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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“Recognising that terrorism world-wide is funded by money-laundering operations, Parliament has also given the mandate to criminalise terrorist funding and that this new law is coming into effect later this month. I believe this is integral in the wide range of initiatives being taken to combat terrorism. Policing and crippling the flow of funds to and from illegitimate sources is necessary to prevent another potential Bali-like incident where the terrorists feel pressured and were compelled to do something, because the funds were in their hands to conduct such extremist acts. In these aspects, we must remain at least one but, preferably, several steps ahead of the terrorists. But, Sir, owing to the distinctive religious dimension in today's terrorism, tackling this danger by means of just defensive security measures is not adequate. A more holistic dual track approach encompassing hard and soft measures is necessary to achieve overall effectiveness in stamping out terrorism. According to terrorism expert, Dr Bruce Hoffman, the defeating of the Al-Qaeda requires pinpointing the "inner logic" that "motivates terrorists and animates terrorism". The same holds true for the JI and other religiously-driven extremist and militant organisations. Since the JI issue afflicts the Muslim community, it is encouraging to note that the Malay/Muslim community, religious and mosque leaders have come out strongly in support of the White Paper and condemning the JI and its extremist agenda, and also acknowledging that such groups are a menace to our society. Many measures have also been proposed to check and prevent the emergence of such groups again in the future.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I too rise in support of the motion moved by the Minister for Home Affairs. I would like, as many others before me have done, to also applaud the Ministry of Home Affairs for initiating and publishing the comprehensive, frank and penetrating White Paper on the historical existence and the clandestine activities of the Jemaah Islamiyah, leading to the arrest of several of their members and also highlighting the seriousness of the threat of terrorism Singapore faces. In particular, I am heartened by the fact that what initially appeared as scepticism among certain quarters in resurfacing the Jemaah Islamiyah issue by way of debating the published White Paper in this House has now turned into a positive and lively public debate. I believe it has created greater public awareness and stimulated intense discussion among Singaporeans of all races. What is important is the fact that Singaporeans are now more wary that the threat of terrorism is a serious matter and driven primarily by global forces beyond our shores. Discussing and debating this sensitive issue in such an open manner, both publicly and in this House, again sends the signal to the world that not only are we maturing as a society but also presents us the opportunity to desensitise this issue, which affects the Malay/Muslim community, and consolidates Singapore's fortification against terrorism. It helps focus it into a Singaporean problem rather than just that of a particular community. Since the uncovering of the JI's clandestine activities, the Government has taken many firm steps such as implementing defensive security measures at key installations and buildings, and tightening border controls.”
“Sir, I would like to ask the Minister that upon lapsing of the first Water Agreement in 2011, what is the amount of treated water Singapore will remain obligated to supply Malaysia?”
“This would ensure that new investors and new undertakings feel protected with the presence of such restrictions. Finally, Mdm Deputy Speaker, it is my hope that the intent of this amendment Bill is not aimed at primarily enlarging the membership of the trade unions, but to inculcate greater responsibility at the workplaces in tandem with the changing profiles of our workforce. As Mr Yeo Guat Kwang has said earlier on, this would be a win-win situation for all parties. On that note, Madam, I support the Bill.”
“Generally, it is my opinion that this amendment Bill is well conceived and has provided for sufficient safeguards, particularly to prevent conflict of interest between the employer and the executive who chooses to join the union. I am glad to note that new section 30B(2) clearly provides for an employer to object to an executive joining a trade union if the executive performs duties or exercises functions which, among others, involve access to confidential information and decision-making. I believe the stipulations in this section are detailed and therefore adequately stipulate the real and potential areas of conflict of interest. This should alleviate the concerns of the management of companies and preserve management effectiveness. However, like Mdm Ho Geok Choo, my only concern is the repeal of section 25 which prohibits collective agreements in new selected business ventures to contain terms and conditions of service to be more favourable to employees than those permissible under the Employment Act, unless such provisions are approved by the Minister. I am afraid I have to disagree with both Mdm Halimah and Mr Nithiah with regard to the repeal of section 25. I believe the presence of this section has served us well throughout the years, and it has also been instrumental in attracting investors and putting them at ease from a standpoint that there would not be any surprise or sudden pressure by the unions to demand for unreasonable terms. In the light of us continuing and wanting to attract higher value-added and capital-intensive investments into our country, which was also stressed by Mdm Ho earlier on, I would like to suggest that section 25 not be repealed, or if it is to be repealed, it should be postponed to a later date.”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, last year's economic downturn has set a new precedent in terms of unemployment, in that it has affected many more mid-level executives in comparison to the Asian financial crisis or the 1985 recession. It is my understanding that a large number of executives were retrenched by irresponsible companies and employers without any form of severance break pay or retrenchment benefits. This has resulted in many of them running into major difficulties owing to their high financial commitments, particularly in home and car purchases. To make matters worse, the prolonged downturn has made securing another job more difficult. Many prospective employers also took advantage of the soft job market by offering lower pay. In desperation to gain employment, many unemployed executives have to settle for lower paying jobs in comparison to their previous positions. They are suffering in silence. I therefore see this Bill as timely to allow executives to join the rank-and-file unions, so as to protect them in situations of dismissals, retrenchments and breach of employment contracts. It is important to stress that the areas for union representation for executives are limited to individuals in these three areas only and that collective bargaining, as a separate class, is disallowed. This should be reassuring to employers and provide for a greater expediency. Speaking on this Bill, Mdm Deputy Speaker, I would like to give my perspective from an employer's viewpoint, considering the fact that I am also responsible for the operation of a multi-national company here.”
“However, what I am clear about is that future Singapore must not be a place where the older Singaporeans feel that they are second-class citizens by virtue of their age, and because they can no longer effectively contribute to the economy. I am also clear that future Singapore must not be a place where poor Singaporeans feel that they have to eat out of the hands of fellow Singaporeans, and be made to feel the part of a grateful supplicant. What we must not do is to rob any class of Singaporeans of their sense of dignity and self-worth. Sir, if at the end of the day, policies - not just policies pertaining to the changes to the CPF - would result in any Singaporean feeling less than worthy, then I feel that Singapore and all Singaporeans will be poorer for it.”
