Abbas Abu Amin
Singapore
“I believe that sports activities play also a very important part in building up our national consciousness. When we send our competitors abroad to compete in international competitions, they do more than competing in skills, sports and physical fitness but, more importantly, they represent our whole nation, irrespective of their racial, c…”
“The MediShield Scheme was introduced in July 1990. I would like to know the number of members who have benefited from such a scheme. It was reported recently that members between 50 and 60 years of age form 20% of all those members who have opted out of the MediShield Scheme.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head P be reduced by $10 in respect of Code PA 1500 of the Main Estimates. Sir, the statistics available tend to suggest that there is an increase in the utilisation of health services.”
“In my view, MUIS could provide assistance to the Islamic schools in the following areas: firstly, getting qualified people as teachers, secondly, professional training for teachers to upgrade their performance, thirdly, streamlining a curriculum of equal standard to that of secular schools for all madrasahs, and, fourthly, financial assis…”
“Sir, I thank the Minister for his reply and beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $30,208,500 for Head S ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $3,585,000 for Head S ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head O -”
“Sir, since many speakers before me have already expressed their concern regarding the redevelopment and restructuring of Government acute hospitals, I would just like to get clarification or assurance from the Minister on two matters. First, would the interest of the poor patients be safeguarded?”
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“Sir, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“The MediShield Scheme was introduced in July 1990. I would like to know the number of members who have benefited from such a scheme. It was reported recently that members between 50 and 60 years of age form 20% of all those members who have opted out of the MediShield Scheme. What further plans does the Ministry intend to take to ensure that the public, especially the older members, is fully aware of the importance of this low-cost medical insurance plan to help to overcome the cost of prolonged hospitalisation and medical expenses?”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head P be reduced by $10 in respect of Code PA 1500 of the Main Estimates. Sir, the statistics available tend to suggest that there is an increase in the utilisation of health services. I would like to enquire on the profile of those who have made use of their Medisave accounts and whether the Ministry intends to strengthen efforts on Medisave audit to prevent any abuse of the system. Sir, can I touch on my second question on MediShield as well?”
“In my view, MUIS could provide assistance to the Islamic schools in the following areas: firstly, getting qualified people as teachers, secondly, professional training for teachers to upgrade their performance, thirdly, streamlining a curriculum of equal standard to that of secular schools for all madrasahs, and, fourthly, financial assistance to provide more conducive study facilities. I hope with MUIS assistance we would be able to enhance the standard of education in the madrasahs.”
“I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Encik Ibrahim Othman( In Malay): Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head J be reduced by $10 in respect of Code JH 3100 of the Main Estimates. Firstly, I would like to applaud the Muslim Religious Council's decision to proceed with haj pilgrimage administration this year. Although the decision was made rather late, there is still time to make the necessary preparations for this year's season. In view of the recent crisis in the Gulf, I would like to know what security measures are being taken by MUIS to ensure the welfare and safety of our pilgrims. Secondly, can we send more welfare officers to Makkah to look after the safety of our pilgrims. Could the Minister also elaborate on the other preparations made for this year's haj pilgrimage for the benefit of our pilgrims over there? Next, I would like to deal with the 'madrasahs' or Islamic schools. We know the madrasahs play an important role in the Islamic education of our children. In line with the rapid development in the country, the madrasahs are also offering secular subjects like English, Science and Mathematics, beside religious subjects. This is to enable madrasah students to find a job after completing school. I would like to find out from the Hon. Minister what long term plans MUIS has to upgrade the madrasahs to a standard equal to ordinary schools.”
“I believe that sports activities play also a very important part in building up our national consciousness. When we send our competitors abroad to compete in international competitions, they do more than competing in skills, sports and physical fitness but, more importantly, they represent our whole nation, irrespective of their racial, cultural and religious backgrounds. So when our team competes with others, we will very naturally identify ourselves with them. Our patriotism is developed naturally. For this reason, I hope that while we are promoting sports activities, we should not neglect this point, that is, how to develop some strong national teams, in other words, to professionalise our sports activities. Take, for example, our soccer team. Previously, at the football matches, many workers, many young people follow them enthusiastically.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head J be reduced by $10 in respect of Code JG 3100 of the Main Estimates. Sir, the report of the Advisory Council on Sports and Recreation (ACSR) was made public in early 1989. Yesterday, the Minister briefed the House on the implementation of those programmes. Sir, one of the three major themes of the ACSR's report states, "Nation building through international champions". What I would like to know, Sir, is this: Are there special programmes being coordinated between the Singapore Sports Council, the Ministry of Education and the National Sports Associations for the training of Youth Development Programme for selected sports already identified by this ACSR. During the last budget session, the Minister of State, Dr Seet Ai Mee, mentioned the formation of a special committee to look into the Sports Excellence Programme. Could we know what has been achieved through this special committee? Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon( In Mandarin): Sir, I would like to support my Parliamentary colleague, Encik Abbas' concern for the development of sports in Singapore. As a developing country, we have been trying very hard in the past to create more work so that our people would have a job and a house to live, but with the raising of our standard of living and our educational level, our people's demand for sports facilities has been enhanced. In order to popularise sports activities, I must say the Singapore Sports Council has done a lot. As we all know, we have many public swimming pools now. Almost every housing estate has its own swimming pool. Compared to some of our neighbouring countries, we have done well. However, the more important thing is that we are talking a lot about national consciousness.”
