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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“If it is a non-core complaint, the Medical Council must set up a committee to start proceedings within a month, and the whole case should be completed within three months. If the complaint is medical in nature and more complicated, then the Singapore Medical Council should set up a committee within a month and allow another month's "cooling period" to allow the parties to cool off and deal with the matter in a more peaceful and calm mindset. Case hearing should start on the third month and be completed within a year. If the committee needs more time to deal with the more complicated matters, they can apply to the Ministry of Health for an extension of time. In this manner, all the complaint cases can be dealt with within the prescribed timeframe to satisfy the needs of the complainants and also to enhance the image of the medical profession. Secondly, improve the transparency of the Disciplinary Tribunal's proceedings. Some members of the public complained that the Disciplinary Committee's proceedings lack transparency. They said with all the committee members being doctors, they tend to be more tolerant of their fellow doctors for their mistakes or negligence. So, in order to improve the transparency of the proceedings, I would suggest that the complainants or members of their family be allowed to attend the proceedings, but they will not be allowed to interfere with the proceedings and they also must sign an agreement not to disclose details of the proceedings to outsiders. If they have any views, they can instruct their counsel to make the point. I think in this way, the complainants and their family members would have a better understanding of what transpired at the tribunal. I hope that the Minister would consider this suggestion.”
“[For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*. ] Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, in order to improve the regulatory mechanism for doctors and to raise the standard of medical services, the Ministry of Health is once again seeking to amend the Medical Registration Act to provide medical protection to the public. Over the last few months, the Ministry of Health has conducted extensive public consultation on the Bill involving doctors, lawyers, professionals, members of the public, grassroots organisations and various relevant agencies, and Minister Khaw Boon Wan himself has made very incisive observations on the responses by the doctors and the key professional groups on this Bill. Members who spoke on this debate today are mainly doctors, professionals or lawyers. As far as this Act is concerned, let me raise some of my views on this Bill in my capacity as a lay person, for the Minister's consideration. First, set a time-frame for the Complaints Committee to complete the processing of complaint cases. The new section 38 will raise the cap on the number of registered doctors and lay persons in the Complaints Panel from the current 80 to 150 and the number of Council Members will also be increased from the present 19 to 25. This is to shorten the time taken to process the complaint cases, because at the moment some cases may take as long as five years to complete the whole process. I think increasing the number of members is a correct decision. With increased manpower, cases can be dealt with more rapidly. But this Amendment Bill does not specify a timetable for the dealing of these cases. I would like to suggest that complaints received by the Ministry of Health be separated into two categories: the "core" and the "non-core" complaints.”
“Upon returning to Singapore, they proposed to Minister Mah Bow Tan to allow the installation of "lift without machine room" for our HDB estates. This has resulted in a 20% cost-savings for us. As you can see, the above examples showed that if the public service officers can be there on the ground to understand more about the issue; if they are creative, if they are bold, they will be able to formulate policies that are relevant to the needs of the people and better serve the people. Generally, civil servants will not change the policies once they are passed. I can understand this. However, we must also move with the times. Civil servants, therefore, must learn from the athletes, adopt the mentality of an athlete, ie, to constantly improve one's skills. Because once an athlete breaks the world record, he or she will look into other ways of improving his or her skills, in order to break another record. Since Singapore gains its independence, we do not have any natural resources. In such a short period of 40 years, we have moved on from a Third World country to a modern and developed country today. Clearly, this is because we have capable leaders. Our leaders possess great foresight. They review and refine policies. We progress and we move on with the times. And that is why we managed to achieve the success we have today. Civil servants have put in a lot of hard work and contributed to our success today. So, let us work together. I believe we can continue to work with all Singaporeans to buildour nation's future. I support the motion. *Cols. 537-544. 3.15 pm”
“I noticed that many residents like to walk on the grass patch near the MRT track. But on rainy days, the muddy ground can be very slippery. Therefore, I propose to LTA to build a concrete pedestrian pavement near the MRT track. Similarly, it was rejected by LTA. The reason given was that under the current provisions, they do not allow construction structure of any kind near MRT tracks. Fortunately, LTA sent an officer down for an on-site visit and they also spoke to some residents to get their response. So when the HDB officer returned to his office, he put up a proposal for the building of a concrete pedestrian pavement, for the benefit of those hundreds and thousands of residents using the pavement every day. Today, residents no longer have to worry about the slippery pavement or the hot sun anymore. Mayor Amy Khor goes for jogging every morning along the pavement and she complimented that this pavement serves the residents very well and she told me, "Excellent, very good!" Thank you, Mayor. Third example. HDB has been looking for cost-effective lifts for installation at all HDB flats so that we can serve the residents better. I happened to know that other countries have already implemented such "lift without machine room" and it helped to save 20% of the construction costs. However, when I first suggested this idea to Minister Mah Bow Tan, Minister Mah informed the HDB engineers about the idea. It was rejected. The reason was that the system is noisy and it is not suitable for Singapore. So, I invited the HDB engineers for a study visit to Shanghai so that they can understand the system better. In the end, we all realised the installation is much cheaper and faster; also, the noise is minimal.”
“The first example is regarding multi-storey carparks. The residents of Hillview Avenue had moved to Bukit Batok West Avenue 5 because their flats were under construction. Residents parked their vehicles at the open carparks or multi-storey carparks. These residents did not face any problems parking their cars in the open carparks. However, the multi-storey carparks did not have bumper curbs or parking lot curbs. So, when they reversed their car too much, the bumper would knock onto the wall, crashing the rear lights of the vehicle. If they were not careful, and if they reversed too much, the car would hit the wall. It would cost them a few hundred dollars to repair the bumper and rear lights. In this regard, I had given feedback to the HDB engineer but the response given was that these multi-storey carparks were built according to the standards and specifications by the Land Transport Authority. They suggested that drivers should go head in when they park their cars and not reverse in. In this way, they will not knock onto the wall. They said it would be difficult to implement this suggestion. And so I invited them to come down for an on-site visit so that they could have a close look at the problem. Eventually, he accepted my suggestion and they installed a few parking lot curbs. It has been three years since we implemented the pilot project, and we received very good response from the residents. Here, I would like to thank the engineers of HDB because they have installed bumper curbs and parking lot curbs for all the carpark lots in the multi-storey carpark and the residents are very pleased about it. Second example. From Bukit Batok MRT station to the housing estate, the walking distance is about 200 metres.”
