Ahmad Mohd Magad
Singapore
“The participants were proudly spoilt and present their national attires, the mainland Chinese would tell stories about the differences in their culture and practices from ours and the Indians would cook their best sumptuous dishes for us.”
“Sir, anecdotal data suggest that there is an increasing number of families who have sold their flats twice but are unable to afford another flat from the open market due to cash flow or other financial problems. There are also others, for one reason or another, who are no longer eligible to purchase another subsidised flat.”
“I would also like to know whether HDB could process applications for sales of balance flats faster as feedback received suggests that applicants are frustrated by the long waiting time and the uncertainty of whether or not they are going to get their flats allocated. Income ceiling for HDB flats”
“Furthermore, for single mothers who are working, many of them are possibly unaware of the childcare schemes that they can make use of. I hope that MCYS, with the cooperation of Malay/Muslim organisations, can spread the message about the choices available to fulfil this need.”
“Many small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the manufacturing industries face challenges in sending their workers for training and skills upgrading.”
“Sir, 2009 also saw quite a significant shrinkage in maritime activities in Singapore. With the economy on the mend, could the Minister provide an update of MOT's efforts to prepare and capitalise on the economic upturn and enhance Singapore's position as a global maritime hub?”
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“The participants were proudly spoilt and present their national attires, the mainland Chinese would tell stories about the differences in their culture and practices from ours and the Indians would cook their best sumptuous dishes for us. When the concept of social integration is paid attention to and promoted, it enhances harmonious interaction and solidarity at all levels of society. At the end of the day, the opposite of integration is exclusion. This is certainly we would never want to see occur in our heartlands and in our country as it will unfold the many decades of hard work we have put in place to bring about the harmony we enjoy today.”
“Madam, the social landscape in HDB estates has been changing over the last decade, with more foreigners and Permanent Residents (PRs) making their way into our heartlands and also foreign workers renting rooms or entire flats from HDB residents. While this introduces *Cols. 4067-4068. culture diversity into our HDB neighbourhoods and may provide more opportunities for cross-cultural exchanges, it could potentially also be the source of tension should misunderstanding arise. I would like to know whether there is a dispute resolution framework and mechanism in place to specially deal with neighbourhood disputes or culture misunderstanding involving Singaporeans and foreigners, or PRs in HDB estates should they arise. Madam, as we know, social integration can be a complex idea as it means different things to different people. As a multi-racial society, we have long recognised the importance of this and have worked hard to foster harmonious racial relations and reap its precious benefits. Now that we have foreigners entering into our heartlands equation, I believe we can extend the favourable experience we have enjoyed over the years to this new category of HDB dwellers as well. Ideally, it should behove us to prevent such misunderstanding from happening by implementing programmes at grassroots level to foster good neighbourly relations and deliberately involve them in our grassroots activities. Programmes such as culture evenings and savouring exotic dishes, which my constituency has organised several times in the past, proved beneficial and popular amongst the residents.”
“There is an issue of insufficient carparks in HDB estates which surfaced in recent months, with residents who are season parking ticket holders complaining that they faced difficulties securing a lot in the carpark closest to their homes. I do understand that several measures have been introduced to alleviate this problem, eg, the drawing of more red lots, reserved for SPD holders and night parking scheme. I would like to ask HDB for an assessment of this initiative, how successful have these two schemes been and to what extent is the problem of season carpark lots for SPD holders been addressed. Sir, I believe that part of the problem involves households owning multiple vehicles leading to a space crunch in carparks. Due to low COE prices in previous years, some families have taken to owning two or more vehicles and bought season tickets for all their vehicles. This may be unfair to other residents who have only one vehicle and are thus unable to find season carpark lots, as those with more than one vehicle will have taken up the available lots. To address this issue, I would like to ask if the HDB could consider introducing a two-tier system, where residents are given preferential season parking tickets to the first car in the household. Holders of the preferential season tickets park in red lots in the multi-storey carparks closest to their homes. Should a resident own a second or third vehicle, he can purchase a secondary season ticket where he can park at night parking lots in any multi-storey carpark in the precinct where he lives, but further away from the flat. Parking lots”
“Sir, it is a known fact that Singapore's population is one of Asia's fastest ageing. To cater to this group of population segment, HDB has been building studio apartments for elderly folks which are fitted with elderly-friendly features. All these studio apartments are seeing good take-up rates. The reality is that the majority of elderly folks are still living in homes that are not fitted with elderly-friendly features, such as metal-grab bars in the bathrooms and non-slip floor tiles. An HDB homeowner would practically have to wait until his flat undergoes a Home Improvement Programme before his unit is possibly retrofitted with such elderly-friendly features. This may take years and, in the meantime, may pose significant challenges to the elderly person and his family. In order to make the concept of ageing-in-place even more effective and sustainable, may I ask HDB to explore the possibility of starting a scheme where HDB residents in estates that have not undergone the Home Improvement Programme that they may apply for a grant to retrofit their homes with basic elderly-friendly features? This scheme can be targeted towards low- and middle-income Singaporeans who are in critical need of such features now, if they have at least one elderly person in their homes. Residents can be given a choice of basic features they wish to retrofit their flat with, depending on the needs of the elderly person in the home. This will greatly ease the financial strain on such families and help them overcome some physical constraints involved in taking care of an elderly person in the home. I believe it will also help foster a more caring and supportive living environment for elderly folks in Singapore. Carparks in HDB estates Next cut, Sir.”