“Sir, I thank the Minister for his reply and beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $30,208,500 for Head S ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $3,585,000 for Head S ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head O -”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head S be reduced by $10 in respect of Code SL 1500 of the Main Estimates. Sir, as we take our stride into the 1990s and aim to have a productive and skilled workforce, I would like to emphasise that we should correspondingly ensure and enhance a safe and conducive working environment in our offices and factories for our workers. The occupational health and safety of the workers is of paramount importance and must be given due attention. I am pleased to note that the number of industrial accidents has been reduced to a minimum in recent years. I understand that some companies and Government bodies have formed recreational and sports clubs in their organisations. Sports and health enhancement programmes at workplaces will not only help to improve the fitness of our workers but they will also boost their morale and invariably lead to improved inter-personal relationships and create a more conducive working environment. In addition, recreational amenities, like canteens, child-care facilities, and fitness centres should be built for the welfare of the workers when the companies can afford to do so. I should be greatly grateful if the Minister could assist in urging more companies to provide such facilities for the welfare and well-being of their employees.”
“Sir, since many speakers before me have already expressed their concern regarding the redevelopment and restructuring of Government acute hospitals, I would just like to get clarification or assurance from the Minister on two matters. First, would the interest of the poor patients be safeguarded? For example, will there be enough subsidised beds in these new restructured hospitals and will the fees remain affordable? The second question is with regard to manpower planning. There is manpower shortage in many areas. With restructuring, those hospitals which can afford to pay will have better staffing ratio. What steps are taken by the Ministry to overcome the problems of shortage of ancillary staff such as physiotherapists, radiographers, laboratory technicians, nurses and even dieticians?”
“Does MUIS have sufficient staff to monitor the teaching of this subject at all the madrasahs and mosques and ensure it is properly conducted? Does MUIS also review at the end of each year how well the religious studies programme has been implemented and make the necessary improvements for subsequent years? I would like some clarification concerning Phase III of the Mosque Building Programme scheduled for the 1990s. In view of the increasing costs of construction, is it necessary for MUIS to continue building large mosques in every new town? So far the design of mosques under the first and second phases has been done by HDB architects. Does MUIS have any plans to give other architects or professional bodies the opportunity to make suggestions or be directly involved in the planning and design of mosques under Phase III? Lastly, I would like to call upon all Muslim workers in Singapore to respond to the appeal by MUIS to increase their contributions to the Mosque Building Fund. Together, in such spirit, we will see to the success of our Mosque Building Programme for the new housing estates in the 1990s.”
“In this connection, Mr Chairman, I would like to propose the following measures: (1) Perhaps MUIS could raise the minimum contribution to the Fund, say by another fifty cents or a dollar for every worker. I think this would require an amendment to the Administration of Muslim Law Act (AMLA). (2) MUIS could place donation tins at mosques to receive contributions from Muslims attending prayers there. In this regard, mosque management committees need to be open-minded and allow MUIS to place special donation tins to raise money for the construction of new mosques. (3) To launch an appeal for donations in conjunction with the fasting month of Ramadhan, due next week. Donations can also be collected at the same time by the fitrah collectors. Encik Abbas Abu Amin( In Malay): Mr Chairman, I would like to find out what further progress has been made in two areas, firstly, the Religious Education Unit of MUIS and secondly, Phase III of the Mosque Building Programme. I would like to know whether the Religious Education Unit has completed the Islamic religious studies curriculum and syllabus to be used by mosques and local madrasahs (religious schools). I think this is necessary in view of the important function to be assumed by mosques and religious schools in the teaching of Islamic religious knowledge, hitherto taught in formal schools. MUIS through the Mosque Management Committees need to inform the Muslim community, in particular the parents, that their children can continue to study the subject at the mosques in the various new towns. I would also like to know what steps have been taken by MUIS to train teachers so that they are fully qualified and competent to teach Islamic religious studies and to provide moral guidance to children of all ages.”
