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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“Of course, surveying work is not life threatening, and the medical analogy might not be the most apt, but the outcome of land surveying work has significant impact on land disputes, title issues, and property prices - all matters of concern to the ordinary Singaporeans. I see the amendment as a step back in the maintenance of high professional standards in surveying practice. Sir, the Bill seems to send out conflicting signals. On the one hand, CPD is now stipulated as one of the requirements for the renewal of a registered surveyor's practising certificate. This would help uphold professional practice standards in the face of rapid technological changes. Yet in the same Bill, registration of assistant surveyors is now to be abolished to the potential detriment of professional standards. I believe the cost of providing a registration system for assistant surveyors will be more than justified by the downside of significant costs, delays and inconvenience to all stakeholders, including home owners, that could result from surveying errors. Registration is but a small price to pay. If this Bill were to be passed without amendments made to the proposal to abolish the registration of assistant surveyors, then, at the very least, I would like to urge the Minister to consider including in the Cadastral Survey Directive issued by the Chief Surveyor from time to time to require registered surveyors to employ assistant surveyors who have certain prescribed minimum qualifications. This would help maintain some minimum standards among assistant surveyors employed in the industry. Otherwise, anyone, including a foreign work permit holder, could become an assistant surveyor under the proposed amendments.”
“All that is required now is that there is a prescribed number or proportion of directors stipulated in the Articles of Association of the company who are registered surveyors or allied professionals. Furthermore, there is now no requirement that the director of the company who is a registered surveyor must be a resident of Singapore. This move is very liberating and could introduce fresh talent from overseas into the local profession. Sir, whilst I feel that many of the amendments proposed are progressive, there are two amendments which are of concern to the surveying profession and could impinge negatively on the industry and end users of the surveying services. First, it relates to the abolishing of registration of Assistant Surveyors. Sir, the present requirement for assistant surveyors to possess the necessary minimum qualifications recognised by the Board and to be registered with the Board has worked well and helped ensure minimum practice standards in the industry. This is because whilst the registered surveyor is ultimately responsible for the survey, the assistant surveyors are crucial in the surveying job as they are the ones who undertake and supervise the bulk of the on-site work. Sir, abolishing the requirement for the registration of assistant surveyors is akin to telling a brain surgeon that he does not need to have a qualified nurse in the operating theatre or a professional civil engineer that he can do without a qualified clerk of works in a major subterranean operation. Registered land surveyors, when faced with a credit crunch during a downturn, may be tempted to cut costs by hiring assistant surveyors without the prerequisite knowledge or skills since he is now allowed to do so under the proposed amendments.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Land Surveyors (Amendment) Bill seeks chiefly to streamline and simplify the required procedures relating to cadastral surveys and submission of survey plans for approval by the relevant authorities. As the Chairperson of the Singapore Institute of Surveyors and Valuers, whose primary objective is to ensure high standards of professional practice among its members, I am pleased that the Act now specifically requires registered land surveyors to fulfill certain minimum continuing professional development requirements before they can renew their practising certificate. Land surveying has become highly technical and increasingly sophisticated due to rapid advances such as in the area of satellite-based GPS site surveys and digital technology. It is imperative that land surveyors continuously upgrade their skills and competencies; otherwise, they may become obsolete. Sir, I am also pleased that the Act will be changed to bring the provisions relating to multi-disciplinary professional services, including those of surveying services, in line with those of allied professionals. Essentially, the amendments make it easier for multi-disciplinary firms who wish to supply surveying services to comply with the requirements under which a licence for the firm to provide surveying services will be granted. For instance, in the case of limited companies, as the Minister of State has noted, there is now no requirement that only a registered surveyor or an allied professional can be a director of the company in order for the Land Surveyors Board to grant a licence to that company.”
“Senior Minister Goh, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. [Applause.]”
“An ode to SM Goh Chok Tong: They said you were there to warm seats Instead you warmed our hearts They said you were wooden But with the artistry of the alchemist The wood turned into gold Many your accomplishments People understand that your heart was with them When death and grief shook our nation Your calm and kindly leadership won with the people Ring-fenced spectres that ravaged the land Restored hope and gave consolation We held our heads high as the world watched And marvelled at this island of wonders Through a shaking of foundation The world grew smaller You spurred us to sprout wings and fly Into the regions and beyond Triangles and bilaterals aplenty We made a name for ourselves Into the far-flung reaches of this globe Merchants of an economic powerhouse But it was to a home not a hotel we returned To the ambience of familiar faces and the warmth of its pleasant places You egged us on to open our mouths And let looseour discontent With the promise of harkeningears Ripples of dialogue, not a homily Groups focused, committees working Alternative cries were heard Except he who is marked as bounded out Delicate matters of colour, of faith and of betrayal Stirred your indignation The weak you thought of Helping those who could not help themselves Enhancing assets, shares of the New Singapore Redistributing wealth, levelling up For you were once among the humble And understand the common men Singapore bohemian,taboos banished, busk not blemished More freedom to express, more places to go Bar top dancing, bungee in reverse, deviant no more Heartware beyond hardware Bonding hearts, building minds Remaking, refreshing, reviewing Nothing sacred The baton now lies in steady hands But deep foundations have been sunk Upon which to build fresh dreams And to crown them with realisation One score and 19 years, adolescence passed You helped your people grow.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, it was during SM Goh's tenure as Prime Minister that I entered politics. And over the last three years of my involvement, I have come to appreciate more and more the enormous contributions that SM Goh has made to all of us in this House and to Singapore as a nation. Idecided to pen a few verses of appreciation, and beg the indulgence of Members, as I try to read this to you as slowly and as poetically as I can. Please be forgiving if your goose pimples erupt or the William Woodsworth in you cringes at what I say and how I say it. For this is my very first and perhaps may well be my last attempt in crafting poetry. So, here, it goes.”
“Sir, I would like to ask the Parliamentary Secretary why is it that this Declaration, whichwas in 1996, has not yet been looked at for ratification?”
