PUBLISHED ONApril 06, 2025 7:15 AMByKhoo Yi-HangThe timing of initiatives within the Marine Parade cluster was not planned for the upcoming General Election (GE), Marine Parade GRC MP Tan See Leng said at the launch for SG60 initiatives outside Kampong Ubi community centre on Sunday (April 6).
The Marine Parade cluster consists of Braddell Heights, Geylang Serai, Joo Chiat, Kembangan-Chai Chee, Marine Parade, MacPherson and Mountbatten.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who was also present at the launch in Marine Parade, had arrived at the community centre after a walkabout along Block 84 Marine Parade earlier in the day where he spoke with residents to hear their concerns.
Marine Parade cluster MPs Seah Kian Peng, Edwin Tong, Fahmi Aliman, Lim Biow Chuan and Tin Pei Ling were present, alongside new faces Choo Pei Ling and Diana Pang.
Nee Soon GRC MP Faishal Ibrahim also greeted attendees at the event.
Two initiatives were launched: the Caregiver Support Fund (CSF) and the Industry Immersive Programme (IIP).
The CSF aims to provide enhanced resources and assistance to caregivers, so that vulnerable groups can receive the support they need.
Meanwhile, the IIP is aimed at providing youngsters better opportunities for exploring careers.
Speaking to the media at the event, Dr Tan, who is also Manpower Minister, said that these initiatives, alongside the shuttle bus service launched last year, were not planned for the upcoming GE.
"If you look at all of the initiatives, we couldn't have planned it to time (with the GE)," he said.
He added: "I don't think anyone could miraculously let it just spring up like this — this was conceptualised."
Dr Tan explained that they needed time to engage companies to get support for internships in the IIP as well as find support for CSF.
"It turns out that from SG60, which happens this year, the timing is such that it serendipitously came up at this particular time.
"But if you look at the amount of effort, the funding support, the rallying of the people that went behind this two very big and engaging initiatives, they could not have been planned last minute."
Prior to the changes put in place by the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee, Marine Parade GRC was managed by MPs Seah Kian Peng, Edwin Tong, Fahmi Aliman, and Dr Tan.
With the recent changes, Chai Chee HDB estates and private estates in Siglap have been placed under East Coast GRC.
The remaining area will be merged with portions of MacPherson, Mountbatten and Potong Pasir SMCs to form the Marine Parade-Braddel Heights GRC.
The CSF will provide a one-off injection of up to $1,600 in cash and in-kind assistance to up to 2,800 families in the Marine Parade area.
This injection consists up to $700 in cash relief depending on household composition, income level and required needs, up to $300 in Grab vouchers to cover transportation costs incurred and up to $600 reimbursement for respite care so caregivers can take a rest.
The CSF will act as a form of interim assistance for caregivers while they wait for upcoming enhancements to the Home Caregiving Grant (HCG) which is set for April next year.
To be eligible for the fund, the caregiver must be a Singaporean, a resident of the Marine Parade cluster and must live in the same household as the care recipient.
Applications opened on Sunday and will close by the end of the year. Cash and vouchers will be disbursed until the end of January 2026.
Explaining the need for the CSF initiative, MacPherson SMC MP Tin Pei Ling said: "As a mature estate... one in four (residents) will be aged 65 and above."
This is significantly higher than the national average of one in five, she added.
According to the Department of Statistics' Population in Brief 2024, those aged 65 and above consists 19.9 per cent of the citizen population.
Along with Singapore's ageing society and declining family sizes, caregiver support is something "very much needed and in demand" by residents.
She also stated: "Understanding such challenges that our residents face inspire us to want to do something to help support them through this very important period."
Singaporean youth aged between 16 and 25 who live within the Marine Parade cluster can apply for the IIP during two application periods: from April to May and September to October.
They will have to commit to work placements for durations ranging from two weeks to three months, Marine Parade GRC MP Edwin Tong said.
At present, at least 25 companies are on board with the IIP, including Huawei, Grab, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Singapore and Deloitte Singapore among others.
"We want our youth to have a range of different opportunities in the industries," said Tong, who is also the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth.
"We understand very much the need to have to level up, and very often... there are opportunities that aren't immediately apparent, so we wanted to institutionalise it so that through this programme, they can apply through us, and we will place them with one of these firms, subject to availability."
Winson Low is among those who is set to benefit from the CSF programme.
The 50-year-old delivery driver is a caregiver for this father, a 76-year-old retiree who is an amputee, with all toes on his left foot, two toes on his right foot and a portion of his right foot near the ankle removed.
Low, a Marine Parade resident, leaves home every day at 6.45am, driving across town making deliveries.
He returns home exhausted at about 6pm, after spending about 10 hours on the road. But he just cannot relax yet, because he has to take care of his father.
Aside from getting food for him, Low shared with AsiaOne on Saturday (April 5), that he must also help his father take the medicines, give him injection, and stay alert and make sure the elderly man does not fall.
While he may have the occasional assistance from his siblings, Low still spends about $1,000 a month on medical fees and daily expenses.
He's been doing this for the past two years, he told AsiaOne.
When asked if his life was difficult, he simply replied: "It's okay, I'm already used to it so I get by."
He admitted that some help from the government would help, especially in terms of financial support in covering for medical fees.
"I hope the Government will do what it can, within its capabilities," he added.
For more original AsiaOne articles, visit here.
