MP Louis Ng to host party for single unwed parents to celebrate ‘positive changes’

SINGAPORE — Member of Parliament (MP) Louis Ng is calling for single, unwed parents to meet and mingle next month. 

The MP for Nee Soon Group Representation Constituency will be hosting a celebration on Nov 10 from 7pm to midnight for these parents at Punggol Park, in view of recent changes in their favour. On top of that, the event is an opportunity for single parents to get together and have some fun, along with their children, said Mr Ng, noting that it is a “lonely journey” being a single parent. 

“It’s also a chance for them to let me know what their concerns are so that I can raise them in Parliament.”

Mr Ng told TODAY on Tuesday (Oct 15) that he has been speaking on issues related to single unwed parents in Parliament over the past four years and has since achieved several “breakthroughs”.

For instance, Ms Sun Xueling, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for National Development, said in Parliament last month that the Housing and Development Board (HDB) would state explicitly on its website that single unwed parents may approach it to apply to buy or rent a flat. 

Responding to Mr Ng’s adjournment motion on “Providing Housing for Single Unwed Parents and their Children”, Ms Sun said at the time that HDB will not outright turn away any single unwed parent who approaches it for assistance.

“In every case, HDB will engage the parents to understand more about their circumstances, including their financial and family situation,” she added.

In a Facebook post last Friday, Mr Ng said that he had fought hard to level the playing field for this group and it was time to celebrate these “positive changes”.

He added that he was glad that these parents’ applications to buy or rent a flat will be considered holistically and will not be rejected merely because they are single and unwed.

Apart from announcing the celebration through his social media posts with a registration form attached, notice has been given through word-of-mouth. So far, about 50 people have responded to say they will attend the gathering.

The cost and venue for the event will be sponsored by bistro Five &2, a social enterprise in Punggol Park founded by Timbre Group’s managing director Edward Chia and two other partners.

Mr Chia said that the bistro has two missions. The first is to provide employment to marginalised individuals and the second is to provide underprivileged families with nutritious food.

He added that when Mr Ng approached him about the event, he realised that a few of the target groups that both he and Mr Ng are supporting are similar. 

“Our missions do have some alignment and we want to support Louis’ celebration party,” Mr Chia said.

“For us, it’s not because we want to serve just single mothers, but we also have a broader objective to serve underprivileged families.”

MORE BENEFITS IN RECENT YEARS

Last month, Ms Sun revealed that there will be a “comprehensive review” by HDB to improve its communications to better support single, unwed parents applying for rental flats.

The housing authority will also look into having a dedicated section on its website to address common questions from single unwed parents, she added.

Her announcements were in response to Mr Ng’s adjournment motion in Parliament where he called for changes to the housing policy for this group, for instance, allowing those under the age of 35 to buy a two-room flexi flat from HDB.

He also called for the Government to publish a set of eligibility criteria in which a specific group of single parents under 35 can apply for a rental flat without needing a case-by-case review or appeal.

The recent changes follows those introduced over the years to give more benefits to single, unwed parents and their children. 

In 2016, for instance, the Government gave children born to unwed parents access to the Child Development Account which can be used for a child’s education and medical expenses. 

A year later, unwed mothers were granted 16 weeks of paid maternity leave instead of eight to be on par with that provided for married mothers.