“Could scientist abuse the 14-day cut-off point specified in the Bill by feigning ignorance of the age of the embryos? This leads me to my final point which is on the strict monitoring and enforcement required. Whilst US Presidential candidate, John Kerry, has noted that science should not be sacrificed for ideology, there should be strict monitoring of research projects which are open to abuse and unethical practices. We should prevent another Prof Shorvon-type case from occurring. In the Shorvon case, subsequent investigations by a Health Ministry panel found flaws in the system for monitoring the ethics of medical research. Similarly, I would like to ask the Minister if adequate safeguards have been put in place to monitor stem cell research and ensure that moral and ethical lines are not crossed. Has a system of strict regulation and enforcement been set up? If so, what are they? Who monitors such research to ensure there is no breach?The Minister should consider publishing some of these as practice rules and regulations to be issued under clause 22 of the Bill. Undoubtedly, stem cell research is a powerful new science that can bring enormous hope. But, in the wrong hands, it is a recipe for horror. We should not close the door on therapeutic cloning which remains controversial but, potentially beneficial. However, at the same time, we must, besides banning human cloning, which is repulsive, take steps to ensure that allowing therapeutic cloning does not open the door for abuse by maverick scientists and researchers, and in the process devalue human life. With these caveats, Sir, I support the Bill.”
“Stem cell research has thus raised hopes for new treatments and cures for debilitating diseases. Just last Saturday, it was reported in the Straits Times that some researchers from the University of Kiel in Germany used a growth chemical and a patient's bone marrow containing stem cells to "grow" a replacement jaw bone in a muscle in his right shoulder. This was subsequently grafted into a gap left by cancer surgery to form the patient's new jaw so that he can chew and eat steak again. Notwithstanding the enormous potential benefits from stem cell research, it remains a hotly debated field of study. The use of stem cells in research is hugely controversial for those who believe that human life begins at conception. On the other hand, proponents of stem cell research, such as Nancy Reagan argues that, "The theology of the few should not be allowed to forestall the health and well-being of the many". Arguably, stem cell research is by and large still in its infancy. Virtually all experts agree that it would be a very costly and long hard slog to find cures using stem cells, with success by no means guaranteed. Many companies pursuing cloning and cell replacement therapies have also gone out of business. In fact, I understand that the company that produced Dolly is also in the process of being dismantled. Some scientists also say it would be more practical to use stem cells from adults. I would, therefore, like to ask the Minister at which stage are we in the area of stem cell research and how this compares with countries like the UK, Korea and Japan. What are our main sources of stem cells for scientific use? What is our success with harvesting stem cells from umbilical cords and adults? The Bill has left the door ajar for therapeutic cloning by not banning it.”
“Indeed, I feel that the Bill has come none too soon given that the Bioethics Advisory Committee (BAC) was set up more than three years ago in 2000 to examine the social, legal and ethical implications for the biomedical research industry in Singapore. Moreover, the Government has been promoting the development of a biomedical sciences hub in Singapore for some years now and stem cell research, which opens up the potential for creating human clones, remains a hot area of research and, as a key, to winning the battle for bioscience's billions. It is thus imperative that the Government sends a strong signal so as to strongly deter any rogue scientist or researcher from cloning a human. I am particularly pleased that this Bill makes no exception for the Government, so that even it may not clone humans for any reason. Prohibitive penalty for violation Currently, the risks associated with human cloning are believed to be so great that virtually everyone agrees that these risks, in themselves, would justify a ban on such experimentation. Considering the high risks of deaths and severe birth defects, not to mention the ethical and moral issues, the maximum penalty for violation of the Act of $100,000 and/or a jail term of up to 10 years does not appear prohibitive at all. In fact, this may be inadequate and should be increased further. For instance, in Australia, the maximum jail term for a similar offence is 15 years. Therapeutic cloning allowed Whilst the Bill bans reproductive cloning, therapeutic cloning is excluded from the ban since the Bill allows human embryos to be developed outside the womb for up to 14 days. Human embryonic stem cells have the potential to turn into every kind of replacement tissue a body could need.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, this Bill's primary objective is to ban human cloning. As the Senior Minister of State for Health has noted, it is motivated by the views of the Bioethics Advisory Committee (BAC). Sir, adopting this Bill will not make Singapore a trail blazer in prohibiting human cloning. Rather, it will harmonise Singapore's position on human cloning with that of more advancedcountries, likeUK, Australia, Canada, France, Japan and Israel, which have already passed legislation banning human reproductive cloning. Sir, I would like to comment onfour issues arising from this Bill. Firstly, the blanket ban on human reproductive cloning. Sir, as has been noted by the Senior Minister of State as well as Dr Lily Neo, scientists and religious groups are almost unanimous in denouncing reproductive cloning to create babies. It is an affront to human dignity as cloning could objectify children by treating them as objects of manipulation. Further, cloned humans could be treated as unequal human beings - a modern day Frankenstein - leading to the sinister and repugnant possibility that clones might be sacrificed for the benefit of their creators, perhaps as "spare parts" humans to provide organs for transplant. Such eerie scenarios, which were previously thought to belong only to the genre of horror science fiction, are now looking increasingly possible. Only yesterday, it was reported in Streats that a maverick US scientist has implanted DNA taken from two corpses into cow eggs and created living embryos - an act which would certainly be considered by many to be unethical and repulsive. I, therefore, fully support the ban on human cloning on moral, ethical and religious grounds.”
“Thank you, Sir, back to the egg question. I would like to ask the Minister if AVA would consider allowing the local suppliers of eggs to boost production of eggs in Singapore to alleviate this issue of production going down from 100% to 30%.”
“I would like to ask the Minister what is the procedure that has been put in place to determine if the ban on the restriction for import of live chickens and ducks from Malaysia would be lifted. What will be the trigger point? Could the Minister also update us on the shortage of eggs in Singapore? My understanding is that there is a severe shortage. Why is therea shortage if there were measures to import eggs from other countries?”
“Sir, I would like to ask the Minister two questions. Given the time lag between the persistently high oil prices and its impact on the economy, I would like to ask the Minister what is the likely impact on the consumer price index for the coming year. Secondly, is the Ministry, together with any other Ministry, makingconcerted efforts to reduce our reliance and dependence on oil given that oil prices are going to be volatile in the foreseeable future?”
