lifebook-pages_nb

is
it
the handbook
your
choice?

the normal
Singaporean life
62
onwards
retire
23-28
graduate with a degree
21-28
have children
20s-62
work
25-30
get married

The LIFE Handbook
is designed as part of a final-year
project, titled ‘LIFE: it’s your choice?’ by
Tan Jie Lin, at Nanyang Technological
University, School of Art, Design, Media.
This project was supervised by Asst.
Prof Nanci Takeyama, who I owe the
world to for all best guidance and
unwavering support. A million thanks
from the heart.
© 2019
(design)
Tan Jie Lin
(printer)
First Printers
(typography)
space mono / univers /
arial / 禹 卫 书 / 站 酷 小 微
have children

In the eyes of others, we are from the little red dot.
A multiracial, economically developed tropical country, safe for all to
roam at night. “Once a fishing village, we’ve come so far from modest
kampong days”, to arrive at this accomplishment of a bustling,
prosperous metropolitan cities where its citizens lead comfortable lives.
When speaking of a ‘normal’, typical Singaporean life,
a sequence may come to mind:
education
“study, develop your skills,
get good grades, go to a good school,
graduate with a degree”
what is all education is about?
what are ‘good’ grades?
is a degree still going to be relevant?;
can everyone afford the ideal education?
employment
get a good job, rise up in ranks,
attain an accomplished career;
what is a ‘good’ job?
are money and power everyone’s pursuits in life?
is money all there is to define accomplishment?

marriage
find a suitable marriage partner, save
enough money, get married,
apply for a house, settle down;
will everyone find someone to get married with?
does everyone want to get married?
can everyone get married?
why does getting married = settling down and
attaining happiness?
starting a family
have children, take care of them
making sure they have the best
is starting a family and having children
necessary and meaningful to everyone?
what really is the definition of a family?
retirement
save enough for retirement, enjoy
retirement life with partner and children.
are everyone able to save enough they need
for retirement?
what is the idea of a fulfilling retirement life?
how many have you managed to check off your list?
which are you striving towards?
which do you think you are unable to achieve?
but... what is normal?

e we
uestioning
he norms
nough as
ingaporeans?
and how
have
policies
shape
how we
Social norms serve as implicit guides to our way of
living - especially so in Singapore. Over decades, the
pro-family policies of Singapore and its sociocultural
climate - in the name of economic development and
“Asian values” - have inevitably paved a singular,
expected life trajectory for its citizens: have a ‘good’
education, a ‘good’ job, a ‘happy’ marriage, ‘accomplished’
children and a ‘comfortable’ retirement.
Monetary incentives and benefits are given by the
government to encourage certain ways of life, but
inevitably ends up reinforcing this single narrative.
Many Singaporeans consciously or unconsciously
make their life choices in order to receive these
benefits to get ahead in life.
This single story is what is defines the ‘normal’
Singaporean life. When we are convinced that such
norms are the only path acceptable and ideal, it
excludes all others who wish not, or simply cannot fit
into this single story, by the differences of class,
gender, sexuality, race, etc.
We Singaporeans tend to believe it is all up to the
individual to make their life choices, and the failure to
live up to the single story becomes a responsibility of
the individual and individual family units - despite the
strong social expectations and structural factors.
This project is a metaphor of Singapore’s norms -
in five categories it deconstructs structural factors –
especially government’s social policies and benefit
schemes, to ask the question:
Life, who’s choice is it?
Is it your choice?

see these
norms?
hat is education?
hat is work?
hat is marriage?
hat is a family?
hat is retirement?

凶
吉
$
$
was meritocracy
ever meant
to help the poor?
will you
have a
promising
future?
Meritocracy is the philosophy that believes resources should be allocated to individuals on the basis of
talent, effort, and achievement. Over the years of independence, Singapore’s education system has
elevated Singaporeans’ standards of living, offering them more opportunities for jobs and to learn.
Singapore’s quality of education has even gained an international reputation. And thus have been prided by
Singaporeans to be our effective tool for social mobility.
As ideal as it sounds, what could be its shortcomings? And who could it have be implicitly working against?

Meritocracy is
the best model
for Singapore...
"Ten years ago,
about 20 per cent of our
employed households had an
income of $3,000 or less...
Today, this has gone down to
well below 15 per cent. [...]
MERITOCRACY DOES NOT OPERATE ON THE BASIS
OF BIRTH AND CONNECTIONS. Through education,
meritocracy will reward you if you are able to display
outstanding academic results, good character, leadership
skills, soft skills, and talent.
Theoretically, people are able to elevate through social
classes if they are able to display merit, through their ‘hard
work’. It worked for Singapore over the years of independence
- why wouldn’t it work?
education
...but needs to
evolve to meet
new challenges
“[...] But that also means that
the smaller group of families
that continue to remain poor and
low income are facing more
difficult challenges."
“Meritocracy is best model for Singapore, but needs
to evolve to meet new challenges: Ong Ye Kung”,
The Straits Times 24 October 2018.
BUT IT IS UNDENIABLY AIDED BY PRIVILEGES
YOU’RE BORN INTO. As much as it offers fair chance
to everyone.
Not enough money for tuition classes? Talent classes? Oratory
classes? No parents of higher social classes, equipped with
more resources, knowledge, time to help their children navigate
through the system, to be “better than other kids”?
Or just not ‘outstanding’ enough?
You got to work hard. Beat the competition. There’s no room for
being average. You have to work harder than anybody else.

