Caregivers of people with special needs, dementia can apply for location trackers

500 devices will be given out for free under ground-up project by lawyer and tech firm

- Chin Soo Fang Senior Correspondent

A new ground-up initiative will distribute free trackers to up to 500 caregivers to help them keep tabs on the whereabouts of their loved ones with special needs or dementia.

Caregivers can apply for a location tracker from March 9 to December 2026 under the REACT CareTag programme, a collaboration between local tech company Activate Interactive and veteran lawyer Peggy Yee.

Beneficiaries must be referred by a registered charity, community centre, medical or registered social worker, or an MP.

The initiative was kick-started by Ms Yee, who has been an advocate for people with invisible disabilities, like autism spectrum disorder and mental illnesses, for more than two decades.

She said she felt she had to take action after the tragic case involving Muhammad Hairil Effendi, an 11-year-old boy with special needs who went missing on Aug 29, 2025, and was later found dead at sea off East Coast Park.

"When I first read the news about Hairil, I was filled with sadness for the family who lost a child," she told The Straits Times. "What can be done to prevent this from ever happening again?"

Ms Yee, who runs her own law firm, PY Legal, does pro bono work on criminal and civil cases for individuals with invisible disabilities. She is a finalist for The Straits Times Singaporean of the Year award, given to a Singaporean or group of citizens who have made a significant contribution to society.

Mr Joel Chin, chief executive of Activate Interactive, told ST that his firm decided to collaborate as the initiative would support a community whose challenges are often unseen.