Masagos Zulkifli vividly recalls a resident confronting him years ago. “She was very angry with us. Her life collapsed after her husband went to jail for drugs,” the Member of Parliament for Tampines GRC said. “Unfortunately, the couple had just sold their flat, and she could not buy a new one. The family had nowhere to stay.”
Mr Masagos, who is also Minister for Social and Family Development, told Petir that the woman had four school-aged children ranging from preschool to secondary school with her husband. Back in 2009, when he was Senior Parliament Secretary for Home Affairs, he launched an outreach effort under the Yellow Ribbon programme to assist families of imprisoned individuals. The woman, also his resident, was one of the families he and his team of volunteers reached out to.
He said proceeds from selling the couple’s flat were locked in the husband’s Central Provident Fund account, and the woman could not access those funds to buy a new home. As they had recently sold their flat, the Housing Development Board also declined to offer the family a rental unit, he added.
Mr Masago and his team appealed to HDB for a rental flat on the woman’s behalf, highlighting her circumstances, and managed to get her flat. The women initially rejected the flat because it was not located in Tampines, but took up the flat after Mr Masago assured her that he would continue to help her.
He said his team provided financial assistance for her and her children while the husband was in jail. “She worked hard, gained skills and even held two jobs to support her children,” he said. “We also ensured the kids attended school. By the time the husband was released, the eldest daughter had graduated from polytechnic. Their lives have gotten so much better.”
Following Mr Masagos’ advice, the family purchased a three-room flat to avoid overstretching their finances beyond what they could afford.
Masagos promotes three priorities for Tampines West: sustainability, support families, and care for seniors
Since entering politics in 2006, Mr Masagos has represented Tampines GRC, overseeing Tampines West for 18 years. He has three priorities for the constituency.
First, he aims to promote sustainability. Tampines aims to become an eco-town by next year. Each division in Tampines GRC launches a sustainability project, he said. The black soldier fly facility located at Tampines Park is Singapore’s largest community-based circular ecosystem for sustainable food waste management and production. Residents donate food waste to feed black soldier fly larvae. The larvae are then used as fish feed for tilapias. The larvae also break down the waste into fertiliser for farms.
Second, he wants to make Tampines West family friendly. As the Minister advocating for family development, he said his team supports all types of families, especially the around 400 families living in rental flats who often need financial assistance. He said: “We hope to involve them in community programmes, and we subsidise their activities. They are part of the community.”
Third, Mr Masagos aims to better support seniors. He said Tampines West has a higher senior population than the national average. Hence, more active ageing centres will be built within Tampines West to help seniors age well. There are currently two such centres. There is also a Silver Zone at Tampines St 81 enabling seniors to walk around their neighbourhoods with greater peace of mind.
Mr Masagos said: “Tampines West has become my home. All the divisions (within Tampines GRC) always work together, and through working together in our own unique ways, we bring the community closer on a larger scale.”
