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Singapore Management UniversityInstitutional Knowledge at Singapore Management UniversityKnowledge@SMU Office of Research12-2011Addressing Singapore's unmet social needs: How tohelp vulnerable groupsKnowledge@SMUFollow this and additional works at:http://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/ksmuPart of theLaw CommonsThis Journal Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Office of Research at Institutional Knowledge at Singapore ManagementUniversity. It has been accepted for inclusion in Knowledge@SMU by an authorized administrator of Institutional Knowledge at SingaporeManagement University. For more information, please emaillibIR@smu.edu.sg.CitationKnowledge@SMU, "Addressing Singapore's unmet social needs: How to help vulnerable groups" (2011).Knowledge@SMU.Paper197.http://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/ksmu/1977/21/12 Addressing Singapore's unmet social needs: How to help vulnerable groups - Knowledge@SMU1/3 knowledge.smu.edu.sg/article.cfm?articleid=1397   (http://knowledge.smu.edu.sg)Addressing Singapore's unmet social needs: How to help vulnerable groupsPublished: December 06, 2011 in Knowledge@SMU As Singapore’s population demographics changes with the influx of foreigners, thecurrent societal focus on race and racial differences of a Singaporean “can workagainst” the Republic, said Singapore Management University's (SMU) Lien Centre forSocial Innovation (http://www.lcsi.smu.edu.sg/)in a research report that outlinedsome of the country's most pressing social needs.  The 74-page 'Unmet Social Needs in Singapore: Singapore's social structures andpolicies, and their impact on six vulnerable communities'(http://www.lcsi.smu.edu.sg/unmetsocialneeds.asp)report, which took three yearsto prepare, cited the new and growing communities of foreign workers, “bothwelcomed and frowned upon” by locals, as two of six groups that could use morehelp.“There are also new vulnerabilities in terms of relationships between new immigrantsand Singapore, and also amongst Singaporeans themselves… with regard to levels ofacceptance between new immigrants who struggle to assimilate and Singaporeanswho resent their presence,” it noted.This can emphasise the “foreign-ness” of non-Singaporeans through the “other-ing” of foreign workers bynationality, gender, class and type of work.“Such constructed stratification is unhealthy for the well-being of society,” said the lead authors, civil societyactivist and former Nominated Member of Parliament Braema Mathi and Lien Centre research manager SharifahMohamed.Singapore’s growing foreign workforceBetween 1970 and 2008, Singapore’s population grew by 2.3 times, and with the foreign workforce multiplying by 64times. In 2008, some 20,513 foreigners were accepted as new citizens while 79,167 were made Permanent Residents(PR).Today, one in ten persons in Singapore is a PR while one in seven of the five-million-strong population is a foreigner.This diversity has “made many Singaporeans examine their choices and value systems as to how they can cope withthe foreigners in their midst”. And while “prejudices prevail in all societies”, it is important that these are addressed.The report noted that “a good start has been made” with the government requiring foreigners who are more highlyskilled to go through a naturalisation and integration process when they acquire Singapore citizenship.For instance, the People’s Association, a statutory board which leads efforts to promote racial harmony and socialcohesion in Singapore, has worked with Citizens’ Consultative Committees (the umbrella organisations of allgrassroots organisations) to visit the new PRs to help them learn more about Singapore.But it is still early days. “The challenge is in finding a common set of values that can transcend racial and culturaldivides and that can anchor the Singaporean identity in this global city,” the report said.It also raised the red flag on the plight of unskilled foreign workers who work mostly in the construction industry oras domestic workers.They tend to be the group of foreign workers that “can be more easily exploited and abused”, said the report whichcited how employers have been known to make deductions on wages, withhold prompt payment of wages or abusethe workers physically.Submitting its recommendations for government policies, the report urged that “the legal process should not be tooonerous for the workers to follow through” in order to protect them effectively. It also asked for all foreigners to betreated as workers with the right to days off, a standardised pay for the job done, and the provision of supportwhen they have problems.On the formation of new communities in Singapore, the centre said the groups “can be treated as more than just7/21/12 Addressing Singapore's unmet social needs: How to help vulnerable groups - Knowledge@SMU2/3 knowledge.smu.edu.sg/article.cfm?articleid=1397human resources.”