“Sir, I thank the Minister of State for her reply and I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Encik Ibrahim Othman (Bedok GRC)( In Malay): Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head J be reduced by $10 in respect of Code JL 3100 of the Main Estimates. Mr Chairman, the construction of modern mosques in Singapore is a tangible achievement for our Muslim population. Muslim workers contribute to this effort through monthly deductions from their salaries. There are also those who remit their contributions directly to the Muslim Religious Council, in particular those who have no CPF accounts. So far, 12 mosques have been built, six under Phase I and six more under Phase II. Another three mosques are currently under construction and once they are completed, we will be proceding with Phase III. Mr Chairman, an important aspect now posing a problem in the Mosque Building Programme is the rising cost of construction, resulting from higher cost of building materials and higher wages. The situation is aggravated by declining contributions to the Mosque Building Fund, which has fallen from $4.1 million in 1984 to $3.5 million in 1988. It is clear then that the problem is two-fold, ie, increasing construction costs and declining contributions from Muslim workers. Recently, MUIS sent out letters of appeal to Muslim workers to voluntarily increase their contributions to the Mosque Building Fund. I would like to ask the Minister in charge of Muslim Affairs what is the response to this appeal. Has there been any increase in monthly contributions to the Fund? If so, what is the increase? Thirdly, what other measures does MUIS intend to take to increase the Mosque Building Fund?”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head J be reduced by $10 in respect of Code JK 3100 of the Main Estimates. Sir, I must first of all compliment the Ministry of Community Development (MCD) and the management of the Singapore Sports Council for regularly monitoring the progress of the implementation of the recommendations made by the Advisory Council on Sports and Recreation (ACSR). I want, however, to go one step further and suggest that the ACSR Report be made public. When the Report has been made public, a progress report on the implementation plan should also be made public periodically. I am very confident that there are many sports loving Singaporeans who are interested in keeping up with the progress of the Advisory Committee's recommendations. Sir, in the ACSR Report, commercial firms have been referred to many times. And under the topic "Future Strategies", it is stated that commercial firms have a very important role in the development of sports in Singapore. As employers of sports persons, their role will be to encourage their employees to take up sports and to support their top sports persons by giving them financial assistance and time off when necessary. May I be enlightened, Sir, on what steps are being taken by the Ministry to urge commercial firms to take a more active part in sponsoring the various sports development programmes that we have.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to declare my interest. I am a Member of the Singapore Sports Council and President of the Football Association of Singapore.”
“I thank the Minister and beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $26,074,820 for Head R ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $11,484,000 for Head R ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. 1.57 pm Head O -”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head R be reduced by $10 in respect of Code RL 15000 of the Main Estimates. Sir, I just want to talk on noise induced deafness (NID). Sir, over several years noise induced deafness seems to be the main industrial disease. Industrial dermatitis was once the main problem but through concerted efforts, the Ministry of Labour's Department of Industrial Health has been able to control this particular disease. May I know, Sir, since the introduction of the statutory medical examination in 1985, what is the progress on the control of noise induced deafness? Is the Ministry involved in organising audiometric testing for our workers?”
“Sir, I thank the Minister for his reply and I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head R be reduced by $10 in respect of Code RH 1500 of the Main Estimates. Sir, the Ministry of Labour has embarked on a safety enforcement exercise covering factories in parts of Jurong industrial estate in July 1989. I understand that the factory occupiers were given three weeks' notice to ensure that the health, safety and welfare requirements of the Factories Act were complied with. I would like to know the outcome of the safety enforcement exercise. (1) How many factory occupiers were found not conforming to the requirements of the Factories Act and what actions were taken against them? (2) Will similar exercises be carried out in other industrial estates to ensure that the Factories Act and its regulations, where applicable, would be properly enforced so as to enhance the general safety and the well-being of our workers?”
“Sir, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Yes, Sir. I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head R be reduced by $10 in respect of Code RG 1500 of the Main Estimates. Sir, the last review of the workmen's compensation has placed the Workmen's Compensation Act with a maximum amount of compensation payable for total permanent incapacity at $60,000 and the minimum at $20,000. For fatal injury cases, the maximum compensation payable is $45,000 and the minimum $15,000. I understand that a proposal has been made to amend the Workmen's Compensation Act in terms of amount of compensation payable and the eligibility ceiling from $1,250 to $2,000. Sir, recently in answer to my Question for Oral Answer on the need to review and amend the Workmen's Compensation Act, the Minister stated that his Ministry would look into this matter. I would like to know how soon could the result of the review be announced as most of the workers are looking forward to this matter.”