“That is what we encourage every student to think about. Do not just take a CCA for the points. They are not doing themselves any justice if they do that. They should think about what they really like to do and take it very seriously. We are providing some incentives for those who are not very good at sports, ie, not good enough to represent the school, to take it as a second CCA as a recreational acitivity, and we will give them some recognition for it. But there is a limit to what we can achieve through the points system. Students should ask themselves what they like and go ahead and do it.”
“They have very high rates of participation in sports, especially amongst students who are not representing the school in inter-school competitions but would like to take part in sports on a recreational basis. So it can be done, and we are sharing best practices amongst the schools on how we can best spread sports participation. We have also provided some incentives for schools to take this seriously. The new ranking system will look not just at excellence in sports at inter-school competitions but also the breadth of participation in sports and other physical activities. This will be one of the criteria by which we will assess schools in their ability to provide a holistic education to their students. I would not want to go too far in using bonus points and the CCA grading system as a means of influencing behaviour. We have made some modest changes to the system, first, to recognise the fact that those who represent Combined Schools and Singapore have to put in very long hours and go through tremendous effort, and they deserve credit for doing so. So we have up their points slightly. We have also chosen to encourage students who currently take a Core CCA in the performing arts or clubs or societies, to consider taking a sport as a second CCA. It is not a full CCA - a second CCA means you take it for about 15 weeks or so, enjoy yourself, learning the basic sports skills, take part in some competitions within the school. And for those who would like to take that sports as a second CCA and who are not good enough to represent the school, we will nevertheless give them some CCA points. These are modest changes to the points system. At the end of the day, students would have to do what they love, they have to do what they like and take it seriously.”
“I would like to ask the Minister two supplementary questions. Firstly, how would the Ministry resolve the often-cited reasons given by schools for not accommodating all students who wish to take part in such activities because of a lack of facilities and manpower, as well as the fact that some have even said that they had closed their soccer teams because they want to emphasise on the sports they think they can excel in? The second question is: can the Minister also consider adding more bonus CCA points to sports and uniformed groups compared to the more passive CCAs than are presently proposed to encourage higher participation in what is generally acknowledged as useful activities in terms of ruggedness, teamwork and leadership qualities? I would also like to ask the Minister, with regard to participation in house sports and activities and so on, would that be considered for CCA points? Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam: First, on facilities, overall our schools have access to quite good sports facilities compared to almost any other country you can think of, both within their school premises as well as in the cluster of schools or in the community. But we will keep track of this and, where we feel there is a need for better facilities in certain schools or in certain zones, we will see what we can do. There is of course a manpower constraint in schools and we do not want to over-burden our teachers with more responsibilities in CCAs. What we are doing basically, and what many schools have already done, is to allow for greater participation in sports, first, by way of involving student leaders; second, by involving parents, and third, by appropriate distribution of teachers' duties. And some schools have shown that this can be done very effectively.”
“Thirdly, we need to rejuvenate our existing attractions and develop new ones to enhance the tourist experience. STB, in consultation with industry players, is drawing up a tourism roadmap for the next 10 years that will serve as a common reference for this effort. To attract new investments into the tourism sector, we are prepared to review and relax our rules when there are good reasons to do so. ADMISSION INTO UNIVERSITIES (Review of mother tongue language in Syllabus B) The following Question stood in the name of Mdm Ho Geok Choo - 13. To ask the Acting Minister for Education (a) whether his Ministry will review and consider maintaining at least a pass in the mother tongue language in Syllabus B for admission into the universities and not allowing the flexibility of 10% of the university intake to be exempted at the discretion of the universities; and (b) how will his Ministry allay the concerns of mother tongue language teachers who are not effectively bilingual, fearing the loss of their jobs or their ranking and promotions.”
“Question No. 12, Sir. The Minister of State for Trade and Industry (Mr Raymond Lim Siang Keat) (for the Minister for Trade and Industry): Mr Speaker, Sir, 2003 was a challenging year for the tourism sector. Despite the SARS crisis and security threats, the industry weathered the crisis well. By December 2003, our monthly tourist arrival and hotel occupancy rates had climbed back to pre-SARS levels. In the first quarter of this year, Singapore attracted 1.9 million visitors - 3% more compared to the same period last year before SARS struck. The outlook for the tourism sector continues to be positive for the rest of the year. STB hopes to achieve 7.6 million visitor arrivals for 2004, back to 2002 levels. To sustain tourism growth amidst rising competition, STB will adopt three key strategies. Firstly, it will intensify its market promotion particularly in the high growth markets of China, India and ASEAN. STB recently appointed popular Singapore singer "Ah Du" as the Celebrity Ambassador for Singapore in China. I hear he is already helping Singapore garner many new fans. To market Singapore in India, STB has harnessed the powerful influence of Indian cinema. Singapore will be hosting the 2004 International Indian Film Academy Awards this weekend. Secondly, STB will continue to target high growth visitor segments such as international patients, students and business travellers. This month, STB will be launching Singapore Business Roadshows in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain to raise the profile of our healthcare services in the Middle-East. We will also anchor more signature conventions and events here to position Singapore as the ideal place for international buyers and sellers to meet, trade and exchange ideas.”
“However, a lingering concern here would then be if the Tote Board has the necessary expertise to pursue this project properly and effectively. Sir, with this, I support the amendments.”
“Further, Sir, while the Tote Board is audited and the members are honourable and successful individuals appointed by the Minister for Finance, there is no means for the public to know if the allocation goes to the most needy or worthiest causes during any one financial year. Sir, I would like an insight into how the Board actually decides on its distribution policy. Is there, for example, the equivalent of a health care "means test" that we have heard so much about? This could help to allay concerns, particularly of the smaller charities that they may be nudged out of the competition for limited charity dollars as a result of their lower public profile. Is there also a reserves policy evaluated by the Board, a question especially pertinent in the light of the issues raised by the recent NKF episode? Further, with efficiency gains accruing from integration, I would like to ask the Minister if the merged entity would provide every greater support for causes in the sports, arts, culture, charity, community and so on, and not just simply rationalise the combined network. Sir, beyond this, I am tempted to engage in the delicious speculation that the bringing of the Singapore Pools under the Tote Board is a precursor to the Government eventually operating or, at least, taking a stake in the much-discussed proposed casino itself, should the decision be made to proceed with the project. Sir, I am happy to leave this as a hunch that requires no direct answer from the Minister. But I venture to add that, if this is indeed the intention, then it could well address some of the public concerns voiced over the moral and social consequences of having a casino in Singapore, even if it is physically offshore.”
