PM Lee Hsien Loong at People’s Association’s 50th Anniversary Grassroots Appreciation Dinner

Fellow Advisors

Grassroots Leaders

Ladies and Gentlemen

The People’s Association (PA) is 50 years old this year. For half a century, PA has supported Singapore’s nation building and development. It connects the government with the people and brings together diverse communities to become one united nation. It has served as a key institution in our society. 

Fifty Years of Grassroots Work

PA was set up on 1 July 1960, a year after Singapore had attained self-government. Those were tumultuous times. The communists and non-communists in the PAP manoeuvred against each other, fought over the future of Singapore, and eventually split openly on the issue of Merger and Malaysia. There were frequent demonstrations and strikes, instigated by communist-controlled trade unions, which created a chaotic environ ment and made it difficult to govern the country. In response, the government set up PA to strengthen its presence on the ground. PA’s activities and community centres would meet the needs of residents and win their support for the government.

Unfortunately, when the PAP broke with the communists and their sympathisers in 1961, we discovered that the PA had been infiltrated as well. The government had to purge and rebuild large parts of the organisation. Thereafter the PA gradually built up an effective grassroots network, which played a critical role at key junctures of our nation’s history. 

After Singapore joined Malaysia, racial tensions developed. Twice in 1964 racial riots broke out. In the aftermath, the Government set up goodwill committees all over the island to calm tensions.  These goodwill committees later evolved into the Citizens’ Consultative Committees (CCCs) which came under PA. 

After independence, Singapore introduced National Service for all male citizens. Grassroots leaders organised send-off parties for enlistees, to assure anxious parents that their sons would be safe and well taken care of. At constituency National Day dinners, the organisers would invite a table or two of serving national servicemen, to show appreciation for their sacrifices and contributions.

When the Government had to acquire land from rural villages and farms to build factories and housing estates, grassroots leaders went down to the kampungs to explain to residents facing resettlement why this was necessary, and to assist in resolving their practical problems. Later, they also helped residents to settle into their new HDB homes. 

In the 70s, as more of the population moved into the housing estates, PA set up Residents’ Committees (RCs) to transplant the kampung spirit into high-rise flats.  Marine Parade and Tanjong Pagar constituencies were the first to experiment with this new concept. The experiments were a success. RCs have become a critical grassroots organisation in every HDB precinct. They foster neighbourliness, harmony and solidarity amongst residents, and also see to the physical environment and safety within their precincts.

PA took on new tasks as Singapore developed and the external environment changed. The grassroots movement actively supported many national campaigns – Keep Singapore Clean, Campaign Against Dengue, Speak Mandarin Campaign, and so on. During SARS, grassroots leaders helped to implement social distancing measures, carry out temperature checks on hawkers, and deliver food to quarantined families. After 9/11 and the discovery of the Jemaah Islamiyah group, PA worked hard to strengthen ties and trust between the different ethnic groups. It also built up emergency capabilities within the grassroots network to respond effectively to any emergency, and recover quickly. These later evolved into the Community Emergency and Engagement (C2E) Committees. 

PA’s Key Contributions

All these and many other activities of PA are valuable in themselves, but beyond their intrinsic value they are directed at two strategic objectives. First, to strengthen the link between the Government and the people. PA ensures that government policies are properly explained and executed, and any problems are discovered and put right. It also conveys public feedback and aspirations to the Government, which can then respond with new and better policies.

The second strategic objective is to build strong communities all over the island. Because of PA’s efforts, Singaporeans are not just so many individuals who happen to live on the same island, but members of close communities in every neighbourhood, with friends, social activities, community places, a sense of mutual responsibility, as well as a warm feeling of belonging and home.

Even after 50 years, community building is still an important and continuing task. Our racial and religious harmony is strong, but it will always be work in progress. Another aspect we must focus on is integrating new arrivals into Singapore society. PA does this through Integration and Naturalisation Champions (INCs), which it started to appoint in 2007. Today, 800 grassroots leaders all over Singapore serve as INCs, welcoming new arrivals and helping to ease them into our communities. The INCs visit new citizens and permanent residents at their homes, distribute welcome kits and organise events for new and old neighbours to mingle and interact. PA also encourages new citizens to join the grassroots and play their part for the community. This is one way the new citizens can show that they have made this their home, and are committing time and effort to help Singapore succeed. Happily, many new citizens and PRs have become grassroots leaders, and are already making significant contributions.

Community Centres

From the beginning, the Community Centre (CC) was a focus of PA’s activities, and a key means to bring residents together. The CC was a common space for residents of different races and backgrounds, young and old, to meet, interact and become friends. It also provided critical training and services, offering classes on sewing and other skills to make a living, way before we created WDA.

In the early 60s, as a boy, I used to accompanying MM Lee on his constituency visits. We often visited CCs. They were quite basic, especially in the rural areas: zinc-roofed wooden structures, not very big, with a few classrooms and sports facilities, typically ping pong tables and a basketball or sepak takraw court. At night residents would gather to watch television programmes at the CC, a time when few families could afford a TV set.  

Over the years, CCs have been upgraded enormously. They are now modern complexes, well-equipped with air-conditioned community halls, dance studios, music rooms, plus food and beverage outlets. The CCs offer a wide variety of courses catering to diverse preferences. There are adventure courses like ‘Diving with the Sharks’, lifestyle offerings like ‘Wine and Food Pairing’, overseas trips like ‘Rice Planting in Thailand’ as well as more traditional activities like line-dancing and qigong.

