Mr. Speaker, thank you for this opportunity to make my maiden speech as a Parliamentarian. I am honoured to be here today, and I am humbled to be allowed to serve my country and my community in these challenging times.
The spread of COVID-19 around the world has affected all of us in one way or another. The economy has also been affected, and the impact will be a lasting one.
Mr Speaker, I would like to speak on 3 issues:
The Social Value of Essential Service Workers
Being a part of the Labour Movement family in these last few months has opened my eyes further to the plight of our workers, especially those in the essential services. Many of them have bravely stepped-up and continued their work as front-liners during this time of crisis.
This pandemic has made us re-think the social value of many jobs that society has not always viewed as important such as cleaners, security officers, waste management workers, and building maintenance personnel. The services provided by these workers are necessary and without their hard work, Singapore would have come to a complete standstill.
I am heartened that as mentioned by Madam President this government will continue to look out for our essential service workers and once this crisis has passed, I hope that we continue to value the work of our essential workers. I urge the tripartite partners to continue to support them and their efforts to continue to upskill and earn a dignified living.
While much has been achieved by the Tripartite partners, there are still many workers who stand to benefit from this framework. I am encouraged to hear that government is keen to expand Progressive Wage Model(PWM) into more sectors. NTUC stands ready to ramp up discussions with industry players and I look forward to playing a part in realising the vision for these industries and our workers.
Strengthening our Social Security Net
I am also inspired that these workers’ needs have also been considered during this pandemic. To complement the PWM, many workers in the essential services have their incomes and retirement funds supplemented by the Workfare Income Supplement Scheme or WIS and in the recent Ministerial Statement by DPM Heng Swee Keat, the Workfare Special Payment will be extended to include more workers.
Supporting our Caregivers
Sir, while our workers continue to be the backbone of our economy, we must not forget our caregivers at home. Despite their sacrifices and selflessness, I have met residents who struggle to cope and face financial, physical, mental, and emotional stresses. Their struggle is further impacted by an inability to find gainful employment to support themselves and their loved ones.
Recently, I had visited a resident in her early 30s who is facing the uphill challenge of being the sole caregiver for her father while surviving on the salary of her elder brother who is working as a security guard. One can only imagine her stress at not able to earn a living, socialise with peers of her age and more importantly build a family of her own. As a community, we must ask ourselves what more can we do to not only provide her suitable employment, but also peace of mind while she is at work.
Currently, while there are grants to defray the cost of caregiving, we should also consider households that only consists of the care recipient and the caregiver such as a youth who may be schooling looking after an elder. Difficult questions such as would additional counselling be conferred to youths who are juggling their academic and caregiving responsibilities, and if there are necessary safeguards put in place to ensure that youth caregivers have adequate access to support networks need to be asked.
Addressing Mental Health Issues
Sir, another important subject that must be addressed are the issues surrounding mental health. As a society, it does us no favours to continue to tiptoe around mental health issues as they may have life-altering consequences. Instead, we should consider mental health and physical health as equally important and in tandem with one another.
Part of this change must include more frank conversations on mental health issues, especially when concerning our youth. In a study released by the Institute of Mental Health last year, it was revealed that Singaporeans aged between 18 to 34 were more likely to have experienced mental health issues. Silver Ribbon Singapore, an organisation working to dispel myths surrounding mental illness, also observed an increase in youths coming forward to seek help during the Covid-19 outbreak for depression and anxiety. This statistic is alarming, but we must bear in mind that these numbers represent the portion of youth that are empowered and are able to seek help.
Many youths may not be comfortable reaching out for help due to social stigma and the fear of being viewed as weak. This is further compounded by families who may not be supportive due to reasons ranging from the impact this will have on securing scholarships and jobs, to the social impact a diagnosis may have on the family.
One way to tackle some of the mental health issues faced by the youth is to equip educators with mental health knowledge so that they can identify warning signs and refer youths-at-risk to counsellors or other resources. We should also seek to create safe spaces for youths, parents, teachers, and school counsellors to talk about mental health issues in a safe and supportive way.
I look forward to understanding the concerns and working together with our stakeholders on this issue. It is important that we continue to raise awareness and educate ourselves about mental health for people of all walks of life so that we can build a more resilient and caring society.
Mr. Speaker, please allow me to speak in Malay.
