REACH MEDIA RELEASE

 

DIVERSE REPRESENTATION ON NEW REACH SUPERVISORY PANEL

 

A young entrepreneur, an advocate for the disabled community, a data scientist, university undergraduates and young professionals – these are among the Singaporeans from diverse backgrounds who were appointed to the sixth REACH Supervisory Panel for a two-year term from 1 October 2016.

 

2          The Panel will also see representation from a social entrepreneur championing family matters, a new citizen, Chinese clan associations, business groups, trade unions, grassroots leaders, new media practitioners and the media. Together, they will assist REACH in engaging various segments of Singaporeans to ensure that their feedback on key issues and polices are heard and conveyed to the relevant government agencies.

 

3          The 29-member Panel, which includes 21 new members, will continue to be helmed by Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office and Ministry of Manpower, Mr Sam Tan, who took up the appointment as REACH Chairman on 1 October 2015. He will be assisted by two new Vice-Chairpersons – Mr Amrin Amin, Parliamentary Secretary (Home Affairs) and Mr Vikram Nair, Member of Parliament for Sembawang Group Representation Constituency (GRC). Both have served as REACH Supervisory Panel members since 2012. The full list of Panel members can be found in the Annex.

 

4          New member, Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim, Partner in the Litigation and Arbitration Practice Group of Rodyk & Davidson LLP, 36, hopes to help REACH be “a conduit of change” for individuals and corporate citizens to contribute actively to Singapore’s policy-making process so that they will have a sense of ownership over the ideas that are generated into action. “I hope to assist REACH in encouraging citizens to speak up and contribute to matters which they have concerns and are passionate about,” he added.

 

5          Singapore Management University undergraduate Mr Amos Maximilian Lee Canguang, 24, who is also a new member, highlighted the significance of getting youths to talk about Singapore’s policies and future. “I hope to channel some of the thoughts, concerns and suggestions offered by the youth of Singapore. Hearing the perspectives of many of my peers is critical as we are the future of Singapore and any policies in the pipeline would affect all of us in the future,” he said.

 

6          For new member Ms Sherena Loh, 52, who is the Executive Director of the Muscular Dystrophy Association (Singapore), reaching out to disadvantaged individuals is what she aims to achieve through her involvement with REACH. “With a rich background in the disability sector, I believe that I can relate with the fundamental issues faced by people who are marginalised due to situational changes.  Through REACH’s outreach efforts, I hope to be able to connect these groups to identify gaps for improvement of national policies in uplifting their well-being.”

 

7          REACH Chairman Sam Tan said, “Singapore is a multi-faceted society, and REACH has a critical role to play in connecting citizens and policy-makers. Under the guidance of our past and outgoing Supervisory Panels, REACH has continuously expanded its outreach efforts to Singaporeans. In particular, we have intensified face-to-face engagement through dialogues and mobile Listening Point feedback booths to get closer to the ground. These platforms enable policy-makers to hear and understand Singaporeans’ concerns, and explain how policies impact them.

 

8          “As we face new challenges ahead and more diverse opinions on the ground, keeping our channels of communication open becomes even more crucial. I look forward to working with members of the new Supervisory Panel to engage deeply with various segments of Singaporeans including our youths, PMETs and community groups. Through these efforts, we hope to build a stronger and united Singapore.”

 

For media queries, please contact:

Athena Michael

Hp. No.:93232769

E-mail: Athena_MICHAEL@mci.gov.sg

 

Issued by

REACH

3 October 2016

 

About REACH

REACH (reaching everyone for active citizenry @ home) was launched in October 2006 when the Feedback Unit was restructured to move beyond gathering public feedback, to become the lead agency for engaging and connecting with citizens. This signifies its renewed commitment to encourage and promote an active citizenry through citizen participation and involvement. The three key roles of REACH are to: Gather and Gauge Ground Sentiments; Reach Out and Engage Citizens; and Promote Active Citizenry through Citizen Participation and Involvement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Annex

REACH SUPERVISORY PANEL MEMBERS

TERM FROM 1 OCTOBER 2016 TO 30 SEPTEMBER 2018

 

S/N	Name
Re-appointed Members
1	Mr Sam Tan (Chairman) Minister of State, Prime Minister’s Office and Ministry of Manpower MP (Radin Mas SMC)
2	Mr Amrin Amin (Vice - Chairman) Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs MP (Sembawang GRC)
3	Mr Vikram Nair (Vice - Chairman) Partner, Rajah and Tann Singapore LPP MP (Sembawang GRC)
4	Mr Salman Kamiso Assistant General Treasurer, Union of Power and Gas Employees
5	Mrs Sher-li Torrey Founder, Mums@Work (Singapore) [Mums@Work is a social enterprise for mothers]
6	Professor Hoon Hian Teck Associate Dean (Faculty, Research) and Professor of Economics, Singapore Management University
7	Mr Stanley Chia Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer, Cialfo Pte Ltd and Managing Director, Envisage Education Pte Ltd
8	Mr Leslie Tan Founder & Editor, Red Sports [Red Sports is an independent sports news site]

 

 

S/N	Name
New Members
9	Mr Liang Eng Hwa Managing Director & Head of Institutional Investors, Treasury & Markets, Institutional Banking Group, DBS Bank Ltd MP (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC)
10	Ms Rahayu Mahzam Partner, Heng, Leong & Srinivasan MP (Jurong GRC)
11	Mr Wilson Ong Wei Sin Vice President, Healthcare Services Employees’ Union
12	Mr Lee Ke Hoo Alex, PBM Chairman, Nee Soon South Citizens' Consultative Committee
13	Mr Chua Thiam Chwee Andrew, BBM Chairman, West Coast Citizens' Consultative Committee
14	Mr Ivan Ho Khiam Seng Council Member, Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations (SFCCA)
15	Ms Sherena Loh Executive Director, Muscular Dystrophy Association (Singapore)
16	Mr Pradeep Paul Director, Corporate Communications Division, MOH Holdings [Mr Pradeep is a former Indian Citizen who became a Singapore Citizen in 2003. He has lived in Singapore for 23 years.]
17	Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim Partner, Litigation and Arbitration Practice Group, Rodyk & Davidson LLP
18	Mr Azriman Mansor Chief Financial Officer, Asia-Pacific (APAC), Possible Worldwide Pte Ltd
19	Ms Joanne Guo Assistant Executive Director, Strategy & Development, Singapore Business Federation (SBF)
20	Dr Eng Soo Kiang Family Physician, Unity Family Medicine Clinic (FMC), Lakeside FMC and CCK Family Clinic
21	Mr Tito Isaac Managing Partner, Tito Isaac & Co LLP
22	Ms Yeo Ming En NTU Students' Union 26th Executive Committee Advisor (Student Activities)
23	Mr Amos Maximilian Lee Canguang Former President, SMU Apolitical Association
24	Mr Goh Seng Chiy Research Fellow, Chua Thian Poh Community Leadership Programme, NUS & Former Council Chairperson of the 36th NUS Students' Union
25	Mr Jaime Ho Deputy Chief Editor (Digital News), MediaCorp
26	Ms Ang Yiting Digital Content Editor, Chinese Media Group Digital, Singapore Press Holdings
27	Mr Marc Lim News Editor, The Straits Times
28	Dr Victor Tong Joo Chuan Director, Social & Cognitive Computing Department, Institute of High Performance Computing, A*STAR
29	Mr Lucian Teo Education and Outreach Manager, Google