Ahmad Khalis Bin Abdul Ghani
Singapore
“Besides observing, may I ask the Minister whether there is a role for the non-Muslim public to support the efforts of the Muslim community? Sir, we have seen that events which have a religious dimension which may happen in one part of the globe can influence inter-community sentiments elsewhere.”
“Sir, I wish to seek clarifications on two points. Firstly, on the extent of the involvement of businesses during Exercise Northstar V, I reckon that their involvement was rather minimal because it was held on a very early Sunday morning.”
“Sir, statistics show that there were significant increases in the crimes of cheating, including offences related to it, and housebreaking and snatch theft in 2005 over 2004. Is this the trend for such cases over the last 10 years? May I also ask the Minister to what extent are the victims themselves to blame for these offences?”
“May I ask the Minister whether he can assure this House that such extra resources shall be funded by the revenue from the IR and not result in the net depletion of our resources elsewhere?”
“This information can be shared with other agencies and help them design schemes to make illegal moneylending irrelevant. Sir, I urge everyone to support the fight against illegal moneylending. As a character in Shakespeare said, "neither a borrower nor a lender be".”
“Sir, I wonder whether the Deputy Prime Minister can tell us whether or not there is at present a code or protocol which investigation officers can follow at investigation stage so as to enable them to be alert of the presence of low intelligence persons who are being suspected of criminal offences and how to deal with them and, if there i…”
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“Sir, some Singaporeans question why this JI issue is resurrected. They feel that a constant reminder of the issue is bad for the morale of the Muslim community and would thwart inter-religious harmony. Sir, the response to this is found in limb (a) of today's motion - that the terrorist threat is real and serious. When we first had the arrests in December 2001 and August 2002, the focus was on neutralising the JI itself. The extent to which the JI could impact our peace was not immediately known. We needed to know more about the JI's history, ideology, resources and network. The Government's findings indicate the seriousness of the terrorist threat. A debate allows all our people to be more aware of the nature of the threat. It also enables the Government to have the benefit of public opinion on how to deal with it. I understand, Sir, that many Singaporeans would rather just move on and leave this issue behind. However, the terrorism issue is bound to rear its head again in future as much of it is beyond our control. It is better for us to face the issue squarely, rather than pretend it does not exist. Sir, I fully support the three-prong approach enunciated in the White Paper. This approach reflects our acknowledgement that the terrorism threat cannot be managed as a security issue simpliciter. The multi-faceted nature of the threat calls for an equally comprehensive response. Sir, the security aspect of the matter cannot be over-emphasised but I would like just to discuss the second and third limbs of the above approach. The White Paper suggests that the Muslim community develop a comprehensive self-regulatory system to monitor religious education. Some concerns were raised by members of the public in this regard.”
“" - [RAdm Teo Chee Hean]. Mdm Deputy Speaker: Resumption of Debate, what day? RAdm Teo Chee Hean: Tomorrow, Madam.”
“In this particular aspect, must we deprive the best from something which they otherwise could get? In fact, we get feedback from everyone that our system is too rigid, too book-centred. So perhaps these eight to 10 months are perfect for them to go out and do something else, like fire fighting perhaps, as what some students do in the United States, and community work. There was this concern that the IP programme would also widen the gap between the very best and the not-so-good. Perhaps, we can use these eight to 10 months to inculcate among the top 10% students the values that, even though they can fly high, they must remember that when they nest, they must nest on solid ground. When they land, they must land on firm feet. They must be true Singaporeans, good citizens, good sons and good daughters, that they have to respect their parents and love their neighbours and help those who are in need. So we can use these eight to 10 months to do that, which otherwise they may not have the time if they have to prepare for preliminary examination and 'O' level examination. So as far as they are concerned, they are valid ones. But I think on balance it is better if we can do away with the 'O' level examinations, we do away with it. I shall not prolong everyone's agony any further. I stand in support of the motion. ADJOURNMENT OF DEBATE RAdm Teo Chee Hean: Mdm Deputy Speaker, we had a full day of debate. Please allow me to thank the 11 speakers who have raised a broad range of topics and many contrasting views. Lest we overburden Members with too much content and to allow them some time to have more creative activities this evening, Mdm Deputy Speaker, I beg to move, "That the Debate be now adjourned." Question put, and agreed to. "That the Debate be now adjourned.”
“But looking again at the future that we are facing, the new demands that are before us, what choice do we have? Something that we have to do for our children, for our country, what I can just say here is that I have full confidence the teachers too will align themselves with the new recommendations. Similarly, as regards parents, Mdm Deputy Speaker, they will find the changes quite painful and sometimes quite bewildering. I think parents would need great help to understand the changes. I do not think it is possible for parents to be able to grasp all the changes in one go and it may not be necessary for them to do so too. So here, there will be a need for stronger collaboration between parents and schools so that they will be given the right dosages of information at the right point in time. In this respect, I believe schools will take the necessary measures to have contact points with parents as their children progress in school. I will touch on some of the points raised by my colleagues before me as regards the Integrated Programme. One concern was whether or not this is a higher level of streaming. The first response to that is: is streaming by itself a problem? If it is not, a higher level of streaming is not a bigger problem. But even if it is something that we ought to be concerned about, the response to that would be to weigh the benefits of having the Integrated Programme as not having it. Here, we have the opportunity to free up about eight to 10 months of the time of our best students when they do not need to take their 'O' level examinations. If you can do it, why not? Sure, we are concerned with the others. But in this respect, there is nothing much that we can do about the others.”
