Committee of Supply 2024 debate, Day 6: Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap on ComLink

In Parliament on Wednesday (Mar 6), MP Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap pointed out that one feature of ComLink+ is having family coaches and volunteer befrienders work directly with beneficiary families, providing custom support. He reiterated his recommendation that the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) maintain a low beneficiaries-to-coach and befrienders ratio, as this will not only ensure that beneficiary families get adequate support from their coach and befrienders, it can also help reduce burnout and stress on coaches and befrienders. Noting that there will still be cases where low-income households turn to unlicensed moneylenders, he asked the MSF if any assistance will be offered to low-income households in such a predicament. He suggested that MSF explore working together with organisations focused on debt counselling, and for MSF and the Ministry of Education to explore integrating basic financial literacy into the curriculum for secondary school students.