Ang Mong Seng
Singapore
“Lihua is also my alma mater. I am very proud that Chen Zhixiang became the top student in Singapore in the "A" level examinations. Use more. Parents should speak Chinese more with their children at home. I also hope Members of Parliament would speak more Chinese in Parliament. When *Cols. 4059-4060.”
“After the cooling-off period, flat sellers can make a final decision. Some unscrupulous housing agents would use various means to persuade people to sell their flats in order to earn commission. They would tell the owners that should they have any problems, just see the MPs.”
“[For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A *.] Mr Chairman, the construction industry requires a lot of foreign workers, including both skilled and unskilled workers. However, the MOM has decided to reduce the number of unskilled workers.”
“[For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A *.] As our population ages, we see more and more retirees selling tissues at hawker centres, coffee shops and malls to help with their expenses. They do not have CPF, yet they do not want to live by Government welfare – they want be independent.”
“Mr Chairman, may I ask the Senior Parliamentary Secretary what is the main concern for the Ministry in not issuing licence to the elderly to sell tissue papers in the hawker centre. We are asked to refer all these people to the Community Development Council (CDC).”
“[For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*.] Madam, at the moment, 10% of our population is above 65 years old. Twenty years later, by 2030, about 25% of our population will be above 65 years old. If at that time, our population is five million, this will mean that we will have one million people who are over the age of 65.”
The complete record
Every one of 576 lines we hold for Ang Mong Seng, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 10 of 12.
“Sir, our car users have invested very heavily in keeping the high quality of clean air in Singapore, because cars are very expensive, partially because of the anti-pollution devices. I would like to ask the Minister to consider imposing the same vehicle emission standard for all foreign vehicles entering Singapore.”
“Those who are genuinely ignorant of how to keep exhausts clean could be sent for courses in ITE. Could the Minister comment on this proposed measure? For the 2-stroke motorcycles, under the current regulations, registration of new 2-stroke motorcycles has stopped. But there are still many on the road which were registered prior to the new regulation. The exhaust of unburnt hydrocarbon from these 2-stroke motorcycles is excessive, visible, smelly and irritate our visual and respiratory system. I recall that once I entered a motorcycle lane at the Causeway Checkpoint by mistake. The level of hydrocarbon from the motorcycles in the holding area was highly unbearable and almost suffocating. One hearing this may just come to the conclusion that these are Malaysian motorcycles. To many people's surprise, these motorcycles bear Singapore registration plates. Sir, if that is the case, many of the old 2-stroke motorcycles are already being disowned by our fellow Singaporeans. It is time that we should consider phasing out all these old and polluted machines from the road. We have a COE system which entitles all vehicles to be on the road for 20 years upon paying the prevailing COE premium, regardless of whether the vehicle complies with our current emission standards. In the case of the 2-stroke motorcycles, it is time for us to phase them out completely on the ground of pollution when their current COEs expire. It is insensible for one to pay so much for owning an environmentally clean vehicle, yet allowing this obvious pollution generator to be still on the road. Could the Minister comment on this matter?”
“Low Seow Chay: Sir, we all know that we live in the 21st century with advanced technology in almost every frontier of science. Yet, we are still haunted by the difficulty in controlling diesel smoke from the more than 100 years old technology. It seems to be an insult to mankind in this modern information age. As I said in last year's speech on diesel pollution, the diesel technology is so advanced that preventing diesel vehicles from having smoky exhausts is no big deal. Why do so many people still complain of being booked for emitting excessive diesel smoke? They are either ignorant of the technology or they do not bother about their vehicles until they are caught and fined. Sir, no doubt we are in the IT age. Some people just do not practise the right thing. Instead, they cut corners, try to save some work and some money. In the case of diesel vehicles, some vehicle owners, instead of practising preventive maintenance, they practise breakdown repair. In other words, they only maintain their vehicle when it breaks down. This is really unfortunate. In dealing with such diesel emission violation, the Ministry imposes heavy fines on both the driver and the owner, and I have no qualms about this. However, as a form of education, incentives and disincentives might perhaps help to improve the present system of penalty. As the Ministry is responsible for the policy on environmental pollution by vehicles, certain incentive concept could be built into the law to better achieve the goal in pollution control. One could ask the recalcitrant vehicle owner for more frequent inspections, say, half yearly instead of annual, for private lorries and cars. Those who always manage to keep their exhausts clean could be granted incentives by having lesser inspections, say, biennially.”
“Sir, the emission of black smoke from heavy vehicles is one issue that we discuss year in and year out. Last year, this matter was taken over by the Ministry of the Environment. Now the Ministry is stepping up enforcement against the offenders. From August last year to February this year, about 5,820 heavy vehicles and 1,900 motorcycles were summoned for emission of black smoke. Perhaps these vehicles were too old, probably exceeding 10 years. Therefore, some owners of these vehicles are suggesting that the Ministry of the Environment or the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology could give them some incentives such as reserving COEs for them, so that they can replace their vehicles to solve the problem once and for all. Secondly, they have doubts on the accuracy of the video cameras used to detect the black smoke. Is there some way we can help drivers of heavy vehicles to condition their vehicles and to prevent the emission of black smoke? Thirdly, Malaysian registered vehicles are running on our roads. Will they be also subjected to the same enforcement action? Are they also issued summonses for emission of black smoke too? The penalty is too heavy. I believe for the first offender, the fine is $500. At this time when the economy has not fully recovered, this is a very heavy burden on the drivers of these heavy vehicles. I would like to ask the Minister whether or not we could give them some rebates during this difficult time. Do not fine them so heavily and, at the same time, use other ways to educate them on how to prevent the emission of black smoke and how to maintain or service their vehicles so that they will not have to face this predicament. Assoc. Prof.”
“Yet we are frequently joking about the pathetic state of some of their public toilets! Perhaps, it is time for us to catch up by installing some of these modern taps which are more hygienic as we do have to touch them to turn them on. I hope the Minister would consider my suggestions.”
“I would like to know how many public toilets are there in Singapore and if we want to upgrade all these public toilets, how much would it cost the Government. When can the Government start to upgrade them and when can this be completed? Secondly, after upgrading these public toilets, can the Ministry of the Environment set up some guidelines on how to maintain these public toilets so that the money spent on upgrading them would not go down the drain? Thirdly, can the toilets in the coffeeshops in HDB estates and in the private sector be also included in the upgrading programme? Fourthly, can we have the cleanest public toilet competition in Singapore? When we have this competition, the Ministry can pick the three cleanest toilets and, at the same time, single out the three most dirty toilets so that something can be done about them. I believe we should take this matter seriously. Only then can we enjoy the reputation of being a country with the cleanest public toilets around. Lastly, when we are upgrading these toilets, we should also look into the facilities of these toilets. Recently, I led a lion dance troupe to take part in a competition in Guangzhou, China. When we reached the stadium, some members of our lion troupe went to the toilet. They complained to me that all the taps were not working and there was no water. I was not convinced, so I went into the toilet to check for myself. To my surprise, I found that the toilet was fitted with the latest type of automatic taps. All you had to do was to put your hands under the tap and water would flow out and stop automatically. They are more advanced than we are, so much so that our boys did not know how to use these modern gadgets. Yes, we are actually falling behind the Chinese.”