“Our independent schools continue to receive Government assistance in the form of grants, building maintenance subsidy, and many other forms of assistance. I would like to urge the Ministry of Education to exempt Malay pupils from paying school fees in the independent schools until such time as the schools become 'fully independent'. The Malay community, on their part, must be ready for the day in the years ahead when these schools become 'fully independent'. We can expect the number of Malay children joining these schools increasing year by year. When that day comes, Malay students will no longer be exempted from paying the fees charged by the school management. The Malay community must prepare itself for that eventuality. The same applies to MENDAKI. It must keep up its efforts in administering educational grants, bursaries, scholarships to needy students from the independent schools. Once again, as long as independent schools are not 'fully independent' of assistance from the Ministry of Education or the Government, I appeal to the Ministry to give Malay students the opportunity to enjoy exemption from fees in these schools like they do in Government primary and secondary schools and junior colleges.”
“One cannot deny that his is a good idea, good for both the Malay community and MENDAKI as it faces the more challenging years ahead. MENDAKI will be able to use any surplus from the subsidy so channelled to finance its efforts to accelerate the development of the Malay community. And yet, one cannot disagree either that the fees subsidy issue requires careful, sensitive, fair-minded and practical handling, as it is not a matter of just transfering the funds. I would like to suggest that the Government consider initially having the Public Service Commission or the Ministry of Education assist in handling the transfer of subsidy and administering the bursaries/scholarships therefrom. Sir, an interesting point about the statement by the First Deputy Prime Minister on this issue is that he stressed that the proposal to channel the fees subsidy applies only to tertiary education, and does not include primary and secondary schools and junior colleges. Malay students in primary and secondary schools and junior colleges will continue to enjoy remission of fees. In this connection, I would like to draw the attention of the Government to the fees of the independent schools. Many Malay parents who send their children to the independent schools have had to pay the school fees. This seems contrary to what the First Deputy Prime Minister said, and I repeat, on the basis of his statement, Malay students should continue to enjoy exemption of fees in primary and secondary schools and junior colleges. The independent schools we are establishing are not as yet fully independent. These schools still operate under the 'protective umbrella' of the Ministry of Education, unlike private schools like Stamford College, etc.”
“Sir, I would like to commend the Ministry of Education for its continuous efforts to improve the standard of physical education in schools. Last year I raised the importance of physical education and the concern on the acute shortage of physical education teachers. I would like to know, Sir, what further progress has been made to recruit and train sufficient PE teachers, especially in primary schools. In line with this, I wish to know what steps have been taken to implement the various recommendations made in the Report of the Advisory Council on Sports and Recreation (ACSR). Sir, in the ACSR report on the "Future Strategies", it states, and I quote: 'The Ministry of Education will have to revise the PE curriculum to emphasize the development of motor skills especially in primary schools. It will also have to develop a programme to use non-teachers as aides and instructors in schools. The Ministry will also have to ensure that pupils who have exceptional talents are encouraged and given the opportunity to develop their skills.' Sir, I would like the Minister to enlighten me on this development. Encik Abdul Nasser bin Kamaruddin (Hong Kah GRC)( In Malay): The proposal mooted by the First Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Goh Chok Tong to channel the tertiary fees subsidy for Malay students to MENDAKI has, I believe, drawn a mixed reaction from the Malay community. Some perceived the proposal as a move by the Government to take away the pri- vileges they have been enjoying all this time. Others thought it reflected a commitment on the part of the First Deputy Prime Minister to strengthen the MENDAKI Foundation and build a more independent Malay community. Sir, I do not disagree with the First Deputy Prime Minister on this issue. Indeed, I support him.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I fully share the views eloquently expressed by the hon. Member for Ayer Rajah on the upgrading and expansion of university and polytechnic education. I would like to get clarification from the Minister on three areas of concern to both parents and students regarding this expansion. First, will we be over producing graduates suddenly from the three polytechnics and two universities? Will there be sufficient jobs readily available for these graduates? Second, with the expansion programmes announced for tertiary institutions, will we have enough experienced teaching staff to cope with the increase in the student intake? And will the standard of teaching be adversely affected in other tertiary education? Finally, will there be part-time courses available for our young and energetic workers? Will workers with basic academic qualifications be given opportunities to attend suitable part-time courses to further upgrade their knowledge and skills and attain higher vocational or professional qualifications?”
