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.”
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“Let me elaborate. Strengthening the Family First, strategic thrust in strengthening the family. Society cannot be strong if the family is weak. Today, the Singapore family, though basically healthy, is under increasing pressure. You are familiar with the trends - dual income families, increasing nuclearisation of families, smaller families, rising divorce rates, rising juvenile delinquency. Parents do not spend enough time with their children. The extended family is in retreat. This has led to an erosion of the traditional role of parents and the extended family in shaping the character and values of their children. MCD is taking a proactive and developmental approach to develop programmes to inculcate family values and provide social infrastructure to support families. Our approach is two-fold, developing our "heartware" through family life education and building up the "community infrastructure". Family life education is three-pronged: helping couples strengthen their marriages, imparting parenting skills and inculcating family values. And MCD's family life programmes will equip couples, parents and the young with the values and the skills for healthy family living. Busy families need strong community support to help them manage the many competing demands and pressures of urban life. While the family has primary responsibility for care-giving, it should have access to good and affordable care options for their children. Last year, my Ministry reviewed its child care policy. We will develop more child care centres, improve the standards of programmes and manpower and provide more help to low-income families. This year, Sir, my Ministry will review Family Service Centres and Before-and-After School Care Centres to enhance their effectiveness and increase supply.”
“Let me assure Members that the Government and the community will help these Singaporeans get back on their feet. The present safety net is adequate and there are many existing schemes offered by MCD, voluntary and community organisations to help retrenched workers and their families who are in financial difficulties. Should the situation worsen and we need more funds, my Ministry will not hesitate to request for supplementary budget. But, Sir, the best approach, as has been mentioned quite often today and in the past week, is to equip them with the necessary skills continually, so that they remain employable and are able to provide for themselves and their families. Sir, many Members have also noted that we must look beyond the current crisis, to address broader trends and challenges which could unravel our social fabric. My Ministry shares these concerns and has repositioned itself to meet the challenges ahead. 6.00 pm Complex demographic and socio-economic trends are reshaping our society. We must anticipate and manage the risks that they bring. Instead of dealing with social problems downstream, we must proactively shape the nature of the society we desire upstream. We need to build and accumulate social capital to see us through the ups and downs on our journey to make Singapore "Our Best Home". But how can we do this? My Ministry will pursue three strategic thrusts to enable each and every Singaporean to contribute to our social capital. We must: (1) Support and strengthen the traditional roles of the family in care giving and inculcating values in our young; (2) Anticipate and prepare for an ageing population; and (3) Build up a dynamic and vibrant people sector. MCD has restructured itself to provide focus and direction to deal with these new challenges.”
“Perhaps some of these senior citizens could not afford to buy the studio apartments. Will there be other ways to help them purchase these apartments? Now, we are always talking about moving towards a knowledge economy where the emphasis is on high-tech industries. We all know that when the senior citizens get older, their memory is not so good and they may not be able to react so quickly to the changing technology. So on the one hand, we want to develop high technology, but on the other hand, we must also consider that with our aging population, more and more people may have problems coping with advanced technology. I think we have to strike a balance there. When we are studying the problems of our senior citizens, one important point is their mental health. There are many things which senior citizens could do but younger people cannot. So when we are setting the rules, we should also consult the senior citizens, because if we leave it all to the young people to plan the activities for the senior citizens, it may not be appropriate. Of course, we have just started this Committee to study the problems of the elderly. I hope that when we are planning future activities, we should have more consultations with our grassroots leaders and the Committee members of the Senior Citizens' Club. Only then, can we come out with better development plans which are relevant to the needs of the elderly. The Minister for Community Development (Mr Abdullah Tarmugi): Sir, before I reply to the specific Members' questions, let me acquaint the House with how MCD is positioning itself for the future. Sir, in the past week in this House, several Members have expressed concern about whether we are doing enough to help retrenched workers and their families.”
“Sir, the trend of an aging population in Singapore has already attracted our attention. By year 2030, 20% of our population will be above the age of 60. Of course, we cannot wait until it happens before we do our preparation work. We must immediately make all plans to cater for this situation. Recently we have set up a Committee to look after the aged. Although this is a new organisation, I hope that when the Minister formulates any policy, he would consult the grassroots organisations of the various constituencies and collect more feedback from the ground. Only then will the policies they formulate be more relevant. When people grow older, their mobility will become more and more difficult. For those who live far away from the community centres, they will have problems getting there. However, in our housing estates, we have one Residents' Committee in every 10 blocks. So can I suggest that the MCD work out some plans with the Ministry of National Development to set up a Senior Citizens' Corner or Senior Citizens' Club near every RC centre, so that our RC members can look after the senior citizens and encourage them to participate in the activities of the RC. In this way, we can prevent the old folks from being cut off from the community. Presently, 85% of the population live in HDB estates. Recently, I heard from the Minister for National Development that he was going to reduce the prices for studio apartments for senior citizens. That is a piece of good news. But even then, we cannot ensure that every senior citizen could afford to buy this studio apartment. While we are considering the problems of the senior citizens, the Government should also study the purchasing power of the senior citizens for these studio apartments.”
“If the People's Association can give some incentives or awards, like what we have been doing in companies and work places to encourage our workers to enhance their productivity and efficiency. I hope the Minister will consider some kind of incentive schemes for such activities. (2) When the National Day Parade is held at the National Stadium, because of the limited number of seats, we can accommodate only a small portion of the people in Singapore. Although we have direct TV telecast, it is like watching a football match on TV. The viewers cannot feel the atmosphere in front of the television set. National Day is a most important day in our country's calendar. To enable all our people to take part and to inculcate patriotism in them, I suggest that all the constituencies in Singapore organise their own National Day Parade or at least a National Day Observance Ceremony, so that more people can come forward and be part of the celebration of our National Day. (3) In the past, at our National Day Parades, apart from the programme at the parade ground, there were also processions of uniformed groups marching into the city and to the various housing estates. This will enable our people to feel the festivity of our National Day. I hope in future National Day Parades, there could be displays of some of our defence facilities and weapons, to strengthen our people's confidence in our defence capabilities.”
“Sir, in his Chinese New Year message, Prime Minister Goh mentioned the importance of community bonding. In this current economic recession, the people of Singapore have demonstrated the importance of community bonding as they go along with the cost-cutting package to save our economy. In one heart, they are prepared to make sacrifices for the country. Community bonding does not come by itself. It has to be cultivated through education and nurtured through active participation in grassroots activities. On how to enhance our community bonding, I have the following suggestions: (1) In the various constituencies in Singapore, we have different levels of grassroots organisations. I do not think many people would know how many grassroots organisations there are in our constituencies. Nowadays, we have often heard people talking about their aspirations to have 5Cs or 6Cs in life. In my constituency there are 12Cs - the CCC, CCMC, RC, WEC, YEC, CSC, CDEC, CDC, SCEC, MAEC, IAEC and NC. Yes, we have 12 different kinds of grassroots organisations. These organisations are actively organising all sorts of activities to bond our people together and in the process build up our social cohesion. When I speak to our young people about kampong spirit, they find it to be a very abstract concept. They do not understand the meaning of kampong spirit. When I asked them whether they have the spirit of solidarity, they understand. So we must find some different ways to educate our young generation. If we can bring all these grassroots organisations together to build a "Unity Circle", it will help to further enhance our community bonding. We can also build our national bonding.”