“30 psf, though not expensive, is a big burden to a body without any income. I, therefore, suggest that HDB charge a nominal rent only. To encourage the elderly to carry out healthy lifestyle activities, we should encourage them to go outdoors, or visit the various places of interests. Currently, the admission charges for places of interest are too expensive for senior citizens. To encourage more senior citizens to visit such places, I suggest concessionary rates be given to senior citizens who are 60 and above, and they should be given half price. Those who are 70 years and above should enjoy free admission. This is in appreciation of the contributions that they have put in for the country. Many countries have done so and we should do the same. Lastly, I would like to talk about our public service culture. I agree with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Mr Teo Chee Hean, who is also Minister in-charge of the Civil Service. Mr Teo said that it is important for the civil servants to keep in close touch with ground concerns. In the Addendum to the President's Address, he mentioned that the focus of the public service is to keep in close touch with ground concerns, in order to formulate policies that are relevant to the needs of all Singaporeans. This will ensure that the immediate measures needed to mitigate the effects of the downturn on Singapore and Singaporeans are carried out effectively and with empathy. He stressed that public service leaders must serve the people of Singapore with integrity and empathy. In this regard, I would like to share with Members three examples. If civil servants serve with the right attitude, it will enable them to effectively manage the needs and problems of the people and improve their service delivery to the public.”
“If, by then, our population is five million, there will be one million who will be 65 years and above. Sir, it is imperative for us to make preparations for such eventuality. Minister Lim Boon Heng, who is in charge of policies on ageing population, has stressed that the Government has launched a number of measures. For example, HDB has installed lifts at every level of HDB flats and lift upgrading programmes will be completed by 2014. The Ministry of National Development has carried out work on barrier-free walkways for the disabled and elderly island-wide. With regard to taking care of the physical needs of the senior citizens, we must pay attention to their mental health. To foster good mental health among elderly, we must ensure that active senior citizens have adequate space to engage in activities during the day. I have proposed in the House that to achieve optimum results, Residents' Committee (RC) should take charge of all activities for senior citizens in the precinct. The current centres for activities are not fully utilised and managed properly. Every care centre should be located near RC offices and managed by them. This is because every RC has a branch in the community to render help to the residents; it will be convenient for the residents and senior citizens to make use of such facilities. RC is a non-profit making body without any sources of income. They are about 554 RCs currently. They can better provide services for the senior citizens. I hope that MCYS would accept the above suggestions. As the RC is a non-profit making body without any sources of income, if they are to have more spaces for activities, they will have to pay the increased rental to HDB. The current rental of $1.”
“However, at my Meet-the-People session, I still see many people who complain of not having a job. They have been jobless for some time. When CDC holds job fairs, thousands of people flock to these fairs to look for suitable jobs. Most of them are middle-aged and old people. Thus, the unemployment situation is still grave. To further understand certain situations, we need to carry out an in-depth study of the problems and find suitable solutions. The radio station 958 interviewed some bosses who employed local workers. They said that some worked for two days and left. But some of the jobless complained that bosses like to employ only foreign workers. After the interview, the employer asked them to wait for the phone call from the company; however, they waited at home but did not receive any phone call. So who is right then? The boss or the worker? I would like to ask the Minister whether his Ministry has any comprehensive data on the jobless for all the constituencies, including their work experience and background. If no, I suggest that the MOM carry out such a survey. With this data, we will be able to know the exact number of jobless so that we can better find jobs for them. And this data will also come in handy when MPs and grassroots leaders visit the constituencies to familiarise themselves with the residents' problem and, perhaps, help them find jobs. I believe this will be a thorough way to solve the unemployment problem. Now, let me talk about the challenges brought about by the ageing population and the strategy that we would need to take to deal with them. Right now, out of 12 Singaporeans, one is 65 years old and above. By 2030, the ratio will be one to five, ie, 20% of the population.”
“[For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A *.] Mr Speaker, Sir, the 2008 global financial tsunami has dealt a heavy blow to Singaporeans. Whether there will be a rebound in the economy, it is still not known. Our immediate task is to help Singaporeans and businesses tide over this difficult period and survive, so that workers may keep their jobs. Only then can we help them keep their rice bowls. The problem that concerns us most is employment. According to MOM's statistics, in 2008, there were 16,880 workers who had lost their jobs, a figure which doubled from 2007. The same statistics indicate that, of the 3,180 workers who lost their jobs in the third quarter, 70% of them had found new jobs at the end of last year. This should be attributed to the coordination between MOM and NTUC as it continues to get workers to go for skills training and, hence, we are able to achieve good results even during this difficult period. Minister Lim Swee Say mentioned that the non-unionised companies’ order books for the second quarter are better than those of the first quarter and the number of workers retrenched would be substantially less. But, because of low margins, companies’ profits would be reduced. While the second quarter’s economic performance has been better, the worst is not over yet. Many companies are still cautious on hiring workers. MOM announced a piece of good news – the two IRs will start hiring 45,000 workers for the next two years. The public service will also create 18,000 jobs. Figures from the Community Development Councils (CDCs) also indicate that up to now, there are about 20,000 vacancies of different grades at various sectors waiting to be filled. This is good news to those who are looking for jobs.”
“And the Government should consider dollar-for-dollar support for this fund. So this fund will be used if some of the donors face unexpected complications after operation. I hope they will be able to provide adequate medical treatment and a safety net for donors. Thirdly, reimbursement by instalment. The amount of this reimbursement would vary under different circumstances, say, maybe $30,000, $50,000 or $80,000. Although these are considerable figures, for those who are not very good in managing their money, they may spend all the money in a very short time and end up without any money left. So I would like to propose that the Ministry of Health allow partial payment to the donor, while holding back 50% in the fund, and to give higher interest rate than the bank, so that this remaining 50% of the fund can earn some preferential interest in the account. And after the operation, the donors can choose to withdraw the money, or continue to keep some of the money in the fund to earn higher interest, and this will also serve as a protection for their long-term medical needs. Thus, this Bill will "kill two birds with one stone". So I hope the Minister will consider my suggestions. Sir, I support this Bill. *Cols. 3605-3608.”