“It does not look like the State can avoid the issue of the welfare of these Singaporeans, many of whom, through no fault of their own, are caught up in this situation. And because they are Singaporeans, it is our duty and responsibility to carry them, whether presently or for the future. If we accept this responsibility, I would suggest that the Government help these poorer Singaporeans to build up their CPF accounts by making monthly contributions on their behalf. This move has the benefit of giving those Singaporeans a sense of security that there will always be a place at the dining table for them even if they are poor. It does not give out cash directly and thus avoid the problem of potential abuse. But for future Singaporeans, it will be fairer for them as we will not be passing the problems of the present generation for them to shoulder. Sir, over the weekend, I attended the Remaking of Singapore retreat. During the retreat, a question was raised as to what our vision for the future of Singapore is. Sir, that question sets many of us thinking. For many, defining the future vision for Singapore as a set piece against a broad canvas is not something that we have given serious consideration to. All of us gathered here in this House do have a vague notion. I am sure that the future Singapore that we want will be a place where we can pursue happiness, fraternity, freedom, equality and justice and ideals which can be carried out in an environment that seeks to maximise the human potential that every Singaporean is endowed with. Beyond those ideals, we are not very clear. Perhaps it is evolving all the time.”
“Today, we allow the CPF contribution rate for the older workers to be reduced because we think that this will help with employment. Does that mean that the Government in future is prepared to recognise other categories of employees as well? Would the Government, say, lower the CPF contribution for the disabled to make them more employable? Would the Government increase the contribution for foreign employees to create a more level playing field between a local and foreign employee? The point is, making a special exception for any particular category of employee may be creating a precedent that may well open up the floodgates for the others. Once we allow this, it will be easy to see how easily this may be opened up to other possibilities as well. Sir, I turn now to my second point and that is, very briefly, compelling the poor to save. Our CPF system is targetted at those in the category of 10th percentile and the 80th percentile. What this translates into is that the poor Singaporeans in the relevant category will not benefit substantially from the most important form of the safety net when they retire. The proposed policy of not compelling Singaporeans whose income is below a certain benchmark of $500 a month to save is, in effect, aimed at helping them to improve their cash flow. However, while the intention is well meaning, the larger issue is whether such a move really helps them in the longer term. The truth of the matter is that by allowing them not to contribute to their CPF account, the Government may just be postponing the problem for them. How are they going to provide for themselves when they retire?”
“Also, if the company's business is faring badly, cutting CPF contribution is not going to make a difference. And I suspect that even the Government is not sure whether reducing the rate of CPF contribution by the employer is going to help save jobs. Besides, cutting CPF rates across the board for the older workers is akin to using a blunt instrument for a surgical operation. By a stroke of the pen, it affects all employees who fall into the category, irrespective of whether they are effective, efficient or productive. The question which should legitimately be asked by those affected is why should those who are capable be made to suffer for those who are not as able to get a job or are about to lose their jobs. Is the Government being fair to these people? Rather than embark on a policy that has no certainty of saving jobs or getting jobs for older workers, and telling employers to pass the savings back to the employees, perhaps the Government should consider adopting the approach of encouraging older workers to accept lower wages to make themselves competitive at the marketplace and perhaps to continue to emphasise on training and retraining to upgrade the skills of these workers. This approach has the advantage of leaving wages to be determined efficiently by the marketplace, and thus avoid the application of a blunt instrument that has the effect of throwing the baby out with the bath water. Additionally, the Government should consider tax benefits for enlightened companies to hire or keep on their payroll older employees. The use of tax incentives gives a more positive edge to the solution, rather than the choice of CPF reduction. There is one other concern.”
“I am given to understand that in Singapore, we should, where possible, leave it to the market to determine the supply of goods and services. Legislative intervention should not be introduced in the marketplace if possible and should be put in place only where market forces fail. It is for this reason that we have resisted the idea of minimum wages in our legislation, lest an inefficient and imperfect market be created. The institution of the CPF is to compel savings and not as an inducement to hire any particular group. By adjusting the contribution rate of the elderly, we have made a fundamental shift, fundamental in a sense that we have, by legislation, set wage levels to induce hiring. If true, if I may ask, are we going back on the basic economic principle of using the marketplace to determine the level of supply and demand? If, as was originally put, the concern was getting older Singaporean workers to gain employment or to stay employed, surely the approach could well have been to encourage older workers to accept lower starting salaries or to accept lower wages, if that is what it takes to keep them employed. Having a culture where older workers are prepared to lower their wages to a level that meets the demand at the marketplace would, to my mind, be a more realistic approach towards dealing with the issue of the unemployed middle-aged. Like many of my colleagues before me, I do not think for a moment that the 4-percentage point reduction on the employer side is going to make much of a difference in helping the employer decide on the issue. Neither will the savings in CPF contribution prevent an older worker from being retrenched. The point is, if you are good, you are good, irrespective of age.”
“In its implementation, therefore, the CPF system was generally applied across the board, irrespective of age, physical ability or gender. We have acknowledged that the CPF, as a pension system, or as a social safety net, has worked fairly well to-date. For one, there is certainty in the wage outlay for both employers and employees. Presently, the CEOs, the human resource managers and financial controllers calculate the total wage bill of the organisation in relation also to the rate that they have to contribute to CPF. Decisions to employ any employee are left very much to market forces. Often the question to hire any employee is dependent on the ability of the person concerned and his asking wages. Again, the decision whether or not to keep any employee on the payroll is determined by his contribution to the company and his cost to the company. Market forces leave the question of the amount to be paid as wages to the parties to negotiate. In the case of those who are already employed, in as much as salaries go up, salaries must also be reduced if that is what it takes to keep employment. Often, CPF contributions merely provide the framework within which negotiation of wages takes place. Sir, we must realise that by tweaking with the present system, we are, in effect, moving from that of facilitating the operation of market forces to introducing elements that would directly impinge on the operation of market forces itself. In other words, the change in policy would hopefully lead to making older Singaporeans more attractive to the employer. What we are doing is, in my opinion, no different from setting legislation that requires employers to give reduction in salary to older workers.”
