Amy Khor Lean Suan
Singapore
“Sir, NEA does conduct inspections of these premises from time to time. For this particular premises, they actually did six inspections since 2021.”
“The Land Transport Authority (LTA) conducts enforcement actions against drivers who are found to have provided illegal car-pooling services. An individual who provides an illegal car-pooling service may face a fine of up to $3,000, up to six months' imprisonment, or both.”
“We will also provide the first 500 private heavy vehicle chargers co-funding of up to 50% of the charger installation cost, capped at $30,000 per charger. These measures will narrow the lifecycle cost gap between an electric and internal combustion engine heavy vehicle and spur adoption of electric heavy vehicles.”
“With regard to the extension of the lower speed limit to school zones for full day, we will work with the relevant agencies on the enhanced enforcements.”
“They will provide a certain amount of protection to the pedestrians because, as I have said, the bollards will absorb the impact of the collision from the vehicles. So, there is a protection. But ultimately, of course, road safety really depends on a multitude of factors, including road user behaviour.”
“The bollards installed at pedestrian crossings by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) are not of the K4, K8 or K12 standards stated by the Member. Bollards of these standards are typically security bollards. They are installed to protect critical infrastructure or at high security areas, such as Changi Airport, to be unyielding.”
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“But in order to support the projected demand for mental health services required, the training supply for psychiatrists has been increased to an average of about 14 to 15 each year. With this increased in training supply, the psychiatrists in public sector have increased from about 89 to 130 – or around 46% – from 2009 to 2013. This growth in training supply should be sufficient to meet the service needs. With regard to the third question about better support for patients who have discharged into the community, who may be in remission: first of all, the Community Mental Health Masterplan that was developed in 2012 was developed to ensure patients who no longer require institutionalised mental healthcare, are well supported in the community. One of the ways we are achieving this is by developing new community-based mental health services to improve access to mental healthcare. Some of the recent key services that we have initiated include the one I had just mentioned, enhancing discharged and after care services, where IMH is enhancing its capability to track patients and to follow up; improving Page: 17 capability of service providers in community and primary care so that mental health services can be more easily accessed. We do this with two specialist-led and three allied health-led multi-disciplinary teams that have been set up. They support mental health professionals, including over 80 General Practitioner (GP) partners, in caring for mental health patients within the community. These community teams will provide clinical care, psychotherapy and education to support the patients, their caregivers and the general public. These teams have supported over 2,000 patients as at the end of fiscal year 2013. Thirdly, enhancing support and capability of community partners.”
“Thank you. For the first question about non-compliance and how do we try and ensure compliance by discharged patients, as I had noted in my reply earlier, our mental health clinics routinely monitor these "no show" patients or our outpatient attendances, especially for the high-risk groups to ensure that our patients are reviewed regularly and any sign of early relapse can be managed in a timely manner. For these "no show" cases, the case managers will follow up with phone calls to check if the patients are well, to fix the next appointment where possible and to do brief assessment over the phone to understand why the patients are not showing up. If they still remain uncontactable, the case managers could conduct home visits. In addition, IMH is enhancing its capability to track over 11,000 patients discharged with two diagnosis – schizophrenia and delusional disorder which carry higher risk of default and disturbed behaviour; and another 1,000 selected outpatients tagged to be high risk due to their previous history of dangerous behaviour. IMH then ensures that these tracked patients comply with follow-up treatment through telephone case management and home visits where necessary. IMH's mobile crisis team is also deployed to de-escalate crisis situations and assist in bringing patients for inpatient treatment if required. Through IMH's enhanced tracking of these patients and follow-up, over 91% of patients tracked so far, have attended first appointment after discharge. For the second question about the psychiatrist-to-population ratio, as of 2013, there are 3.5 psychiatrists per 100,000 population. The national training supply for psychiatrists has been producing about seven to eight psychiatrists each year for the last three years.”
“Can I ask the Member to repeat his second question? Page: 16”
“In this respect, IMH and the Agency of Integrated Care (AIC) have been working with grassroots organisations and their volunteers to: (a) increase mental health knowledge and skills so that they are able to recognise early signs; and (b) link residents who are displaying warning signs to appropriate mental health, general health or social services. As at the end of fiscal year 2013, AIC has engaged 12 constituencies, trained over 300 grassroots leaders and volunteers and assisted 190 residents. Four community support teams led by Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs) have also been set up through AIC to conduct home visits for clients identified by community partners, such as Family Service Centres (FSCs), Senior Activity Centres (SACs) and Town Councils, who may require more thorough assessments. Additionally, AIC has worked with various VWOs to set up seven community engagement and support teams within SACs to identify elderly who may suffer from dementia or depression. These teams facilitate early recognition and provide basic emotional support to clients and caregivers. The seven teams have reached out to over 21,000 clients as at the end of fiscal year 2013. For those who require more intervention, for example clinical care, psychotherapy, these support teams will then refer the patients to the specialist-led or allied health-led multidisciplinary teams in the community based on their needs.”
“Based on national surveys conducted and Institute of Mental Health (IMH)'s data, the top three mental conditions affecting Singaporeans are dementia, depression and anxiety. For dementia, relapse episodes cannot be easily determined as the condition will progressively worsen over time. For depression and anxiety, patients experience a relapse when they suffer an increase in the intensity of the illness affecting their daily routine. However, for patients whose daily functions are constantly affected by the severity of the illness, the "relapse" will be less identifiable. Nevertheless, studies have shown that at least 50% of those who recover from a first episode of depression will have one or more additional episodes in their lifetime. For anxiety disorders, it was shown that the relapse rate for generalised anxiety disorder was about 27% over a three-year period. Our mental health clinics routinely monitor "no-show" at outpatient attendances especially for high risk groups to ensure that our patients are reviewed regularly and any sign Page: 15 of early relapse can be managed in a timely manner. Detecting signs of relapse early may enable intervention to prevent a full relapse or reduce its severity when it occurs. As family, friends and neighbours are closest to those with mental conditions, they are in the best position to detect warning signs, for instance, change in behaviour, disordered thinking or missing appointments that indicate a potential relapse.”
