Debate on President’s Address: Hany Soh on helping seniors in comprehensive estate planning

Helping Singaporeans enjoy their golden years with greater peace of mind begins with comprehensive estate planning. This entails making a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) nomination to appoint a desired donee, said MP Hany Soh. Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday (Apr 19), she pointed out that despite the Government’s efforts, the take-up rate of Singaporeans making comprehensive estate plans remains “less than the majority”. She is concerned that some may simply be “kicking the can down the road”. She said the real way to resolve the problem that they and their families may face subsequently is not to just encourage them to do an LPA now, but to look at how their immediate next-of-kin can assume responsibility and power to manage their affairs more quickly, without the need to go through a stringent deputyship court application. Ms Soh pointed out that currently, if a person becomes mentally incapacitated without making a prior LPA nomination, the immediate family members will have to apply to the Family Justice Courts (FJC) to be legally appointed as deputy of the incapacitated patient. Even though the FJC has now offered a simplified deputyship application, the process is still viewed as cumbersome and costly, she said. A simplified process typically takes at least four to six weeks to complete and the timeframe may be prolonged if the case gets more complex. To avoid going through unnecessary hassle, Ms Soh urged the Government to review the Mental Capacity Act and recommend adjustments so that in the event no LPA was made, a certain category of immediate next-of-kin can be the default deputy.