FORM S1 EDUCATION AND MERITOCRACY
SECTION I - MONTHLY HOUSEHOLD INCOME
More than S$2,750; which does not qualify you
for financial assistance but may or may not be
enough for you to afford out-of-school
programmes, and school programmes inclusive
of coverage by Edusave
吉 x3 凶 x5
Less than S$2,750; to qualify for Ministry of
Education (MOE)’s financial assistance
scheme (FAS)
ENSURING RIGHTS TO BASIC EDUCATION
There are certain government schemes in place to
ensure that all Singaporean students have access to
basic education, basic set of school supplies, and able to
join certain school-based enrichment programmes.
Edusave Contributions
WHAT: An Edusave account for for the purpose of various
school enrichment programmes and holistic
development
WHO: All Singaporean student aged 7-16 (primary and
secondary school levels)
HOW MUCH: Annual contributions range from S$200 to
S$290 depending on school year and age of the child.
MOE Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS)
WHAT: Subsidies for university tuition fees of a
substantial amount
WHO: Students from households with monthly income of
S$2,750 or lesser.
HOW MUCH: A range of financial assistance such as
THE COST OF
HIGH COST OF LIVING
A family living on less than $2,750 a month is unlikely to
afford the copious amount of textbooks, school supplies,
school programmes etc., which are all necessities to
education in Singapore, which most likely would exceed
the subsidies given. Especially if they may have more
than one child.
COMPETITIVE CULTURE
Tuition has become a necessity for Singaporean
children. Without tuition, parents are likely to feel like
their children will lose out to others. This implies that
there is the reality and belief that basic education is not
enough for one to get ahead in the competition of ‘merit’.
This also applies to the development of ‘global citizenship’
and ‘cultural intelligence’ which often takes place in
form of overseas exchange programmes which will
definitely not be enough with Edusave contributions.
For low-income households, children may really need

subsidies for particular school supplies and waivering
off of school fees and miscellaneous fees for primary
school up to junior college level of education.
private tuition more than children with parents of higher
social class, as parents may not be educated enough to
help children with their homework.
THE NORM OF ‘HOLISTIC’ DEVELOPMENT
Building onto the competitive culture, ‘holistic development’
has become part of the factors for determining
one’s merits. If one is able to play the piano, or display
talent in leadership abilities, they will be rewarded by
the system or the society.
But the exposure to such skills and talents does not
come naturally. Many have to pay for classes and
learning materials to develop these skills, and Edusave
will probably not be able to cover these or cover
enough for a long-term development and wide coverage
of the skills. This would already put low-income
children at a disadvantage.
...OVERLY OUTWEIGHS THE HELP GIVEN TO LOW-IN-
COME STUDENTS.
Is ‘basic’ enough in the socio-economic environment of
Singapore’s society?

FORM S1 EDUCATION AND MERITOCRACY
SECTION II - ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
Top-scoring, qualifying for scholarships Average academic performance; does fairly
decent but not enough to qualify for scholarships.
吉 x5 凶 x5
Considered to be traditionally poor in academic
performance based on standardised tests
REWARDING ‘MERIT’
EXPECTED ROUTE OF EDUCATION
The government recognises students who have worked
hard and displayed merit in academic performance.
These awards serve to affirm them and to encourage
them to do even better.
Apart from government-administered awards, stellar
academic results is a basis to attractive scholarships
being offered to students, especially for the tertiary
education opportunities.
Edusave Scholarship (ES)
WHAT: A monetary award for those who have displayed
academic excellence
WHO: Awarded to all Singaporean students from Primary
5 onwards studying in Government, Government-aided
and specialised schools, when they are wthin the top
10% of their cohort in terms of academic performance,
and have demonstrated good conduct.
HOW MUCH: (Primary 5-6) $350 / (Secondary/specialised
schools) $500
Today, there is still a strong idea of the educational
route one should undertake in Singapore: primary
school, secondary school, junior college or polytechnic,
university. There are other paths which tend to lie
outside of popular imagination, a few to speak: Institute
of Technical Education (ITE), specialised art or sports
schools - some of which are stigmatised and some are
not. But the norm stays to be the former mentioned.
Of which, has become a norm, necessity, and assumption
that one should acquire a university qualification in
order to secure ‘good’ jobs - especially those from
prestigious local universities. The intake of these universities
still largely rely on one’s academic grades.
Being unable to qualify for a local university often times
leave people in an awkward position: should one repeat
junior college, go to polytechnic, go to work, or go to a
private university? Either way, university still tends to be
an ultimate goal.

Edusave Merit Bursary (EMB)
WHAT: A monetary award for those from lower to middle
income households and have displayed academic
excellence
WHO: Awarded to all Singaporean students from
Primary 5 onwards studying in Government,
Government-aided and specialised schools, when they
are wthin the top 25% of their level and course in terms
of academic performance, have demonstrated good
conduct, and whose gross monthly household income
does not exceed $6,900.
HOW MUCH: (Primary 1-3) $200 / (Primary 4-6) $250
/ (Secondary 1 to 5) $350 / (Pre-University 1-3) $400 /
(Institute of Technical Education/specialised
schools/Polytechnics) $500
MOE Tution Grant (TG)
WHAT: Subsidies for university tuition fees of a
substantial amount
WHO: All Singaporean Citizens undertaking full-time
courses at local universities.
And the difficulties for individuals of low-income
households when it comes to attaining a university
education could be greater than others. Granting that
one is a Singaporean citizen, studying in a local university,
they would receive a substantial subsidy for their
yearly tuition fees which can still amount to about
S$8k, after subsidies. This amount have yet to include
more fees such as miscelleneous fees, expenses on
learning materials, transport, accomodation, daily
expenses, etc - which can be an exorbitant fee. Even
with financial assistance from the universities, there is
still much to cover. And fit would be worse for individuals
who do not qualify for local universities.
Scholarships, could be a potential way out for people
of middle to low-income household to be able to have
opportunities of studying in a university, but what if
one is simply average in their academics?
Should one not deserve a higher education due to not
being outstanding or rich enough? After all, how many
people can afford to be outstanding, realistically and
statistically?
But is university the only route to a successful future?