“The Public Service recruits officers based on their individual merits. In finding the best person for a job, our agencies consider factors such as relevant skills and training, work experience, academic background and aptitude. The requirements are different for different jobs. A person with a WSQ diploma in a particular field will be deemed as having the relevant training and skills in that field and agencies can take this into account in assessing his suitability for the position. The Member asks how many officers are employed based on their WSQ qualification. We do not track this number as we do not employ officers based solely on their WSQ qualification but whether they demonstrate the overall required abilities and qualities for the jobs. The Member will also be pleased to know that public service agencies send our in-service officers to attend WSQ programmes as part of their job training. Officers who complete these WSQ programmes will have their training records updated and they will be deemed to have acquired the relevant skills in that specific area. Page: 13”
“Let me again reiterate that, actually, most doctors on this scheme have done it with the right spirit and they have done the right thing, in terms of making primary care more affordable and accessible to Singaporeans through the GPs in the private sector and most of them have the highest standard of profession. But we will continue to monitor this situation and, if we need to refine our audit as well as escalation framework, we will do so to address such concerns. 3.00 pm”
“I note the Member's concerns about overcharging. Let me say that, currently, what AIC does is to engage and counsel those selected clinics which have been highlighted by the public on their charging practices. We also objectively monitor and analyse the claims submitted by the CHAS clinics, looking at the bill size claims, whether they are large bills consistently, say, top five for the common claims, as well as whether there are large bill size increases over time, and whether there are any unfavourable audit findings for CHAS audits, as well as for Medisave audits. Proactively, we will engage these clinics which may have potential overcharging behaviour, even if there are no complaints received from the patients. In addition, there is actually an audit framework for CHAS clinics. So, they have to abide by certain CHAS guidelines and, again, the audit team will go down to audit these clinics on a quarterly basis, and if there are exceptionally high bills, we will, again, engage and counsel them. We are also engaging the large medical groups to ask them to publish on their websites typical bill charges for common treatments, for instance, just consultation fees and, in future, perhaps the total bill, including medications. We are encouraging clinics to get on this scheme, publicise it, prominently display their charges and, of course, to address any concerns with their patients. We also want to encourage Singaporeans to actually engage the doctors if they do have any concerns regarding charges.”
“As I have stated, as at September, some 1.1 million Singaporeans are on CHAS Blue and Orange Cards, or if they are Pioneers, they will enjoy the special CHAS subsidies. Indeed, not all Singaporeans who are eligible are on CHAS. The reason why we need them to step up to apply for CHAS is because we need the household membership data, as well as consent for us to obtain income information on the backend to process their application. AIC, together with MOH, is working with the grassroots, HDB, VWOs and other organisations to try and target our outreach particularly to the low- and middle-income Singaporeans to get them on CHAS. Regarding GPs, we are also working to get GPs on CHAS. In fact, the number of GPs, as at September, is more than 1,200 now, both dental as well as CHAS GP clinics and we will continue to work on getting more of them on CHAS.”
“There are currently around 850,000 Singaporeans on the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) Blue and Orange tiers. Since 1 September 2014, members of the Pioneer Generation (PG) are also able to benefit from special CHAS subsidy. Taking this into account, around 1.1 million Singaporeans can now benefit from the scheme. In 2013, the Government gave out $31 million in CHAS subsidies to 145,000 Singaporeans. In the first eight months of 2014, $42 million in CHAS subsidies have been given out, benefiting some 260,000 Singaporeans. Prices charged differ depending on various factors, including the medical condition, treatment provided, medications prescribed, length of consult as well as the operating costs Page: 42 of the clinics. The vast majority of our doctors do observe the Singapore Medical Council's Ethical Code and Ethical Guidelines, which state that doctors cannot abuse the doctor-patient relationship for personal gain. MOH also closely monitors CHAS claims submitted by clinics. Clinics have been, and will continue to be, called upon to account for any exceptional claims. We encourage clinics to display their common charges, such as consultation fees prominently, and to address any concerns that patients may have. This will make the charges more transparent to their patients. We also encourage patients to clarify with their doctors, if they have any queries on their treatment and charges.”
“This is being done through initiatives like the TIP awareness grant, which has been awarded to partners, such as the civil society organisations and educational institutes. Some of the activities conducted include exhibitions, conferences and movie screenings to reinforce key TIP concepts and messages in our collective consciousness. We are pleased that, each year, we are getting more and better ideas from many stakeholders. We encourage those who feel passionately about the subject to come forward. Deputy Speaker, the root causes of trafficking run deep. Eradicating it will be a long-term effort by all stakeholders. What we are doing with this Bill is sending an unequivocal signal that Singapore is serious about preventing trafficking. We, too, will play our part and will use all necessary means to deter as well as enforce against such an egregious crime. As a responsible member of the international community, we can do no less. I, therefore, urge Members to give your fullest support to the Bill and thank the Member Mr Christopher de Souza once again for leading this effort. 7.08 pm Page: 116”
“Some cases might meet the "act" and "means", but proving "purpose" can be more challenging. And there are other permutations. Australia had only one labour TIP conviction in 2012 and six trafficking cases in 2013 while South Korea, with approximately 700,000 low-skilled migrant workers, had about 11 labour TIP convictions in Page: 115 2013. As a former public prosecutor, Member Mr Christopher de Souza has often shared these challenges prosecuting TIP cases. Not every instance of worker abuse is trafficking. Nor should we deem it so. We cannot be loose in our classification of TIP as there are severe penalties involved. However, I would like to assure the House that enforcement officers do have other appropriate tools at their disposal to deal with offences and infringements, whether or not these can eventually be made out to be TIP cases. As was rightly pointed out earlier, the provisions in the current Bill have to be read with other existing legislation to appreciate the full enforcement and prosecution arsenal. The powers afforded by the Prevention of Human Trafficking Bill increase the tools and the firepower to deal with the most serious offences and offenders. Deputy Speaker, the title of the Bill is the Prevention of Human Trafficking Bill. But the task of preventing trafficking does not reside solely in the realm of enforcement. Education is just as crucial and, in this regard, the Government, through the TIP Inter-Agency Taskforce, is committed to raising public awareness, which would help prevent trafficking from happening upstream through, inter alia, early referral of cases and even responsible business practices along the supply chain.”