“They extended this system to the City of Los Angeles. Nevertheless, I will ask my officials to look into Mr Peh's suggestion.”
“Our environmental health surveillance capabilities have gained formal international recognition when the World Health Organisation designated the Ministry's Epidemiology Department as a regional coordinating centre in 1995. Sir, Mr Peh Chin Hua is a very hardworking MP. I must say that the criteria used in the assessment are strictly based on hygiene-related matters such as (1) housekeeping and cleanliness, for example, whether the storage cupboards are clean and not infested with cockroaches and other vermins; (2) food and personal hygiene, for example, whether raw and cooked food is properly stored and whether the food handler observes personal hygiene and cleanliness. Non-hygiene related matters are not part of the assessment criteria. For example, we do not assess how the hawker is dressed but he must be clean. If he wears clothes that are filthy and dirty, then of course this would not do. How the goods are displayed and how the stall is organised are also not factors that will determine the grade of the outlet so long as food hygiene is not compromised. Ultimately, we would like to see all our food vendors committed to a high standard of food and personal hygiene regardless of the type of food and the way that they are selling. There are several questions that are asked. I would like to congratulate his colleagues for having their own assessment. But I must say to Mr Peh that that is more for local competition. Most probably, everybody knows the time, and so forth. Whereas as far as ENV is concerned, we assess over the whole year. If I am not mistaken, Mr Peh also suggested that there should be a category "P" and "F". Sir, it was a remarkable coincidence that when we embarked on our scheme, the County of LA was also having the same grading system.”
“Our emphasis in Singapore is on vigilance, control and public education that range from checking the source of food from overseas suppliers to the education and enforcement of local food manufacturers and food handlers in our food centres. This is backed by a system of infectious disease notification so that we can act swiftly to contain any outbreak should it occur. Firstly, my Ministry closely monitors the food situation and emerging food-related diseases in the region and worldwide. Officers in my Ministry also keep in close contact with their counterparts in the region. 4.45 pm Secondly, the PPD is also very stringent in its control on the import of meat, fish, vegetable and other primary products. Only produce from approved sources is allowed to enter into Singapore. Thirdly, my Ministry and the PPD has a structured system for surveillance and regular inspection of food manufacturers and retailers to ensure that food is prepared under clean and hygienic conditions. Through public education, training courses for food handlers, food factory programmes and enforcement action, a high standard of food hygiene is maintained. We are vigilant on high risk food and we would not hesitate to act if there is an unacceptable risk to our public health. Sir, finally, in spite of all that we can do, on the preventive side, we must make preparations should an outbreak occur. ENV has therefore established an inter-agency response procedure involving MOH and PPD to handle food-related incidents. This will enhance our level of preparedness, as a nation, to handle any contingency. Because of our high standard of environmental sanitation and food hygiene, our risks are low.”
“I do not have the data here, but I was given a briefing recently and was told that, in fact, the number of large companies in the environmental technology field that are now operating in Singapore has been steadily increasing. So we are seeing more companies moving to Singapore to serve not just Singapore but also the region. And I think in the process, our own local companies will also benefit from the technology transfer. We are also encouraging companies to invest in pollution control equipment. For example, we have now introduced the accelerated depreciation allowance scheme to companies that purchase such equipment. This year, the Finance Ministry has supported my Ministry's proposal to extend this accelerated depreciation allowance to the purchase of new commercial vehicles that are being used to replace the old diesel-driven vehicles. So we will continue to look for more ways to help the industry and we will continue to work with the key players in the industry on how ENV can assist them further. I would now like to ask my Senior Minister of State to answer the other questions. The Senior Minister of State for the Environment (Encik Sidek bin Saniff): Sir, first, let me thank Mr Heng Chiang Meng for his valuable observation regarding food safety or food hygiene. Sir, the recent incidence cited by the MP has highlighted how inadequate control on food safety can give rise to serious problems even in developed countries with good public health services. While Singaporeans today enjoy a food supply that is among the safest in the world, we are constantly facing new threats of massive outbreaks of food-borne diseases.”
“Currently, the offenders are only given the Corrective Work Order. Under the revised penalties, the recalcitrant would be liable to both the CWO and a fine. And the maximum duration for the CWO would be increased from three hours to a maximum of 12 hours. He talked about the dumping of bulky items like furniture. We are also increasing penalties for illegal dumping of bulky items like furniture on the roadsides and void decks. On his unhappiness about the Whampoa River being dirtied, I also share his concerns. We have spent 20-over years to clean up the rivers. Today, one can actually swim in the rivers. And yet people still do litter. How big is the problem? To ensure that the litter does not get into our water resources, because 40% of Singapore is a catchment area, and the drains and canals in this part of Singapore drain into our reservoirs, we have placed float booms and gratings to collect the litter. I think it will surprise Members to know that each day, we collect over 40 tonnes of litter from the canals and the rivers, enough to fill 10 truck loads. Again, I would like to join Mr Shriniwas Rai in urging Singaporeans to exert peer pressure, because we cannot be around everywhere all the time to spot the litterbugs. Singaporeans can. Let us all join together in this exercise. Sir, tax incentives - this is a perennial subject. I am glad we have a champion in Mr Heng Chiang Meng on tax incentives to promote the environmental protection industry. I would like to assure him that all the incentives that are available for the manufacturing sector and the service industries are also available to the environmental protection industry or environmental technology industry. Indeed, EDB also keeps a look-out for potential companies to bring to Singapore.”
“Sir, I will take both of them together. Sir, I totally agree with him. I share his concerns about the littering that is taking place in Singapore, despite several decades of Keep Singapore Clean Campaign. We have done surveys amongst the teenagers. And what we find is that the awareness of the need to keep Singapore clean and the need to not litter is very wide. That means all teenagers know about it, because through the schools and public campaigns, they have been made aware. When we look at the data on litterbugs, what surprises us is that two-thirds of the litterbugs are aged below 30 years old, ie, these are the ones who have gone through the school education and the public education programme. So it is not lack of awareness. I think it is a lack of social responsibility. The fortunate part is that litterbugs are still the minority. The majority of Singaporeans are very proud about the clean environment and they do take efforts not to litter. The question is how do we deal with the negative attitude of this small group of dirty Singaporeans. Our approach, as has been mentioned by Mr Rai, is education. I think we have to reach out not just to educate Singaporeans but to create peer pressure on those who are inclined to litter. And what we are looking now is how do we involve the community in a much greater way. For example, the Keep Singapore Clean Campaign, which has been driven by my Ministry primarily, I have asked my officials to make that into a civic movement, and to let the community leaders drive this campaign from now on, rather than to let it continue as being a Government campaign. We have also taken steps to enhance the penalties, which I think is important. We need both the carrot and the stick.”
