Our Vision for the Community describes Singapore as a great home and a caring community - one where residents feel a strong sense of belonging and pride; where neighbours know one another, and care for one another. This is an aspirational Vision. It belongs to the whole community, and not PA alone. We need to bring the Vision to the community, and engage the community to discuss and think about the statement. Only with residents’ active participation and ownership, can the Vision be realised." We are pleased to bring you the full speech by Minister Lim Boon Heng.

SPEECH BY MR LIM BOON HENG, MINISTER (PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE) AND DEPUTY CHAIRMAN OF THE PEOPLE’S ASSOCIATION (PA), AT THE PA GRASSROOTS CONVENTION AND APPRECIATION DINNER ON SATURDAY, 3 JULY 2010 AT 5.00PM AT SUNTEC CONVENTION HALL

Fellow Advisors 

Chief Executive Director, Mr Yam Ah Mee

Grassroots Leaders

PA Colleagues

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

Good Evening, and a warm welcome to all of you!

               When I joined the Board of the People’s Association in 2007,  I asked myself:  How can the PA and its grassroots organisations (GROs) be more effective in building social capital? 

OBSERVATIONS

2              From information available to PA, I made a few observations.  Past surveys had shown that about 15-20% of residents are engaged in PA programmes and activities.  I was not surprised, because feedback from Advisors had been that they were seeing the same faces attending GRO events.  Does this mean that PA and its GROs have reached a plateau? We cannot be satisfied with reaching out to only 15-20% of residents, if we want residents to interact socially, and build social capital. How can PA and its GROs expand their community outreach? 

3              In another survey involving HDB residents, people said that they know about 10 other persons living in the same block.  Not bad, one would think, until they revealed that they merely said hello when they meet – at the lift lobby - but don’t go beyond that.  So I concluded that outreach is important, but not sufficient. We must also pay attention to helping residents engage one another.  Strong communities can only be built up through strong bonds between residents.

4              Indeed, while we need large scale programmes to create awareness and as high point events, we also need small scale ones to facilitate meaningful interaction between residents.  The social interest groups - such as tea art, line dance, karaoke, badminton, pentanque, qigong – where members meet regularly, are more effective in building relationships.  How do we get people to form such groups?  How do we get neighbours to know each other, and become friends? One good example is the idea of ‘floor parties’.  The idea came from one of the young advisors, Dr Lim Wee Kiak.  I must confess that I was a little sceptical at first. Because floor parties involve a small group of neighbours, we will need to organise many of them to create an impact in the constituency.  Would it be sustainable? 

5              Nevertheless, I tried the idea at my constituency with my grassroots leaders (GRLs).  We received very positive feedback from residents.  Through the floor parties, many got to know their neighbours better. Residents themselves said it was a good idea. In my view, the floor party has been a success.  It is time-consuming but definitely worth the effort.  PA has encouraged GROs to organise floor parties.  I myself have attended about 100 such parties in Jurong GRC and chatted with residents.

6              The collective efforts of our GROs are showing positive results.  A recent survey shows that 34% of residents have engaged in PA and GRO events.  It is early days yet, so we should not be carried away by the sharp rise in participation. Instead, we should consolidate residents’ participation, and facilitate interaction among neighbours.

7              PA turns 50 this year.  It is an organisation that has developed over a long period of time and it has become comfortable in doing certain things.  We must, however, guard against complacency.  Like the idea of floor parties, we need to constantly re-examine how we can enhance our approaches and remain relevant to the community in building social capital. 

8              Most importantly, to achieve more, there must be greater alignment among PA and its stakeholders like the Advisors and GRLs, as well as the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS).  This requires more communication among different partners to come together in sharing the common goal of building social cohesion and racial harmony. 

BEGINNING OF JOURNEY

9              With this in mind, I asked PA to review its workplan process to achieve better alignment between PA and its GROs.  The result was an 18-month Corporate Planning Exercise involving our key stakeholders, including PA Board, NACLI Board, Grassroots Advisors, PA Senior Management, key Grassroots Leaders (GRLs) and Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports.  This was the first time we have brought our stakeholders together for a planning exercise.  Together with them, we co-created the Vision for the Community, refreshed PA’s Mission, identified five key priority areas for the next five years. It is the first time that we have adopted a 5-year planning horizon.