“Although the Ministry of Health will consider allowing some short-term insurance, so that the donors' medical expenses will be taken care of, I would like to ask about the definition of the "risk period after operation". How long is this potential risk period? For example, the risk period for liver and kidney operations are different. I understand that generally the risk period is about one year. Within one year, the task of getting medical coverage for the donor is challenging. Recently, a woman died after donating her kidney to her husband. Although this may be an exceptional case, it is something that we should look at carefully. Therefore, I would like to propose that the recipients give some reimbursement to the donors, and they should also bear the medical expenses of the donors after the operation. Secondly, consider setting up an organ transplant fund and an independent committee. As far as I understand, insurance companies will not cover the insurance of these donors, as the risk for these donors will be very high. For those who are not covered under any long-term medical insurance plan, they will have to face an enormous medical expenditure if something goes wrong during the risk period. So this is a great challenge. Therefore, I propose that the Ministry of Health provide medical insurance and take over the responsibility of looking after these donors after operation. I would also like the Ministry to consider setting up a fund for this human organ donation, and appoint a group of specialists to set up this special Committee to look after this fund. This fund can be funded by public donations. For those who have benefited from organ transplants, whenever it is financially possible, they should consider voluntary donations to the fund.”
“[For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A *.] Mr Speaker, Sir, with the advancement of medical technology, the number of human organ transplants is expected to increase further in the near future. Nonetheless, there remain certain risks in carrying out these operations. Last year, the Ministry of Health decided to collect public feedback and views from Singaporeans, grassroots organisations and other related institutions on this issue. I believe Minister Khaw Boon Wan and his Ministry would have a clear understanding of the public's view on this. So I would like to confine my remarks to how to best protect the interests of the donor, in particular their post-operative care and their medical insurance. Under the current legislation, the donor and the recipient are not allowed to be involved in any monetary transaction. After the amendment, this Act will allow them to receive reasonable reimbursement for medical checkups, medical insurance and related expenses, and loss of income. Although the amendment does not stipulate the maximum amount for this reimbursement, the Minister said earlier that it would probably be at least a five-digit figure but not exceeding $1 million. The Ministry of Health also mentioned in the report that in order to protect the interests of the donors, they will consider providing long-term medical care to donors, as well as short-term medical insurance to cover post-operation risks. I believe that these measures would mean a lot to the altruistic living donors. As to the burden borne by the donors, I have some reservations. I would like to highlight these suggestions. Firstly, for the donor and the recipient, the period immediately after the operation is very critical.”
“Finally, I would suggest that LTA provide more bicycle parking lots near the MRT stations. We can see that there are so many bicycles that are parked near the MRT and even on the pedestrian walkway. It is very unsightly. So I hope that we would provide more parking lots for the bicycles. This is not only for the convenience of the cyclists but it would also create a better image in the public area. *Cols. 3139-3140.”
“[For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*.] Mr Chairman, school children cycle to school and workers cycle to work. Cycling not only helps to alleviate traffic congestion, it is also an excellent form of exercise. More and more residents are cycling in the HDB estates, particularly the foreign workers. Cycling is the main mode of transport for them. But some residents complain to me that there are frequent incidents of collision on the track shared by cyclists and pedestrians. The residents said that some cyclists simply pushed and shoved their way through; knocked over pedestrians and just rode away. Even the Police could do nothing about it. The reason being that the bicycles are not licensed, and thus cannot be identified. Therefore, for the safety of both the cyclists and the pedestrians, I would suggest, firstly, that we should broaden the tracks that are shared between the cyclists and the pedestrians to at least 3.5 metres in width, and this is the width of the track in Gombak that is built by National Parks Board. So far nobody has any complaints with this type of wide track. Secondly, there should be licence plates on the bicycles. In the old days, the bicycles had number plates, as reported in the newspapers. But now the new bicycles are not registered and there are no number plates. I think LTA should allow all the cyclists to have a licence plate number. These numbers could be personalised numbers like AMS888, for Ang Mong Seng, or OAH889 for Ong Ah Heng. This will also prevent people stealing your bicycle. And thirdly, for safety's sake, they should have lights in front and at the back and there should also be a bicycle bell. These would be safety features for the bicycles – safety not only for the cyclists but also for the pedestrians.”
“But I believe that these estimates were calculated last year when the economy was doing better. This year, with the present economic situation, they should be able to get it at lower prices. At the same time, they should also step up the maintenance work on the carriages so as to extend the lives of the trains. These savings would be passed down to the passengers and that would lighten the burden of our commuters. I think transport operators should not only think of increasing the fares. They should also think of how to operate more efficiently for the benefit of the passengers. *Cols. 3135-3136. Public Transport”
“[For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*.] Mr Chairman, presently, there are on the average some 1.8 million passenger trips per day on the MRT, up 5% from last year, and the ridership will continue to grow because: (1) rising population in Singapore; (2) LTA and the public transport operators are actively promoting the use of public transport; and (3) the economic downturn has caused the public to turn to public transport. At the moment, the operators have been increasing the number of trips in order to solve the problem of over-congestion. However, just by increasing the trips will not solve this problem. They should consider a more long-term and effective solution. Therefore, I suggest that they increase the number of carriages from six to eight. In Japan, I have seen some trains with 12 carriages in Tokyo. And in China, the Shanghai Metro has decided to increase the number of carriages from six to eight on their Metro Line 1. This would also increase their takings from ticketing and, in fact, they are expecting an annual increase of 15% from $82 million to $94 million in ticket sales. In Singapore, an average carriage can carry about 50 passengers. With two carriages, it would carry about 100 passengers. So at three minutes a trip and 20 trips in an hour, in one hour's time, it will increase the passengers loading capacity by 1,200. This will also give the operators more income and reduce the long-term operating costs. Of course, if platforms need to be lengthened, this will call for platform construction works, thereby stimulating the building industry. I was told that the operators will have to spend about $50 million to $60 million to purchase new carriages this year.”