“But it is something which we need to do based on the comments that we get very often from the public and Members of this House that Singaporeans are not good at speaking, not good at communicating, or not articulate. So we have to do something about it. We have to improve our system and among the things that we can do is to enhance the quality of teaching GP as well as project work. And I believe that, in the long term, this will have the effect that all of us desire. We would be able to produce Singaporeans who would be able to market their products better, who would be able to articulate and communicate better and, hopefully, make life in Singapore as a whole much better too. Just two more points, Mdm Deputy Speaker, I do not wish to be long because I wish to break my fast also. I agree with the points raised by my colleagues that teachers play a very important role in this. In fact, teachers have told us that looking at the recommendations and reviews, they are very concerned as to whether teachers and principals are ready for the review because they realise, just as everyone here also realises that the method of teaching has to be kept in line with the substantive recommendations. Indeed, the method of teaching, if not rightly aligned, might even undermine the recommendations. So, as stated by MOS Cedric Foo just now, the teachers would have some way to go in making the necessary changes, and I have full confidence that our teachers will do so. Again, we have already received feedback that the teaching profession is under stress. What more with the new recommendations! But, again, I reiterate that it is no fun adding stress to the lives of teachers, as it is no fun adding stress to the lives of students.”
“It will have to mean that students must be able to study, and must have to undertake the rigour and the difficulty of studying different types of subjects, including subjects that they may not be totally happy with because it is a bit different from what their aptitude is best at. Some Members spoke of the need to lighten the load. I think what is more crucial here, Mdm Deputy Speaker, is not so much to have a lightened workload but to have an enlightened workload. An enlightened workload means a workload that takes into account the need to prepare our students for the future as opposed to simply helping them go through the present. Another aspect of the review, Mdm Deputy Speaker, is communication skills. We have heard just now from my fellow Members that Singaporeans somehow are not able to communicate well. This was in fact one of the points raised by some of the Review Committee members and some of the feedback that we received. So here, I think the Committee tried to overcome this problem by enhancing or emphasising the need for project work, where they have to develop teamwork and then in the presentation of the project work they will have to develop communication skills. So in the presentation of project work the students will then have to develop skills in communication so as to impress or convince the examiners of the worth of their project. As it is, the General Paper is a subject that is feared by most students. When we introduce project work, there is a general reaction among students and teachers that this will increase workload or stress. I do not think any of us will want to increase the workload or stress for the fun of it. I do not think any of us are morbid enough to have that kind of sense of humour.”
“It has simple plots that criss-cross one another. It has lots of wit and humour. That is the literature aspect. Then it deals with science and technology, whether futuristic or fictional sometimes. You have, for instance, the three-dimensional recording of Princess Leah talking to whoever that may be. In the first show it was Luke Skywalker, I think, receiving the message that he was supposed to see Obiwan Kanobi. Then we have this fantastic Death Star construction, which was Darth Vader's headquarters. We have fancy flying machines. We have flying saucers that can presumably travel at the speed of light. Well, that is the science aspect. Then we have the aspect of politics and governance. We have the clash between the Empire and small planets. We have the knighthood of the Jedi. This is another element of the Star Wars Trilogy. We have the marketing part. Besides advertisements, they have toys, they have games, they publish books and comics. In short, Mdm Deputy Speaker, that movie, or that trilogy of movies is a multi-faceted industry, and to my mind the producers were able to captivate the imagination of the world because they drew from various bodies of knowledge, put them together and came out with a solid product that nobody else could have done. If local producers are to be capable of similarly captivating the imagination of the world, then I believe they have to develop that capability to draw from different bodies of knowledge. This ability to draw from different bodies of knowledge must mean that they have a grasp of the different bodies of knowledge to begin with. So it must mean a broadening, at some point in time, the curriculum. I am afraid it has to mean a certain degree of workload.”
“So the question then is: can we do away with the "O" level examinations for them, and if we are to do it, how do we manage the fall out? Mdm Deputy Speaker, when we consider the new demands, the demands of the new economy, and when we speak of innovation, creativity, entrepreneurship, and when we try to look at the education system where we ask ourselves, "So what do we do with the education system in order to meet these new demands", among the things that first strike my mind is how to improve the curriculum in terms of enhancing thought process skills over content mastery or accumulation of information. I think this has been discussed. We see there are efforts being made to enhance the value of project work, highlighting thought process skills over content mastery in pedagogy or teaching methodology. These ideas had been dealt with by the Committee. Another aspect in relation to innovation and creativity is to develop within the curriculum a means by which students are able to draw knowledge from different disciplines. In other words, it is not sufficient for them to merely learn. When it is already not sufficient for them to learn from one particular body knowledge, now it is also not sufficient for them to learn from different bodies of knowledge, but we would encourage students to be able to draw lessons from different bodies of knowledge at the same time. Mdm Deputy Speaker, one of the most known icons of our time are the producers of the Star Wars Trilogy, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. The Star Wars Trilogy is very captivating, partly because I think within one show you see different bodies of knowledge coming together. It has, well, this may be controversial, but to my mind, high literature value because it has a very identifiable theme or themes.”