“I thank the Minister for his reply and I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head P be reduced by $10 in respect of Code PD 1500 of the Main Estimates. Sir, I am going to talk about shortage of nurses and health therapists. The Ministry is aware of the shortages of nurses and health therapists. Some of the reasons given so far are as follows: no local training course, insufficient number of candidates taking up PSC scholarships and uncompetitive salaries. Sir, I would like to know what further steps are being taken by the Ministry to train more health therapists in view of the problems of the aged in the future. Would the Ministry consider improving the salary scheme of health therapists with a view to encouraging more school leavers to take up health therapy as a career?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Minister has made known the Ministry's policy that the Government acute hospitals will be redeveloped and restructured. I fully understand the rationale for the proposed plan to restructure the Singapore General Hospital and subsequently other hospitals, to enable the hospitals greater autonomy in managing their own affairs with a view to improving the standard of services to the patients. I support this move. However, I would like to ask a few questions of the Minister: (1) What is the progress on the redevelopment of Government acute hospitals? (2) Would these hospitals be similarly restructured as in the case of the Singapore General Hospital? How would the interest of the poor patients be safeguarded? For example, will there be enough subsidized beds and what assurance can be given to the public that the poor and lower-income workers will continue to get the services that they are now getting at affordable prices? (3) Finally, how will this restructuring exercise of the Government hospitals affect the employment and terms of service of the medical staff, the doctors, the nurses, etc, in these various hospitals that are going to be redeveloped?”
“Sir, the SAF camp has been there for the last two years, unattended, as the Minister said. I would like to know whether it is possible for the Minister to consider expediting whatever development programme that he has so that the residents within the vicinity of the area could have a better environment.”
“Yes, Sir. We produced stars like Kim Song, Seak Poh Leong and many others. What I would like the Minister to consider is to seriously review the whole scheme to concentrate only on the games recommended by the Committee.”
“During their national service, they also had to perform military duties in between their athletic training. As they form only a small number, they did not disrupt or adversely affect the SAF and its military training. We all know that those with potential as officer cadets, commanders and section leaders and many other combat units, were exempted from this scheme because we wanted them to contribute positively in the military training. Because of this scheme, we produced quite a number of good sportsmen and, in many cases, the Armed Forces excelled in all the national competitions. For example, many of the players in the national hockey team came from the SAF. They were performing very well and on par with the Malaysians, who were then and still are, one of the best in Asia. But the standard of our hockey team today is totally a different picture. Another example is that our Malaysia Cup team of the '70s could attri- bute much of its success to the good supernumerary scheme.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Advisory Council's Report on Sports and Recreation is a detailed study on attitudes, standards, trends in sports and recreation in the Republic. The Advisory Council must be commended for its in-depth study and report and its recommendations must be taken seriously. Sir, the Report made recommendations which could undoubtedly help to improve the standing of sports and recreation in our Republic. The recommendations affect and involve mainly the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Defence, Singapore Sports Council and its various agencies. In view of this, I strongly urge the Ministry to liaise with the respective Ministries and bodies concerned to as much as possible fulfil all the recommendations as soon as possible. I know the Minister mentioned earlier that the Government has considered and rejected the recommendation of the supernumerary scheme. However, I beg to appeal to the Government to review this decision if we want to excel in sports. Sir, I would like to make the following observations. I was involved when I was in the SAF as the Secretary of the Singapore Armed Forces Sports Association when this scheme was implemented. The supernumerary scheme was practised in the Singapore Armed Forces from about 1968 till 1979 when it was discontinued. Under the scheme, at any one time, there were only 75 national athletes who were national champions or combined schools champions from all the various sports. And they had the privilege to continue their training while they were in the Army. The supernumerary status did not exclude athletes from all military training. In fact, they had to undergo the vigorous basic military training (BMT) and the vocational training. And they were later on distributedor posted to the various non-combat units.”
“Sir, I withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head L be reduced by $10 in respect of Code LF 9863004 of the Development Estimates. Sir, I will be very brief. First, I would like to commend the Ministry of Education for its efforts in building a modern building for the College of Physical Education with well equipped sports facilities. I would like to know from the Minister whether these up-to-date facilities could well be extended to our national sports associations for our athletes and sportsmen to use during the evenings or even during the weekends. I would also like to know whether the Ministry has plans to increase the number of trainees in the PE College to meet the demands for PE teachers in schools, especially in primary schools, as recommended in the Report of the Advisory Council on Sports and Recreation.”