“Sir, anecdotal data suggest that there is an increasing number of families who have sold their flats twice but are unable to afford another flat from the open market due to cash flow or other financial problems. There are also others, for one reason or another, who are no longer eligible to purchase another subsidised flat. In place of considering such cases on a case-by-case basis, could the HDB consider allowing this category of homeowners a third bite of the cherry with, perhaps, stricter conditions and impositions put in place such as requiring such buyers to live in their flats for 10 years before they are eligible to sell them off, or to sell the third flat back to HDB at their original purchase price, or at a price determined by HDB if they must sell their flat sooner than the 10-year occupation period? Importance of the flat”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, the Government has announced that it will increase the number of rental flats from 45,500 to 50,000 units by 2012. It is apparent that the HDB has made commendable efforts to boost the supply of rental flats by building new ones and converting some existing flats. This in turn has enabled the waiting time for rental flats to be shortened from 21 months in 2008 to an average of nine months now. Introduction of other options such as Interim Rental Housing has further helped in narrowing the gap between demand and supply. I would like to know how the waiting could be further reduced for families, especially those who are truly in need of a rental unit of their own. Sir, interim housing options may be useful for some families. But for others, this can potentially cause quite serious problems. Single parents with young children worry and feel insecure when they are out for work, as their children are at home with another family whom may be considered strangers. For such families, Interim Rental Housing may not be a viable option as they wait for a rental flat to be allocated to them. There are also cases involving large families with grown-up children of different genders. It is awkward to pack the entire family like sardines in one room. Can I ask the HDB to extend greater flexibility by granting whole rental flats to better meet the needs of such families? Alignment of rates for HDB rental flats”
“I would also like to know whether HDB could process applications for sales of balance flats faster as feedback received suggests that applicants are frustrated by the long waiting time and the uncertainty of whether or not they are going to get their flats allocated. Income ceiling for HDB flats”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, rising housing prices have become a prominent topic of discussion in recent times. With increased inflation and increase in prices of private homes and strong demand for HDB flats, the HDB Resale Price Index has gone up at a staggering pace. Cooling measures were put in place in curbing the increase in prices but market players still forecast that prices of resale HDB flats will grow in tandem with the economy and increased population. For first-time buyers, the high prices of new and resale flats are increasingly becoming a major financial strain even with existing subsidies schemes in place. In view of the continual increase in housing prices, I would like to know if there are plans to increase subsidy rates for first-time HDB flat buyers in general. I am heartened to note the recent announcement on providing low-income families, who are first-time buyers of BTO flats, with an additional subsidy. While this may provide some relief to such families, I worry that even this additional grant may not be adequate in alleviating their problems in affording a flat should flat prices continue to rise. Furthermore, the household ceiling of $2,250 is rather low. I would like to ask if it is possible to raise the income ceiling to $3,000 so that more needy families, especially those with larger households, can benefit from this scheme. Second, Sir, with regard to the sale of balance flats, I would like to ask if the frequency of this sale could be held more frequently from the current once a year, so as to give greater visibility to this scheme.”
“Furthermore, for single mothers who are working, many of them are possibly unaware of the childcare schemes that they can make use of. I hope that MCYS, with the cooperation of Malay/Muslim organisations, can spread the message about the choices available to fulfil this need. With this, I support the 2011 Budget Statement presented by the Finance Minister. *Cols. 3203-3204. 3.05 pm”
“I hope that the Malay/Muslim community will not be carried away or influenced by the developments over there because the challenges faced there are specific to the political and leadership problems in those countries. Egypt, for instance, faces a serious poverty problem with almost 40% of its people living on less than US$2 daily. It is very different with the reality of life in our country. Therefore, the Malay/Muslim community in Singapore must focus on their lives here and continue to find ways to improve their own skills, education and levels of achievement. Moving on to social issues, recently there are some cases of child abuse reported in the papers. These cases involve children who were abused by their stepfather or the boyfriend of the child’s mother. Even though these cases reported are few in number and do not reflect a widespread trend in the community, the horrific nature of these cases is a cause for concern. Hence, I would like to request for the Government, especially MCYS, to provide more funds and support to Malay/Muslim organisations that run programmes for high-risk families. Maybe MCYS can consider having post-divorce programmes, specifically for men and women who face problems when rebuilding new lives. A programme to build self confidence and self reliance should be implemented for women in this category who have recently gone through a divorce. Since many of them are dependent on their husbands for financial and emotional needs, they may not be used to living alone and find it difficult to be independent, especially emotionally. As a result, some of them get involved with a new partner without taking time to really get to know their new partner’s personality.”
“We stand to lose professional working Singaporean females from the workforce and turn them off from wanting to have more babies – something that Singapore really direly needs. What is the use of the Prime Minister calling on Singaporeans to have more babies on the one hand when, on the other, we are making it so difficult for those who want to respond to the Prime Minister's call? Sir, I appeal to the ICA and other Government agencies to be more discriminating and forgiving in considering such genuine appeal cases. Sir, allow me now to speak in Malay. (In Malay ):[For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*.] Singapore's economy is presently gaining momentum and is expected to grow between 4% and 6% this year. Job opportunities have also increased with recent figures from the Ministry of Manpower showing that there are about 15,000 job vacancies that have yet to be filled. All these are good signs for Singapore, including for the Malay/Muslim community. For the unemployed or low-wage groups, this is the time to seize the job opportunities available with the help of organisations like the CDC and Mendaki Sense. Even though some lament about facing competition from foreigners, such competition can be overcome if each individual try to arm himself with the necessary skills, be hardworking and think positive. In terms of the global political developments, the Middle East is now in turmoil due to the people in some countries like Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain and Libya, who already have or are trying to overthrow their governments because the people are too pressured by social problems, especially poverty.”
“Incentives such as the Productivity and Innovation Credit, which was introduced last year and further boosted this year, will help companies financially and encourage them to improve processes and innovate. However, to assess the effectiveness of the productivity and innovation credit, may I ask if there are any statistics on how many companies have claimed and benefited from the scheme, and are there effectiveness measures that are used to track whether the benefiting companies' productivity has indeed increased? On a social issue, Sir, the Government and the ICA have done much to listen to Singaporeans about their grouses in the rapid intake of foreigners, which I applaud. I would also like to ask that they exercise better discretion in reviewing specific appeal cases. I have a case of a female resident who has just given birth and whose husband has just started a food business and has to travel for extended periods to promote his business in Malaysia. She has appealed to the ICA for a long-term visit pass for her Malaysian mother-in-law to stay here and assist in looking after her baby so that she could continue working. She was told to submit documentation of her husband's income. In spite of having substantiated this twice, the application was rejected. She is now left with little choice but to consider leaving her job and possibly join her husband in Malaysia. She said that she truly regretted very much having her baby and would not have done so if she knew it was going to be this difficult for her. She told me outright that she has scrapped any future plan of having another child. Sir, I am quite certain there are probably quite a few families in similar predicaments. Denying families of such help is a double whammy for Singapore.”