“[For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*.] Sir, the recent global economic tsunami has affected the economy of countries all over the world. These include United States, China, Japan, the EU and countries in Southeast Asia. As the economic crisis came so suddenly and it started in the United States, the largest consumer market in the world, many countries that depend on the US market for their exports have been adversely affected. Countries all over the world have launched massive economic stimulus packages to help enterprises that have run short of working capital. I believe those organisations that depend on dubious means to make money also face the prospect of shortage of funds. Recently, China's merchant ships have been attacked by Somalia pirates in the Gulf of Aden. China had to dispatch war ships to deal with the pirates together with the country's navy. This is a good example. This is a timely reminder to us that we have to be forever vigilant so that the same incident will not happen in the seas around us. I am quite concerned about the level of safety in the Straits of Malacca because this is the stretch where ships coming and leaving Singapore must pass through. It is also the Straits where Malaysia and Indonesia sea coasts adjoin each other. Therefore, I would like to ask the Minister whether he has any plans to work with Malaysia and Indonesia collectively to safeguard the safety of the Straits so as to prevent pirates from attacking ships from passing through the Straits. Otherwise, this will only worsen the economic recession we are already in. *Cols. 3133-3134. Defence Spending”
“Some senior citizens can speak dialects and if, for example, they have asthma, and if the staff at the counter do not know what is "hay ku " (asthma in Hokkien) then they would not be able to get the doctor to attend to them quickly. That could give rise to a potentially fatal situation. We also need people who have a better understanding of the health issues faced by these older folks so that they would be able to serve them better. Step-down Care”
“[For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A *.] Madam, with Singapore facing an ageing population, by 2030, out of four Singaporeans, one of them would be aged 65 and above, and our people's life expectancy is getting longer and longer. When people get older, the chances of getting sick is greater. So we must be prepared for a solution to help our aged folks deal with their medical problems. Every week during my MPS, some older folks will come to me and ask me to help them write to the hospitals to waive their medical expenses as they are not able to pay. They have no savings, no CPF, no insurance and, faced with the spiraling medical expenses, they just could not cope. Furthermore, when a Singaporean is more than 65 years, it would be very expensive if he were to buy medical insurance. But with life expectancy at 85, how are they going to cope with the medical expenses for the next 20 years? I would like to ask the Government to consider buying insurance for them as a one-time exercise. These old folks do not have medical insurance. Can the Government buy the insurance for them? Although it may cost the Government a lot of money, I feel that the medical insurance would ensure that they would have the coverage to help them defray their medical expenses and this would be a sign of respect for these old folks for their contributions they have made to our nation in their younger days. *Cols. 2595-2596. 5.45 pm Secondly, I would like to ask the Minister whether he would consider having more polyclinics in the housing estates for the convenience of these older folks. Finally, I would urge the hospitals to set up some special service counters to serve these older folks.”
“He asked me, "How could the environment officers be so sharp as to spot a tiny cigarette butt, yet so blind to this huge heap of rubbish?" Why did the environment officers not see and take action to deal with it? I would like to ask the Minister whether his officials are aware of this problem and what action are they going to take to solve it. * Cols. 2491-2492. Cleaner Garbage Trucks and Professional Garbage Collectors”
“[For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A *.] Sir, Singapore is one of the cleanest and most beautiful garden cities in the world. This honour does not come by accident. It is a result of many years of hardwork through various campaigns to keep Singapore clean and inculcating in our people public health education. Credit must be given to the cooperation of all Singaporeans, and the strict enforcement by the Ministry of the Environment. But in order to maintain this reputation of a beautiful garden city, we need to work doubly hard so that we will not regress. I discover that whenever we have large-scale activities such as the National Day Parade and New Year Festivals at the Orchard Road, there are always lots of rubbish left behind after the events. The cleaners have to work all through the night to clear the rubbish. If this bad habit of littering in public places is not changed, it would seriously affect the beautiful image of Singapore as a clean and green garden city. One of my constituents complained to me that when he carelessly dropped a cigarette butt on the floor, he was fined. I told him that Singapore practices the rule of law and in order to maintain our clean and green environment, we have no choice but to eradicate littering in public places. He fully agreed with me and admitted that he was in the wrong. However, he also told me that near his place of work, which was just beside the Mobil Refinery, there was a huge heap of rubbish which was deposited there for such a long time that small plants were growing from there. The rubbish was very smelly and seriously polluted the air around the area. Moreover, the heap of rubbish was very near the refinery. Should there be a fire, the consequences will be very serious.”
“[For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*.] Mr Chairman, since its liberalisation in 1978, China has been playing more and more important roles in international politics, economics and diplomacy over the past 30 years. Singapore and China have built up very good bilateral economic trade and diplomatic relations. Last year, when PM Lee Hsien Loong visited Beijing, Premier Wen Jiabao described the relationship between China and Singapore as "friendly, cooperative and creative". It is very meaningful. Recently, with the world going into recession and the international situation going through many changes, Premier Wen Jiabao, during his visit to Europe, reminded countries all over the world not to look just after their own domestic well-being but to spare a thought for others as well. He emphasised that all countries, big or small, should complement one another through good economic and diplomatic policies. Only then, can we overcome this crisis. Recently, there are significant changes on the economic and political landscapes. Obama has become the new President of the United States and Ma Ying-jeou has become the new President of Taiwan. There may be some new political and diplomatic developments. I would like to ask the hon. Minister, under such circumstances, what would be the new development trends in the economic trade and diplomatic relations between Singapore and China. How do we balance our relationship with China and Taiwan? *Cols. 2275-2276. Middle East”
“After completing my education and national service, I received my Singapore citizenship and became a Singapore citizen quite naturally. I did not carry the title of "new citizen". I was able to integrate into the community directly, and actively participated in grassroots and community activities, fulfilling my obligations as a citizen. If there is such a title of "new citizen", how long has one to hold on to this label before he or she is regarded as an old citizen? Is there any special significance in calling them "new citizens"? Otherwise, may I suggest that we simply call them Singapore citizens the moment they received the Singapore Citizenship certificate at the award ceremony, thus avoiding the title of "new citizens"? Do we have any new strategy to integrate these new citizens into our society so that we can become "one people, one nation and one Singapore"? *Cols. 2071-2072.”
“[For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A *. ] Sir, every year, there are 15,000 immigrants and permanent residents who become Singapore citizens. At present, about one third of our population are from abroad. All along, we treat them as equal, and all citizens enjoy the same benefits and share the same obligations as citizens of Singapore. However, in the last two years, at our citizenship award ceremony, we have began addressing these people who came from other countries to become our citizens as "New Citizens". I feel that by doing so, we are creating a demarcation between the "new citizens" and the old citizens. They are constantly reminded that they are "new citizens" and not locally born and bred citizens. This would give rise to an adverse effect to our efforts to integrate the "new citizens" into our society, and generate two different classes of citizens, thereby undermining the social cohesiveness of our people. Recently, two of my constituents came to see me. One received a summons from HDB for a parking offence. While requesting me to appeal to HDB to withdraw the summons, he reminded me that he was a "new citizen". In fact, he had been a citizen of Singapore for more than one year. The other received a summons from MOM because his domestic maid suffered some injuries. He and his wife also requested that I appeal to MOM to withdraw the summons against them. They made it a point to remind me that there were "new citizens" and asked me to give them special attention. Such a trend, if not checked, will later on result in a gap between the old and the "new citizens". I migrated to Singapore with my family when I was seven years old.”