“Some students may be about average in their academic performance but have natural talents and aptitudes in art, music or even games. I would like to support and reiterate the point made earlier by Encik Wan Hussin, Member for Aljunied GRC, when he mentioned about MENDAKI and the Ministry of Education working together to improve the performances of the Malay students. Perhaps both MENDAKI and the Ministry of Education should also look into the non-academic areas in which Malay students have natural talents. By helping them to develop their potential talents, it would enhance their chances for success in life later on, especially those talented in areas like creative or designing arts, music or even sports. Hopefully, we can get more Iskandar Jalils, Sulaiman Suhaimis, Jaffar Ahmads, Zainal Abidins and Fandi Ahmads, to name a few who have been successful in their respective skills.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I want to talk on extra-curricular activities in schools. I would like to know whether the Ministry has plans to implement the recommendations made by the Advisory Council on Sports and Recreation. The Report recommends among other things: 'By improving the PE in school and the ECA sports programme, a better quality of life through sports can be achieved.' Another remark made by the report is, "by giving more importance to the acquisition of lifetime sports skills in schools". My questions are as follows: How will the Ministry provide sufficient number of qualified PE teachers in primary schools to teach the basic rudiments of skills training in the selected sports and games? I would like to suggest perhaps, to overcome some of the problems, the Ministry could liaise with respective national sports associations which have qualified coaches and expertise to help schools to nurture some of these skills in sports training. The Ministry could also encourage schools to select and promote certain games according to the interest and enthusiasm shown by the students and teachers. Some schools are known by the games that they have played. For example, St. Andrews known in the early days for its rugby and perhaps boxing. Anglo-Chinese School known for its athletics and maybe swimming. And many other schools that have excelled in some of these sports. My next question is whether the Ministry has any plans to provide up-to-date sports facilities to meet the demands of training of some of these sports when new schools are built in new housing estates. My last point is on talents and nurturing of skills or potentials among youngsters in schools.”
“The many intangible values of sports provide tremendous benefit to the individual and the company he is working for. From research conducted in the developed countries, sports in industries seems to increase productivity, reduce turnover and absenteeism, and even boost the morale of the employees. Studies have also shown that sports can help to relieve the tedium and tensions of work and reduce feelings of alienation and apathy between employer and employee. In this respect, I know there are some industries, some big companies have already provided facilities for their staff to do physical training or recreational activities, but I would like to urge more companies, especially the big ones, to provide these amenities for their staff and employees. Mr Speaker, Sir, we have been reminded again and again that Singapore is a small country. We have only human resources to talk about. Whether the population is fit and healthy, or unfit, will sooner or later become a question of national concern. The need for sport and physical fitness cannot be over-emphasized if we are to enjoy a more meaningful and fulfilling life and become a middle class society and continue to work together to build a nation of excellence. Sir, I support the motion.”
“By and large the most important factor to succeed in sports promotion is the acceptance and encouragement by parents and society as a whole, and this is the best guarantee for a sporting future for the whole generation. If our children are given opportunities to learn to practise the basic elements of movement, if the young have the chance to use them in a wide variety of sports and games, and enjoy doing them, then sports for a lifetime will be assured. As it is mandatory for male youths to undergo national service, there is an inevitable need for them to be fit and strong for the physical and mental demands of military training. The experience I gained when I was in the Armed Forces is that for those trainees who were sports enthusiasts in their schools find no difficulty in adapting themselves to the rigorous military training. It is only when you are fit you are confident; when you are confident you can do your work better. One way of ensuring this is to inculcate in : em, from young, the habit of indulging in sports or any other type of outdoor activities such as adventure training, orienteering, canoeing and the like. Perhaps our youth groups that we have in the various community centres should seriously consider the promotion of sports in their activities besides all the other social activities. When our youth enter adulthood, they will immediately be part of our workforce. Whether in the office or the factory they are playing an important economic role that demands a healthy body and a healthy mind. As a reservist, these workers have to maintain a certain level of fitness as they have to be prepared for any eventuality at any time. One way of maintaining this condition of mental and physical efficiency is by encouraging them to continue participating in sports.”
“It is indeed timely that the recommendations made by the Sports and Recreation Advisory Committee be looked into seriously and, if possible, to implement them as soon as possible. And for sports to make an impact in any society, it must start from the very young. Sports and its benefits must be introduced and taught to our children right from the home, from pre-primary school, or if need to, throughout the secondary school. Then the interests and habits of participation will be carried through the child's later years and society as a whole will definitely benefit. Sir, I understand that schools plan their Extra curricular activities programme which, while providing for health and enjoyable sports and recreation activities, may also teach pupils skills in a particular game or sport and at the same time cultivating in them great values and desirable social attitudes and habits which I have just mentioned earlier. The question is, are there sufficient qualified physical education teachers and adequate facilities available to cater for the various needs and interests of our young pupils? I understand, Sir, that the number of activities a school provides for its pupils depends upon the availability of expertise among its staff members, availability of facilities within the school premises and the interests of the pupils themselves. However, I am happy to note that the Physical Education College has been established and new intakes of trainees are undergoing full-time courses, but it will take some time before we are able to produce enough qualified physical education teachers to be sent to all our primary schools. I do hope that more and better facilities are available when new primary schools are being built in the next five to 10 years.”