“It is also depriving many Singaporeans in the lower income band from using their cash immediately since their money must now be squirrelled away to their accounts in CPF. We therefore try to fix the problem, at least for the older Singaporeans in the 50-55 age group category, by getting a relative reduction of the employer's contribution to 16%. For the poorer Singaporeans making less than $500 a month, we try to help them by not requiring them to put their share of the contribution to the CPF account. In other words, there is no need for them to save for old age, since they are facing enough difficulties for the moment to think about the future. Sir, while I can understand where the changes are coming from, I do have some reservations about them. I shall touch on two. Forgive me if I dwell on the issue of CPF contributions of those in the 50-55 age group. I would also touch on the CPF contributions of poorer Singaporeans. First, the CPF contributions for the older Singaporeans in that category. The underlying rationale on the reduction of CPF contribution is to enable older Singaporeans to become more employable, either in getting employed or staying employed. What the revisions will lead to ultimately is that when CPF contribution rates are revised upwards, there will be no change for those in that age group. Sir, I do have reservations about tweaking with CPF contribution rate even if the underlying concern is employment among older Singaporeans. When we started the CPF system for Singaporeans, it was, as I understand it, meant to deal with an issue that the market will not resolve effectively, and that is getting employees to save for retirement.”
“One would suppose that liberalising the use of CPF funds for certain types of investments was meant to enlarge the pool of retirement funds available for the CPF account holder. This is well and fine in an economic environment where the growth indicators seem to defy the laws of gravity. However, nobody expected the world economy to look so dismal, neither did anybody expect property prices here ever to head south. Well, this has happened. For many Singaporeans, this has meant that there is asset deflation and with that, a dramatic reduction in the value of their CPF funds. The most obvious example would be the total amount that some Singaporeans pay for their residential property. At the end of the day this may well exceed 160% in value. And for many Singaporeans, it would also mean that a substantial amount of their savings could also be wiped out if property prices continue to depreciate in value from the height of the property boom. This is not to mention that many Singaporeans who use their CPF savings to buy shares are also badly hit recently because of falling share prices. Against this background of a mix of pressing demands of old age, a more liberal and perhaps a more risky use of CPF funds and an uncertain economic future, there is an even greater need for Singaporeans to save more rather than less for old age; which explains why our savings rate, even at present, is pegged at one of the highest in the world. However, this savings contribution to CPF, at the moment, coming from both the employer and employee, is now seen as one of the main impediments towards getting Singaporeans employed or to stay employed.”
“It allows us to prepare for our retirement, housing and healthcare needs. It differs in main from some other social security systems principally because the money that goes in does not get pooled together with others. It is not an insurance system. The money belongs to the account holder for his use. He has direct ownership of it. With that, there is also the sense that the money, which is contributed into the account by his employer, is rightfully part of his salary. Over the years, we have liberalised the use of CPF funds. Singaporeans are now able to ostensibly enhance the value of their funds in their CPF accounts and to meet certain social needs as well. We were liberal in allowing Singaporeans to use their CPF funds, for the substantial purchase value of their properties, for investments in trustee shares, where unfortunately, for many CPF account holders, I am not sure if they know the difference between a share and a bond. In other words, the liberal tendency towards the use of CPF funds meant a basic and fundamental shift in looking at CPF as a practically safe and secure savings scheme for old age. This raises the question of the amount that one needs for old age. At the moment, the Minimum Sum that one needs to maintain in his CPF Ordinary Account on retirement is pegged at $80,000 in the coming year. While this is a carefully calculated sum, one must bear in mind that what is sufficient is relative. For Singaporeans generally, one would have thought that what is sufficient or basic, is a function of the quality and standard of living and, of course, relative to the cost of living then. To my mind, Sir, it would seem that there would always be some anxiety that no amount of savings would seem enough to provide for retirement.”
“The property measures to cap CPF savings for property purchases, therefore, build not only safeguards to prevent Singaporeans from putting in excessive commitment of their CPF savings into property investments, but will also ensure that more is set aside for retirement to cater to the continually increasing living standards. We should prevent ourselves from being dubbed a nation where its people are asset-rich and cash poor. As our society matures, it is imperative that each citizen takes responsibility for his long-term commitments, whether it is in property purchases or setting up a business, consistent with his income and affordability levels. Unless Singaporeans shift their mindset to take personal responsibility for their actions, it will be difficult for us to evolve an entrepreneurial culture which has been identified as imperative to our future economic survival and growth. Finally, Sir, I am glad that the various proposals of the Committee, when accepted by the Government, will be implemented in stages, in line with the restoration of the employer CPF. The recommendations serve to enhance the long-term orientation in balancing and ensuring adequacy for a more sustained retirement income, fulfilling the needs of increased healthcare cost as one ages, while also meeting the needs of home ownership. On that note, I support the proposed changes to the CPF scheme as announced by the Deputy Prime Minister. Mr Sin Boon Ann: Sir, thank you for allowing me to join in the debate on the Ministerial Statement on CPF and related changes. Sir, I support the Government's intention in general as enunciated by the Deputy Prime Minister in his statement. We know that the CPF is the most basic and fundamental savings institution for Singaporeans.”
“It is not only more difficult to get a new job, but recent statistics also show that many unemployed older workers have to settle for jobs which pay much less than their last drawn wages. Sir, it must be borne in mind that joblessness, more so than poverty, causes tremendous strains on families, and robs us of role models, usually the head of the family. However, as Mr Heng Chee How has suggested earlier, it is important that the Government clearly explains this move, that it is done with the workers' interests in mind. Sir, let me now turn to the subject of limiting CPF withdrawals for housing loans. It is important to stress that the changes proposed apply only to new property purchases with non-subsidised HDB loans. The Asian financial crisis and the recent economic downturn have clearly signalled to private property buyers and HDB open market upgraders that investments in property are not without risks and pitfalls. Many who have committed to property purchases during the boom period before 1997, are now finding themselves in a negative equity position. While those who are employed see this as a temporary paper loss, there are many Singaporeans, particularly those who have lost their jobs, who are facing difficulties as a result of their property investments. I know several of my grassroots leaders who have run into big trouble because of their belief that investment in property in Singapore is very safe, and that property prices will never go down, because of our finite land supply.”
