FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Is the ordinary membership open to everyone?

Ordinary membership is open only to one who meets all of the following criteria:

  1. Singapore Citizen
  2. at least 21 years old
  3. an ethnic Chinese whose ancestry can be traced to Fujian Province
  4. be of sound mind
  5. must not have been convicted under the criminal laws of Singapore or any country and sentenced to imprisonment for more than 1 year and/or a fine exceeding S$5,000

What documents/payments do I need to produce in the submission of ordinary membership application?

Completed membership application form with signatures from 2 existing members of Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan (SHHK) as sponsors can be emailed to membership@shhk.com.sg or submitted in person at SHHK office (5 Sennett Road Singapore 466781), accompanied with the following:

  1. Colour copy of your Singapore Birth Certificate (for verification of paternal dialect group)
  2. Colour copies of Singapore Citizenship Certificate, Deed Poll or any other relevant official document(s), if any, as proof of citizenship, identity and native place.
  3. Colour copy of the birth certificate of child(ren) if there is intention to apply for Phase 2B recommendation in the MOE Primary One Registration Exercise.
  4. Original documents of (1) to (3) for verification during submission.
  5. Original Singapore NRIC must be produced for verification during submission.
  6. Payment of $720 (non-refundable); $600 being a one-time entrance fee, and $120 being subscription that covers a 5-year term. Cheque is to be made payable to “SINGAPORE HOKKIEN HUAY KUAN”. Details for bank transfer and PayNow will be provided during submission of application.
  7. Please access the Checklist for Application for other documents required.

What other fees do I need to pay as an ordinary member?

Apart from the $720, every ordinary member is required to pay a non-refundable subscription fee of $120 every 5 years commencing from the sixth year of membership.

Will my application be accepted if I cannot obtain signatures of two existing members to be my sponsors?

All applications must be accompanied by signatures of two existing members as sponsors. If you have difficulty getting the two sponsors despite your best endeavours, please contact us at admin@shhk.com.sg for assistance.

Can my sponsors request for monetary or in-kind benefit to endorse my application?

Sponsors are not allowed to request for any monetary or in-kind benefit from applicants. SHHK views this as an abuse of membership privileges which it does not tolerate. SHHK will not hesitate to take disciplinary action against members who seek payment or benefit in-kind in exchange for membership endorsement. Should you be aware of members who are seeking payment for endorsing membership applications, please let us know so that we can investigate further. Reports should be made to the Secretary General at 6222 8212 or secgen@shhk.com.sg. All reports will be treated with strictest confidentiality. Applicants are also advised against paying to secure sponsors. Please click here for the Statement issued by SHHK.

Are Permanent Residents eligible to apply?

The ordinary membership is open to Singapore Citizens only.

Am I eligible to apply if only my mother is Hokkien?

We follow the Chinese traditional way of identifying the dialect group of a person via the paternal lineage i.e. the father’s dialect group.

I lost my Singapore Birth Certificate. Are there any other documents I can show proof of my dialect group?

Birth certificate is a necessary document to support the application. You could apply for a certified birth extract from Immigrations & Checkpoints Authority of Singapore (ICA).

I am a new Singapore Citizen and hence I am not in possession of Singapore Birth Certificate. How do I show proof of ancestral linkage?

Applicants are required to show proof of their ancestral linkage. Applicants may be required to produce original documents for sighting in the application process. Supporting documents may include, but not limited to:

  • Birth Certificate of Applicant
  • Birth Certificate of Applicant’s Father
  • Singapore Birth Certificate of Applicant’s Child
  • Original copy of “Household Register” (户口本)
  • Any official document(s) which indicate(s) that your dialect group (籍贯) is Hokkien

After submitting my application form, how will I know if my application has been approved?

We will inform you officially via your contact details provided upon approval by the Executive Council, who shall have the right to reject any application for membership without providing any reason.

What is the Unique Membership Identifier (UMI)?

With effect from 1 September 2019, Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan (SHHK) will cease to collect or use the full NRIC numbers of SHHK members. This is to ensure your personal data is secured and in compliance with Personal Data Protection Commission Singapore’s (PDPC) advisory guidelines on NRIC numbers. All SHHK members will instead be assigned a unique membership identifier (UMI) for identification purposes.

When will I be issued with the UMI?

You will be issued with the UMI when your application has been approved by the Executive Council.

What can I look forward to as a member?

As a member, you will be informed of activities organized by us through our newsletters and website, and you can use the Association as a platform to build network with other members and to contribute to society in causes upheld by the Association. You may check with SHHK subsidiaries for membership benefits, if applicable, during registration for courses organized by the subsidiaries.

