Ang Wei Neng
Singapore
“Thank you, Speaker, and I thank the Minister for the comprehensive reply. Can I just ask for clarification on the three incidents of Singtel disruption? It was reported by the press that they were totally unrelated. What was the preliminary investigation based on the finding of IMDA?”
“Chairman, I have two clarifications. Firstly, we are glad that the Minister has assured us that MOT is working to establish clearer criteria for distinguishing between Cat A and Cat B COE. In the meantime, I would like to seek clarification on the reduction in the supply of Category A COE.”
“I would like to seek a clarification regarding the Lift Access Housing Grant. Could the qualifying criteria be relaxed for occupants aged 70 and above, without the need for medical certification?”
“Such an outcome would run contrary to the original intent of maintaining distinct categories within the passenger car segment. As MOT has previously stated, the primary objective of Cat A COE is to preserve a portion of the vehicle quota for mass-market cars, thereby ensuring greater accessibility and affordability for the average Singapo…”
“Under NParks' pigeon management plan, efforts remain largely focused on pigeons. I urge NParks, within MND's broader human-wildlife management framework, to evolve towards a comprehensive Pest Bird Management approach, one that also addresses other urban-adapted species, such as mynas and crows, where they cause persistent disamenities to…”
“Thank you, Chair. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] I would like to ask Senior Minister of State Sim Ann, how would she describe Singapore's current relationship with China against the backdrop of Sino-US geopolitical tensions.”
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Every one of 660 lines we hold for Ang Wei Neng, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 11 of 14.
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, thank you for the opportunity to participate in this debate. Alexander Fraser Tytler, born in 1747, was a History professor at the University of Edinburgh. He said the following about democracy more than 200 years ago: "A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship." He further said that the world's greatest civilisations always progressed through the following sequence: Page: 67 "From bondage to spiritual faith; From spiritual faith to great courage; From courage to liberty; From liberty to abundance; From abundance to selfishness; From selfishness to complacency; From complacency to apathy; From apathy to dependence; From dependence back into bondage." Prof Joseph Olson of Hamline University School of Law in the United States was of the view that the US is now somewhere between the "apathy" and "complacency" phase, based on Prof Tytler's definition of democracy. What about Singapore? I was concerned that Singapore could be on the brink of passing from abundance to selfishness after GE 2011. However, the milestone events in 2015, from the passing of our founding Prime Minister, followed by a series of SG50 events and GE 2015, appeared to have steered Singapore away from the phase of selfishness.”
“We need to attract more ITE graduates and encourage more mid-career Singaporeans to join the Bus Captain profession. Under the GCM, the bus operators are merely contractors. With more players entering the fray under the GCM, none of them, in fact, will have sufficient influence to raise the profile of the Bus Captains. Hence, I urge the Ministry of Transport (MOT) to take on a larger role in this area. I understand that Senior Minister of State Mrs Josephine Teo is chairing a tripartite committee and one of the objectives of the committee is to raise the professionalism of Bus Captains. It was mentioned by the Minister for Transport yesterday Page: 72 in his response to a Parliamentary Question. At the same time, I hope Singaporeans at large could also give their due respect to the Bus Captains. In conclusion, I reckon that with the concerted efforts of the various parties under the GCM provided in clause 6 of the Bill, there is hope that the Bus Captains' remuneration and working conditions could improve and convince more Singaporeans to consider the job of a Bus Captain as an attractive career option. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] With the Bill, I hope that, one day, Bus Captains will no longer say, "Driving a bus is not a job for a human being!". Instead, they would say, "Driving a bus is a decent job!" (In English): With this, I support the Bill.”
“Many think that when the train network eventually expands from 178 kilometres today to 380 kilometres in 2030, the ridership on the train network would exceed that of the bus. This may not be so. In London today, given the extensive train network, the bus ridership is still much higher than the train ridership. There were 2.4 billion bus passenger journeys as compared to 1.3 billion London underground train journeys in FY2013/2014. So, in London, the bus ridership today is still much higher than the train ridership. This shows that the bus service will remain an important part of public transport for many years to come. Thus, it is important for LTA to invest more to provide better bus infrastructure. On the same note, I urge the next Minister for Transport to take advice from the current Minister, to implement more bus priority schemes so as to make buses the real "kings of the road". Three, we need to improve the image of the Bus Captains. In 2003, SBS Transit collaborated with Mediacorp to produce a drama series called, "She Drives Me Crazy". (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] In 2003, Mediacorp launched a comedy series called "She Drives Me Crazy" starring Kym Ng, so that people can better understand Bus Captains' work. However, the series can only educate people to understand the work nature of a Bus Captain; it cannot attract Singaporeans to join the profession in the longer term. (In English): The Chinese comedy drama did stir some interest in the roles of a Bus Captain but did little to attract more Singaporeans to join the profession. We need more than profiling of the Bus Captains. We need an overhaul of the Bus Captains' image.”
