Jurong Central’s Karthik Sankaran on what’s changed for volunteers since 2014 — and what’s the same: Stories from our Activists

The People’s Action Party (PAP) commemorates its 70th anniversary this year. In the sixth instalment of a seven-part series, Petir interviews Karthik Sankaran, an activist for 10 years, on how things have changed through his volunteering journey.

Karthik Sankaran: I’m Karthik. I’m 42, married with two children. Been a volunteer in Jurong Central since 2014.  

I returned to Singapore after studying and working in London for 10 years. I wanted to reconnect. My mother has volunteered for decades, and she brought me to a Yellow Ribbon event. I walked in there, and I met Mr Ang Wei Neng; now he’s MP in West Coast [GRC]. But at that time, he was MP for Jurong Central.  

And I still remember I went up to him, and he just put his hand out and said “Come over to Jurong Central on Monday.” And Monday was MPS [Meet-the-People Sessions]. So that’s how I started volunteering! 

What has changed since I started? I think one is that we are giving a lot more help to lower-income individuals. There used to be a lot of debate around this whole idea of self-reliance and meritocracy. But today, there is a recognition that the problems facing people who have been disadvantaged for various reasons are quite deep and complex.  

Our Party office-holders in Government have been supportive, whether it’s strengthening the whole SSO network, whether it’s community involvement in helping people with different needs, right? I used to be the Chairman of Loving Heart Jurong, which is a social service agency working with lonely elderly and vulnerable youth. There’s been a lot more engagement around these groups. 

What has remained the same? The core principles of the Party are still there. We are a pragmatic institution; we have not drastically changed what’s working.  

So, for example, the public housing system. Housing affordability has been an issue, right? But over the years, what the PAP Government has done is just simply further strengthen the availability of subsidies. Contributions from the Government are in place to help people — singles, with ageing parents — get on the housing ladder more easily.