Speech by Minister for Health, Mr. Gan Kim Yong, at the Lions Befrienders Service Association (Singapore) Befriending Walk on 17 Mar 2013

Mr Richard Koong, Chairman of Lions Befrienders

Mr Goh Boo Han, Executive Director of Lions Befrienders

Mr William Loh, Fundraising Chairman of Lions Befrienders

Dr Yew Tiew Ming, Principal, ITE College West

Mr Yap Boon Liang, Organising Chairperson of Befriending Walk 2013

Lions Clubs members, volunteers and friends

Good morning.

2          I would like to thank the organisers for organising this morning's event by bringing our senior citizens to join us to keep Singaporeans healthy. We must go beyond providing good healthcare and help Singaporeans to enjoy good health. As all of us know, we are ageing very rapidly. Our senior population will grow over the next few years. By 2013, one in five Singaporeans will be aged 65 and above. But having seniors among our midst need not be a burden. It can be an asset, and it can be a good thing. As the chinese say, 家有一老，如有一宝； 国有一老也是一宝。

3          I also want to take the opportunity to thank the Lions Befrienders for their contributions and their efforts in organising this morning's activity, by reaching out and engaging our seniors, and providing them with active ageing and activities that will help them to continue to live a fruitful, productive and active lifestyle. This is important because in addition to the physical health, we must also look after our seniors to ensure they enjoy good mental and emotional health. And to achieve that, it is important for us to help them develop relationships and adopt an active lifestyle, so that they will continue to be engaged in the community. The Lions Befrienders Service Association has done a great job in this respect, and I want to take the opportunity to thank them for being here. I also want to thank the ITE West students for their participation – not only did they lend us this marvellous venue, they also mobilised students to be road marshals and organised the activity for this morning.

4          Looking after our seniors, and helping them to lead healthy and active lifestyles is the responsibility of not only the government or the seniors themselves, but of each and every one of us in the community. Therefore, I am very happy this morning to see community leaders from all over Singapore coming together under the banner of the Lions Befrienders and ITE College West - we mobilised everyone to participate and contribute to this activity, and I hope that through this activity, we will raise awareness of the needs of the seniors among our midst, as well as provide more opportunities for our seniors to get to know one another, to be engaged, to develop friendships and also emotional support as they age.

5          On this note, I thank all of you for being here this morning.