Singapore Government Press Release

Good afternoon

Mr Lee Keng Hong, President, Lions Club of Singapore Royal

Mr Hong Jia Hong, President, Kaohsiung Chen Kuo Lion Club

Mr Joseph Chuang, President, Lions Club of Taipei Jen-Ai

Mr Han Thien Fong, District Governor

Members of Lions Club

Ladies and Gentlemen

I am very pleased to be here with you this afternoon to be part of your Caring and Sharing Programme. Let me first wish everyone present a very happy 1999. I am glad to note that our less fortunate senior citizens are not forgotten during this period of festivities.

Since the Lions Club of Singapore Royal was chartered in 1990, you have dedicated yourselves towards helping senior citizens who are in need of care and support. You have, in the past, conducted many meaningful projects for them. Over the years, you have also expanded your services to include free health checks and care for handicapped children. Through your programmes, activities and services, you have brought warmth and joy to the hearts of many.

We celebrate the International Year of Older Persons this Year. You may be glad to know that this "Sharing and Caring" Programme for our less privileged senior citizens is the very first charity event for 1999. You have brought warmth and joy to the hearts of the elderly as they herald in the new year and made them feel part of the community and deserving of our respect and concern.

This programme bears testimony to the Singaporean spirit of sharing and compassion. This is especially heartening given the difficult times Singapore and the region are facing at the moment. With the current economic crisis, many are tightening their belts which makes the job of raising funds much more challenging and arduous. We are, nevertheless, thankful, that Singapore�s strong economic and social foundation has enabled us to deal with the situation with confidence.

In these trying times, we have not forgotten those in our community who are less fortunate and require support. We are indeed fortunate to have members of the Lions Club to provide companionship and comfort to the elderly and would like to commend the Club for its commitment and dedication in providing this voluntary service.

Community service is a continuous process and should be provided both in good and bad times. It is heartening to know that more citizens have now come forward to help those who are less fortunate. Voluntary organisations such as the Lions Club are initiating more programmes thereby enabling more to serve as volunteers. Under the Community Involvement Plan in schools, our younger generations are more exposed to community service.

Senior Citizens themselves are also playing an increasingly important role in volunteerism. The Retired and Senior Volunteer Programme (RSVP), launched by PM Goh on 31 Oct last year, offers older persons the opportunity to share their time and expertise through community service. Volunteerism helps senior citizens keep their minds alert and their bodies healthy. It is important that the elderly participate in the mainstream of community life.

The world�s population is greying. Singapore is one of the most rapidly ageing societies in the region. The proportion of persons above 60 will more than double from about 10% of the population now to some 26% in just three decades � in 2030. We must create the support structures for them.

Our approach to the care of the elderly is a multi-pronged one involving the individual, family, community and government. The philosophy of individual responsibility and self-reliance, the family as the primary pillar of support, the community as the provider of support services and the government as facilitator, helper and catalyst, has worked well for us. It is inevitable, however, that there will be some senior citizens who are unable to get the kind of care and attention they need from their own families. This is where community service comes in. Hence, as the population ages, we would need more people who are dedicated and committed to providing community services.

An Inter-ministry committee was set up this year to examine how national policies could be shaped to meet the needs of an ageing population more comprehensively. A change in mindset is crucial. As pointed out by our PM, instead of thinking of the old as dependants, we should think of them as a resource and seek to develop them as such. The elderly should not be regarded as a burden and a drain on society. Instead, they should be made to feel an integral and contributing part of society.

It is very much part of our duty as good citizens to reach out to the less fortunate. We must build a cohesive society, one in which all our fellow citizens will be united to overcome any difficulties. A community that is full of compassion with members who care and share cannot but be more cohesive than one where members care only for their own interests and aspirations.

The past year has been a fruitful one for the Lions Club. I congratulate you on your fine track record and am confident that you will continue with your good work.

I wish the Lions Club many success in its future endeavors. I hope you have a pleasant afternoon.

Thank you.