“For this, I suggest that all the retail associations get together and organise some sales promotion activities for a period of six months, and make Singapore a shopping paradise to attract more tourists. Then, our tourist spots, food and beverages industry, transport industry as well as our retail shops will all benefit. This campaign will also let our people buy things at competitive prices, and it would stimulate our consumption market. This would be a very positive support for our retail market. But, to consume, we need more cash. I suggest that the Government consider an off-budget measure of issuing some "consumption coupons" to the people. If everyone gets $300 of coupon, then there will be a total of about $900 million. These coupons must be spent within six months. Except for the purchase of tobacco and alcohol, these coupons could be spent at the departmental shops, hawker centres and restaurants. This will breathe some life into our retail shops by giving them more business. Finally, on behalf of my constituents, I would like to thank our Finance Minister Mr Tharman for this very bold and resolute Budget to help our people ride over this troubled time. I hope with our people working together with the Government, we would emerge even stronger after the crisis. Majulah Singapura! *Cols. 1575-1580. 34 pm”
“I suggest that the Ministry of Finance set up an independent loans committee, with representatives from SPRING Singapore, the SMEs and the trade associations as well as the banks and finance companies, to look into all the loan applications and the processing of such applications. If they can meet the basic requirements, the committee could issue them a loan certificate which is like a "loan COE". With this certificate the company can go to any bank or any Government-appointed finance company to secure the loan. You save time and also meet the needs of these SMEs, and this would also help the Government to reach its ultimate target of helping these companies. Of course, granting loans is risky. But in whatever we do, there are always risks. Even as Members of Parliament, we face risks. But we would still have to meet our people, visit them and participate in community activities, go to coffee shops and markets to listen to their grievances and problems, and then come to Parliament to reflect their views. This is our spirit – to serve the people. The banks should also play their part to serve their clients and the nation. In order to make help these SMEs survive the crisis, the banks should be more positive, they should not adopt this attitude of lending out the umbrellas when the sun is shining and taking it back when it starts to rain. At the moment, many retail shops, department companies are also affected by the economic crisis. Their sales are seriously affected, particularly after the Lunar New Year festive season. I think for the next few months, many of these companies will be facing problems with very low sales.”
“As a result, they are turned down by the bank, and they are left without the necessary capital to carry on with their business. It is said that water from afar cannot put out the fire in front of you. The President of the Singapore Manufacturers Association is quoted as saying the banks were moving very slowly and the companies were crying for help. This was reported in the Lianhe Zaobao. If the bank is too careful, these companies will not be able to secure financing and many of them would have to face even more severe economic crisis. It is just like an asthma patient going to a doctor. He has an attack and he went to his physician. The doctor does not give him the medicine but asks him a series of questions like: Why do you have asthma, if I give you the medicine, can you guarantee that you will recover? After your recovery, will you be more healthy than others? Why is it that you have asthma and others don't have? As the doctor keeps asking all sorts of questions, the patient will get more and more angry. I think even before he gets the medicine he would have died of anger. As reported in the Lianhe Zaobao, the boss of CSS Industrial Company which employs about 50 workers, spent a few months going to more than 10 banks before he could get a loan of about $60,000. A lot of time and a lot of efforts were wasted. At this critical time, the company should be pooling its resources to seek out new markets, look for new customers, or develop some new products to boost its business rather than spending time looking for loans from the banks. I think many SMEs are facing the same problem.”
“My residents have given me feedback that they would like to compliment the Finance Minister for giving us a warm and happy Lunar New Year. Thank you very much, Finance Minister. Mr Speaker, Sir, at the moment, many SMEs are affected by the global economic tsunami. They have lost a lot of overseas markets and are having problems with their cash flow. The Government has made a prompt decision to adopt a bold and resolute policy, setting aside $5.8 billion for the Special Risk-Sharing Initiative (SRI) and also raised its loan risk sharing percentage from 50% to 80%, and the loan ceiling from $500,000 to $5 million. I think, this is very timely help to the businesses so that they can survive, and the rice-bowls of their employees can be retained. This is really a good policy that suits the remedy to the case. As I know, there are about 140,000 SMEs in Singapore and from what I know, about 15%, or some 20,000 of the SMEs, have the problem of cash flow shortage. They needed facilities from the banks to help them tide over this difficult period. Otherwise, in order to save costs, they may have to retrench workers, suspend their business or even close down the business. This will result in about 300,000 to 400,000 workers losing their jobs. As I have said, this programme that is launched by the Government, is very good news to the people. It gives companies new hope and new confidence. Many SMEs reflected to me that they have faced difficulties in applying for bank loans. Whenever they approached the bank, they will be asked a lot of questions such as, who are your competitors, what are your prospects, and many other particulars and information. Some of this information is just not available to the SMEs.”
“(In Mandarin): [For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*.] Mr Speaker, Sir, this Budget can be said to be the most generous one I have come across since I became an Member of Parliament 13 years ago, and it is one that is really customising the remedy for the case. Singapore is now facing the most severe economic crisis since Independence. The Budget presented by the Government this year contains several “breakthrough” features, setting five new records. First, the $20.5 billion Resilience Package can be said to be the largest budget that the Government has ever presented. Second, the $8.7 billion budget deficit is also unprecedented. Third, the $5.8 billion in enhanced Risk-Sharing Initiatives (RSI) seeks to help the SMEs seek financing, to alleviate their problem of capital shortage. Fourth is the $4.5 billion for the Jobs Credit – this is the first time that the Government makes use of the past reserves to ensure that the companies could survive and the workers will have their jobs retained. Fifth, the $2.6 billion Family Supplement Plan with increased GST rebates and bonus for the elderly, the 20% personal income tax rebate and the additional Service & Conservancy Charges and rental rebates, provide help to everybody. I think this is a very comprehensive, pro-business and pro-people Budget that wins praises from all the people. I would like to use a very delicious traditional Lunar New Year staple – the pen cai – to describe this Budget. The pen cai contains of a lot of delicious ingredients, such as abalone, sea cucumber, fresh prawns, dried scallops, oysters, roast pork and fish. They are visible and edible; everybody can enjoy it.”