“It reduces SO2 by 80%, and the particulate emission from the engines by 50%. So this reduction of sulphur has got benefits. He has asked about the impact of the price increase. In fact, owners of diesel-driven vehicles are having a price reduction. Because even though the price of diesel has gone up by 2 cents, we have removed the tax on diesel. So net, the owners still have a saving on the price of diesel. Is the Government considering stricter emission standards? Yes, with the introduction of the 0.05% sulphur in diesel, we are now able to consider stricter emission standards. These standards have, in fact, been in place in Europe since 1996. As Prof. Low has mentioned, the new vehicles, in order to meet these standards, would need to be fitted with a catalytic converter and a particulate trap. As to when we are going to introduce the new standards, we are still studying them, and we will be announcing the decision shortly. Mr Heng Chiang Meng asked about the noise pollution from aircraft. He asked whether the noise pollution standards are stringent enough for us to prevent these aircraft from flying here. I would like to assure him that the likelihood of the older aircraft being diverted to Singapore is very, very low, because today more than 90% of the aircraft using Singapore Airport are the newer aircraft classified under Chapter 3 of the Convention. This is because most of the airlines that serve Singapore Airport are the major airlines, and these are the ones that are in the process of continually upgrading their aircraft and using newer aircraft. So despite the move by the US to phase out the older aircraft by end of this year, the likelihood of these aircraft being moved here is very, very low. Mr Shriniwas Rai has talked about littering and clean rivers.”
“Sir, Mr Ong also mentioned about the penalties being enhanced. Actually the enhanced penalties are still lower than what the courts were imposing, because the courts were imposing penalties from $600 to over $1,000. Whereas now by compounding the offences, the offenders do not have to appear in court, so actually we are saving them time. Secondly, the compounded penalty is only $500. In actual fact, the penalties have been reduced rather than increased. Mr Ong also asked why petrol-driven vehicles are not required to go for a re-test, if they fail the emission test. Contrary to what he believes, the carbon monoxide test is a mandatory one. And if petrol-driven vehicles fail the carbon monoxide test, it is mandatory for them to go for a re-test. He has also asked what is the practice of the advanced countries. The advanced countries, in fact, have more stringent emission standards than ours. And because their standards are more stringent, the likelihood of the vehicles emitting black smoke is also reduced. Also, I understand that they have very strict controls on maintenance of the vehicles. As to how many countries use the Hartridge smoke meters to measure the density of smoke emission, I am happy to let him know that all the developed countries use the same Hartridge meters as we are using. Prof. Low Seow Chay has asked whether we have relaxed the vehicle emission standards because of the economic slowdown. I would like to assure him that we have not. In fact, we have recently moved to reduce the allowable sulphur content in diesel from 0.3% previously to 0.05% since 1st March this year. This lower sulphur content would reduce the emission of sulphur dioxide, which is another very undesirable pollutant.”
“So we will continue to work through all the various organisations and with our neighbouring countries to ensure that there is enough pressure being exerted on Indonesia to take this problem seriously, because this is a problem which affects not just us but, more importantly, it affects themselves to a much greater degree. On diesel emissions, it is interesting to see the two opposing views. One is from Prof. Low Seow Chay who firmly believes that we should take firm action to ensure that this pollution problem is being tackled effectively. And the other view from Mr Ong Ah Heng who asks us not to be too harsh. Let me start with the points raised by Mr Ong Ah Heng first, because I think it is important for us to understand why this problem is an important one that needs to be tackled. Fundamentally, diesel smoke contains very fine particulates of less than 2.5 microns, or what we call PM2.5. The studies in the US and elsewhere have linked PM2.5 to an increase in respiratory diseases and mortality. So contrary to what Mr Ong believes, PM2.5 diesel particulates are actually dangerous to health. Therefore, it is prudent for us to keep the diesel smoke to as low a level as possible in order to protect the health of our people. This problem is not a difficult one to overcome because this diesel smoke can be minimised if the engines are properly maintained. And therefore we have put in place penalties to act as deterrence against irresponsible behaviour by owners and drivers of diesel-driven vehicles. Yes, the penalties may be harsh, but the penalties can be avoided, and I think that is a key point. The taxi drivers and the lorry drivers can avoid paying these penalties by ensuring that their vehicles are maintained regularly and properly.”
“So when a fire breaks out, there is confusion as to which body is responsible for first spotting the fire and, secondly, taking action to fight the fire. Thirdly, who will now step in to investigate, find the culprit and charge them in court? There is no proper structure. Also, in our dealings with the Indonesians, we realise that there are actually many people who are quite concerned about this. They are in charge of departments and they want to do something. But unfortunately, because of the economic crisis, they are short of funds and therefore they are unable to purchase the necessary equipment. We have been working with the ASEAN members on this issue. We will continue to urge Indonesia to strengthen their efforts against illegal burning and to urge them to set up the proper organisational structure. We have also proceeded to help them purchase some of the equipment. For example, we have over the last year supplied them with communications equipment which will enable them to spot where the fires are burning and relay the information down to the ground. All the communications equipment are now in place. We now have to see how do we get them to make good use of this equipment. This is where the political will comes in. 4.30 pm In terms of the funding, we have been working with various international agencies, like UNEP. And I understand that UNEP will be working with other UN and international bodies as well on the funding, and to work with the donor countries to assist Indonesia to enhance its ability and capacity.”
“They were fined between $900 and $8,000 each and two vehicles were seized. As to what are the other penalties, the Land Office will normally repossess the site. There were seven cases last year that were repossessed. It is not only that. The Land Office will also forfeit the three months' rental deposit as a penalty. The culprits will also be asked to reinstate the land. So with the enhanced penalties under the new Bill, plus more regular inspections, we should be able to contain this problem as well. Next, let me move on to the issue of haze. Mr Heng Chiang Meng and Mr Simon Tay have spoken on this. As Mr Heng has rightly pointed out, the La Nina phenomenon has given us a slight reprieve because with the wetter than normal weather, which is expected to last until mid year, we should be fairly free from regional haze. The normal weather pattern is expected to return in the second half of this year and this would coincide with the dry weather as well. With the onset of dry weather, we can expect to see burning activity starting again in Indonesia and therefore we should be prepared. What have we been doing to get ourselves ready for this? The key activities have been taking place in the regional setting. We have finalised the regional haze action plan and Indonesia's role is to establish a proper fire fighting procedure as well as to ensure that there are appropriate enforcement procedures against the illegal burning. Because of the economic crisis, we fear that there is a lack of political will in the Government to ensure that these two roles are being catered for. For example, in working with the Indonesians, what we have found is that there is really no clear organisational structure in terms of both enforcement and fire fighting.”
“Mr Heng has suggested empowering the community to help us solve this problem. It is definitely an attractive suggestion. I would get my staff to work with him because the more eyes and ears we have within the community, the easier would it be for us to catch them. Not only that, knowing that there are more people on the lookout for them, the culprits would be also more deterred from engaging in such activities. The second challenge that we have to cope with is how to make sure that the gains are dwarfed by the penalties. At the present moment, the penalties are actually quite low because, for the first offence, the maximium fine is only $10,000. Typically, the courts have been imposing fines of about $1,000 to $7,000, which means that the penalty is actually very much dwarfed by the potential gain. We have already tabled the Bill for amending the relevant Act. Once the Bill is passed, the penalties for the first offence would be increased from the current $10,000 to $50,000 plus the possibility of imprisonment of up to 12 months. For those who are caught for the second and subsequent offences, the fines would be increased from a maximum of $20,000 today to $100,000 plus a mandatory jail sentence. The mandatory jail sentence would be not less than one month and not more than 12 months. The law would also be amended to allow us to more effectively seize the vehicles that are being used. With the enhanced penalties and with the more effective feedback mechanism, we should be able to better contain this problem. Prof. Low Seow Chay has also asked about illegal dumping activities and he asked how many cases of illegally dumped materials on agricultural sites were caught last year. We mounted ambushes at several sites last year and caught 21 offenders.”