“This is to ensure that older workers are not at risk of being first on the line when their companies downsize or right-size. Unfortunately, no one took me seriously at that time. In fact, some union leaders wondered who this "NKOB" or new-kid-on-the-block was up to. Today, it is an acknowledged fact that our seniority-based wage system is more pronounced than in other countries. As the saying goes, there is no such thing as a free lunch. Ask any businessman. With labour cost forming a large chunk of business costs in Singapore, especially in manufacturing companies, overpaid workers will be the first targets in a cut-back exercise. I, therefore, support the proposal to keep employers' CPF contribution rate at the present 16% level for those in the 50-55 age group, even as the rate is gradually restored to 20%. This will inevitably make this group of workers unhappy. But we must be pragmatic to preserve the employability of this group of workers. I see this not only as another step in unlocking some of the rigidities in our labour market, but also a very important step. 11%, or 12,100 of the 110,000 workers in this age group, are already unemployed currently and are having difficulty finding new jobs. Mr Matthias Yao, Deputy Secretary General of NTUC, has just disclosed the grim statistics a moment ago. Statutorily bringing down the employers' CPF contribution, in conjunction with a slew of other measures, especially retraining and skills upgrading, will help in retaining jobs. It is undoubtedly better to retain one's job with slightly lower pay than losing it, especially in the current economic climate.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like, first, to commend the ERC Sub-Committee, led by Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam and his associated working groups, for recommending such bold changes to the CPF system in the light of social and economic changes and, particularly, imminent changes to our population demographics. Although the current CPF system still fundamentally serves its purpose, it is imperative that we address whatever shortcomings or whatever that has become irrelevant in the current system at this juncture, taking into consideration the demographic shifts, our rapidly aging population and the uncertainties ahead of us. A more delicate balance needs to be struck to cater to the three key needs of retirement expenditure, healthcare and home ownership, which represent the core elements of financial security, while also paying close attention to the employability needs of our middle-aged workers. I would like to focus on two issues. First, on the recommendation for lower CPF contributions for workers aged 50-55 and, second, on limiting CPF withdrawals for housing loans. My concern for the employability of our middle-aged workers was in fact first expressed in my maiden speech in this House in June 1997. Having experienced the strains and difficulties my family went through during my younger days, when my late father lost his job and could not find another one for more than a year, I realised how important it is to keep family breadwinners employed. Recognising then the rigidity of our seniority-based wage system, I had then mooted the idea of a more flexible wage system for older workers which plateaus at a certain point of a worker's age, and then gradually declines over time, so that their wages are more linked to skills and productivity.”
“Sir, juvenile delinquency continues to be a prevalent problem and I note that an increasing number of young delinquents are placed in institutions for rehabilitation. Solving this will require multi-partite involvement, such as stronger family and school support, the Police and community organisations working together. But my concern right now is what is being done to ensure that these young offenders are not being influenced and emotionally damaged by more seasoned and hardcore delinquents. It is a recognised fact that there is a need to implement rehabilitation. But we must ensure that the situation with these young offenders are not made worse and that they be given a second chance to redeem themselves and become normal individuals when they are discharged. I would appreciate it if the Minister could provide an insight as to what measures are taken to shield young offenders from incorrigible ones, and what his Ministry is also doing in post-rehabilitative measures to prevent the relapse of these individuals.”
“Madam, my topic is also on NEWater. First, I would like to acknowledge that the Minister for the Environment had spoken at length last year in this House about the potential use of NEWater, and that priority of its use will be for the wafer fab industry, which demands ultra-pure and very clean water. However, in the light of the changed situation, where the Prime Minister has said in Parliament recently that we are gradually moving away from and decreasing our dependence on Malaysia for the supply of water, I would like to know from the Minister what is his Ministry's revised plan in domesticating the use of NEWater. Specifically, is the NEWater Visitor Centre at Bedok ready and open to members of the public? Beyond its use in industry, I think there is a need to accelerate public education on domesticating the use of NEWater for the home environment, particularly if it is meant for drinking. For the many of us who have visited the plant, we are convinced that NEWater is clean and suitable for consumption. But members of the public need to understand what we are doing to purify recycled water, and the resultant quality from this process, so that they too can feel comfortable of its cleanliness and suitability for human consumption, if we have to move in this direction sooner rather than later. Perhaps laying down a time-table for the domestic use of NEWater would be useful, so that we can adopt a phased approach of its application for both industry, as well as for domestic consumption.”
“Madam, with the pressure of living mounting in every facet of life, including in our schools, it is important for us to continually build confidence and self-esteem, particularly in our young. The Prime Minister is sensing the erosion of Singaporeans' confidence as a result of the economic downturn and has, in fact, asked us, his fellow MPs, to lift the spirit and inject a greater degree of confidence in our people. Madam, while he is seeing this in an economic context, similar confidence building should also be done in our schools. I officiated at a school ceremony in my constituency recently where the National Youth Achievement Award (NYAA) scheme has been used to maximum advantage to inculcate excellence and develop its students to their full potential. 5.00 pm Of over 300 students who participated in the scheme, 99% of them received at least a Bronze Award. This is no small feat considering the amount of time and effort the school has to put in to make sure that all the students go through the rigour of the entire course. The students I met appeared to be very confident of themselves and are highly motivated. I would like to suggest that MOE adopt a strategy to require all schools to send a certain minimum number of their students to participate in the NYAA Scheme so that these students could be role models for the rest of their school counterparts.”
“Sir, in the IT vision unveiled by the Education Ministry several years ago, all schools are to be equipped with a student computer ratio 2:1 by the year 2002. We are now in 2002, and I would like to ask the Minister for Education how well this target is being met, in view of the importance of computer literacy in today's globalised world. Also, Sir, there is a natural expectation for students to be conversant and proficient in the use of computers when these students enter into institutions of higher learning, such as the polytechnics and the universities. Secondly, as part of the overall IT vision, I understand many schools have introduced computer-based home and project assignments. While this is laudable, my concern is for students in the low-income group who cannot afford to have computers in their home environment. Some low-income parents have expressed worry about their children losing out to the many students who have ready access to computers at home, while their children are deprived from such access. Their concern primarily stems from such home assignments which form part of the year-end assessments and examinations. Sir, I would like to know whether the Education Ministry is directing schools to have supplementary classes for school children in the low-income category, and whether they are permitted to complete such computer-based projects in school outside of their normal curriculum hours.”
