Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong has made ‘history’ for having kick-started a pioneer generation package to help pioneers in the republic who are 65 years by the end of 2014 or older and those who had become citizens before 1987 cover (to take care of) their medical and health care needs, and also to show that Singapore know that it was these pioneers who had helped build modern Singapore and paved the way to present generations.

In this package the PM said these seniors will be given more subsidies at polyclinics, general practitioner clinics and specialist outpatient clinics under the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) including additional Medisave Top Ups.

The republic’s government will also help with the premiums for the new National Insurance Scheme known as Medishield Life. The premium for Medishield Life will be lower than Medishield for the pioneer generation.

Yes! It will be entirely funded by the premiums collected from policyholders. Simply put, the pioneer generation will get special medical coverage likely free of charge (FOC).

That means the government in Singapore will look at ways to alleviate the medical and health care costs in ‘all aspects’ including hospitalisation, outpatient and home care with subsidies.

They (pioneers) will also be given ‘something extra’ such as vouchers to off set the goods and services tax (GST).

The numbers of beneficiaries are estimated to be about 450,000 people.

The bottomline is that the government in Malaysia should also follow suit because nothing of this sort has come up in Parliament since Merdeka. Hypothetically speaking, this issue had never at all surfaced in Parliament (what a disappointment) but more like swept under the carpet in perpetuity in silence.

In fact, Malaysia can also do mah! Exactly, the government can do better than our neighbour (Singapore) by giving out more goodies to our pioneers such as:

1. Toll-free cards,

2. Subsidy (GST) cards, and

3. Subsidy petrol cards.

These will help pioneers stretch the ringgits further when they could use the money saved to pay for other essentials and necessities during their remaining years.

There you go! Everybody grows older by the days and besides we cannot foresee what our future lies and who knows the pioneer generation package, if ever put in place and if used for present days, it could also benefit the younger generations in their time of old age.

Just to draw the attention of the government again, it seems as if none of you in the government is brave enough to lobby a similar pioneer generation package for approval in Parliament nor to accept the fact that soon you too will be an old man or woman (in a few years) who needs immediate medical and health care treatment/attention.

Perhaps, when it is unexpected, that is when you are in financial constraints and have no one to turn to for help, then with a package like that in place you know you need not worry at all as you will be taken care of.

LAU BING is a community activist and writer in Subang Jaya.