“To solve the problem of acute shortage in refuse collectors, the Government has decided to award the tender to private refuse collectors in Tampines Constituency as a pilot project. The private refuse collector has already been in operation for a few months now. I would like to know whether the job has been carried out to the satisfaction of the Ministry of the Environment. Has the Ministry set out any criteria or standards to avoid manipulation by the private companies? Will the Ministry consider allowing more private companies to take part in future tender exercises? Can the Minister tell us whether privatisation of refuse collection would result in a cleaner environment in our HDB estates and private residential estates? Will it cost the residents more for the disposal of their refuse? If this scheme works out to be more efficient, I hope the Minister can quickly extend it to the whole of Singapore for the benefit of all the residents. The Minister for the Environment (Mr Yeo Cheow Tong): First, I would like to thank all the Members who have spoken for their views and suggestions. I will take the first two speakers' points on illegal dumping. I totally agree with Mr Heng that illegal dumping is something which is totally irresponsible and which is something that we should do our best to stamp out. It is not just costly to remove the illegally dumped materials but in the process, quite often, the culprits end up damaging the environment quite badly. To solve this problem, we really need to address two challenges, both of which Mr Heng has also touched on. The first is catching the culprits red handed. This, as Mr Heng pointed out, is difficult because they tend to work late at night and usually in deserted areas.”
“Secondly, under the present system, car owners have to either scrap their old cars when they reach 10 years of age, or to renew the COE. Now that we are facing an economic recession, car owners find it difficult either to buy a new car or renew the COE by paying the prevailing premium. It has become a great burden to them. I would suggest that the present 10-year period for COE be extended to 12 years or even longer. This will lighten the burden of existing car owners. Thirdly, many people have suggested the pay-as-you-bid system (PAYB) in order to prevent the kiasu people from submitting unreasonably high bids. But the Committee feels that this may cause confusion among the finance institutions as the values of cars will be too diversified. I think, if possible, the PAYB could be pegged to the present system of lowest successful bid. In other words, taking "you pay as you bid" as the basic principle, and then tie it up with the principle of the lowest successful bid. For example, if A bids $22,000, B bids $50,000 and the strike price is $20,000, then both of them will pay $20,000 for the COE, and donate the difference between the bidded price and the strike price to charity. I feel that this will be in line with the PAYB principle, and at the same time, it can also achieve the objective of a uniform lowest successful bid. This will not cause any confusion to the second-hand car market or to the finance companies. It will also equitably reflect the market value of cars and at the same time, kiasu bidders will be forced to exercise more caution in submitting their bids.”
“Sir, it has been 10 years since the Vehicle Quota System (VQS) was first implemented in Singapore. During this period, the Ministry of Communications, through the Feedback Unit, grassroots organisations and various people, have collected feedback and suggestions on ways and means to improve the system, and has actually acted upon some of these suggestions to fine-tune our VQS. I feel that the present VQS is quite sound and has effectively controlled the vehicle growth at an annual rate of 3%. The tender prices have been stabilised, and our people are already used to the system, and are familiar with the way it is operated. As such, if we want to make major changes again, people will have to start all over again to get used to it. As we are now facing an economic recession, some people feel that if we adopt an open bidding system for COE, it would turn out to be like the bidding at the Seventh Month Festival bidding, where prices keep going higher and higher. They are very concerned with this possibility. I hope that the Minister will be cautious in studying the recommendation of the Committee to change the bidding system so that it would not cause too much inconvenience to the people. I would like to give my suggestions on the bidding system. First, increase the transparency of the tender system. Some unsuccessful bidders suspect that the Ministry of Communications conducted the tendering procedure under cover and manipulated the bids to raise the strike price. They claim that transparency is lacking in our tender procedure. I would suggest that the Ministry post all available information and data on the Internet for all to see, so as to increase the transparency of the system and give potential bidders more information to rely on.”
“Firstly, increase the number of IUP precincts from 18 to 25 so that more residents can enjoy the benefits. Multi-storey car parks and lifts should also be included in the IUP. Secondly, reduce the number of MUP precincts from five to three, and that it be done selectively for areas which have more 4- to 5-room flats. If possible, this MUP can be repealed for redistribution into the IUP programme or SERS programme. Thirdly, I hope that MND can launch about 10 or more SERS programmes because this kind of redevelopment programme will not only benefit HDB but also the residents. So it is a win-win situation. Sir, I would like to take this opportunity to request the Minister to reconsider the overall development of flats in my Bukit Gombak Constituency to solve the problems of some of these very old flats.”
“Sir, at the moment, more than 86% of our population are living in HDB estates, and 96% own their flats under the home ownership scheme. In order to ensure that old estates enjoy better facilities and a better living environment, various upgrading programmes such as the MUP, IUP and Selective En-Bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) are introduced. Sir, to qualify for the Interim Upgrading Programme (IUP), the flats must be between 10 and 17 years of age. Under the programme, the Government bears all the expenses incurred and the residents do not have to pay for anything. Upgrading works are carried out outside the flats and the inconvenience caused to residents is minimal. IUP improves the living environment and enhances the value of the flats. Usually, IUP receives more than 95% of support from the residents. In some cases, the support is as high as 99%. The Main Upgrading Programme (MUP) is meant for flats which are more than 17 years old. In this case, residents have to pay between $15,000 and $25,000 per unit to have their floor area increased by about 6 square metres at the balcony or the toilet. Works have to be carried out inside the flats, and the whole project takes some two or three years to complete. Much inconvenience is caused to the residents, especially the children and old people. The flats are all very old and most of them have leaking ceilings. Even after the upgrading, this problem still exists. Of late, the support rate for MUP has dropped from 90% to about 80%. The third scheme is SERS which is for flats of 25 years old and above. In Singapore, land is scarce. In order to make better use of the limited land available, and because these flats are very old, it makes more sense to demolish them for redevelopment. I have three proposals to make.”
“If the Government and the people can work together to overcome our difficulties, we will be able to tide over the difficult times. We hope that at the end of the tunnel, we can see some light. On this note, I support this Budget. TIME LIMIT FOR SPEECHES (Suspension of Standing Orders)”
“Every year, we have only 9,000 places in the universities for our students. Many parents are telling me that their children cannot gain admission to the local universities and have to go overseas. To be able to go overseas for further studies is a good thing. SM Lee has also said that when students go overseas for study, they can mingle with students of foreign countries and establish rapport with them. After their graduation, they will be able to strengthen relations with other countries and contribute to the development of our nation. I have not been able to get the statistics from the Ministry of Education on how many Singapore students have to go overseas each year because they are unable to get places in our local universities. I was told that the Ministry did not have the relevant data. This gives me cause for concern. It is important that we keep track of the number of students who have to go to universities overseas because there is no place for them in our local universities. I would suggest that the Ministry of Education set up a special department to assist our students in finding places in foreign universities and to maintain contact with them. This way, we will be able to know when they have graduated from these universities, and find some way to make them come back, so that our good talents will not be lost. Our students who went overseas and do not come back after graduation are a loss to our society. We have invested at least 10 years of education on them. I would ask the Minister how much money we have invested on each student for the 10-year period from primary one to secondary four. Although the Budget this year is not particularly spectacular, it is not a bad budget either.”