Does a member enjoy any privileges in Primary 1 Phase 2B Registration at the Association’s affiliated schools?

Membership and Phase 2B registration are two separate matters. For more details, please refer to the FAQs for Phase 2B Registration.

How do I keep the Association updated on any changes in my particulars?

You may notify us in writing (mail, email or fax) of any updates in your particulars promptly as Membership Approval Letters, invoices for subscription fee and newsletters are sent to your mailing address or email address. Updates can be emailed to membership@shhk.com.sg. Please include your details i.e. your full name, UMI and contact for verification purposes.

Will I get a refund on the entrance and/or subscription fees if I resign as a member?

Once your ordinary membership application has been approved, there will be no refund of all fees paid. You shall continue to be liable for any subscription fees and any other fees due which are in arrears and unpaid as at the date of your resignation.

Will I get a refund on the entrance and/or subscription fees if my application is rejected?

Your application fees will be refunded in full without interest.

What is the objective of the SHHK Volunteer Schemes?

SHHK Volunteer Schemes are platforms by SHHK to meet the operational needs of SHHK, its subsidiaries, related-organisations and affiliated schools. They serve as platforms for members to contribute as part of the SHHK family. The platforms are not designed to meet individual needs and wants.

How can SHHK members volunteer their services to SHHK?

SHHK members can volunteer their services to SHHK through the following platforms:

  1. Huay Kuan-based Member Volunteer Scheme
  2. School-based Member Volunteer Scheme

How can a member register his/her interest to volunteer?

All members who are interested to volunteer must separately complete and submit the Volunteer Application Form online in order to be considered for volunteering slots. The link to the online form will be provided to the member upon approval of application to join SHHK as a member.

How will volunteers be notified of opportunities to volunteer?

A notice will be posted on this website and also emailed to volunteers in the SHHK volunteer database to inform the date of the next request for volunteers. On the date, details of the event and volunteer requirements will be sent to volunteers via email with a link to apply for the volunteer slots.

How can a member secure volunteer slot?

Volunteer slots are assigned based on urgency of fulfilment of 80 hours by members, as well as SHHK operational needs and a number of other considerations. Due to the complexity of SHHK events and operations, you may not get all the slots you applied for. Please take note not to sign up for overlapping time slots or use multiple emails. Should you be in doubt, please email to volunteer@shhk.com.sg for clarification.

Can a member register more than 1 email address in the volunteers’ database?

No. Each member can only register 1 email address to receive notifications of request for volunteers. It is member’s responsibility to ensure accuracy of the email address provided.

Can a member change the registered email address after submitting the Volunteer Application form?

Yes. Please write in to volunteer@shhk.com.sg, indicating member’s name, Unique Membership Identifier (UMI), the existing email address and the new email address. It is member’s responsibility to ensure accuracy of the email address provided.

What is the Huay Kuan-based Member Volunteer Scheme?

The Huay Kuan-based Member Volunteer Scheme aims to support projects, events and/or activities organised by SHHK, including its subsidiaries SHHK Cultural Academy, Thian Hock Keng, and Singapore Chinese Dance Theatre.

What are the selection criteria?

All SHHK members are eligible to be a volunteer. Please note that being a SHHK member DOES NOT automatically make you a volunteer. You have to sign up separately via an online form to join the volunteer scheme. There are no selection criteria, however, members are to note the Phase 2B application criteria should they intend to apply for recommendation to register their child under Phase 2B in SHHK affiliated schools.

How are volunteer slots allocated for Huay Kuan-based Member Volunteer Scheme?

Allocation of volunteer slots is based on event needs, volunteers’ availability and priority tier. Priority is computed by a combination of factors including child’s year of registration and outstanding hours required. For example, a volunteer whose child is due for registration in 2022 and have completed 0 hours will have priority during allocation of volunteer slots. However, SHHK reserves the right to allocate volunteer slots base on operational needs of the projects, events or activities and its decisions shall be final. More information will be provided in the respective notification to request for volunteers.

Right to reject volunteer application/terminate volunteer duty assignments

SHHK takes a serious view on members who are absent from duties assigned. Members who are assigned slots and did not turn up for duties are depriving others the opportunities to volunteer. SHHK reserves the right to reject future volunteer application or terminate duties assigned if member breaches any of the terms and conditions/notes to volunteers made available prior to the volunteer application; or if the volunteer failed to fulfil duties in a responsible and ethical manner.

What are the objectives of the School-based Member Volunteer Scheme?