Volunteers – the Core of the Grassroots Movement

But at the core of PA and the grassroots movement are its volunteers: grassroots leaders, CDC councillors, youth activists, senior citizens’ coordinators, and many others. The volunteers organise activities, raise funds, and reach out to different segments of the community. They also help needy residents through the Many Helping Hands approach, and support the ComCare Local Networks to engage and assist deserving residents. Their efforts reinforce the social fabric and establish a strong and stable foundation for the nation to progress.

Some pioneer grassroots leaders have served since the 60s and 70s. Several of them are with us today: Mr Phang Tai Heng of Jalan Besar CCC, Mr Koh Lian Huat of Tampines East CCC, Mdm Yip Foong Yee of Seletar Hill West NC, and many others. It is because of their dedicated service that PA has been able to reach out, engage the residents and meet their needs effectively. I thank them all for their hard work and contributions over so many years.

Adapting PA for a New Generation

Today, our social context has vastly changed. Our economy has prospered. Standards of living have gone up, and so have residents’ expectations. Families have higher incomes, more outlets for leisure, and more opportunities for travel and recreation. They live in bigger homes, nearly always equipped with a TV, and often with media entertainment systems. They would not go to a CC just to watch TV (except maybe for World Cup matches). Yet this has not reduced the importance of building cohesive communities, where neighbours know and help one another, organise themselves to get things done, and work with the Government to improve their lives.

PA has had to adapt to the new environment. It has upgraded many Community Centres to become Community Clubs, with club-like design and amenities, and co-located with other popular facilities. One example is Marine Parade CC, where the CC, a public library and a theatre company, The Necessary Stage, are under the same roof. Another example is Anchorvale CC, co-located with a swimming and water sports complex, bringing a youthful energy to the entire place.  

Many Advisors and grassroots leaders have come up with creative ways to engage their community through interesting and meaningful activities. For example, Kallang CCMC brings residents together with drumming. The Kallang Community Drumming Circle has been performing at events like the River Hong Bao, Seniors’ Fair, CDC Mid-Autumn Festivals and District Arts Festivals. In Yuhua, grassroots leaders engage their community through the Clean and Green@Yuhua programme. Yuhua residents take part in recycling exercises and mass clean-ups of their precincts, cultivating their sense of community and environmental responsibility. PA will continue to experiment with new ways and formats to engage residents.

Last year, PA undertook a systematic workplan exercise to look beyond the current programmes and think about what we want to be five years from now. This exercise struck a chord with the constituencies, which have all come abroad. Through this workplan process, we refreshed PA’s mission, co-created our vision of A Great Home and A Caring Community, and identified priority areas that PA and the grassroots organisations must focus on for the next five years. 

Now that we have worked out our plans, we must implement them with conviction and energy to deliver the desired results. I am confident that all Advisors will lend their full support and work closely with PA to achieve this vision. 

Renewing the Grassroots

We must also constantly renew the grassroots movement, bring in new members and steadily hand over leadership positions to a younger generation. It is not always easy for senior grassroots leaders who have spent many years building up their teams and looking after their residents and areas to let go. But all of us are serving the people, and timely self renewal will make sure that the people get the leadership and service which they deserve.

In the past, many grassroots leaders, especially in the CCCs, were drawn from the local business communities. We should retain these volunteers, but also draw in other groups, e.g. young professionals in various fields. This is challenging because people today lead hectic lives, especially young Singaporeans trying to establish their careers or raise families. Nevertheless, many constituencies have succeeded by organising innovative outreach programmes. For example, Punggol South runs Golf Appreciation Workshops and Go-Kart events, to entice young professionals first to take part and subsequently join as volunteers. We should pick up lessons from such positive experiences.

Many people do make time to serve the community. Some join the grassroots to pursue their passions, e.g. protecting the environment; others join for the camaraderie. Yet others join because they have themselves benefited from the support of grassroots organisations, and wanted to give something back. 

Madam Raunaq Begum of Admiralty Zone 1 RC is one such example. Some years ago Madam Begum faced personal and financial problems. Her RC grassroots leaders helped her tide over the difficult period. After her situation improved, she became an active volunteer, so that she could also help others in trouble. Asked why she decided to volunteer, Madam Begum replied simply, “it is a good feeling”.

Indeed, it feels good to help people. This is one reason why we have veteran grassroots leaders who have served 30, 40 years. When new volunteers experience the satisfaction and joy that comes from helping others, they too will be hooked. I hope that more young people will come forward to join the grassroots, and serve the community with dedication, kindness and distinction.

Conclusion

Over the past 50 years, successive ‘generations’ of PA volunteers and staff have worked tirelessly to strengthen our social cohesion and racial harmony. You have helped to create the cohesive and prosperous nation that we have today. The pace of change will not slow in the years ahead. PA and the grassroots organisations must rise to the challenge and continue to reach out to residents of all backgrounds.   

Let me on this anniversary thank all grassroots Advisors, grassroots leaders, volunteers, staff and community partners, past and present, for your contributions to the work of PA. I wish PA a Very Happy 50th Birthday!