“While I am glad that the majority of Muslims in Singapore are rational and understand the bigger picture of what it entails in living in a multi-racial society, we should also try to win over the radical few in the community to understand this so that we could collectively, as Singaporeans, regardless of race and religious backgrounds, focus on more difficult issues of jobs and addressing our competitiveness which afflict our communities. Again, the MCDS, through MUIS, MENDAKI and various community organisations could help in propagating this message. Mr Speaker, Sir, the President has been frank in presenting us with a potentially more difficult and challenging scenario ahead of us. I believe Singaporeans are a pragmatic lot and we have proven to be a people with a collective will to succeed, and in doing so, have shown compassion and care for each other. This is glaringly demonstrated when we sing Majulah Singapura collectively at the National Stadium when we celebrate National Day and in the recent General Elections when it comes to deciding who is best to lead us for the future. Although the future holds no guarantee of success, we Singaporeans are spurred on by the words "Count on me, Singapore" and the knowledge that together we can achieve, and make Singapore the best home for our future generation.”
“In response to the call for greater understanding of our diverse religious backgrounds, the temple invited, among others, mosque committee members from 12 different mosques in the east and, beyond that, also extended donations to several of them. Such acts, I believe, will go a long way in fostering understanding among our multi-ethnic communities. In interacting with some of the mosque committee members after the event, several of them are already thinking about how they could reciprocate in similar fashion to their non-Muslim counterparts. These are developments that we must continue to encourage and nurture in our endeavour to enhance the understanding between the various ethnic groups in Singapore. I call upon the Acting Minister for Community Development and Sports and the Minister in charge of Muslim Affairs to get his Ministry to build upon and encourage such initiatives as we move forward. Sir, I believe the majority in the Muslim community are aware that the process of integration takes time and effort to build. Behind the challenges, as a result of issues on Islam coming to the fore, is this positive development and earnestness among our various ethnic groups to want to know and learn about each other's racial, religious and cultural practices better. Being in a multi-racial society requires every member of society to exhibit rationality and adopt a give-and-take attitude in order to foster stronger bonds between us.”
“We have to make our living in this unprecedented rapidly changing environment that may even be more unpredictable than at any time since our independence in the 60s. The September 11th incident in the US and the recent arrest of the Jemaah Islamiyah radicalists are examples which come to mind, which have dramatically affected the lives of people the world over. These are realities which we must face, whether we like it or not. As we struggle to get ourselves out of recession and re-engineer our economy, it is also essential that we continue with the need to strengthen our racial tolerance and religious harmony in the light of the incidents I mentioned earlier. The Government has shown sensitivity to this as evidenced by the timely call by the Prime Minister for the creation of Inter-Racial Confidence Circles or IRCCs to foster inter-racial and inter-religious rapport among the different communities by having them interact more frequently. Beyond the IRCCs, individuals, families and our grassroots organisations can also play an active role and should not wait for Government initiatives to be in place. They can organise activities to bring neighbours together to get to know each other better and to create mutual care and share groups. With many people still facing hardship as a result of the recession, they can, for instance, work with the CDCs to seek out people in difficulty within their neighbourhoods, and also link up with schools to extend help to the unfortunate families and children. Such acts will go a long way in fostering harmony and in enlivening the spirit of care and share, and will readily pave the way for greater tolerance for one another. Sir, I was recently invited to a temple function attended by more than 6,000 people.”
“There must be thousands of similar successful ventures out there which are quietly but surely contributing to China's GDP. Sir, the Government has done plenty to prepare us for the innovation and entrepreneurial age, but we need to do more to get the spirit of innovation, enterprise and tolerance for risk-taking to sink into our people and help this to take off. I see this as an opportune time to encourage and assist many mid-level executives who are displaced as a result of the recession and, more recently, from the banking and service sectors, to take up this challenge. Job matching programmes by CDCs and job listings in MOM's Employment Town websites have limitations. Many executives still need help and have expressed frustration in not being able to find jobs. As a further alternative, we should reach out to this group as well as promising SMEs through the various Government assistance schemes, and assist the deserving ones to become entrepreneurs. Wherever applicable, we should connect such individuals and firms with credible consultants who could help them package meaningful business plans and lead them to appropriate sources of funds. Successful entrepreneurs should be more regularly profiled in the media to spur others to follow suit. Mr Speaker, Sir, I now turn to my next subject matter which concerns the importance of maintaining strong social cohesion and enhancing the spirit of caring and sharing. We survived in the initial years of independence and prospered through the later decades because of the existence of such a spirit. However, our younger generation today is growing up in the face of a different set of challenges. We are now feeling the pressures of living in a fundamentally uncertain world.”
“In addition to these agencies, Sir, I suggest that the various chambers of commerce and industry, and even self-help groups, be also used as vehicles to help create greater awareness of this direction we need to take, not only because of the changing nature of employment contracts between employers and employees but also the need to quickly evolve an entrepreneurial culture so that a wider base of successful home-grown, smart and innovative companies could be created to help propel our economy in the longer term. It is understandable that this will not be easy and will take many years to evolve, but we must start somewhere, and sooner rather than later. The China threat has been quite often linked to this subject. Allow me, Sir, to share my own experience in doing business in China. I started my manufacturing operation in the Singapore-Suzhou Industrial Park, or now better known as SIP in short, in 1996 as a result of Mr Chan Soo Sen's strong persuasion then when he was CEO of SIP. Since then, he and Mr David Lim have subsequently come and gone, and I am stuck there. The "Suzhou GRC" has disappeared. Sales of my company's product were initially slow, but have more than quadrupled in the last two years. I studied the order pattern of my Chinese customers and discovered that much of these increased sales are from four companies which did not even exist when I began in 1996. The owners are young professional managers who chose to leave the comfort of their jobs in search of bigger opportunities. Each of them is a qualified engineer and has smartly used consultants to draw up viable plans and used their consultants' network to obtain capital infusion into their respective companies.”
