Debated in Parliament on 7 Jul 2026.
Mr David Hoe asked the Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth whether, as the PR Journey programme for new Permanent Residents is scaled up, the Ministry will consider going beyond one-off modules, museum visits and community events, to incorporate more regular and sustained engagement opportunities, including structured interactions with local-born Singaporeans such as facilitated conversations, grassroots involvement, volunteering and recurring touchpoints, so that integration becomes a more two-way process.
We agree with the member that integration is an ongoing and two-way process involving interactions between locals and foreigners. As such, in designing the Permanent Resident (PR) Journey programme, it already goes beyond one-off e-learning modules for new PRs to learn about Singapore's culture life, way of life and social norms.
As part of the PR Journey, we encourage PRs to understand, engage with and contribute to our community. The initial phase of the pilot that was rolled out in November 2025 included experiential experiences for new PRs to visit selected museums or cultural institutions, or participate in a local community event. Since May 2026, we have also introduced volunteering opportunities for new PRs who are interested in contributing to the local community.
Based on responses from the PRs who have participated in the pilot thus far, almost all gained a better understanding about living and contributing to Singapore after completing the programme. The Ministry will continue to assess participant feedback and outcomes from the pilot to ensure that the programme remains effective in achieving our integration outcomes and continues to be meaningful for the participants.
The Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth will also be happy to support ideas from Singapore-registered organisations to enhance local-foreigner integration, through the Community Integration Fund.
PAPERCUTS