The School-based Member Volunteer Scheme aims to achieve the following objectives:

  • Meet the schools’ needs on volunteers
  • Provide a platform for parents to contribute to the schools
  • Allow potential parents and students to build rapport with the school

Who is eligible to apply for School-based Member Volunteer Scheme?

Only SHHK members are eligible.

How are volunteer slots allocated for School-based Member Volunteer Scheme?

Allocation of volunteer slots is based on the needs of the schools, volunteers’ availability, profile of the member volunteers and priority tier. Priority is computed by a combination of factors including child’s year of registration and outstanding hours required. For example, a volunteer whose child is due for registration in 2022 and have completed 0 hours will have priority during allocation of volunteer slots.

Is distance between the school and my home a selection criterion for the School-based Member Volunteer Scheme?

No.

What is the minimum duration that each member volunteer is required to serve in the scheme?

Member volunteers will generally be required to commit a minimum of 5 months. The duration is subjected to the schools’ needs.

Is the School-based Member Volunteer Scheme open to members with children of all ages?

The School-based Member Volunteer Scheme is opened to members with children of all ages. Allocation of volunteer slots is based on needs of the school, volunteers’ availability and priority tier. Priority is computed by a combination of factors including child’s year of registration and outstanding hours required. For example, a volunteer whose child is due for registration in 2022 and have completed 0 hours will have priority during allocation of volunteer slots.

How is the School-based Member Volunteer Scheme different from the MOE Parent Volunteer Scheme?

The School-based Member Volunteer Scheme is administered by SHHK and is subjected to the terms and conditions of SHHK.

Can the applicant volunteer in more than one school?

Members are encouraged to volunteer in the school of their choice so as to build rapport and be familiarised with the school’s culture and environment.

How many times can I be absent from the volunteer work?

SHHK takes a serious view on members who are absent from the duties assigned and/or lie about hours clocked. Once you have been assigned a volunteer slot, you are required to fulfil your commitment dutifully, as your absence will impact the school’s operations and programmes. SHHK reserves the right to terminate volunteer duty assignments if a volunteer breaches any of the terms and conditions governing the Scheme or if the volunteer failed to fulfil duties in a responsible and ethical manner.

When can I apply for the scheme?

SHHK will email members to apply for the scheme as and when such needs arise.

What are the criteria to be recommended for Phase 2B registration?

  1. Minimum of two [2] consecutive years of membership by 30 June of the year of registration; AND
  2. Completed a minimum of eighty [80] hours of volunteer service with or through SHHK

Does having a recommendation from SHHK in Phase 2B registration stand a better chance of securing a place in the school than parent volunteers and community leaders?

All three categories stand equal chance. Balloting will be necessary if number of applicants exceeds number of vacancies.

How do I apply for my child to be registered for Phase 2B during the year that my child is due for registration?

SHHK will make available an electronic copy of the application form “Application for Recommendation to Register Under Phase 2B of the MOE Primary One Registration Exercise” from 30 April to 30 June of the current year to members who have informed SHHK of the intended Year of Registration of their children. Members can also obtain the form from SHHK Secretariat office located at 5 Sennett Road Singapore 466781. The duly completed form must be submitted to SHHK Secretariat office together with a photocopy of the child’s birth certificate before 30 June of the year of registration in person. Original copy of the parents’ NRIC and the child’s birth certificate are to be produced during submission for sighting.

When is the year that my child is due for registration?

The Primary One Registration Exercise is an exercise for a child to register for a Primary One place in a mainstream school in the following year. Therefore, the year of registration will be one [1] year before your child starts school. Please refer to MOE’s website for more information.

Does a member’s child automatically get to register under Phase 2B?

No. Members may apply to have his/her child recommended by SHHK to be placed under Phase 2B registration, however, applicants who do not meet the in-house criteria will not obtain SHHK’s recommendation.

Does living within 1 km from the school help in obtaining SHHK’s recommendation?

No. Distance from the school is only considered during the MOE balloting process and not during SHHK recommendation process.

After obtaining SHHK’s recommendation, is there anything else I could do in order to secure a place for my child with the specific school?

No. Everything should be done before submitting application. If there are more applications than vacancies, balloting will be conducted by MOE. The balloting process is beyond jurisdiction of SHHK.

Does making a donation to the school or SHHK help in securing a place?

No.

Will I be notified if my application receives a recommendation?

You will be informed by SHHK via email on the status of your application after the closing date.

Are we allowed to apply for more than one Huay Kuan school?

No. Your application will be rejected by the MOE system if you submit applications for more than one school.