“They are human bridges to the global world and potential social capital. The first step is to start with commonsocial values and be bold to challenge local society’s status quo,” it added.Other vulnerable groupsThe report started with an understanding of needs in general and how it can be dissected into four levels, that ofrelief(assistance to meet basic needs), security(contingency help such as insurance to tide over seasonaldeficiencies), prevention(interventions such as jobs to reduce risks) and transformation(structural changes toremove external barriers such as discrimination).Four other at-risk groups were identified in the report: the disabled, the mentally ill, low-income workers, andhouseholds led by singles.It then reviewed support structures such as the national compulsory savings, housing system and the network ofsocial organisations before addressing the specific needs of each of the six groups that have been identified.The first challenge with the disabled community is Singapore’s baseline definition of the disabled as a person “whoseprospects of securing and retaining a place, and advancing in an education or training institution, in employment andrecreation, as an equal member of the community, is substantially reduced as a result of a physical, mental,intellectual, developmental or sensory impairment.”The report argued that such a definition, while based on a medical criterion, does not address social andenvironmental limitations, and it may have the effect of “promoting the view of a disabled person as dependent andneeding to be cured or cared for”.Additionally, outreach to this group “remains a kink in the system"; policymakers may not have a completeunderstanding of the scale of the issues as there is no central registry that captures the needs of disabled persons.The report observed too, that there are no schemes that encourage family life for those whose disabilities are lesslimiting, nor is there any labour policy that protects this group by allowing them access to employment opportunitiesand independent living.Singapore has an opportunity to be a global example on the inclusion of the disabled community, the report urged. Itsuggested that compulsory education be extended to children with disabilities, and that there be a mandate toinclude the disabled in all facets of life, from school to work, and to transportation.For the mentally ill, the authors noted that the lack of public awareness and understanding will essentially hinderbasic social protection functions such as relief and security. Support is also lacking for caregivers, in particular,those in the middle and lower income groups, who might face financial strains from healthcare bills.It certainly does not help that mental health professionals are relatively rare in the country, with the currentpsychiatrist-to-population ratio standing at about 2.6 per 100,000. Compare this with other developed countries likethe USA, which has 13.7 per 100,000, the UK, with 11 per 100,000, and Australia, with 14 per 100,000.One reason that was cited for the lack of mental health support is social stigma. As such, the report recommendedfor greater outreach initiatives. It said investments in diagnosis are important, and more needs to be done tosupport families that cater for the mentally ill. There could also be incentives for employers to hire people withmental illnesses.As for lower income workers, the report turned its spotlight on low-income and sandwiched middle-income families.Here, the report asserted that while there may be help at the policy level, there seems to be a 'disconnect' with on-the-ground interpretations. Challenges remain too, when it comes to disbursement. On this front, the authorssuggested scaling up current government measures for economic security, so that workers who earn just enough forsustenance may better handle job market 'shocks'.The sixth group highlighted within the report are households managed by singles or divorcees, residing in small publicflats, earning a per capita income that falls below the subsistence level.The report said that while “piecemeal relief schemes” are accessible to these households, certain relief and securitypackages such as temporary housing (with priority given to 'intact' families with children) are out of reach becausethe "pro-family" criterion in some of these schemes precludes families headed by singles and divorcees."The pro-marriage stand by government and society has its merits but it goes against common sense if thesepolicies reduce further the ability of a single parent to care for his/her children amidst inevitable demographic andlifestyle changes," the authors wrote.Finally, the report acknowledged that while the Singapore government “has done much for its people", and that life7/21/12 Addressing Singapore's unmet social needs: How to help vulnerable groups - Knowledge@SMU3/3 knowledge.smu.edu.sg/article.cfm?articleid=1397A ll materials copyright of Singapore Management University (http://www.smu.edu.sg) and the Wharton School (http://www.wharton.upenn.edu) of theUniversity of Pennsylvania (http://www.upenn.edu), Privacy Policy (http://knowledge.smu.edu.sg/privacy.cfm).has "dramatically improved" over the past 40 years, there is a need to emphasise integration, encourage greaterspace for civil society and enhance human development.Policies have to be reviewed to take into account the changing dynamics at work and in society, they noted. So it isheartening that the government has stated that it will cultivate a more collaborative approach and acknowledgedthe need for inclusivity and social mobility in today’s context.“What is left to be seen is the sincere manifestation and material support of this will and for civil society and theprivate sector to also step up and rally society to tackle deep-seated social needs,” they concluded. (#top) (#top)

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