FORM S1 EDUCATION AND MERITOCRACY
SECTION III - DISPLAY OF GOOD CHARACTER AND LEADERSHIP
Able to display measurably outstanding
‘good’ character, leadership abilities, and
soft skills,.
吉 x1 凶 x1
Not able to display measurable ‘good’
character, leadership abilities, and soft skills.
EXPANDING DEFINITIONS OF ‘MERIT’
MEASURING THE UNTANGIBLE
On top of recognising outstanding academic
performances, Edusave also awards those with
outstanding display of ‘good character’, leadership
skills, soft skills, and progress. This attempts to take off
the sole emphasis on grades as a measure of merit.
Edusave Character Award (ECHA)
WHAT: A monetary award for those who have
“demonstrated exemplary character and outstanding
personal qualities through their behaviour and actions”.
WHO: all Singaporean students from Primary 5 onwards
studying in Government, Government-aided, specialised
schools and the Institute of Technical Education, given
to up to 2% of students.
The question remains whether something so intangible
and unmeasurable such as ‘good character’ could be
measured and identified in individuals simply throughout
the course of study.
While the idea of awarding one for good character is
well-intended, it may run the risk of leading students to
believe that that ‘good character’ is to be showcased
and rewarded, instead of it being a given as a conduct
of a person.
Should something so intangible be equated with
monetary benefits?
Edusave Award for Achievement,
Good Leadership and Service (EAGLES)

WHAT: A monetary award for those who have
“demonstrated leadership qualities, service to
community and schools, excellence in non-academic
activities, and good conduct”.
WHO: All Singaporean students from Primary 4 onwards
in Government and Government-aided schools, junior
colleges/centralised institute, independent schools,
specialised schools and the Institute of Technical
Education, given to up to 10% of students.
Edusave Skills Award (ESA)
WHAT: A monetary award for those who have
“demonstrated excellent professional and soft skills
throughout their course of study, based on their
performance in curriculum components such as
internships and Final Year Projects, and/or
achievements in competitions, conferences or other
platforms that require the application of course-specific
skills, and good conduct”.
WHO: All Singaporean students in specialised schools,
the Institute of Technical Education and Polytechnics
are eligible for the Edusave Skills Award, which is given
to up to 10% of students in the graduating cohort of
each course

FORM S1 EDUCATION AND MERITOCRACY
SECTION IV - AREAS OF INTEREST AND STRENGTHS
Science and mathematics
Arts, humanities, social science
Both scientific and artistic
吉 x1 凶 x1
HOLISTIC, ALL-ROUNDED DEVELOPMENT
THE DISCREPANCY IN GOVERNMENT AND THE ECONOMY
Direct School Admissions
The education system puts efforts into recognising a
holistic, all-rounded development of students, through
making it possible for students to acquire direct
admissions into secondary schools, polytechnics,
junior colleges, ITEs through providing “the
opportunity to demonstrate a more diverse range of
achievements and talents”. Many times, these
encompasses arts and sports.
However in the real working world, arts, fine arts,
degrees tend to be paid less and are less sought after as
compared to degrees such as business, computing,
engineering, medicine, etc. Along with the Smart Nation
initiative, which now comes with a scholarship
programme, the government inevitably puts a stance on
more lucrative industry being those which are technology
and IT-related.

吉
凶
will you
have a
fulfilling
life?
are our
working
conditions able
to improve
everyone’s
(material and
non-material)
lives?
Singapore, known to be the small island nation without natural resources, except for human capital, we must raise
productivity - through increasing quantity and quality of it - to keep our economy developing so that we can enjoy a
high standard of living.
However, we are facing challenges of an ageing population - with longer life expectancy and decline in fertility rate,
it means that we have an ageing workforce. Thus our economy’s productivity must be focused on raising quality,
through investments in education and transition into digitisation, rather than quantity, as we cannot rely on migrant
workers in the long run.
For the individual Singaporean, all these mean that Singaporeans are expected to keep working and always be
evolving. We work to improve our lives. But are our environment of work and the societal expectations surrounding
it, able to truly improve the lives of everyone, who may have differing conditions, abilities, goals in life?

“Nobody owes
Singapore a
living.”
- Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, on possibilities of a more
liberal welfare system for Singapore.
The Straits Times, 7 April 1985
“Certainly, earning better wages will
help us cope with rising costs, and
while experience can count towards
that, technology is shaking things up.
Whether or not we can protect our jobs
and continue to progress is dependent
on how quickly we can adapt and
acquire relevant skills.”
- National Trades Union Congress (NTUC)
Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng,
“An Open Letter to All Working Singaporeans”
WE ALL HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF PROVIDING
FOR OURSELVES AND OUR FAMILES. After all, nobody
owes us a living.
Theoretically, as long as one is hardworking enough, and
are willing to adapt to the times, with the help of government’s
skills trainings, and other employment programmes,
one should be able to tide through the changing times of
work and stay relevant to the working world.
employment
"As long as our well-being and worth
as persons are deeply linked to
economic productivity, income, a
specific way of doing family, then
everyone's dignity is essentially at
risk. In this ethos, no one has
inherent worth as persons."
- Sociologist, Teo Yeo Yenn
This Is What Inequality Looks Like (2018)
“For those who qualify as low-income
earners, there is the anxious pursuit of
better jobs to provide for their family,
leading to unstable, often changing work
environments. This seems to result from a
combination of different struggles: the
desire to spend more time with their
children versus the need to earn more, the
mental stress of their precarious positions;
their lack of educational qualifications for
higher-paying positions.”
“Singapore is Small. For Single Mothers, It’s Even Smaller”,
Rice Media, 28 April 2019.
BUT OUR EMPLOYABILITY DEPENDS ON OUR EDUCATION
LEVELS. If the education system was not able to prepare
everyone similarly and adequately, there will certainly be
people who are left out in the rat race.
Apart from concerns with work-life balance for people with
stable, long term employment, there are people who devote their
lives to taking care of their family. There are people who are
unable to work with inborn disability or from accidents or
illnesses. Or there are people who are sole breadwinners of the
family, restricted by having to juggle between taking care of
family and working to survive.
There are many other types of people who do not fit into
the traditional idea of an active contributor to the society
and economy. Do they not deserve better lives?

