20250616 - [Digital Services in Serangoon]
Heard some feedback over the weekend about the frustrations of our Serangoon elderly in dealing with digital services. A lot of our elderly residents are not tech-savvy, and they do not perceive Singapore's Digital-First delivery of public services as an ally in helping them navigate these services. ServiceSG is intended to be a key part of this, streamlining access to digital government functions. However, the reality for many residents, especially our seniors, presents many difficulties:
1. Initial Point of Contact & Redirection: An elderly resident, perhaps unfamiliar with specific digital platforms, might first seek help at their neighbourhood Community Centre. From there, they are sometimes redirected to a ServiceSG centre for assistance with government digital services.
2. The Physical Journey (A Barrier for Serangoon): For Serangoon residents, this redirection immediately poses a significant hurdle. There are no ServiceSG centres in Serangoon itself. The closest is at One Punggol, a journey that can take approximately 45 minutes – a considerable effort, especially for someone elderly or with mobility concerns, or who has to take leave. [1]
3. Discovery of Service Gaps After Travel: After making this journey, the resident might then discover that the specific function they need (e.g., certain applications from the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority - ICA) isn't actually handled by ServiceSG. This critical information is often only revealed after they have expended time and effort to travel to the centre.
4. Lack of Pre-emptive Information: This frustrating scenario is exacerbated by the absence of readily available phone numbers for ServiceSG [2]. Residents cannot easily call beforehand to confirm if their specific enquiry can be addressed, or what documents to bring, leading to potentially wasted trips.
5. Inconsistent Support On-Site: Even when the service should fall under ServiceSG's purview to assist (the ServiceSG website says: "If your enquiry or transaction is more complex, we can help you make an in-person or video conferencing appointment with the agencies." [2]), I've received feedback that some residents seeking such help have been told, "we cannot help you, please go to the agency."
This chain of experiences - from initial redirection, to a lengthy journey (especially for Serangoon residents), to discovering service gaps only upon arrival, compounded by a lack of pre-emptive phone support and sometimes unhelpful encounters – needs improvement to be the supportive, ally-like system we aspire to have.
[1] - WP MP Mr Gerald Giam asked in Parliament for a ServiceSG Centre in Serangoon on 18 Feb 2025, the response from Minister Chan Chun Sing was that "There is no plan in the short term to start a ServiceSG Centre in Serangoon town." https://www.psd.gov.sg/opening-a-servicesg-centre-in-serangoon-town-centre/
[2] - https://archive.ph/Lmk3q (Archived Snapshot of ServiceSG website as of Monday 16th Jun 2025 ) / https://www.psd.gov.sg/servicesg/ (Live website)