“In 2012, MOM investigated a potential labour TIP case involving an employer of a foreign domestic worker (FDW). Our investigations revealed that the maid was physically abused, given little food, illegally confined and her salary withheld. MOM classified it as a full labour TIP case which carries a maximum penalty of one year’s imprisonment and a fine of $10,000 under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act. However, with the TIP Bill, the errant employer, if found guilty, could be liable for a mandatory prison sentence of up to 10 years and a mandatory fine of up to $100,000, which would send a much stronger deterrent message. Second, the Bill adds another lever for MOM to go after the most egregious offences, particularly those perpetrated by syndicates. As an enforcement Bill, it gives clarity to definitions of key trafficking indicators and harmonises them with international norms. It further provides an enhanced framework of heightened penalties that reflects the severity of TIP offences. This equips agencies with more effective levers to deal with the many facets of TIP comprehensively and holistically. As Senior Minister of State Masagos had pointed out, the Bill includes caning as a penalty. This is not something we take lightly. It is a serious punishment for a very serious offence. But it is necessary to send a strong deterrent message. Deputy Speaker, while the Bill can provide a definition of TIP based on the UN TIP Protocol, prosecution, ultimately, depends on a judgment of the facts of the case. It is widely acknowledged amongst enforcement officials we have spoken to in places like Australia, the US, South Korea and Taiwan that prosecuting full-blown TIP cases can be a challenge, especially in the labour arena.”
“In addition, we provide necessary assistance to all TIP victims while their cases are being investigated, including offering them access to the Temporary Job Scheme (TJS), Change of Employment which Mr Zainal Sapari suggested earlier, and accommodation and food, if required. Those staying in our Government-funded shelters are also allowed to work within the shelter premises. Mrs Lina Chiam raised the issue of employment for trafficked victims from non-traditional source (NTS) countries. We offer all TIP victims necessary assistance, including access to employment through the TJS and Change of Employment, subject to their work pass source controls. Hence, trafficked victims from NTS countries, like all others who apply for work permit or work pass from NTS countries, will not be allowed to work in service and manufacturing sectors, in line with our work pass source control measures. So, they are treated no differently. Otherwise, it will unwittingly incentivise some to abuse or circumvent these work pass source control measures by claiming to be trafficked victims – a concern Page: 114 rightly highlighted by Mr Zainal Sapari and Dr Janil Puthucheary. Nonetheless, these trafficked victims from NTS countries would be given and offered all victim care and protection measures as they are assessed to be needed. In addition, they can also work within our Government-funded shelters. The Prevention of Human Trafficking Bill complements MOM's existing efforts and increases the tools and effectiveness with which we can deal with TIP cases, which often manifest as the most egregious form of worker abuse. First, the TIP Bill provides tougher penalties for labour TIP cases, compared to penalties under the EFMA.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, MOM, as the other co-Chair of the Inter-Agency Taskforce on Trafficking in Persons, supports the Private Member's Bill by Mr Christopher de Souza. We thank the Member for working closely with various stakeholders to produce this significant piece of legislation. Senior Minister of State Masagos has pointed out we already have various pieces of legislation like the Employment Act and the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act to provide basic protection for workers in Singapore. MOM also regularly reviews these laws to ensure that these protections remain relevant to the present-day context. In spite of the presence of a large foreign work permit holder population in Singapore, based on the number of cases we have come across over the years, we have good reason to believe that TIP is not an endemic problem here. For example, since introducing the NGO TIP Case Referral Framework in August 2013, we have received 14 labour TIP referrals from NGOs, of which, six were found to have some elements of labour trafficking. Of these six cases, four of them are at the enforcement stage and two are currently under investigation. Foreign workers in Singapore are largely treated in accordance with the law by their employers. In a 2014 foreign worker survey commissioned by MOM and the Migrant Workers' Centre covering about 3,500 work permit holders, more than 88% of work permit holders indicated that they were happy working in Singapore. That said, from time to time, we do come across cases where workers are denied their rights or are abused. In those instances, MOM has been using both the existing laws as well as other administrative tools at our disposal to take stern enforcement action against employers who commit these offences or infringements.”
“In view of the lack of evidence to show that there are improvements in the survival of such extreme preterm babies, the Ministry of Health is not considering the lowering of the abortion limit at this point in time. Regarding the second question about the extension of pre-abortion counselling to all women seeking abortion in Singapore, we will be doing the public consultation by the end of this year. Review as to the contents of the pre-abortion counselling, the information to be provided during pre-abortion counselling and the training of the pre-abortion counsellors are also on-going, and details of these will be released once they are ready.”
“I thank the Member for his supplementary questions. For the first question, to reiterate, the number of such preterm babies, as I have said earlier, is very small. So, we are unable to conclude with statistical confidence that there has been any real improvement in survival. In fact, this is also supported by international population-wide studies which showed that despite medical advancements in the care of preterm babies, there has not been a significant improvement in the survival rates of infants born before the 24-week time limit during the past decade. Twenty-four weeks gestational age continues to Page: 16 be generally regarded as the point of fetal viability, and this cut-off is, in fact, practised by countries like the United Kingdom, Japan and Australia. Locally, I would also like to note that only 2% of all abortions performed in 2013 were performed between the 21st and 24th weeks of gestational age. Lowering the abortion limit would have little effect on lowering the overall abortion rates here. Lastly, a routine fetal scan is performed at 20 weeks' gestational age and this is at the stage where the foetus is sufficiently developed to enable structural abnormalities to be picked up from the scan. In fact, more than half of the abortions performed between the 21st and 24th weeks of gestational age in 2013 were performed due to fetal anomalies or other medical reasons. Keeping the abortion limit at 24 weeks will allow these mothers some time to consider the implications and make an informed decision as to whether to keep or abort the child, without being rushed to meet a shorter cut-off time.”
“As several Members of this House, such as Ms Denise Phua, Mr Zaqy Mohamad and Mr K Karthikeyan, spoke about yesterday, we require all hands on deck to help every Singaporean maximise their potential and achieve their aspirations for better wages, better jobs and a better future through multiple pathways. With this, Madam, I support the Motion. 6.10 pm”
“WDA will continue to provide matching of Polytechnic and ITE graduates to progressive employers who are committed to support the graduates in contextualising what they have learnt and Page: 94 deepen their skills through on-the-job learning and further upgrading through multiple pathways. To ensure industry relevance, the Place-and-Train programmes at Polytechnics and ITEs will be developed in collaboration with industry, and we have identified sectors to pilot this programme from 2016. These range from Biologics to Logistics in the Polytechnics, and Marine & Offshore Engineering to Pastry & Baking in ITE. WDA will share more details on these programmes as and when they are ready. Moving forward, we are reviewing our CET Masterplan to improve the quality and effectiveness of our CET system in anticipation of future challenges and uncertainties. WDA will also work with our tripartite partners to develop the sectoral competency frameworks under ASPIRE that all stakeholders can make reference to. More details will be announced. Even as we are having this debate about ASPIRE's recommendations, yesterday evening, a young diploma graduate came to see me with his mother at my Meet-the-People session. He asked me to appeal for a study loan for him to take an external degree with a private educational institution as his family was financially strapped. I asked him if he would consider working first, to apply his skills acquired during his diploma, and pursue a degree later. But he told me very decisively that he wants to complete all his studies before starting work! Certainly, this shows that a cultural change in society's attitudes towards paper qualifications that ASPIRE calls for will not take place overnight and will require a whole-of-society effort.”