“If you have watched Jack Neo’s movie "Money No Enough II", in one part of the movie, the elderly mother has dementia and she repeatedly asked her son, "Have you eaten?". This has caused misunderstanding between the mother and son, and we can see that dementia has similar symptoms as that of mental disorder. Therefore, I would like to ask the Minister, under the proposed changes, will there be any negative impact on the elderly who have dementia? My worry is that some parents might abuse the system and they get the police officers to send their old folks for examination, or compulsorily admit them into psychiatric institutions. This may cause family discord and could be detrimental to our Government’s family policy. In this regard, how can the Ministry ensure that all these dementia elderly are not treated as psychotic patients? *Cols. 173-174. 4.48 pm”
“[For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*.] Mr Speaker, Sir, mental disorder is one that is not easily detectable. According to my understanding, even the doctor and psychiatrist agree that two doctors will never get the same diagnosis for a psychotic patient. I would like to ask the Minister how does MOH define mental disorder. For instance, making gestures in public, making indiscreet remarks, sloppily dressed, or scolding people for no reason – is this considered a case of a mentally deranged person? The person might not have vandalised, or hurt anyone. However, a mentally deranged person can vandalise public property, he cannot refrain from dangerous behaviour, and can inflict harm on another person. But according to the proposed amendment, the police officers will only transport the mentally deranged person to the hospital for treatment in the event a member of the public lodges a complaint. But members of the public are usually not proactive and they will not call the police. If these psychotic patients are not treated in time, their illness will get worse. Therefore, I propose that we empower our police officers with the authority that in the event they encounter mentally deranged persons, they can "invite" them to the hospital for examination. If the patients’ condition is not too serious, the family members can take care of them, make sure that they receive treatment periodically, so as to prevent it from worsening. For those with a critical condition, the Government should make it mandatory for them to receive treatment. Singapore is facing a greying population, and we know that dementia is one very common case of mental disorder.”
“(In Mandarin ): Mr Speaker, Sir, first of all, I must thank the Deputy Prime Minister for explaining this episode about Mas Selamat's escape very clearly. He has also appointed this Committee of Inquiry which has also made its investigations and found that he escaped from the toilet window. However, CID has not managed to find any fingerprints. I want to ask the DPM if it is the only possibility of which he escaped. After he escaped, it must have taken him some time to run away. Did we ensure that there is proper patrol in the Detention Centre? Secondly, what about Took Leng How's murder case where he managed to flee Singapore and entered into Malaysia? I want to ask DPM how is he going to ensure such things will not happen to Mas Selamat in a similar way.”
“Therefore, reducing the ERP expenses can reduce the burden on the taxi drivers and the passengers as well since they have contributed to our tourism and public transport system. Therefore, they can help to serve the elderly and office workers better. *Cols. 2477-2478.”
“(In Mandarin ): [For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A *.] Sir, after the taxi fare hike, taxi companies think that the income of taxi drivers has increased, with an average income of $318. However, the taxi drivers say that their income has actually dropped. In order to understand the situation, the evening newspaper, Lianhe Wanbao, conducted a survey, and the results showed that the taxi drivers work 10 hours per day, and the average income is $204. After deducting the rental, diesel and ERP expenses, they only have $113 left. So the net income is $91. They have to work every day, and they get a monthly income of $2,730. Many taxi drivers work extremely hard every month, and they can only get $2,000. They have to work more than 10 hours per day, and their income is equally dependent on their luck and hard work. Yet, their income is unstable. They have to work under all kinds of weather conditions. So it is very strenuous and demanding. The taxi drivers have contributed greatly to our country, even in terms of tourism. We can see their contributions. However, the taxi service is not considered part of the public transportation service by LTA. And I would like to ask the Minister why is this so. Their main operating costs are diesel, car rental and ERP charges. Therefore, I would like to propose that the Government consider giving 30% rebates to the existing $6,500 diesel and road tax package. In this case, the taxi companies would be able to share the rebates with the taxi drivers and this, in turn, will help to reduce their rental expenses. Secondly, ERP rate should be reduced by half as a concession for taxi drivers, because they serve the community. Every day, they have to go through the ERP gantry many times.”
“In this regard, I would like to ask the Ministry whether we have any policy to attract foreign talents to supplement the local construction sector and, at the same time, ensure that there are enough job opportunities for Singaporeans. *Cols. 2045-2046 Continuing Education and Training”
“[For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*.] Sir, Singapore faces a tight labour market. In order to boost growth and development, we need to bring in more foreign workers, especially in the construction, maritime and labour industries. These foreign workers have contributed substantially to our economic growth. Among the mega projects in the pipeline are the Integrated Resort, Sports Hub and other major construction projects. Thus, more foreign workers are needed in the construction sector, and the majority of these foreign workers are from China. However, over the past few years, many major cities in China are also developing numerous large scale construction projects, and so the construction industry is experiencing a boom, thus they need construction workers and professionals to support their domestic demand. At the same time, India and the Middle-East are developing extensively with the rapidly growing construction sector. This has undoubtedly attracted many foreign workers and technicians. As a result, this has caused higher labour costs, particularly foreign engineers, foreign construction workers and related professionals. There is also a shortage for these skilled workers. Therefore, I would like to ask whether the Ministry will review its current policy so that we can attract more foreign talents to join the Singapore construction industry. Besides the construction sector, other industries such as food and beverage, sales, cleaning, etc, are also facing labour shortage. I feel that these jobs can be taken up by our local workers.”
“Therefore, nobody dares to buy it. Later on, they changed the name to Alpha Romeo 168. It means "prosperity all the way". Similarly, after changing the name, if the cars are selling like hot cakes, it shows that people are generally affected by the names. It is business and cultural sensitivity and we must suit their need and change their mindset. Therefore, I suggest that we change the name "C Class" to "E Class", just like the Economy Class in an aeroplane. So, these are the three categories. It can be set as E1 Class, E2 Class and E3 Class, and each category receives different amounts of subsidies. If you choose a good name for the class, it may help reduce the psychological burden and worries of the patient. If the name is right, people will feel good and it may help them recover faster. *Cols. 1805-1806.”
“[For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*.] Mr Chairman, I want to suggest the repositioning of the means testing survey for the Class C patients. Class C is the focus of the means testing survey. Under Class C, there are basically three groups. For the first group, the Government will subsidise 80%. For the second group, they will be subsidised 66-79%. For the third group, they will only be getting 65% subsidy. So this is a new system and grouping distribution. The Minister has conducted a lot of seminars and dialogues to share with our people the long-term plan, and he managed to get the people's understanding and support. Now, the Ministry has to reposition the Class C wards. They must have a comprehensive and fair distribution method, in order for people to use it practically and adopt this Class C policy. I suggest that the name "C Class" be changed to "E Class" in order to improve its overall image and to get better support. To some of us, the Class C ward is all right but some patients and their family members are very superstitious and sometimes they do not even mention the letter "C". Recently, I met an old lady whose husband was sick and had to be hospitalised. I asked which ward he was staying in because I might be able to visit him if I had time. She said in Teochew, "A lot of people stay together in the ward." So I said, "Oh, it is a C class ward." She said, "Don't talk about it. The letter "C" in dialect is bad luck." In fact, the implication of this letter "C" in our Oriental society, especially Singapore, is very sensitive. For example, Japanese car name, like Honda Concerto, in Hokkien, it means "company collapse". Therefore, the businessmen do not buy it and the Alpha Romeo 164 model in Hokkien means "die all the way".”