FORM S2 EMPLOYMENT AND PRODUCTIVITY
SECTION I - CITIZENSHIP
Singapore Citizen
Foreign citizen
Permanent Resident
吉 x1 凶 x?
SECTION II - EMPLOYMENT STATUS
Full-time employment
Homemaker/unemployed
Self-employed
吉 x1 凶 x3
Part-timer/contract-based
SECTION III - EMPLOYMENT TYPE
IT jobs relating to Smart Nation initiatives (eg.
digital, computer science and cyber security,
data analysis, user experience design)
吉 x3 凶 x2
Jobs in other popular industry (eg. accounting
and finance, engineering) and other white-collared
jobs
Homemaker, or long term unemployed due to
health or other reasons, without stable
economic contribution
Other less lucrative industries such as sunset
industries; service, labour-intensive;
blue-collared jobs
SECTION IV - MONTHLY HOUSEHOLD INCOME
More than S$1,900 Less than S$1,900
吉 x1 凶 x1

SMART NATION INITIATIVE
In attempt to increase the quality of productivity, and
tackle a shortage of manpower, more manual,
low-skilled work is being digitised.
At the same time, the government also provides aid to
help workers, especially low-skilled and low-income to
tide over the digitisation transition, through skills
upgrade and CPF supplements.
SkillsFuture
WHAT: “A national movement to provide Singaporeans
with the opportunities to develop their fullest potential
throughout life, regardless of their starting points”.
Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ)
WHAT: Initiative to help Singaporeans with their
employment through grants for skills upgrades and
providing guidance for career planning
Workfare Income Supplement (WIS)
WHAT: A broad-based measure that tops up the salaries
of our lower-income workers and helps them save for
retirement.
WHO: Singaporean employees 35 years old or above on
31 December of the work year (all persons with
disabilities would qualify for WIS); and
earn a gross monthly income of not more than $2,000
for the month worked.
THE VALUE OF WORK AND INDIVIDUALS ARE MEAS-
URED BY THE ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTION THEY
GENERATE. Those who devote their lives to house work
or simply unable to work, or don’t adhere to traditional
or mainstream ideas of employment (eg. freelance)
would be implicitly burdened in a way that they will not
have enough savings for their CPF. And to qualify for
WIS, one must be working - which is also lacking in
terms of helping one get by their daily life as it’s limited
to a CPF top-up.
WORK-LIFE BALANCE
According to a 2016 study by Emolument.com, a salary
benchmarking site, almost half of employees (47 per
cent) find their experience of work-life balance “awful”.
Based on gender, 9% more women than men think their
work-life balance isn’t ideal.
But the definition of work and relationship and work
and life should be evolving and reevaluated constantly
according to the times.

吉
凶
will you
have a
blissful
marriage?
is marriage
necessary or
possible for
everyone?
As much as the ‘BTO marriage proposal’ is more of a running joke in Singapore, it reflects the reality of how
closely linked marriage and housing are, in the hearts of Singaporeans.
Due to the scarcity of land, there is a need to prioritise new public housing to those who ‘need it more’ - in
other words, family units (of traditional sense, a married couple, children, grandparents, etc.) or couples
planning to ‘settle down’ - with the potential of starting a family.
Meanwhile, singles can only apply for BTO (Build-to-Order) or purchase resale flats at at least the age of 35.
This would leave singles to alternatives of staying with their parents, rent, or purchase private housing (- if
one has the means to).
With the entitlement of such a necessity and rightful resource for citizens - public housing - to be largely
restricted by one’s marital status signifies the important place marriage is placed in the country.

“Getting married and starting
a family is one of life's most
fulfilling experiences.”
‘Getting Married’, heybaby.sg
“Marriage aspirations remain strong:
83% of single Millennials (aged 21-35)
indicated they intend to marry.”
Marriage and Parenthood Survey 2016
“Singapore’s public housing policy
is guided by our pro-family social
framework and the need to optimise
the use of our limited resources.
Nonetheless, the Government
recognizes that single citizens
have made valuable contributions
to our society and economy.”
- Minister for National Development, Mr Mah Bow Tan
on broadening of housing schemes
allowing singles to purchase public housing, 2001
LOGICALLY, PUBLIC HOUSING SHOULD GO TO
‘FAMILIES’ WHO NEED IT MORE, ISN’T IT SO?
Families which consists of a legally married couple, and
their children or parents should be able to have a place of
their own, more so than single individuals.
Singapore is a pro-family society, based off our ‘Asian’
values, so it makes sense to build a conducive environment
for people to start their families. And the provision of
housing is one aspect to cater to.
marriage
“But for women, the major reason
for staying single is that they
no longer have to marry for
economic survival.”
“The idea that women put their careers
first is only part of the story. The
reality for me is that most of the good
men are taken.”
“Singapore's fertility rate down as number of singles
goes up”, Straits Times, 24 September 2018.
“This reluctance to demonstrate full
support [for single mothers] can be linked
to the government’s stance on family units.
In 2016, after making several policy
changes to benefit single mothers, including
extending maternity leave to 16 weeks and
allowing children access to a Child
Development Account, Minister Tan Chuan-Jin
stated that the benefits do not undermine
parenthood within marriage, and that the
government continues to encourage this
prevailing social norm”
“Singapore is Small. For Single Mothers, It’s Even Smaller”,
Rice Media, 28 April 2019.
BUT THERE ARE PARENTHOOD, TYPES OF FAMILIES, AND
LIFESTYLES WHICH LIES OUTSIDE OF LEGAL MARRIAGES.
These are the people and families which do not fit the
ideal concept of ‘family’. They are unable to own public
housing and are not eligible for subsidies schemes,
despite ‘needing’ them as badly - or if not, even more.
If you’re unable to get legally married due to your sexuality,
or simply do not wish to get married because it does not
align to your believe, will you get married against your
will? What if you are a single parent juggling on several
jobs? Are the policies working for or against you?