“Ms Ong enrolled herself in WDA's Place-and-Train programme for Enrolled Nurses in April 2008 and embarked on a fast-track journey into the nursing profession. After an 18-month training at ITE College East, with course fees and monthly training allowances co-sponsored by WDA and her employer, Ang Mo Kio–Thye Hua Kwan Hospital, she quickly built up a strong foundation in nursing and worked as an Enrolled Nurse at the hospital. Within four years, she was promoted to Staff Nurse and has continued to pursue skills upgrading by earning her diploma in Nursing at NYP. With the strong support from her employer and mentorship from Prof Edward Poon, Ms Ong emerged as the top graduate of her cohort and received multiple awards, including the Tay Eng Soon Award which recognises ITE graduates who achieve exceptional results for further studies at a Polytechnic. And she does not intend to stop there. To further enhance her skills, Ms Ong is intending to pursue a degree in Nursing. Indeed, this example reflects what ASPIRE is and is not. ASPIRE is certainly not cause for degree-bashing. It does not aim to discourage upgrading to degrees, but it does encourage people to find out their interests and strengths before choosing to deepen their skills via the vocational or academic route, or both. In fact, if an individual has found his niche and would like to continually upgrade and eventually pursue a degree which industry recognises, then this is what we should encourage, as opposed to the mentality that "getting any degree is better than no degree". We will extend WDA's existing Place-and-Train programmes for working adults like Ms Ong to Polytechnic and ITE graduates via the new ASPIRE Place-and-Train programmes.”
“And it has to be tailored to different needs. For young students, ECG aims to help them explore different areas to figure out their interests and strengths early on, and provide them with a clearer idea on the wide range of education options available. For tertiary students, it is about preparing them to enter the workforce, and helping them explore the types of careers that they wish to go into. For working adults, ECG can help serve as a stocktake and enable them to explore learning opportunities to further build up their skills, or retrain in another field should they wish to switch careers. In support of ASPIRE's recommendations, MOE recently announced that they will provide more resources to enhance ECG in Primary and Secondary schools, Polytechnics and ITE, through providing trained ECG officers and a new ECG programme. WDA will be developing an online integrated national ECG portal that will be used to deliver ECG to students starting from Secondary schools and throughout a Singaporean's Page: 93 career. In developing this integrated ECG framework, WDA will work closely with MOE and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that efforts will be coordinated across schools, post-Secondary education institutions and WDA's career centres. Next, WDA will support more employer-driven, workplace-based training, such as Place-and-Train programmes. Not only will these facilitate the transition from school to work, working and learning in real-world environments will enable fresh graduates to apply and deepen their skills, as many in this House have alluded to, in the areas that they were trained for. It also provides an additional option for Polytechnic and ITE graduates to attain industry-recognised skill certifications. Take Ms Ong Teng Teng, for example.”
“As the Prime Minister announced during this year's National Day Rally, Deputy Prime Minister Tharman will be chairing a new tripartite committee to develop an integrated system of education, training and career progression for all Singaporeans, and drive industry support and social recognition for individuals to progress based on skills. MOM and WDA will fully support the work of this new committee. WDA will also undergo a major expansion to support the new committee, including the development and implementation of the relevant ASPIRE recommendations targeted at Polytechnic and ITE graduates. This will be on top of WDA's existing roles to provide quality education, training and career guidance, Continuing Education and Training (CET) and employment facilitation for working adults and the unemployed, which Mr K Karthikeyan will be happy to note, we will continue to strengthen. I will elaborate on two key initiatives: (a) enhancing education, training and career guidance; and (b) introducing more Place-and-Train programmes. First, education and work should not be seen as separate and compartmentalised passages of life. Often, when students reach their graduation year, they are uncertain of which sector to go into, what job to take and where their decisions will lead them. Some find that their course of study does not open the doors to their dream job. Others simply take on the job that offers the highest starting pay, and many subsequently job-hop without clear career objectives. Education, training and Career Guidance, or ECG, is, therefore, important to help individuals make well-informed decisions about their education, training and career choices right from the start. ECG needs to start from young and extend all the way to working adults.”
“But more importantly, what we hope to achieve through ASPIRE, is to equip more Singaporeans with the right skill sets needed by industry, and help them to be recognised for their skills and be able to take on the quality jobs in the economy and progress in them. Supporting employees to deepen their skills and expertise will not only help the company raise productivity and improve the bottom line. When employees feel valued, employers are also better able to attract and retain workers, especially in a tight labour market. We are also enhancing our support for employers. MOM and WDA introduced the Enterprise Training Support (ETS) scheme in April last year to support employers who wish to send their staff for training, enhance their in-house training infrastructure and capabilities, or implement progressive HR systems. Under ETS, the Government has set aside approximately $20 million to provide funding support for organisations in the form of training, capability and HR development grants. By June this year, 121 companies have come on board the ETS scheme, and Mr Thomas Chua may be pleased to note that, of these, 71% are SMEs. They have come on board to train about 28,200 local workers. The Government will continue to work with all our tripartite partners to support individuals and employers in our shift towards greater skills recognition. Page: 92 Tripartite cooperation has been a hallmark of Singapore. A close nexus between the Government, training providers, union and employers is especially critical in helping to deliver the ASPIRE recommendations.”