“Sir, recently, the issue of public toilets seems to be a hot topic for public discussion. It was reported in the TV news recently that some public toilets in United Kingdom had to be closed down because they were not properly maintained. The residents and visitors were not happy and complained about it. In Korea, great care is taken to keep the public toilets spick-and-span. The people there are so proud of it that tourists are often invited to visit the toilets, and almost without fail, the toilets would win full marks for their cleanliness. In Japan, cleanliness of public toilets is also taken seriously. When high-ranking officers from Japan are invited to visit your factory, the first thing they would look at is your toilet. If your toilet is clean, he would have confidence in the management of your company. But if your toilet is dirty and messy, the conclusion he would draw is that there must be something wrong with the management. In China, the public toilets are notorious for their uncomplimentary characteristics, some of the public toilets have no doors. If you want to go to the toilet, you need to bring an umbrella with you. In Singapore, of course, we are not as good as in Korea or Japan, but we are not as bad as those in China or England. Prime Minister Mr Goh Chok Tong has said that if we want Singapore to become a gracious society, we have to start from our toilets. If we cannot keep our toilets clean and presentable, how can we talk about having a gracious society? Last year, in the process of picking the cleanest hawker centre in Singapore, I found that some of the public toilets in the hawker centres were very old and in very bad shape. I think we should renovate all these public toilets in Singapore. I have a few questions for the Minister.”
“How old is an old estate? Assoc. Prof. Koo Tsai Kee: We have to look at each estate separately because some old estates have just been upgraded by the National Parks Board and Environment. Some new estates may not have been upgraded yet. The cut-off line is quite blur, unlike HDB estates. SECOND SUPPLEMENTARY ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR FY 1999/2000 AND ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR FY 2000/2001 (Business Motion) Resolved, That, notwithstanding the Standing Orders, the Second Supplementary Estimates of Expenditure for FY 1999/2000 (Paper Cmd. 3 of 2000) and the Estimates of Expenditure for FY 2000/2001 (Paper Cmd. 2 of 2000) be taken today. - [Dr Richard Hu Tsu Tau]. SUPPLY AND SUPPLEMENTARY SUPPLY BILLS (Business Motion) Resolved, That, notwithstanding the Standing Orders, the second and third readings of the Supply Bill for FY 2000/2001 and the Supplementary Supply Bill for FY 1999/2000 may be proceeded with immediately after the conclusion of the proceedings on the Main and Development Estimates for FY 2000/2001. - [Dr Richard Hu Tsu Tau]. SITTING ON SATURDAY, 11TH MARCH 2000 (Business Motion) Resolved, That Parliament do sit on Saturday, 11th March 2000. - [Mr Wong Kan Seng]. SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDERS (Business Motion)”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, will this project apply to all the new and old housing estates? Assoc. Prof. Koo Tsai Kee: In theory, yes. But, in practice, we would like to apply this fund to the old estates first.”
“I would like to applaud them for this special feat. This is also a testimony to their sound management of our economy and our finances. I would like to congratulate the Minister for Finance and I hope that we will accrue more surpluses in the next financial year.”
“Even today, in the midst of prosperity in Singapore, our clan associations still play a very important role. There are many clan associations in Singapore like the Lee Association, Wu Association, Tan Association and so on and so forth. All these clan associations have done a lot for their members and they have carried out various activities for their members to strengthen the cohesiveness of their members. This is beneficial to our national solidarity. Recently, a clan association conducted a seminar to discuss their common problem of having to pay very high property tax on their premises. Property tax is levied, based on the commercial rates of the buildings. Therefore, we hope the Government will give them special treatment. Of course, if these associations make use of certain areas of the premises for other purposes, then they should be taxed according to commercial rate. But if these premises are used for their own purposes and for conducting social activities, a lower property tax should be levied on them or no tax at all. These associations' revenue depends on the management committees and members' subscriptions or from voluntary donations. However, they have to pay income tax on these donations. Therefore, the council members of these associations hope that the Government can accord them special treatment, because the activities they carry out are charitable in nature. It is not profit-making. Therefore, these revenues should not be taxed at all by the Government. I hope the Government will consider the two points that I have raised. Sir, I would like to make use of this opportunity to congratulate our Minister for Finance and the Government for turning a projected deficit of $5.1 billion into a surplus of $3.2 billion.”
“These stalls are scattered in housing estates and their customers are mainly HDB flat dwellers. The hawkers have to raise prices to cope with the high overheads and this has affected the residents there. Many stallholders told me that they had to pay $2,500 to $3,500 in property tax and the monthly payment is from $250 to $300 which is more than the rental which they were paying prior to the purchase of the stalls. They were paying rentals at $160 per month only. This is a big headache for them. This is in addition to the loan payment they have to make to the bank. The market stallholders particularly are finding it difficult to make ends meet. Their operating hours are very short, that is, from 7 am to 10 am. So I hope that the Government can give more rebates on property tax to them. If they could get 50% rebate, it would be better, or else they should revalue their stalls and then give them more tax rebate on property tax. If the stallholders find that their burden is too heavy, this will defeat the original aim of selling the stalls to them. On the other hand, residents of HDB estates will have to pay higher prices, thereby adding to their burden. Therefore, I would urge the Minister for Finance to consider giving them special treatment on property tax. The second point is that the clan associations have to pay quite high property tax. Singapore is a multi-racial and multi-religious society. In order to forge racial harmony, to live together and to build a harmonious society, clan associations have made tremendous contributions in this regard. Before we set up grassroots organisations and RCs, the clan associations have already done a lot to foster racial harmony between the different races in Singapore.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, this year's Budget is a cautious one. It is generally acceptable by the people in Singapore. Realising that in 1997 and 1998, we faced an economic crisis, and in 1999 we were beginning to recover, my constituency leaders are quite happy with the rebates and tax exemption and income tax of 5% granted in this year's Budget. The residents will also get rebates on service and conservancy charges and rentals for their flats. On top of that, everyone above 21 years old will get a CPF top-up of $250. These tax incentives, though cannot be described as a big "hongbao", are nevertheless a good gift. For the business community, the corporate tax has been further reduced from 26% to 25.5%. It is also a breakthrough. However, on property tax, the rebate has been reduced from 50% to 25%. I would like to express my views on this item. At present, this tax rebate was geared towards high-tax enterprises but they neglect those hawkers and some small merchants and traders. In 1994, the Government announced a scheme to sell the hawker stalls to the existing stallholders. Altogether there were 1,627 cooked food hawker/market stalls. Out of these, 299 cooked food and 189 market stalls were sold. After they have purchased their stalls, the hawkers who took the loans from the commercial banks, the repayment period is 10 years and up to a maximum of 15 years. Some stallholders purchased their stalls in 1994 on a 20-year lease. After operating for six years, they decided to quit and wanted to sell the stalls. They could not find anyone to take over because the banks were not prepared to provide the loan as the lease had only 14 years remaining. Therefore, the stallholders have no choice but to carry on with their business at the stalls.”