“The task of allocating these substantial funds rests with the two respective boards. Under the new regime envisaged in the Amendment Bill, the Tote Board will be enlarged to 12 members, including the Chairman, in order to oversee the larger scope of operations and more sizeable pool of money. Sir, with the impending transfer of Singapore Pools to the Tote Board, I understand that there is disquiet in some quarters, especially among the beneficiaries of Singapore Pools, particularly the smaller organisations that funding for their causes may be adversely affected. Sir, they are concerned that with the transfer, there could be a change in donation policy to the detriment of the smaller recipients, much like what is construed to be the fate of some smaller customers after the DBS-POSB bank merger. Sir, I note that the MOF, through its press release in February 2004, has sought to give some reassurance to the beneficiaries that, even after the transfer, all operations of the Tote Board, Singapore Turb Club and Singapore Pools will continue as usual. Specifically, donations that Singapore Pools has agreed to make will not be affected by the transfer of the company to the Tote Board. Sir, I also note that the Minister has reiterated this point earlier. Nonetheless, I would like to ask the Minister again to reassure these beneficiaries, for which Singapore Pools' donation forms an essential lifeline, that the Tote Board will continue to donate its excess funds to worthy causes, which must surely include the charities which help the intellectually disabled, the dependent elderly, the homeless, children in care, the needy and the disadvantaged.”
“Sir, when Singapore Tote Board acquires Singapore Pools as its subsidiary from Temasek Holdings, it will bring all gaming and betting operations in Singapore under a single entity. This should be lauded for the efficiency gains arising from the streamlining of operations. Gaming taxes are major contributions to public funds. Yet, even after generous payouts to winning bets, and accounting for the 12% betting taxes imposed, plus operating costs, Tote Board and Pools still have sizeable pools of funds that over the years have been distributed for many worthy causes. These include the construction of The Esplanade through a mechanism of public finance, famously described by a very senior ex-civil servant as "ingenious", the granting of computer loans to students and the promotion of sports, arts and culture. According to the Tote Board's Annual Report presented to Parliament in August 2003, $113 million was given in the last financial year in donations to education, health, culture and arts and community projects. I understand that these are the sectors which the Tote Board has traditionally supported. Singapore Pools has, on the other hand, mainly donated to causes in the areas of sports, charity and community service. The beneficiaries include charities under the banner of the National Council of Social Services, Community Chest, NKF, Kidney Dialysis Foundation, Singapore Red Cross Society, Home Nursing Foundation, National Council Against Drug Abuse, Singapore Hospice Council and Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Since its inception in 1968, Singapore Pools has contributed more than $1 billion to such causes. And in the fiscal year 2001 and 2002, Singapore Pools' community funding amounted to $147 million.”
“Sir, I would like to ask the Senior Parliamentary Secretary that, given that other normal secondary schools will also be developing niche areas, and that it could be in the arts, how then would the proposed Arts School be differentiated from these other schools, which may choose to develop arts as their niche area? My second question is: what are the plans to synergise or complement the Arts School with the existing SIA-LaSalle and NAFA arts institutions?”
“An increasing number of these more qualified women have been unable to find suitable partners here because of educational mismatch and the marrying-down syndrome among Singaporean men. Therefore, pragmatically speaking, denying such families the right of citizenship for their children born overseas could represent a big loss to Singapore's already limited talent pool. Now that national boundaries have become so porous and we face a precipitous shortage of population to make our economic survival assured over the next 30 to 40 years, the larger perspective is that our citizenship critieria should be more inclusive rather than exclusive. Hence, our open policy towards foreign talent, some of whom we hope, like Alain Vandenborre, originally from Belgian, author of a fascinating book called "Proudly Singaporean", will become citizens and contribute towards our nation-building. But as we open our arms to foreign talents who come to our shores, we should not forget the sons and daughters of those already from our shores, even if the blood that crosses to their overseas children's veins is mixed. Sir, as Minister Lim Hng Kiang's Committee debates the issues about making citizenship count more, this amendment has come none too soon. It is also good that there is a residency requirement for the parent who is Singaporean by descent, so that there is at least some familiarity with the land to which he or she is linked. Hopefully, those years will be sufficient to endear this country to his or her heart and deepen the bonds to the land to the next generation. Sir, with this, I am very pleased to support the amendment.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, as a woman MP, I am greatly heartened by this Bill which, among other weighty constitutional changes, permits the child born overseas to a Singaporean mother to be deemed a Singapore citizen. This has been the subject of some unhappiness in the past. The previous position of conferring citizenship by descent only on the children of a Singaporean father was gender-biased. Why the distinction? Do women contribute any less to the well-being of the country? On what basis do we implicitly conclude that the child of a couple with a Singaporean mother only is any less Singaporean in soul than one born to a Singaporean father? Why should the privilege be given on one side but not the other? The argument then was that ours is a patrilineal society, that the father is often the sole breadwinner and, just as the child adopts the surname of the father, so the nationality of the child must follow that of the father. I am therefore delighted that, as the Minister for Home Affairs had explained in the recent Budget debate, the Government is aware that times have changed. Our society is still patrilineal, but the wheel is turning, gently but also perceptibly. With the recent debate on procreation spotlighting the dilemma of the modern women, this amendment goes some way towards equalising the official treatment of the two sexes in Singapore. I do not have the statistics, but it is observed and as has just been pointed out by DPM and Minister for Finance, that cases of Singaporean women marrying foreign spouses are on the increase. Moreover, very often, they belong to the better educated classes.”