FORM S3 MARRIAGE AND HOUSING
SECTION I - MARITAL STATUS OR INTENTION FOR MARRIAGE
Married, for the first time
Engaged with intention of registering marriage,
for the first time
吉 x5 凶 x5
Intending to get married
Do not intend to get married, out of choice or
other circumstances
Unable to get legally married to partner of
choice due to sexuality
Widowed/divorced/remarried
SECTION II - AGE
21 - 34 years old 21 years old and below
吉 x1 凶 x1
35 years old and above
Priority Allocation for First-Timers
WHAT: A priority scheme to help first-timers buy their
first home
WHO: First-time applicants of HDB (Housing
Development Board) flats
HOW: At least 70% of 3-room and larger Build-to-Order
(BTO) flats in non-mature estates, and 95% of the public
supply of 3-room and larger BTO flats in mature estates
and Sale of Balance (SBF) flats are reserved. More ballot
chances for first-timers compared to second-timer
applicants.
First-timer families applying for BTO flats in non-mature
estates will get a chance to select a flat within two or
three tries.
Fiancé / Fiancée Scheme
WHAT: A priority scheme to help allows courting couples
to apply for a new or resale HDB flat before officially
THE COST OF BEING ‘SECOND-TIMER’ OR A ‘SINGLE’
Assistance Scheme for Second-Timers
(Divorced/ Widowed Parents) (ASSIST)
WHAT: A scheme which provides assistance to divorced
or widowed persons with children
ELIGIBILE CRITERIA: Individual must have at least 1 child
aged below 16 years old, and must not have acquired
any interest in an HDB flat or private residential
property (except for your matrimonial flat/ property)
after the date of divorce/ separation or demise of your
spouse.
‘SECOND-TIMERS’
This includes individuals who may be divorced or
widowed from various reasons. Some of them may be
single parents.

egistering their marriage.
Deferment of Income Assessment for Housing Grants and Loan
WHAT: A grant for deferment of income assessment for
housing grants and loan, to allow them to apply for a
flat first until just before key collection.
WHO: First-timer couples who are full-time students or
NSFs, or have recently completed their studies or NS,
and are ready to settle down
Staggered Downpayment Scheme
WHAT: A scheme to allow young couples to pay for their
downpayment in successions
WHO: If at least one partner is aged 30 years or younger
at the point of application
HOW: Couples can opt to pay the 10% downpayment in 2
stages: the first 5% when they sign the Agreement for
Lease, and the remaining 5% upon taking possession of
their new flat
Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme
WHAT: A scheme which allows first-timer married
couples to rent a flat from HDB at around half or less
than half of market rental rates, while awaiting the
completion of their new flats.
Top-Up Grant
WHAT: A grant which tops up the amount of the Singles
Grant previously received to the Family Grant
WHO: For those who had obtained a CPF Housing Grant
for singles previously in their purchase of a resale flat or
bought a 2-room BTO flat from HDB as a single, and
subsequently marry a first-timer Singapore Citizen or
Singapore Permanent Resident,
Even with the ASSIST scheme, there are people who
are unable to be assisted by it despite needing it the
most, as it requires one to sell their matrimonial flat
before the divorce, and conditions which may be hard
to fulfill by parents who are of low-income brackets and
do not have stable employment.
Single Singapore Citizen Applicants
WHAT: A scheme to singles to purchase HDB flats
WHO: Single Singaporean citizens who are 35 years old
and above
A ‘SINGLE’
A single who is a Singaporean Citizen is allowed to only
purchase housing when they are 35 years old or older.
These ‘singles’ may be people who have chosen to
remain single out of choice, or could be unwed moth
ers with children, or gay couples who are unable to get
legally married. Some of which may need housing
more desparately than the ‘singles’ out of lifestyle
choices which are typically in popular imagination, but
would have no choice but wait until they are at least 35
years old.
Even for a single who is eligible for the scheme, they
are limited to can only buy 2-room Flexi units at
non-mature estates if they choose to BTO.

FORM S3 MARRIAGE AND HOUSING
SECTION III - NATIONALITY OF SPOUSE
Singapore Citizen
Foreign citizen
Permanent Resident
吉 x1 凶 x1
No spouse
SECTION IV - FAMILY NETWORK
Living together with parents and/or in-laws
Parents not living together or nearby
Parents/in-laws living nearby
吉 x1 凶 x1
Parents no longer alive or estranged with
parents
Married Child Priority Scheme
WHAT: A priority scheme for couples planning to
purchase a flat near their parents’ place
HOW: Up to 30% of the flat supply for first-timer families
and up to 15% of that for second-timer families are set
aside for those applying to live with or near their
parents/married child.
AN ASSUMPTION OF A SPECIFIC KIND FAMILY
There exists the assumption that most people would be
able to have the privilege of having their parents around
in order to take care of each other for. The idea of a
specific family network and structure which exists puts
those who happen to fulfill it at an advantage over those
who don’t - even though technically speaking, people
who may have been estranged from their parents would
need a house more than those who are in good relationship
as they would have no one else to stay with in the
period of waiting for a flat.
SECTION V - MONTHLY HOUSEHOLD INCOME
S$5,000 - $8,500
Less than S$1,500
More than S$8,500
吉 x1 凶 x1

