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SINGAPORE: Many members of parliament (MPs), ministers and volunteers spent the last Sunday in the Year of the Pig fanning out across the island to distribute hong baos (red packets) and food packs to the needy.
A total of 150 public assistance recipients from Kolam Ayer were treated to lunch, singing and dance performances. They also received NTUC gift vouchers, mandarin oranges and festive food stuff.
Environment and Water Resources Minister Yaacob Ibrahim was there to wish them good health.
Over at the Sree Narayana Mission Home in Yishun, Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan presented new wheelchairs and hong baos to residents. Low-income residents in the area also received food hampers worth S$150.
Mr Khaw said the Health Ministry is looking into building more nursing homes in housing estates. This is to make it easier for children to visit their aged parents regularly.
"With population growth and ageing, you have to keep up with demand. But you don't want to overbuild because it will be too easy for children to send their parents to nursing homes. The best solution is to allow the elderly to age at home," he said.
Help was also at hand for the elderly in Bedok. 44 of those who are on the Public Assistance Scheme received hong baos from their MP who said there are several schemes to help Singaporeans cope with temporary hardships.
Deputy Prime Minister S Jayakumar said: "We have many schemes – whether it's Comcare or schemes under the community development council (CDC) and within the grassroots organisations – so we're able to cushion them in times of difficulty until their period of difficulty is over."
The South East CDC, NTUC Fairprice and Hwa Chong Institution also got together to help low-income families and single elderly persons cope with rising costs.
Under its "Food Samaritan" project, the students got Fairprice shoppers to sponsor some 1,900 food and non-food packages which were then distributed to the needy in the district in time for the Lunar New Year celebrations.
- CNA/so
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