National Family Council starts new term with new chairman and members

SINGAPORE - The National Family Council (NFC) has begun its new two-year term with a new Chairman and new members from Aug 1, said the Ministry of Social and Family Development in a statement on Tuesday.

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Here is the press release from the Ministry of Social and Family Development:

The National Family Council (NFC) has just begun its new two-year term with a new Chairman and new members from August 1, 2013, to July 31, 2015.

The new Chairman of the Council is Mr Ching Wei Hong and the members come from a wide range of backgrounds, from the people and private sectors, different age groups, ethnicity and marital status. However, they are united in their passion and belief in promoting the family cause.

The Ministry of Social and Family Development welcomes the new members to the Council, and thanks the former Chairman (Mr Lim Soon Hock) and out-going members for their dedicated service and contributions for the past 3-7 years. Minister for Social and Family Development, Mr Chan Chun Sing says, "The National Family Council has been instrumental in championing the family as the building block of society. It has worked hard to rally people and organisations to make time for family and to place the family at the top of their agenda. We are grateful to Soon Hock and his team for leadership and efforts, and look forward to the Council's contributions in its new term."

Out-going Chairman Mr Lim Soon Hock who had served NFC for the last 7 years said, "It has been an immensely fruitful journey as part of the National Family Council. We have always believed in investing in families because they yield invaluable returns that stand the test of time. I wish the new Chairman and Members of the Council all the very best in continuing the vision to make Singapore a place where families can flourish and family first is an integral part of our lives."

Mr Ching Wei Hong, who is the new Chairman says, "I am excited to be part of this dynamic movement to champion strong and stable families in Singapore. Families are facing new and complex challenges in today's rapidly changing world. It is therefore important for families to build a strong foundation from the start. Also, as we are aging rapidly as a society, it is crucial for families to strengthenintergenerational bonds. As a Council, I hope to connect with families, and help as many as possible to have warm, loving and strong families."

Mrs Sarojini Padmanathan, a well-regarded parenting trainer and facilitator, who is serving NFC for the first time says, "We want to create strong foundations for families, so it will be good if we can help parents and their children develop close and deep bonds from the early years." Mrs Sarojini is also recently appointed as one of the members of an expert panel to help improve family life education in Singapore.

Mr Brian Liu, the youngest member of the Council says: "Coming from a family with loss of one parent early on, I am acutely aware of how precious family ties are and how they should never be taken for granted. I hope I may provide the youth and singles perspective on family issues and share personal insights on today's "global" family as my father and brother work and live overseas."