MINISTRY OF SOCIAL AFFAIRS

In any society, social deviants can always be found. The Government will have continually to take preventive' measures to keep the incidence of crime and juvenile delinquency at a low level. The Government will help offenders readjust to society to become law-abiding and socially useful citizens. With industrialisation and urbanisation, the pressure of life is increasing. The traditional stabilising forces of social control in our Asian culture are upset in parts. There is a tendency for new patterns of crime and delinquency of a more sophisticated nature to emerge. Their control will depend upon how the Government and all of us in the community can take preventive action to keep the family unit from loosening. Parental care and control over their teenage children must not deteriorate.

The Government has already planned for the general strengthening of the existing system of social welfare for the proper care of the destitute, the handicapped and others not in a position to take care of themselves or to be taken care of by relatives and friends. The Ministry will encourage greater community participation in the welfare programmes.

In order to mobilise more women for full-time employment to relieve the shortage of labour in Singapore, the Government intends to build more creches, especially in housing estates where there is demand for such facilities. Creche hours will also be extended for the convenience of the working mothers.

The Ministry will encourage the use of all manpower resources available, including handicapped persons. The latter, if given proper training and guidance and equipped with the necessary skills, could be a not insignificant source of manpower to meet the increasing requirements of our industries.

The Ministry has laid the foundation for a radical change in our sporting world. New concepts, new facilities, better organisation, a co-ordinated policy - all go towards the making of a new era for sports. Fundamental to this change is the need to meet the changing demands of our youthful population. With greater industrialisation there must be greater emphasis on community programmes which can catch the imagination of our young people.

A great task lies ahead for all those connected with the promotion of sports in Singapore. If the enthusiasm, dynamism and the co-operative spirit so far shown by the various leaders of the sports organisations is sustained, we can consolidate the framework to provide the programmes for mass participation in all kinds of sport activities.

Ours must be a robust and a rugged society. Our young people need to grow up healthy, free from the evil influences of drug addiction and hippism. They must not be lured by the fads and fetishes of alien sub-cultures. Our youth must be encouraged to participate in community programmes, using their leisure in a positive and wholesome way. More facilities for sports and recreation will be provided to enable this to be more the way of life in Singapore. Addendum to Presidental Address-Ministry of Health (cols. 36-40) (Cols 0051-0058)