“But we ourselves must respond to the initiatives and strengthen our commitment to be not just active but true citizens. Human beings are not machines. The Government cannot press a few buttons and expect the people to turn on and behave just like robots. We have to light the fire in our own bellies to nurture our love for and commitment to our own country. This would take a few more generations. There is no better time to start now as we are all poised to take up the challenges ahead of us. In due course, we hope and we will surely become one people, one nation, one Singapore.”
“Even so-called developed countries in Europe could not escape from the strifes that threatened to break up the countries, indeed break-ups occurred in some of these old countries. In the region, we are witnessing similar events that have yet to be played to completion. To sum up, we have to ask ourselves: are we a nation yet? One way to find out is to go through the baptism of fire. When we are confronted with a deep crisis, not just economic, we will find out whether our people will jell together and help one another to overcome the difficulties, whether we will die for one another to preserve our homeland. This is a very painful way which we would not wish upon ourselves. Another way is to increase the stakes our people have in the country which make it imperative for them to defend with the utmost of their ability. Yet, another way is to nurture a greater sense of belonging to the country where our loved ones and friends all call home and where we can seek comfort and solace in times of need. The Government can provide the hardware to make Singapore to continue to survive and prosper in this increasingly competitive world. Indeed, it has, judged by the Addenda that have been included in the President's Address. But the heartware that makes us true citizens rests in ourselves. We have to ask ourselves whether we are committed to Singapore. If so, how do we strengthen this commitment? I would suggest that we start at home with our own families. Close and enduring family ties will ultimately reflect themselves in the society at large. If we are prepared to fight for our own family members, only then will we be ready to do the same for our friends and fellow citizens. The Singapore 21 Vision may help us along the way.”
“Perhaps the relevant authority may feel that 20% discount is too much, then at least they should be given a 10% discount. I think we should give them some concessions and be fair to them. These are the recommendations I would like to raise. I support the motion. Mr Bernard Chen (West Coast): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I support the motion moved by Mr Davinder Singh to thank the President for his Address to Parliament. The President has outlined the Government's objectives for the future. The Addenda detailed the programmes the Ministries intend to implement to achieve these objectives. It is more than fair to say that in the past 34 years, since independence, the PAP Government, together with the people, has transformed Singapore into a prosperous and thriving city state. We have the best infrastructure and investment climate that ranks among the most conducive in the world and a diligent workforce that is second to none. All these have been done under great political stability. Successive economic crises were overcome through the cooperation of Government and the people. We should be justifiably proud of our achievements. The question that we need to pose now is: do all these achievements make us a nation and the people active citizens? 34 years amount to some 1 1/2 generations, a very short time for a country. Nation building is a painstaking effort that requires generations to go through various trials and tribulations before the people can consider themselves true citizens. When we look around the world today, we cannot but notice, at least by way of negative examples, that nation building is a very difficult business. Emerging countries in Africa and Latin America are constantly going through political and social upheavals.”
“Immediately, he suggested that I raise this matter in Parliament and he would consider it. Now the lifts are being installed in these blocks of flats. Although the installation is not fully completed, the residents are already very happy, and they have asked me to thank the Minister for his good gestures. Sir, another issue that I would like to raise concerns single persons who wish to buy HDB flats. Yesterday, Dr Ker raised this matter about singles buying HDB flats. I do not want to repeat his points. We all know that for the singles to buy HDB flats, there are a lot of restrictions. First of all, they cannot buy directly from HDB. Secondly, even in the open market, they can only buy the 3-room flats and they are restricted to flats which are outside the city area. All these conditions have made it very difficult for the singles to buy HDB flats. Even for those affected by the redevelopment plans, they too have problems because under the redevelopment schemes, existing lessees enjoy a 20% discount when they purchase their alternative flats from HDB. But the singles are denied this discount. Sometimes, being single is not really their own wish, and it is beyond their control. During their younger days, some of these singles may have worked very hard to support their younger brothers and sisters and when they have grown up, they were already too old to get married. So they would have to remain single. I hope that the Minister would reconsider this matter because even singles have contributed to our nation building. Perhaps, we could impose certain restrictions on them, but I do not think some bending of the rules would affect the nation. In general, I think we should give the singles a fair deal. Under the redevelopment schemes, all residents enjoy a 20% discount.”
“Now we have 86% of Singaporeans living in public housing, that is, more than 200,000 senior citizens are living in HDB flats. The thing that they are more concerned with is the lift, especially for those who live in high-rise buildings. I feel that HDB has done a great job. In the new housing estates, the lifts stop at every floor. This is a very good service to the residents, particularly to the senior citizens. The Government has attached great importance to this matter and during the upgrading projects, whether it is a major upgrading or an interim upgrading, provision was made so that the lifts can stop at every floor. However, in the interim upgrading programme, the HDB has fixed another standard that the lifts should be able to serve at least 50% of the residents before arrangement would be made for them to stop at every floor. But if we look at the flats which were built in the 1980s or earlier, the design was such that they would not be able to attain this standard. So we are unable to attain the standard set by HDB, and it is not possible to provide this service where the lift can stop at every floor. It would be very difficult for them to go out if there is no lift, particularly for those who are wheelchair-bound. It would be a very serious problem for them. In 1997, when I raised the matter concerning the lifts for certain blocks of flats in my constituency with the former Minister for National Development, Mr Lim Hng Kiang, he told me that since there were only 4 storeys, the residents could just walk up and down the stairs. Unconvinced, I showed him some photographs on how difficult it was for the old folks to go up and down the staircase, especially when they were sick.”
“So long as they are involved in this problem of an aging population, they should put in a concerted effort and we should work in one heart so that we can have better results. I feel that we should deal with this matter in a more objective manner. At the moment, our transport system is very comprehensive, whether it is MRT or public buses, they are being operated very smoothly, and we have a very good public transport system. The commuters are also boarding and alighting from the buses in a very orderly manner. They have been treating the old people in a very courteous manner. It is not a big problem even if the senior citizens were to board the buses during the peak hours. Although many of us retire at 60 nowadays, with our good medical and healthcare system, many of our old people enjoy very healthy living. Look at our new President, he is 76 years old and he is still very healthy. I suggest that the relevant authority should seriously consider implementing concession rates for senior citizens even during the peak hours. Maybe we should try it for one year, and one year later we can have a review and see whether this concession, without any restricted hours, would pose any serious problem to us. If everything is all right, and there is no problem, we should continue to grant concessions throughout the day and night. It is a form of respect for the senior citizens, and it would also provide them with more convenience. In fact, in Hong Kong, in Europe and the United States, this is very common. The senior citizens enjoy concessions without any restriction. I feel that the relevant authority should seriously consider this recommendation. Thirdly, housing for the senior citizens.”
