SINGAPORE: Minister for Home Affairs and Law K Shanmugam warned against complacency in tackling inequality, which he said was one of the most serious issues facing Singapore today.
Speaking at a Singapore Red Cross event on Friday (Apr 20), Mr Shanmugam said that inequality has to be tackled by the Government and via community-driven efforts.
Giving children a good start in life will help to close the inequality gap, said Mr Shanmugam, which is why the Government will double its spending on the pre-school sector to S$1.7 billion by 2022 and open 40,000 more childcare places by then.
"At the point of birth, there is already a gap," said Mr Shanmugam. "The gap widens because of the difference in the families - and inequality will manifest itself in many intangible ways."
He added that Singapore's philosophy is to give a helping hand to those who need it, while preserving the ingredients of Singapore's success: Education, hard work, discipline and integrity.
Mr Shanmugam was speaking at One Tampines Hub during the launch of the Red Cross Junior Club, an expansion of the Singapore Red Cross movement for children aged five and six which aims to equip the children with first aid skills.
AdvertisementAdvertisementHe said programmes such as this lay the foundation for a gracious society that is united, cares for the less fortunate and is a buffer against inequality.
His speech comes two months after Prime minister Lee Hsien Loong responded to a question raised in Parliament by Mr Gan Thiam Poh, MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC, about whether the income gap had widened in the past 10 years and whether an inter-ministerial committee should be set up to tackle the problem.
Mr Shanmugam said that the issue of inequality is a global one, but it is more challenging in Singapore.
“Globalisation is good overall – but try telling that to people who have lost their jobs. We must help those who have been affected," he said.
"In a small country like Singapore where the richest and poorest are never separated by more than 15 minutes' drive, inequality can be seen by all."
Mr Shanmugam said Singapore is doing relatively well, citing a Ministry of Finance study conducted in 2015.
The study found that about 14 per cent of those born to lower-income parents in Singapore can make it to the top 20 per cent, compared to 7.5 per cent and 9 per cent in the US and the UK respectively.
But there is no room for complacency, said Mr Shanmugam, adding that trust needs to be continuously earned by the Government.
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