Madrasah Education in Singapore
Topik lain yang ingin saya juarakan juga ialah peningkatan Madrasah kita. Sejak Pendidikan Wajib dan pembentukan Sistem Madrasah Bersama ataupun JMS diperkenalkan, prestasi akademik madrasah telah meningkat dengan ketara. Antara tahun 2017 dan 2019 sahaja, bilangan pelajar PSLE yang dinilai sesuai untuk ke sekolah menengah meningkat kepada 99.6% dan peratusan pelajar dengan sekurang-kurangnya tiga atau lima kelulusan 'O' level hampir ketara dengan purata nasional.
In addition, with the M3 Framework, madrasah students have also been able to reach out and understand the needs and concerns of the community. Much good work has been done by M3@Towns to organise events, conduct house visits and galvanise resources to uplift and aid the community. This opportunity for them to interact with others, share learning experiences and build friendships will help integrate them further in the community and more of such initiative should be adopted.
Dengan Rangka Kerja M kuasa tiga, pelajar madrasah juga dapat bercampur dan memahami keperluan dan masalah dalam masyarakat. Banyak kerja baik yang telah dilakukan oleh M kuasa tiga di bandar untuk mengatur acara, mengadakan lawatan ke rumah dan menggabung sumber untuk meningkatkan dan membantu masyarakat. Kesempatan ini memberi peluang untuk mereka berinteraksi, berkongsi pengalaman dan membina persahabatan yang akan membantu menyatukan mereka dengan komuniti. Saya alu-alukan agar lebih banyak inisiatif seperti ini diadakan.
While the academic standing of madrasahs has improved over the years, there is a need to find a sustainable model to uplift and support madrasahs and their students so that they further develop as educational institutions. Part of the role of our Madrasahs is to nurture future asatizah, who will guide the community to practise Islam within Singapore’s context of social cohesion, peace and economic progress. Madrasahs will thus need to anticipate the emerging challenges and needs of the community. I am encouraged and look forward to the implementation of the recommended ideas put forth by Committee on Future Asatizah or COFA.
Walaupun kedudukan akademik madrasah telah meningkat, ada keperluan untuk mencari model yang lestari untuk meningkatkan dan menyokong madrasah dan pelajarnya sehingga mereka terus berkembang sebagai institusi pendidikan. Sebahagian daripada peranan Madrasah kita adalah untuk memupuk asatizah masa depan, yang akan membimbing masyarakat untuk mempraktikkan Islam dalam konteks perpaduan sosial, keamanan dan kemajuan ekonomi Singapura. Oleh itu, madrasah perlu menjangka cabaran dan keperluan masyarakat yang akan muncul. Saya menantikan pelaksanaan idea-idea yang akan disarankan oleh Jawatankuasa Asatizah Masa Depan atau COFA.
COFA will however not achieve success working alone and achieving this shared vision will require effort from many different stakeholders. Given the finite community resources, we must explore how else madrasahs can be better supported to ensure that the community's vision of future asatizah is achieved.
Walau bagaimanapun, COFA tidak akan mencapai kejayaan dengan bekerja sendirian dan mencapai visi ini memerlukan usaha daripada banyak pihak. Memandangkan sumber daya komuniti yang terbatas, kita mesti meneliti bagaimana madrasah dapat disokong dengan lebih baik untuk memastikan bahawa visi masyarakat untuk asatizah masa depan tercapai.
While this is a difficult undertaking, I am looking forward to working with government agencies and stakeholders to continue to provide the Madrasahs with better resources and training opportunities in order to provide an enriching learning experience for the students.
Walaupun ini adalah usaha yang sukar, saya akan bekerjasama dengan agensi pemerintah dan pihak berkepentingan untuk terus memberikan sumber dan peluang latihan yang lebih baik kepada madrasah-madrasah supaya para pelajar mendapat pengalaman pembelajaran yang lebih baik. Bak kata pepatah Melayu, alang alang menyeluk pekasam biar sampai ke pangkal lengan.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Sir. As a country, we have just celebrated a very different National Day in a very challenging time. But what continues to hold us is our aspiration of a more inclusive, resilient and caring society. Today, I spoke on 3 issues:
While some of these are tangible changes like better wages and welfare for our workers and a more sustainable model to uplift our Madrasahs, more importantly we strive to make intangible improvements like a better social safety net and the destigmatising of mental health issues.
I will strive to work on these issues and more with the support of my colleagues so that together we can emerge from this crisis with a brighter future and a better Singapore.
Mr Speaker, I support the motion.
Thank you.
