15 new members appointed to Reach supervisory panel
Panel's 29 members from diverse sectors will focus on youth, PMETs and communities
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Members of the new Reach supervisory panel took part in an appointment and appreciation ceremony today, which was attended by Minister for Communications and Information S Iswaran (front, centre). The committee will be helmed by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Social and Family Development Sam Tan (right of Mr Iswaran), with Mr Liang Eng Hwa (left of Mr Iswaran) and Madam Rahayu Mahzam (not in picture) appointed as vice-chairmen.
PHOTO: REACH
Toh Ting Wei
The supervisory panel for government feedback unit Reach will have 15 new members, and train its focus on three groups: communities, young people, and professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs).
The communities group will include those with special needs, and people from the different ethnic groups, among others.
The unit will tap the expertise of the panel to reach out to the different segments of society through events such as dialogues and focus group discussions.
Reach, in a statement yesterday, said 14 members of the current panel have been reappointed for another term.
The 29-member panel will start its two-year term next month. Its members are drawn from the public, private and people sectors, and come from, for instance, the media, social services, the grassroots and unions.
Reach said the appointments are part of efforts to rejuvenate the panel while maintaining continuity. It will continue to be helmed by Mr Sam Tan, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, and Social and Family Development.
He will be assisted by two vice-chairmen - Holland-Bukit Timah GRC MP Liang Eng Hwa, and Jurong GRC MP Rahayu Mahzam.
Mr Tan said: "As we face new challenges ahead and more diverse opinions on the ground, open communication becomes more fundamental.
"I hope to be able to work with our supervisory panel members to expand our outreach, to connect with more groups and conduct deeper engagements.
"Through these efforts, we hope to deepen trust between our Government and people, to build a stronger and united Singapore."
Reach - or Reaching Everyone for Active Citizenry @ Home - was launched in 2006 and is the lead public agency for engaging and connecting with citizens.
The Reach supervisory panel sets the strategic direction for the group's roles and activities.
Among the new members are Ms Sheena Lee, a Nanyang Technological University student and recipient of the Ministry of Education teaching scholarship, and Mr Andrew Richard Pang, a management committee member at The Eurasian Association (Singapore).
Ms Lee, 21, said she hopes to be able to help inspire young people in Singapore to speak up and play their part in the country's success.
She said: "The success of Singapore's future will depend on this generation of youth who have been given much. We need to remember that each generation must not only build on the success of the previous one, but also add value to it."