10            Our Vision for the Community describes Singapore as a great home and a caring community - one where residents feel a strong sense of belonging and pride; where neighbours know one another, and care for one another.  This is an aspirational Vision.  It belongs to the whole community, and not PA alone.  We need to bring the Vision to the community, and engage the community to discuss and think about the statement.  Only with residents’ active participation and ownership, can the Vision be realised. 

Five-Year Workplan Process

11            Today, I am pleased to announce that for the first time, all 84 constituencies have developed their five-year Community 2015 workplans in support of the Vision.  They have also identified their focus areas for the next few years.  Having gone through the process myself, I agree with the feedback given by Advisors and GRLs.  Many said that they were now much more aligned to a common goal, and felt very much part of a team. 

12            Many of them are here with us today, like Mr Teo Ser Luck who shared that his team at Punggol South have become more bonded and cohesive after the workplan session.  Now, they share a common vision and are aligned on the objectives moving forward to better serve their residents and the community.  Dr Chua Ee Chek, Chairman of Marine Parade CCC also shared that the 5-year workplan exercise had provided  an excellent opportunity for Marine Parade grassroots organisations tocome together as a team to set their goals and align their resources to reach out to more residents effectively.   

13            The Admiralty Divison of Sembawang GRC went one step further.  They have documented the outcomes of their extensive discussion, internalisation and alignment process in a guidebook for Admiralty GRLs, titled ‘The ties that Bind – The Next 5 Years’.  The GRLs found the exercise uplifting.  The bonding amongst the Admiralty team members grew stronger after the journey.  If I may quoteits CCC Chairman, Mr Tonic Oh, “The 5 year work plan exercise has brought out the best in my fellow grassroots leaders as we unite and chart our directions and plans to serve our residents better.  The team spirit was high and the enthusiasm exhilarating.  Our passion to serve heightened as we reaffirmed our core values of service, relationship and ownership.  The senior GRLs were recharged while the new ones were inspired.  We have started implementing our plans and the experience is ever fulfilling and enriching, as we build the ties that bind and the community we want to see in 2015.”  The list goes on.

14            Seven GRCs have also decided to develop their own GRC five-year workplans.  The first to start and complete its GRC workplan is Holland Bukit-Timah GRC.  Together with Bukit Panjang SMC, they embarked on their five-year planning and found the exercise very useful in forging greater synergy within the GRC.  Bishan- Toa Payoh GRC took a slightly different approach.  Its workplan, led by Ms Josephine Teo, was titled ‘Imagine Bishan-Toa Payoh’ and involved extensive engagement of residents in the GRC.  In developing their GRC workplan, they involved school students to interview their families, relatives, friends and neighbours on what they hope to see and contribute in the GRC.  This process allows residents to give their inputs to the workplan. The GRC will be organising a forum and an exhibition to engage more residents in the next few months.     

GOING FORWARD

15            This is just the beginning of our journey.  But we are seeing some encouraging progress.  This afternoon, you will hear from fellow grassroots leaders on some of their early success stories under the various key priority areas.

16            Going forward, we need to build on this foundation, and early successes.  We will also be looking at how we can strengthen PA and our GROs to help us realise the Community 2015 goals.  In April this year, we brought together key stakeholders to review PA’s competencies, structures and systems.  The aim is to help us achieve breakthroughs in outreach and engagement.  For a start, we have formed expertise groups in specific areas to better support PA and grassroots efforts on the ground.    

17            To sustain the alignment process among stakeholders, we will establish regular platforms to engage grassroots advisors and leaders:

1. I intend to meet the Advisors regularly to hear their priorities so that PA’s work matches what Advisors feel are needed.
2. In between, CED Mr Yam Ah Mee will touch base with all CCC Chairmen and Advisors, so that PA can better support them.
3. We will hold an annual Grassroots Seminar for key GRLs and CDC district councillors.  This will provide a platform for CED to report on the progress of PA and GROs’ efforts in building social capital in the previous year, and to share future plans. 
4. Every 5 years, we will hold a Grassroots Convention, like today, for the grassroots movement to take stock of progress and chart our path forward.

CONCLUSION

18            On behalf of PA, I would like to express our deepest appreciation to all grassroots advisors and our grassroots leaders and volunteers for your hard work, strong commitment and support towards building social capital, social cohesion and racial harmony.  We look forward to working closely with each and every one of you as we embark on this journey to build a great home and a caring community.

               Thank you.