Govt feedback unit to reach out to niche groups, bridge differing views

A group of sex workers sat down with civil servants from government feedback unit Reach for anonymous, one-on-one chats.

- Goh Yan Han

In August 2022, a group of sex workers sat down with civil servants from government feedback unit Reach for anonymous, one-on-one chats.

They were sceptical at first. But over time, the 17 sex workers opened up about their concerns, including the cost of living, qualifying for government support and job safety.

Working with these niche groups is part of Reach's next phase of growth, said its chairman Tan Kiat How. It will also dig deeper to learn why people hold the views they do and work to bring differing camps together, he added.

Mr Tan, who is Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information, noted that Singapore society has become more diverse.

Different groups hold strong views on issues such as sustainability, animal welfare and geopolitics, while digitalisation and social media create echo chambers of information or beliefs that may be "very skewed or even patently false".

These are trends Reach is aware of as it focuses on its next phase, said Mr Tan.

Mr Tan was speaking to reporters ahead of Reach's 40th anniversary celebration, launched by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on March 29.

Acknowledging the same trends, PM Wong said he had given Reach a new mission, which is to build bridges in an increasingly diverse society.

Public engagement must go beyond government-to-people dialogues, and Reach must enable people-to-people conversations to build trust and mutual understanding, he added.

As part of the 40th anniversary celebration, Reach will organise a series of such sessions. The sessions will gather civil society leaders to engage one another on difficult issues such as race and religion, social mobility and the impact of rapid technological changes, said the Prime Minister.

"Building these bridges will not be easy. But we will take the first step. And with time, it will become smoother and easier," he said.