SINGAPORE, Feb 18 — As the Singapore government takes on more responsibility for helping Singaporeans, family ties must not weaken, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

In his Chinese New Year message issued yesterday, Lee said in societies where the state has taken on more responsibility, family ties have weakened, resulting in the state needing to do even more.

Listing some of the recent steps taken by the government to help Singaporeans, Lee said the government is doing more to help families stay together, not supplant the role families play. “This must not happen in Singapore — either to our individual families, or to our larger national family,” he said.

Among the measures introduced by the government to help families are the Marriage and Parenthood Package, housing grants to encourage three-generation measures stay close-knit and make it easier for young couples to live near their parents, the Pioneer Generation Package, MediShield Life and the upcoming Silver Support scheme.

The government will also strengthen the “larger national family”. “Singaporeans need to take care of one another and especially of fellow citizens who are vulnerable or less fortunate,” he said.

“We are strengthening our social safety nets. We have made it easier for low-income families to own their homes, introduced MediShield Life to give families more protection against large hospital bills, reviewed CPF Life to help families better prepare for retirement, and expanded Workfare to support low-income workers and their families.”

The state and the community are bearing more risk on behalf of individuals, he said, adding: “We are all in this together.”

However, generous social policies and grants by themselves do not grow strong and happy families. “A family is not about whom we are related to, but how we relate to each other,” Lee said. “Therefore, let us make the effort to build strong families — to spend time with each other, nurture our children, respect and care for our elderly parents, and help those in need through our deeds.

“If each of us plays our part, Singapore will continue to proper and do well, not just economically, but as a harmonious and cohesive national family, diverse yet one.” — TODAY