NUS students recently engaged with two members of Parliament, discussing issues concerning Singapore’s aging population and their responsibilities for aging parents.
Organized by the NUS Political Association in campus, the Sept. 17 forum, ”Shaping Responsibility: Parents’ age must be remembered both for joy and anxiety,” featured Irene Ng and Baey Yam Keng, who are MPs for Tampines and Tanjong Pagar Group Constituency Representations, respectively.
Students asked the MPs a variety of questions, many in relation to the Maintenance of the Parents Act, which provides a legal channel for parents above the age of 60 to seek financial support from their grown children.
One student expressed concern that the Maintenance of Parents Act was a “double-edged sword,” saying it provides legal redress for financial support, but simultaneously erodes the cultural value of filial piety, or the moral duty owed by children.
Ng disagreed. She said that the law reinforces the values that Singapore upholds rather than removing moral responsibility.
“Laws reflect the values of the society,” she said. “We consider the abandonment of parents by children to be morally reprehensible.”
Chia Seng Leng, a second-year student from the Faculty of Science, said the Maintenance of Parents Act inadequately addresses the needs of the elderly beyond financial support.
Chia, who volunteers at the Chinese Development Assistance Council, said the elderly in most instances do not lack money, but rather “care and concern.”
Recounting his experiences from volunteering, Chia said, “The elderly (often) don’t know where to go, or they feel ashamed to seek help. They are afraid that they might implicate their children.”
Baey told the crowd that true feelings of affection are more effective for elderly care than imposing legislation.
“It is easy for charities to raise funds, for governments to allocate financial resources to help the elderly, but really it is company. It is about the care and affection where you need the heart,” he said.
Lim Hwee Teng, forum project director and graduate of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, quoted Vivian Balakrishnan, minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, on the importance of family affection. Balakrishnan was quoted in a recent newspaper article to have said: “More education on the values of family responsibility is essential, because family love cannot be legislated by the government.”
Chia said volunteering can help children to value and understand their parents better.
“It is only through volunteering where you come to learn about the simple things in life. I appreciate my family more by volunteering,” he told the Observer.
Annabel Koh, a freshman in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, was among students who raised the concern that the high cost of living and fast-paced life in Singapore puts a strain on relationships and the devotion of resources for the elderly.
“I have to start planning my future route and take into consideration my parents and their future healthcare needs,” Koh said.
“If I want to do my masters, I have to take their finances into account.”
Koh said she had benefited from attending the forum. “Listening to the varied encounters and anecdotes from the MPs has helped me understand the elderly situation in Singapore better.”
Lim agreed.
“They (the elderly) gave a big part of themselves, their youth and time to the building of what we are all enjoying now. It is only right that we give them the necessary recognition they deserve,” the forum director said.
Despite her concern that not many people identified with issues concerning the elderly, Lim said she was pleased with the active interaction between students and the MPs and she hoped that more students would turn up for similar events in the future.
“The questions raised and interactivity between the audience and the two MPs showed that all is not lost, despite a cosy turnout,” she said. |
