Abdullah Tarmugi
Singapore
“As I have said, in most, if not all cases, we have a multi-disciplinary team to assess. In other words, even the protector himself or herself is subject to the assessment of this team. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House.”
“Sir, I think that is a convenient tack to say. But AMP and others must also realise that the new policy applies to all NGOs which are co-located at community buildings, and not only to AMP. TRIPARTITE COMMITTEE ON PORTABLE MEDICAL BENEFITS (Progress report) 5.”
“Sir, this is precisely what we are talking about, ie, it is not just a question about numbers per se, and I would like to refer to what Mr Noris Ong said, about having three or more children, if we can afford it. This means, as I mentioned just now in my speech too, that we do not want children to be a burden.”
“At present, Sir, the policy is we will support up to three children. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Mr Abdullah Tarmugi].”
“My Ministry will continue to look into ways of removing the obstacles couples face in having children. Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed. Dr S. Vasoo (Tanjong Pagar): Sir, we already have had eight days of long debate. I would be concise and you would be very relieved if all other speakers after me would be concise.”
“So we would leave it as it is and we only pay for working women. It is really to compensate the loss in income. He asked about the provision in the Bill on "lawfully married to the child's natural father". This is, as I said earlier, because we want to encourage child birth within wedlock and the family remains intact.”
The complete record
Every one of 726 lines we hold for Abdullah Tarmugi, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 4 of 15.
“Gus Dur or A Rahman Wahid, in a television interview, has expressed his dislike to what had been happening in his country, Indonesia. He hoped that an atmosphere of tolerance and mutual respect will come into its re-existence. He has said that before, all pastors, priests and imams used to engage in healthy banter or humour even if they are from different religions. He said that there are three religious leaders, Christian, Hindu and Muslim leaders. While they joked, they asked which one among them are the closest to God. The Christian priest said that it is Christianity "because we call God our Father." The Hindu priest also claimed that they are also not far from God because they use Om. According to my Hindu friend, Lingam: (In English) 'Om is a spiritual sound to the Hindus. It prevails in the heart of the Hindus. It pervades the universe. It is a powerful mantra. You can recite it 21 or 108 times. Depends. It cleanses your Karma. Purifies your heart. It is a majestic sound.' For example, some Hindus will recite Om Nama Sivaya. "Om" in the Indonesian language means Uncle. (In Malay) Therefore it is Father for the Christians, for the Hindus, it is Uncle. Both priests looked into the direction of the Muslim Imam. So he said in reply, "We are close to our God too. We only need to climb the tower or minaret and call His name five times a day." I hope that the smiles on our faces in the House today would also infect those outside of this Parliament till the wave of tolerance is felt by our society. God willing, the universal society as well. Sir, every morning the sun rises. Every afternoon it sets. It is so simple. But in between the rising and setting of the sun, many things happen. Good or bad. We should work towards the good. Towards peace.”
“This book became one of the references for graduates pursuing their PhD. [Mr Deputy Speaker in the Chair] 4.10 pm The sense of tolerance should be our inspiration when we enter the next millennium, the millennium of biotechnology. For instance, our cell, nucleus, chromosome, DNA and the ATGC (adenine, thymine, guanine, cytosine). The AMLA debate gives us the chance to strengthen the fabric of our society. Any multi-racial, multi-religious and multi-lingual state that ignores this fact will face paralysis, in fact, destruction. In 1991, Sahid Sahoman criticised the Prime Minister by using the word "religion". The opposition said that he should not be the leader of Muslims and Malays, because he is not a Muslim. How religion has been misused! Mr Deputy Speaker, the following day, we had a press conference and the Prime Minister, when explaining to the press, he looked at me and I looked at him. Maybe it is because we have been together for so long. I think he knew that I wanted to say something. Usually, I would just listen and keep quiet. So he gave me the opportunity to speak. I said that what the opposition had done was wrong, because Islam is not so narrow. Islam divides non-Muslims into three categories. Firstly, harabi non-Muslims. No one has to be a Muslim to fight the oppressor. Secondly, dzimmi non-Muslims, the good ones. Our Prophet treated them well. Even the Muslims were envious by this treatment. The Prime Minister can perhaps belong to that category, or at least an ahdi non-Muslim that can become partner in, say, business. It is better if you trust the ahdi non-Muslims, rather than do business with Muslims who might be corrupt. So, the next day, gentlemanly, Sahid Sahoman apologised to our Prime Minister.”
“I asked her when her father introduced the concept of pancasila, who among the Imams introduced this concept. She could not answer. She said perhaps pancasila existed before. She said that the concept of Darussalam (Land of Peace) and Darus Islam (Land of Islam) may not be understood by many. Even among the Muslims themselves, they are still vague about the concept. The concept that was encompassed in the Medinah Declaration existed hundreds of years before the birth of the Magna Carta, which existed in the year 1215. This spirit, I believe, caused the bishop Nestoria to write to his friend and this letter is still being kept safely: (In English) 'These Tayites (Arabs/Muslim) to whom God has accorded domination in our days, have also become our master; yet they do not combat at all the Christian religion. On the contrary, they even protect our faith, respect our priests and saints and make donations to our churches and our convents. They all inherited this and enjoyed freedom of conscience, justice and prosperity.' (In Malay) These factors too must have inspired Dutch orientalist Prof. Wensinck, a professor in Arab language, before the outbreak of the Second World War, made efforts to decipher the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (hadith) and he said: (In English) '.the idea of a concordance of the principal collections of hadith should be prepared with a view to facilitate reference work among the western scholars who were working on the different aspects of Islam.' Wensinck died before World War II and his works were continued by Prof. Mensing. The book entitled "Concordance and Indices of Islamic Tradition" shows to the hadith recorded by Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidzi, Ibnu Majah, An-Nasai, Abu Daud, Musnad Ad-Darami, Muwatta' Imam Malik and Musnad Ahmad ibn Hambal.”
“There are also times when these go against the customs, culture and religion, when culture, some say religion, does not allow the burning of firecrackers, which would endanger our property and lives; especially so in the recent legalisation of football betting, to save society from fraud, the use of force and victimisation. Secularism at this juncture has to differentiate between the evil and the lesser evil. I hope that the cooperation between the Syariah Court and the civil court would open a new phase that is positive and unique, when the two parties will respect each other - especially in Moral and Faith. As long as morality does not go against faith, I am sure that the journey or path of cooperation, however long it may be, will be a learning process that will bring benefit of mutuality in a multi-racial country. Let us say that a wrong decision has been made, correction must be made immediately, this could separate the wise from the foolish. Whichever is right hopefully could be refined, especially on the issue of child custody, joint income and divorce claims. This is a heavy responsibility that we all must take. It is a vista that should be explored with care. Being cautious, mutual respect and tolerance itself have been shown by the Prophet Muhammad 14th Century ago till the birth of the Medinah Declaration in the 6th Century. Muslim thinkers have made a conclusion that making this first Human Rights Declaration shows the universality of Islam. It involved the Muslims, Christians and Jews. Even though Medinah is under the rule of Islam, the declaration does not stress on Darus Islam (Land of Islam) but more on Darussalam (Land of Peace). I have asked Megawati who recently came to Singapore.”
