10 volunteer lawyers help nearly 150 Singaporeans complete Lasting Powers of Attorney at WP outreach
SINGAPORE: In a social media post earlier this week, Harpreet Singh thanked the lawyers who donated their time and expertise in a recent community outreach that resulted in almost 150 Singaporeans learning about, and then signing, their Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) documents. The LPA is important in everyone’s life, as it allows an individual who must be at least 21 years old to appoint one or…
Harpreet Singh, a Senior Counsel and former WP candidate, expressed gratitude to ten volunteer lawyers who contributed their time and expertise to assist nearly 150 Singaporeans in completing their Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA) documents at a recent community outreach event. The LPA is crucial for everyone, allowing an individual who must be at least 21 years old to appoint trusted persons to make decisions for them in case they lose mental capacity. These decisions encompass health and personal welfare, as well as property and assets.
According to January 2025 survey results from Singapore Management University (SMU), less than 13% of respondents had formalized an LPA or an advance medical directive (AMD) for end-of-life issues. Without an LPA, the individual’s family might face difficulties or disputes during such situations. Mr. Singh highlighted that a briefing on the LPA was held for Punggol and Sengkang residents on September 12, with a signing session taking place the following weekend.
The event would not have been successful without the ten volunteer lawyers who generously volunteered their Saturday morning to answer residents' questions and ensure everyone left with their LPA properly completed. Singh expressed deep gratitude to these WP team volunteers who participated in the event.
The outreach was organized by Singh, Alexis Dang, and Alia Mattar, all on the WP's Punggol slate in the last year’s General Election, alongside WP MP Fadli Fawzi (Aljunied), who is also a lawyer. Fawzi had previously organized a similar event in Kaki Bukit, the ward he represents in Parliament, last March. A resident even thanked the WP team, stating that the process only took half an hour to complete, which was precisely the goal.
Many residents were unaware of what was needed or lacked knowledge of a lawyer who could help, and events like these bring practical, essential services directly to Singaporeans.
Another LPA outreach is planned for the future. In the past year, party chair and Aljunied MP Sylvia Lim also organized a similar event in Hougang, conducted in collaboration with Singapore Management University Pro Bono Centre. Lim shared that the event held personal significance for her, as her late father experienced dementia in 2010 due to a stroke, and had not executed an LPA.
Consequently, her family had to engage lawyers to apply for court appointment as his deputies. Lim emphasized that having an LPA would make it easier for loved ones to act in one’s best interest.
Written by urgent.news from The Independent Singapore's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