“There is a need to further professionalise these industries and further reward workers in these sectors as they perform duties that are critical for different segments of the Singapore population. I would like to know how the Government plans to help companies and organisations in these fields to boost productivity and increase salaries at the same time. Turning to businesses, Sir, if one wants to be a cynic, one can regard this Budget as taking the approach where a person has his left arm pinched but his right arm soothed with some lotion. As many speakers before me here have said, the increase in foreign workers levy has indeed caused some consternation amongst businesses. Whilst a set of one-off measures will be introduced to help cushion the impact of rising costs on the companies, the reality is that costs are rising especially for companies that are heavily reliant on foreign workers. The construction, manufacturing and service industries will be among the hardest hit by this change in the levy. Whilst some companies will be induced to introduce ways to increase productivity to enable them to benefit from the various funds and credit schemes aimed at boosting productivity, others may just take the easier way out by either hiring less or passing on the increased costs to consumers. If they hire less, it means service levels and efficiency will be affected. If they pass on the increased costs to consumers, it means that consumers will have to bear the burden of the levy increase which further contributes to inflation. Sir, I believe boosting productivity depends much more on changing mindsets, re-designing tasks and re-skilling workers.”
“If it is more widespread to the extent that consumers do not have many choices, then something needs to be done to arrest the situation. Perhaps the watch group could widen its scope to beyond just food suppliers and keep tab on hawkers and food sellers who indiscriminately increase their prices. These could be quite challenging to track but will assure Singaporeans that their interests are looked after and that they will have an avenue to provide information and feedback on food price increases and excessive profiteering. Sir, in his Budget Statement, the Finance Minister has said that the Government intends to grow real wages by 30% in the next decade. This is certainly a noble endeavour but I would like to ask whether this proposed growth in real wages takes into account inflation rates. I believe this should be factored in and projected into wage growth considerations in view of global rising prices and the uncertainties that are currently enveloping the world. At the end of the day, I am concerned that Singapore will be an increasingly expensive place to live, work and play in. To what extent then can we keep our competitive edge in this region? In 10 years' time, other competitive markets such as China, India and Vietnam will narrow the technological and general know-how gap to compete with us in higher-end industries. Sir, at the same time, there are also several sectors that are lamenting about the need for growth in salaries now as low salaries and long working hours have caused difficulties in attracting Singaporeans to work in such industries. These include the early childhood sector, special education teachers, auxiliary security officers, and caregivers at elderly homes and facilities.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, much has been said about the many initiatives under Budget 2011. I agree with many of the hon. Members of this House who have labelled this a people-centric Budget. It has indeed offered a slew of short and medium to long-term initiatives to assist Singaporeans, particularly those from the low- and middle-income groups to cope with rising prices and an expanding economy. However, like many of those who have spoken before me, I, too, have some concerns about issues and challenges that lie ahead for Singaporeans and the extent to which this Budget can effectively help to meet these challenges. Sir, one main worry in the mind of many Singaporeans is rising costs. Inflation rates have been soaring in recent months, attributable primarily to increases in private transportation costs from high COEs to housing prices. The Consumer Price Index shows the year-on-year increase of 18.4% for transportation and 5.3% for housing. The rate for food has gone up by 2.8%. Increased global demand for raw food materials and a shortage of supply may have caused prices of raw materials to increase. But I feel that it might not correspond to the increase in prices charged by some of our food sellers. I often hear about hawkers and food sellers increasing prices far beyond this. On average, a glass of teh tarik can cost between 90 cents and $1.20 in many coffeeshops when it used to cost only 70 cents or 80 cents not too long ago. I am glad that a watch group has been set up to keep tab on profiteering but I would like to ask if the group's scope of responsibility includes a study to understand how extensive this profiteering issue is. If it is just a few hawkers who have increased their prices substantially, then market forces can work things out.”
“I am not speaking, Madam. CET qualifications”
“Many small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the manufacturing industries face challenges in sending their workers for training and skills upgrading. Apart from cost issues, employers face time and resource constraints and find it difficult to send workers for training during the day as there is a constant need for them to utilise their manpower resources. For the employees, many face challenges in attending training programmes after a long day at work. To help overcome this hurdle, could the Government facilitate this by considering the provision of mobile training centres that can be stationed close to flatted factories. This would encourage more employers in this sector to send their workers for training and skills upgrading. Their workers can walk a short distance from the flatted factories to the mobile training centre instead of having to travel long distances after work, as flatted factories can sometimes be situated in less accessible parts of the country. In addition, having these mobile training centres close to their workplace would help workers save on transportation cost.”
“Sir, 2009 also saw quite a significant shrinkage in maritime activities in Singapore. With the economy on the mend, could the Minister provide an update of MOT's efforts to prepare and capitalise on the economic upturn and enhance Singapore's position as a global maritime hub? What measures are being taken to ensure that we do not lose our competitive edge in the maritime industry? I am also concerned about the increase in costs that companies in the maritime industry may incur due to the upcoming hikes in the Foreign Worker Levy. How does the Ministry intend to encourage companies to innovate and increase their productivity rates in the maritime sector so that they can benefit from the new productivity and innovation credit and thereby offset their labour cost increases?”