Additional CPF Housing Grant (AHG)
WHAT: A housing grant for first-timer couples buying a
new HDB flat
HOW: First-timer couples with combined income of
$5,000 or less.
Special CPF Housing Grant (SHG)
WHAT: A housing grant for first-timer couples buying a
new HDB flat
HOW: First-timer couples with combined income of
$8,500 or less and are buying a 2-room Flexi, 3-room, or
4-room flat in a non-mature estate
Public Rental Scheme
WHAT: A public housing rental flat for those whose total
monthly household gross income do not exceed $1,500
Home Ownership Plus Education (HOPE) Scheme
WHAT: A scheme to help young, low-income parent(s)
who choose to keep their family small so that they can
focus their resources on giving their children a head
start, and improve their financial and social situation.

吉
凶
will you
have a happy
family life?
will everyone
be able to
enjoy a life
with children?
As part of Singapore’s pro-family stance, there are many policies in place to create a supportive environment for
families. After all, Singapore is a small nation which can only rely on human capital for our economy to keep going,
and with challenges of an ageing population, there is an even stronger pressing need to encourage the formation of
“families” which also comes in the form of pronatal policies. Monetary and economic-based incentives are given to
legally married couple who have children.
However, in the type of “families” which would be included as beneficiaries to the policies, is very specific and rigid.
A family in this definition will always require a legally married couple, and ideally, their biological children (more
often than not) and other close family members who could create a support system for.
This essentially means that people who are unable to get legally married due to their sexuality, or don’t wish to
marry, or are divorced and widowed will be excluded from the help which policies provided.

“We are not just
breadwinners, but we
are role models for our
children. We need to be
active and present in
our children's lives,
especially during a
child's formative years.”
- Social and Family Development
Minister Tan Chuan-Jin,
on pro-family measures allowing for ‘quantity
and quality time with our families’, 2011
FAMILIES ARE ESSENTIAL TO ONE’S LIFE. They
provide as support to individuals, and thus the desire
to starting a family should be supported. Especially
when childrearing and childbearing can be tough
and costly, especially so in Singapore.
family
“...the Government believes
in parenthood within
marriages, hence certain
measures are only for
married couples.”
on why Baby Bonus and tax relief are
excluded for unwed mothers
“In the meantime, low-income
single parents and their
children continue to bear the
brunt of not fitting into the
nation-state’s ideal of what a
family unit should be. Their
need for space, in particular,
is felt even more acutely.”
“Singapore is Small. For Single Mothers, It’s Even Smaller”,
Rice Media, 28 April 2019.
BUT WHY IS MARRIAGE A PRE-REQUISITE TO
GETTING HELP AND BENEFITS FOR CHILDBEARING?
How would a single parent differ in their intention
for wanting the best for their children. And perhaps,
they would need the financial benefits even more so.
AND WHY IS ‘PRO-FAMILY’’S SUPPORT IN
WORK-LIFE BALANCE ONLY LIMITED TO THOSE
WITH CHILDREN? Should work-life balance not be
needed by those with a family (without marriage and
children) to support as well?
There are many types of family, not just one which
consists of a legally married couple.

FORM S4 STARTING A FAMILY AND PRO-FAMILY POLICIES
SECTION I - MARITAL STATUS OR INTENTION FOR MARRIAGE
Married
Intending to get married
吉 x3 凶 x5
Unmarried / No intention of marriage / Unable
to get legally married due to sexuality
Divorced / Widowed (as a single parent)
SECTION II - INTENTION FOR CHILDBEARING
Intending to, or have 1-2 children
Not intending to have any children
Intending to, or have 3-4 children
吉 x3 凶 x3
Intending to, or have 5 or more children
Unable to have any biological children
Enhanced Baby Bonus
WHAT: A cash benefit to each child a couple has, to
encourage childbearing and to help relieve costs of
childrearing.
WHO: Lawfully married couples whose child is a
Singaporean Citizen
HOW: Comprises of a cash gift and a Child Development
Account (CDA), a special co-savings scheme for children
HOW MUCH: (1st and 2nd child) $8,000, (3rd and 4th)
$10,000, (5th and subsequent) $10,000 for each child +
Baby Bonus Child Development Account (CDA)
contributions which could be used for necessities such
as childcare fees, medical expenses, paying Medishield
LIFE premiums, and more.
HAVE MORE CHILDREN UNLESS IT’S...
WITHOUT MARRIAGE
Unwed mothers are implicitly being put a burden on for
being unwedded, as they are not entitled to the full
benefits of what lawfully married couples are able to
get - one such benefit is the Baby Bonus which
provides a substantial amount of cash which would
help greatly in expenses required for childrearing.
IN A LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLD
Through Home Ownership Plus Education (HOPE) Scheme,
couples of low-income households are encouraged to
have lesser children in exchange for subsidiies and
priorities for housing schemes and other benefits.
Parenthood Priority Scheme
WHAT: A housing priority scheme allowing priority
allocation when buying a HDB flat, with up to 30% of
BTO flats set aside for them.
WHO: For first-timer married couples with children
(including those expecting a child)

Third Child Priority Scheme
WHAT: A housing priority scheme for larger families by
setting aside up to 5% of the available flat supply.
WHO: For parents with at least 3 children.
SECTION III - SEX AND AGE
Female, 21-34 years old
Female, 35 years old and above
Male, 21-44 years old
吉 x2 凶 x2
Male, 45 years old and above
Others (the rest are inapplicable)
‘TICKING BIOLOGICAL CLOCK’
The top fertility of women are in one’s 20s, and
generally starts to decline in early 30s. At 35, a
pregnancy would be considered as a high-risk.
Meanwhile, men’s fertility generally starts to decline
at around 40-45 years old.
According to the annual Population in Brief report
released in 2018, biggest proportion of women staying
single is in the prime childbearing years of 25 to 29,
which is cited to be a main reason for Singapore’s low
fertility rate.
‘TRADITIONAL’ GENDER ROLES
With one’s biological sex being female seem to
inherently come with societal expectations that one
should get married and conceive.
Adding onto that, there are ‘traditional’ gender roles of
a female which adds on more burden when it comes to
childbearing and childrearing to an individual than
being male would. Women are typically expected to
take the role of a main caregiver of their children.
AND THE CONTRADICTORY DEMANDS OF A MODERN
ECONOMY
At the same time, women are now expected to be
working and actively contributing to the economy.
These ends up putting double burden on women, and
deterring women from childbearing, especially when
the physical conditions of childbearing would hinder
one’s productivity.

