SINGAPORE — Instead of being called Residents’ Committees (RCs) or Neighbourhood Committees (NCs), grassroots groups of new public and private housing precincts will simply be called Residents’ Networks (RNs).

A single Residents’ Network may serve both Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat dwellers and those living in private property.

RCs and NCs are no longer as separate or distinct as they used to be, and the change will encourage residents living in private and public housing to mix more freely and take part in community activities together, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Friday night (July 20).

“Bringing private estate residents and HDB residents together will make our grassroots network more effective, (and) it will strengthen our social cohesion,” he said at the RCNC Anniversary Dinner held at the Singapore Expo Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Existing RCs and NCs will get to decide if they wish to retain their current names, rename themselves as RNs, or re-organise and merge to form new RNs.

There are currently 654 RCs in HDB estates and 215 NCs in private estates. Eight in 10 NCs – or about 172 of them – have a neighbouring RC because the Government deliberately planned for private and public housing developments to be near each other, said Mr Lee.

Officially set up in 1978, RCs were created to build community spirit among residents living in HDB estates. The NCs were formed 20 years later for residents living in private estates. They organise a range of activities that include karaoke sessions, health screening and parenthood celebrations.

Recounting how RCs were first formed, Mr Lee said the ruling People’s Action Party had set up a taskforce in the 1970s to study the formation of “block working committees” to help residents adapt to high-rise living after being relocated from the kampungs, and get to know one another. It was also to manage the problem of petty crime at the time.

While the original idea was to have policemen leading these committees, Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong felt this would create the bad perception that Singapore was a police state, said Mr Lee. Mr Goh suggested forming residents’ committees precinct by precinct.

On giving existing RCs and NCs the flexibility to decide if they want to rename themselves, Mr Lee said: “I know many of the RCs and NCs have a long history… you have a heritage and identity which you want to preserve and I fully understand that.”

Encouraging them to look for new ways to collaborate with neighbouring RCs or NCs, he added: “Maybe one day, you will feel less of a need to have separate groups, and be more comfortable and confident with one another to decide to merge.”

Grassroots leaders told TODAY they would consider various factors before deciding their next move.

Mr Isaac Lum, chairman of Opera Estate NC, said its situation is “slightly unique” as the Joo Chiat area is only made up of NCs.

Nonetheless, there is room for collaboration with RCs that are located slightly further away, such as the Kembangan-Chai Chee RC, for sports events, said Mr Lum, 35.

His team are also thinking if they should “rebrand” their committee as a RN. One consideration is the relatively long heritage of the estate and the committee, he said.

Ms Peria Nayakhi, vice-chairman of Punggol Seas RC, said it would like to get to know the new neighbouring Ecopolitan NC first, and see if there are similarities in residents’ interests.

Her RC has been helping the NC since the latter was formed a few months ago, and they plan to jointly run cardiopulmonary resuscitation classes.

Going forward, Mr Lee said RCs and NCs should make special effort to get younger residents and families to join.

They should also look out for opportunities to work with groups such as clans, youth groups or even religious groups that are not part of the grassroots network. By working together on projects that are in line with the committees’ own mission, they can broaden outreach and engage people who would otherwise not be part of their activities, said Mr Lee.

“We also want to make sure that we keep bringing young people, new blood into our grassroots movement, so that we can continue to serve the community well for many years to come,”  he said, thanking volunteers for their service.