“Students doing humanities are also made to take one or two non-humanity subjects. But at the pre-university level, the specialisation is more pronounced. We have about 40% of our science students at pre-university who do not take any humanities subject. Yet, when they go to university, as most of them do, they have to take at least one humanities subject. So we have to correct this "Coca Cola Bottle" syndrome. Among the questions that we have to look at here, Madam, is how then do we broaden the curriculum without compromising depth. All of us agree that the rigour in our system, the standards that we have achieved in our educational system are good, we wish it to remain, but yet we also want to broaden the curriculum to enable our students to cover as many subjects as possible. But how do we achieve this without compromising depth? So the Committee came out with this system of having three tiers as opposed to the present two tiers in depth. Presently, we have the "AO" and the "A" levels, now we have H1, H2, H3, or rather this is the proposed differentiation as far as depth is concerned, so that we can achieve a greater amount of breadth without compromising depth. The third factor in the background is the high percentage of our top 10% of our student cohort qualifying for university. In other words, for them, the "O" level is more or less a formality. Yet, as we have heard earlier on, if we are to free these students from taking their "O" levels, which also means freeing them from taking or preparing for preliminary examinations, they would have an additional eight to ten months of free time - eight to ten months where they can benefit from other enhancements or enrichment projects and programmes.”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, I am in full support of the motion mainly because I was a member of the Committee that did the review. In that light, I had actually tried to place my speech somewhere at the end of the debate by calling the Whip quite late, just before the deadline. To my horror, I was placed at No. 12 and to speak on the first day. Apparently my creativity is not good enough. I hope after the review, future MPs would be more creative and innovative in manipulating as to when they would speak in Parliament. Madam, I would like to touch on a few points and then later also touch on the points raised by my hon. Friends before me. Just some background to this review. I see three important factors that played in the minds of both the Ministry and the Review Committee. Firstly, the demands of the new economy - which is innovation driven. This new economy places a great premium on creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship. With these great new demands placed upon our economy, upon our future, what do we do with our education system? If we are just to look at the JCs and upper secondary education, what do we do about it? This topic has been dealt with and touched upon by my colleagues before me. I will deal with them in a short while. Secondly, we have this syndrome, which we in the Committee called the "Coca Cola" syndrome. We have at the lower secondary education level a very broad based curriculum, where students take eight to ten subjects, covering both the sciences and the humanities, one or two languages in addition to that. Then, at the university level, the first one or two years, it is also similarly broad based. Students in the science faculties are made to take one or two humanities subjects.”
“colleague, Mr Gan Kim Yong, mentioned this earlier. But to participate meaningfully in the process of governance, Singaporeans must be prepared to accept differences of opinions and even be defeated in arguments. Singaporeans must learn and must be able to accord greater deference to the process that allows his views to be heard over the actual views that he raises himself. This requires a mindset change. We can all ask the Government to craft and implement policies to effect this mindset change but this is somewhat paradoxical. How do we reconcile the desire that we all participate in active governance and yet not participate in the crafting of the very policy itself? To ensure that the journey towards a more participative society where there is greater ownership of governance and in the future of the country is off to a good start, Singaporeans must first take ownership of this issue. If we, as Singaporeans, are not willing to push for greater participation, take the trouble to air views and face the consequences, then there is really very little for any government to do. Indeed, Sir, as observed by Dr Amy Khor earlier, more and more issues are being debated by more and more Singaporeans and even more openly. I urge Singaporeans to persist in doing so. Sir, it is not my intention to say that those who keep quiet are necessarily passive and inactive citizens. Many Singaporeans may not articulate their views in the media or sit in high-powered committees but they are all important Singaporeans nonetheless. They care for their families, they care for their neighbours, they care for their colleagues. People still care. There is much hope. With this hope, I support the motion.”
“Over the last four years, the number of parents support groups or similar groups in schools has more than doubled. Many more schools now have established alumni groups and networking with community institutions. COMPASS, I believe, is succeeding in its efforts to involve the various stakeholders, which is attributable to three factors. One, clear objectives and focus. Second, dynamic leadership at the policy and operational levels. Three, clear deliverables. I believe, Sir, that the above formula can be replicated elsewhere, of course, with necessary changes. There are indeed other equally effective structures that have allowed many Singaporeans to be involved in the process of governance, such as the S21 Committee mentioned earlier, the Remaking of Singapore Committee, feedback groups, dialogue sessions and so on. Sir, I believe that we should continue to expand and deepen the involvement of the people. Sir, on the issue of what it means to be Singaporeans, besides suggesting what Government should do, what policies should be crafted, it is also important to ask what Singaporeans could do. In respect of participation in the process of governance, Singaporeans should realise that not every suggestion can be implemented. This point was alluded to before by two of my colleagues. If your suggestion is not accepted, it does not necessarily mean that the Government is not listening. The perception that the Government does not listen has been cited as a reason for people not bothering to participate. The fact is that in every issue, there is always a difference of opinion. The ultimate decision is more often than not an aggregate of all views or suggestions or the best among many. And in both cases, it is not possible to accommodate all individual views. I believe my hon.”