“This was launched by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health, Mr Chan Soo Sen. He was impressed by this record booklet and said that it was a very good idea. Presently, in schools, every pupil has a health booklet to record his or her state of health. I hope that the Minister for Health would consider publishing a similar health booklet for the senior citizens, so that they will have a better understanding of their health. Secondly, providing concessions for senior citizens on public transportation. In Singapore, concession is given to our senior citizens for commuting on our public transport system. However, this concession is restricted to only off-peak hours. Recently Lianhe Zaobao conducted a survey on this matter, and about 90% of those who were interviewed felt that when the bus companies give concessions to the senior citizens, there should not be a restriction on the time they can travel. But the bus companies did not agree with the finding because they felt that the senior citizens should not compete with the other commuters during the peak hours, and that it will pose some danger to the old folks. But many people feel that this is not a fair reasoning. This matter has, in fact, been argued for many years and there is still no concrete outcome. Very soon, the 20th century will come to an end. We hope that before the end of the 20th century, there should be a solution to this problem. If we are serious and sincere in considering this problem, I think this is a responsibility of every one of us, whether it is a Government department, the private sector, grassroots organisations or the civil groups.”
“Prevention is better than cure. We would like to thank the Minister for Health, Mr Lim Hng Kiang who, in reply to Dr Lily Neo's request, announced that his Ministry has plans for our senior citizens to be examined regularly. We have about 300,000 senior citizens in Singapore. If all these 300,000 senior citizens were to go to the Singapore General Hospital for a medical check-up, then I am sure the hospital will be very crowded and very busy, and these old people will have problem getting there too. In order to make it easier for the senior citizens, I think the community and grassroots organisations can also help in this aspect. Maybe regular check-ups for the senior citizens can be conducted in the community centres, say, routine checks on eyesight, blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol, etc. On the one hand, this will be easier for the senior citizens and, on the other hand, this will enable the grassroots organisations to participate in this very meaningful job. After the check-up, there should be systematic documentation on the health situation of the senior citizens. In fact, many senior citizens normally forget about the results and they do not take the necessary action to prevent the diseases. The Ministry of Health should publish a medical check-up record booklet, so that when a senior citizen goes for his check-up, the doctors or nurses will be able to record his state of health there, and this will serve as a very useful future reference for the doctors when they follow up with this senior citizen. Recently, in Bukit Gombak, we have started to conduct regular medical check-ups for our senior citizens. We have also published a booklet to record the results of the medical examination of the senior citizens.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the President's Address is a very comprehensive statement of the Government's policy. Apart from reviewing our progress over the last 30 years, it has also outlined the target for us in the 21st century. [Mr Deputy Speaker in the Chair] 4.02 pm After the recent financial crisis, we are now in a more stable position. However, we will face more intense competition in future. In order to build our nation in a better way and to make our economy more vibrant, we have to make full use of our human resources. We have to let our people give full play to their potential, and we want our people to work in a concerted effort to contribute towards our nation building efforts. The President also emphasised that we have to pay more attention to our aging population. Allow me to raise some recommendations on these issues. The United Nations has designated 1999 as the year for the aged. That is evidence of how the international community has attached great importance to the problems of an aging population. Singapore is one of the nations facing the most serious problems of an aging population. By the year 2030, out of four Singaporeans, one will be above the age of 60, that is, about 25%. The Government has already set up a Committee to look into this problem, with the terms of reference of looking after the senior citizens and to make adequate preparations for our future needs. In this connection, I would like to speak on three aspects which the senior citizens are most concerned with. First of all, health. We should provide some facilities for our senior citizens to have easy access to regular medical check-ups. In order that they may be healthy, physically and mentally, I think they should undergo regular medical check-ups. This is very important.”
“Sir, just now I proposed that stickers be provided by HDB and not by a trained worker. Because after installation, I think the HDB should send their staff to make an inspection to make sure that everything is installed according to the standard. The stickers should be provided by HDB and not by the trained worker. Assoc. Prof. Koo Tsai Kee: $100 is a good deal. We are talking about good stainless steel. Anyway, the figure I have is about $200 to $250, including labour and parts. After the installation, Mr Ang suggested that HDB should inspect the installation and then certify it. I will ask HDB to look at it. But I think it is really unnecessary. What is the purpose of certifying the worker? We have trained the worker and certified him. It is a relatively simple job, and to ask the HDB Branch officer to go and look at it again is providing 200% redundancy. No building authority in the world legislates the installation of air-conditioning units. So we are almost a first here but partly because we have got too many high-rise apartments. But I think it is a very simple problem. In any case, if an air-conditioner is inserted into a hole, by itself it will not drop because there is a fulcrum and friction effect. In the case where the hole is too big, you put in a wooden frame to make the hole smaller, again there is a fulcrum effect, and the window does not fall off. Now we are saying we put steel brackets to reinforce that installation and fix the steel brackets onto the wall, we are providing already 100% redundancy on top of the wooden frame support. I think with the steel bracket installation, the window unit should not fall off at all. Anyway, I will take the Member's suggestion. I will ask HDB to look at whether it is implementable or not.”
“I hope that in designing the new HDB flats, the architects could make provision for air-conditioners to be installed in such a way as to give the flat owners and technicians access to the air-conditioners to facilitate easy checking, servicing and maintenance of the said air-conditioners. As most air-conditioners are now installed outside the windows or on the external walls, flat owners find it very difficult for them to inspect or service the air-conditioners, and it is very dangerous too. They have to bend out of the windows to do it. If they are not careful, it is not the air-conditioners but the persons themselves will be falling over. This is a very important matter of safety to consider. According to the Senior Parliamentary Secretary, at the moment some 65,000 units of air-conditioners are being mounted on wooden frames, and the flat owners are required to replace the wooden frames with stainless steel frames within one year. Will there be enough contractors to carry out the retrofitting work of all these 65,000 air-conditioners within one year? Will this result in a steep rise in the cost? In the case of housing estates which have been selected for the SERS scheme, the residents will have to move out soon. Can the Ministry exercise some flexibility in dealing with these cases? Since they are moving out very soon, there is no need for them to spend extra money to retrofit the installation of air-conditioners. But we must of course ensure that the existing wooden frames are still in good condition. I hope the Senior Parliamentary Secretary will consider my suggestions.”
“Sir, I support this Amendment Bill to ensure safe and proper installation of air-conditioners in HDB estates. However, I have a few suggestions for the consideration of the Senior Parliamentary Secretary. The new Amendment Bill provides that air-conditioners be installed only by trained workers. I feel that we should go one step further to stipulate that installation work should be carried out only by registered companies, for better protection to the flat-owners. The HDB should also carry out a proper inspection after the air-conditioners are installed. A sticker can then be affixed to the air-conditioner to certify that it has been properly installed according to the specifications laid down by the HDB. This may help to solve the problems of noise pollution and water drainage due to improper installation. Secondly, we must ensure that the installations are not carried out without prior approval from the authority. I have received complaints during my meet-the-people sessions that contractors employed by the flat-owners to install the air-conditioners did not make a formal application to HDB as required, before they commenced work. Some even proceeded to install the air-conditioners without obtaining the necessary approval. Later on, when the flat owners were to resell their flats, they will encounter problems, as their air-conditioners would be deemed to be unauthorized installation. If there are stickers affixed on the air-conditioners, these problems would not arise. Because of the rising standard of living in Singapore, more and more residents, especially the new flat owners, are having air-conditioners installed.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, first of all, I wish to thank the Minister for a positive answer. I believe that this answer will satisfy the wishes of the residents of Hillview Estate. I would like to raise a few questions with the Minister. Firstly, for the replacement flats, can the Minister consider building bigger flats, such as the 4-room or 5-room flats, to satisfy the needs of the residents? Secondly, can the resale levies be packaged in some way to lighten the burden of the residents? Thirdly, can the single residents also enjoy the discount in the purchase of the replacement flats? Fourthly, can some coffeeshops and shophouses be built in the replacement flat precinct to provide better services to the residents?”