“We hope that the appointment of a Senior President of Syariah Court, an ad hoc President and a Registrar, together with its powers, will make the society understand even deeper and thus accept this amendment and the issues associated with it. In fact, the cooperation between the Syariah Court and the civil court from today will make way for a new journey which will not only affect the Malay-Muslim community but also the society as a whole. This will make a unique journey or pathway. This uniqueness is obvious because the decision involves two courts, ie, the Syariah and the civil courts which are based on two different backgrounds, one being religion and the other being secular. We are fortunate that our secular system is not against religion, unlike in some socialist and communist states which regard religion as opium or drug that is detrimental to the state and its social system. In fact, our country is too sensitive with the concept of multi-racialism, multi-religions and multi-lingualism, that it has taken action to protect, preserve and safeguard these three aspects. The concept of multi-lingualism is embodied in the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act and the Inter-Religious Council, are some of the positive measures that were taken. These measures are made possible because in a secularised system where there is no concept of after-life, there are still three sensitive factors that it stands by: Principles, Fact and Moral. Even though there are no "spiritual qualities" in a secular system, this system ensures that its moral aspect is applied. Sometimes differentiating between the wrong and the right goes in line with the spiritual demands, just as the importance of cleanliness, anti-corruption, misuse of power, theft, murder, abasement and the like.”
“They do not diminish the status nor do they take away any jurisdiction of the Syariah Court. Muslims will continue to have access to the Civil Courts to settle their matrimonial disputes albeit with prior approval by the Syariah Court. Sir, the law alone cannot move the institution forward. The Syariah Court will need the understanding, support and help of counsellors, lawyers, religious officials, community leaders and others, to enable it to become a court of choice for all Muslims. Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed. EXEMPTED BUSINESS (Motion) Resolved, That the proceedings on the item of business under discussion be exempted at this day's sitting from the provisions of Standing Order No. 1. - [Mr Wong Kan Seng]. ADMINISTRATION OF MUSLIM LAW (AMENDMENT) BILL Debate resumed. The Senior Minister of State for the Environment (Encik Sidek bin Saniff) (In Malay): Mr Speaker, Sir, the decision to bring the AMLA amendment to a Select Committee is a decision that is correct and of great importance. It is obvious that the decision has given rise to three positive effects. It gives society plenty of time and chance to analyse in detail, especially on the controversial aspect such as the concurrent jurisdiction and at the same time giving the Government a chance to explain any doubts or misconceptions that might exist, to gain consensus in many areas and to develop a deeper understanding towards other issues. Its acceptance or approval in Parliament today gives rise to two significance: (a) This amendment is more comprehensive and thus strengthens the powers of MUIS and the Syariah Court. (b) Concurrent jurisdiction, God willing, will give rise to a feeling of responsibility and care in handling this sensitive issue.”
“Wakafs On the issue of wakafs, a representor suggested putting the onus to register wakafs on the trustees. Wakafs are properties that Muslims have dedicated under Syariah law. All wakafs, by law, are vested in MUIS. It follows, therefore, that they must be registered with MUIS. However, it is impossible for MUIS to know which properties have been so dedicated unless their trustees dutifully inform MUIS about them. In the past, MUIS has had to initiate court proceedings to recover wakaf properties disposed of by their trustees. The Select Committee agrees with the suggestion and recommends an amendment to make registration of wakafs mandatory to safeguard the properties from being disposed of indiscriminately. The registration will help prevent costly litigation and will protect the innocent buyer of a wakaf property. It will also enable MUIS to develop and enhance the value of the wakaf properties for the benefit of the community. MUIS will ensure that all trustees of wakafs have ample notice before registration is made mandatory. It will launch a public awareness drive to inform Muslims of the requirement. The trustees of existing wakafs will be given six months from the operation of the law to register. Trustees also have six months to register new wakaf properties. Haj services The Committee also agrees with a suggestion that persons acting as guides for pilgrims should be qualified religious teachers so that the pilgrims who go to the haj are properly advised on the performance of haj rites. This will be taken up in the Rules. In conclusion, Sir, I would like to reiterate that the amendments to the Bill seek to resolve the ambiguity that existed until now between the jurisdiction of the Syariah Court and Civil Courts and to strengthen the Syariah Court.”
“The Committee considered all the suggestions received and recommended the following: (i) To appoint a Senior President amongst the Presidents in the Syariah Court to head and provide directions for the Court and to issue practice directions, lay down court procedures and review rules and regulations; (ii) To appoint a panel of ad hoc Presidents of the Syariah Court to help cut down the present backlog of cases; and (iii) To appoint a Registrar to help relieve the Presidents of their non-substantive legal work. With these, the Syariah Court will be able to dispense justice to the community effectively and speedily. My Ministry will also be looking separately at administrative measures, procedures and manpower needs to enhance the efficiency of the Court to dovetail the Committee's recommendations. Incorporating the Women's Charter Principles for Disposition or Division of Matrimonial Property on Divorce Sir, the Bill provides that the Syariah Court shall apply principles in section 112 of the Women's Charter relating to the disposition or division of matrimonial property on divorce provided that they are consistent with Syariah law. Several representors felt that the Syariah Court should not be bound by the Women's Charter despite the qualification or to explicitly mention in AMLA of the application of Women's Charter principles, as they may suggest that the Syariah law lacks such principles. To correct any misperception, the Select Committee recommends incorporating into AMLA those principles from section 112 that are consistent with Syariah law, but without reference to the Women's Charter itself. Matters Pertaining to MUIS Sir, let me now deal with matters pertaining to the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS).”
“Under the Bill, the legal processes give that person ample opportunity for such knowledge and understanding. Firstly, he or she must first seek leave of the Syariah Court. Secondly, he or she may appeal to the Appeal Board in MUIS for a final decision, if dissatisfied with the Syariah Court's ruling. However, the Committee found that there is no such safeguard for couples who, by mutual consent, want to go to the Civil Court to settle their matrimonial disputes. Some representors held that the Bill should provide a safeguard in the form of counselling for this group. They will at least be making an informed decision should they insist on going to the Civil Courts despite being counselled. The Committee agrees and recommends amending the Bill to provide for mandatory counselling to such couples. Sir, some members of the community expressed concern that the legal process which I have described may generate more work for the Syariah Court and distract it from performing its core functions. This is unlikely to be the case, because a clear jurisprudence on the conditions for granting leave will develop after the initial set of cases going before the Syariah Court and the Appeal Board. Over time, there should be fewer applications as the Syariah Court grows in stature and improves its efficiency. Strengthening the Syariah Court Sir, I now turn to the measures to make the Syariah Court stronger. The Select Committee received several useful suggestions on ways to improve the Syariah Court.”