“In crafting policies in this regard, we have to recognise that there are different categories of people who have to be approached differently. Nonetheless, Sir, the common thread that runs through these issues is the cultivation of a sense of belonging and ownership. How do we do this? One way of many, as suggested in one of the sessions in the remaking of Singapore, is to involve more Singaporeans in the decision-making process, to enable Singaporeans to identify themselves with the process of governance even if they disagree with Government. One way of doing this is by devolving more of the governance to the people. We already see this being put in place. We see the establishment of Town Councils. We also note that the Community Development Councils (CDCs) are given more powers and responsibilities to manage more and more aspects of their respective zones. I would like to cite the example of COMPASS, which stands for Community and Parents in Support of Schools. It is a committee chaired presently by the Hon. Minister of State for Education, previously by the Minister himself. The committee comprises educationists, businessmen, industrialists, community leaders and parents. I declare, Sir, that I have been a Member of COMPASS for almost four years now. COMPASS seeks to enhance greater school-community partnership. It seeks to establish stronger collaboration among the stakeholders of education, schools, the Ministry, parents, community leaders, community institutions, businesses, industries, alumni groups, school management committees and, of course, students themselves. It allows these stakeholders, not just the Ministry and teachers, to be involved in the governance of schools.”
“He threatens to migrate there and, for good measure, he accuses the Government of failing to maintain good bilateral relations with that neighbouring country. Another resident wanted to rent a flat from the HDB. She is married to a foreigner, and so does not qualify. She also earns above the means test figure, but she says she suffers from some medical ailment. She is disappointed that the Government or the HDB does not help, and goes into a tirade that she is unjustly treated. Again, she says she might as well migrate, where she feels she would be better treated. These two citizens used emigration as a threat to obtain certain assistance or services. I believe that there are many such similar examples. It saddens me greatly that some Singaporeans see the value of citizenship as only that - a weapon to be used when demanding for help. To my mind, such Singaporeans have quit before they even leave. It is not possible to expect everyone to agree with all Government policies. Some people disagree enough to want to leave the country as a result. I do not regard them as having quit Singapore. They do not treat citizenship lightly. They considered carefully the reasons for leaving and made a conscious decision. There are also those who are more pulled than pushed, a point alluded to by my colleague, Ms Indranee earlier. These are usually the more adventurous among us. They take risks and usually bear no grudges against Singapore. The first group has to be handled differently from the second and third. For the second and third groups, the challenge is how to ensure that the links are maintained even while they are away. For the first, the challenge is how to prevent them from reaching that point to issue threat to leave in the first place.”
“Thank you, Sir, for allowing me to join in the debate. Sir, this issue was raised by the Hon. Prime Minister in his National Day Rally speech. As alluded to before me, it is not about emigration and immigration. It is really about a sense of belonging and ownership. Dig deeper, it is about what it means to be a Singaporean in these uncertain times. Many Singaporeans chose to dismiss this issue by saying that there are many outstanding Singaporeans who were quitters of their previous homeland, including some former and even present Members of this House. They also say that to stop Singaporeans from quitting contradicts the call for Singaporeans to go global. With respect, again as mentioned by my colleagues before me, these responses really miss the point - the debate on the label of "stayers" and "quitters", instead of discussing the actual concerns of the Hon. Prime Minister in his speech. Indeed, I am glad that the Prime Minister raised this issue to a level that deserves urgent national concern. In this regard, I have come across Singaporeans who really cause me worry. There was this man who was released from prison but felt that he was unjustly sentenced. He blamed the prosecutors, the justice system and even his defence lawyers for the alleged injustice. He found it difficult to get a job, and again blamed the legal system for casting a stigma on him. He took up a retraining course in PSA, but failed. He blamed the PSA for having conducted the course improperly and came to see me for a refund. And then he accuses the Government of being biased in favour of the tens of thousands of Malaysian women who get to work in our factories and he could not. Along the way, Sir, he tells me that he feels a neighbouring country would provide him a job and peace of mind.”
“colleagues, Ms Irene Ng and Miss Penny Low, have alluded to this prior to my speech. Next, I would also urge the Government to consider allowing some of these buyers to still obtain market-rate loans from the HDB after 2003. There can be a cap on their income or a cap on the amount of loan that they can take, in order to prevent abuse. Perhaps, we can also put a cap on this break period, say, until 2006 or 2008. The idea is to soften the otherwise abrupt learning curve. I think this would go a long way to help. Sir, save for the concerns I have mentioned, I support the proposed changes.”