“However, further refinements, such as those I have highlighted amongst many others, are needed to make sure that the Bill takes into account all relevant concerns and issues, and ensure its robustness when implemented. As this is an important piece of legislation that will affect the more than 170,000 owners of private apartments and condominiums and other developments, as well as many more future property owners, I therefore propose that this Bill be committed to a Select Committee of Parliament to receive further feedback from individuals, managing agents and professionals, as was the case for the 1987 major revamp of the LTSA. As the Minister of State for National Development, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, noted, "The issues in the review of the LTSA and BCPA can be complex and involve many stakeholders. It is important that all stakeholders are consulted and that the proposed changes be thoroughly considered from all perspectives." If past practices are anything to go by, it could be well another 10 to 20 years before this legislation is reviewed again. Hence, I urge the Minister to put this Bill to a Select Committee to allow all stakeholders to submit their views for careful consideration. Sir, with this, I support the Bill.”
“With the recent concern over falling windows as well as the continuing concern over killer-litter from high-rise flats, should not the Minister consider including provisions in the Bill on the responsibilities of the appropriate parties to properly maintain and upkeep property, and their liabilities for failure to do so? Lastly, jurisdiction of the Strata Titles Board (STB). The types of disputes which the STB has jurisdiction over are limited to those spelt out under clauses 100 to 113 of the Bill. Disputes which are not covered under these clauses would have to be settled via the courts, which can be time-consuming and very costly. It is thus proposed that the STB's jurisdiction be widened to deal with conflicts relating to management and operation, so that parties need not resort to court proceedings. For instance, the Bill does not provide for the Commissioner of Buildings to approve the demarcation of boundaries for the limited common properties. Hence, disputes over boundaries between the main MC and sub-MCs or even between sub-MCs would have to be resolved via the courts. It would be more efficient if such disputes can be adjudicated by the Strata Titles Board. The STB could also be given the powers to adjudicate on operational conflicts between the main MC and the sub-MCs. In conclusion, I wish to acknowledge that the amendments proposed in the Bill have been the culmination of extensive discussions and feedback with various stakeholders, including SISV, which is the institute I represent. These amendments, when adopted, will definitely make the legislation governing the maintenance and management of strata-title developments more relevant and effective, and overcome many of the shortcomings and loopholes of the present legislation.”
“Instead, the individual owners or subsidiary proprietors should be responsible for maintaining such windows, since he has access to and controls the use of the windows, not the MC. Indeed, this will then be in line with HDB's current stated policy that HDB flat owners are responsible for maintaining their windows. Otherwise, as the Bill now stands, external windows are defined as common property. Hence, the onus of maintaining these windows will not rest on the individual HDB flat owners but the MA which, in this case, would be the town council. The MC should only be responsible for maintaining fixed external windows, such as curtain walling, where it would not be practical for the subsidiary proprietors to engage specialist contractors to clean the windows, eg, a gondola system may be required. However, there is then this vexing issue and dilemma regarding the need to consider third-party liability in the event of falling windows. While MCs should not be held responsible for external windows which can be opened and are essentially controlled by the owners, MCs are in a better financial position to purchase third-party insurance, unlike subsidiary proprietors. In such instances, should the MC take up third-party liability insurance on behalf of the subsidiary proprietors? How then would the cost of this third-party liability insurance be apportioned and/or recovered? There is thus clearly a need to further explore these issues and provisions. Additionally, it is noted that while the Bill specifically spells out the duty to maintain and upkeep windows and other common property, there is no specific provision as regards the penalty for failure to properly maintain such property, which could lead to damage, injury or death.”
“Ignorance or a lack of knowledge and understanding of property maintenance and management matters may lead to costly oversight and mistakes which can pose hazards to the occupiers of the premises, as well as affect the reputation and, ultimately, the value of the property. It is thus proposed that the Bill should require that the managing agent engaged by the MC should possess at least a certain minimum qualification and standard. Alternatively, if the Ministry prefers a more hands-off approach, the Bill could simply require that the managing agents be accredited managing agents of recognised professional bodies representing them, such as the SISV and the Association of Property and Facility Managers. This will ensure that the managing agents appointed possess a minimum standard of competence and are subject to some control by the relevant professional bodies. The appointment and the regulation of managing agents could be provided for under clause 132 of the Bill, which allows the Minister to make regulations for carrying out the provisions and purposes of the Bill. Fourthly, responsibility of the MC to maintain windows. Under clause 28(1)(iv), the Bill specifically places the onus of properly maintaining and upkeeping windows where a side of the window is part of the common property, ie, part of the external wall, on the MC. However, there ought to be a distinction in liabilities between windows installed on external walls which can be opened, and those which are fixed, such as curtain walling. In the case of windows installed on external walls and which can be opened, I am of the opinion that the MC should not be held responsible for their maintenance.”
“The apathy of many individual owners has resulted in poor attendance at general meetings. In most instances, very few individual owners, besides the office bearers themselves, attend the general meeting. Moreover, very often, those who make the special effort to attend are normally those who may have some unhappiness over the way the development is managed and are therefore likely to vote against and not vote for. Of course, proxy votes can be used but, again, the general apathy of owners means that it would be easier to allow for the converse, ie, that as long as not more than a certain percentage vote against, the resolution can be carried through. This should also apply to the other resolutions. Thirdly, managing agents. The Bill provides for the appointment of managing agents by the MC and allows the latter to delegate all of its powers, duties and functions to the MA. However, the Bill does not stipulate some minimum qualifications and standards required of the MA. Hence, as it stands, anyone can offer his services as a managing agent. This is in contrast to the stringent requirements imposed for other professions, such as insurance agents and financial advisors. In fact, even maid agencies are now required to be accredited. As the MC comprises owners who generally have neither the expertise nor the time to devote to the maintenance and management of the building, most, if not all the duties of the MC are commonly delegated to the managing agent. Further, managing developments, particularly large-scale projects, requires some minimum knowledge and understanding of various technical fields, such as building and engineering services, legislation relating to property, and even the proper conduct of meetings.”