“Finally, I wish that everyone in Singapore would love his country and love his family. I hope that the Singapore 21 vision could be realised soon.”
“According to statistics kept by the People's Association, we have presently 26,026 grassroots leaders who have created and contributed much to our nation. These grassroots leaders work very hard. They sacrifice their precious time and money to work for the benefit of the nation and the people. We should also not forget the 10,000-20,000 voluntary welfare officers who, out of love for their fellow citizens, have contributed much to society without asking for any reward. I think we should give due respect to them. I feel that the selfless spirit of these grassroots leaders and voluntary welfare officers should be given due commendation and the value of their services should be recognised. Although we have now more than 30,000 community leaders, this represents only 1% of our population. We hope that there will be more Singaporeans coming forward to volunteer their services to the nation. I suggest that the Government issue "Good Citizen Awards" to these people, albeit they are just 1% of the population. But I feel that these good citizens could be role models for others to emulate. We should encourage more people to come forward and do even more for our nation. In another 238 days, we will be going into the 21st century. I hope that the Government will take this opportunity to issue 2,000 "Good Citizen Awards" to those who have contributed much to our society, and to encourage more people to take part. Gradually, we can have more and more awards being issued. Our cohesion will be enhanced, and then an ideal Singapore and an ideal home in the 21st century will be within sight. Of course, we hope that the people and the Government could put in a concerted effort to develop Singapore into a more prosperous and more progressive country.”
“Even yesterday, I was discussing with DPM Lee on this matter. Results of the voting for MUP showed that in one of the blocks, less than 75% of the residents supported the programme. As a result, when the MUP was carried out, this block could not be upgraded. When the affected residents came to know about it, they hurriedly went to DPM Lee and asked whether they could have another round of voting. DPM told them, "No, you have only one chance to vote." When you look at this whole thing, you should take into consideration the benefits of the majority and not just your own personal interest. The Prime Minister said yesterday that ours is a multi-racial society, and we had to exercise mutual tolerance and understanding among ourselves. If anyone is to raise some very sensitive issues, such as religious or racial issues, chances are that they will give rise to disputes and misunderstanding which will result in great harm being done to our nation. Everyone of us should look at national interest first. The two Chinese characters for nation or country are: "Guo and Jia". Guo is nation, Jia is family. Nation first, then family. We must first have the nation before we can have the family. We must bear this basic principle in mind. When we look at the whole world, there are wars, famine and poverty everywhere. When we look at our region, there are unrests and troubles. But take a look at Singapore. We have political stability and a strong economy. Our people live and work in peace and contentment. This proves that all the past efforts of the Government are not in vain. The concerted efforts of the people and the Government have reaped great rewards. Because of the support from the people, we have become a prosperous country.”
“In fact, the argument was so heated that an environment was created where some unnecessary misunderstanding was generated. The second example was recently, in my constituency, when we announced this Selective En-Bloc Redevelopment scheme, the main purpose was to resolve the transport problem because Hillview Avenue is a place where we do not have enough public transportation and many residents have approached me and asked me to request for this en-bloc redevelopment. According to surveys, more than 90% of the residents supported this view. But there was a small minority of people who objected to it, and one of them asked me in the dialogue session, "What good is this policy? What good is this new development plan?" I told him one of the important advantages is that the new development site is very near to the MRT. He said, "I do not need an MRT." I asked him why. He said, "I have a car. I do not need MRT." The other residents who were present shook their heads. I said, "Well, it is good that you have a car. It is good for you. But 80% of the residents do not own cars. They need public transportation. MRT is a very effective means of public transportation." We can see from this example that this resident was only concerned with his own personal interest. He looked at the matter purely from his own personal point of view. One thing I was very happy was that when his wife heard what he said, she gave him a pinch and asked him not to pursue the line. I can see that when the Government implements this policy, it is for the advantage of the majority of the residents. In another example, as we all know about two years ago, Ang Mo Kio had a Main Upgrading Programme and there was a small group of people, because of some personal problems, who objected to the upgrading.”
“To a certain extent, this problem is resolved. From these two important examples, it clearly illustrates that consultations and discussions before implementation of a policy are of utmost importance. I believe in the process of implementing the cost-saving measures, the Government has also conducted various dialogue sessions with the businessmen, NTUC, trade unions, and grassroots leaders. As a result, when the measures were implemented, they received strong support of the people, and the implementation was smooth and successful. The Singapore 21 Vision Committee has reached out to some 6,000 people. This has once again emphasised the Government's esteem of the views of our people. Our airport is No. 1 in the world, our port is first-class, our workers' quality is also No. 1 in the world. Singapore is a small island nation. We have this achievement which every Singaporean can be proud of. We have so many "No. 1" honours in our bag. This is because the Government listens to the people, and the people are given the benefit of clear and transparent explanations of the policies by the Government before they are implemented. We are all in one heart. We work together and the Government has placed great esteem on the views of the people. Unfortunately, there is still a small group of people, because of personal grudges, who have raised some arguments which could incite the people and give rise to unnecessary misunderstanding. That is regrettable. Let me give you a few examples. When we first implemented this COE system, a dialogue session was conducted. I was present at this dialogue session. The arguments for and against the concept was debated furiously and rigorously at the session. It was a very heated argument indeed.”
“In the end, we presented the recommendations of the discussions to our Minister for National Development, Mr Lim Hng Kiang and the Minister has accepted the recommendations of these dialogue sessions conducted by the Feedback Unit. The concept of a 30-year lease for the sale of shophouses was announced and the response was very good. At the moment, many shopholders are requesting that the Minister for National Development sell more shop premises to them. So we can see that if a policy is implemented after consultation with the people concerned it would be strongly supported by the people and will receive very favourable response. Another example is the carpark for heavy vehicles. Many drivers of heavy vehicles informed me that it was very difficult for them to find parking lots for their heavy vehicles. When we presented these views to the relevant authorities, the answer was that the available parking lots were more than the number of heavy vehicles. So it was not a problem. But from the feedback given by the drivers, we understood that they were still having a lot of problems parking their heavy vehicles. I invited all the heavy-vehicle drivers to take part in our dialogue sessions. I discovered that although there were enough parking lots, many of these lots were situated at some far away and remote places, such as the industrial park in Tuas or some isolated areas in Woodlands, and these drivers had difficulty going to the carparks in the early morning because there was no public transport to go there to pick up their vehicles. We conveyed these views to the Minister and we are indeed very grateful to Minister Lim Hng Kiang who graciously directed that more car parks for heavy vehicles be built near the housing estates.”
