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Anyone can succeed in Singapore, regardless of family background: Shanmugam

SINGAPORE – It is possible to bring up a child to succeed in Singapore despite challenging family circumstances including single parenthood, said Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam on Sunday (May 20) as he reiterated the importance of individual responsibility in society.

Anyone can succeed in Singapore, regardless of family background, said law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam at the Nee Soon GRC Women's Dialogue 2018 at Kebun Baru Community Club.

Anyone can succeed in Singapore, regardless of family background, said law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam at the Nee Soon GRC Women's Dialogue 2018 at Kebun Baru Community Club.

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SINGAPORE – It is possible to bring up a child to succeed in Singapore despite challenging family circumstances including single parenthood, said Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam on Sunday (May 20) as he reiterated the importance of individual responsibility in society.

"Whoever your parents are, whatever your situation is, if you work hard, you can succeed, even (for children of) single parents, it depends on your determination," he said.

Mr Shanmugam, who is also a Member of Parliament for Nee Soon GRC, was speaking at a dialogue session with residents on women issues.

Responding to a question on what more can be done to help single mothers and their families, Mr Shanmugam noted that the authorities can help in many ways, such as providing the children of single-parent families with proper meals, textbooks and after-school care.

But at the same time, they cannot take away an individual's responsibility towards improving the lives of themselves and their children.

Single parents need to have the right attitude, such as being prepared to take up the jobs the authorities found for them and earn a steady stream of income.

"We can keep (the children) occupied, we can give them food but we can't look after the mother psychologically, 30 days a month because we don't have that kind of people and resources, it's not easy," he said.

He held up the examples of the three Cabinet ministers who have been touted as frontrunners to succeed Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat, Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing and Education Minister Ong Ye Kung overcame relatively difficult backgrounds to get to where they are, Mr Shanmugam pointed out.

Mr Chan grew up in a single parent household, with his mother raising him and his elder sister up in a three-room flat, which they shared with his grandparents.

He got into Raffles Institution, became a President's Scholar, and went on to be Chief of Army and now, a minister, said Mr Shanmugam.

Likewise, Mr Heng and Mr Ong grew up in modest flats but worked hard and clinched scholarships, before rising to become Cabinet ministers.

Noting that there are some single parents who continue to have a drug problem or neglect their children, Mr Shanmugam said: "It's not about being a single parent, it is whether you are focused on your (children) and (helping) them."

About 110 participants attended the dialogue which was held in collaboration with the Singapore Business and Professional Women's Association.

Mr Shanmugam and fellow Nee Soon GRC MP Lee Bee Wah also fielded other questions and spoke on issues, ranging from how women are disadvantaged in their careers when they go on maternity leave to protection for employers against foreign domestic helpers who may break their contracts.

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