“Just like the German apprenticeship model, the pursuit of a vocational skills route does not mean that a person cannot pursue a University education later. To help students make informed education, training and career choices, MOM and WDA are working with MOE on ASPIRE's recommendation to improve education, training and career guidance (ECG) in schools, which I will elaborate on in a while. Employers will also have to value and invest in developing every worker, and assess and reward employees based on their skills and work performance, not just their paper Page: 91 qualifications or seniority, as Ms Jessica Tan and Mr Mohd Ismail Hussein have rightly pointed out. In fact, a key criterion for a change in the degree-at-all-cost mindset would be how well employers recognise and reward employees based on their performance, regardless of their starting qualifications. Dr Intan suggested yesterday to set up foreign dependency ratios at the PME-level, to prevent employers from circumventing our Work Pass framework by hiring foreign workers for PME jobs and locals at the support-level. As part of our efforts to promote fair employment practices, we will engage firms with a low proportion of Singaporean PMEs relative to others in the sector and help them develop their local manpower and address their shortcomings. But there are some PME jobs that require specialised skill sets, which firms may be unable to find enough Singaporeans for. We have, however, been raising the bar for qualifying as an Employment Pass holder in the last few years, and we will continue to monitor and make further adjustments if needed.”
“So, rather than what Mrs Lina Chiam talked about, in terms of creating new initiatives for the sake of creating new initiatives, this is really about further pushing ahead to invest in every individual to help them realise their potential through multiple pathways. But this endeavour is not the Government's job alone. Students, workers, parents, employers, unions, education and training institutions, and society at large, all have important roles to play. Fundamentally, we need to shift towards greater recognition for skills and competencies – not merely educational attainments – and to value individuals for who they are and what they can contribute, regardless of their qualifications or background. Individuals will have to seize opportunities to learn and deepen their skills and knowledge. Our education system offers diverse pathways for students to learn at their own pace and to develop their unique talent and skills. As Er Dr Lee Bee Wah rightly pointed out yesterday, the academic route will continue to be relevant, especially for those who are academically inclined. But the academic route is not the only way to success. As Mr Heng Chee How has commented earlier, the attainment of a qualification should never be an end in itself. It is the learning and the application of the learning that count. Many employers also place more emphasis on soft skills, such as leadership, humility, adaptability as well as positive attitude and work ethics. Ultimately, it is about knowing our personal interests, strengths and weaknesses and finding the pathway that works best for us. It is about pursuing education and training that are relevant and not about chasing a degree at all costs. The academic and vocational routes need not be binary.”
“Mdm Speaker, I rise in support of the Motion and welcome the ASPIRE Committee's recommendations. We are starting from a strong foundation to achieve this. Today, we have a comprehensive education and training system that many countries want to emulate. MOM and WDA have always encouraged our workers, graduates and non-graduates alike, to embrace lifelong learning, constantly learn, unlearn and relearn, in order to remain relevant and competitive over their career cycles and in the midst of rapid and unpredictable change. Member Mrs Lina Chiam questioned if individuals who had gone through the WDA's Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) have, indeed, benefited in terms of tangible outcomes. Let me inform this House that a study commissioned by WDA in 2012 found that individuals who went through the WSQ training received higher wages, compared to workers of a similar profile but without WSQ training. In fact, the returns from training were even more significant for low-wage workers. Since 2009, WDA has also carried out an Outcomes Evaluation Survey to evaluate the effectiveness of our WSQ training. Based on these survey results, trainees have generally reported improved outcomes, such as better job opportunities and improved efficiency at work, after undergoing WSQ training. Page: 90 In the Global Competitiveness Report published last week, Singapore has remained the second most competitive economy for four consecutive years, and part of it is due to our quality higher education and training. We will continue to invest in every individual to help each of them realise his or her potential, through multiple pathways and regardless of where they start from. The recommendations by the ASPIRE Committee provide a further push in this direction.”
“Mdm Speaker, pertaining to Question No 5 at the Sitting yesterday, I would like to make a correction that the 34 re-employment dispute cases I mentioned in my reply to a supplementary question by Er Dr Lee Bee Wah is for 2013, and not from 2012. [Please refer to "More Incentives to Retain Workers Beyond Retirement Age", Official Report, 8 September 2014, Vol 92, Issue No 12, Oral Answers to Questions section.] My apologies and thank you. Page: 38”
“There are several initiatives that we have undertaken. I think one of the key ones would be the Progressive Wage Model that NTUC is working on for various sectors. For instance, we have identified the cleaning sector and the idea really is to upgrade the skills of the workers so that they would be paid higher pay based on productivity and ability. We have actually legislated that for the cleaning sector. We are now looking into the security industry and we will also be looking into the landscape industry. Regarding fair pay for the older workers, as I noted earlier, if we upgrade their skills, they are relevant, and they have the skills that are appropriate to the employers, then the employers ought to be paying them fair market rates. I do not have the details of the 35,000 workers that she has quoted. If she likes, she can submit another Parliamentary Question.”
“My apologies. I did not quite get the Member's question. Could I ask the Member to repeat it?”
“I thank the Member for his question. As I have said, we are not resting on our laurels. We have reached 65% in June 2013 but as I have noted earlier, we are continuing to proactively engage employers through various means, as well as through publicity campaigns. We will continue to look at how we can encourage employers to retain, as well as hire older workers. Given the tight labour market situation, you would find that many employers are coming forward to say that they are willing to employ older workers as long as they are able and willing to work. Through WorkPro, for instance, we are helping the employers to re-design their jobs as well as work environment to adapt to the ageing workforce. Regarding the quality of work, yes, we are very concerned. We want to make sure that Singaporeans will have access to good quality and good-paying jobs, and that is why our Page: 24 focus has been on lifelong learning and we invest heavily on Continuing Education and Training (CET), so that our workers can continue to upgrade their skills and remain relevant and employable. In fact, Workfare Training Support Scheme is one avenue through which we provide incentives to the low-wage older workers to upgrade their skills, so that they can enhance their employability, as well as get better jobs and better pay, and we will continue to see what we can do.”
“I thank the Member for his question. I think he has been very consistent in asking the question about extending the re-employment age. First, let me say that we have undertaken a very proactive tripartite promotional approach to engage employers to encourage them to adopt fair employment practices. Just this year in June, through the Tripartite Committee on the Employability of Older Workers, we have launched a promotional campaign entitled "Tap on the Wealth of Experience" to highlight and promote the invaluable experience of our older workers to the employers, and to encourage the employers to tap on the wealth of experience of older workers, to hire and retain them, through a series of publicity efforts which are still ongoing. With regard to the extension of the re-employment age, I think we have said that the Tripartite Committee is in discussion to consider the extension of the re-employment age from 65 to 67. On when we will do it and how we will do it, we are working to wrap up discussions and we will announce the outcome of the discussions soon. In the meantime, I want to encourage employers to continue to offer employment to the older workers beyond the age of 65, as long as they are able and willing to continue to work.”
