How much do you know about our Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Lawrence Wong?
We can tell you this for sure – you definitely did not know his childhood stories.
Here’s the scoop.
The People’s Association Community Seminar
On Saturday (29 Oct), Mr Wong spoke at the People’s Association (PA) Community Seminar 2022 at our Tampines Hub.
The PA is an integral part of the “Forward Singapore” initiative, which aims to engage Singaporeans on how we can improve our social compactness.
At the Community Seminar, the first since COVID-19 struck the world, Mr Wong said that the PA can do more to draw in a wider group of Singaporeans who are keen to pitch in and support the community.
To encourage more people to get involved, PA can offer platforms beyond the current grassroots structures as well as to offer more flexible opportunities, Mr Wong said.
Mr Wong emphasised on how PA was a vital link between the Government and the people.
This will sound familiar to those writing their General Paper essays – the PA is in a way, the “social glue” for Singapore.
Mr Wong went on to recount a story from his childhood on how he too had benefitted from the PA network.
In the early 70s, growing up in a HDB flat in Marine Parade, Mr Wong explained how the grassroots leaders had help to build the “kampong spirit” despite the estate being new.
The DPM recalled how his father had misplaced the key to their house’s padlock. Fortunately, grassroots leaders banded together to help his family, using all sorts of means to try and unlock the padlock.
Victims of a robbery
A few years later however, Mr Wong’s family were the victims of a robbery.
Apparently, thieves had followed him and his brother into their unit and rushed into their home before Mr Wong or his brother could even close the door.
The thieves tied up the siblings, before ransacking the place and taking everything they could find.
That’s an interesting fun fact about our DPM, I guess.
After the incident, the grassroots leaders sprang into action to support Mr Wong and his family, pulling funding from residents and even hiring a security guard.
Eventually, the DPM’s father was so inspired that he himself decided to join the Residents’ Committee and to become an active grassroots leader himself.
Featured Image: Lianhe Zaobao