Are we allowed to change our choice of school after submitting the application?

No.

How is the Phase 2B balloting process carried out?

MOE rules state that balloting is carried out according to the following order of priority:

  • Children living within 1 km of the school.
  • Children living between 1 and 2 km of the school.
  • Children living outside 2 km of the school.

Should my child be balloted out, what else can I do if I still want my child to be in the school?

You may apply under phase 2C. In the event that phase 2C is unsuccessful, you may appeal directly to the school to be put on the waiting list.

Where can I find more information of P1 registration?

For more information on school registration, you may wish to visit MOE’s website: www.moe.gov.sg.

SHHK School-Based Volunteer Primary One Waitlist Priority Scheme
(wef 1 Jan 2022)

SHHK will be implementing the following policies with effect 1 Jan 2022, to better recognise the strong commitment of school-based volunteers for their long term and daily commitment and to improve traffic situation at the schools:

Schools’ primary one vacancies that become available will be allocated to students on the Waiting Lists in the following order of priority:

a) Parent who is an SHHK volunteer and who has served 2 complete terms of service at any SHHK primary school
b) Parent who is an SHHK volunteer and who has served 1 complete term of service at any SHHK primary school
c) All other parent volunteers

The following table summarises the priority tier:

 
Baseline criteria for waitlist consideration: • 2 consecutive years of SHHK membership by 30 June in the year of P1 registration
• At least 80 hours of volunteer work with SHHK
• Had applied under phase 2B and phase 2C
• Currently on the School’s waitlist
 
Priority School-based volunteer duration Distance of home from school
1 Completed 2 terms (21 weeks) <1km
2 Completed 2 terms (21 weeks) 1-2km
3 Completed 2 terms (21 weeks) >2km
4 Completed 1 term (11 weeks) <1km
5 Completed 1 term (11 weeks) 1-2km
6 Completed 1 term (11 weeks) >2km
7 Did not complete term(s) or did not serve in school <1km
8 Did not complete term(s) or did not serve in school 1-2km
9 Did not complete term(s) or did not serve in school >2km
 

This new waitlist policy applies only to members whose child/children are born in 2018 or after. Should there be more than one qualified member who fulfilled above criteria, waitlist vacancy allocation will be done through balloting.

There is no change to the qualifying criteria for Phase 2B, which includes a 2-year SHHK membership by 30 June in the year of P1 registration and at least 80 hours of volunteer work.

Q1: Does the new school-based volunteer primary one waitlist priority scheme apply to Phase 2B recommendation?

No it does not affect the SHHK recommendation criteria for Phase 2B. The SHHK Phase 2B criteria remains as:

  • Two (2) year consecutive membership with SHHK before 30th June on the year of P1 registration;
  • 80 hours of volunteer service with SHHK (includes school-base and non school-base)

Q2: If my child is born in 2016 or 2017, does this new rule apply to me for waitlist?

No.

Q3: For children born in 2016 and 2017, how do you handle waitlist vacancies?

There are 2 baseline criteria: min. 80 hours volunteer service with SHHK and 2-year consecutive SHHK membership. Schools will check with SHHK when vacancies become available. In line with MOE policy, SHHK will prioritise members staying within 1km, then 1km – 2km, then >2km, when considering recommendation for the waitlist vacancy. If there are more than one member with the same criteria, we will conduct a draw among the eligible members.

Q4: Does this new waiting list rule apply only to before starting P1 or will it also be applied to P2 to P5 waitlist?

This new rule only applies to those on primary one waitlist. For other levels, the schools have discretion.

Q5: How do I apply for the waitlist? When can I apply for the waitlist?

Please refer to individual school’s website for details.

Q6: If I apply for phase 2B but not phase 2C, can I still be placed on waitlist?

Yes, you may apply to be on the waitlist but your priority tier for waitlist vacancy consideration will be lower than members who have applied to both 2B and 2C.

Q7: How many vacancies are there for waitlist? How many children actually get in through waitlist?

Vacancies are dependent on many factors and are different every year, and can range from 0 to 3.

Q8: What does school-based volunteering services entail?

Volunteers will mainly be tasked to assist with channelling traffic flow for morning arrivals and afternoon dismissals.

Q9: What are the duty hours like for school-based volunteers? How many volunteer hours can I clock per term?

The hours differ from school to school, please refer to the volunteer application Google forms for details for each school. Volunteer hours clocked can range from 30 hours to 50 hours (based on 5-days service per week) per term of 11 weeks.

Q10: If I volunteer for School A and eventually decide to enrol into School B, will I be able to qualify for waitlist priority?

