MINISTRY OF SOCIAL AFFAIRS

Social Welfare

The new approach in social welfare is to place greater emphasis on the developmental and preventive aspects of welfare work. Priority will be given to the welfare of the young, the aged and the strengthening of the family unit.

In the delivery of social services, the Ministry will promote greater community involvement. Voluntary social service organisations will be encouraged to expand and improve their programmes of activities including the provision of residential services.

Private and industrial establishments will be assisted to provide creche facilities for working mothers. The Ministry will ensure that creches are properly run and help in the development of new creches.

The Community Probation Service will be strengthened. More volunteers will be recruited and trained to assist in the rehabilitation of offenders on probation and aftercare.

A Volunteer Social Service Bureau has been set up. The Bureau will recruit, train and deploy volunteers for voluntary social work on a national scale.

Residential care of children and young persons will stress the inculcation of good citizenship and work discipline. The needy aged will be assisted to maintain their self-dependence within the community.

Sports

The Singapore Sports Council will continue to emphasize mass participation and the implementation of a "Sports for all" policy. New sports facilities will be developed under a Master Plan for sports facilities up to 1982. They include provisions for 30 squash courts; 70 tennis courts; 7 swimming pools; 3 football pitches and 2 multi-purpose indoor stadia. These projects will be constructed at an estimated cost of $20.95 million to meet the recreational needs of Singaporeans.

Fitness schemes will be implemented to encourage more people to take up physical exercise on a regular basis. A National Aerobic Fitness Award Scheme has been launched to enable individuals to know their level of physical fitness. A fitness park providing 10 exercise stations along a jogging trail has been built for joggers and others who are interested in physical exercise.

Constituency sports participation will continue to be implemented through a programme of seven popular sports.

The Fire Service

The Singapore Fire Brigade will be prepared to meet the task of fighting and preventing fires in high-rise buildings. A High-rise Unit has been formed to undertake regular inspections of high-rise buildings and to ensure that fire protection equipment installed in the buildings are maintained in good order. Officers of the Brigade are given training locally and abroad to upgrade their skills. Modern fire-fighting appliances have been purchased to enhance the Brigade's operational efficiency.

A scheme for full-time National Service in the Brigade was introduced in January 1976. Additional batches of National Service Firemen will be enlisted. They will be posted for operational duties at the various fire stations on completion of their basic training.

The Brigade will take over the Hospital Emergency Ambulance Service to operate a unified Emergency Ambulance Service for the Republic. The Service will be equipped with a VHF communication system which will enable the ambulances to link up with the Accident and Emergency Centres in the hospitals.

Three new fire stations will be constructed over the next five years at Bedok/Changi, Ang Mo Kio and Woodlands.

A Fire Service Act will be introduced to facilitate the work of the Brigade in protecting life and property against fire.

Mosque Building Programme

Government's policy is to reserve sites in satellite towns for the building of mosques, churches and temples. In the next five years, mosques in Toa Payoh, Queenstown, Jurong, Woodlands and Bedok/Chai Chee will be completed under the Mosque Building Fund Scheme.

OTHMAN BIN WOK Minister for Social Affairs