“The Committee consulted the Attorney-General's Chambers, Muslim lawyers who practise in both civil courts and Syariah Court and MUIS and found that there are no differences in basic principles between Syariah law and the Guardianship of Infants Act, as both consider the welfare of the child to be of paramount importance. The AMLA, in addition, also specifically provides for the Civil Courts, in cases where religious issues could be a consideration, to seek advice from the Legal (or Fatwa) Committee of MUIS. Sir, several representors strongly pushed for the Syariah Court to be the only forum to hear matrimonial disputes between Muslims, fearing that giving an avenue to the Civil Courts would undermine and diminish the authority of the Syariah Court. They felt that in the past, Muslims had little choice but to go to the Civil Courts, as the Syariah Court did not have adequate resources to deal with their disputes. The Select Committee deliberated over these concerns at length. It concluded that Muslims, as citizens of this country, must be allowed the same right of access to the Civil Courts as non-Muslims. There may also be instances where the legal issues in a case need to or can only be resolved in the Civil Court. For instance, in disputes over property, the legal claim could involve third parties who are non-Muslims. Another example will be cases involving property or parties overseas. Let me reiterate that the Bill does not in any way undermine the authority of the Syariah Court. The Select Committee saw the need for sufficient safeguards to ensure that parties intending to resolve ancillary issues in the Civil Court did so with full knowledge and understanding of the implications.”
“Eighteen representors expressed concern over or were against the amendment and four supported it. The main issues raised by these representors were: (i) that the amendment would dilute the status and powers of the Syariah Court; (ii) that the Civil Law applied by the Civil Courts may contradict Syariah law; and (iii) that more Muslims would turn to the Civil Courts to resolve their matters when they should be going to the Syariah Court instead. Sir, allow me to present the Committee's deliberations on these concerns. On the first point, the Committee notes that the Bill does not - and I repeat - does not dilute nor remove the powers of the Syariah Court. The amendment is really to clarify the jurisdiction between the Civil Courts and the Syariah Court on ancillary issues. In the Second Reading of the Bill, I emphasised that the Syariah Court continued to have jurisdiction over all matters presently within its jurisdiction where the parties are Muslims or were married according to Muslim law. In fact, under new provisions in the Bill, parties would now be required to obtain the Syariah Court's leave or to be counselled before commencing or continuing proceedings in the Civil Courts on issues relating to property on divorce or custody of children. The provisions in AMLA make it explicit and transparent the system for applying for leave to commence or continue civil proceedings and the staying of these proceedings. On the second point, the Committee finds little cause for concern over possible conflict between Civil and Syariah laws if ancillary matters were heard in the Civil Courts. Some representors, for example, were particularly concerned over how Civil law would apply to disputes on the custody of Muslim children.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move "That the Bill be now read a Third time." Sir, the Muslim community has shown keen interest in the development of the amendments to the Administration of Muslim Law Act (AMLA). My colleagues, the Malay Members of Parliament, and I received much feedback from the public last year and also this year. Members of the public have also written or discussed the Bill with my Ministry and MUIS. The Select Committee on this Bill received a total of 31 written representations from a wide variety of individuals and organisations. I am grateful that so many have taken time to give their views and suggestions on the Bill and I thank them all for their contributions. Sir, the Select Committee considered all the representations submitted. It heard oral evidence from seven representors. To reflect the diverse views, the Committee also decided to publish four other written representations in its Report submitted to Parliament. The Committee recommends a number of amendments to the Bill after studying the written submissions and the oral evidence of the representors. The Committee also considered all the views that Members of Parliament expressed during the debate on the Second Reading of the Bill. The Report of the Select Committee has been circulated to Members of the House last month. Sir, let me now highlight the Select Committee's deliberations and recommendations. Allowing the Civil Courts to Hear Ancillary Matters on Divorce Sir, read with section 17A of the Supreme Court of Judicature Act (SCJA), section 35A of the amendment that provided for the Civil Courts to hear matters ancillary to Muslim divorces, namely, custody and division or disposition of matrimonial property on divorce, drew the most interest and comment from the Muslim community.”
“There is already a mosque (Masjid Al Mukminin) in Jurong East and another mosque (Masjid Assyakirin) in Jurong West. Under the Mosque Building Fund (MBF) programme, the current policy is to build one mosque in each area covered by a Development Guide Plan (DGP). There is therefore no immediate plan to build another mosque under the MBF programme in Hong Kah GRC.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply has made further progress on the Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 1999/2000, and ask leave to sit again tomorrow.”
“BETTING AND SWEEPSTAKE DUTIES (AMENDMENT) BILL "to amend the Betting and Sweepstake Duties Act (Chapter 22 of the 1985 Revised Edition)", recommendation of President signified; presented by Dr Richard Hu Tsu Tau; read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. FIRST SUPPLEMENTARY ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1st APRIL, 1998 to 31st MARCH, 1999 (Paper Cmd. 1 of 1999) Order read for consideration in Committee of Supply [Allotted Day]. [Mr Speaker in the Chair]”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, since its establishment on 1st June 1996 until the end of 1998, the Tribunal for the Maintenance of Parents received a total of 424 applications for maintenance. 152 of these applications were registered in the first seven months of its operation, ie, from June to December 1996. In 1997, the number dropped to 138, and then to 134 in 1998, the following year. As at the end of January this year, the Tribunal received only six applications. As at the end of 1998, the Tribunal has dealt with 410 or about 97% of the applications. Only 14 applications or 3% of the cases are pending mediation and/or hearing. Of the 410 cases dealt with, the Tribunal ordered maintenance for 320 applications or about 78% and dismissed 61 applications. The remaining 29 applications or about 7% did not proceed because of withdrawal, death or some other reasons. BILLS INTRODUCED 2.05 pm SUPPLY BILL "to provide for the issue from the Consolidated Fund and the Development Fund of the sums necessary to meet the estimated expenditure for the financial year 1st April 1999 to 31st March 2000", recommendation of President signified; presented by the Minister for Finance (Dr Richard Hu Tsu Tau); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. SUPPLEMENTARY SUPPLY BILL "to provide for making supplementary provision to meet additional expenditure for the financial year 1st April 1998 to 31st March 1999", recommendation of President signified; presented by Dr Richard Hu Tsu Tau; read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed.”
“Those who failed MT and were not accepted into University because their results for the other subjects were poor as well. For academic year 98/99, a total of 21 students were provisionally admitted into NUS/NTU on the grounds that they had failed to obtain at least a D7 in their Chinese Language. This is 0.3% of the 7000 (approx.) JC/CI students who were admitted into NUS/NTU. The percentage of students who are provisionally admitted because of poor performance in MT is very small.”