“[For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A *.] Sir, in 2007 last year, we attracted 17,000 foreign nationals. They took up permanent residency and had been naturalised as Singapore citizens. Many are below 18 years old. They have reached enlistment age and soon will be enlisted for full-time NS. Therefore, I would like to ask the Ministry whether these new citizens have a good understanding about NS and Total Defence, and whether the Ministry has enough measures to allow and enable new citizens to learn and understand about NS and Total Defence. I would also like to ask the Minister whether the new citizens give positive support towards our NS and Total Defence. I therefore propose that the Ministry of Defence organise camp visits for new young citizens prior to their enlistment. We can also present the citizenship certificates to these citizens during the camp visit, and we could play the NS video to orientate them about National Service. This would allow them to have a better understanding of the importance of Total Defence. *Cols. 1591-1592.”
“[For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A *.] The Singapore Armed Forces has the important responsibility to defend and protect our country. It is an important organisation to our national security. As such, we should attract enough talents to work in the Ministry of Defence. The Ministry of Defence is a highly confidential and high-tech Ministry. Because of the nature of its work, it is sensitive. Only loyal, honest and highly intelligent Singaporeans should be recruited to take on these jobs, and these jobs can never be outsourced. However, with our strong economic growth, the private sector is always looking for talents and offers high salaries and superior working conditions to attract them. In this regard, is the Ministry of Defence facing the same problem? Can MINDEF attract outstanding and loyal Singaporeans to serve the Ministry? Secondly, the Government has raised the retirement age of civil servants. Would the Ministry of Defence consider raising the present retirement age of 45 for our regular SAF officers? *Cols. 1589-1590. Fitness and Camp Security”
“[For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*.] Sir, the Community Improvement Projects Committee, or CIPC, fund is established by the Ministry of National Development for the purpose of improving and enhancing the public facilities to enable HDB residents to enjoy better basic facilities and, at the same time, enhance the cohesiveness among the residents, the so-called kampung spirit. At the moment, the CIPC fund caters only for HDB residents but not the residents of the private estates. I would like to ask the Minister whether MND would consider allowing the residents of the private estates to enjoy these benefits too. If that can be done, I would like to know how much can each unit of the private estates be given and for what improvements can this fund be used. Can the CIPC fund cover the full costs of such improvement items? I understand the CIPC fund has to be applied for and executed by the CCC of each constituency, and if there is any shortfall, the CCC would have to bear the remaining cost. The CCC is a grassroots organisation, a non-profit organisation, with limited capital. I hope that the Minister would grant higher disbursement for these improvement projects. I suggest that CIPC pay up to 95% or even 100% of the cost, so that the CCC can execute this job more effectively. *Cols. 1357-1358.”
“But after selling their four-room flat and buying a three-room flat, there is not much money left. So would HDB consider building some smaller flats, like one-room or two-room flats, and the lease may not be so long as 99 years? The flats may perhaps be sold with a lease of 50 years so that the prices could be lower, and hence more affordable to the people. Sir, two years ago, I also suggested that HDB convert some of the vacant flats in Jurong West into smaller flats for rental to the lower income. I wonder if any of these flats have been converted and rented out to the needy people. *Cols. 1351-1352 HDB Rental Flats”
“[For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A *.] Sir, the "Home Ownership Scheme" policy of the HDB aims to encourage Singaporeans to own their own home, big or small, so that they can have a property they can call their own, and serve as a form of security for the people. However, with the escalating prices of HDB flats, I wonder if every Singaporean can really afford to purchase a flat sold by HDB and whether this "Home Ownership Scheme" will still be able to attract the response and support of young Singaporeans. 5.30 pm Twenty years ago, a three-room flat was sold at about $30,000. A fresh university graduate would earn a monthly salary of about $1,000 to $1,200, and with a 15-year repayment period, he would pay about $150 to $160 per month, and that was about 15% of his monthly salary. Today, a three-room flat is sold at about $150,000. A university graduate is now paid about $3,000 a month. With the same 15-year repayment period, he will have to pay more than $800 per month, or 28% of his monthly salary. The burden is very heavy, resulting in “money not enough”. Although the quality of our HDB flats has gone up, it is very good, but the standard of living seems to have gone down. People may have the means to buy the flat. But do they have the means to maintain and service the very high monthly instalments? This is something that Singaporeans are worried about. I would like to ask the Minister whether there is any package to slow down the escalation of the HDB flat prices and, at the same time, help those who are unable to service the loan instalments. Some of the HDB flat owners who are in financial difficulties have no choice but to sell their four-room flat and buy a three-room flat instead.”