FORM S4 STARTING A FAMILY AND PRO-FAMILY POLICIES
SECTION IV - FAMILY NETWORK
Living together with parents or/and in-laws
Parents not living together or nearby
Parents/in-laws living nearby
吉 x1 凶 x1
Parents no longer alive or estranged with
parents
SECTION V - HOUSEHOLD INCOME AND EMPLOYMENT STATUS
More than S$2,750 per month
Less than S$2,750
Stable, full-time employment
吉 x1 凶 x1
Homemaker/unemployed/
self-employed/part-timer
In attempt to make the conditions of starting families
more conducive, pro-family policies help parents to
make time to take care of their children and
ecnoruaging work-life balance.
Work-Life Grant
WHAT: Incentives for company to implement flexible
work arrangements and job-sharing
Leave schemes and related benefits
WHAT: Maternity Leave, Paternity Leave, Shared
Parental Leave, Extended Child Care Leave, Infant
Care Leave, Adoption Leave for Mothers, Enhanced
Maternity Protection for Pregnant Employees,
Government-Paid Maternity Benefit
FULL-TIME HOMEMAKERS
Leave schemes and tax rebates are not enjoyed by
women who decide to or forced to leave their jobs to
devote to becoming full-time homemakers, and may
need even more financial support.
While caregiving responsibilities are shifted to centres,
grandparents, and foreign domestic works, as there is a
strong expectation for individuals in Singapore to work
and at the cost of long working hours, it diminishes the
value of household chores and childcare
responsibilities.
And for working parents, they’re also entitled to tax
reliefs and rebates, of which, also rewards tax relief
for those working mothers whose parent,
parent-in-law, grandparent or grandparent-in-law is
looking after any of their Singapore Citizen children
aged 12 years and below.
Tax relief and rebates

WHAT: Parenthood Tax Rebate (PTR), Qualifying Child
Relief (QCR), Handicapped Child Relief (HCR),
Working Mother’s Child Relief (WMCR), Grandparent
Caregiver Relief (GCR)
Working parents are also supported in childcare
expenses in terms of subsidies for childcare fees and
hiring of foreign dometic workers.
Subsidies For Centre-Based Infant Care And Child Care
Enhanced Foreign Domestic Worker Levy Concession

吉
凶
will you
have a
fulfilling
life?
why are there
people who are
unable to afford a
retirmeent life?
With longer life expectancy and declining fertility rate, Singapore has become one of the most rapidly
ageing societies. Thus, the government have given much attention in dealing with the challenges of an
ageing population.
Singapore is not welfare state. Thus our policy in ensuring that the financial security of citizens when they
get older and have supposedly retired, takes the form of Central Provident Fund (CPF). CPF is a social
security savings plan, which requires each citizen to contribute a part of their monthly in preparation for
their retirement life.
Along with financial security, the government have also devoted immensely to promoting active ageing,
encouraging elderly to take care of their physical and mental health, which would reduce healthcare needs
and costs, and also allow elderly to lead a meaningful life.
But who are those who would have fallen out of the cracks of the CPF scheme? Will they even get to enjoy
active ageing which the government promotes if one has to keep working?

“All of us know that
Singapore’s population will
age quite rapidly over the
next two decades, but what
is important is that this
ageing population need not
be a burden to us. In
fact, longevity is
something that we can
celebrate, we can look
forward to, we can help
Singaporeans age more
successfully to make their
senior lives more exciting,
more rewarding, more
fulfilling.”
- Health Minister Gan Kim Yong,
on a $3b initiative to promote active ageing, 2015
“Many seniors are working
into their 80s and 90s in
a bid to stay mentally and
physically active.”
“Age of golden workers: Many seniors working into 80s and
90s to stay active”, Straits Times, 30 April 2017
TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE FOR OUR OWN RETIRE-
MENT IS SHOULD BE PART OF OUR RESPONSIBILITY.
Through CPF, Singaporeans are able to contribute to part of
their retirement savings without putting a heavy burden on
the rest of the society, especially one with a shrinking
workforce population. At the same time, the government
has increased financial help for elderly through initiatives
like Pioneer Generation and Merdeka Generation benefits.
The encouragement of active ageing aims to allow elderly
to lead dignified and enriching silver years, allowing them
to enjoy not only a sustained standard of living but quality
of life, in the company of their family.
retirement
“In labour markets where
older workers are likely to
end up in low-paying and
undesirable jobs, work may
decrease their quality of
life without raising their
standard of living.”
- Asst. Prof Ng Kok Hoe on elderly poverty (2015),
“Ploughing on: The faces and insecurities of Singapore’s elderly
working poor”, Channel News Asia, 7 May 2017
“Singapore [...] face a distinct
and serious challenge to old-age
income security due to their
particular mix of public
pension policy and reliance on
intergenerational family
support.”
- Asst. Prof Ng Kok Hoe, Prospects for Old-Age Income Security
in Hong Kong and Singapore (2011)
“When the National Survey of Senior
Citizens asked elderly people in 2011
why they continued to work, more than
half said that it was to meet their
current living expenses.”
- Asst. Prof Ng Kok Hoe,“Many working out of need, not out of
choice”, Straits Times, 18 May 2017
BUT AGAIN, THERE ARE DIVERSED KINDS OF ELDERLY.
Part of Singapore’s retirement system still puts most
burden on the individual and their own families, despite
increased help.
What if one was unable to save enough for a retirement
life? What if one does not have family support - if they had
been unmarried, divorced, widowed, or simply also had
family members who are struggling to make ends meet?

