Opening Address by Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Law and Social and Family Development Eric Chua at the Opening Session of GeoEngage 2026 Socio-Healthcare Edition

30 SEP 2026

30 September 2026 Posted in Speeches

Welcome

1. Good morning, everyone.

2. First of all, a very warm welcome to GeoEngage 2026. To our partners from social services, healthcare, community organisations, academia as well as the technology sector, thank you for being here this morning.

3. Whether you are joining us for the first time or returning from last year, I am glad that we are all here to be a part of this conversation today.

4. I am also pleased to see my colleagues from MSF and NCSS joining SLA as co-organisers this year. This work brings two parts of my portfolio – in Law, as well as Social and Family Development – together, that share a practical concern. And that is the question of how we help people live better in their communities.

Making everyday journeys easier

5. When we want to get somewhere, many of us will reach for our phones, open our maps and then key in our destination. We look at the suggested routes and ask ourselves: “Which way is the fastest way to get to where we want to get to?”

6. But for somebody using a wheelchair, the first question might be more basic: “Is there a route I can use?”

7. I previously joined wheelchair users to test OneMap’s barrier-free routing, including an indoor wayfinding segment at Plaza Singapura.

8. A route must work for the person making the journey, all the way to the destination.

9. A place may look quite close on a map; I am sure we commit that error from time to time. But if the journey involves steps, an inaccessible entrance or a long detour to find a lift, sometimes “nearby” can actually feel quite far away.

Being able to get out and about is important for a good quality of life and feeling included.
That is why this work matters to me.

Keeping our seniors connected

In the course of my work, I meet many seniors in Queenstown, the constituency that I serve. Some use wheelchairs or personal mobility aids to get around their neighbourhoods.
Their ability to maintain their relationships in the community is important.
Singapore has been described as “Blue Zone 2.0”, reflecting how our policies and environment have helped support longevity. Estimates recently cited by MOH put lifespan or life expectancy at about 85 years, and health-adjusted life expectancy, or what some call “healthspan”, at about 74.
These figures remind us that we must help people live well as they live longer, including when their health or mobility status changes.
An important part of that is social capital: the relationships, trust and mutual support we build with the people around us.
In everyday terms, it is simply having friends to meet for breakfast, before coming for GeoEngage. Someone who notices that you have not turned up at work, at play, in the community. A neighbour you can call upon, and who knows they too can call upon you.
These connections give us companionship, belonging as well as opportunities to contribute. They also support better health and longer life.
When getting out becomes difficult, keeping these relationships going can also become harder. We should make it easier for seniors to stay involved, including when they need a wheelchair or mobility aid.
At first glance, today’s work can seem quite technical: mapping our built environment, identifying accessible routes, bringing information about services together.
But let us think about what a usable route makes possible. A regular trip to the market. Lunch with old friends. The chance to keep volunteering.
By making these journeys easier, we help keep relationships and mutual support alive.
By helping our seniors stay connected, we can add life to their years, and in doing so, help add years to their lives.
This gives real meaning to the progress that we have made since last year’s GeoEngage.
The Living Asset Map, co-developed with SingHealth Community Hospitals, helps practitioners connect people to suitable activities and support right where they live.
The map now covers eight precincts. SLA and its partners have incorporated more than 6,000 community programmes, ranging from therapeutic gardens to interest groups.
OneMap’s Barrier-Free Access mapping has also reached about 3,500 kilometres of accessible pathways, and is progressively being expanded to cover 6,800 kilometres across Singapore by 2027.
Together, these efforts help answer two everyday questions: (1) “What is available near me?” and (2) “How can I get there?”
Our community partners help with a third: “Will I feel comfortable taking that first step?”

Turning shared concerns into practical tools

At the Socio-Healthcare Roundtable during Geo Connect Asia earlier this year, 31 senior leaders and experts discussed where geospatial tools can help.
Three needs emerged, and these are: better planning, smoother coordination as well as earlier outreach.
Many of you may recognise these challenges. Information is scattered across different organisations and platforms. Finding a suitable service takes time and, also, maybe some skill in navigating the wealth of resources we have out there. And those who need support may not always know where to begin, and therefore may not always come forward at all.
SLA, MSF and NCSS are therefore developing a consolidated view of community services, facilities and programmes.
SLA is also working with the Department of Statistics and MSF to map how population characteristics vary across neighbourhoods.
Together, these tools can help agencies see where support is available, anticipate changing needs and identify gaps in provision.
I invite all of you to take a trip using your imagination. Imagine that you are supporting an older resident who has stopped going out as often. You find a nearby activity that matches his or her interests, and check whether there is a route he or she can manage.
But there is still one more conversation to have. Would he or she enjoy the activity? Is he or she worried about going alone? Would someone be accompanying him or her the first time?
The map helps you explore the options. Your relationship with him or her helps you understand what would actually work.
The tools should help you spend less time searching for information and more time working with the people who need you.

Starting with the problems you face

This practical approach also guides our wider collaborations.
SLA is working with the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) on exploratory projects to support the siting of Active Ageing Centre (AAC) services, so that these are accessible to the seniors who need them.
It is also collaborating with the Health Promotion Board as well as NUS Cities on research into community spaces, including void decks, fitness corners and pavilions. Understanding what these spaces can offer, and how accessible they are, can help us to explore how they might support more active lifestyles.
Sometimes, the starting point is a specific operational problem.
SLA recently worked with SPD on a OneMap-powered proof of concept to match volunteers in Tampines to events and cases, taking into account proximity as well as training.
This addresses a practical concern or question: how do we connect a volunteer with the right skills to somebody who needs support nearby?
You will hear more from Ian of SPD later.
I know that, like SPD and many other agencies, many of us are starting from different places. Some already use location-based tools. Others may be unsure whether they have the expertise or even time to begin this journey.
Let me just say this to everyone. You do not have to arrive with a finished technical proposal.
The challenge really is bringing us one practical problem that your team keeps encountering. It could be finding suitable services, planning home visits or matching volunteers. Let us start there, and see what we can improve together.

Helping good ideas grow

These two days, you will hear from practitioners, researchers and technology partners about how these approaches can support you.
We will also recognise today, the winners of the AWS-SLA Geospatial Innovation Challenge.
Last year’s winning solution, ReMind, was developed to alert caregivers when a person living with dementia moves beyond a designated area.
The team has since worked with MINDS to develop the solution even further. It is now being tested under the Enabled Living Programme (ELP), with the aim of supporting beneficiaries’ safety as well as giving families greater peace of mind.
That to me is an encouraging journey from a student idea towards practical support for individuals as well as families.
The next step is to learn from the people using it: what helps, what needs adjusting, and what would make it better in daily life.
Thank you to everyone for helping these ideas to grow, and to the partners who have made GeoEngage possible.

Keeping people at the centre

Over these two days, keep someone you serve, or have served before, in mind. Think about the journey they find difficult, the support they struggle to find or locate in the community, or the activity they would love or desire to join.
Then ask: what can we do together to make that a little bit easier for them?
Through that, let us help more people reach the support they need, and the everyday lives they want to lead.
On that note, I wish everybody a good two days of learning, exchange, and amazing discoveries. Let us find more partners in this journey, talk to people you do not already know, and hopefully in these two days we can have some good solutions emerging that will help change lives for the better, in Singapore.
Thank you very much.

Last updated on 30 September 2026