“Try as I might very hard, it is quite difficult for me to imagine a bank officer doing the same thing. This is not to put any blame on the banks. It is in the nature of banks to run on a commercial basis, and a purely commercial one. They have to answer to their shareholders. Profit making is their bottom line. If there are loan defaulters, bank officers will have to answer to their shareholders, "What actions have you taken?" There is, therefore, great pressure on banks, in the case of defaulters, to take action, file writs of summonses, enter judgments, enforce judgments, ie, to foreclose. On the other hand, I appreciate the rationale for the changes that are proposed by the Hon. Deputy Prime Minister, one of which is to enable the HDB to focus on its core role. I also understand that these changes are in line with the desire to allow commercial transactions, including property loans, to be governed more and more by the forces of the free market. This also accords with the need to prepare Singaporeans for the new economy. The changes also would jolt ordinary Singaporeans to realise that, ultimately, they cannot rely on statutory boards as another safety net or source of security. But we, Singaporeans, ourselves, have to plan and prepare for our own future and security. Sir, while I agree with these changes, in view of the concerns that I have raised, I would like to urge the Government to consider embarking on a very thorough public education programme on the changes - not only what they are, but what they imply, the ramifications of loans, as I mentioned earlier - what they actually mean to those people who take loans, eg, the usual terms that banks would normally apply. I believe my hon.”
“So, what happens when they default on their housing payments? This brings me to my third point, ie, the readiness of banks to meet financial hardship defaulters halfway. This point has been raised by some of my colleagues earlier. Let me just reiterate my agreement with it, especially the difference in approach, attitude and philosophy between the HDB as a lender, and banks as lenders. It can be argued that the right of the bank to foreclose, to take legal action, is the same as the rights of the HDB presently. Therefore, the argument is that the rights, duties and obligations of HDB flat owners, ie, borrowers, vis-a-vis the banks after 2003 are the same as the rights, duties and obligations of HDB flat owners now vis-a-vis the HDB. Legally, that is correct. But only legally, because, actually, it is different. The difference has been enunciated quite eloquently by my colleagues earlier, but the main difference arises from the fact that the HDB has a social mission. In my very short stint in this House, I have heard the Minister state clearly that the role and function of the HDB is, primarily, to provide basic housing to all Singaporeans at affordable prices. And even when HDB acts as a lender, we see this reflected in their actions. Therefore, when we have defaulters as a result of an economic downturn, we have the HDB bending backwards, sideways, forwards, in all directions, to help accommodate the awkward positions that the HDB flat owner is in. I can imagine, even as I speak now, one HDB officer paying attention to a HDB flat owner, trying to give a proposal that would work out for him, either a deferment of monthly payments or an extension of housing loans, thereby reducing monthly quantum sums.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the proposed changes in the Deputy Prime Minister's speech. However, like some of my colleagues before me, I wish to express some concerns, specifically in relation to the market rate loans for HDB flats. Some of my points have been raised by my colleagues earlier, but I still wish to reiterate one or two salient points. Firstly, among those people who wish to take market rate loans in the purchase of HDB flats, many of them are fully aware of the implications and ramifications of bank loans. Many, I believe, are not fully aware of the terms with regard to forced closure, how and when they operate. Many are not aware that banks normally have the right to utilise the accounts of the borrowers held in the lending banks. Many also are not fully aware of the quantum of principal and interest in their monthly instalments, coming to an unpleasant surprise whenever they come to a stage when they wish to redeem the loans. There will be those who will find themselves in these unpleasant situations, and the problem is that when they come to it they are not prepared for it. Secondly, there is another group of people who, even if they are aware of these terms and conditions, do not have the financial nimbleness or capacity to overcome them. We can say that they have a choice - if they are fully aware of the pitfalls of bank loans, then do not take bank loans, do not buy a flat. This is not really a choice, for owning an HDB flat is really almost akin, at least in Singapore, to the basic need of having a shelter for one's family and oneself. For this group of people, it is not exactly a real choice to say, "Do not borrow from a bank." These are also the same ones who are hardest hit during a macro economic downturn or an individual financial setback.”
“The Bill excludes from the definition of terrorist act, legitimate acts of war as governed by international law. Sir, war too has its rules. And if we look at Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Han Wu Ti, Mohamed, Charlemagne, the wars fought by them were in accordance with rules accepted by the peoples involved. That is why no one ever accused them of terrorism before or now. For instance, acts which definitely would harm women, children and other non-military civilians were and are not legitimate military acts by the standard of any civilised society. It is therefore important that we do not allow any group, religious or otherwise, to be inspired or encouraged by terrorism. Sir, the greater part of humanity abhors terrorism, and must seek ways to curtail it. I see that this Bill seeks to do just that, at least in contributing towards our common campaign towards terrorism. Though it may be argued that the cause of terrorism is political and social, one of the engines of terrorism is finance. Our effort to deal with the financial aspect of terrorism is one of the many prongs that we, as a nation, should apply to effectively deal with this issue. The Internal Security Act deals mainly with security aspects, particularly with the individuals directly involved in terrorist acts. But terrorism today involves international network. Funds and goods are transacted in the process. The ISA and existing legislation do not say much about this. So this Bill seeks to address this problem. In this regard, I suggest that the Hon. Minister and this House continue to formulate ways to address the political and social elements that breed terrorism, while we support this Bill to address the issues as promulgated therein. Sir, I support this Bill.”