“The Internet provides new possibilities for technology-facilitated collaborative work. Many of our schools have participated in collaborative projects with pupils from other countries. They discuss issues and questions with one another through e-mail. Many of these projects culminate with the pupils creating and developing their own theme-based websites. The Internet has also been used to disseminate information to schools. Some schools have set up their websites on the Internet and include educational resources for pupils to use. CHINESE LANGUAGE AND UNIVERSITY ADMISSION 9. Mr Tay Beng Chuan asked the Minister for Education whether his Ministry has collated any statistics on the number of students who scored excellent grades in other subjects but were unable to enter local universities simply on account of their failure in the Chinese language subject at their O-level and A-level examinations. RAdm Teo Chee Hean: Admission into NUS/NTU is based primarily on A-Level points. The maximum is 76 points, 20 points each for 3 A level subjects and 8 points each for General Paper and Mother Tongue (MT) taken at the AO level. Applicants compete on their total points. A student who scores excellent grades in other subjects but fail their Mother Tongue may have higher points than an average student who passes Mother Tongue. However, a student who does not meet the Mother Tongue requirement (D7 or better) will be offered provisional admission. During his 1st year undergraduate vacation, he must undergo an intensive 1-month mother tongue course and pass the course. There are thus no students with excellent grades who could not get into the university because of MT.”
“A core module to be studied in this History component is "Singapore: The Making of a Nation". Conclusion The current approach of covering various aspects of Singapore studies through a wide range of modules in our universities achieves much wider coverage than would a distinct subject in "Singapore Studies". There are no immediate plans to introduce such a subject in NUS and NTU. However, we can certainly weigh the merits of this to see whether it would be good to offer this in future. INTERNET FOR EDUCATION 8. Dr Lee Tsao Yuan asked the Minister for Education what is the current status regarding the use of the Internet for the teaching and transmission of educational material by educational institutions. RAdm Teo Chee Hean: Under the Masterplan for IT in education, the Ministry will install whole-school networking for all schools by next year. This will provide schools with good access to the Internet. At present, about 60 schools already have school-wide networks. The majority of the remaining schools, however, still have limited access points (about 10 points per school and at least 2 points for SingaporeONE). Teachers and students use the Internet mainly to source for information, especially for project work. The Ministry helps schools by evaluating websites. Websites, which are relevant to the curriculum, are listed in the Ministry's Intranet, together with suggestions on how these websites could be used in the classroom. While the Internet is an important resource, pupils are taught to be discerning on the factual correctness of the information downloaded from the web. In addition, they are also taught to synthesise the data instead of doing a cut-and-paste job when writing their project report.”
“RAdm Teo Chee Hean: Various aspects of Singapore studies are already incorporated as elective or compulsory modules in the academic curriculum of our universities. In addition, Singapore history will be offered as a module in NUS's Core Curriculum, which is due to be implemented in July this year. Compulsory modules At NUS and NTU, individual Faculties and Schools require their respective students to take compulsory modules which cover a range of topics on Singapore studies. For example, the recent history of Singapore is an area of study covered in the "Foundation Skills Course", a Faculty Enrichment Module taken by all first year students in the NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. In NTU, the Schools of Engineering and Applied Science require their students to take a module on "Engineers in Society" that covers issues pertaining to the history, politics, social structure and challenges of modern Singapore. Elective modules Issues related to Singapore are covered in a wide range of elective modules that span diverse subject areas such as Sociology, Geography and History. At NUS and NTU, some of these elective modules are also offered to students of other Faculties and Schools within the respective universities. Core Curriculum The Core Curriculum is a new initiative by NUS which will be implemented in the academic year 1999 for about 5% of its undergraduate intakes (The Core Curriculum is an Honours track programme that is scheduled to be implemented in the Faculty of Science, the School of Computing, and Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, as well as for undergraduates in the Talent Development Programme from other faculties.). One of the five areas of study in the Core Curriculum is "History - Singapore and the Asia Pacific'.”
“Between June and December 1998, there were 1,504 applications for public assistance, 136 applications for assistance under the Small Families Improvement Scheme, and 524 applications for assistance under the Rent and Utilities Assistance Scheme. The total amount disbursed under the Interim Financial Assistance Scheme for the period June-December 1998 was $91,924.27. CHILDREN AND YOUNG PERSONS ACT 6. Mdm Claire Chiang See Ngoh asked the Minister for Community Development (a) what progress has been made on amending the Children and Young Persons Act and (b) what is the new deadline for tabling the Amendment Bill. Mr Abdullah Tarmugi: (a) Progress made in the Amendments of the C&YPA Finalisation of the Children and Young Persons Bill was delayed to allow an Inter-Ministry Committee (The Inter-Ministry Committee comprises representatives from the Subordinate Courts, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Community Development, Ministry of Law and the Attorney-General's Chambers.) to review the treatment of juvenile offenders who commit serious crimes. The Committee has completed its work. The Ministries of Home Affairs and Community Development are studying the implementation of the recommendations of the Committee. The implementation of the recommendations will have implications on the Children and Young Persons Act as well as other legislations. (b) Deadline for Tabling of Amendment Bill The Ministry is targeting to introduce the Bill in the 2nd quarter of this year. SINGAPORE STUDIES 7. Mr Shriniwas Rai asked the Minister for Education if he will consider introducing "Singapore Studies" as a subject in the Universities.”
“My Ministry has also implemented two initiatives in collaboration with HDB, CDCs and VWOs which will facilitate the application of PA allowance by non-ambulant elderly persons in need. The first, implemented since December 1997, is an outreach programme for families living in 1 and 2-room HDB flats. Under this programme, volunteers call at these households and explain to them the schemes and services available to them and refer those who need immediate financial help to my Ministry for follow-up. The second initiative is the MCD-HDB project to improve the living conditions of the elderly staying in 1-room HDB rental flats. Blocks of flats with a higher concentration of elderly tenants are refurbished with elderly-friendly features. MCD funds and works with VWOs to set up Seniors Activity Centres at the identified blocks to provide support services such as regular home visitation by volunteers, home help and meal delivery services. Staff at the centres will refer those who require PA allowance to MCD. Since 1993, 31 blocks of 1-room HDB rental flats have been identified for the project. INVESTMENT OF CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND SAVINGS AND PAYMENT OF INTEREST RATES 25. Mrs Lim Hwee Hua asked the Minister for Manpower how the Central Provident Fund Board invests members' savings, and whether the interest rates payable will be adjusted on a more timely basis, given the possible volatility in domestic interest rates.”