“I am glad, Sir, that we have the Economic Review Committee and the Remaking of Singapore Committee in place, in the light of many significant events which have occurred in the recent past, to deliberate on the future of Singapore. As our people are our key assets, and it takes people to bring about the difference we are seeking in remaking Singapore, I would like, Mr Speaker, Sir, to address two people-related issues in our continuing effort to unleash the best out of our people. First, Sir, is the need to educate our people that the real challenges before us are not getting out of this recession per se, but to remake and re-engineer the Singapore economy, so that we remain competitive as a nation and are able to secure good growth in the next decade and beyond. To face the uncertainty and the China challenge, we need to create an environment in which individuals and firms are more willing to take risks and succeed on the strength of their capabilities and efforts, rather than dependence on Government subsidies and direction. We must find ways and means to encourage individuals and our SMEs to look for opportunities in this area of perpetual motion and to experiment with new approaches in return for, hopefully, higher rewards. I know much of this is already being promoted by various Government agencies to evolve an enterprise-eco system.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Motion moved by Mrs Lim Hwee Hua in thanking the President for his Address at the Opening of this Tenth Parliament. The President's Address focuses on our need to be pragmatic in the light of a dramatically changed world and the challenges ahead of us. We are indeed facing unprecedented economic competition from all fronts, as we now emerge from last year's recession. This is placing us in an increasingly tight spot as our neighbours and many others, particularly China, eye for the same economic pie. We must sharpen our pencils to find new avenues to preserve our competitiveness while also holding our social cohesion, or risk becoming irrelevant in this increasingly harsher globalised world. However, Sir, as competition spurs on us, we must always bear in our subconscious that it is not a zero-sum game. As countries in the region and beyond grow their economies and raise their standard of living, there will be more opportunities created. Some degree of interdependence on one another will create collaborative opportunities for win-win situations rather than being at loggerheads with each other. In our context, Sir, whether we collaborate or compete, at the core of it is ensuring that our goods and services provide the best value to our customers at home and the rest of the world. We cannot, therefore, afford to rest on our laurels. We must continue to strengthen our infrastructure, continually upgrade the knowledge and skills of our people, and take a critical review of Government policies to keep us economically competitive.”
“Sir, I would like to ask the Minister whether his Ministry is doing anything to convince employers who are still resentful of recruiting older workers.”
“Sir, it is very heartening to hear the programmes that the Minister has just announced. But in view of the commitment, in most cases very heavy commitment, of most mid-level executives, I wonder whether the Minister would consider some form of insurance scheme with a view to perhaps legislating it, such as what is being done in many European countries, the idea here being to help executives and professionals to tide over a reasonable period of time in between jobs when they get laid off, such as in the current downturn.”
“Sir, there has been a perception that the measures that are put in place now are a result of the AMP mooting the collective leadership issue. Could the Minister clarify whether there is any linkage to that?”
“Clarification, Sir. Can I ask the Minister what will happen to PUB bills, as we all know it today, which encompass water, electricity and gas?”
“The current PUB has done a terrific job in bringing about this consciousness to the public. And it is my hope that the new PUB will continue the good work of its predecessors. Sir, while I applaud the retention of the acronym "PUB", which is indeed a familiar household name, the PUB as we know it today deals with all aspects of public utilities, not only water but also electricity and gas supplies to our homes. Could the Minister please explain why this name is retained, even though the new PUB will be concerned with water only? Also, what will happen to the PUB bills? Will we in future have separate bills for water, electricity and gas? If so, will this not make it more cumbersome for the public to deal with so many bills? Another question I have, Sir, is with regard to the water facilities in Johor, Malaysia, which is managed by the present PUB. I would like to ask the Minister whether the newly constituted PUB will embrace the entire Malaysian operation as it is, and whether it will directly inherit all the people involved in the Malaysian operation? On this note, Sir, I support the Bill.”
“Among several water topics, the Acting Minister yesterday also spoke at length about how Newater is produced, employing the latest in membrane technology, Newater's future usage plan and how it will benefit the wafer fabrication industry in terms of purer water and lower cost. With only 5% of the water now being recycled and 95% discharged into the sea, we have enormous potential to do more to exploit ever improving technologies to reclaim and recycle used water from a multitude of sources. This very fact alone provides for strong justification to bring together the entire water management chain from water collection and processing to reclamation and recycling to achieve not only economies of scale but also efficiency maximisation in water distribution. However, Sir, as we move forward with new initiatives to harness our water inventory, it is important that assurance be given to the public that the water supply delivered to our homes remains of high quality as we have them today. Any major change in the elemental composition should properly be communicated to prevent unnecessary alarm. Public trust must always be maintained in whatever we do. Sir, as Singaporeans, we all know how precious water is to all of us. It is imperative that we continue to concern ourselves with finding new and innovative methods in how we can collect and re-use as much of the water as possible in our country. Doing this will decrease our dependence on our neighbours who often enough have threatened to cut our water supply or have used it as a bargaining chip when negotiating issues of strategic importance. As we discover new and cheaper techniques to do this, there must be no let-up in continuous public education of the preciousness of water.”
“Sir, in speaking on this Bill, let me first declare my interest that I am a Board member of the present Public Utilities Board. I note that the new Public Utilities Bill will bring the water undertaking portion of the present PUB, together with the Sewerage and Drainage Departments of the Ministry of the Environment (ENV), to form the sole water authority in Singapore. At the same time, the current power and gas regulatory functions of PUB will be retained under the Ministry of Trade and Industry, under a new statutory board. The new restructured PUB will come under the ambit of ENV. Sir, after listening to the various clarifications on water related issues by the Acting Minister for the Environment who spoke during the Committee of Supply deliberations yesterday and also studying the chart on the future thrust of the Environment Ministry, distributed during the session, and also as asserted by the Acting Minister for Trade and Industry just now, I am convinced that bringing the water management function of the current PUB into one sole authority will provide the needed focus on all aspects of water regulation and management. Its integration with the Ministry of the Environment's Drainage Department (which constructs and maintains drainage systems for water collection and its channelling into reservoirs or seas) and the Sewerage Department (which collects and treats waste water to acceptable standards before re-use) closes the water loop which will bring about optimal deployment of resources to enable us to maximise the use from our water inventory.”