“Sir, nowadays trains and buses are getting more overcrowded during peak hours and roads are more congested as noted by the GPC Chair earlier. In order to help ease some of the congestion, I feel there is scope for LTA to consider expanding several modes of alternative transportation. One is the Park and Ride scheme, which allows drivers to park their cars at designated parking lots and switch to public transportation conveniently. It also encourages people to use their cars less and, hence, become more environmentally friendly. I believe this scheme needs better publicity as its capacity is not maximised, especially at certain carparks. Could the Ministry look into why the take-up rates at these carparks are low and also urge TransitLink to explore more convenient carpark sites? Also, could the Ministry get TransitLink to provide a more convenient system for drivers to join the scheme on a sustained basis as opposed to the current one where ticket sets have to be bought every month on a first-come-first-serve basis. To further encourage the take up of this scheme, I would like to ask if the Ministry could incentivise public transport companies to extend subsidies to users of this scheme as users now have to pay full adult fare for their train or bus rides. Sir, another alternative transport system is the car-sharing system currently provided by companies like Honda car-share or the NTUC Income car co-op. Has any study been done on the take-up rate or effectiveness of this car-sharing service in the CBD and housing estates? Public transport and road capacity”
“[For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*.] Mr Chairman, the Joint Madrasah System (JMS) which commenced operations last year, involved three madrasahs, that is, the Al-Irsyad Madrasah, Aljunied Madrasah and Al-Arabiah Madrasah. Under the JMS, these three madrasahs will be placed under a more integrated education system. What is the progress of these three JMS madrasahs so far, and what is the progress of the training of madrasah teachers? Has it achieved any results so far with changes in the quality of education? Also, how many teachers will undergo training this year? Sir, as these three JMS madrasahs are now given allocations from public funds, that is, the Mosque Building and Mendaki Fund (MBMF), do these madrasahs have plans to increase their involvement in community activities or efforts? I think that this is important as madrasahs should not be exclusive and have to be more dynamic in involving their students and teachers in more community efforts. This will foster closer relations with members of the Malay/Muslim community, who do not have direct links with madrasahs, as well as the non-Muslim community in Singapore. With regard to madrasah students' performance in the PSLE, the rate of students qualifying for secondary schools has gone down, from 98% two years ago to 93% in 2009. What steps will MUIS take to guide the madrasahs to ensure that this decline does not continue to happen in the coming years? As for the other three madrasahs that do not join the JMS, I would like to know if MUIS has plans to provide them with incentives to join the JMS. In addition, what is being done to ensure that the needs of students and teachers from these three madrasahs will still be looked after? *Cols. 3937-3938.”
“[For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*.] The dysfunctional family issue is an important challenge that still needs the community's attention. Recently, a group of students and young professionals were invited to join the Community Leaders' Forum (CLF) to think of strategies together to overcome this challenge. Can the Minister comment on how can the expertise and skills of our young professionals be utilised and maximised to manage those challenges? Sir, some years ago, it was announced that a temporary shelter will be built for Muslim women who are victims of abuse. Can the Minister comment on the progress of that particular organisation, that is, the Casa Raudha? When will it begin its operations? As part of the effort to solve the problem of dysfunctional families, can the Government provide a fund for a campaign to feature individuals and families, who have faced the challenge of social dysfunction but managed to overcome it? I feel that such positive examples can give encouragement to the dysfunctional families, as it shows that a bright future is possible, provided that they take the effort to change their conditions. On the issue of marriage, can MCYS conduct a study on the effectiveness of the pre-marital courses that are being held currently? Also, can the Ministry provide incentives to companies and Malay/Muslim bodies to organise marriage guidance courses for couples who are in their first three years of marriage? *Cols. 3931-3932.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, for SMEs in the manufacturing industry, increasing productivity rates may involve a need for better, faster and more sophisticated machinery. However, these machines often involve high cost and may be under-utilised due to the SMEs' lower volume of output. These factors have discouraged some SMEs from upgrading to more sophisticated and higher quality machines. One way to overcome this is to encourage SMEs to pool their resources and invest in more sophisticated and higher quality machines altogether. A joint venture company can be formed between SMEs to co-own these assets. These machines can produce components or even sub-assemblies. With a few companies running the machines at different times, the owners can swop the assets by having 24/7 production and, in doing so, maximise their return on investment in the machines. Similarly, for common infrastructure needs such as IT systems, warehousing and services such as HR, payroll, finance, IT, inventory and quality control, SMEs should be encouraged to form clusters so that they can reap the benefits of shared infrastructure and services wherever possible. These initiatives will lead to cost savings for SMEs and they can, in turn, focus on becoming more efficient and productive. With all these benefits, Sir, I would like to ask if the Government can incentivise SMEs to enter into such arrangements by co-financing the initial cost for the sharing of machines and services. Building an inclusive economy”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, the Lift Upgrading Programme has been in operation since 2001 and benefited many residents of HDB estates, including those in my constituency. Many more of my residents have been asking, "when is it their turn for the LUP?" With an increasingly ageing population, this programme will become even more critical in meeting the needs of mobility and access of our elderly citizens. In view of the Government's commitment to complete the LUP and upgrade all eligible HDB blocks by 2014, could the Minister provide an update of the progress of the LUP? How many ineligible blocks will there be after this completion of the full programme? And what alternative will the HDB explore to assist the residents of these blocks? Substantial part of the LUP costs is co-shared with the Town Council. Could the Minister provide an assessment of the financial impact on Town Council, with regard to the implementation of the LUP? In view of the high cost involved, would the HDB extend more assistance to Town Council, to help co-fund this programme?”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, the woes of families who are caught in financial quagmires due to housing issues has been widely publicised and discussed. While the HDB has helped home owners facing large arrears, such assistance often comes a little too late as these families have already landed in financial troubles. Some of these families face huge arrears because they bought flats that were beyond their means or experienced a change in their circumstances that led to their inability to manage their loans. Then, there are those who sold off their flats in order to settle some debts and end up not being able to afford buying another flat, renting from the market or are unable to make any alternative housing arrangements. For buyers taking up HDB concessionary loans, they have to obtain a Housing Loan Eligibility (HLE) to ensure that they can afford the flat they are buying. Buyers taking up bank loans are given a letter of offer by the banks. I would like to ask if HDB could consider implementing further measures to ensure that home owners taking bank loans are not given offers that are beyond their means. Also, what measures are in place to assist families who have sold their flats and are unable to buy another flat? How can HDB further inculcate financial prudence in home buyers and sellers? [Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Matthias Yao Chih) in the Chair]”
“Mr Speaker, in solving the issue of dysfunctional families, I would like to suggest that a study be made on whether the marriage courses implemented now benefit couples in their first few years of marriage. Currently, in addition to pre-marriage courses, the formal guidance sessions provided are counselling sessions for couples who are about to divorce. I feel that we must provide more marriage guidance courses for couples who are between their first and third year of marriage. For young couples within the high-risk group, such courses must be made compulsory. With that, I support the 2010 Budget that was presented by the Minister of Finance. *Cols. 2581-2584. 4.22 pm”
“The sales proceeds are used up and are not enough to pay for houses at the market rate. As a result, they are forced to stay with their relatives or at the beaches while waiting for rental flats from the Government. A house is not something that should be pawned. It is a necessity for the family and also a long-term investment. In addition, the supply of rental flats is limited, and those who qualify and the most needy, according to HDB policies, will be given priority compared to those who just sold their homes, reaped the profits and did not think about the implications. Such mentality can also be seen among those who prefer "use first and pay later" schemes, be it for vacation packages, or buying gold, diamonds or other things. Their short-term needs are given priority but, in the long run, this will be perilous as such packages can involve high interest rates. A Malay proverb states "You have to be willing to face difficulties first, in order to have it easier later". But there are those who prefer to enjoy themselves first and feel the pain later! In this matter, maybe the Mendaki Foundation can increase efforts to educate the community about financial management and the pitfalls of making decisions without long-term considerations. Quick fix attitudes are also present when looking for solutions to social problems like promiscuous teenagers. We often hear of parents forcing their children, who are too young, to get married quickly after getting pregnant or because they are too promiscuous with their partners. It is not wrong to encourage their children to marry, but the parents must consider whether the child and the partner are ready mentally, psychologically and financially. Also, are the families ready to give support and guidance if problems occur?”