“Group participation offers a realistic training ground for both cooperation and healthy competition. An individual must learn to cooperate with others, to accept group rules, to impose self-discipline and to subordinate his own wishes, when necessary, to the desires of the overall group. In multi-racial Singapore, this aspect of development is also important for nation building. Sports can help to forge our people together as it has no racial or religious barrier. What better way than to start taking part in sports and games, if not from young, in the schools? Through participation in group activities such as sports and games, young children can learn to control their emotions and to express themselves in socially acceptable ways - to take responsibilities, to respect others, to be considerate, to be tolerant and to work as a team, etc. In short, they learn to get along well with others at the same time, the esprit de corps inherent in such team activities often leads to life-long friendship. Today, the priority on academic excellence, modernization and unavoidable western influence have brought with them their woes and bad influence. The luxury of life has perpetuated a sedentary lifestyle in most Singa- poreans and some of us are crumbling under work and family pressures. Our children and youth are caught up in the high-paced pursuit of academic excellence. Consequently, there is a lack of exercise resulting in obesity and lack of proper physical and motor development in them. I recollect there were three articles in the Straits Times sometime in August 1988 which reflect the situation of our children's plight at the primary school age who are overweight. I know the Ministry is looking into ways and means of how to improve in this area.”
“Sir, with the adoption of the Government's Sports for All policy in 1973, there has been an active promotion of physical fitness and sports among school children, national servicemen and the masses. There has been a greater awareness of the importance of sports. I know many hon. Members as well as Ministers have played their part in spearheading the sports movement. However, I still feel that active participation in sports and other recreational activities by the general public is still not up to the level ideally preferred. Although the average Singaporean is aware of the desirability and the benefits of sports, and intends to get more of it, he is stacked against his driving need to succeed and to be secure in the framework of an intensively competitive society. Time spent in sport has often struck him almost as a form of self-indulgence. This lifestyle will have to change if one wants to enjoy good health and a good quality of life. How does sport contribute to this good quality of life? Sports like art, music, contributes to the development of many personal values. It contributes to good character, loyalty, altruism, self-control, fortitude, health, physical fitness and mental alertness. As the growth of an individual or a society is a process, encompassing every aspect of human functioning and emotion, sports' contribution to the desired growth of the individual as well as the society can never be over-emphasized. Sir, one of the primary values of sport is that it provides an opportunity for people to interact, to socialize and to overcome a sense of isolation by joining social groups. In our society, such groups are important in that they provide individuals with a sense of belonging rather than isolation.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to support the motion standing in the name of the hon. Member for Siglap. Sir, the President mentioned that Singaporeans should not only have their material needs met, but also able to enjoy meaningful and fulfilling life. Many hon. Members have spoken at length on the National Ideology, education, economy and the need to support the lower income groups, the unskilled workers, to improve themselves through training and retraining, so that they too could upgrade their lives. Many of my Malay MP colleagues have also mentioned the aspirations and desire of the Malay community to move ahead and join the mainstream. I fully share the views of hon. Members on the above issues and would like to see that the Government is concerned and try to implement some of the recommendations which are practical and feasible. Mr Speaker, Sir, last year, the First Deputy Prime Minister announced the formation of six advisory councils to look into the various ways and means of improving the quality of life for all Singaporeans. I believe most of these committees have already submitted their recommendations. Earlier today, the hon. Member for Ulu Pandan eloquently spoke about the Arts and how it contributes to improving the quality of life. Now I would like to speak on sports and recreation, a topic which seems to be at the lowest priority. Sir, the emotional stress of urban living, the rich and the plentiful food available to most people, the ease of an era of machines and the sedentary way of life, have generally made Singaporeans rather soft and vulnerable to both physical and mental ailments. And these, to a certain extent, tend to mar the quality of our life.”
“Sir, I am happy with the assurance given by the Minister. I would like to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“In view of the various changes I mentioned just now and the advancement in technology bringing about new work operations and new working environment, I would like to ask the Minister what further steps the Ministry has taken to keep track of this new development and continue to review the Act to ensure its adequate coverage to maintain very high standards of safety and health of our workers.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head R be reduced by $10 in respect of Code RH 1000 of the Main Estimates. Sir, I would like to touch on the need to review the safety and health provisions of the Factories Act. Safety and health standards of workers in a country should be consonant with the state of its economic development. During the last two decades of our industrialization, we have managed to achieve a balance between the benefits of industrialization and the control of industrial hazards. This must continue. As the spectrum of health and safety hazards changes with the industry, the legislation needs to be reviewed and amended from time to time to keep up with the changes and meet new problems that may arise. Sir, the last revision of the Factories Act was made in 1973. During this revision, two important new provisions requiring certain classes of factories to employ safety officers and form safety committees were included in this new Act. The Factories Act is the main legislation that governs the safety and health standards of workers at the workplaces. Presently, the Act only covers those places that are classified as factories as per definition of the term "factory" as listed in the Act. I understand that the Act is therefore not enforceable in other workplaces that are not classified as factories even though there may be workers employed in these workplaces.”