“Register of Elderly Persons There is currently no comprehensive list of elderly persons who live alone and who are not supported by any relative. Aggregate data derived from sources like the 1990 Census of Population and the 1995 National Survey of Senior Citizens in Singapore are used for planning of services for the elderly at national level. Notwithstanding this, it is important to note that anyone in the community who comes across an elderly person in need of assistance can either call MCD or the Community Development Council (CDC) Helpline. Upon receipt of the referral, an MCD officer will visit the elderly and link him up with a voluntary welfare organisation (VWO) for appropriate assistance. This arrangement rightly places the responsibility on the local community to look after the needs of its members who require assistance and who have no family to help them. Financial Assistance Schemes Elderly Singaporeans who have no means of financial support can apply for assistance under the Public Assistance (PA) Scheme or the Silver Jubilee Fund (Special Grant) Scheme, if they are permanent residents. As at 31st December 1998, 1,839 elderly households were placed on these 2 schemes. Between 1994 and 1998, an amount of $20.08 million was disbursed to this group of elderly. Besides these 2 schemes, the CDCs, grassroots and religious organisations and VWOs also provide financial assistance to the elderly. Mechanism to assist bedridden and illiterate elderly to apply for PA allowance Bedridden and illiterate elderly persons who need financial assistance can also be referred to MCD for financial assistance by any party - whether a neighbour, a relative, a grassroots leader or a volunteer. MCD officers will follow up on such referrals and render assistance.”
“Sir, from the numbers that we got from the travel agents, 173 out of 3,000 who registered for the 1999 haj withdrew their applications due to economic reasons. SPECULATIVE INTERESTS IN LOW-PRICED SHARES AND WARRANTS 7. Mr Leong Horn Kee asked the Deputy Prime Minister whether the Government will act to cool the speculative fever and protect the investing public, in view of the increase in speculative interests in recent months in low-priced shares and warrants traded on the Stock Exchange of Singapore where prices and volumes of such shares and warrants have increased sharply with no apparent reasons and sometimes accompanied by rumours.”
“Sir, over the past three years, four established GSAs were not granted approval to manage haj pilgrims for one or more of the following reasons: (a) financial mismanagement; (b) deviation from the haj tender package; (c) poor performance; or (d) not in accordance with the tender specifications. In other words, what they submitted are not in accordance with what we specify in the tender.”
“The cost for the haj pilgrimage for the coming season, excluding airfare, ranges from about $4,400 to $6,650. These are based on quotes sent in by 28 travel agents or GSAs. The lower range of $4,400 is actually lower than the lower range last year. If you include the airfare, the packages will range between $6,710 and $8,960. The airfare for a return trip from Singapore to Jeddah by Saudi Airlines or Singapore Airlines has not changed for the last two years and most Singapore pilgrims travel by these two airlines. MUIS's role in haj matters is regulatory and supervisory. It ensures that there are sufficient approved travel agents to provide competition, and that the services offered by these travel agents are delivered as promised. It also sends a medical team to look after the pilgrims while they are in Saudi Arabia. However, it does not determine the prices offered by the travel agents. Travel agents have to compete among themselves to offer their best prices and services to travellers. Several years ago, MUIS requested travel agents to offer budget economy packages to cater to cost-conscious pilgrims, but they were not popular. This year, in response to MUIS's request for travel agents to offer economy packages, one travel agent is offering an economy package which affected about 100 pilgrims out of 3,000.”
“For public assistance schemes, we have certain income levels. I cannot tell him now. But there are. We apply these quite liberally. For others, it all depends on the circumstances of the family. If they are really in need of help, we will give them, regardless of the income level. For example, a person earns beyond a certain level of income but at that particular moment, he may need temporary help, eg, under RUAS, we do give such help at that moment in time, because it is a temporary help.”
“For schemes which are under the Ministry directly, we have enough staff to handle them. As for the other schemes, the RUAS, for example, is handled by NCSS, and when we refer to other Government agencies and the VWOs, they will have their own staff to process these applications.”
“Sir, I am afraid that I do not have the data available right now. The Member could send in a further question if he wishes. As regards reaching out, we leave it to the various family service centres and our VWOs to reach out to the ground because they are on the spot and they will be the ones who are better able to reach out to the families who are in need.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, families who require financial assistance can apply under various schemes, among which are the interim financial scheme or Public Assistance Scheme (PA), the Rent and Utilities Assistance Scheme (RUAS) managed by the National Council of Social Service (NCSS), the Small Families Improvement Scheme (SFI) or given interest-free loans for skills training or upgrading. The Ministry's quarterly figures for 1998 show an upward trend in the number of applications under the various financial assistance schemes. In the first quarter (January-March 1998), there were 637 applications. In the last quarter, it rose to 998 applications, and this represents a 57% increase. The bulk of the increase came from applications for PA and RUAS. The Ministry's schemes are complemented by a network of schemes available from other Government departments, hospitals, grassroots organizations, NCSS, VWOs as well as the CDCs. The Ministry also refers families to these agencies for additional assistance as required and my Ministry also works with other Government agencies to help these families with other difficulties such as payment of rental or mortgage loans, job placement, application for school tuckshop stalls and access to services such as legal aid. My Ministry is closely monitoring the trends of cases requiring help but it will continue to work closely with the other agencies and support and help families who are in need. We will ensure that there are sufficient funds to support any future increases in applications under these various schemes. Dr S. Vasoo (Tanjong Pagar): May I ask the Minister what steps are being taken by the Ministry to reach out to families that are less well-informed? Could he also tell us the profiles of the families that are seeking help?”
“Successes in commercialising staff research cover a broad range of areas from waste water treatment to orthopaedic implant products to sensor systems. Beyond commercially oriented research, there is also a significant level of basic research which encompasses the breaking of new frontiers in knowledge and innovation. HELP FOR NEEDY STUDENTS 16. Mdm Claire Chiang See Ngoh asked the Minister for Education (a) if his Ministry has set up a mechanism during this economic downturn to identify needy children who cannot afford to pay for school fees, new textbooks and uniforms in 1999; (b) whether provision has been made to help out such students and, if not, where can parents find help; and (c) whether such information is made known to all schools. RAdm Teo Chee Hean: The Ministry of Education gives free textbooks and school fee subsidies to students who need financial assistance. Application forms for the Financial Assistance Scheme can be obtained from schools. Schools also provide additional assistance from their School Advisory Committee or School Management Committee funds on a need basis. MOE publicises our Financial Assistance Scheme widely through the schools. Principals also refer needy pupils to welfare organisations for other assistance, bursaries or scholarships as necessary. Further, information on where to get financial help has been widely publicised in the press. The Straits Times on 17 November 1998, for example, carried an article summarising the help given by MOE and other organisations, together with information on the application procedure for assistance. MOE and our schools will continue to provide help to students who need assistance.”