“Every year, we are able to provide for 9,000 places, with 10% reserved for foreign students, ie, about 900 places for foreign students. According to the newspaper report this morning, the Ministry of Education intends to raise the number of places reserved for foreign students to 20% of the total enrolment each year. I would like to ask the Minister whether this extra 10% of places for foreign students will come from the existing 9,000 places or is the Ministry of Education going to create more places in the universities for foreign students without reducing the places for our local students, since our third university will only start to enroll students in the year 2004. There are still five years to go before 2004. During these five years, if we take away another 10% from the 9,000 places for foreign students, that means our local students' opportunities will be correspondingly reduced. At present, graduates from the polytechnics have to work for two years to earn some credits to qualify for admission to the university. I think this is a good idea. But polytechnic students who graduated in 1997/98, when we were facing a severe economic crisis, are experiencing great difficulties in finding jobs because many factories and companies are retrenching their workers. In these circumstances, many polytechnic graduates cannot get jobs, thereby jeopardising their chances of admission to the NTU. Those who can afford can go overseas to get their degrees, but those who are not so well to do will lose the opportunity to enter the university. In view of the economic crisis, this policy should be adjusted accordingly so as to ensure our students will not be deprived of the opportunity to enter the university. Next, I would like to deal with the problem of brain drain.”
“I think JTC and HDB should repeal the 5-year limit to allow those who bought their factories at the peak prices in 1995/96 to sublet part of their premises so as to collect some rent to help them tide over these difficult times. (5) Financing for SMEs. Many small and medium enterprises managed to obtain bank loans in 1995 and 1996 through the help of EDB at low interest rates. This is a good policy. Many SMEs have benefited from this. However, because of the 1997/98 economic recession, the business of these SMEs is severely affected. At the same time, these companies have to pay interest to the bank at rates higher than before. During this critical period, can the Government consider setting up a two-year bridging loan at preferential rates to help these companies tide over these difficult times? Next, let me deal with the expenditure on education. This year, the Ministry of Education's budget is 3.2% higher than last year's. The idea is to train and educate more people so that they can serve society and contribute to the country. This is a long-term investment on our human resources so as to prepare Singaporeans to face the challenges of the 21st century. I believe all Singaporeans will support the bigger budget for the Ministry of Education. There are a few issues I would like to raise on Education. One, we must ensure that there are sufficient places in the universities for our own local students. I strongly believe that every Singapore citizen should be given at least 10 years of education in primary and secondary schools. Those with good results may go to junior colleges, polytechnics and even universities. At the moment, we have two universities - NUS and NTU.”
“I believe and suggest that the Government would be able to give them double tax deduction for their donations, just like what we have done for the foreign maid levy. (2) We should revalue the commercial and residential properties more readily so as to keep in line with their market value. The Government is granting a 55% property tax rebate. I think it is a good policy. But some commercial properties were bought in the year 1995/96, when the property value was at its peak. Now that the property market value has dropped by about 30% to 40%, I hope the Property Tax Department will take a more realistic approach to revalue these properties, particularly commercial properties, to reflect their present market value and give them the proper tax rebate. (3) On GST, I also support Mr Lew Syn Pau's proposal that GST should be reduced from 3% to 2% for a period of two years. At present, businesses with annual business turnover of not more than $1 million are exempted from GST. I feel that the ceiling should be raised to $2 million. This will help the small and medium enterprises and the neighbourhood shops in HDB estates as well as the residents there. (4) Liberalise the rules on subletting of land and factory premises. Last year, I successfully proposed to the Minister to liberalise the subletting of JTC and HDB factories and shops. Factories are now allowed to sublet 50% of their space and those companies which are linked to the parent company are allowed to sublet up to 75% of the factory space. However, this rule applies only to factories which are in occupation of more than 5 years. In other words, only those who have been in occupation of the property for not less than five years can enjoy this kind of preferential treatment.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, this year's Budget is the second deficit budget since the independence of Singapore, and we are in a situation where our neighbouring countries are facing political and social upheaval and their stability is in trouble. Singapore is a small country, like a small boat in a sea of towering waves. We need a very capable helmsman to keep the boat under control. We also need the cooperation of all passengers on board the boat to balance it properly. In this way, we will be able to ensure that this small boat will sail through the towering waves to reach our destination eventually. So we must be prepared for all eventualities and face any unforeseen worsening of the situation. 1999 is a challenging year. At this very critical moment, the Government is able to give a 10% across-the-board rebate on personal and corporate income tax and also rebates on HDB rentals, utilities and S&C charges to lighten the burden of our people. For the business people, there is also a whole series of assistance schemes to help them, in addition to the $10.5 billion cost-cutting package announced in November last year. This year's budget is one in which the Government is sharing the people's hardship. This budget has the support of all the ordinary folks as well as the business community. On the budget itself, I would like to make the following suggestions: (1) We must have more tax rebates for donations to charity and social community services. I support Mr Lim Swee Say's proposal that the Government should give more incentives during these bad times. When we feel that money is not enough, we should make it possible for more enthusiastic charitable people to donate more money to charitable and community organisations.”
“Should we regulate and discourage the use of polyform? CFC 113 is the solvent used extensively in the electronic industry for the cleaning of printed wiring assembly. What is the policy of the Ministry in encouraging the industries to phase out the use of CFC 113 and to replace it with other more environmental friendly solvents? Sir, the last point I would like to raise is that the Bill also mentioned about the qualified person and the registered inspector. Could the Minister enlighten the House how should these qualified persons and registered inspectors be chosen? Sir, I support the Bill.”
“I would like to know whether the person collecting such waste must have adequate facilities to treat the waste before a licence is issued. Otherwise, the consequence can be quite serious because it could lead to illegal dumping or the export of the waste for financial gain. Sir, I would like to relate another example which may be related to the licensing of collection of waste. This particular example happened not long ago. There was a big fire of a huge collection of recycled wood in Lim Chu Kang. It took a few days for the fire brigade to put down the fire. In this case, luckily, the waste is not hazardous. But we could draw a similar conclusion if the collector of waste does not treat his collected waste properly. In my opinion, the recycled wood collector was given a licence to collect waste wood and he charged $40 for every ton of waste wood delivered to his premises. However, the licensee did not have sufficient production capacity to recycle the wood into some marketable products. Perhaps, the fire "accident" helped to solve the huge pile-up problem of this particular collector. In this case, we were lucky because this was not hazardous waste. If it was, the damage to the health of our fellow Singaporeans would well exceed anything that money could compensate. I would like the Minister to clarify in what way a licence would be issued to a hazardous waste collector. In the Second Schedule to the Bill, the ozone depleting materials are listed. I would like to know how the Minister would regulate the use of such controlled materials, in particular CFC 11 and CFC 113. I ask this because CFC 11 is the gas used in the production of polyform for packaging purpose and also for the cups and plates that we use in the hawker centres and canteens.”