“The six resolutions, of which the first three are found in the existing Act are: ordinary resolution, special resolution, unanimous resolution, 90% resolution, comprehensive resolution with 90% consent, and resolution without dissent. I would like to ask the Minister if there is indeed a need to have so many different types of resolution. Can we not resolve to keep to just the three existing types of resolutions, that is, ordinary resolution, special resolution and unanimous resolution? Or, if we really need it, allow at most, say, four, including the comprehensive resolution required for the creation of limited common property or the changing of the maintenance contribution formula. We need to bear in mind that MCs comprise owners of strata units who are often laymen and not lawyers. Therefore, the provisions of the Bill should be made as clear, concise and simple as possible to reduce ambiguities in interpretation. Furthermore, I note that the definitions for special and unanimous resolutions have been changed in the Bill. For special resolutions, the definition is now changed to "at least 75% of the aggregate share value of the lots of all eligible subsidiary proprietors vote for", instead of the present "not more than 25% vote against". A similar change is also made to the definition of unanimous resolutions, where it now stipulates "everyone votes for" instead of "no one votes against". It would be more expedient to have the existing definitions of special and unanimous resolutions retained. This is because the new definitions require supporters to make the effort to vote for the motion, which is more difficult to fulfil in practice than requiring those who object to vote against.”
“The Bill, however, does not explicitly allow for the formation of separate sub-MCs for non-residential developments, comprising units of similar use, but which can be delineated as separate buildings, for instance, the five separate and distinct office towers in Suntec City and the two office towers in Ngee Ann City. Restricting the creation of one sub-MC per user group would not help resolve the problem where owners of an office tower may want to upgrade their lifts but are unable to do so as the owners of the other office towers are opposed to the idea. Presumably, this scenario could come under the ambit of clause 76(3) which allows the Minister to approve other forms of subsidiary MCs. However, such non-residential developments, comprising strata lots of similar use but located in separate buildings, are likely to become more and more common in the future, particularly with the development of the Business Financial Centre. Hence, to facilitate such developments and at the same time provide more clarity, I propose that clause 76(1) be amended to explicitly allow for the formation of sub-MCs, not just for subsidiary proprietors of non-residential lots if they use their lots for significantly different uses, but also for lots located in buildings that can be delineated separately. However, to address the concern that if there is no restriction of one sub-MC per user group, there may be too many sub-MCs in a single development which could lead to more problems, a minimum total strata area of, say, 5,000 square metres, could be stipulated before such a sub-MC could be formed. Secondly, one too many types of resolutions. Under "Interpretation", clause 2(2) of the Bill, it has provided for six different types of resolutions.”
“Whilst I agree with the general intention and objectives of the Bill, as well as most of its provisions, I would like to highlight five provisions which warrant further consideration and refinements. Firstly, limited common property and subsidiary management corporations. Sir, again, as noted by the Minister, to facilitate the management of mixed-use developments and certain types of residential developments as well as address the operational problems currently faced by the MCs of such developments, the Bill proposes to introduce the option of a two-tier system. This is indeed a major fundamental change made to the present legislation, and may I venture to add, can be viewed positively as a 100% improvement over the current one-tier system. The sub-MC for a user group will be responsible for managing the "limited" common property intended for the exclusive use of that user group, such as the use of the swimming pool by the residential user group. The sub-MC will have the power to levy contributions for the maintenance and improvement of that "limited" common property. This should result in more equitable sharing of maintenance contribution in mixed-use developments. Clause 76(1) of the Bill explicitly spells out the formation of sub-MCs under three different scenarios, firstly, mixed-use developments, comprising residential and non-residential uses; secondly, non-residential developments, comprising different uses, such as shops and offices or shops and hotels; and thirdly, residential developments, comprising different types of residential units, like high-rise apartments and townhouses.”
“Sir, before I begin, I would like to declare my interest on this Bill as Chairman of the Singapore Institute of Surveyors and Valuers, a professional organisation whose members include land surveyors, quantity surveyors, property consultants, valuers, agents and property managers, many of whom act as managing agents in property developments. As noted by the Minister, the last major review of the LTSA relating to the maintenance and management of strata subdivided buildings was close to two decades ago in 1987. Over the years, whilst the legislation has helped to provide a sound framework for the maintenance and management of strata subdivided buildings in Singapore, various shortcomings have surfaced. For instance, the current floor area grouping method used for share value allocation in residential developments has led to complaints from smaller unit owners that it is unfair to impose the same maintenance charge on them as the owners of larger units in the same grouping. Larger unit owners, on the other hand, say that it is inequitable that the smaller units should have the same share of the undivided common property and voting rights. There have also been complaints of abuse of power by MCs. The recent high profile People's Park Centre and People's Park Complex fiasco, where the MC Chairman managed to get re-elected year after year, despite owing substantial maintenance fees, are cases in point. After having run their course for nearly two decades without any major revisions, except in 1999 which relates specifically to collective sale, the LTSA together with the BCPA are clearly in need of urgent revision to ensure their continued efficacy.”
“This will allow us to bring the benefits of this application to 80% of Singaporean patients in the shortest possible time. When the Electronic Medical Record Exchange is running well within the two clusters, we will consider inviting the private sector to join the system if they wish to do so. REFERRAL OF PATIENT FOR COUNSELLING (Standard procedure) 15. Mdm Cynthia Phua asked the Acting Minister for Health what is the standard procedure for a doctor to refer a patient for counselling in order to help them cope emotionally and psychologically with their condition after having been diagnosed with cancer or any other serious illness.”
“I would like to ask the Senior Minister of State if there were any other intrusions besides the reported Pulau Tekong incident and whether the added measures that we have taken for Pulau Tekong would also be extended to other offshore islands, in particular, where the oil refineries are sited. Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee: Sir, this is the first incident of such a nature, ie, of armed robbers having committed a robbery in Malaysia and then dashing across. Of course, for other intrusions, illegal immigrants always try to slip across, for these, we have been able to detect them, which is shown by the numbers. The number of illegal immigrants arrested, in fact, has come down, from 14,700 ˆ’ that was at the height in 1998 ˆ’ to 5,500 last year. Let me assure the House that this is something that we do ˆ’ take a step ahead of the illegal immigrants all the time. The trends change. When we tightened up the land checkpoints, they came in by sea, and when we patrolled the coast, they now try to swim across. We try to keep a step ahead of them. ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORD EXCHANGE (Extension to private sector) 14. Mdm Halimah Yacob asked the Acting Minister for Health arising out of the recent announcement that patient records in the public hospitals and outpatient clinics will be pooled in order to ensure prompt action and treatment during emergencies and public health crises, will his Ministry consider including private hospitals and outpatient clinics under the same arrangement. The Acting Minister for Health (Mr Khaw Boon Wan): Mr Speaker, exchanging medical records electronically is not a trivial exercise. We are therefore taking a cautious incremental approach. Our first priority is to get the key components in place and stabilise them within the public healthcare sector.”
