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Benefits to grouping youth, sports with community devt: MG Chan

There are benefits to having youth and sports together with community development under one ministry, says Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) Chan Chun Sing.

Speaking at a youth event at *Scape on Sunday, Chan said youth and sports provides the country with “the means to build a closer community”.

He said the combination of all three elements together creates synergies and helps build social cohesion, reported The Straits Times.

No elaboration was made on what these synergies were.

The minister’s comments came in response to a question posed to him at a panel discussion at the event. The day before, a forum letter writer suggested that the government split up the MCYS, given the rising roles of sports and recreational activity in Singapore and internationally. The letter writer also raised the point that community development alone could require an entire ministry’s attention.

Chan said he would raise the issue of community bonding in Parliament soon as well.

In an addendum to President Tony Tan’s parliamentary address last week, MCYS pledged to introduce more sports programs for Singapore’s community, such as the Singapore National Games next year, details of which will be announced later on.