“In my view, control of this type of pollutants is quite loosely regulated in Singapore. Sir, I want to relate one of my experiences. I used to travel along Jalan Boon Lay. Every time I was irritated by a strong and unpleasant smell. I would like the Minister to enlighten the House how the situation I cited along Jalan Boon Lay could be improved after the passage of this particular Bill. Sir, not all the plants burn fuel. Take the example of a concrete mixing plant in the premises of a pre-mixed company or in a construction site. It is quite common that this kind of plant emits a huge amount of particles during the production process and that could create a very unhealthy environment either in a housing estate or industrial estate. I would like to know how the Bill is able to deal effectively with this kind of pollution. Sir, in the area of water pollution, it does not mention about one of the important aspects of pollution known as thermal pollution. In other words, it means that once discharged hot water goes into the watercourse, the thermal pollution would cause serious pollution problems in the watercourse because it upsets the favourable living environment for all the inter-related bio-organisms in the watercourse. May I know which part of the Bill deals with this specific kind of problem? Section 18 (Part V) empowers the Director to order the removal and clean up of hazardous materials that pollute the environment. In many cases, we know that the clean-up will be done by the Singapore Civil Defence Force. If this is the case, who should pay for the cost? I feel, just as I have said earlier, the culprit should be made to bear the cost of the cleaning up. Part VII deals with the licensing of people who trade in hazardous substance, including hazardous waste.”
“If the officer is liable for his action, a more sensible decision and action would be taken in such a borderline situation which is not just based on the best anti-pollution measures but also the interest of others could be taken into consideration. Sir, Part IV mentioned about the prohibition of burning combustible materials but it does not mention about the common pollution created by open fire, which is quite commonly practised in the past at construction sites when disposing wooden or combustible construction wastes and also in rural areas where small traders burn used electrical wires for recovery of copper. Could the Minister clarify these matters? Section 18 (Part IV) mentioned about the provision to make the transportation and storage of toxic and polluting matter safe as required by the Director. This could be a very technical matter and subjected to different opinions and technical standards. If there should be disagreement, the Bill does not say how the matter could be resolved. When a violation takes place and hazardous materials are released, the maximum penalty is $20,000. However, it does not say who should bear the cost of cleaning-up. In my view, the culprit should be made to bear all the costs of the clean-up of the pollution he has created. In air pollution, odour is one of the usual complaints by lay people. It is the substance that creates an unpleasant smell but yet it might not be hazardous to health like other pollutants. The odorants could be introduced into the air in small amounts but the smell could be so unbearable. This could be the odorant from sewage treatment plants, fermentation of food from the food industry, solvents from the application of glue and paint and from the tarmac plant producing road surfacing materials.”
“As long as there is anything to do with pollution, be it noise pollution, air pollution, land pollution or any dangerous substance that exists and causes health or hazardous problem to the public, it will be under the ambit of this Environmental Pollution Control Bill. With this Bill, the administration of anti-pollution matters under one ministry and one Bill, it is good enough to deal with all the culprits who cause pollution to our environment. To the lay person, this arrangement becomes very clear and easy for them. If there is a problem concerning pollution, the Ministry of the Environment will be the right Ministry to contact and to seek redress. I would like to comment on a few issues that have arisen from the Bill. In Part II, clause 5(1) to (4) exempts the Director from personal liability. We all know that the action taken by the Director is based on good faith in preventing the outbreak of pollution that causes danger and suffering to the public. On certain occasions, the Director may misjudge and his subsequent action could cause significant financial losses to people if things like production machines or processes have to be shut down. If the Bill gives a blanket protection to the Director who is fully exempted from any form of liability, there might be an occasion where a wrong or convenient decision could be made which causes substantial financial losses to the company and it has no way to seek redress under this particular Bill. If the liability of the Director is not fully exempted, he could be more careful in making a decision in a borderline situation, and he would also examine other less painful alternatives in overcoming a pollution problem.”
“Air pollution does not only exist in the developing nations, but also in the western developed cities like Los Angeles, Paris and Rome. We are very fortunate that despite rapid urbanisation and development of our economy, the air in Singapore is still practically pollution-free and well suited for human habitation. We have to be thankful for the stringent pollution control by the Government which manages and controls the various anti-pollution laws to ensure that we do not follow the footsteps of others who trade pollution for economic development. Sir, in the past, the different aspects of pollution were handled by different ministries. For example, the control of hazardous materials is administered by the Ministry of Health, the Clean Air Act is administered by the Prime Minister's Office, and water pollution comes under the Ministry of the Environment. The existing arrangement causes difficulty in the management and control of pollution. This is because pollution which violates one particular Act would also violate the others. Take the example of discharge of hazardous waste into the watercourse that contravenes the water pollution regulations and also the Control of Hazardous Materials regulations. Land pollution involves evaporative substance which will cause pollution to the air, the land and the watercourse. The Bill presented for Second Reading today combines all the pollution matters into one Bill to be known as the Environmental Pollution Control Bill. It puts all matters relating to the control of pollution into one Bill and it is to be administered by one ministry, ie, the Ministry of the Environment.”
“This is because at the lower floor, it may not be so noisy, but strange enough, when you go to the higher floors, the noise level seems to rise. Sir, the contractors should be more careful in taking measurements. Perhaps some sort of device, like the speed limit detector on taxis, can be installed. On the taxi, once a certain preset speed limit is exceeded, the device would set off an alarm to indicate that the taxi has exceeded the limit. Likewise, if such a similar device can be installed at the worksite to detect the noise level once it exceeds a certain preset limit, the alarm will be triggered off, and the contractor will know he has to do something about it. Thirdly, all worksites are required to engage a safety officer to be stationed on site. I feel that with some training, the safety officer could also take on an additional duty of checking on the noise level at the worksite. I think taking up this additional responsibility is not a big problem because the safety officer has to be personally present at the worksite anyway. He has to ensure that all the safety measures are being taken. I feel that he could also do a good job in keeping the noise level down. I hope that the Minister will look seriously into my suggestions. Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the Bill. 2.30 pm Assoc. Prof. Low Seow Chay (Chua Chu Kang): Mr Speaker, Sir, pollution is a common term associated with rapid urbanisation and industrial development. A recent report shows that out of the ten most polluted cities, nine are in China. There was also a report that if nothing is done, in 20 years' time, Hong Kong will be as polluted as Bangkok. In certain parts of India, the air is so polluted that one could smell petrol while walking in the street of the city of Calcutta.”
“From this, it can be seen that sometimes the complaints by the residents are valid and their requests are not too unreasonable. In the day time, the noise is there, but they put up with it. But at night, they need to have some quiet time. No doubt, building construction work has to go on, but the living environment of the people must also be taken into consideration. Sir, I have three suggestions to make. First, at all worksites which are in close proximity, say, within 100 metres from the housing estates, the work should be constrained. In other words, after 8.00 pm, the contractor should not carry out activities which are capable of generating loud noise so as not to affect the living environment of the people. For worksites which are in the middle of nowhere, for example, in the new towns or places far away from housing estates, there would not be a problem. They can work round the clock, 24 hours a day. Just now, Mr Heng Chiang Meng has also brought up the point about worksites which are near to hospitals and nursing homes. In those cases, the working hours should also be constrained. Secondly, the measurement of the noise pollution index should be carried out more comprehensively. For example, at the Guilin View worksite, after complaints by the residents, I went with the grassroots leaders and the developers to the worksite. At the worksite, we found that the noise level was within the limit permitted by the Ministry. But when we went to the 9th floor, we did not even need to take out the meter. The noise was just so loud that we were unable to converse with one another without shouting. It was obvious that the residents were greatly disturbed by the noise. I feel that when measuring the noise level, more comprehensive measures should be taken.”