FORM S5 RETIREMENT AND CPF/ACTIVE AGEING
SECTION I - FAMILY NETWORK
Married - living with spouse
Unmarried
Living with or nearby grown-up children with or
without grandchildren
吉 x2 凶 x2
Widowed or divorced, with or without children
SECTION II - ECONOMIC ACTIVITY
Able to commit or secure a stable, full-time
employment until at least 62 years old
Might become a homemaker for most of
your life
吉 x2 凶 x3
Might be unable to work until retirement age
due to health or other reasons
Have other pursuits or responsibilities in life
and unable to commit to a stable full-time
employment
CPF Lifelong Income For the Elderly (LIFE)
- replacing Retirement Sum Scheme
WHAT: CPF LIFE is a life annuity scheme that provides
Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents with a
monthly payout for as long as they live.
WHO: Singaporeans who have managed to have at least
$60,000 in your Retirement Account six months before
you reach your payout eligibility age (PEA) which is
currently at 65 years old
Medisave
WHAT: MediSave is a national medical savings scheme
which helps CPF members put aside part of their
income into their MediSave Accounts to meet their
future personal or immediate family's hospitalisation,
day surgery and certain outpatient expenses.
MediShield LIFE
- replacing MediShield
WHAT: A compulsotry basic health insurance plan,
administered by the CPF Board, which helps to pay for
large hospital bills and selected costly outpatient
treatments, such as dialysis and chemotherapy for
cancer, which its premiums are paid through Medisave
According to Department of Statistics, the number of
elderly aged 65 and above living alone have tripled in
2015 since 2000. For those who may not have enough
in their CPF accounts, they would be unable to rely on
support from family members. Thus, many have
resorted to continue working beyond retirement age,
as they have no choice - contributing to the situation of
relative poverty of elderly in Singapore.
IF ONE HAD DEVOTED MOST OF THEIR LIVES TO
TAKING CARE OF THEIR HOMES,
how would they qualify for CPF LIFE benefits, especially
when their spouse are still around? While there is the
expectation that one can rely on their family members
to top up their CPF accounts or provide financial sustenance,
it is under the assumption that their family
members are able to provide for everyone in the family.
There is still a strong reliance on oneself and one’s
family to provide for their retirement.
How does one ensure that they’re fit enough to keepworking
until retirement age to be able to have
enough for their CPF?

and partially subsidied by the government.
CareShield LIFE
- Eldershield
WHAT: A basic long-term care insurance scheme targeted
at severe disability, especially during old age, now
withhigher payouts that increase over time with no cap
on payout duration for lifetime.
SECTION III - CURRENT MONTHLY HOUSEHOLD INCOME
More than S$1,900 Less than S$1,900
吉 x2 凶 x3
SECTION IV - HOUSE OWNERSHIP
Able to own your own house Unable to own your own house
吉 x1 凶 x1
There are schemes in place to provide options for
elderly with a source of income in the retirement.
Lease Buyback Scheme
WHAT: A scheme to allow elderly to monetise their flat
to receive a stream of income, which is topped up in
their CPF Retirement Account (RA). in your retirement
years, while continuing to live in it.
WHO: Singaporeans aged at least 65
ELDERLY POVERTY
It is unlikely that the truly poor elderly who are in need
of the extra money would have owned housing for the
Lease Buyback Scheme to be applicable to them.
According to National Survey of Senior Citizens, more
than half of elderly still work beyond retirement as they
need the source of income.
Why do elderly still find the need to work despite
there being various safety net and assistance and
benefits such as Pioneer Generation and Merdeka
Generation Packages in place?

Looking at the other side of the coin
By no means does this project and book mean
to mindlessly criticise and invalidate social
policies, except its main goal is to point out
how they are flawed in terms of including
Singaporeans from all walks of life. There are
after all no perfect social constructs; as much
as they have well intentions, there will be
people who will be excluded
By paralleling how policies are often propagated
with certain cases of the kind of people
who it might have been implicitly stigmatised
and excluded, it is also wished to see that
there are many other types of Singaporeans
who may have fallen out of the popular
imagination, and that many social issues are
caused more than personal choices - but
deeply influenced by structural factors.
This book would likely not be able to offer a
perfect view of every policy with the massive
range of them in existence (but also shows
how little we may know of help which may
exists) and with how they are constnatly
evolving, but should be able to at least to
capture a broad sense of how they have
shaped our society.
And hopefully, it may act as a starting point
for Singaporeans to consider more about the
structure and how it affects individuals and
groups whose hardships might be invisible
from them in their daily lives.

“
CHOICE
is a problem word (...)
conjures up images of
autonomous individuals,
making decisions
independently.
Applied to contexts where
neoliberal market ideology
also dominates, choice
becomes an especially
individualised concept.
That is, where conventional
wisdom deigns that the
individual is ultimately
responsible for their own
economic
competitiveness and
survival and that state
(and society) play only
additive roles.”
(...) we respect that there are
differences in what people want,
while always recognising that
what and how we ‘want’ is
always shaped by norms,
rules and laws we are
embedded with.”
Sociologist, Teo Yeo Yenn
“Childbearing in Singapore - Do We Have Real Choices?” (2015)