http://www.onesingapore.org/news/mdm-halimah-yacob-nicole-seah-leong-sze-hian-to-lead-discussion-about-poverty-inequality/

The wealth gap in Singapore is widening. More families are having problems making ends meet. Join Minister of State Mdm Halimah Yacob, Nicole Seah and Leong Sze Hian in a frank discussion about “Reducing the Income Gap: Finding Practical Solutions” on Wednesday evening 19 September.

Singapore has the world’s highest per capita GDP. But income inequality here has risen sharply since 2000.

ONE (SINGAPORE) and the Wee Kim Wee Centre are pleased to welcome three very distinguished speakers to discuss one of the most important issues that Singapore faces today: inequality.

Minister of State Mdm Halimah Yacob, Nicole Seah and Leong Sze Hian will engage in a frank discussion entitled “Reducing the Income Gap: Finding Practical Solutions”.
Join us on Wednesday 19 September at 7pm at SMU.
This is a free event, but space is limited. REGISTER NOW.

Speaker Profiles

Mdm Halimah Yacob is the Minister of State for Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS). She has represented the Jurong GRC in Parliament since 2001. As Minister of State, Mdm Halimah oversees several portfolios including ComCare which provides social assistance to low-income individuals and families. She is also the driving force behind some of the Ministry’s initiatives to uplift the lives of the needy. Madam Halimah believes that through education, one can move up the social ladder.
In 2001, Madam Halimah was named Berita Harian/McDonalds “Achiever of the Year” for her commitment to providing women with better opportunities. She was also Her World magazine’s “Women of the Year” in 2004. Madam Halimah was born in 1954 and is married with five children.

For more than a decade, Leong Sze Hian has been analysing statistics to provide insights on Singapore’s income gap. He has hosted a money radio show, written a daily newspaper money column and as a columnist for The Online Citizen and Malaysiakini has been closely involved with a number of social issues. He also provides pro bono financial counseling to bankrupt individuals and others in need of assistance. Sze Hian is a past president of the Society of Financial Service Professionals and former treasurer of MARUAH. He is also an alumnus of Harvard University, the author of four books and has earned three Masters degrees, two Bachelors degrees and thirteen professional qualifications.

Nicole Seah is a youth activist who speaks regularly about Gen Y issues, social media challenges and politics. Since running unsuccessfully for Parliament in the 2011 elections, Nicole has spearheaded the MacPherson Tuition Project, which fosters volunteerism and helps struggling families that do not qualify for government assistance, and founded a youth movement “to inspire a new generation of young political leaders who are both thinkers and doers”. Nicole runs a public Facebook page that has more than 100,000 fans.

“The role of government is to look out for the best interests of its people. We should look at the poor in society not in terms of cold statistics but as real people struggling with the overwhelming challenges of this new global economy,” says Nicole. “I believe that the government can afford to do more for the poor and adopt a less minimalist approach towards welfare.”