“In the day time, the noise pollution may be tolerated by the residents in the nearby area, but in the night time when the residents need to rest after a hard day's work, the noise pollution is simply unbearable, particularly if the work sites are very close to the housing estates. For certain types of works, such as piling, drilling and mixing of concrete, the noise generated can be very loud, and certainly very irritating. This will adversely affect the lives of the residents. Normally, in the HDB estates, we observe that, after 8.00 pm, our children will have to do their homework and the adults need to relax and prepare for the next day's work. For the elderly, particularly those who are not in good health, they will require some quiet time to rest. This noise pollution will cause a lot of unhappiness among the people and very often we, MPs, receive a lot of complaints from them. For example, in my constituency, there are at the moment four active work sites. I received frequent complaints on two of them, one at Guilin View and the other at Hillview Estate, because they are very close to the HDB estate - as close as just 50 metres away. Noise pollution from these two worksites has disturbed our residents. I have personally visited the worksites with the developers and our grassroots leaders. The contractors told me that they have complied with the regulations set down by the Ministry of the Environment. But, one evening, when we went down to one of the worksites, even the developer himself agreed that the noise was unbearable and that the whole living environment around the area was badly disturbed. I requested the developer to instruct his contractors to refrain from carrying out activities which are very noisy at night. He agreed.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in moving the Second Reading of the Amendment Bill, the Minister has touched on many areas. However, I would like to give my comments only on one aspect - noise pollution. Singapore is an urbanised nation and we have progressed well in the past three decades. While we are moving into the 21st century, we face bigger challenges ahead. We want to develop Singapore into an international financial centre. In public transport, we want to have a world-class land transport system. In public housing, we want to see every Singaporean own his or her own property. In order that we would be able to attain such objectives, building projects have to be carried out very intensively. In the process, there is of course the problem of noise pollution, which is inevitable. However, serious noise pollution will not only affect our living environment, our quality of life and our health will also be affected. Workers who spend long hours in the noisy worksites are bound to suffer adverse effects on their health. It is stipulated that the noise level for work carried out between 7.00 am and 7.00 pm should not exceed 75 dba, and after 7.00 pm, it should not exceed 65 dba. Anyone who infringes this regulation will be warned in the first instance, and if he continues to infringe this regulation he can be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisonment for more than 3 months, or both such fine and imprisonment. This regulation may serve to check the noise pollution level at worksites. However, there is no restriction on the number of hours that work can be carried out at worksites. In fact, work can be carried out 24 hours a day.”
“The Minister has suggested that this should be transferred to the town councils for maintenance and management. This is a good decision. These vacant lands scattered all over the various HDB estates can provide more space for grassroots leaders and town councils to organise their community activities, such as National Day dinners, the Senior Citizens' Week celebrations, Town Council Day and Residents' Day. This will play an important role in enhancing our social cohesion. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, in order to give more effect to the implementation of the new amendments, I have three suggestions for the Minister to consider. Town Councils should be given the authority to use the Town Council Development Fund for maintenance and management of the vacant land. In this connection, the Bill must authorise the town councils to collect land-use and temporary licence fees from organisations which apply to use these lands. The Ministry may want to consider having the vacant lands included in the IUP and MUP to provide residents with a better living environment. I support the Bill.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the idea of Town Councils was first started in 1986 as a pilot project. In 1989, the Town Councils Act was passed and many town councils were established. They gradually took over the management, repair and maintenance of common property from HDB. At the moment, there are 16 town councils all over Singapore. After many years of hard work, the town councils have matured. Now, apart from maintenance and repair of common property, town councils also organise various activities to educate the residents to keep their estates clean with the hope that they will cooperate with the town councils to create a better and cleaner environment for everyone. This will also help to enhance the social cohesion by inculcating in them the "kampong spirit" for harmonious community living. Through various community activities, the town councils, together with grassroots organisations and the CDCs, have identified themselves with the people and have also served as a bridge between the people and the Government. When the country is in crisis, the Government and the people will be able to work together to tide over the difficult time. The Government's recent $10.5 billion package of cost-cutting measures has received resounding support by the people. We hope that this tripartite cooperation package will show good results to overcome our economic difficulties. We must encourage our town councils, grassroots organisations and CDCs to carry on organising more community activities so as to further enhance our social cohesion. On the other hand, the grassroots leaders need proper places and facilities to organise their activities. There are reserved vacant lands which are now in the charge of HDB.”
“So 10 or 20 years down the road, are we able to train up a group of elite Chinese teachers in order to train up this group of Chinese elite students? So this may be the appropriate time for us to consider opening a Chinese university to cater for the needs of the 21st century. To learn traditional values and to have a sense of belonging, by just taking a Chinese subject is not enough. If we want to learn the Chinese traditional values and sense of belonging, we have to study from all aspects, like History, Geography, Economics, Literature, Arts so that we can have a comprehensive view of the Chinese culture. Only then can we be able to inculcate in our students the traditional Chinese culture, Chinese values and a sense of belonging. This is a critical moment. I suggest that we cultivate a group of elite Chinese students who are not only proficient in the Chinese language but also good in the other subjects, to be trained as Chinese language teachers so that later on when they teach Chinese, they can introduce a variety of subject matters relevant to our modern world during the Chinese lessons.”
“We should let the Chinese teachers be the assessors or form a special committee to decide which students should be downgraded to CL `B' and who should remain in CL2. I also suggest that in the initial stages, MOE should take this 5% as the target group, because from present statistics, only 5% could not pass their CL2. At the same time, I would suggest that those who do CL `B' and show marked improvement in their standard of Chinese, they should be allowed to go back to CL. In fact, they should be encouraged to do so. Only then can we enhance, or at least maintain, the standard of Chinese in school. Thirdly, we must groom a group of elite Chinese teachers. In the National Day Rally in 1997, the Prime Minister mentioned that with English being used as the medium of instruction in all our schools, there might come a time in, say, 20 years from now, when we will have no good Chinese scholars to teach Chinese, and this will be a major problem to our preservation of Chinese traditional culture. We should cultivate a group of elite Chinese teachers who would be charged with the responsibility of maintaining our Chinese traditional culture. In order to cultivate a Chinese elite, we must have a group of elite Chinese teachers. If we want to have good martial art exponents, we must have good gungfu masters. If you want to have good athletes, we need to have good coaches. Without them, our skills will never improve. In the early days, we had the Nanyang University where many good quality Chinese teachers were trained and they formed the core of Chinese teachers. But nowadays, we do not have a Nanyang University to cultivate these Chinese teachers.”
