GE2025: PAP West Coast-Jurong West team pledges stronger support for caregivers, people with disabilities

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SINGAPORE – More help will be on the way for caregivers and people with disabilities (PWDs) in Singapore’s west, should the PAP team win in West Coast-Jurong West GRC at the May 3 general election.

The proposals, which the team released in a media statement on April 29, include a job-matching pilot for PWDs and an expansion of peer support efforts for caregivers.

These are part of the team’s broader push to build a more caring and inclusive society, which is one of the key pillars in its manifesto for the constituency.

Minister for National Development Desmond Lee, who is leading the PAP slate in the group representation constituency, said the team intends to scale up proven ground-up efforts such as those in Boon Lay, West Coast and Nanyang. These initiatives support caregivers through peer networks and mental health resources.

“If given the opportunity to serve, our plan is to build on the existing programmes across the five divisions and Pioneer, and pilot new initiatives, such as this one in Nanyang, to benefit our residents,” said Mr Lee, who is also the Minister-in-charge of Social Services Integration.

He was referring to the Family of Purple Heart programme, which was introduced in Nanyang to provide emotional and mental health support for caregivers.

According to the team’s statement, the candidates plan to work with social service partners to expand outreach efforts in all divisions in the GRC and neighbouring Pioneer SMC, especially to caregivers who have yet to be connected with formal support services.

The team also plans to launch a year-long pilot programme to boost employment for PWDs in the region. Among other things, it wants to engage 10 per cent to 15 per cent of employers within the GRC and single-member constituency, match PWDs to suitable roles in various sectors, and help employers redesign jobs to be more inclusive.

The statement added that the team also hopes by the end of 2025 to engage most of the PWDs in the region who are currently not using employment services.

Mr Ang Wei Neng, the incumbent MP overseeing Nanyang ward and a candidate in West Coast-Jurong West GRC, said the employment pilot builds on the team’s track record of supporting caregivers, and seeks to create more meaningful opportunities for families to thrive.

“Through Family of Purple Heart, we saw how a little support can transform lives,” he said.

“This new partnership takes us one step further, giving persons with disabilities and their families a real chance to thrive in meaningful work, while strengthening the spirit of care and inclusion in our community.”

The initiatives make up one of nine pillars of a plan that Mr Lee’s team has developed for the GRC. The others include initiatives to help residents cope with rising costs of living, aid job seekers in their search for good jobs, and support seniors in their old age.

Besides Mr Lee and Mr Ang, a three-term MP, the PAP slate for West Coast-Jurong West GRC includes Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Finance and Education Shawn Huang, orthopaedic surgeon Hamid Razak and lawyer Cassandra Lee.

They are up against a PSP team that includes the party’s top three leaders – chairman Tan Cheng Bock, secretary-general Leong Mun Wai and first vice-chairperson Hazel Poa. The other two candidates are Mr Sumarleki Amjah, head of packaged food and business development at a food and beverage firm, and in-house legal counsel Sani Ismail.

PAP’s overarching plan for the GRC was announced in a press conference on Nomination Day on April 23, just hours after it was confirmed that the party would once again face the PSP at the polls. The PAP and PSP had faced off in the then West Coast GRC at the 2020 General Election, with the ruling party winning 51.68 per cent of the vote.