“Sir, I would like to ask the Minister if the Ministry conducts a study to find out the key reasons for the relocation of SMEs and MNCs overseas and, if so, what have been the key reasons cited.”
“We are quite happy with the performance of the CDCs at this stage. But I think we have to recognise that, as far as the CDCs are concerned, these are new things which they have taken on board and to develop the capability in a short period of time, I think, would be asking too much. But rest assured that the CDCs are committed to helping Singaporeans. If there are instances that both Dr Amy Khor or Mr Low would like me to look into, I would be most happy to look into, in this particular instance.”
“Sir, one more supplementary question. I would like to ask the Minister if there is any guideline given to the CDCs, for instance, as to how long the applicants would have to be on the WAP programme before they are transferred to other schemes. Because very often, I have people who come and say that they have not had any response or they are still on the WAP scheme waiting for a job. Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: There are guidelines from the Ministry. But we recognise that each case may be different and the CDCs have been informed and have exercised flexibility on their part to ensure that none of the applicants on WAP remain over too long a period. As you know, there is an obligation on the part of the applicants to go out, take the job referral that we have given to them and to ensure that they continue to make an effort to secure a job. If they are unsuccessful, we will continue to assist them. But if they have been negligent on their part, we will have to take some form of measure to make sure that they get back on to the roadmap that we have developed for them. But, nonetheless, I would like to assure the Member that we will try our very best to help every Singaporean that is placed on the WAP so that they can get the jobs as soon as possible. Mr Low Thia Khiang (Hougang): Sir, how does the Ministry monitor whether the CDC is following the guidelines of the Ministry and whether the CDC is efficient in handling such cases and in a reasonable time, because I have also received similar complaints as Dr Amy Khor? Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Sir, my officers are in constant contact with the CDCs and we do monitor the progress. As these are Government-funded programmes, we would require the CDCs to submit to us the number of applicants.”
“Sir, I would like to ask the Minister what is being done for the 50% unsuccessful WAP applicants, some of whom, I am given to understand through my meet-the-people session, could be chronically unemployed in the long term. Are they transferred to other schemes? Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Sir, what will happen is that the CDC officer will make an assessment. If the applicants are not eligible for WAP, they will be considered for other schemes which are provided either through the Government or through some of the schemes offered at the local or CDC level.”
“15 pm These special needs children are as much sons and daughters of Singapore as their more fortunate peers, and they never asked to be born with disabilities in the first place. They are part of the nation, and are capable of making a contribution to society in their own ways. Hence, their basic education needs should not be treated as social welfare. I would, therefore, like to urge the Ministry to commit more resources to cater to the needs of this group of children, integrate as many of these children into mainstream school as possible, upgrade the facilities of the special schools, so that they adequately meet the needs of these children and ensure that there are sufficient numbers of such special schools as well as trained teachers. Even as the Government is concerned about our declining birth rate and encouraging more to procreate, we must also assure all our parents of our adequate support for their children's educational and other basic needs, whether the child is born special or otherwise.”
“Sir, I am pleased that the MOE is increasingly doing more for children with special needs, such as the opening of a special school for autistic children to cut down the long waiting list of autistic children who need to go to school. The Ministry's recent effort to step up training of teachers to teach these autistic children is also commendable. While the opening of the new special school for autistic children is welcome, there still remains a significant waiting list of children and the number of autistic children is also increasing due to greater awareness of the problem. Another concern is that whilst our mainstream primary and secondary schools have been undergoing upgrading and rebuilding programmes to the extent that some have been criticised to be too posh, most of the special schools are housed in buildings which are at least 20 years old, such as Chao Yang, Jervois and Katong Special Schools. Sir, I personally visited the Jervois Special School. While the school is very clean and well maintained, it really pales, like its poor country cousin, compared to well-endowed mainstream primary schools I have visited. Most of these buildings are really functionally obsolete, especially when they are to cater to children with disabilities, such as the hearing and visually-impaired since they were not built in the first place to cater to the needs of these children. This, together with the fact that special schools are run by VWOs and not directly under the purview of MOE, gives the impression that the needs of such special needs children rank very low on MOE's list of priorities. Furthermore, there are currently only 20 SPED schools run by VWOs, with none in the north and northeast. 2.”
“But having said that, I urge the Government to stage any fee increases they plan to implement over a longer period of time to give ample warning so as not to squeeze the lower and even middle income families further. DPM has promised that no one deserving to attend university will be denied a place. But the truth is, with the exception of Government or corporate scholarships that pave the way for the recipients, less endowed students will need to apply for bursaries and study loans. These are debts that they need to repay after graduation. This can be quite onerous and adds to the already heavy financial burden that young graduates carry in buying a flat, giving allowances to their parents and in-laws and paying for everyday expenses, not to mention starting a family. Elsewhere, especially in the US, generous out-of-state fee waivers, teaching assistance programmes and student employment opportunities plus corporate endowments provide a more conducive environment for students to work part-time to pay for their fees. Here, in Singapore, the choice is largely either/or, because of a lack of employment opportunities and a much smaller corporate sector. Perhaps, more generous tax deductions should be granted to encourage corporate as well as individual giving. Finally, I would also like to ask the Minister if the fee increases apply to polytechnics as well. 1.15 pm”
“DPM Lee has given fair warning in his Budget speech that Government grants to universities will decrease. What students and parents dread to hear is that fees will increase. The argument is that, in these days of belt tightening, it is harder to support heavily subsidised university education compared to primary and secondary education. The latter two benefit society more than the former which, it is argued, accrues more to the individual. Sir, I do not fully agree with this. The rationale for investing in education has always been that as human capital is our only resource, we should seek to maximise the potential of every individual. That is the thinking behind, say, the GEP programme and, indeed, the basis of the flexibility that has recently been introduced into our education system. Implicit in this rationale is that the eventual benefits will accrue not just to the individuals. Singapore, as a whole, would gain from the presence of a highly educated, skilled and thinking workforce. That aside, I read in a recent issue of the Economist of the mini-political crisis the UK government faced, when it tried to raise university fees across the board to reverse previous decades of excessive public subsidies for college education. That story contrasts the rich and powerful American university system that attracts Nobel prize winners, with the dismal UK university system where academic mediocrity is widespread, college buildings crumble from neglect, and students disinterested in their studies. Sir, I believe that letting the universities and university students bear a bigger share of the cost of their college education will inculcate greater public sector discipline and personal responsibility.”