“This 65% was the target that we set to achieve for the employment rate for older workers in 2015. So, we have actually achieved the target ahead of the timeframe that we have set for ourselves. That does not mean that we will rest on our laurels. I would like to inform Members that this employment rate of 65% for older workers is comparable or even better than in some countries like South Korea and the United States, and quite near to the employment rate of older workers for Japan, which was at 65.4% in 2012. It is still lower than that in Sweden, but generally because the employment rate of our female workforce, the older women, is lower. It has improved over time but we need to catch up on that. So, as I have said, we will continue to monitor and see if further incentives are needed.”
“Under the Retirement and Re-employment Act, employers are required to offer re-employment to workers turning 62 up to 65, taking into consideration two criteria. The first criterion would be satisfactory work performance and the second criterion is medical fitness for further employment. There have been some cases, since we implemented the retirement and re-employment legislation in 2012, on re-employment disputes. Most of the re-employment disputes pertain to performance or dispute over re-employment terms. These cases would be referred; they can approach a union – if the company is unionised – or directly to the Ministry. We have about 34 cases so far since the re-employment legislation started [Please refer to "Clarification by Senior Minister of State for Manpower", Official Report, 9 September 2014, Vol 92, Issue No 13, Clarification Section.] Most of these cases would have been resolved through conciliation. For the remaining cases, they are still undergoing conciliation. With regard to further incentives, as I have said, since the implementation of the re-employment legislation, as at June 2013, 99% of private sector employees who have reached the age of 62 have been offered re-employment. In fact, 96% of those who have taken up the re-employment offers did not have their basic wage cut. So, we think that the implementation of the re-employment legislation has been relatively smooth. In fact, because of the re-employment legislation, as well as the several incentives that we have already implemented in terms of the Special Employment Credit, Workfare Income Supplement, and generous funding to WorkPro, our employment rate for older workers has increased, as I have noted earlier, from 47% in 2004 to 65% as at June 2013.”
“I think the philosophy would be that no one who needs such care will be deprived of the care, and if they are assessed to be in need, even after the subsidies they are not able to pay, firstly, many of these homecare service providers are VWOs and they do have charity dollars that they could apply to assist such patients. But if this is not available, we will look at how we can assist the patient.”
“In terms of pricing, over the last few years, we have actually enhanced the Intermediate and Long-Term Care (ILTC) subsidy framework that would include home care. We have raised the subsidy framework from the 50th percentile household income per capita to the 67th percentile household income per capita to cover more middle income households. In fact, in 2013, we have raised the income cut-off to $2,600 per capita per month in view of rising Page: 21 income. We have also mainstreamed additional home care services, such as a home rehabilitation and home environment review services, since April of this year. So, that would also mean that a client will be eligible for subsidy if he has a need for these services. With regard to the Member's second question on CHAS, today, if an elderly is home-bound and needs medical services, he can be referred to the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) or to an MOH-subvented home medical care provider. The client will then be eligible for subsidy for home medical service by a General Practitioner (GP) from the home medical provider, up to $133 in subsidy. If the elderly is not enrolled with a home medical care provider and the elderly needs ad hoc medical services, but the elderly is CHAS-registered, they could get CHAS subsidy from a CHAS-registered GP via a house visit, if that is required. The subsidy will be capped to the CHAS subsidy, which is up to $18.50 for common illnesses and $120 per visit for chronic illnesses. Regarding the Member's third question about home hospice and home palliative care, we consider them as similar. It is just a matter of semantics, there is no difference. Therefore, home palliative or home hospice care is already eligible for Medisave. You can use Medisave for home palliative care.”
“First, I would like to thank the Member for his supplementary questions. I think these are valid concerns, especially if someone is thinking of home care for their loved ones, as we are looking into expanding home care services to prepare for the future in view of an ageing population. With regard to his first question, today there are actually 13 Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs) and four private home care providers who are receiving funding to provide subsidised home medical, home nursing and home personal care. A client can receive up to 80% subsidy, depending on his means-tested income tier for such home care services. In fact, last year, the home care service providers actually supported about 5,000 patients for home care services. To enhance and align the quality of home care services, MOH has worked with home care providers. In fact, we have set up a workgroup of home care providers to develop a set of home care developmental guidelines in order to help to enhance and align the quality of services and articulate the level of care expected of these homecare service providers. These home care guidelines include good practices to better enable them to coordinate care, enhance the quality of care, promote independence as well as encourage organisational excellence. The guidelines have been drafted and they are under consultation with stakeholders. We will finalise these guidelines at the end of the year. In fact, next year, we will embark on a quality improvement programme to help the home care providers adopt these guidelines. As I have noted earlier, we are planning to expand home care services up to about 10,000 home healthcare places and 7,500 home personal care places by 2020.”
“Indeed, we hope that this outreach effort would lead to a stronger community and enhance our sense of "togetherness" – that we are all in this together. This sense of collective responsibility and inclusiveness is truly at the heart of what MediShield Life aims to achieve. To conclude, I would like to say that the task of communicating MediShield Life effectively will be a challenging one, perhaps even more so than for the Pioneer Generation Package. But only when we succeed in getting our message across can we truly say we have taken heed and accepted the MediShield Life Review Committee's observation that the Government needs to step up outreach and public education efforts on healthcare finance to enable Singaporeans to better plan for their healthcare needs. And we intend to do so. Mdm Speaker, I support the Motion. 4.43 pm”
“For instance, Ms Mary Liew and Ms Tin Pei Ling raised concerns about premium affordability for housewives and single parents, while Mrs Lina Chiam raised concerns about premium affordability after the transitional subsidies expire. Today, housewives who do not have Medisave balances have their premiums paid by their husbands or working children. For housewives from low- to middle income families, they will be eligible for premium subsidies, which are a permanent feature of the scheme and cover up to two-thirds of the population. So, after the transitional subsidies, two-thirds of the population from low- to middle income will continue to benefit from premium subsidies. The Government will also continue to top up Singaporeans' Medisave Account, for instance, through Workfare. For the very needy, additional premium support will also be available. Through a combination of targeted Government help and family support, they do not have to worry about premiums. Just to reiterate and reassure Mrs Lina Chiam, no one Page: 65 will drop out of MediShield Life due to inability to pay. Additionally, we have from time to time to also clarify certain misconceptions, such as that relating to pensioners that Mr Png Eng Huat spoke at length about earlier. In fact, for the pensioners, just last week, the Government actually announced that it would help the pensioners with their MediShield premiums so that they will not be worse off. And we need to clarify this misconception with pensioners and reassure them. Additionally, our communications effort is also about putting a human face to the message. This will allow our fellow Singaporeans to know that help is at hand should they need it.”