“[For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*.] Sir, Singapore is a tiny country with limited land. In the process of urban planning, the MND should engage other relevant authorities and work closely with them so as to obtain optimum land use. The Finance Minister has also made special emphasis on the shortage of office space in Singapore. However, I have discovered that many sites near MRT stations which are suitable for offices are not fully utilised or developed. In Hong Kong and Japan, many offices and commercial centres are built near the MRT stations, making full use of the land and optimising its economic values, while providing convenience to the people who commute by MRT to and from the office. In this way, precious time is saved and productivity is enhanced. The Toa Payoh HDB Hub is a very good example. I suggest that the MND consider using some of the land or sites near Newton Circus, Jurong East, Clementi and Hougang for building offices near the MRT stations to attain optimal land use. This would also help to divert some vehicular and human traffic to the suburban areas, alleviate the congestion in the city area and, at the same time, provide one-stop service for Singaporeans who go to work by MRT. This will encourage people to use public transport. *Cols. 1345-1346. Retirement Villages”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): [For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*.] Sir, I would like to ask the Minister how many cases of road traffic accidents were there in 2006 and 2007, and how many precious lives were lost in such accidents. Recently, I notice that many motorists are driving without following the traffic rules. Some overtake from the left lane and some hog the fast lane on the right. Some young drivers drive recklessly and change lanes indiscriminately, resulting in many unnecessary traffic accidents and causing heavy traffic jams. Come September, we will be hosting the Formula One (F1) event. I am worried that more motorists will be imitating the F1 drivers and race along our highways as though they are race tracks, resulting in many more serious traffic accidents. I would like to ask the Minister whether the Traffic Police has any plan to prevent such unnecessary accidents from happening. I would like to suggest to the Minister that a month-long safe-driving campaign be held. During this campaign, the Traffic Police can educate our motorists on the proper use of the roads and how to drive safely to ensure that we have congestion-free traffic while ensuring the safety of the other road users. *Cols. 1343-1344. 12.30 pm”
“In the beginning, people mocked him for doing such a thing, and they feel that it is silly to loan money to the poor, for he might lose all his capital. However, the bank has maintained a record of surplus revenue for nine years. Among the 6.39 million loan borrowers, 58% of them have managed to escape the poverty trap. And, so, Muhammad Yunus was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2006. I would like to ask the Minister whether we can consider implementing similar measures in Singapore, or to consider inviting the bank to open up a branch in Singapore. With the abolition of the estate duty, Singapore is likely to attract more wealthy people to live and invest here. This will be a boost to our economic development. But the question is whether our economic development will bring about a greater disparity in the income gap between the rich and poor, as this will also mean more social problems. Therefore, we should provide opportunities for the poor people, help them to find jobs, or to change our policies to help them earn a living, so that they can make due contributions to the society. I hope the Minister would consider some of the views that I have put forward. With this, I support the Budget. *Cols. 863-872. 12.18 pm”
“After midnight, the street becomes very quiet. We should adopt the same policy and allow people to work at night markets or pasar malam . We can make use of the data from the grassroots organisationsto find out who are these poor people who are eligible for help, so that they can start up small businesses to support their families. When I have meet-the-people session in my constituency, many residents have come to me for help to get a school canteen licence, so that they can sell food in school canteens. However, the schools normally tender out such stalls to businessmen who in turn tender out to the highest bidders. Therefore, such poor people are not able to get a stall licence at the school canteens. In the early days, our school canteen operators pay only a nominal rent. I feel that the management of school canteens should not be too commercialised. The priority of canteen stall licences should be given to the poor people. This is one way to help the poor people start up a small business. So, we can consider helping them to get a loan from a bank so that they can start a business. Currently, our banks do not loan funds to them. Through our CDCs, the Government has given to the poor people $100-$200 a month. However, can the Government also consider giving them a lump sum assistance allowance, about $800 to $1,000, as a capital sum for those who are thinking about starting a small business. An economist from Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus, has seen the exploitation of the poor by loan sharks in his country and, therefore, he started a small credit bank in Bangladesh called the Grameen Bank, offering unsecured loans to the people.”
“Today, more than 40 years later, we have progressed from a developing nation to the status of a developed nation. Although our economy is thriving, there is still a minority of people who have not been able to find jobs. These people are forced to go to the CDCs to ask for financial assistance. However, such short-term assistance cannot help them in their long-term livelihood. They are given $100 to $200 a month and this money will be spent soon. Therefore, it is better to teach the people how to fish, rather than give them fish. And it is not easy to make a livelihood nowadays because, to start up a business, unlike in the past, it requires quite a big sum of capital. Rental is high and they cannot set up stalls by the roadside. I have read a book and the gist is how to make money and get rid of poverty, for instance, buying Toto or Big Sweep tickets. Recently, there was a $10 million prize for Toto and many people flocked to these Toto outlets to buy Toto, but the hope of making a fortune is very slim. The more they buy, the poorer they become. So, why not give them some jobs or business instead? They can start with a small business. We should help those who are enterprising, give them a helping hand, to start with a very simple business, such as setting up a stall at pasar malam, ie, night market business. However, the pasar malam business has changed in nature. These pasar malam stalls have been tendered out to contractors. The poor do not stand a chance. I suggest that the Government issue licences to such poor people who wish to become hawkers so that they can become self-reliant. For example, in Taiwan and Hong Kong, there are tourists' streets such as Women's Street. At night, the whole street is crowded with people.”
“Hence, I would like to ask whether the Minister could allot a sum of money to help these women open CPF accounts and make a one-off $1,000 contribution to their CPF accounts. The money from this account cannot be used in other ways. It can only be used for their retirement, and their children also can top up such accounts. With these accounts, they would be able to share in the various kinds of top-ups given by the Government to other Singaporeans and enjoy a certain level of security in their old age. Fourthly, I would like to talk about how to help the poor start their own enterprises. In the early days of our nation-building, our economy was weak and there were very few job opportunities. Many Singaporeans were unemployed. They could not find suitable jobs and became roadside hawkers as a means of livelihood. This was the fastest way to solve the problem of unemployment. Although they were poor, they were not willing to depend on the Government. They preferred to depend on their own efforts to make some money to support their families. This created many jobs. However, later, the Government wanted to tidy up the city landscape and so relocated these roadside hawkers to hawker centres. Today, our hawker centres have become a unique feature of Singapore society. In addition to providing cheap, convenient and delicious food, such hawker centres have also become tourist attractions, attracting foreigners to have their meals there. They contribute to our tourism sector and our economy. Cooking has become a career for this segment of our population. This has been a way to help the people in the low-income ground find gainful employment. This is a good example of killing two birds with one stone.”
“They should not be complicated so that people can understand what these packages comprise. The Government should also put up posters explaining what these packages entail so that the people, notwithstanding their standard of education, will understand these packages and apply for them in time so as to achieve the purpose of the Government's sharing of surplus with the people. I hope the Minister would consider my suggestion. Another issue is about CPF LIFE, the new lifelong income scheme, and this has been designed by the Government to look after the retirement benefits of the elderly people. However, this scheme will only commence in 2013. I would like to ask the Minister: why are we adopting this policy only in 2013? Since everyone agrees that this is a good policy, can we consider the implementation of the scheme within one to two years so that our people can receive the benefits earlier? Thirdly, I would like to talk about the necessity to help Singaporeans above the age of 50 who have no CPF accounts benefit from the Government's surplus sharing packages, especially the housewives. In the early days, the norm was for men to work and bring home the bacon while the women took up the responsibilities of the home. Many women did not work outside their homes and have no CPF. They shoulder the responsibilities of taking care of the home, looking after their families, and bringing up their children. Because of their hard work in bringing up their children, we have a good generation of young people. They have been working very hard, they do not enjoy holidays, no CPF, no bonuses. They, too, contribute to nation-building but they have not been able to enjoy bonuses given by the Government. They deserve a share in our surplus sharing package.”