SINGAPORE — The People’s Action Party (PAP) wants to reach out to former senior activists as well as existing long serving volunteers who have become less active, in a bid to tap on their vast experience and wisdom, as PAP Seniors Group (PAP.SG) chairperson Halimah Yacob put it.

On Saturday, PAP.SG launched a initiative aimed at “connecting the past and future”.

Said Madam Halimah: “The whole idea is that, we know that our senior party activists have a lot of wisdom, have a lot of experience, that they can share and contribute. They can for instance do mentoring ... conduct their own activities.”

Mdm Halimah, who is also Speaker of Parliament, noted that PAP.SG has already been working on the ground to engage senior activists, but this will be rolled out on a wider level. “(Currently) most of our activities ... are very much centrally directed, done at headquarters level. So what we want to do now is to decentralise it ... so that each district will launch their own (efforts to connect with) senior party activists. So we hope in this way, we will be doing greater reach, greater engagement (and) involvement.”

Addressing about 500 senior activists, former and present Members of Parliament present at the event, she elaborated on how senior party activists have been mobilised of late, to contribute to the community.

For instance, a community service project called Project Silver was rolled out in Nee Soon GRC, where senior activists were tapped on to reach out to elderly residents. Under the Henderson-Dawson constituency, some community work was also done for needy families, by providing them with mattresses and beds.

“Such activities have ... helped to bond our pioneers together as they feel they continue to contribute to our society and are appreciated and recognised for their efforts,” Mdm Halimah said.

PAP activists who were interviewed noted that while senior activists become less engaged for a variety of reasons, it has not helped that efforts to reach out to them have fallen by the wayside.

“Some of them cannot do certain tasks like write letters during MPS (Meet The People Sessions), whereas the younger activists can. So they may feel useless, or that they have nothing to do,” said Madam Betty Kwek, 66, vice-chairman of the PAP Kreta Ayer branch.

Mr Vincent Teo, 71, vice-chairman of the PAP Buona Vista branch, added: “Communication and engagement with the more senior activists have been less, we could do better to show them that they are still needed.”

Both agreed that while the party places a heavy emphasis on constant leadership renewal, senior activists are still needed by the party as they have experience that the younger activists may not have. This is particularly noticeable during elections time, for instance, said Mdm Kwek.

Mr Teo and Mdm Kwek said that senior activists should get involved in work that plays to their strengths. For instance, they can get involved in community projects which require reaching out to seniors, they suggested.

The senior activists could also be “ambassadors” to explain government schemes and policies that are relevant to seniors, many of whom may not be aware of schemes such as the Community Health Assist Scheme, for instance.

Mr Teo said: “It is all about the personal approach. We need to knock on their doors, or call them, and invite them to gatherings. We get them involved, and make them feel that they are still needed.”

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who was also present at the event, paid tribute to the contributions of senior activists to the party over the years. And they continue to have important roles to play, he said.

“Many of the PAP.SG members are stepping up to become mentors to younger activists, because they have the experience ... you know how to handle people ... how to handle difficult cases, how to rally the ground, what things to watch out for, how to build a kampong spirit,” he said.