“Private insurers will take a more active role to explain details about MediShield Life to their clients, such as how MediShield Life and their IPs work together; as well as how IP policyholders will receive their subsidies. This is so that their clients can make informed decisions on the appropriate plans that meet their needs and means. MOH will work with the IP insurers to ensure responsible marketing of their products, including proper disclosure. Community organisations and self-help groups like CDAC, MENDAKI, SINDA and the Eurasian Association can also be our multipliers to reach out to different communities of Singaporeans, including those who are non-English speaking. We will be producing advertorials and interstitials in the mainstream media – print, radio and TV – and easy-to-understand collaterals to reach out to Singaporeans. For those who prefer online platforms, we intend to use platforms, such as the MOH and CPF websites, as well as the REACH micro-site on MediShield Life to reach out to Singaporeans. We welcome other suggestions that Members may have as well. The outreach efforts will be carried out in phases. In the initial phase, the focus will be on the general benefits of MediShield Life and the healthcare financing system. In subsequent phases, we will focus on more details like how Singaporeans will get their premium subsidies, how to make claims and more information on how IPs work with MediShield Life. Our outreach efforts go beyond merely explaining the technical details of our healthcare financing system, which some may find difficult to understand or may not want to know. It is also about clarifying misconceptions and giving assurance.”
“It will also help employers understand how they can start to think about restructuring their medical benefits, in ways that are cost-effective and beneficial for their employees. SNEF, NTUC and the Government have formed a tripartite work group to look at the issue of portable employer medical benefits, and the Government will consider strengthening incentives for companies willing to provide portable medical benefits for their employees. These could be through employers providing additional Medisave contributions, or paying part or all of their employees' MediShield Life premiums. Mdm Speaker, many Members of this House have spoken about the importance of communications and outreach to prepare Singaporeans for the rollout of MediShield Life. We will leverage on multiple communications and media platforms over a sustained period to raise awareness and understanding of our healthcare financing system. First, as Miss Penny Low has pointed out, it is important to reach out face-to-face to Singaporeans, even into the heartlands, to communicate the benefits of MediShield Life and explain our healthcare financing system. To do this, the grassroots are critical. Over the next few months, we will hold a series of briefings for grassroots leaders across the island. We hope that through this network, the general awareness of the various healthcare schemes and their benefits, amongst grassroots leaders will be enhanced, and they, in turn, will help us explain the schemes to their residents. Page: 64 Second, we will work closely with the private insurance industry. As more than half of Singaporeans are on IPs, many depend on the touch-points with their IP provider as key sources of information and advice on their health insurance coverage.”
“This "icing" takes the form of enhanced benefits like better ward classes and is provided by a private insurer. Many Singaporeans value the additional choices that IPs offer. But they may not be aware that they are paying much higher premiums, which rise significantly with age. In absolute dollars, the premiums for MediShield and IPs are fairly similar when the policyholder is young. However, the premiums go up with age, and many realise this only when they are in their silver years, when premiums rise sharply and the Medisave Page: 63 Withdrawal Limit becomes insufficient, making it necessary to top up their premium payments with cash. Medisave withdrawal limits are sufficient to cover MediShield and MediShield Life premiums. But as IP premiums are significantly higher, the withdrawal limits are only able to help pay for a portion of the difference. We will help IP policyholders understand how their plans work with MediShield Life. With MediShield Life's comprehensive benefits, Singaporeans with IPs might want to consider whether the "base" coverage offered by MediShield Life is sufficient to meet their needs, or whether they still need the "icing" on top. A better understanding of how MediShield Life and IPs work is needed, in order to help Singaporeans make informed decisions about their healthcare insurance. We will work with employers and union leaders through the SNEF and NTUC to help them better understand how MediShield Life and/or IPs interact with existing employer medical benefits. The eventual aim is to help workers understand better why the lifelong coverage provided by MediShield Life benefits them, and why it is important for them and their families to have portable medical benefits that last beyond a single employer.”
“Soon, our outreach for the Pioneer Generation Package will be expanded to incorporate more information about MediShield Life and how the enhancements will benefit our Pioneers. All our uninsured pioneers today, estimated at 110,000, will have coverage under MediShield Life, including those who previously could not join because of the age cap. They will have greater lifelong protection against large hospital bills through the removal of lifetime claim limits and larger MediShield Life payouts. Existing coverage exclusions, if any, will be removed, although they may need to pay a loading on their premiums. The most important message we want all Pioneers to know is: "You will pay less, for better protection. Your MediShield Life premiums will be lower than what you pay for MediShield today." For the older Pioneers aged 80 and above in 2014, they will have their MediShield Life premiums fully covered through the MediShield Life subsidies and Medisave top-ups; they will not have to worry about whether they can afford the premiums. To sum up, our Pioneers will spend less, yet get more value. I will now speak briefly about Integrated Shield Plans. About 60% of Singaporeans have purchased more benefits and coverage through Integrated Shield Plans (IPs). One key focus of our outreach is to enhance awareness of how IPs work. Everyone who has an IP is already on MediShield, but not many people know this. Today, these plans build on MediShield to offer greater choices and coverage for policyholders. When MediShield Life is launched, the MediShield tier of IPs will be replaced by MediShield Life. In other words, MediShield Life will provide the "base" and the IPs will provide the "icing" on top.”
“The latest batch of videos has Pioneer Generation DJ Brian Richmond commentating on a soccer match. In the video, a player receives a yellow card, but when the referee turns it around, it is actually a Pioneer Generation Card! I actually thought it was quite funny, until I heard feedback that some pioneers now think that the Pioneer Generation card they will receive is yellow in colour or, in Hokkien, "ng sek"! I would like to clarify with Members that the Pioneer Generation Card is red and white, not yellow, and there is certainly no penalty associated with the PG Card! Critically, we identified that our frontline and service touch-points are where we will interact with our Pioneers the most, and sometimes in their more vulnerable moments, when they are sick or seeking help. We have invested significant efforts to train our hospital frontliners and engage our GP partners and ILTC providers. More than 1,000 healthcare frontline staff at the polyclinics and Specialist Outpatient Clinics in public hospitals had been briefed on the Pioneer Generation Package. We will continue to brief frontline staff at these public healthcare institutions up until 1 September, when the enhanced subsidies kick in. Page: 62 Engagements with the GP community will also spread the word about CHAS benefits under the Pioneer Generation Package. We also intend to work closely with our grassroots to adopt more targeted, face-to-face outreach through their networks. So far, the feedback we have received about our outreach efforts for the Pioneer Generation Package has been positive and we will adopt the learning lessons for MediShield Life.”