“Sir, student care centres (SCCs) are primarily operated by voluntary welfare organisations and non-profit organisations with funding from the Ministry of Community Development and Sports. Some, I understand, are also operated privately. Some feedback I received from parents suggests that there is a commitment by the operators of these centres to synchronise their programmes with the school curriculum. On the other hand, I also received feedback from operators indicating that the programme could be more effective and beneficial for the children at the centres if neighbourhood schools where they operate could directly cooperate with them. They will be in a better position to tailor programmes specific to the needs of the children if the respective school teachers could directly interface with the SCC operators. Based on this valuable feedback from the operators themselves, I would like to suggest that a more coordinated approach be considered by the Ministry, as we extend this programme to more neighbourhoods. This could be linked directly with an individual or, for that matter, a cluster of schools in the neighbourhood where they intend to locate. Programmes developed by these centres could then be tailored such that they are correlated with the individual's co-curriculum. Such an approach will not only benefit the students but also the SCCs and the participating schools, as it adds greater value for all the three parties involved.”
“having periodic public education programmes, to increase the awareness of being selective in the enrolment of external degrees and distance learning programmes and impress upon them particularly the importance of accreditation of the universities offering such programmes in Singapore.”
“Sir, in response to the Government's repeated call for life-long learning, many mid-career executives and workers are enrolling themselves into part-time and distance learning in undergraduate and postgraduate overseas programmes, to upgrade themselves. As a result, there appears to be a sprouting of course providers, from universities and institutions of various countries, to offer their programmes in Singapore to take advantage of the favourable situation. While qualification acquisition and personal upgrading are healthy and should be encouraged, the concern lies in the quality of some of the degree programmes being offered. There appears to be an increasing number of degree courses being offered by non-accredited institutions, which are just out there to make money. Competition for student enrolment is aggressive. Apart from cheaper course fees, some offer a multitude of exemptions and shorter time for programme completion to woo students. Unwary people who enrol with such institutions may have to find out the hard way when the qualifications they acquire are not recognised by prospective employers or the Government. Discontentment may set in when these people are not able to obtain good jobs in spite of having responded to the Government's call and, more so, after having invested large sums of money and personal time on such programmes. While I understand the complexity of monitoring or supervising standards of such programmes, my concern is for this to become a potential social and political issue in the future. I would like to propose that the Minister consider: 1. regulating the admission of degree programmes into Singapore and, wherever possible, ensure that a certain academic standard is satisfied before they are allowed in; and 2.”
“In addition, Sir, the current approach of delegating the educational responsibility of special needs children to VWOs without the Ministry of Education's supervision or direct intervention may not be in the spirit of providing for the rights of every child, as embodied in the United Nations' Charter of which Singapore is a signatory. Understandably, although the number of such children is not very many, the special requirements and infrastructure needed to cater to special needs children are varied and, in some cases, may be complex. I would like to propose that the Ministry of Education conduct a detailed study of the varied needs of such children and thoroughly assess the situation. The findings of the study should be made public and, if necessary, the current policy reviewed on the outcome of the study. I am also encouraged to note that the Minister for Education earlier remarked that the focus of his Ministry this year will be on teachers. I hope he does not forget also teachers who are dealing with special needs children. In the meantime, the Ministry of Education or the Ministry of Community Development and Sports should also monitor the schools run by VWOs catering to special needs children closely and allocate additional resources to them as required.”
“Sir, Parliament last year passed the Compulsory Education Bill which makes primary level education mandatory up to PSLE. The matter came to a conclusion with the exemption of three categories, namely, madrasah students, children attending designated private schools and children who are tutored at home by their parents. Although my focus for this cut is on compulsory education (CE) for children with special needs, I would appreciate it if the Minister could also provide an update on new developments concerning compulsory education and madrasahs. Specifically, I would like to ask whether the Ministry is convinced that the madrasahs are in a position to cope with the minimum requirements of PSLE. Turning to children with special needs, I recall the GPC Chairman, Dr Wang Kai Yuen, raised this issue during the compulsory education debate last year. The concern for this category of children still looms when our GPC met with the resource panel members recently. There is a strong feeling that such children should be integrated into our national school system as opposed to leaving them entirely to voluntary welfare organisations to worry about the plight of these children. The idea is to cultivate awareness and compassion within the wider school system for our not-so-lucky children who are born with disabilities from a young age. Without some form of legislation, the education of such children depends very much on the VWOs running the special schools. In many cases, places in such schools are limited and a long waiting list builds up, resulting in some children not being able to attend school. This imposes a burden on the families and subsequently on the special needs children themselves when they become adults without any education.”
“Perhaps the Health Ministry could work with NTUC Healthcare for consideration of special discounts when senior citizens purchase health products in their stores, considering the fact that the aged have to fork out more in healthcare expenditure.”
“Third, in conjunction with the Ministry of National Development, more health clubs or exercise facilities should be built in HDB and industrial estates to encourage people to exercise more and stay fit. Facilities should be made available and easily accessible for Singaporeans to exercise at or near their homes or workplaces. Wherever possible, make these available for free or levy very small fees if absolutely necessary to charge. Fourth, facilities in housing estates should be family-friendly to encourage whole families to indulge in healthy lifestyle. When entire families begin working out in community health clubs, they not only do something for their health but also meet other families doing the same thing. This also achieves the much desired effect of strengthening community bonds within the neighbourhood. It is like killing two birds with one stone. Finally, Sir, the Health Ministry should seriously consider implementing the recommended two-pronged approach to looking after the healthcare needs of the elderly, as put forth by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on healthcare for elderly: firstly, health promotion and disease prevention to enable the elderly remain healthy and active in the community; secondly, when disease and disability set in, the system must be able to provide appropriate and cost-effective healthcare according to each elderly person's needs so as to achieve maximum functional capability. To further help the elderly, the Government could consider giving them special rebates when they buy healthcare products, such as vitamins and special food supplements to keep themselves healthy and fit.”
“Sir, on the premise that our people are our key resource in the country, it is incumbent upon the Government to ensure that every Singaporean, regardless of age, stays as healthy as possible throughout his life. I believe there is no better way to ensure this than to inculcate healthy living habits so that Singaporeans ultimately embrace a healthy lifestyle and lead a balanced life. Sir, it is a recognised fact that from the student bench in our schools to the workbench in our workplaces, Singaporeans, young and old, are subjected to an increasingly competitive and stressful environment. Adoption of a healthy lifestyle can help Singaporeans cope better with the pressures of life, provided they know how. It is not uncommon for us to stumble upon reports of increasing obesity among students in our schools, higher incidence of breast cancer among our women, and Singaporeans' increased exposure to coronary heart disease. Much of these may be attributable to stress, poor eating habits and lack of physical exercise. I am particularly happy to note the Minister announcing the 68% increase in health promotional programmes earlier but would nevertheless like to pose the following measures for the Minister to consider, so as to increase awareness of the importance of a healthy lifestyle while also enhancing the already available infrastructure so that Singaporeans could benefit from them. First, the Health Ministry should consider forging a strong and compelling healthy lifestyle vision to achieve this objective. I know Sports for Life was launched several years ago but I think this is not comprehensive enough for a healthy lifestyle vision. Second, the Ministry's preventive healthcare and health education programmes should be beefed up and publicised.”
