Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Vivian Balakrishnan noted that elderly parents forsaken by their children have been approaching the Housing Board for rental housing, as well as the CDCs and other charitable groups for financial assistance. -- ST PHOTO: EDWIN KOO
THE Government, concerned over the growing number of elderly parents seeking legal assistance, wants a full debate on the Maintenance of Parents Act (MPA), to assess if more needs to be done for the neglected old.
Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Vivian Balakrishnan told Parliament on Wednesday that although the absolute numbers are still small, 199 applications were filed at the Tribunal for the Maintenance of Parents last year - up from the 127 applications in 2008 and 109 in 2007.
He also noted that elderly parents forsaken by their children have been approaching the Housing Board for rental housing, as well as the CDCs and other charitable groups for financial assistance.
On their part, he said the HDB and CDCs have tightened criteria and where necessary, refer the needy elderly parents to the Commissioner for the Maintenance of Parents, which Dr Balakrishnan said plays an active role in monitoring the cases to ensure help is given.
He said the powers and resources of the Commissioner's Office will be further strengthened so that it can play an even more active role, including ordering maintenance of elderly parents.
Responding to calls from MPs Seah Kiang Peng (Marine Parade GRC) and Wee Siew Kim (Ang Mo Kio GRC) for amendments to the MPA, Dr Balakrishnan agreed that the Act should reflect the central importance of filial piety to our society. 'We need to ensure that adult children discharge their duty to provide for their parents,' he added.
The Act was first tabled in 1994 in 1994 as a private member's bill by then Nominated MP Walter Woon, who is now the Attorney General. To find out if more needs to be done for the neglected elderly, the minister suggested that Mr Seah 'gather a group of like-minded Members and table a Private Member?s Bill to amend the MPA, proposing changes to make it more effective.'
'The Government will lift the whip on this issue so that we can have a full and thorough debate both inside and outside this House. MPs will vote according to their conscience, and we will hopefully have a revised Act that reflects the aspirations and needs of our society on this sensitive issue,' he added.