“Our Government is concerned with the well-being of our people, and it attaches great importance to the views of the people. The setting up of the Feedback Unit is a good example. In order to implement policies which are beneficial to our people, and to build up consensus through consultation, our Ministers have been visiting the constituencies regularly to have dialogue sessions with the people and to find out first-hand the problems of our people. We have also the Feedback Unit to collect and collate feedback and views from our people. In the past, when the Government departments wanted to implement some new policies, they would just carry on with the implementation without consultation with the people. This kind of "do first talk later" attitude had incurred a lot of displeasure and dissatisfaction among the people. But now, it is different. With this consultation with the people, a lot of misunderstanding can be cleared and problems resolved. Let me give you a few examples. First, the "Sale of Tenanted Shops" scheme. In the early days, all the leases issued by HDB were for 99 years. Recent changes in policy have resulted in a recommendation to reduce them to 30-year leases instead. But before this policy was implemented, the matter was referred to the Feedback Unit to find out the response of the people. I personally convened and chaired a number of dialogue sessions with the shop owners to hear their views. The shop owners were happy that they had a chance to voice their views on the matter. In the process of these dialogue sessions, there were some heated but very meaningful discussions.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, hon. Members may wonder why my name is listed as No. 7 to speak on this motion today and I am now speaking as No. 16. The reason is very simple. Just now, Dr Michael Lim told me that he had some important matters to attend to, as a patient was waiting for him at the hospital. I felt that saving life is very important. Mutual help and mutual co-operation are equally important. I believe this is part of the Singapore 21 spirit. That was why I agree to swap with him. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, today is the 6th of May. There are only another 238 days more to the Year 2000. In a short span of just a few months' time, we will be stepping into the 21st century. But when we look at our neighbours, they are having social unrest, political conflicts, revolutions and disturbances resulting in a very uncertain situation. But in Singapore, our Government has used this regional financial crisis to test our people. By presenting this Singapore 21 vision, it paves the way for us to march into the 21st century in a higher key. I feel that this is something which all Singaporeans should take pride in. I would like to commend the Committee led by RAdm Teo for successfully bringing us this creative concept of the S21 vision and to lead Singapore into a better and more prosperous society in the 21st century. As such, I support this motion. As it has often been said, everyone has a role to play in the survival of our country. When the country is prosperous, all its citizens are happy and proud. But when the country meets with difficulties, everyone should hold up his or her responsibility to defend the nation. Ours is an enlightened society. Our policy is transparent.”
“If anyone should litter, they are authorised to issue summonses to these people and also to fine them on the spot. I feel that this is more effective than our present practice whereby a summons is issued and the CWO executed a few months after an offence has been committed. I think the on-the-spot fine may be more effective. Sir, I hope the Minister will consider my proposals.”
“But by 6 pm, that area was heavily littered with a lot of junk mails, commercial handbills and leaflets. We have about 8,000 blocks of HDB flats in Singapore. If we want to clear up all these junk mails from HDB flats, it would cost about $1 per block of flats. So, we have to spend $8,000 a day, $240,000 a month or $2.88 million a year. This is indeed a huge sum of money. Perhaps these companies which distribute or send out these handbills and leaflets should go around the HDB estates and see for themselves how wasteful it is to send out all these leaflets which end up as litters on the floor. Meanwhile, the Town Councils should improve the design of the letter boxes. I sincerely hope that if these companies want to advertise, they should do it through other means, rather than dumping all these leaflets into the letter boxes of residents, causing a lot of littering problems, and a lot of money to clean them up. Finally, as raised by Mr Heng Chiang Meng in Parliament last year, we should look into the possibility of authorising members of the public to help enforce the regulations. Recently, I visited Gulangyu in the Fujian province. On this island, there are no vehicles and it is a pollution free island. When I was there, I noticed that many senior citizens, who were wearing some red banners on their bodies, issuing summonses to anyone who littered, and even collecting fines from the offenders on-the-spot. I think this is a very effective way of controlling the environment. On the one hand, we can keep the senior citizens and retirees occupied, and let them earn some money for themselves, and on the other hand, they could take up the responsibility to make sure that no one litters.”
“I think through this effort, we could encourage the stallholders to pay more attention to their hygiene and cleanliness, and thereby creating a better environment for our people. Thirdly, foreign workers. At present, in Singapore, we have a few hundred thousands of foreign workers in Singapore because of the needs in the construction and manufacturing sectors. We have foreign workers coming from Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, China and India. They came from different cultural backgrounds. Perhaps they have different habits and different standards of hygiene in their countries. I often see in some HDB worksites these foreign workers eating at the void decks of the nearby HDB flats, and leaving behind empty containers and empty tins on the ground after they had finished eating. They said the food leftovers were for the stray dogs and cats, and they love them. This would certainly cause some health hazard to the residents there. I suggest that all contractors should take up the responsibility of educating the foreign workers. I feel that this is not the mistake of the workers themselves. It is just the habits that they have inherited from their own country. I think we should educate them in order to make them understand that these old habits of theirs are not to be tolerated in our environment. Fourthly, junk mail. The Town Councils have employed cleaners to clean up the common areas in our HDB estates, and the standard of cleanliness has generally improved. However, we still find that there are a lot of junk mails being thrown about near the letter boxes. I have taken some photographs. We can see that at noon time and at about 5.00 pm, the area at the lift lobby near the letter boxes was very clean.”
“On one occasion a couple of months ago, while I was standing at the roadside waiting for my grassroots leaders to drive me to a function, I saw two young children, presumably a sister and a brother, crossing the road. The younger brother was kicking an empty can. The elder sister said, "Why don't you pick up the empty tin instead of kicking it around?" The younger brother said, "I did not throw it. Why should I pick it up?" Although it was suggested that the empty tin be picked up, the children did not do so. In the end, it was the Member of Parliament who picked up the tin and threw it into the rubbish bin. I feel that we should start teaching our children about environmental protection from young. In our younger days, we had lessons in civics. We were told to use our hands and participate in some gotong royong campaigns. We should also educate our students not only to refrain from littering, but also to help pick up the litter and dispose of it in the proper manner. Then, Singapore will become an even cleaner city. Secondly, in the food centres. We all know that nowadays many families have their lunches and dinners in the food centres because both husband and wife are working and have no time to cook for the family. I think the hygiene and cleanliness of the food centres is very important. But very often, we observe that in the food centres, the stallholders would collect their plates and money, and with a swipe of the cloth, push all the food remains on to the ground. I think this is a very bad habit, and their hygiene standard is still very unsatisfactory. Perhaps we could have a National Food Centre Cleanliness Contest, where the three cleanest food centres in Singapore be picked and awarded.”