“Organisations in developed nations have no choice but to manage workers effectively to harness their full potential, retain them or risk becoming obsolete. The knowledge base and skills complexity requirements of our SMEs are increasing by the day to maintain their relevance in an increasingly sophisticated business environment. However, I am concerned, Sir, that our SMEs, especially the smaller ones, generally lack human resource development and human resource management expertise to manage and properly motivate their workforce. As a result, high turnover of staffing and absence of structured HRD and HRM programmes translates into loss of valuable talent and expertise when their trained personnel leave or lower productivity due to low staff morale. Smaller companies also lack the ability to attract high quality staff due to their limited resources and also absence of human resource expertise. Although I am well aware that the Government has already a wide range of assistance schemes available to help SMEs, I would like to propose that either a new special assistance scheme be devised to specifically assist SMEs to beef up their HRD and HRM capabilities or a current scheme, such as the PSB's People Developer Scheme, be expanded to incorporate a structured approach to linking HRD and HRM to business objectives.”
“I suggest that key issues afflicting them, such as their changing needs in our transitory state of evolving into a knowledge-based economy, challenges and difficulties facing them, effectiveness of Government assistance programmes rendered to SMEs and their performance should be studied. The studies should be broken down into key SME sectors, so as to understand the different needs of and impact on our SMEs in a constantly changing business environment. Similarly, the relevant faculties of our universities and other institutes of higher learning should also be encouraged to undertake in-depth academic research on various issues concerning Singapore SMEs, while drawing references and comparisons to SMEs from other NIEs and developed countries. Each year the Government sets aside hundreds of millions of dollars to help our SMEs. It is imperative that we understand the extent of how much of these funds have benefited our SMEs and also their corresponding contribution to the overall economy. Data from such studies will also enable the Ministry to formulate more meaningful policies, reformulate Government assistance programmes and schemes so that they remain relevant to SMEs' needs and, more importantly, that such schemes are effective in propelling them to greater heights of achievement. Sir, on my cut on human resource development expertise in SMEs. It is a fact that in a KBE, human capital to any organisation becomes the key resource as it holds the knowledge and skills required, not only for growth but also in many cases for organisational survival. Management guru Peter Drucker predicted that in many developed societies, knowledge workers would be the largest single population and workforce group.”
“Also, as a consequence of the Government's policy to attract technology intensive and knowledge companies into Singapore, more small foreign SMEs are coming to Singapore to set up operations here. Such companies also deserve assistance, but are denied such because of the present criteria. As such, I would like to ask the Minister to consider redefining and broadening the definition of SMEs to accommodate the changes over the last decade or so and, particularly, take into account SMEs' needs in the knowledge-based economy. The new definition should also include factors such as sales volume, paid up capital, ownership and other desirable factors, as done in other developed countries. This will enable a broader range of SMEs, including small foreign-owned ones, to take advantage of Government assistance schemes to help propel the growth of SMEs operating in Singapore. My next cut is research on SMEs. While I applaud the Government's rigorous and sincere effort to nurture and strengthen the SME sector with massive plans and programmes, as outlined in the SME 21 document, I am concerned that there are very few formal studies being done about our SMEs. I must declare that I have a vested interest here in that I am personally doing research on SMEs. In my endeavour to look up past studies done on our SMEs, I have found very little information, particularly academic material, available about them. 1.30 pm In view of the increasing importance attached to our SMEs, I would like to urge the Minister to consider the setting up of a formal division within MTI, or through PSB, to study our SMEs.”
“First, on widening SME criteria. It is an acknowledged fact that SMEs are critical pillars of the Singapore economy. Nine out of 10 establishments in Singapore today are SMEs. They employ half of our workforce and generate one-third of our total value added. It is heartening to note that the Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry, Mr Peter Chen's reiteration of the Government's commitment to SME 21, during the launch of the SME March earlier this week. However, an important factor, which I feel was not adequately addressed in the SME 21 blueprint launched in January last year, is the widening of the SME criteria. SMEs, under the existing criteria, are defined as companies with at least 30% local equity, have less than $15 million in productive asset investment for manufacturing companies and, additionally, have a staff strength of not more than 200, if they are in commerce or in the service sector. These criteria, I believe, have been in force since 1988 under the 1988 SME Master Plan, and therefore may no longer be relevant in the context of our current transition into a knowledge-based economy. The business landscape has changed quite dramatically since 1998 and now includes a wider spectrum of SMEs, such as dot-coms and biotechnology companies which are knowledge and skill intensive. Traditional brick and mortar companies are also restructuring and incorporating new economy features, such as e-commerce into their operations. Such companies may slightly fall outside the current eligibility criteria for assistance, but yet they are in need of help during this period of transition.”
“(ii) Building two or more grassroots clubs in strategic sites around Singapore to encourage grassroots members and their families to also indulge in healthy lifestyle. Grassroots leaders play an integral role in community bonding and are therefore valuable assets to the nation. Their welfare must be well taken care of. (iii) Having more programmes or campaigns to encourage the young to stay healthy and fit. Healthy habits should be inculcated from young so that exercise and adoption of a healthy lifestyle becomes a natural part of their lives when they grow up; and (iv) For senior citizens, special rebates should be considered for them when they spend on health enhancing products such as vitamins and special food supplements to keep themselves healthy and fit. A healthy and fit Singaporean is not only an asset to himself but also to his family and, undoubtedly, the nation. On this note, Sir, I support the motion. EXEMPTED BUSINESS (Motion) Resolved, That the debate on the Budget Statement be proceeded with beyond 4.30 pm and the proceedings thereon be exempted at this day's sitting from the provisions of Standing Order No. 1. - [Mr Wong Kan Seng].”