Yes, as long as you volunteered in one of SHHK’s four affiliated primary schools.

Q11: One term means must complete 5 days of school-based volunteer work per week or one day a week is enough to fulfil the criteria? If we do volunteer work on all Mondays, does it mean that we only achieved 20% of a full term?

Some schools require volunteers to go daily, while others allow volunteers to choose the days they can commit. Volunteers who are able to commit to more days and for 2 consecutive terms are more likely to be deployed. Once you have indicated your availability and are assigned, you will have to go on all the days assigned (whether 5 days or 1 day a week). Please take note that you cannot miss any of the days without valid reasons such as valid medical certificate, official SHN or QO, otherwise you would be deemed “Did not complete term”.

Q12: If I served 2 terms separately, is it considered as 2 terms?

Yes.

Q13: Can school-based volunteer work be shared between both parents if only one of them is a SHHK member?

For school-based volunteer scheme, spouse is allowed to help out on days where the member is not available. Spouse will have to sign a declaration form (with indemnity clause) to abide by SHHK rules and regulations. If assigned, it is compulsory for both member and spouse to attend the training sessions conducted by the school before they can be deployed.

Q14: If both parents are SHHK members, can both parents combine their volunteer hours? For example, mother does 1 term, father does 1 term.

Yes, you can combine the term and the hours.

Q15: Are all school volunteering opportunities on terms basis? Are there any ad hoc school volunteer work?

Yes there are, but those will not be included under the school-based volunteer primary one waitlist priority scheme.

Q16: Do I have more waitlist priority if I do more than 80 hours as compared to another volunteer who do just 80 hours?

No, except in Q17 below.

Q17: Will someone having served 3 terms have higher primary one waitlist priority over someone having served 2 terms?

For volunteers who have served at least 2 terms, priority tier will depend on total number of hours served. For example, if volunteer A served 3 terms and clocked 81 hours, and volunteer B served 2 terms and clocked 90 hours, then volunteer B will have priority over volunteer A.

Q18: My child is born in 2018 and I have already completed 80 hours, do I need to complete another 21 weeks to qualify for priority under waitlist?

If you wish to be placed in the top priority tier for waitlist, you may wish to consider volunteering in schools.

Q19: If I have already completed my volunteer 80 hours under the non-school based scheme, can I still apply to be a school-based volunteer in order to qualify for this waitlist priority scheme? Will I be deployed?

Yes, if your child/children are born in 2018 and after.

Q20: I have 2 children, born 2016 and 2018. I did one term of school volunteering, if my 2016 child did not get in to my school of choice, can my one term of school volunteering apply to my 2018 child for his/her primary one waitlist?

Yes.

Q21: I have 2 children, will my volunteer hours get forfeited or reset to zero after my first child is enrolled into the school?

Your hours will remain valid as long as you remain as SHHK member (no lapse in SHHK membership).

Q22: I am a SHHK volunteer and I would like to enrol my child in Chongfu School. Will I have priority over the Chongfu Parent Volunteers for primary one waitlist if I had volunteered in the other SHHK primary schools for at least 2 terms?

SHHK volunteers who had volunteered in any of the four SHHK primary schools for at least 2 terms and fulfilled the baseline criteria for waitlist consideration, have priority over Chongfu Parent Volunteers on the primary one waitlist.

Q23: Can I apply for the school-based volunteer scheme if I am not fully vaccinated?

We regret to inform that only fully vaccinated volunteers will be deployed as they will be in close contact with our students.

Q24: If the member who sign up for volunteer work is pregnant/unwell, will SHHK allow the husband to fulfil the duty instead?

Please see Q13 above.

Q25: If I am sick on 1 day but we did 1 term, is it considered as complete service?

Any absence from duty will have to be substantiated with valid medical certificate, official SHN or QO, otherwise you would be deemed “Did not complete term”.

Q26: If we decide to commit for 1 or 2 terms for school-based, but along the way both parents received quarantine order from MOH, what should we do?

Volunteer is to immediately inform the school and SHHK, and substantiate with official documentations. Under such circumstance, it will not affect the completeness of your service.

Q27: How do I check home-school distance?

The following are official websites to check home-school distance: OneMap School Query - https://www.onemap.gov.sg/main/v2/schoolquery MOE School Finder - https://www.moe.gov.sg/schoolfinder

Q28: How to check or confirm if I am already qualified as “who has served 2 complete terms of service at any SHHK primary school”?

Please write in to us at membership@shhk.com.sg or admin@shhk.com.sg.

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