“Most Integrated Shield Plan policyholders also do not understand how MediShield and Integrated Shield Plans work together. Questions raised through the media, dialogue sessions and via online channels, such as the MediShield Life Page: 61 and REACH microsites, after the release of the Committee's Report further indicate the lack of knowledge of how the system works. I would like to share some of my experiences with the Pioneer Generation taskforce, which I co-chair with Senior Minister of State, Mrs Josephine Teo. The Pioneer Generation Package brings many benefits to our Pioneers and will give them a stronger assurance about healthcare affordability. However, we have had to make major investments in outreach and communications in order to reach out to our Pioneers. Our Pioneers are a very diverse group. Some did not have the luxury to go through formal education and might not even be able to read or write. Our Pioneers, whether they are Chinese, Malay or Indian, mainly use dialect or their own vernacular to communicate with their families and friends. But at the other end of the spectrum, we also have pioneers who are well-educated, constantly on Facebook, and want to know each and every aspect of the Pioneer Generation Package! Reaching out to our Pioneers has thus not been easy. The taskforce has been innovating and experimenting with new communication means. For the first time, as the House had heard earlier, we produced online videos in Hokkien, Teochew and Cantonese. I note that these videos have been well-received by the community, with the fortune teller Hokkien video, which was the first to be launched, having received a respectable 110,000 views by the middle of June. Quite clearly, using such heartland languages strikes a deep chord.”
“Mdm Speaker, the recommendations put forward by the MediShield Life Review Committee led by Mr Bobby Chin were the result of intensive deliberations and consultation with the public. These are important recommendations that will ensure that MediShield Life is designed to provide better lifelong protection for all Singaporeans. The Committee also called on the Government to step up outreach and public education efforts on healthcare finance. I would like to say a few words about how we intend to help Singaporeans achieve a better understanding of our healthcare financing system and the impact the MediShield Life Review Committee's recommendations will have. More than 1,500 Singaporeans shared their feedback and concerns about health insurance and MediShield Life with the Committee over the past seven months. Many had personal stories and experiences to share about the healthcare system. Some had benefited and explained how subsidies and insurance helped them pay for their bills. Some came with the view that insurance was not useful until they realised through the discussions that they were the lucky ones who had not fallen sick. I was encouraged to know that most of them left the focus groups with a better understanding of how insurance can protect them against large hospital bills. What was clear, however, was that many Singaporeans only have a very rudimentary understanding of the healthcare financing system. As Ms Ellen Lee mentioned, many Singaporeans do not fully understand how Government subsidies, Medisave, MediShield and Medifund work together to keep healthcare costs affordable. To be fair, the issues are complex and require effort to grasp.”
“Let me end by saying that we are aware of the case, and for the admission in 2013, we are actually working with the hospital to better understand the condition for admission and the treatment. We will assist the patient in whatever way we can.”
“First, let me say that I empathise with the case raised by the Member. It is a specific case. Let me say that in this particular case, it is really, unfortunately, a question of timing. Allow me to briefly explain. First, MediShield claims are based on the conditions for which that person was admitted, and not the original trigger. So, it is the primary condition for which the person was admitted. In this particular instance, the hospital had determined at that point in time of admission, that the primary reason for the admission was depression. Prior to 1 March, depression was not covered by MediShield. So, there was admission prior to 1 March 2013. And then, there was another admission in 2013 after 1 March. As I have noted earlier, since 1 March 2013, MediShield coverage was extended to inpatient treatment of newly diagnosed psychiatric conditions. Again, when the patient was admitted, the hospital determined that the primary reason for admission was depression. But because depression was already diagnosed prior to 1 March 2013 for this case, it is pre- Page: 18 existing condition and, therefore, again, MediShield coverage could not be extended to this particular case. As I have noted, once MediShield Life is introduced, all patients with pre-existing conditions, for psychiatric conditions whether it is primary or secondary, will be covered by MediShield. In the mean time, Government subsidies actually are already inherent when the patient is admitted to subsidised wards in the hospitals. In addition, the patient can utilise Medisave of up to $150 per day or $5,000 per year for inpatient psychiatric treatment. If the patient is needy, he can avail himself to financial assistance through Medifund.”
“I thank the Member for her clarification. In fact, that is the reason why we are implementing the Fair Consideration Framework so that Singaporeans would be given a fair chance to secure that job. But they will have to also compete in terms of having the appropriate skills and relevance to the job.”
“Instead, we should choose to see the silver lining in the grey clouds and see opportunity in longevity, so that we can build an empowering environment that we can all look forward to growing old in, as envisioned by Minister Gan – our Nation for All Ages.”
“They are the nation's repository of wisdom and experience, and the conduit through which its values are passed on, something which Mr Ang Hin Kee pointed out as well. If there is one value that defines our nation, it would be filial piety. In the Our Singapore Conversation survey of 4,000 Singaporeans, filial Page: 75 piety was the one value that strongly resonated with people regardless of background, age and education levels. I am, therefore, heartened by the preliminary findings of the recently concluded HDB Sample Household Survey which showed that more young couples are living together with or near their parents in the same HDB estate. Minister Khaw is thus mulling over whether such couples should be given even greater assistance to do so. This would, indeed, help our elderly to age in place, among family and friends. Minister Gan has outlined the plans of the Ministerial Committee on Ageing (MCA) to hold a series of public consultations to develop a national plan for successful ageing. I encourage Singaporeans from all walks of life to share their aspirations for successful ageing. As we celebrate our nation's golden jubilee next year, it is fitting that we reflect on our own golden years. Can we be optimistic about ageing and change the way we think about growing old? Let me share a quote from the late Catholic writer Henri Nouwen – "Ageing is not a reason for despair, but a basis for hope, not a slow decaying but a gradual maturing, not a fate to be undergone but a chance to be embraced." We should not sit back and allow what some call the "Silver Tsunami" to overwhelm us.”