GOVERNMENT agencies should administer with a human touch and a big heart to help those who need assistance in these tough times, said an MP in Parliament on Thursday.

'Please empathise with people with seek assistance and be more sympathetic to those who find themselves in difficult situations,' said Mr Wee Siew Kim, MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC, during the debate on the Prime Minister's Office budget.

RELATED LINKS  PMO-Caring Government Agencies

Urging civil servants to take a leaf from how Comcare support is delivered and show that the government cares, he said: 'If a judgment call needs to be made, why not be generous in compassion or set up a system where people closer to the situation can be relied upon for an additional point of view or judgment? Just like the roles the grassroots leaders play in the delivery of Comcare support.'

Mr Wee related an accident involving a motorcyclist and his pillion-riding wife when urging civil servants to be more forgiving.

He said: 'The car in front of them braked suddenly. The motorcyclist swerved his bike and fell. The car sped off and the motorcyclist and his wife were too hurt to take the car registration number down. Not only were both husband and wife hurt and off work, he received a fine and demerit points too.

'Is this fair or is it just the unthinking application of a rule that if you are hurt in an accident, you are penalised? Would this resident see this as justice? Are the officers so busy and stretched that everything is an automated reaction?'

But Mr Wee acknowledged that there are agencies that go out of their way to understand the ground in order for them to perform their roles better.

'These send representatives to community meetings, which are always invariably in the evenings. They take feedback seriously and they follow up. They communicate,' he said.

'If only this is common across the family of government agencies.'

Responding to Mr Wee's points, Mr Teo Chee Hean, Minister in charge of the Civil Service, concurred that public officers must show understanding, empathy, compassion and sensitivity, especially towards Singaporeans who are going through challenging times.

'All Quality Service Managers throughout the Public Service have been briefed to pay attention to this aspect of service delivery,' said Mr Teo, who is also Defence Minister.

'Small efforts can make a big difference. Sometimes, by explaining schemes and initiatives more clearly, more patiently, and by offering alternatives, we can help people better understand their situation and determine the best course of action.'

But he said members of the public must also appreciate that not every apeal can be acceded to.

He took the opportunity to give a broader perspective of what the public service is.

'Public servants serve the public in two respects. They serve individual members of the public and must always remember that. But they also serve the public as a whole, and hence there is the wider public interest as well,' said Mr Teo.

'So policies and laws are there to serve the wider public interest too. Traffic rules are there because they make roads safer for all members of the public. They may be inconvenient for certain individuals, but they are there to make life safer and more convenient for all.

'Hence, while flexibility can and should be exercised in considering the requests of individual members of the public, the interest of the wider public must also be taken into account.'