“I would like to ask that, one, the Minister reviews current policies of allowing sale of HDB resale flats after one year if they are purchased with a bank loan. And two, allowing rental of HDB flats after the three-year occupation period unless there are strong valid reasons to do so. Harsh action should also be taken against those who rent out their flats illegally. Sir, allow me now to speak in Malay. (In Malay): [For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*.]Mr Speaker, the Government announced many incentives to encourage companies to increase their productivity. I hope that Malay companies will also answer this call, and find ways to innovate and use the latest technology. In addition to making some of the jobs easier, the use of technology can help a company increase its production rate and save costs. I hope that Malay workers can take advantage of the WIS training scheme and the new WTS scheme for older workers. Age must not necessarily be a barrier to the upgrading of skills. The upgrading of skills and life-long learning are values that should be inculcated in each worker, because these will open up more advancement opportunities at work. Moving on to social issues, I would like to urge the community to be more forward looking in making decisions and not just look for quick fixes to solve problems. It is due to such thinking that many people are deceived by get-rich-quick schemes. This is also related to housing issues. I found that many of those caught in the problem of having to live at beaches faced such an outcome because they were in debt and then sold their homes to obtain cash. They did not anticipate how they will be able to buy a new house or where their families will live after that even though they have small children.”
“With this account, Singaporeans can be encouraged to take charge of their training and learning needs and the Government can provide support by providing subsidies or credits for courses. Higher subsidies can be offered for WDA courses and perhaps progressively, smaller subsidies for other courses, depending on their relevance and their extent of value such courses add towards the creation of a wholesome worker. Means testing can be considered to help the lower-income more in paying to learn and upgrade their skills. This will lead to a more holistic development of Singaporeans and can result in uncovering talent in unexpected ways. Mr Speaker, Sir, another concern I have is the effectiveness of recent measures to curb property speculation. Judging from the responses to recent launches, lots of people are still thronging showrooms and snapping up properties like hot cakes. Our greatest concern is the continued speculative impact this will have in pushing up HDB flat prices, making it more and more frustrating for HDB home buyers. I am particularly concerned with the policy of allowing private property owners to also own HDB flats. While the policy clearly stipulates that they must live in the HDB flats, I suspect, judging from many anecdotal cases in my house-to-house visits, that they are renting their resale flats out. If no stern action is taken, it will encourage more dual property owners to do the same. Furthermore, it does not help that the current policy also allows HDB owners to rent their flats out after the minimum three-year occupation period. Sir, while the numbers may be quite small currently, I fear that it will swell if no measures are introduced. It will deprive genuine buyers who can only afford HDB housing from making their purchases.”
“Further on productivity, Sir, I would like to propose that either the mascot Teamy the Bee makes a rousing return to spur fresh vigour and vitality to renewed productivity movement or a new mascot be identified. I can still remember what Teamy preached, (Singing) "Good, better, best, never let it rest, if your good is better, make your better best!" [Applause] I am sure this is ingrained in the minds of many from my generation as Teamy drove us to always think about how we can do things better and more efficiently then. On R&D, while the expanded incentives are welcoming, it stops short of being more forward-looking. To make it more attractive, the Finance Minister could have extend exemptions for loyalty income for intellectual properties created as a result of the R&D initiatives. Turning to the issue of skills upgrading, I welcome the announcement on the enhanced WIS as well as the WTS which is a new scheme to encourage older workers to upgrade their skills. May I ask how will information on WTS be disseminated to older workers? I hope this information can be practically passed down to both employers and older workers so that their initiative to take up WTS can go both ways. I also feel that we should take a more holistic approach towards learning and skills training. For us to become a society that fully embraces lifelong learning, we should encourage Singaporeans to view learning and skills training as part of life and not just as a means to an end. For that, I would like to suggest that a lifelong learning account be set up for adult Singaporeans, much like how school children have Edusave accounts.”
“Their operational costs will rise. They may not be able to automate critical functions of the job and may face difficulties in looking for ways to qualify for Productivity and Innovation Tax Credits. Even if they are able to claim for these Credits, this will involve a whole slew of processes as companies will have to look for suitable ways to increase innovation, weigh the costs and benefits, test out systems, and so on. It may not lead to immediate relief and companies will have to bear this higher overhead cost in the meantime. Speaking on behalf of the manufacturing sector and being in manufacturing myself, I would like to ask if the Government must stick to its announced schedule of levy increases, the availability of an access to the various incentives and new tax credits should be done quickly. The incentive should be drawn ahead of or concurrent with the timing of levy increases. This will help SMEs and manufacturers offset the cost increases due to them. Sir, all of these measures may still not drive up productivity if the workforce is not motivated to give their best at work. This is fundamental. Some SMEs are at a loss as to how they can boost their workers' morale and improve productivity rates. I would like to suggest that SPRING Singapore look into forming clusters of SMEs in the same industry and conduct sharing sessions. These sessions should highlight best practices and new ways of boosting workers' morale, share information on the latest technologies available that can be relevant to the SMEs in that industry and guide them in how to tap into the various schemes.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, this year's Budget is different from the Budgets of the last few years. For one, it is much more business-oriented with a strategic focus on incentivising companies to boost productivity in different ways. Thankfully, the recession did not impact us as badly as initially feared while measures taken by the Government, such as the Jobs Credit Scheme and the SPUR Programme helped cushioned the impact of retrenchment on the workforce. Having weathered the storm, we are now focusing on increasing our productivity by 2% to 3% each year over the next decade. Sir, I am all for the push to increase Singapore's productivity rates and I welcome the various incentives that were announced. I hope companies will be motivated to find ways to use technology and innovation in the quest to produce a more productive workforce. I see two distinct ways in how we can make ourselves more productive. First is for all of us, Singaporeans, to do much more work and transform ourselves from human beings to human doings. Or second, is to change our state of mind and bring about perpetual improvement through a ceaseless effort of applying new methods and new technologies of what exist. We should aim at doing more with less exertion and less time. At the same time, I have several concerns on how some measures would impact companies. The increase in foreign worker levy, I feel, can be a double-edged sword. It could nudge some companies to consider hiring more Singaporeans for jobs instead of foreigners. Companies may automate more job functions and increase productivity rates at the same time. However, there are some that will face problems with this levy increase as the industries they are in are heavily manual and face difficulties hiring Singaporeans.”