“They knew that Parliament would be discussing a new policy on the teaching and learning of Chinese, and showed great concern about it. I had a discussion with them for about half an hour. In our conversation, I gathered that these teachers had realised that nowadays, with most parents speaking in English, it is not easy for them to teach their students to speak good Chinese. The students have to spend double the time to learn the language, and the teachers have to take twice the amount of time to prepare their lessons. They have not only to teach the language but also to make sure that the students would be able to understand and to put to use what they have learnt. These teachers have been working very hard. They deserve our respect. Now, because of these 5% of the students who are unable to pass their CL2, MOE is introducing a new subject, CL `B', so that the students could continue learning Chinese, albeit at a lower level, without fearing that they may not make the grade, and hence denied a place in the junior college and the university. If MOE's intention is to help these 5% students who have difficulty in studying Chinese and to help them so that they would not give up Chinese completely and face elimination from the mainstream of education, I think it is a good thing. It is a move in the right direction and this is a feasible policy. However, we must ensure that those who have the ability to carry on doing CL or even HCL do not take the easy way out by opting for CL `B' in place of CL. This is because, if they do so, it will lower our standard of Chinese and will run contrary to our Prime Minister's appeal to nurture our Chinese elite.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the policy statement by the Deputy Prime Minister. But on his new proposals, I would like to present some of my views. First of all, our bilingual policy. Singapore is a multi-lingual, multi-racial society. The Government has encouraged the various races to maintain their traditional values and to have a better sense of belonging. In 1966, the Government implemented the bilingual system in our schools. Everybody must study English as the first language, with mother tongue as the second language. For the Chinese, they have to study CL2, the Malay would do ML2, while the Indians do TL2. This bilingual policy has been implemented for 32 years. We have cultivated many bilingual talents, and with good results. Now every one in school can speak two languages. This is good not only for understanding both the western and oriental cultures, but also for better communication with our friends from other countries. This helps in our nation building. I feel that the Government should enhance our bilingual policy and give a better affirmation for the results that we have achieved over the years. Secondly, the standards of Chinese language in school. According to statistics of the Ministry of Education, 98% of ethnic Chinese students did Chinese either as HCL or CL in secondary schools, and 95% obtained at least a pass for it. Among them, 71% had A1 or A2. In other words, among the students who did Chinese, only 5% failed to secure at least a pass. This result is encouraging and we would like to thank all our Chinese language teachers for their efforts which resulted in such good results. Yesterday was Hari Raya Aidilfiltri. I visited a Malay grassroots leader's home where I met a group of school teachers, among whom were a number of Chinese teachers.”
“Secondly, under the Bill, the employers who intend to cut the pay of employees must give reasonable advance notice in writing to the employees so as to give the employees time to consider the matter. As such, I would propose that the Bill should specify that the employees must be given at least one month's notice and should be required to reply to their employers within one month whether they accept the terms. With the stipulation of one month, it is good for both sides. There will be no unnecessary controversies. Thirdly, the civil servants who are under the pension scheme will be seriously affected by this new Bill when they reach the retirement age at 60. I would propose that the Government consider allowing civil servants to collect their lump sum pension when they reach the age of 60 and then continue to work in keeping with the spirit of the new Bill. These civil servants have worked their whole adult working lives in various Ministries and Government departments and have made contributions to the development of Singapore. I hope the Government will allow them to take their pensions and also to continue working under the provisions of the new law. I support the Bill.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, to those who have reached the age of 60, "1-1-99" is a very important number to remember because, with effect from 1st January 1999, the Ministry of Manpower will raise the new retirement age from 60 to 62. The new Act will allow employers to cut up to 10% of the wages of employees beyond the age of 60 over a period of two years. Sir, I fully support this Bill. For employees who have reached the age of 60, the employers' CPF contribution has already been reduced from 20% to 4%. With the recently announced employers' cost-cutting measures, this will again be cut by 2%. In other words, the employers' CPF contribution will be reduced from 20% to 2%, which is a reduction of 18%. This will reduce the income of the employees. During their years of employment, these employees have made contributions to the company. They worked hard for the company. I hope that when employers are deciding on the wage-cut of the employees, they will consider all these factors. At the same time, they must also value and treasure the experience acquired by the older employees. I feel that the wage-cuts should not be exercised too frequently, otherwise the employers will be busy calculating the amounts to be cut all the time while the employees will be bogged down with worries and anxiety and lose heart to work. Efficiency will be affected. So will productivity. So I would suggest that wage cuts should be limited to not more than once a year. Private companies and the civil service should adopt the principle of annual increments to evaluate the performance of their employees before the employers decide whether the pay should be cut or not. An annual appraisal will be more rational.”
“Fellow Singaporeans, we are fortunate that we are not as badly hit as the other countries. Let us put all our resolve, put the past behind us and try to build a bright future for our children. We can do it and we will do it. We have the resources. We have the money and the means. Let us all contribute our effort to achieve the goals set out in the Report. Sir, the motion has asked the House to endorse the strategies and policies set out in the Report. I think the Government, Members, Opposition Members and NMPs must show to Singaporeans and the world at large that we are a united and one people. May I ask the entire House to give a resounding support to this motion? It should have a 100% approval from this House. Sir, I support the motion.”
“Can we build up our talents here so that they could manage hotels in other countries? Better still, build or buy hotels in these countries, as some companies are already doing now. The trend has already started. Similarly, Sir, I have spoken and I will speak again on the question of tourism. There is a growing class of tourists who are interested in Asian culture. Music and art attract them. Our population mix is to our advantage. We should encourage musicals, operas and ballets. Similarly, we should hold art exhibitions and musical performances. I would suggest that a committee be set up, as we have a niche over the other countries. Sir, I was pleased to read this morning in the International Herald Tribune that our cultural scene has actually attracted their attention. Sir, there is another area and many Members have spoken on this, ie, how to stimulate our retail sector. While I am not advocating that we should give spending coupons proposed by the Japanese government, I think there is not enough money to be spent in the retail sector. People do not have the money, and even those who have the money, they are trying to save for the rainy day. We must try to give some help to this sector, because it forms an important sector of our economy. Finally, we must not forget our political stability. I agree with my colleague, Dr Lee Tsao Yuan, that Singapore is fortunate in having a good government. We must evolve our own political system where the citizens can participate not only in decision making but take some of the burden of the Government. We must strengthen our civil society which is not only prepared to speak but also do its best for the society. Sir, there is so much to talk and so many Members are going to speak. I end my speech with this plea.”
“Even the American and British print media have foreign talents. The world is looking for talents. If we do not attract them, other countries would do so. We must never forget that we are by-products of an immigrant society. It is very encouraging to note in the Report that the institutions of higher learning are being asked to increase their intake. With the changing of our educational policy, we would become a learning nation. Every individual should undergo some form of training every year. Our institutions of higher learning are offering extension courses. We should add more such courses. Sir, the world is changing fast. We are in the information technology age. It is imperative that we have an educated workforce. Employers must take the lead in job training. It is not just the responsibility of the Government and the labour movement. The employers have a role to play. This mindset must be changed if we hope to become a knowledge-based economy. Sir, we must also try to upgrade the skills of our foreign workers, for they form an important factor in our workforce. Many of these workers are educated but they may have a poor command of English. We could offer them some courses in English. Another area which we must review is our retirees and housewives. We have not attracted them enough. Perhaps the labour market must examine this because, as the Minister said earlier, only 3% of our workforce are part-timers. 3% is a very small number and is indeed very low. May I now move to tourism, Sir. It is a growing industry. Whilst we are also attracting talents, we have an edge over the other Asian countries. In short, we can export some of our talents. Take hotels. In some Asian countries, we still find European and American hotel managers.”