CDCs play important role in closing local gaps, trying new ideas: PM Wong

SINGAPORE – The five Community Development Councils (CDCs) play an important role because they see local needs that may not show up neatly in a policy paper or in official data, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

Speaking at a community event on Sept 18, PM Wong said the Government will do its part to give Singaporeans greater confidence about the future despite the world becoming more dangerous.

But another part of the response that is just as important is to keep communities here strong, which is where CDCs and their volunteers come in, he added at the event, which marked the appointment of 62 district councillors to North West CDC’s 10th council term.

“Policies can be designed nationally. But people experience their needs and challenges locally – in their homes, in their workplaces and in their neighbourhoods,” he said. “And that is where the CDCs, and that is where all of you as district councillors and partners, play an important role.”

PM Wong’s remarks came a week after the role of mayors was raised during the parliamentary debate on political salaries.

During the Sept 10 debate, Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh noted that the committee to review political salaries had recommended that wages for community-related roles such as MPs and mayors be delinked from the MR4 minister salary benchmark, and that the Government had agreed to study this.

Singh said it remained unclear to many Singaporeans what the job scope of a mayor is, and he asked if the authorities would include in its study the scope, role, and function of the office of mayor.

In his reply, PM Wong said the CDCs and mayors had mobilised a wider network of volunteers, responded to local needs and contributed to initiatives such as the CDC vouchers scheme and the Jobs Nearby scheme.

Noting that the WP had proposed in its GE2025 manifesto that the office of mayor be abolished, the Prime Minister said he wanted the mayors to keep strengthening Singapore’s communities, and to build a more cohesive and caring Singapore.

On Sept 18, PM Wong said another dimension of the CDCs’ work that is important is that, besides delivering programmes and providing local assistance, opportunities are created for residents, volunteers and businesses to contribute.

“There are some things that the Government can do. But there are many other things only people can give one another – friendship, encouragement, a listening ear, a helping hand,” he said.

“These are things that only people can do within the community itself, and these are often the things that turn a collection of residents into a community, and our neighbourhoods into home.”

At the event, North West District mayor Alex Yam said the CDC intends to increase the number of ground-up projects it supports in the coming three-year term from 300 to 400. 

It also plans for its 20 divisions to get an increased grant of up to $80,000 to implement projects tailored to their specific communities.

These were two of the ways the CDC intends to encourage neighbourliness and meet local needs, said Yam, adding that ground needs “may not be quite the same” in Marsiling, Bukit Panjang, Bukit Timah, Sembawang and Chong Pang.

North West CDC will also raise the per capita monthly income threshold for its financial assistance schemes from $1,000 to $1,500, which will help about 6,000 more residents qualify for its support schemes.

Yam said local assistance schemes have always been intended to complement national schemes, and that the raised threshold will benefit residents who may not qualify for broader schemes but are nonetheless genuinely struggling.

The per capita household income threshold for ComCare Short-to-Medium-Term Assistance is $800, though social service offices also conduct holistic assessments of each household’s overall situation, including savings, employment and family support.

“Falling just above the eligibility line doesn’t mean your electricity bill becomes smaller, your groceries become cheaper, or your family stops needing help,” said Yam. “And this is precisely where a CDC should have the
flexibility to respond.”

From April 2027, the district will also distribute baby packs containing practical essentials and vouchers worth up to $200 to up to 3,000 families with newborns each year.

Of the 62 district councillors serving a new term in North West Distrct, 25 are new. They include Mariam Natchiar, an educator at Xishan Primary School in Yishun. 

The mother of two has been a grassroots leader for about seven years, and chairs a Residents’ Network committee. Stepping up to become a district councillor will let her learn from other experienced councillors on building a healthier community, she said.

“Coupled with my role as an educator, I’m quite keen to explore intergenerational activities to see how we can make healthy living a more fun thing to do, catered for every age group of residents,” she said.