“Sir, I would like to thank the Acting Minister, Mr Gan Kim Yong, and the Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Mr Hawazi Daipi, for their many clarifications on policy issues and concerns raised by many hon. Members here. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $855,931,900 for Head S ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $50,793,200 for Head S ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates.”
“Sir, one issue that I feel has not been sufficiently addressed by the Acting Minister is the plight of PMETs, as raised by hon. Members Dr Lily Neo, Mrs Josephine Teo and myself earlier. I have asked for the Minister's consideration of an additional Jobs Credit subsidy of 6% for income portion above $2,500 but capped at $4,000, which I believe will go some way in saving more jobs in the PMET category. May I ask the Minister whether the Government could consider this proposal to help arrest the retrenchment of PMETs which is occurring at a rapid pace? A job saved translates to one less hardship problem and one less potential social problem of an entire family.”
“00 pm During this downturn, there are also companies that may be financially squeezed due to delayed projects and poor cashflow and, hence, are generally unable to see to the needs of their workers. Will the Ministry handle genuine cases with a softer touch and step in to advise such companies in seeking alternative arrangement for their workers before things worsen? Foreign Manpower Management”
“Sir, there has been an increased spate of cases of employers who employ foreign workers but who have not adequately looked after their rights and well-being. Some have not paid salaries of their workers and others are negligent in providing suitable accommodation for their workers. The Ministry has rightfully conducted checks and taken some action to deal with such violations. However, I feel more needs to be done. Currently, the Act states that employers who failed to pay their employees can be fined a $5,000 or imprisoned for a term not exceeding six months, or both. Employers who failed to upkeep and maintain their foreign workers can be charged a fine of up to $5,000 per worker. Sir, to send a strong signal to employers on the need to be responsible in employing foreign workers, I would like to echo what Ms Olsen has said earlier and suggest that the penalties for such violations be increased. Many foreign workers make big sacrifices to come to Singapore to work and when such violations occur, they and their families in their home countries suffer even more. I feel increased penalties are necessary to send a strong signal to employers that have been knowingly negligent in looking after the well-being of foreign workers. I would like to know how often MOM conducts checks on work and accommodation sites and whether MOM intends to step up on these checks, in consideration of increased incidents lately. These checks are even more critical, now that we are in an economic slum, as some employers may try to cut corners and look for cheaper non-approved accommodation arrangments which may compromise the health and well-being of the workers. 3.”
“Sir, I would like to first thank the Minister for his clarification on the Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) earlier. However, I would like to know if the qualifying criteria for the scheme can be broadened so that more people can benefit from this scheme. In particular, I would like to ask whether WIS can be extended to informal or odd-job workers. In a recession, the number of informal or odd-job workers may increase as some of those who are retrenched may have no choice but to take up odd jobs while trying to secure another full time job. Currently, informal workers who meet the income criteria can qualify for WIS only if they make a Medisave contribution. In doing so, the total amount of WIS payout goes into their CPF accounts and there is no cash benefit for the workers. In the light of the recession, I would like to know if the Ministry could extend the part-cash and part-CPF payout of WIS for informal workers? This arrangement can be temporary so that informal workers have more cash in their hands to cope with the downturn.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, as raised by Ms Sylvia Lim, I too am interested in the details of CPF LIFE. As we confront the current economic downturn, it is imperative that we also not lose sight of the longer term retirement needs of Singaporeans. CPF LIFE represents a creative approach to make CPF members' savings last a lifetime. The Minister has announced that members turning 55 in the year 2013 with $40,000 of CPF savings will be automatically included in CPF LIFE. Can the Minister for Manpower (1) provide an update on the status of implementation of CPF LIFE; and (2) explain how this scheme is beneficial and will provide a lifelong income for members? 2.15 pm”
“Mr Chairman, I would like to also ask what avenues are there for the lowly-educated and lowly-skilled workers who are retrenched to benefit from Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience (SPUR). Many SPUR programmes require people to have either GCE 'N' or 'O' Level qualification or a minimum Level 4 pass in the WDA's qualification criteria. I hope the Minister will address my concern in this matter as well. Employment”
“In addition to receiving the subsidies offered to all companies, such companies could be given an additional subsidy of a lower quantum of 6% for the income portion between $2,501 and $4,000. This may help save the jobs of many Singaporean PMETs, many of whom are breadwinners in their families. I am concerned, Sir, that this group is particularly vulnerable in this likely long recession and I think it is important that the Government intervenes to do something specific for this group sooner rather than later before many more lose their jobs. While it may be difficult to create new job opportunities in a recession, Sir, I believe re-channelling of certain jobs is possible. Currently, there are many semi-skilled service jobs which are conducted by foreigners such as sales assistants, waiters and waitresses, and even food stall assistants. In a downturn, Sir, semi-skilled or lower-skilled Singaporeans who are out of a job may have to turn to such jobs if they cannot find something in their previous line of work. In line with this, Sir, I would like to ask what is Ministry of Manpower's (MOM's) policy with respect to the issuance of R passes to low and semi-skilled foreign workers, and whether this will be tightened in the light of increased unemployment so that vacancies in such jobs can go to Singaporeans? I would also like to ask the Minister about the number of P, Q and S pass workers, who have had to give up their passes since the start of the economic downturn. While I am not for protectionist measures, which will require that jobs in Singapore be saved only for Singaporeans, I would like to know if the Ministry plans to tighten the requirements for pass applicants, so that some middle and high-skilled jobs can go to retrenched Singaporeans in the PMET category.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head S of the Estimates be reduced by $100. Like many others in the world, Singaporeans are watching the alarming rate of decline in the world's economy with anxiety. Many workers and companies are feeling the heat of massive retrenchments that are occurring globally. In Singapore, the Government has announced several meaningful schemes to mitigate the impact of the downturn. However, as Singapore is an open economy, these measures unfortunately cannot represent the magic pill to cure us from the full effects of the economic crisis. Sir, I see two important aspects of addressing the needs of workers in the downturn – saving jobs and creating jobs. The Government, in this Budget, has taken the supply-side approach through the Jobs Credit Scheme with the intent of saving some jobs. Saving jobs is important, Sir, because in a downturn, retrenchment is the easiest and quickest approach to bring down cost. However, as it is a supply-side scheme, it does not quite address the problems of falling demand and falling demand can still lead to retrenchments, albeit at a later stage, even with the Jobs Credit Scheme. The Jobs Credit Scheme, as it is, seeks to adopt a one-size-fits-all approach, as it provides a 12% subsidy to all companies with Singaporean workers, up to a cap of $2,500. I would like to suggest that this be tweaked for a two-tier system to be considered. This is because SMEs and companies with more expensive knowledge and skills intensive employees may not find the Jobs Credit Scheme adequate to stave off retrenchments. Therefore, I would suggest adding a second-tier for SMEs and companies with a higher percentage of knowledge workers due to the nature of their industries.”
