Plans for population of Pulau Ubin
Parliamentary Question, 4 Nov 2019
Ms Anthea Ong asked the Minister for National Development (a) what are the Ministry’s five- and 10-year plans for the population of Pulau Ubin; (b) what is the population by age and gender of Pulau Ubin since 2014; © what criteria are used for this calculation; and (d) what are the measures in place to meet their healthcare, social and emotional needs, and by whom.
Mr Lawrence Wong: Our current plans are to keep Pulau Ubin a natural getaway for Singaporeans to enjoy. There are now about 130 people residing or working on the island.
NParks works closely with the Friends of Ubin Network (FUN), a group of diverse stakeholders, to ensure the well-being of the residents in Pulau Ubin. NParks has also set up a dedicated Community Liaison Team to address the needs of the community there.
The team gathers feedback from the community, and coordinates the sensitive improvement of facilities and services to meet household needs.
For example, the team conducts safety inspections and house repairs, drainage and track improvements, provides rubbish disposal services, and goes door-to-door to distribute potable water during droughts. The team also coordinates with agencies,community partners and the grassroots to provide resources and programmes for the welfare of Ubin’s residents. Collectively, these efforts aim to preserve Ubin’s cultural heritage and way of life.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Anthea Ong is a Nominated Member of Parliament. (A Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) is a Member of the Parliament of Singapore who is appointed by the President. They are not affiliated to any political party and do not represent any constituency. There are currently nine NMPs in Parliament.)
The multi-sector perspective that comes from her ground immersion of 12 years in different capacities helps her translate single-sector issues and ideas across boundaries without alienating any particular community/group. As an entrepreneur and with many years in business leadership, it is innate in her to discuss social issues with the intent of finding solutions, or at least of exploring possibilities. She champions mental health, diversity and inclusion — and climate change in Parliament.
She is also an impact entrepreneur/investor and a passionate mental health advocate, especially in workplace wellbeing. She started WorkWell Leaders Workgroup in May 2018 to bring together top leaders (CXOs, Heads of HR/CSR/D&I) of top employers in Singapore (both public and private) to share, discuss and co-create inclusive practices to promote workplace wellbeing. Anthea is also the founder of Hush TeaBar, Singapore’s 1st silent teabar and a social movement that aims to bring silence, self care and social inclusion into every workplace, every community — with a cup of tea. The Hush Experience is completely led by lovingly-trained Deaf facilitators, supported by a team of Persons with Mental Health Issues (PMHIs).
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