The People’s Association (PA) was established on 1 July 1960 and took control of about 20 Community Centres (CCs) that the ruling PAP government inherited from the colonial government.
In the early years of nation building, when the environment was “turbulent and uncertain”, the PA played a key role in training community leaders to instil a sense of national identity and to foster multicultural values – to counter racial tensions and build cohesive communities.
The PA quickly became a conduit for the government to explain government policies and gather feedback. This paved the way for the PA to use the CCs to bring the different communities together through social, cultural, educational and athletic activities.
Through the years, the PA’s role widened as more grassroots organisations (GROs) were created. Activities organised by the CCs came under the management of the Community Centre Management Committees (CCMCs) that was set up in 1964, while the Citizen’s Consultative Committees (CCCs) and Residents’ Committees (RCs) were formed in 1965 and 1978 respectively.
Today, the PA is a statutory board under the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY), and its network has grown to more than 2,000 Grassroots Organisations (GROs), over 100 Community Centres (CCs), the 5 Community Development Councils (CDCs), and others.
What Does The PA Do?
Since its creation, the PA’s role has always been to foster racial harmony and strengthen social cohesion – serving as a bridge between the people and the government. While the PA works to help residents navigate government policy details and processes, it also collects on-the-ground feedback and sentiments so government policies can be refined to better address the needs of Singaporeans.
The PA continues to oversee neighbourhood communities and social cohesion through various community programmes. These include community dialogues and integration programmes, family-friendly programmes, youth and community sports programmes, senior-friendly programmes, as well as courses to pick up skills from cooking to sports and dancing.
On its onePA website, residents can access PA courses, activities, interest groups and memberships, and we can also book sports facilities and BBQ pits at various CCs and RCs. We can also learn about ongoing community events, including food distributions and the $1 deals initiatives that was brought up by SDP’s Paul Tambyah during the recent General Elections 2025.
Many Singaporeans, even without visiting any of the Community Centres (CCs) or participating in PA programmes are connected to PA through the PAssion Cards.
Since 2014, the PAssion POSB Debit Card was jointly introduced by the PA and POSB – providing greater savings, rewards and privileges at over 2,500 places islandwide. The PAssion Card also works as an ATM, NETS, Debit MasterCard and EZ-Link card.
The PA also offers other types of PAssion cards, including the senior citizens a PAssion Card Silver, full-time National Servicemen (NSFs) a PAssion NSF Concession Card, and other co-branded PAssion cards.
Read Also: Complete Guide to PAssion Card Memberships And Perks
Is The People’s Association A Political Tool?
It’s hard not to ponder this question, as it has been consistent discussed over the years, from both the ruling PAP and opposition MPs.
For a start, the People’s Association (PA) Act stipulates the Prime Minister of Singapore to be its Chairperson – making it the only Statutory Board where PM Lawrence Wong is the Chairperson.
As a Statutory Board under MCCY, though, it isn’t entirely surprising that a PAP member is the Chairman, even if it is the Prime Minister in this case.
Many of the grassroots advisers appointed by the PA are also from the PAP. This has often been another point of contest about whether the PA is truly non-partisan. For example, in opposition-held Sengkang GRC, Dr Lam Pin Min serves as adviser to Sengkang West grassroots organisations (GROs) – under the PA umbrella. Of course, Dr Lam Pin Min was also the losing PAP candidate in Sengkang GRC during the General Election 2025.
In the past, the elected MP for Sengkang GRC, WP’s Jamus Lim, took to social media to share that PAP MPs were handing out Edusave Awards in his constituency – stating that elected opposition MPs do not “have the pleasure of distributing Edusave awards, which are given out by grassroots advisers”.
Source: Facebook
This topic was once again highlighted during General Election 2025. WP Secretary General Pritam Singh shared a comprehensive article he previously wrote about how PAP’s candidates, especially in opposition constituencies enable “unelected PAP politicians wearing the garb of PA Grassroots Advisers … to preside over the annual Edusave ceremonies for children living in opposition wards, and liaise with agencies like LTA and NEA amongst many others”.
In the article, Pritam Singh noted that from 2005 to 2011, “on average, each CCC received $152,872 per year in Grant funding, each CCMC $46,114, each RC $9,457 and each NC $4,043”. He goes on to write that while “some of this funding goes towards various community initiatives such as subsidised learning and active ageing activities, PAP politicians … (can) engage residents with a view towards political ends”.
When we went online to find out who the advisers are to each grassroot organisations (GROs), it was not easily found. We had to rely on news reports rather than any central portal disclosing this information. Nevertheless, on the PAP website, we can see who the branch chairmen/PAP representatives are within each constituency – though it may not be necessary that they are also the grassroots advisers or, if they are, they may not be the only grassroots advisers.
A rather logical explanation about why opposition MPs cannot be grassroots advisers, and hence can never be part of the PA or grassroots activities such as Edusave awards distributions and liaising with government agencies, is because the PA is meant to promote government policies.
This was reiterated in an archived response from the PA on the Straits Times titled “Why opposition MPs can’t be advisers to grassroots bodies”. In essence, grassroots advisers are appointed by the PA to help the Government connect with the people and promote government policies and programmes. It goes on to state that opposition MPs “cannot be expected to do this and this cannot become advisers to GROs”.
Top Image Credit: onePA
