SPEECH BY DR OW CHIN HOCK, MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND MAYOR OF TANJONG PAGAR CDC AT THE LAUNCH OF THE NPCC ANNUAL SERVICE DAY ON SATURDAY, 17 JULY 1999 AT 10:00AM AT HENDERSON SECONDARY SCHOOL

Thank you for inviting me this morning to launch the NPCC Annual Service Day 1999. The Service Day is an annual affair where NPCC cadets all over Singapore contribute their efforts and energies to serve the community. This year, the Service Day will focus on helping the elderly.

1999 has been designated by the United Nations as the "International Year for Older Persons" with the theme "Towards a Society of All Ages". Singapore has one of the fastest ageing populations in the world. At present, one in every 14 Singaporeans is 65 years and above. By 2030, one in every 5 citizens will be aged 65 and above. Their number will increase from the current 225,900 to 798,700 in 30 years' time. Singapore needs to adapt and adjust to this phenomenon. These include changes in housing, transport, medicare, employment, etc, but one crucial aspect is change of mindset among the senior citizens themselves, and younger Singaporeans’ mindset towards them. Senior citizens, with their experience and wisdom, can continue to make significant contributions to their families and society. The community, on its part, should be sensitive to the needs and interests of older people and create opportunities that will enable them to make meaningful contributions.

Under the focus of this year’s Service Day, 18,000 NPCC cadets from different schools will carry out two main activities. First, NPCC cadets will be visiting the welfare homes and senior citizen clubs in Singapore. The cadets, led by their officers, will help to clean and maintain these senior citizen homes and clubs. They will also distribute gifts, entertain and interact with the residents of the homes. Through these activities, I am confident that the cadets will understand the needs of the senior citizens and better appreciate the role they can play in helping them.

Second, the NPCC cadets will be spreading crime prevention messages to the senior citizens. I understand that NPCC cadets have been encouraged to share crime prevention measures with their grandparents, relatives, neighbours and friends. The cadets will also be visiting HDB flats where senior citizens are staying alone or together with their aged friends. The purpose is to share the crime prevention messages and measures with the senior citizens. This reinforces the efforts of our Tanjong Pagar Community Development Council (CDC) and the various community-based organisations in our town in serving the elderly.

The elderly are more prone to crime. Potential criminals may take advantage of their frailty and lack of agility to commit crimes. There have been cases prominently reported in the media where senior citizens were robbed of their life savings from their homes. The crime prevention messages that the Police spread through the mass media may not reach these senior citizens. The most effective way is still to bring the messages to their homes. Hence these cadets will be partnering the regular police officers to visit the senior citizens’ home to personally educate them on the measures to protect their valuables and properties.

I commend the Singapore Police Force for taking a proactive step by using our youths to reach out to the elderly in the area of crime prevention. Such measures, if sustained, will contribute significantly to our efforts of combating crime. This partnership with our youth can be an integral part of our CDC’s Safety and Security Plan.

Over the past five years, NPCC recruited about 25,000 secondary one students. The students went through rigorous training to build up their mental discipline and character. NPCC training also exposed the students to various aspects of police and community works. Such activities range from cleaning up public places, visiting homes for children and the disabled to blood donations are in line with your Corps' mission to develop its cadets into caring and responsible citizens.

However, I would like to remind the NPCC cadets that the spirit of serving the community should not be confined to the Service Day. You must be constantly prepared to contribute your time and energy to helping the less fortunate and the less able. This is one way where you can be active citizens and make a difference to society. Active citizens have a passion for, and commitment to, building a better Singapore. Active citizenship is one of the key ideas of Singapore 21 Vision. Through your efforts and services, your NPCC will contribute in a significant way of realising the Singapore 21 Vision.

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