“Finally, I would like also to ask the Minister whether a definite plan has been made on the implementation of the long-term CPF rates of contribution, especially on the various steps to be taken to gradually reduce the CPF contribution for older workers, ie, those in the 55-60 years age group and 60-65 years age group.”
“Sir, the various measures introduced by the Government, including the CPF cut, to overcome the recession in 1985 and 1986 were clearly understood by our workers. They have no objection to the new wage policy on wage restraint and wage reform. They have accepted wage standstill for two years now. The workers have accepted all the measures knowing that they are temporary measures to increase the competitiveness and to improve the marketability of goods and services. All the sacrifices, the concerted efforts and other concrete measures taken by the Government have revived our economy. Now, the question which is always in the minds of our workers is: when will the CPF rate be restored and by what percentage? Even though the Minister has given the assurance that the CPF rate will be reviewed after the first quarter of 1988, the workers feel that the objectives of wage restraint and CPF cut for two years have been successfully achieved and therefore the temporary measures should not be taken longer than necessary. While measures such as wage restraint and wage reforms are long-term strategies, the Government should consider gradually increasing the CPF rate so as to assist our workers in having sufficient savings to service their HDB flats' monthly instalments and increase savings for old age requirements. This is indeed a test of trust and confidence. The workers cooperated with the Government for two years and made the necessary sacrifices. Now that the economy has recovered and the two-year period is over, the Government should therefore honour its part of the bargain. I am sure the workers will understand and continue to give further cooperation in the future should further sacrifices are needed to overcome impending national crisis.”
“Steps should be taken to: (1) identify the potential of these employees; (2) match the potential and the demand of work; (3) train the employees to achieve their potential by having relevant in-house training, eg, on-the-job training, to sponsor suitable workers to attend part-time or full-time approved courses organized by other local institutions such as VITB; (4) introduce incentives to motivate the employees to improve themselves by introducing study grant, study loan, incremental incentives, unrecorded leave to attend such courses; (5) work a career development for successful trainees as incentive for others to follow their example; (6) the employers are to be adequately informed about the Skills Development Fund, subsidy and assistance to train these employees.”
“We are all aware that this group of older workers have heavy responsibilities in supporting their families and educating their children. I know that Government has helped those who are older by various means. For example, hawker licences are not granted to those below the age of 40, and taxi driving licences not issued to those below 30 years. Perhaps we should also reserve other jobs for our older workers. Employers should be encouraged to employ older workers in unskilled jobs that we have in our market. I also urge the Minister not to allow unskilled foreign workers to compete with our own unskilled workers who are at the same time older workers. These older workers need more attention and care in our drive to strive for excellence. The level of their skills and competency should be upgraded and they should be motivated with a clear path of career advancement, if possible. I would like, therefore, to ask the Minister to urge more employers to play their fair share of responsibility in looking after the well-being of their older workers by organizing and upgrading vocational training classes. Employers should support skills training for their workers on a more extensive scale.”
“Sir, I would like to touch on employment, retention and retraining of older workers. One of the experiences of the recent recession has been the plight of older workers. Many were retrenched and they found great difficulty in finding re-employment. Those who did find re-employment took drastic cuts in their wages. The re-employed workers in the age group of 40-55 suffered wage reductions of 36% to 43%. It was clear from the 1986 data that the unemployment rate of those without educational qualifications or low qualifications was higher than those who had skills. It is clear therefore that our economy is changing, requiring more and more skilled workers and less and less of unskilled workers. We can expect this change to go on. This means that workers must constantly upgrade themselves. I wish to point out that the training needs of workers in different age groups would be different because of the different education base. I would like to ask the Clerk of Parliament to circulate a table I have prepared earlier. [Copies of table circulated to hon. Members.] From this table, we can see that a higher proportion of older workers are unskilled. Almost 63% of workers aged 50 and over either did not attend school or failed to obtain a PSLE grade. Even in the 40-49 age group, the proportion of the unskilled is high, about 38%. I am confident that younger workers, because of their better education base, can cope with skills upgrading courses. For the older workers, it is not easy for them to go back to the classroom and obtain a basic education. We may therefore have to find other means to help them. We should help them obtain skills that do not require a basic education.”