“By the time his grandson, Kublai Khan, reigned, the Mongol Empire covered almost the whole of mainland Asia and parts of Eastern Europe. In places where the Mongols embraced local political cultures, like China and in Northern India, the people continued to make progress. However, in places where they merely plundered in order to subdue, like in Baghdad or Central Europe, the contribution of Mongol rule was either miniscule or negative. If the people do not willingly accept a certain rule or ideology, very soon that rule will crumble. The use of force and fear, Sir, to instill compliance is not mere ancient history. The totalitarian regime in the previous USSR was known to have used, quite extensively, force incursion so as to ensure acceptance of its ideas. Dissenters were sent either to the gulag or some other remote places or made to simply disappear from the records. More significantly, the fear of such reprisals caused a terror among the people. For some time, the people bowed and followed but, within 70 years, the USSR crumbled. Control by the state must be pursuant to genuine consensus, not the other way round, where consensus is pursuant to genuine control. There may be groups of people who behave in a manner so repugnant to one's beliefs and values. But no one has a sacred right to impose forcibly on them one's own values and laws by the use of fear and threat of serious harm. Even if one does so, the effect is always superficial, as history has shown. Thus, Sir, terrorism has no place in promoting any civilisation or the cause of any ideology or major religion in the world. There is thus a need to distinguish terrorism from other legitimate acts of war which, I think, the Bill seeks to do in its definition section.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the Bill. Perhaps one of the most important aspects of the Bill is the definition of the word "terrorism" or, more specifically, "terrorist act". Prof. Chin had earlier alluded to the definition and explained the meaning of the two limbs encapsulated under clause 2(2)(a). I take it from his comments, and even among us, that we have different ideas of what a terrorist act is. But I think we should not let this difficulty prevent us from making a decision, at least for the moment, on what we mean by terrorist act and what we should do about it. Sir, we all do not condone terrorism. If I may say so, even as of now, a less severe form of terrorism - extortion - is an offence under our Penal Code. Terrorism, as defined in the Bill, is not the way any civilised entity promotes itself. If any of us wishes to compel a government to do something, we do it through the legitimate political process. If we seek to sway the opinion of people, then we have to appeal to their hearts and minds, not by using fear of harm or violence. Sir, successful civilisations and nations are those which are able to muster the support of their people through a commonly accepted political process. The Mongols in the 12th century, for instance, were united under the leadership of Genghis Khan. As a nation, they shared a common vision for themselves, and maybe their common desire for power led them to conquer others. It would have been, I believe, very difficult for Genghis Khan to achieve so much, if he merely relied on instilling fear in his own people to achieve his aims. But, did he instill fear in other people? Yes and no. But the result showed the difference.”
“Sir, would the Minister of State kindly reconsider relaxing the rules regarding the requirement that a person who wants to resell his flat must own the flat for five years, in the case of a new flat, or three years, in the case of a resale flat, in order to downgrade, in the event that there is genuine hardship on the part of the owner?”
“As I have said, confidence builds upon itself. If there is no confidence amongst us now, we cannot have any confidence in future for there is nothing to build on. In this light, let me share an anecdote which came upon me recently while I was in Morocco together with my two hon. colleagues, Mr Zainul and Mr Chiam. My wife chanced upon a man who asked her a question where she came from, noting that she wore a different dress, and she said, "Singapore." His response was enthusiastic. My wife carefully avoided what he meant by "enthusiastic". When she said that she came from Singapore, the man was so pleased and rattled into conversation. It turned out that he was an engineer, an Argentinian and he liked to travel, he has travelled very widely over six continents, and he has stayed for more than a week in Singapore in the years of his travels. At one point, my wife asked him, "So, is Singapore nice?" His answer was, "No. Singapore not nice. Singapore very, very nice." Sir, I support the motion.”
“While we all wish to accelerate this engagement process, it is worthless, if not dangerous, if the engagement process is supported by ill-prepared ideas and thoughts. Secondly, Sir, for effective engagement, each group must be willing to share its views and engage others on them. While each group should search for common views among other groups, yes, each must be prepared to face and deal with diametrically opposing views as well. Each group must give its commitment to maintain the engagement process. This commitment can be enhanced by the Government making policies that seek to unify while recognising differences, which it is already doing now, but this can be strengthened by (1) ensuring adequate representation of such differing views in national debates; and (2) incorporating greater flexibility as a feature for policies so as to cater for differences. Also the communities, when expressing their views, must do so sensibly and sensitively so as not to undermine the comfort level. Because if the comfort level is undermined, so would the whole engagement process. The third point as regards effective engagement, Sir, is that confidence builds upon itself. Confidence building is an accumulative process. As we move 10 paces forward, we would face issues that may cause us to take two steps back. But this does not mean that we retrogress for we would have by then moved eight paces forward. The journey will be full of stops, or such stops, and step-backs. But we all must agree to maintain the general direction at a steady pace. Sir, I agree with the hon. Member Assoc. Prof. Koo that we should not allow the rumour of gloom and doom to fulfil its own prophecy. We must have the confidence to come up better, including this area of social cohesion.”
