SINGAPORE’S SENIORS can look forward to more sustained support from our Party. The PAP Seniors Group (PAPSG) Playbook is here with clear guidelines for how to keep our Party branches engaging impactfully with even more older Singaporeans.
“With this, we can then raise, we can train, and we can sustain a new core of activists at all of our PAPSG branches to confidently approach our seniors with solutions to their pressing needs,” said PAPSG Chairperson Tan See Leng this past Saturday (28 Sept).
Chairperson Tan was speaking at Rewriting the Next Chapter, the Group’s event commemorating the International Day of Older Persons (IDOP).
“Whether it is healthcare, whether it is employment or legacy matters, every branch — every PAP branch — [will have] access to the relevant panel of experts and resources,” continued Chairperson Tan to his audience of 300 PAPSG activists.
These panels will support over 200 events and activities which PAPSG will roll out for seniors over the next 12-18 months.
“These could include informative talks on CPF, MediShield Life, or how to apply for a Lasting Power of Attorney. We are also planning workshops where seniors can build digital competencies and mentoring sessions for those who wish to go back to work,” said Chairperson Tan, who is also Minister for Manpower.
PAPSG will refine these events to serve seniors even better with each iteration.
“Through these ongoing engagements with seniors, we expect to glean more insights on the other concerns seniors have or assistance that they may need,” said Chairperson Tan. “And then we can enhance and add to the Playbook.”
All this planning, action and learning when it comes to causes important for seniors underscores the PAPSG’s commitment to its mission — to focus and care for the growing population of elderly people in Singapore.
A challenge to PAPSG: Giving seniors purpose by re-entering the workforce!
The PAP Government’s $8.2 billion Majulah Package, as well as enhanced WorkFare and Silver Support schemes are here as well to support Singapore’s seniors in their retirement, said Chairperson Tan.
This will allow seniors to live a well-deserved retirement of their own choosing.
At the same time, Chairperson Tan issued a challenge to PAPSG. Encourage seniors back into the workforce if they have the desire to do so, and at a tempo they are suited to.
“We have currently about 120,000 residents, each 65 to 69, who are not in the labour force. Actually, they are all very well-qualified! All their experiences,” said Chairperson Tan to the PAPSG activists.
“Encourage them to rejoin the workforce! Don’t have to be full-time. Flexible,” he continued. “This work will give seniors a sense of purpose, and it helps them stay connected to society.”
Here, PAPSG activists can tap on Workforce Singapore and the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) in order to help their fellow seniors.
“Our lives are increasingly nonlinear. We will embark on multiple careers throughout our lives, to be able to refresh our minds through a gap year or two, to learn new skills through things like SkillsFuture,” said PAPSG Vice-Chairperson and Rewriting the Next Chapter organiser MP Henry Kwek (Kebun Baru SMC)
Indeed, Chairperson Tan’s challenge comes at a time when Singapore’s seniors are living longer and happier lives than ever — Singaporean life expectancies are now about 83 years old, and Singapore is one of the world’s advantageous Blue Zones for ageing.
The challenge, then, is one which will help more seniors thrive in their new chapter of life.
“To unlock the promise of this new longevity, we need a Singapore that is tailor-made for our seniors,” said Vice-Chairperson Kwek. “And this is the Singapore that PAPSG is committed to build since we started a little over a decade ago. A Singapore that acknowledges that our seniors are a gift to our society. One where this new longevity can hold new possibilities for seniors to age with purpose and dignity.”