“[For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*.] The PSLE results of the madrasah students last year was very encouraging, with 98% managed to pass. They are the first batch of madrasah students who must compulsorily sit for the exams, under the Compulsory Education (CE) Act that was introduced in 2003. However, even though the passing rate was generally high, in terms of the quality of passes, it was still unsatisfactory. I would like to know what steps will be taken to improve the quality of PSLE passes of the madrasah students, so that more will qualify for the Express stream if they wish to go to secular secondary schools later. Also, out of the 6 madrasahs, as mentioned by Mr Hawazi, two of them, Madrasah Al-Arabiah and Madrasah Wak Tanjong, were unable to fulfill the minimum benchmark that was set. For Madrasah Al-Arabiah, it was included in the Joint Madrasah System (JMS), where it does not conduct primary education, but will provide secondary education with more focus on academic subjects. Will Madrasah Al-Arabiah be able to provide educational programmes in secondary level academic subjects, even though its students could not meet the minimum CE requirements for primary schools? What are the preparations and changes made to ensure that a proper academic secondary education will be provided there? As for Madrasah Wak Tanjong, it is not part of the JMS and will continue its present educational programmes. I would like to know what steps will be taken to ensure Wak Tanjong students can fulfill next year's CE requirements? Thank you. Asatizah Development”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, ready-built factories (RBFs) have been an integral feature in Singapore's industrialisation programmes since the 1970s. We have been instrumental in our ability to attract foreign investments and represented a major competitive advantage for our nation in getting factories up and running at lightning speed. Echoing the concern of the Singapore Manufacturers' Federation and my personal observation, it appears that the Jurong Town Corporation has stopped building such factories and are leaving it to private developers and market forces to meet factory space needs. May I ask the Minister for Trade and Industry to clarify whether there is truth to this and also the Ministry's position on RBFs? In this fast-moving world where decisions are made more quickly than ever in terms of investment and business tie-ups, I feel that reasonable costs of RBFs remain a key competitive advantage in foreign SME investment considerations as well as play an important part in meeting the needs of our local SMEs. Could the JTC consider reviving the construction of RBFs? SMEs and Entrepreneurship”
“This is also not the time to change to a new car, even though COE prices are low, because if you cannot afford it, monthly payments for a car will burden your families. I hope that our Malay families will be more careful before they overspend. Try to find ways to save, even through small gestures like buying fewer cigarettes. At the same time, such actions can bring about positive changes to their health. For those who are sick, continue getting treatments because, if not, deteriorating health will make the situation worse. If you cannot afford to pay the hospital bills, find ways and try to get help from the hospitals, Malay organisations, national bodies or by meeting your own Members of Parliament. In addition, it is important for Malay organisations to take note of the present national schemes, so that they can help Malay families more efficiently. With that, I support the Budget presented by the Minister for Finance. *Cols. 1583-1584. 2.40 pm”
“This is a good time as any for us to evaluate our values and priorities. While I acknowledge that as a small thriving cosmopolitan city, Singapore needs to focus on economic issues, I worry that in chasing the dollar, some of us may start to lose sight of our core values and priorities in life. During these tough times, it is important for families not to spend beyond their means as enjoying the company of loved ones can be done through simple and low-cost ways, not necessarily by budget-busting ones. On that note, Sir, I support the Budget. Sir, allow me to just say a few words in Malay. (In Malay): [For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*.] The economic downturn now is one of the worst faced in the world and Singapore. The Singaporean community must understand its effects on workers and society, and be ready to face this challenge. In a crisis, several possibilities can happen. The most obvious one is retrenchments. To mitigate this effect, the Government introduced several schemes to help employers and affected workers. One of these schemes is the SPUR Scheme that encourages workers and the unemployed to upgrade their skills through training schemes. I hope the whole society, including the Malay community, will support this Scheme wholeheartedly, as skills upgrading is important not only for the present but also for the future. Many other side effects can also happen during hard times. Even with less spending income, some still refuse to change their lifestyles and continue their high costs of living, even though it is outside their means. This is not the time to change furniture or go for holidays using instalment schemes.”