“It is not difficult to guess. To the students, the removal of compulsory inclusion of grades of the mother tongue in the admission criteria can only be interpreted that the mother tongue is no longer important. Pragmatic as they are, why should they want to spend so much time to improve the standard of their mother tongue? Even if they realise that Chinese is fast becoming an important language because of the emergence of China, to the students, their immediate concern is how to squeeze through this narrow gate to get admitted to the university. Who is ---”
“The PAP's so-called bilingual policy, which it claims to be the foundation of our education, is none other than its political tool. Surely, the PAP is not prepared to pay a political cost to defend the Chinese education under the present circumstances and pay a political price. With regard to the relaxation of the policy, the relevant authority said that admission of students to the university should be based on their strong subjects. Being poor in the mother tongue does not necessarily mean that the student cannot do well in the other subjects. The new admission criteria allow those who are poor in the mother tongue but nevertheless talented otherwise to be admitted to the university and faculty of their choice. A reader wrote to the Lianhe Zaobao rebutting such an argument. Let me quote from his article, "If the objective of the university is to develop the strong points of the students, then more weightage should be given to the major subjects. As for the two language subjects, mother tongue and English, they should be treated as equal. You either take both the languages, or none at all. Not many students can master both English and the mother tongue, some do not have the chemistry with English, while others may not click with Chinese. If only one of the languages is not counted, then it is unfair." This is indeed true. But I am afraid this reader has forgotten that English is a sacred cow, one scared cow which is untouchable. Faced with such a deity, what fairness can you talk about? Notwithstanding the Government's verbal emphasis that the policy adjustment does not represent that the mother tongue is no longer important, what would be the interpretation and reaction of the students who have been immersed in this utilitarian society all these years?”
“All these years, no matter how difficult the environment has been, they are still supporting Chinese education. And now, both the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the post-Nantah which claimed to be linked to the former Nantah by flesh and blood, announced that the grade of the mother tongue will not be counted in their admission criteria. Some people are not happy. But Mr Chan said that the Chinese community should not be emotional. They should step out of the umbrella of Government policies, as there is no need to make use of policy to force people to learn Chinese. He also urged the Chinese community to make great efforts to create more space for the use of the Chinese language. By saying so, he means that the problem of the Chinese education arises because the Chinese community has not put in enough efforts to create enough space for the use of Chinese, and as a result of the Government's implementation of bilingual policy which forces the students to learn the mother tongue. Applying his logic, I would ask then, why did the Government decide to use English as a medium of instruction for all the subjects in the 70s, thereby forcing all the students to learn English in order to make the grade for further studies. We should ask why is it that this community which had the power and the ability to establish a university before the PAP became the Government and, yet, now after 45 years of rule by the PAP, we need a PAP man to remind them on how to deal with their language and culture problems. Now that the constituency which supports the mother tongue education is losing its political influence, and the opposing camp's voice is getting louder and louder, the Government made some calculation to it and now decides to change its course mid-stream.”
“But, as university education becomes increasingly expensive, the cost to society and public finances of practising something other than what one has learnt gets higher and higher. I wonder if, in the rush to give the universities more autonomy to respond to changing market conditions and opportunities, the universities have the necessary expertise and support, say, from MOM and other Government agencies, and are also adequately cognisant of the marketplace to anticipate future trends and manpower requirements. Sir, having been a university lecturer myself, I urge the professors at the university who double up as administrators to make the effort to be plugged to the private sector. 1.00 pm Secondly, whilst the universities can now admit up to 10% of its intake based on its own independent criteria, as they are still publicly-funded institutions, overall admission should still be based on the principle of meritocracy. Hence, there ought to be in place some system of audit and check and balances to ensure that transparency and equity prevail, and standards are maintained. Perhaps, a committee should be formed which comprises private sector and MOE officials, as well as, say, GPC members to undertake this audit. Mr Low Thia Khiang (Hougang) (In Mandarin): Sir, having heard the speech by Minister of State Chan Soo Sen yesterday, I can only sigh with emotion that history has played a cruel joke on the Chinese community in Singapore. The Chinese community has all along loved and showed concern for its mother tongue. In 1950, Mr Tan Lark Sye just made one appeal and the people were in one heart and one mind which led to the establishment of the Nanyang University (Nantah).”
“Sir, the introduction of a flexible and differentiated approach for admission to our local universities bodes well for both the universities and the students. This is especially timely for the local universities in the face of increasing competition, both internally with the setting up of private universities, and externally as Singaporeans become more mobile. Without more flexibility in admission criteria, they could lose many bright students to competitors. I applaud the MOE for its swift decision and biting the bullet, as it were, to drop SAT 1 as a compulsory admission criterion, despite having incorporated this requirement only a year ago. The impending changes to SAT 1 and the implementation of the new 'A' level curriculum will result in a substantial overlap between the two. NUS, NTU and SMU seem to be racing against each other to introduce the most progressive criteria to draw the brightest and the best, as they move away from joint admission exercises. This competition is healthy, and will only benefit students and spur performance to higher and higher peaks of excellence. However, amidst all the excitement that this has brought, there are two concerns that I hope the Minister can address. Firstly, I wonder about the efficacy of the formula by which students are allocated to courses, in relation to the number of places offered for each course. I am sure many Members would have heard of graduates in particular fields who have never ever started in their chosen field of learning. By itself, this is acceptable since a university education is, above all, a training of habits of mind that will enable a graduate to think independently. Specific skills, with some exceptions like engineering, law and medicine, can sometimes be learnt on the job.”