“This variety has to be appreciated, otherwise we would tend to draw general conclusions from specific instances and this does not reflect the actual situation. Each group also needs to be clear on its position regarding intolerance and extremism, including an understanding of what causes extremism, what factors affect extremism and how to counter extremism or intolerance. Yet, each group has to reconcile between its understandable desire to eventualise, to promote itself, yet at the same time, being mindful of contradicting positions taken by other groups with the need to maintain the comfort base. Each group, Sir, also needs to clarify for itself how it views interaction among different groups in the physical, restricted confines of Singapore island, reclamation notwithstanding. We wish to avoid a situation whereby inter-group relations are progressing, but at the same time inter-group relations are having strains. In this regard, each group should identify the items within its own value system that has the potential to cause conflict with the second nature of the state and conflicts with other groups. These items that can cause conflict have to be honestly dealt with in a manner that moves towards the long-term outcome of peace and harmony. Lastly, Sir, each group also has to have a clear position as regards the role of race, religion and culture in the long-term future. Inter-group appreciation is a long-term desire. And each group needs to search within itself the values and principles it makes to remain relevant, meaningful and contributive to the well-being of this country. Sir, if each group is not totally sufficiently clear on the above points, then I humbly suggest that they embark on serious studies on them.”
“Almost all the fundamentalists agree that the growth of extremism is inversely proportionate to freedom of expression. In other words, the greater the clamp down on expression, the higher the chances that these pent-up emotions would be channelled through extremist outlets. The second aspect of this road to appreciation is that, by opening up, if not handled carefully, it may have a negative effect. Expressions of differing and opposing views on cultural or religious basis can heighten these differences. They can cause more tension instead of cohesion. The challenge, of course, is how to pursue the engagement process in spite of many controversies that may arise as we open the lid on sensitive issues. The third aspect is the need to maintain and develop a comfort base. Even right now, we cannot discuss the things the way we do without first obtaining a certain degree of comfort and confidence among each other. This we have achieved over the years through various measures, such as effective national education, national service, intercultural activities and bilingualism. These are good efforts that will maintain the present comfort level. But to progress towards appreciation, Sir, we need to do more. To allow effective engagement on sensitive issues, I believe that three points must be looked into. Firstly, each community must be very clear in themselves of their position on several points. The first point is that groups must be clear of their position as regards the development or changes in attitudes of the members of each flock towards their race, culture or religion. The variety of such attitudes over time and space has to be understood. No group is always static or totally homogenous in its attitude towards its own race, culture or religion.”
“Yet, every community interacts with the others, without one having to fear of being subsumed by the other. On top of it all, it is the common will to ensure peace and security so as to facilitate the continuous development of each community and to facilitate the meaningful interaction among communities. The design and plan of the gardener represent this common will of the people. Without the common will, there is no nation. Without the gardener, we have no garden. Belukar, maybe. Sir, Singapore is indeed a garden city in more senses than one may think. Sir, while it may be pleasing to indulge in this garden metaphor, in reality, inter-community relations is a very intricate matter. To allow each community to retain its own unique characteristics while at the same time moving towards national interaction is to unleash two forces that may pull in opposite directions. I wish to humbly caution that the road to appreciation is arduous. There are three aspects of this road I wish to highlight. The first is that it requires each ethnic religious or cultural group to be more open with one another. For some, it requires a change of mindset. There are many beliefs which the community holds jealously, kept to itself for years and for centuries, but these now have to be exposed, lest such secrecy may arouse suspicion. For some, it requires a change of environment. If you have been avoiding discussing sensitive issues in public in order to maintain peace and harmony, now we have to discuss such issues in public in order to pursue the greater appreciation of peace and harmony. Sir, recently, there was a short programme on the BBC regarding the causes of extremism and fundamentalism.”
“Or perhaps if you have all yellow tiles on one side, blue tiles on one corner, green tiles in the opposite corner, brown tiles in the middle, we may have a floor of tiles but it is not exactly mosaic either. Thus, the arrangement of the tiles is important. The question is: who arranges these tiles and how does he decide? Do the tiles arrange themselves or are they patterned by a transcendent force. I recall that Dr Vivian mentioned about co-determinism, and I say that in the Singapore context, in view of the term "co-determinism", it is a combination of both the interaction between the tiles themselves and this transcendent force. Here, the mosaic imagery perhaps may find itself inadequate because mosaics do not move by themselves. But instead of using the sweater metaphor used by my hon. colleague before Dr Vivian, I believe it was Mr Ong, may I suggest a garden instead. It consists of different plants which had hitherto grown naturally. They have hibiscus, aloe vera, heliconia, and even grass. If properly maintained by a gardener, the garden is an exhibition of life and colour. If not, the aggressive plants will take over and after a few months, you have a lallang patch. But yet, at the same time, if the gardener does everything, the gardener does not do everything. Each plant or each type of plant has its own way of reproducing itself. Each type of plant has its own system of ensuring its own uniqueness and its survival. Yet, hybrids appear in forms not imaginable before. The bougainvillea may creep into loops and hang at the most curious places, sometimes even among other plants. In the context of inter-community relations, we acknowledge that each community has traits which are unique to itself and each community has an interest to guard its identity.”
