THE FIRST sessions of the PAP Climate Action Group (CAG) and Mental Health Groups (MHG) took place at the end of August and October respectively.
Initially unveiled as part of #refreshPAP earlier in the year, these two new Groups will include Singaporeans from all walks of life, working with the Party to develop solutions for mental health and climate action.
At its first meeting, the CAG gathered over 30 sustainably-minded leaders from industries like manufacturing and artificial intelligence to brainstorm ideas at the Singapore Sustainability Academy (31 Aug).
They discussed sustainability ideas like an energy reset, enhanced green education, and even the feasibility of nuclear energy for Singapore.
The CAG is an important step, putting climate action at the forefront of our Party’s efforts. Increased temperatures and rising sea levels are existential threats to our tropical island, and the PAP has a duty to Singaporeans, to lead and seek solutions to these challenges.
“In terms of our climate action, new opportunities and new challenges will emerge,” said CAG leader Koh Poh Koon, who is also Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment, to the gathering. “So [our climate action] will be something that will have to evolve over time. And we intend to use this platform to galvanise action, and also to consult widely.”
The CAG’s efforts continue existing national efforts like the Singapore Green Plan. They also follow from Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s decades-long efforts to green Singapore into a Garden City, as well as recent climate action efforts by PAP MPs like Louis Ng (Nee Soon GRC).
MP Ng led the Motion to Accelerate and Deepen Efforts Against Climate Change in February 2021. This was the first time anyone from any political party in Singapore had ever pushed so strongly for climate change action.
“While we may be the men in white, we are actually the first green Party in Singapore,” added SMS Koh about our Party’s track record for climate action.
For improving Singaporeans’ mental health
The Mental Health Group called for two big policy changes at its 5 October launch.
The Group wants to lower the age of consent for accessing mental health services to 18 years old. They also want to regulate healthcare professionals working with youths.
“While we encourage parental involvement in their children’s mental health, we must also acknowledge that many [young people] face significant barriers when seeking help,” said MP Rachel Ong (West Coast GRC), who co-chairs the MHG.
“Some fear their parents’ reaction, worry about adding to their parents’ burdens, or even face parental resistance to treatment due to stigma,” she continued.
These changes will let younger people seek help more easily — and make sure that they have quality care.
To advance mental health care in Singapore, the MHG wants to work with non-Party members such as health professionals, advocates and people living with mental health conditions.
“This is essentially a way for community groups to bring lived experience into the conversation,” said MHG chair Janil Puthucheary, who is also Senior Minister of State for Health.
He was speaking at the MHG’s first-ever outreach event on World Mental Health Day (10 Oct).
“If you come as an individual, we want you to have the comfort of confidentiality and privacy to share with us the lived experience, whether as a client, family member, caregiver or someone going through or recovering from mental health challenges,” added SMS Janil. “We need to know what that feels like.”
The launch of the MHG follows from its unveiling (along with the CAG) at the #refreshPAP event in May. It is in line with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s longstanding support for improving Singaporeans’ mental health, which he showed during the 2024 Budget debate.
The MHG and the CAG are important platforms for the PAP to work with Singaporeans in building a kinder, more sustainable Singapore together.
