SINGAPORE – Inmates on death row who wish to make their Central Provident Fund (CPF) nominations may sometimes have trouble finding witnesses to complete the process.
This is where Mr Hendry Ang, 28, and his colleagues come in.
A CPF nomination allows a person to specify who will receive his or her CPF savings, and how much each nominee should get after the person’s death.
Mr Ang, a manager in the CPF Board’s nominations and accounts closure department, said these death row inmates want to do something for their loved ones, but are unable to find two witnesses for the nomination.
Each year, his team assists about three inmates on average, including those on death row, to make CPF nominations.
CPF statistics show that about three in four members who died last year had specified a recipient for their CPF savings.
About 78 per cent of the 21,010 CPF members who died last year made a nomination. This is an increase compared with 2019, when 75 per cent of the 21,050 members who died made nominations.
If a member fails to make a nomination before death, the CPF savings will be transferred to the Public Trustee’s Office to be distributed in cash to family members according to Singapore’s intestacy laws or Muslim inheritance laws.
Mr Ang, who oversees nominations made by members and the disbursement of monies upon their death, said his team worked with the Singapore Prison Service to arrange back-to-back sessions with 10 death row inmates during their last visit in September, amid strict measures due to the pandemic.
“We spent 15 to 30 minutes with each inmate, to complete and sign on the nomination form and answer questions raised,” he added.
Mr Ang said the inmates wished to complete “this one last task” for their loved ones.
“This motivated us to go the extra mile to help them fulfil their last wishes,” he added.
