CDCs play important role in closing local gaps, trying new ideas: PM Wong

SINGAPORE - The five Community Development Councils (CDCs) play an important role because they see local needs that may not show up neatly in a policy paper or in official data, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

Speaking at a community event on Sept 18, PM Wong said the Government will do its part to give Singaporeans greater confidence about the future despite the world becoming more dangerous.

But another part of the response that is just as important is to keep communities here strong, which is where CDCs and their volunteers come in, he added at the event, which marked the appointment of 62 district councillors to North West CDC's 10th council term.

"Policies can be designed nationally. But people experience their needs and challenges locally - in their homes, in their workplaces and in their neighbourhoods," he said. "And that is where the CDCs, and that is where all of you as district councillors and partners, play an important role."

He said they help to bring national programmes closer to residents and connect residents with our schools, social service agencies, grassroots organisations and volunteers.

"And importantly, you see things that may not show up neatly in a policy paper or in official data - the needs of a family, a gap in the community or an idea worth trying," he added.

PM Wong's remarks came a week after the role of mayors was raised during the parliamentary debate on political salaries.

During the Sept 10 debate, Workers' Party chief Pritam Singh noted that the committee to review political salaries had recommended that wages for community-related roles such as MPs and mayors be delinked from the MR4 minister salary benchmark, and that the Government had agreed to study this.

Singh said it remained unclear to many Singaporeans what the job scope of a mayor is, and he asked if the authorities would include in its study the scope, role and function of the Office of the Mayors.

In his reply, PM Wong said the CDCs and mayors had mobilised a wider network of volunteers, responded to local needs and contributed to initiatives such as the CDC vouchers scheme and the Jobs Nearby scheme.

Noting that the WP had proposed in its 2025 General Election manifesto that the Office of the Mayors be abolished, PM Wong said he wanted the mayors to keep strengthening Singapore's communities, and to build a more cohesive and caring Singapore.

On Sept 18, the Prime Minister said another dimension of the CDCs' work that is important is that, besides delivering programmes and providing local assistance, opportunities are created for residents, volunteers and businesses to contribute.

"There are some things that the Government can do. But there are many other things only people can give one another - friendship, encouragement, a listening ear, a helping hand," he said.

"These are things that only people can do within the community itself, and these are often the things that turn a collection of residents into a community, and our neighbourhoods into home."

At the event, North West District Mayor Alex Yam said the CDC intends to increase the number of ground-up projects it supports in the coming three-year term from 300 to 400.

It also plans for its 20 divisions to get an increase of up to $80,000 in matching grants to implement projects tailored to their specific communities.

These were two of the ways the CDC intends to encourage neighbourliness and meet local needs, said Yam, adding that ground needs "might not be quite the same" in Marsiling, Bukit Panjang, Bukit Timah, Sembawang and Chong Pang.

North West CDC will also raise the per capita monthly income threshold for its financial assistance schemes from $1,000 to $1,500, which will help about 6,000 more residents qualify for its support schemes.

Yam said local assistance schemes have always been intended to complement national schemes, and that the raised threshold will benefit residents who may not qualify for broader schemes but are, nonetheless, genuinely struggling.

The per capita household income threshold for ComCare Short-to-Medium-Term Assistance is $800, though social service offices also conduct holistic assessments of each household's overall situation, including savings, employment and family support.

"Falling just above the eligibility line doesn't mean your electricity bill becomes smaller, your groceries become cheaper, or your family stops needing help," said Yam, adding that this is precisely where a CDC should have the flexibility to respond.

From April 2027, the district will also distribute baby packs containing practical essentials and vouchers worth up to $200 to up to 3,000 families with newborns each year.

Of the 62 district councillors serving a new term in North West District, 25 are new. They include Mariam Natchiar, an educator at Xishan Primary School in Yishun.

The mother of two has been a grassroots leader for about seven years, and chairs a Residents' Network committee. Stepping up to become a district councillor will let her learn from other experienced councillors on building a healthier community, she said.

"Coupled with my role as an educator, I'm quite keen to explore intergenerational activities to see how we can make healthy living a more fun thing to do, catered for every age group of residents," she said.

This article was first published in The Straits Times . Permission required for reproduction.