“These institutions focus mainly on research that has high national relevance. NUS and NTU also have faculty-based research centres which nurture new niche areas in research. As part of our vision for Singapore to be a centre of excellence in education, our universities, together with various Government agencies, have recently initiated international collaborations at an institutional level. Cooperative arrangements have been formed with top institutions like MIT and Johns Hopkins. These seek to uplift the quality of research and teaching at our universities and to help them reach world-class status. At the individual level, the researchers in our universities have fostered strong links with industry and Government agencies. There are also numerous projects conducted jointly with researchers from top institutions around the world, eg Stanford University, University of Cambridge, Tsinghua University. The number of postgraduate research students has more than doubled in the past 5 years from 1551 in 1994 to 3956 this year. This is due to the aggressive recruitment drives undertaken by the universities to bring in the best students from Singapore and around the world. Selected undergraduates are also exposed to research work through specially tailored programmes in order to cultivate their interest in research at an early stage. The universities have made concerted efforts to ensure that their R&D works are commercially viable or academically relevant. Both have institutional outfits that promote commercialisation and technology transfer, namely the Industry and Technology Relations Office in NUS and the Innovation Centre in NTU. Over the past 3 years, they have been granted 65 patents and have set up 20 spin-off companies.”
“The Nagore Durgha is a national monument. MUIS has plans to restore the Nagore Durgha to a state of good repair and correct the spelling to Nagore Dargah. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 15. Mr Tay Beng Chuan asked the Minister for Education (a) whether the National University of Singapore and the Nanyang Technological University have given due emphasis to research and development activities; (b) how much has been allocated to research and development endeavours in the budgets of both universities; and (c) to what extent these research and development efforts have been translated into commercialised products. RAdm Teo Chee Hean: NUS and NTU are both committed to the promotion of research and development activities. They believe that the reputation of a university rests not only on teaching but also on its research excellence, and that a strong research standing attracts good academic staff and students. The universities have generally focused their research efforts on niche areas, including multi-disciplinary research, in which they can make an impact and which are of strategic relevance to Singapore and the region. In FY97, MOE allocated the universities a budget of $94.5 million to be used on research activities, including the purchase of equipment and recruitment of supporting manpower. This is almost 9% of the total budget allocated to the universities, and does not include the salaries of the academic staff which are covered under the universities' normal allocations. The universities also have access to research funding from other sources, eg NSTB, MOH, MINDEF, various foundations, and the industry. In total, they obtained another $68.8 million. There are some 19 national research institutes and research centres hosted by our universities.”
“As part of the process, we have identified six strategic areas of focus for the next five years. These are, first, designing a responsive education structure. We want to be able to identify the talents and abilities of our students early, --- 1.30 pm”
“Single-parent households, if they are low-income and if they need the assistance of the Ministry in any form, not only in terms of finance but also in terms of schooling for their children and others, would be given help. REVAMPING OF EDUCATION SYSTEM (Progress) 18. Mr Tay Beng Chuan asked the Minister for Education (a) what is the progress of his Ministry's efforts in revamping the education system; (b) whether his Ministry has been implementing this on a pilot basis in primary and secondary schools and, if so, whether there are any specific results; and (c) what is his assessment of the revamp in terms of preparing our students to confront the new challenges of a knowledge-based economy. The Senior Minister of State for Education (Dr Aline K. Wong) (for the Minister for Education): Mr Speaker, Sir, our education system has served us well over the years. Today, we have a fundamentally sound system where quality education is delivered to all our pupils, not just the best and the brightest. My Ministry therefore does not intend to revamp our whole system radically. What we seek to do is to re-position and refine the system to develop our young to meet future challenges. Three key trends have emerged for the future: globalisation, rapid technological change and transition to a knowledge based economy. Given these trends and the challenges facing Education, we have to realign the focus of our education system towards developing the full spectrum of talents and abilities of every child, and not just in terms of academic achievement. The re-positioning of the education system aims to put in place ways to identify and help each child to maximise his or her talents and abilities and harness their potential.”
“In the event that these premature school leavers wish to return to school, schools are generally ready to re-admit them, provided they are not over aged.”
“Foreign students can only be registered in schools which still have Primary 1 vacancies and therefore will not compete with Singaporeans for places in the popular schools during the registration exercise. SCHOOL DROP-OUTS 13. Mr Gerard Ee asked the Minister for Education (a) how many students dropped out of the education chain in the years 1995 to 1997; (b) whether there has been any study to determine the causes; and (c) what measures have been taken to reduce such incidences. RAdm Teo Chee Hean: From 1995 to 1997, about 1,880 students dropped out of the education system yearly. This represents about 0.4% of the enrolment each year. This figure does not include those who left for overseas studies. A study to determine the causes for pupils dropping out of the education system was completed in 1995 by NIE with the involvement of MOE officers. The study revealed that pupils' negative attitude towards school and problems at home were the main factors that caused them to drop out of the school system. In addition, feedback from schools has enabled MOE to build a profile of the premature school leaver. This has also enabled schools to identify potential premature school leavers for preventive action. Schools actively identify and counsel potential dropouts. They work closely with parents of pupils concerned to keep them in schools. Where necessary, cases are also referred to the various Self-Help Groups for assistance. Measures to reduce dropout rate have shown some success. Compared to 1990, the number of pupils who left school prematurely in 1997 has decreased by 521, representing a drop from 0.6% in 1990 to the current 0.4%.”
“There is already a wide range of schemes and services administered by Ministries, the CDCs, voluntary welfare organisations and self-help groups to help disadvantaged families or individuals in times of distress. A list of these organisations and groups is available in MCD. Families or individuals who face financial hardship because of the current economic downturn can approach MCD or the various organisations administering these schemes for assistance. MCD will ensure that there are sufficient funds for the various schemes and that genuine cases will receive financial assistance to help them to tide over this difficult period. New funding schemes could be set up should there be a need. FOREIGN STUDENTS 12. Mr Gerard Ee asked the Minister for Education (a) how many foreign students are currently in our schools; (b) how many such students were registered this year for 1999; and (c) for the Primary 1 registration, whether foreign students get to choose the schools they want and therefore compete with Singaporeans for places in the popular schools, or whether they are posted to schools by his Ministry after Singaporeans have completed the Phase 2C registration. RAdm Teo Chee Hean: The total number of foreign students in our schools is 19,025 of which 9,381 are in primary schools, 8,508 in secondary schools and 1,136 in junior colleges and centralised institutes. The number of students who have applied to MOE for admission to schools in 1999 is 2,533. For the Primary 1 registration, foreign students are registered for schools after children who are Singapore Citizens and Singapore Permanent Residents have been registered.”
“Dr Teo Ho Pin asked the Minister for National Development (a) how many construction workers (both local and foreign) were trained, tested and certified as skilled workers by the Construction Industry Training Institute in 1996, 1997 and 1998; (b) whether there are any incentives or schemes provided by his Ministry to attract Singaporeans to join the construction workforce; and (c) whether his Ministry will consider providing both monetary and non-monetary incentives for local construction firms to employ skilled Singaporean construction workers.”