“Member before me, I seek to make calls to the hearts of Singaporeans. I wish to compliment the call for policies, backed by sanctions and enforcement mechanisms, to appeal to the hearts of Singaporeans, especially the global literates. Now and then, Singaporeans are called upon to do some soul-searching and perhaps this is one such call. Soul-searching, Sir, may carry two meanings. One is a search in the soul for something; two, is a search for a soul. I assume, and I hope rightly so, that we all agree we do not need to do the second one. But I reiterate my call that we search in our soul for the three more `C's beyond the five - care, concern, character. Sir, I move on to my next topic, which is the President's discussion on the movement from tolerance to appreciation as regards inter-community relations. It is noteworthy that we speak of cohesion and not amalgamation. In previous years, some suggest that the different racial, religious and cultural groups melt into one. We have since moved away from that concept to one where we recognise that differences among the groups are likely to remain. So we conjure the image of a mosaic where different tiles co-exist to form a colourful whole. We have chosen the mosaic floor over the melting pot. Let us take a closer look at the mosaic floor. By definition, the mosaic floor consists of tiles of various colours, even shapes or sizes. But for it to be pleasant and useful, it has to be coordinated. There must be someone or something that arranges these tiles so that, together, they form a beautiful pattern. Without careful arrangement, the same tiles can be a mess and not mosaic.”
“(2) I also suggest that there may be a structure to enable a process whereby employers justify their proposed retrenchment exercise to the Ministry or to the union, and then advice be given verbally or in writing, and this advice may be given also to the workers so that the workers are aware of the advice given by the union or the Ministry. This makes the process more transparent and further, since there is no legal sanction against employers who refuse to heed the advice of the Ministry or the union, my suggestion provides some form of social pressure. Sir, I am wary that we should not apply measures that deter present employers from continuing their businesses or potential employers from starting ventures here. Thus, I am slow to suggest legislating the process. But the idea really is to ensure that employers really have exhausted all measures, including looking at the salaries of top management, before deciding that people should lose their jobs. In this connection, I also call on the first group to do more to help the third group. Sir, every Singaporean matters, it is said. But this does not only mean that every Singaporean should be heard or should be cared for. It also means that every Singaporean should contribute where he can. I urge the global literates to bend backwards a little bit more to help the survivors. I recall an advertisement which reads: "If you have it, flout it." Well, I say: "Flout if you want and if you must, but do so by giving and contributing. Stop showing! Start sharing." I am aware, Sir, that many global literates are already doing this, and I truly appreciate their effort. I am only seeking to encourage others to do their part. I am also aware that my calls are not in terms of hard policies but, like the hon.”
“But if this same person sees his ex-employer driving the same 3-litre car coming out of a country club every weekend, the same person who remembers that the ex-employer was the one who talked about bad business, who talked about cost-cutting measures, who talked about the unnecessary evils of retrenchment, then this person would feel very frustrated and very angry. That can bring about social discord. Sir, I read reports that arising from the economic crisis and globalisation, companies resort to cost-cutting measures. They streamline, they merge. But these reports also say that more often than not, after the downsizing process, most companies do not earn more, they just spend less. Further, at the individual level, those in the top management earn more or less the same income, while those in the middle and lower rungs are either retrenched or have pay reduction. The Government has put in place many useful measures to help this third group. There are short-term schemes such as job-matching and EDRS, mid-term solutions such as retraining schemes, and even long-term ones such as educating the public on the effects of globalisation and the need for lifelong learning. But I believe that more could be done by those in the first group. I suggest the following: (1) That there be a set of best practices guidelines on retrenchment which does not only state how retrenchment should be done but what steps should be done before retrenchment is even contemplated, for instance, wage cuts, retraining schemes, job placement measures, and so on. May I suggest that the Ministry, the employers and unions make a study on these to come out with a set of more comprehensive guidelines.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the motion to thank the President. Sir, the President in his Speech gave a very comprehensive all-encompassing sketch of the issues faced by Singapore today. Allow me, Sir, to dwell on two issues, namely, globalisation and social cohesion, and even in these two areas I would be speaking only on certain aspects. As regards globalisation, I see that there are three types of Singaporeans. The first are those who can handle it; the second, those who get by; and the third are those who find difficulty. The first group who can handle globalisation are those who normally can take advantage of it. They master the new ropes, they make necessary changes and even profit out of it, sometimes quite handsomely too. I call them the "global literates". The second group are those who adapt and manage to get by. They undergo some retraining, some short-term pains, but they come out all right in the end. But the third group finds it difficult to adapt, and even to retrain. They remain jobless for long periods, they accumulate debts and their financial problems bring about social ones. Even if they find alternative jobs, these are the people who remain static in terms of income. I call them the "survivors", not the type who outlasts and gets $1 million at the end of 39 days, but this is the type who literally barely survives only. While the global literates progress and profit, the survivors remain as they were. Thus, there would be an ever-increasing income gap between the global literates and the survivors. If unchecked, the increasing gap may bring about alienation, envy and social discord. Sir, three months after being out of job, a person would feel depressed.”