“According to information given by the Ministry of the Environment, in 1998, a total of 8,652 summonses were issued for littering offences. Compared to the 5,152 summonses in 1997, there has been an increase of almost 3,500. In 1998, there were about 580 people who were served with the CWO as opposed to the 376 in 1997. If these figures are in reference to the shares market, many people would have made a lot of money. But now, there are so many people who are flouting the law. This is a very disturbing trend. This will undermine our image and reputation as one of the cleanest cities in the world. The Minister has introduced this Amendment Bill to enhance the fine and increase the number of hours for the Corrective Work Orders (CWO). I think this is very timely. I support this Bill. Mr Speaker, Sir, if we want to have a more effective way to maintain Singapore's reputation as the most beautiful and cleanest city in the world, enhancing the penalties is just one of the ways, albeit an important and effective way. However, we should also enhance our educational efforts so that our people will learn to keep our environment clean. I would like to make a few suggestions. First, education in the schools. Our National Education has already achieved some good results. Otherwise, our environment would have been worse and more people would have been fined. Through education in the schools, we have inculcated in our students the concept of keeping our environment clean. The Ministry of Education should enhance its efforts in this direction so that the younger generation of citizens will make consistent efforts to keep Singapore clean. However, I feel that we should have more creative ways to educate our students. Let me give you an example.”
“I agree with him that children should be loved and cared for and not be abused, least of all by their parents or step parents. I would like to assure Members that my Ministry will come down hard on child abuses. While the number of reported cases of child abuse has gone up over the past three years, averaging about 160 cases annually, the number of confirmed cases of abuse has actually been quite stable, averaging between 25 and 28 cases annually. I support the NMP's suggestion that members of the community, and particularly the neighbours, should report all cases of child abuse. The Member may wish to know that we have a child abuse hotline, managed by my Ministry, and indeed this is an avenue or conduit which the public can use to report child abuse cases. I want to assure the NMP and members of the public that identify people who report child abuse to my Ministry that they are kept strictly confidential. All reports of suspected child abuse will be thoroughly investigated and looked into. 1.45 pm”
“On institutionalisation and after care, Dr Vasoo may be happy to know that we have set up the new Boys' Complex in Jurong to replace the old and dilapidated Singapore Boys' Home A and B. It has better facilities which allow for implementation of more rehabilitation programmes. What is unique here too is that it has a classification centre where all newly admitted juveniles are assessed by a multi-disciplinary team of professionals for possible risks, for their social emotional needs and the aptitude for training and education. An individual care plan is then developed for more effective and focused rehabilitation of each resident. Classification also allows the home to separate the boys in different dormitories according to the seriousness of the offences and also the degree of their delinquency. So I think this will avoid contamination which the Member is concerned with. On incorrigible juveniles, as mentioned by Dr Ho, we are indeed seeing an increase of such offenders. But in fact, world-wide, we are seeing the emergence of very small groups of juveniles with extremely low or no rehabilitation potential, and they are usually not remorseful about their offences at all. The number in Singapore, Sir, is actually relatively small, about five to 10 cases each year in MCD homes. They are not responsive to the homes' programmes. They threaten the safety of residents and staff, and they are defiant and also disruptive. The incorrigible juvenile is usually brought before the Juvenile Court for transfer to the approved school or Young Offenders Section in the Reformatory Training Centre (RTC) under the Prisons Department. Mr Shriniwas Rai talked about child abuse which has been increasing. I agree with him. It is a very serious form of abuse.”
“Mdm Claire Chiang asked for more help for single parents. I assure her that every case in need will be helped. Single parent families who do not qualify for PA may receive short-term financial assistance. And once they are on PA, they also get other forms of assistance from other groups and their school-going children will be referred to the Ministry of Education for help in their schooling expenses. With regard to means test, the test is actually very simple and people merely need to call us or our agency if they need help, and they need not apply in person and no forms will be needed to be filled if they want any help. With regard to the misery index, the index which she referred to includes other miseries as well, quite apart from PA. So I am not too sure whether it can directly apply to us in that sense. Anyway, we have other more direct means of ascertaining PA rates. And for planning purposes, we have means such as the minimum household expenditure survey data. We are reviewing the criteria for the PA scheme and sufficient funds have been set aside for PA. On juvenile delinquency, I agree with Dr Vasoo and Dr Ho that arrests have indeed increased over the last two years after a drop in 1996. I would like to emphasise here that parental and family involvement is the cornerstone in effective rehabilitation and parents who undergo orientation are involved in the development and implementation of treatment plans for their children. Community involvement and support also help strengthen and facilitate the rehabilitation process. All these are highly featured in our rehabilitation protocols.”
“My Ministry also links retrenched workers to other Government agencies and no child will be denied education because of financial difficulty in the family. For working mothers who have been retrenched, my Ministry has also extended the period of Government childcare subsidy. Low-income families can also tap on the centre-based financial assistance scheme for childcare and the back-to-work childcare scheme to supplement subsidies. Prof. Low has asked if the Ministry allows PA recipients to take up part-time jobs to supplement their income. Sir, we encourage and assist indeed PA recipients to get a job. We will take off PA only after we are satisfied that they have a steady income to support themselves and their families. Mr Sin asked whether we should push awareness of the target audience on PA and all other assistance available in Singapore. Sir, instead of going on a media blitz, as Mr Sin suggested, I think it is better for us to go direct to the people involved, people who care and look after the less fortunate and to the less fortunate themselves. We have, for example, briefed the CDCs, members of grassroots organisations and VWOs on the schemes and services MCD and its related agencies have to help all those in financial distress. We have a directory of services given out to the advisers to grassroots organisations, senior managers, town councils, HDB Branch Offices, PA, CDCs and VWOs. We have also involved, and this is important, the CDCs and RCs on an outreach programme for families. This programme brings together volunteers from the CDCs, the RCs and the VWOs to go from door to door to inform families residing in 1- or 2-room flats of the schemes and services they can tap on. A booklet of all major schemes is given to the families.”
“Secondly, it is about the funds available to our national sports associations. I think all our associations are lacking in funds. I hope that the Minister for Finance can allocate more funds to the Singapore Sports Council to help the various sports in the next financial year. Thirdly, the lack of training venue and facilities. Perhaps, our National Stadium and the Singapore Indoor Stadium should be converted into a training village to promote more sports activities. As Prime Minister Goh has said, we want to capture the Thomas Cup by the next century, the Government should try its best to provide an environment conducive to the development of the various sports in Singapore. Every effort must be made to make it easier for our athletes and players to train and give full play to their potential, in order to be developed into world-beaters. Mr Abdullah Tarmugi: I think I have only 10 minutes to answer all the questions. Sir, I will cover the cuts on social assistance by Dr Vasoo, Dr Ho, Mr Sin Boon Ann, Prof. Low Seow Chay and NMPs, Mdm Claire Chiang and Mr Shriniwas Rai. On the help for retrenched workers, as I mentioned in my speech yesterday, there is already quite a comprehensive safety net available. We have things like the approved Interim Financial Scheme, the Rent and Utilities Assistance Scheme (RUAS) and the CDCs and grassroots organisations launching new schemes to help the retrenched, including one-off national grants, tie-ups with hawker stalls to offer hot meals and food and ration vouchers. All cases of hardship arising from retrenchment, especially when the breadwinner has difficulties finding another job, will be dealt with sympathetically by my Ministry.”