“MUIS has formal and open procedures to appoint religious leaders and administrators in mosques. (i) Mosque Imam (Prayer Leader) Mosques may only appoint Imams approved by MUIS. Candidates for the Imams are interviewed by the Fatwa Committee. If they are found to be suitable, the mosques will be allowed to employ them. Both local and foreign Imams are required to go through this process. (ii) Mosque Management Board (MMB) MUIS appoints the members to the Mosque Management Boards (MMB). The tenure of appointment is for 2 years. MUIS will invite applications from the public. There are 3 sources of nominations: from mosques, direct applications to MUIS, and talent searching by MUIS. In considering the nominations for members of the Board, MUIS will assess each candidate based on feedback and consultation with the key office bearers such as the Chairman and Secretary of the existing Board. MUIS also considers other factors such as attendance in meetings, positive contributions, leadership quality, character reference, MUIS' audit observation, the need to regenerate leadership and balance between different groups such as asatizahs/professionals, old/young. (iii) Mosque Administrators MUIS has introduced an Executive Officer (Administration) Scheme for selected mosques. MUIS advertises for candidates. Those shortlisted are selected by an interview panel chaired by a MUIS senior official. Successful candidates are appointed under the MUIS Scheme of Service and assigned to the mosques as full-time administrators. MUIS so far has appointed 4 EOs under this scheme. MUIS will continue to refine and improve its selection process in order to recruit the best talents for mosque management. SKILLED WORKERS IN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY 38.”
“Mdm Claire Chiang See Ngoh asked the Minister for Education if his Ministry will help, through subsidies or the provision of suitable vacant school premises, approved community service agencies to operate Youth Education Centres which can help school drop-outs to study and resit Primary School Leaving Exam, O and A level exams. RAdm Teo Chee Hean: MOE currently provides subsidies for 2 types of pupils: pupils in the mainstream schools and those in special education schools which are run by Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs) registered with MOE. The Ministry does not provide subsidies to community service agencies to operate Youth Education Centres which can help school drop-outs to study and re-sit examinations. National Youth Council (NYC) is looking into the problem of out-of school youths. We understand that the TOUCH Community Services have been asked to work together with Marine Parade CDC to set up a Youth Learning Centre (YLC) for youths who have dropped out of schools. The proposal will be forwarded to NYC for consideration. NYC will liaise with other Government agencies to help them in their efforts. Attachment - The Trading and Suspension of Mid-Continent Shares on SESDAQ (Cols. 985 - 988)”
“Mdm Claire Chiang See Ngoh asked the Minister for Education, when a student is expelled from school, whether his or her offence is made known to all other schools and whether it will prejudice his/her application for admission to another school. RAdm Teo Chee Hean: When a pupil is expelled from school, the parents usually appeal to Principals in other schools, often nearby, to accept their child. If a school is prepared to consider accepting the pupil, the Principal will ask the sending school to give some background on him before making a final decision. This is to understand the nature of the pupil's problem and to decide on the best way of helping him. At this point the pupil's offence is revealed to the Principal of the receiving school only. The Ministry does not publicise the offence of the offender. If parents fail to find a school on their own, they will turn to MOE for assistance. The pupil, together with his parents, would be interviewed by the School Inspector or another appropriate officer, to determine whether the pupil is remorseful and sincere in wishing to continue studying. We also have to determine if re-admitting him to a school will pose a risk to the safety and well-being of other pupils in the school he is seeking admission to. Once we are satisfied that the pupil should be helped, we will assist him in finding a place in another school with a vacancy. When MOE approaches other Principals to accept the pupil, the offence is revealed to them for the same reasons as indicated earlier. YOUTH EDUCATION CENTRES 13.”
“Mr Shriniwas Rai asked the Minister for Education (a) what is the number of schools offering Tamil as a mother tongue in primary and secondary schools and the number of students who are studying the language; and (b) whether the Government will consider allowing more primary schools to offer Tamil as well as allowing one of the polytechnics to offer it as a part-time course so as to encourage growth of Tamil scholars in Singapore. RAdm Teo Chee Hean: Tamil is taught in 147 primary schools and 77 secondary schools. In addition, Tamil is taught at the Umar Pulavar Tamil Language Centre and 5 other secondary schools which serve as Tamil Language centres for pupils from secondary schools which do not offer the subject. Currently, 13,671 primary school pupils and 7,558 secondary school pupils study Tamil. The Ministry of Education will introduce Tamil language teaching in primary schools where there is a sufficient demand from pupils to offer the subject. As the focus of our polytechnics is on training practice-oriented middle managers and technologists for the Singapore economy, they are currently not engaged in offering Diploma-level programmes in languages, whether on a full-time or part-time basis. There are no plans to do so in the near future. The Member would be pleased to know the National University of Singapore is starting a South Asian Studies Programme next July, which will include optional Tamil modules. This will allow those with an interest in Tamil to pursue it at NUS, while serving our broader objective of fostering interest in studies on South Asia. EXPELLED STUDENTS 12.”
“Since the introduction of mandatory counselling up to July 1998, the Family Court has referred 199 cases for counselling. Of these, 144 cases were for counselling of perpetrators only, and 55 were cases where both the perpetrators and victims were referred for counselling. The mandatory counselling programme is still relatively new. It would be too early to assess its full effectiveness at this point in time. In administering the programme, the Ministry processes and undertakes initial assessment of all cases referred by the Court before referring cases to counsellors from the Ministry or appointed social service agencies for mandatory counselling. The Ministry coordinates and monitors the work of the appointed social service agencies and the counsellors. Training programmes are in place to develop a pool of qualified social workers and counsellors with the competence and skill to deal with family violence cases. MCD has organised a number of training workshops, case-conferences and regular dialogue sessions with social service agencies. It has also commissioned agencies like the Counselling and Care Centre and the Family Resource and Training Centre to conduct a number of specialised courses for social service agencies. Among the courses covered are Management of Family Violence, Couples in Violent Relationships and Working with Perpetrators. There are now 25 social service agencies providing mandatory counselling up from 15 in July 1997. All agencies providing mandatory counselling services receive Government funding on a per capita basis. TAMIL LANGUAGE IN SCHOOLS 11.”