新加坡——总理黄循财表示，五个社区发展理事会（CDC）发挥着重要作用，因为它们看到了政策文件或官方数据中可能无法清晰体现的当地需求。

黄循财总理在9月18日的一次社区活动上表示，尽管世界变得越来越危险，但政府将尽其所能，让新加坡人对未来更有信心。

但他在活动上补充说，应对措施的另一个同样重要的部分是保持社区的强大，而这正是社区发展委员会及其志愿者发挥作用的地方。此次活动标志着西北社区发展委员会第十届理事会任命了 62 名区议员。

“政策可以在全国范围内制定。但人们的需求和挑战是在地方层面体验的——在家里、在工作场所、在社区里，”他说。“而这正是社区发展委员会，以及各位区议员和合作伙伴发挥重要作用的地方。”

他说，这些措施有助于拉近国家项目与居民的距离，并将居民与我们的学校、社会服务机构、基层组织和志愿者联系起来。

“更重要的是，你会看到一些可能不会在政策文件或官方数据中清晰体现的事情——一个家庭的需求、社区的缺口或一个值得尝试的想法，”他补充道。

黄循财总理发表上述言论一周前，国会就政治薪酬问题进行辩论，市长的角色也随之被提出。

在 9 月 10 日的辩论中，工人党主席毕丹星指出，审查政治薪酬的委员会建议将国会议员和市长等社区相关职务的工资与 MR4 部长薪酬基准脱钩，政府已同意对此进行研究。

辛格表示，许多新加坡人仍然不清楚市长的职责范围是什么，他询问当局是否会将市长办公室的范围、角色和职能纳入研究范围。

黄总理在答复中表示，社区发展理事会和市长们动员了更广泛的志愿者网络，回应了当地的需求，并为社区发展理事会代金券计划和“就近就业”计划等举措做出了贡献。

黄总理指出，工人党在其2025年大选宣言中提议废除市长办公室，但他希望市长们继续加强新加坡的社区建设，并建设一个更加团结友爱的新加坡。

9 月 18 日，总理表示，社区发展中心工作的另一个重要方面是，除了提供项目和当地援助外，还为居民、志愿者和企业创造了贡献的机会。

他说：“政府可以做一些事情，但还有很多其他事情只有人与人之间才能给予——友谊、鼓励、倾听和帮助。”

“这些事情只有社区成员才能做到，而这些事情往往能将一群居民变成一个社区，将我们的邻里变成一个家。”

在活动现场，西北区区长亚历克斯·亚姆表示，CDC计划在未来三年任期内，将其支持的新建项目数量从300个增加到400个。

该公司还计划为其 20 个部门增加高达 8 万美元的配套拨款，以实施针对其特定社区的项目。

Yam表示，这是CDC打算鼓励邻里和睦、满足当地需求的两种方式，并补充说，马西岭、武吉班让、武吉知马、三巴旺和崇邦的实际需求“可能并不完全相同”。

西北社区发展委员会还将把其财政援助计划的人均月收入门槛从 1000 美元提高到 1500 美元，这将帮助大约 6000 名居民获得其援助计划的资格。

Yam表示，地方援助计划一直旨在补充国家计划，提高门槛将使那些可能不符合更广泛计划资格但却确实生活困难的居民受益。

ComCare 短期至中期援助的每户人均收入门槛为 800 美元，但社会服务机构也会对每个家庭的整体情况进行全面评估，包括储蓄、就业和家庭支持。

“收入刚好超过资格线并不意味着你的电费会减少，你的食品杂货会更便宜，或者你的家庭不再需要帮助，”Yam说道，并补充说，这正是疾控中心应该有灵活应对的地方。

从 2027 年 4 月起，该地区每年还将向多达 3,000 个有新生儿的家庭分发婴儿包，内含实用必需品和价值高达 200 美元的代金券。

西北区共有62名区议员连任，其中25名是新当选的。其中包括义顺西山小学的教师玛丽亚姆·纳奇亚尔。

这位有两个孩子的母亲从事基层领导工作已有七年左右，目前担任居民网络委员会主席。她表示，竞选区议员将让她有机会向其他经验丰富的议员学习如何建设一个更健康的社区。

“结合我作为教育者的角色，我非常热衷于探索代际活动，看看我们如何才能让健康生活变得更有趣，并适合各个年龄段的居民，”她说。

本文最初发表于《海峡时报》。转载需获得许可。