“I would like to know if HDB will extend its subsidised loans to such people even if they have taken two bites of the cherry for these loans. Will the HDB also consider waiving the levy for affected families who want to downgrade their flats due to huge loan arrears? I would also like to know how long the Community Development Councils (CDCs) take to process financial cases on average and whether this will be done more speedily in tough times when people are in greater and more urgent need of assistance. Although there are other interim assistance schemes such as ComCare, I feel that the CDCs must step in quickly for people in dire need of longer term assistance. A severe and prolonged downturn will inevitably cause some people more stress and I suspect there will be an increase in the number of people needing psychological help. I would like to suggest that the People's Association ramp up on training for our grassroots leaders as a first line of assistance before referring such residents to professional counsellors. I believe this is critical as grassroots leaders should be equipped with skills not just to spot families in trouble and people in distress but they need to also know how to render initial assistance to such cases. I would also like to touch on the importance of solidarity in facing this crisis. I think it is important that Singaporeans do not get carried away in negative thinking even during tough times. Having an outlet to vent one's frustrations can be cathartic, but, as elaborated by my colleague Jessica earlier on, too much negativity may kill our spirit to overcome this challenge. It is imperative that we focus on positive thinking and take proactive and constructive measures to get over this crisis together as a nation.”
“From the business side, subsidies given for SPUR are only applicable to courses offered by Continuing Education and Training (CET) Centres. I suggest that the Government extend this to all Approved Training Organisations (ATOs) so that there is a level playing field. Otherwise, I fear ATOs may be out of business because of the unfair competition as individuals and companies will seek only the courses offered by CET centres and not the ATOs. Sir, allow me to also echo some of the sentiments from the business community and particularly from the Singapore Manufacturers Federation, which I am declaring that I am one of its Council members. The reduction in corporate income tax (CIT) from 18% to 17% is welcomed but its effective Year of Assessment (YA) 2010 does not provide benefit to businesses that could use the much needed relief in the current year. If making it effective for Year of Assessment 2009 is not possible, a deferred tax payment arrangement should be considered for companies to ease their cash flows. Companies with cash flow problems should also be allowed to pay their taxes in instalments without any penalties. While the 40% property tax rebate is welcoming, Sir, I feel that the Government should assist in influencing landlords and particularly large ones such as Ascendas and Mapletree to pass on the full 40% savings to their tenants in order for the impact of the savings to flow down to companies and businesses. At my Meet-the-People sessions, I am seeing an increased number of cash-strapped home owners who cannot take up bank loans due to their adverse credit positions. This will surely worsen during the economic crisis.”
“If the economy gets worse at the six-month point from now, I feel that the credit to employers need to be increased. This should not be a direct credit but tied to some form of compulsory upgrading programme for the workers which could come in the form of an absentee payroll subsidy of up to 60% with the same $2,500 cap as imposed for the current scheme. The subsidy has to be attractive enough to encourage companies to retain and invest in their workers for better times ahead if their business outlook continues to remain bleak in six months' time. A similar like scheme, Sir, is being implemented successfully in Germany recently. Relative to the Jobs Credit Scheme, I would also like to ask whether the credit extended to companies under this Scheme is taxable. For it to have maximum effect, I think there should not be any tax imposed on the credit. Otherwise, there will be another case of giving from one pocket and taking it back from another. Sir, I would like to also suggest that some form of targeted financial assistance for the retrenched and unemployed be acceded. However, to prevent us from becoming a welfare state, this help must be temporary and targeted towards those who have clearly been trying to look for jobs and have attended a certain number of upgrading and skills training courses but yet fail to secure a job – not due to a lack of trying but because of the adverse economic conditions. I also applaud the meaningful SPUR programme which again benefits both employees and employers. Considering again that this might be a prolonged downturn, I would like to ask the Minister for Manpower to consider extending SPUR to support longer term absentee payroll for full-time certificated skills programme subject to a certain cap.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, this year's Budget is indeed an exceptional one for extraordinary times. The world is said to be facing the worst recession since the Great Depression, and for Singapore too, this is likely to be the worst recession in our short history. Consistent with this anticipation, I am delighted that the measures introduced are primarily aimed at keeping the economic engine turning, with saving jobs being the key priority. Particularly of significance is the fact that the help measures were announced before the Lunar New Year to allow companies sufficient time to rethink their people strategies in favour of retention rather than separation. Sir, the Jobs Credit Scheme has been hailed as innovative to lower wage costs of residents. In this gloomy economic outlook, it certainly provides a sense of confidence to both employers and employees. However, Sir, I am afraid it may be short-lived. Apart from labour-intensive companies with thousands of employees that will be the primary beneficiaries of the Scheme, I feel that it can, otherwise, only go as far as cushioning the blow for most SMEs, and also the knowledge and technology driven sectors which carry quite a bit more high-income earners. Ultimately, it boils down to cash flow of the employers. With the current situation of low external demand, employers will have to watch their cash flows to ensure their very own survivability. With this downturn anticipated to a prolonged one, I believe this measure cannot hold workers till the end of the crisis. It has to be coupled with additional measures to get companies to hold on to their workers over a longer period. Sir, I would suggest the tripartite partners come together jointly to bear this burden of helping workers keep their jobs.”
“They should also not remain as merely religious education providers but must actively transform themselves into dynamic stakeholders in the process of shaping and building a progressive Islamic community in a secular society. On this note, Sir, I support the Bill. 4.42 pm”
“However, this view may not be shared by every contributing Muslim worker, as only a small percentage of Muslim children study in madrasahs. I would like to propose that an opt-out component be considered for contribution to madrasahs so that those who have reservations in having their fund contribution channelled to madrasahs can continue contributing to the mosques and Mendaki, since these are causes we already support. On the issue of utilising the funds for madrasahs, I would like to ask the Minister for greater transparency on the financial situation of our madrasahs, especially the three under the Joint Madrasah System (JMS) which are given priority in maximising the funds from the MBMF. I understand that school fees for madrasahs are quite high, at an average of $70 a month per child. Yet, many madrasahs have frequently resorted to having donation drives due to lack of funds. It would be beneficial if information on the spending profile by the madrasahs, the sources of their funding, and the steps taken to be more prudent in their expenses could be provided. I feel that it is useful to make such information public so that fund contributors can convince themselves that the madrasahs are worthy of support by everyone in the community. Finally, Sir, I see the critical need for the madrasahs to change in their manner of operations and be more proactive in engaging the public so that the latter forms part of their direct stakeholders. In a sense, madrasahs should not be totally private institutions and should open themselves up to greater accountability and transparency to gain more trust from public contributors.”