“SUPPLEMENTARY FEES OF SCHOOLS 14. Mr Gerard Ee asked the Minister for Education whether schools should be asked to collect less supplementary fees during the current difficult economic conditions instead of increasing such levies. RAdm Teo Chee Hean: Parents pay supplementary fees as a contribution towards the cost of materials used by pupils in the schools. In recent years, there had been much change to our curriculum which require more innovative materials and programmes. For schools which wish to expose pupils to the myriad of innovative materials available in the market, they have been making ad hoc cash collections from pupils. This makes it difficult for parents to budget for such expenditures, and places an extra administrative burden on teachers and schools. To give schools the flexibility to reduce the ad hoc cash collections from the pupils, we decided to allow them to raise the supplementary fees. Children's Edusave Accounts can be used to pay for the increase in fees. There will therefore be no increase in cash outlay for the great majority of parents. Tables - SUMMARY OF YEAR-ON-YEAR COMPARISON: APR-JUN 97 AND 98 FOR NUMBER LEFS LOAN APPROVALS AND LOAN AMOUNT and LEFS APPLICATIONS APPROVED AND AMOUNT DISBURSED (JAN 96 - JUN 98) (Cols. 739-742) ANNEX 1 - PROGRAMMES/SCHEMES TO HELP RETAILERS (Cols. 743-744) Annex II - HEAVY VEHICLE PARKS (HVPS) (Cols. 745 - 746) ANNEX III - ASSISTANCE TO PEOPLE WITH FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES (Cols. 747-752)”
“At the end of the Foundation Stage at Primary 4, pupils are assessed on their attainment in listening, speaking, reading and writing in English. Their performance in English, together with their attainment in Mathematics and Mother Tongue, decides the educational programme that pupils will undergo at Primary 5 and 6, the Orientation Stage. Pupils who are academically weak and deemed to be best taught at a slower pace are placed in the EM3 stream at Primary 5 and 6 where they are taught Foundation English. In Foundation English, the minimum targets for reading and writing at the end of P6 may be summarised thus: - Pupils can read simple stories, newspaper articles and magazine articles for enjoyment or information; - Pupils can understand the main ideas and details of what they read and demonstrate their understanding by correctly answering the comprehension and vocabulary questions; - Pupils can generate enough ideas to write a narrative or descriptive composition on a familiar topic. - Pupils can present ideas in a logical way to complete functional types of writing, such as notes, messages, postcards and instructions. In addition, the Ministry provides schools with support in the following ways: - Teachers are provided with in-service training so that they have a range of strategies and approaches to teach weak pupils reading and writing. - School libraries are given funds to purchase a variety of reading materials to meet a range of reading abilities; - Many schools have specialised personnel such as the Learning Support Coordinator who assists teachers to plan and teach remedial programmes. These measures ensure that even the weakest pupils attain at least the basic literacy skills of reading and writing by the time they complete 6 years of primary school.”
“The female offence rates, though lower than the male offence rates, have increased by 6% to 9% per year compared to the rate for boys which has remained fairly constant. A committee chaired by the Senior Minister of State for Education, Dr Aline Wong, was set up in May this year to look into the discipline situation among girls in schools. The report by this committee should be ready by the end of this year. Extent School Can Discipline Its Pupils The Ministry has adopted the philosophy that to care is to discipline. The extent to which schools care for the pupils under their charge is the extent to which schools can discipline its pupils. In general, schools have adopted a whole-person approach to discipline. Thus, in the discipline of pupils, schools are mindful of the needs of the pupils. While schools do mete out consequences for misbehaviour, counselling is often used together with these measures to help the child correct his behaviour. Schools also work in partnership with parents in disciplining their children so that they can provide the necessary home support to sustain the changes in behaviour. While principals are allowed to administer corporal punishment on male pupils, many schools restrict its use only to very serious offences such as assaults, extortion and vandalism. Schools have to abide by the guidelines on corporal punishment provided by MOE. PRIMARY SCHOOL SYSTEM 13. Mr Gerard Ee asked the Minister for Education what is being done to ensure that all children leaving the school system at the primary level can read and write in basic English. RAdm Teo Chee Hean: English is a core subject in the curriculum. The first 4 years of primary school make up the Foundation Stage in which the teaching of English takes up one third of total curriculum time.”
“The implementation of the BETA system has allowed MOE to collect data on disciplinary cases very quickly and to respond to changing trends in disciplinary problems. The records made by schools using the BETA system showed no significant statistical change in the offence rates (offence rates refer to the number of offences per 1000 pupils) from 1995 to 1997. There is, however, a significantly higher proportion of offences in the secondary schools than in the primary schools. For primary schools, less serious offences such as not doing assignments and disruptive behaviour and attendance-related offences constitute 84% of the total number of offences. Offences such as theft/damage to property, assault and fighting, constitute the bulk of the more serious offences (16%). In the secondary schools, top offences were attendance-related (74%), namely late-coming and truancy. Misconduct offences dropped by 1% to 3% each year over the 3-year period. On the whole, the stabilising of the offence rate can be attributed to the concerted and co-ordinated efforts taken by schools and agencies such as the Police, the Ministry of Community Development, the juvenile court, Voluntary Welfare Organisations and self-help groups in managing discipline. Schools are continuing in their efforts to improve the state of discipline. MOE is also alert to the possible changes in trends in discipline problems and juvenile delinquencies and are taking measures to address potential problems. An area of concern is the increase in the number of cases of substance abuse from 33 cases in 1995 to 272 cases in 1997. MOE and MHA are working very closely together to try to contain this problem. Another area of concern is the growing offence rate amongst female pupils in the secondary schools.”
“The Government has a wide range of schemes to help disadvantaged families and individuals in times of distress. A list is annexed (see Annex III (Cols. 747-752)). The criteria for eligibility to qualify for the various schemes are reviewed as the need arises. Families or individuals who face financial hardship because of the current economic downturn can approach MCD or the various organisations administering these schemes for assistance. MCD will ensure that genuine cases will receive financial assistance to help them tied over this difficult period. ANNEX III - ASSISTANCE TO PEOPLE WITH FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES (Cols. 747-752) The CDC launched a National Helpline in January 1998 to enable residents to call for assistance. Residents need only remember one number to gain access to various services. The Helpline is published through a brochure issued by the CDC. Those who need help can also approach the nearest CDC counter for assistance. DISCIPLINE IN SCHOOLS 12. Mr Gerard Ee asked the Minister for Education whether there is a growing problem with discipline in schools and to what extent can the school discipline the children. RAdm Teo Chee Hean: State of Discipline in Schools As SMS Dr Aline Wong explained in Parliament during the Committee of Supply debate on Education in March this year, the state of discipline in schools is generally good. The great majority of students are hardworking, well-behaved and responsible. Serious cases of breach of discipline are infrequent occurrences. Since 1995, MOE has implemented the Behaviour Tracking and Analysis (BETA) system in schools. The system represents a methodical way of collecting data on the state of discipline in schools.”
“There are various small points which I would not touch on, as I said, in the interest of time. But I would like to assure Members that whether or not the amendments fulfil the aspirations of the community, I think, it has to be seen. The Malay MPs and myself have looked carefully into the amendments and we feel that the amendments will help significantly in improving the justice system in Singapore, not only for Muslims but also as a legal system that exists in Singapore. Sir, I would commend Members to tell those who are interested in coming up with suggestions or those who feel that they want to make representations to the Select Committee, to do so. The Select Committee will be more than pleased to receive the representations. Bill accordingly read a Second time. Resolved, That the Bill be committed to a Select Committee consisting of Mr Speaker as Chairman and such Members the Committee of Selection may nominate. - [Mr Abdullah Tarmugi]. INTERPRETATION (AMENDMENT) BILL (As reported from Select Committee) Order for Third Reading read.”