their children may soon get better legal protection.
A team of 10 Members of Parliament is spearheading efforts to
propose changes to the Maintenance of Parents Act to give the law
more bite.
Among the changes being considered is that of giving the
Commissioner of Maintenance of Parents access to housing and salary
records of children.
Singapore's population is ageing and with time, family values
change too.
Halimah Yacob, member of the Maintenance of Parents Act Workgroup
and MP of Jurong GRC, said: "These values are being eroded because
of the pressures of work. It is also because the nature of the
relationships has changed in a very modern society."
The number of parents filing maintenance applications almost
doubled to 199 last year from 109 in 2007. Such parents can seek
redress under the Maintenance of Parents Act enacted 15 years
ago.
But there are shortcomings - and one of them which the committee
hopes to tackle is to enhance the powers of the Commissioner of
Maintenance of Parents.
Chairman of the group, Marine Parade GRC MP Seah Kian Peng, said:
"We know that one of the difficulties the commissioner faces is the
lack of information. One, they don't even know how to contact the
children - the addresses are not there."
To facilitate this, the commissioner may need to have legal access
to records held by agencies such as the Immigration and Checkpoints
Authority and the Central Provident Fund board.
With such information, it is hoped that cases will be settled
through mediation instead of going to the courts.
Mr Seah said: "The financial standing of the children is an
important consideration. (At the) end of the day, if you have that
information, the commissioner will be better placed to convince, to
assist, to facilitate in the mediation between both parties - the
applicant and the respondent.
"Put yourself in his shoes - the commissioner - if you don't have
that information it's very hard to even try to mediate, you are
going against a blank wall without this information."
The workgroup said the amendments are not about legalising filial
piety, and neither is it about helping undeserving parents extract
money from children.
Mr Seah said: "The act presupposes that number one - is the parent
deserving of care? In the first place, if the parent had in the
past neglected, abandoned or possibly even ill-treated their
children, I think this will be taken into account by the Tribunal
in determining whether the parents should be entitled or the case
totally dismissed."
"It's not always the children (who are) at fault. Parents first
look after their children. Have you been looking after the children
well? Have you been inculcating the right values? If you do that,
then later on - children, please look after your parents.
"And it's not just financial considerations. I think some, because
of their financial standings, they may be able to support in other
ways, emotional support or other forms."
Mr Seah is the first MP from the ruling People's Action Party in 36
years to propose a Bill. This is also only the fourth time a back
bencher is initiating a Bill in Parliament since Singapore gained
Independence in 1965.
The workgroup hopes that changes to the Bill will be passed by
November this year. It will be holding public consultations in May
and June, involving seven focus groups in all four languages.
Members of the public can also submit proposals to www.mpa.sg or join a
discussion thread via the REACH platform.
- CNA/al
