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More than 3,000 PG ambassadors from various backgrounds

SINGAPORE — When Republic Polytechnic student Chong Jian Qiang, 20, saw how two Pioneer Generation (PG) ambassadors tried to engage with his grandmother and father during a home visit last year, he was inspired.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Appreciation Luncheon for Pioneer Generation Ambassadors 2017 for Ang Mo Kio GRC and Sengkang West SMC on July 23, 2017. Photo: Wee Teck Hian/TODAY

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Appreciation Luncheon for Pioneer Generation Ambassadors 2017 for Ang Mo Kio GRC and Sengkang West SMC on July 23, 2017. Photo: Wee Teck Hian/TODAY

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SINGAPORE — When Republic Polytechnic student Chong Jian Qiang, 20, saw how two Pioneer Generation (PG) ambassadors tried to engage with his grandmother and father during a home visit last year, he was inspired.

“They put in the effort to explain very specifically how the Government can help my grandmother ... which helped a lot and (eased our financial) burden,” said the second-year industrial and operations management student.

“I thought maybe I can be part of them to help out the elderly.”

In December, he and a friend signed up for the PG ambassador programme. As part of their training, they had to familiarise themselves with the PG Package, MediShield Life and other elderly-related schemes, sit for a quiz and shadow mentors on the job.

Having volunteered as an ambassador for about six months now, Mr Chong said: “It’s really a very meaningful thing to do. Some of the elderly live alone and nobody takes care of them ... So we try our best to help them as much as we can.”

There are now over 3,000 qualified PG ambassadors, recruited by the Government as part of efforts to bring greater peace of mind to the elderly and encourage active ageing, said the PG Office.

The office noted that the PG ambassadors programme also provides volunteering opportunities, particularly for seniors. Four in 10 PG ambassadors are aged 60 and above.

One of them, who wanted to be known only as Mr Unnikrishnan, 67, was an industrial relations officer before retiring last year.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong mentioned both Mr Chong and Mr Unnikrishnan as examples of ambassadors who came from different backgrounds.

“I already started talking to people in trade unions (in my previous job), so I think it was a natural progression,” Mr Unnikrishnan said.

A former civil servant himself, he added that whenever he met seniors who used to be civil servants, they found it easier to talk and open up to him. SIAU MING EN

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