“Sir, recently Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong challenged the Singapore Badminton Association to capture the Thomas Cup by the 21st century and the Football Association of Singapore to raise the standard of our football so that we may one day qualify for the final round of the World Cup. These may seem to be tall orders, but not entirely impossible, provided we take practical steps to attain these targets. First of all, we must identify our obstacles. We should analyse the problems in a very analytical and objective manner so that we can concentrate our efforts to strive for success. First of all, we must enhance the professional status of our athletes. The prime time of these athletes is from 20 to 35 years old, after which they will need to have some plans for their second careers. We have just a few hundred sportsmen and sportswomen who are capable of bringing glory to Singapore. I think we should help them to develop some retirement plans so that they can feel assured that life after competitions is being looked after, and they can concentrate on their present efforts to do well in the field of sports they excel in. We can perhaps arrange for them to become coaches, trainers or physical education teachers upon their retirement from active competitions.”
“We will look into ways to professionalise the social service sector and ensure that we get the top people to join the sector so that they can give better service to the public. I was told that in the US, in fact, MBAs join the people sector and they give the kind of quality, push and drive that the people sector requires. Dr Vasoo asked for more funds. By the way, I would like to thank Dr Vasoo and also Mdm Claire Chiang for their spirited appeal for more funds for my Ministry from the Finance Ministry. I agree with Dr Vasoo that the VWOs should focus more on providing service and looking after the needs of the disadvantaged Singaporeans rather than spend too much time and effort in raising funds. Fund raising by itself is not undesirable, and I am sure the Member would agree, because it could tap on donors who prefer to give to their favourite charities and educate the public on worthy causes to support. It also rallies the community effort and creates a rich civil society. Fund raising by charities has been affected with the current economic downturn. But it is heartening also that some agencies are still successful in their fund raising efforts by organising novel and creative activities and events. Sir, the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Health Care for the Elderly has recommended a review of the Government subvention to VWOs. This takes into consideration the growth in social service required because of our rapidly ageing population and the lower ratio of working persons per elderly in the future. My Ministry will be working with the Ministry of Health to follow up on this recommendation. The Members can be assured that we are addressing the funding requirements of our VWOs, and the IMC will also be looking into this issue more comprehensively. Can I carry on, Sir?”
“But the Government will not let it flounder because it will give its support and the resources required, especially to start it off. Mdm Claire Chiang asked about improving our social service sector. Two events have marked the increasing significant role that social workers are playing. The first was the tea hosted by the President of Singapore at Istana last year, as the Member has mentioned in her speech. The second was the launching of the Outstanding Social Worker Award, singling out those with distinctions in the service to the profession, the community and the public. The Member was also involved in this project. Training for both professionals and volunteers is important. In the past year, MCD organised specialised training for the sector in the areas of child abuse and juvenile delinquency. These are specialised courses. At another level, the Executive Directors of agencies attended a first ever Directors' seminar of the sector in October last year. Earlier this year, the staff in the social sector also began the post-graduate diploma in social work. These courses were over subscribed. I am told that 133 people vied for the first 50 places in the post-graduate courses and the rest would be trained in subsequent courses. There was training for volunteers, and MCD organised two workshops last year, one in May and another in November, which were jointly organised by IPS and the NCSS. In December last year, MCD, together with NCSS, also launched two handbooks on volunteerism. One is a guide for volunteer coordinators to emphasise guiding principles in good volunteer management. The other is a handbook on motivating and sustaining volunteers.”
“We believe that social capital is accrued by developing socially responsible individuals, building strong, stable families and by fostering a caring and compassionate community. By working together, I am confident that we can achieve these desired outcomes and build a cohesive and resilient society. If I may now address the specific questions raised by Members. Dr Vasoo and Mr Ahmad Magad asked whether an institution would be formed to promote and develop volunteerism. In October last year, I mooted the proposal for a national body to promote volunteerism as a way of life in Singapore at a seminar organised by the IPS. When I mooted the proposal, I asked for suggestions and feedback on how the setting up of a national organisation could be facilitated. I believe that Mr Ahmad Magad and Dr Vasoo are referring to such an institution when they suggested the creation of a body to work out schemes to encourage volunteerism and inculcate the spirit of volunteerism among Singaporeans. NCSS conducted a survey in January this year and focused group discussions last month among volunteer youth organisations. Members may be pleased to know that there has been a lot of interest in support of the proposal to have a body to promote volunteerism more widely among Singaporeans. It will be a resource and information centre that will facilitate networking and encourage more people to volunteer by providing information and advice on volunteer opportunities with further consultancy for volunteer initiatives. The centre will provide training and research and develop good volunteer management practices. It will serve both the volunteers and the volunteer user organisations. The body will be volunteer-driven.”
“When people come forward to serve and contribute to the community, they develop a sense of belonging, ownership and national identity, in other words, the "social glue" that bonds Singaporeans. My Ministry's new Community and Social Sector Development Division will promote and nurture the growth of the people sector. A key initiative is to establish a national body to promote volunteerism as a way of life in Singapore. I would elaborate on this later. It will be a promotional and resource centre for Singaporeans and corporations who want to be part of the volunteer movement. It aims to increase the level of volunteerism in all areas - social service, the arts, sports, etc. We will work with the VWOs and community organisations to identify and implement new social services, improve service delivery, set appropriate standards and provide manpower development and training programmes. For the people sector to take a quantum leap forward, it has to attract strong and able leaders. Like the private sector and also the public sector, the people sector too must have its share of top talent. Sir, what I have described are MCD's new initiatives in the area of community development. When Singapore first gained independence, the social challenges facing us were stark - racial tension, communal strife, poverty and unemployment. These problems have largely been addressed. Today, the new social challenges facing us are far more complex and no less consequential. Members of the House, we must deal with these new challenges as decisively and as wisely as the first generation of Singapore leaders. What I have sketched out for you so far today, is my Ministry's approach to address these challenges.”
“Anticipating the Ageing Population Let me now move on to our second strategic thrust, which is to prepare for the unprecedented ageing of our society. With the number of older Singaporeans set to triple by 2030, the baby boom of the 1950s and 1960s will now become the seniors' boom. We must plan ahead to minimise the potential downsides and even capitalise on the opportunities that an ageing population will bring. The issues of our ageing population demand focused attention, coordinated action and creative solutions. My Ministry recently formed the Elderly Development Division to provide focus and direction to MCD's role as the lead Government agency on ageing issues. My Ministry will also review existing programmes for the elderly with a view to developing a five-year services master plan for the years 2001 to 2005. We want to strengthen public education, help the elderly to lead active and fulfilling lives and develop a strong, well coordinated network of community-based services to support the elderly. At another level, the Inter-Ministerial Committee on the Ageing Population, chaired by Mr Mah Bow Tan, Minister for Communications, with Mr Yeo Cheow Tong and myself as Deputy Chairmen, was formed last October to set national directions, and to ensure a comprehensive and coordinated approach across the public, private and people sectors. MCD's Elderly Development Division will coordinate the implementation of the IMC's recommendations. Developing the People Sector Let me now come to the third strategic thrust, that of developing the people sector. A vibrant and dynamic people sector is an important pre-requisite for community bonding and nation building.”