“Seventy-six Singaporeans versus 1,000 Malaysians joined us last year as Bus Captains. This shows that a higher premium would be needed to convince Singaporeans to join the Bus Captain's profession, given the unearthly working hours and demands of being a Bus Captain. The GCM allows this to happen as the Government is prepared to provide a higher level of subsidies under this model. Two, we need to improve the working conditions for Bus Captains. It is very hard to change the working hours of the Bus Captains but we can change other working conditions for the Bus Captains. For example, I urge LTA to build better facilities at the bus interchanges for the Bus Captains to rest properly. I have had the opportunity to visit the train stations and compare them with the bus interchanges. The newer train lines work on driverless systems. That is, there are no train drivers. Yet, the staff's rest area at a train station can be up to five times the size of the rest area in a bus interchange. So, the train station has no drivers but has big rest areas, whereas bus interchanges have hundreds of bus drivers but have small rest areas. Both facilities are built by LTA, so why the discrepancy? One eye big, one eye small? No wonder people in the bus industry have been complaining that the bus is a poor cousin of the train. One consolation is that the newer bus interchanges have bigger staff rest areas but not the older Page: 71 ones. Some argue that the train is the backbone of public transport and that is why train facilities deserve better treatment. The bus ridership in 2014 was 3.8 million per day as compared to the train ridership of 2.8 million.”
“Others try to evade or underpay the bus fare and when they get caught by the Bus Captains, often blame the Bus Captains for being rude when performing fare enforcement. More commonly, a significant number of passengers are reluctant to move to the rear of the Page: 70 bus despite repeated reminders, resulting in others failing to get on the bus, and Bus Captains end up getting the blame again. Today, there is not enough respect for the Bus Captains generally. With the BSEP, LTA will inject 1,000 buses on the road by 2017 which means we will need an additional 2,500 Bus Captains to operate the additional 1,000 buses. With the transition to GCM provided under the Bus Services Industry Bill, we could expect an even higher bus service standard which means more Bus Captains are required. How do we build a Singaporean Core in the bus industry? Or is a Bus Captain's job so unearthly that the majority of Singaporeans will forever shy away from driving public buses? I do not think so. If you look at Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan and Korea, most of their Bus Captains are local residents. If they can do it, I believe we can as well. That is, provided the various Government agencies can coordinate and put their act together. How do we build a Singaporean Core in the bus industry? One, we need to improve the remuneration of Bus Captains, similar to what the Government has done for nurses and staff of other essential services. The current average gross monthly pay of Bus Captain at about $3,000-plus is comparable to that of taxi drivers and other driving professions. However, we could only attract 76 Singaporeans to join us as Bus Captains in 2014 as compared to more than 1,000 Malaysians who joined as Bus Captains last year.”
“For those Bus Captains who are doing the afternoon shift, they would probably reach home at about 3.00 am, or even later. That is, when most Singaporeans are sleeping in the morning, the Bus Captains are getting ready the buses for you. At night, when most Singaporeans are asleep, the Bus Captains are still busy keeping their buses. Secondly, the road safety hazards. As mentioned by the Minister for Transport, buses are not yet the "kings of the road". Many motorists take advantage of the slower speed of the buses and cut into the lane of the buses, and especially when the cars are turning left at junctions. Motorists also hardly give way to buses coming out of bus bays or, worse still, illegally cut into bus lanes to pick up and drop off car passengers at or near the bus stops, thereby causing obstruction to the buses. The longest bus route, service 51, takes about almost three hours to travel from Hougang to Jurong East bus interchange. Such a long driving duration without rest, exerts a toll on the Bus Captains. Thirdly, Singaporeans' attitude towards Bus Captains. A Bus Captain not only has to drive passengers from point A to point B safely. He also has to provide good customer service, greet, smile and say, "Thank You". Most passengers are nice but there is a handful that can spoil the mood of the Bus Captains. For example, some passengers are so distracted by their mobile phones, they forget to wave for the bus at the bus stop. Instead of acknowledging their mistake, they often blame Bus Captains for not stopping at the bus stop for them. When on the bus, some passengers are also too fixated on their mobile phones and they forget to press the bell. Again, such passengers tend to blame the Bus Captains for not stopping at the bus stop.”
“There is indeed a long queue of people waiting to join the Bus Captain profession, but they are mainly Malaysians due to the low ringgit exchange rate. One Singapore dollar is worth RM2.90 or thereabout, today. However, not enough Singaporeans would like to become Bus Captains, even though we have increased the Singaporean Bus Captain's pay four times over the last five years. Today, the Bus Captain's basic pay is 48% more than that in 2010. Today, a new Singaporean Bus Captain with more than one year of driving experience earns slightly above $3,000 per month on average, not including bonuses. Yet, today, the proportion of local Bus Captains as a percentage of the total number of Bus Captains is significantly lower as compared to the Page: 69 figure five years ago. In fact, the drop is more than 10%. Before I continue, I would like to qualify that the information pertaining to the Bus Captains in my speech today refers to the information provided by SBS Transit which currently runs two-thirds of the bus services in Singapore. Why do Singaporeans shy away from being a Bus Captain? There are three main reasons, among others. Firstly, the working hours of Bus Captains. A Bus Captain has to drive the bus to send people to work and back to home every day. The first bus service leaves the bus interchange as early as 5.00 am on a daily basis. The last bus service, when it ends the last trip at the bus interchange, could reach the bus depot as late as 2.00 am. This means that the morning shift Bus Captain has to reach the depot to collect the bus in the morning as early as 4.30 am and it also means that he has to wake up as early as 3.00 am. I know it is tough as I often join the Bus Captains for breakfast at 4.30 in the morning. It is an unearthly hour to many Singaporeans.”
“The step-in right is an important lever to ensure that the Public Transport Operator (PTO) performs adequately or risks getting its licence suspended or revoked. At the same time, it allows LTA to take over the bus operations or appoint another bus operator to operate the bus services so that commuters will not be too adversely affected by the step-in actions. For that matter, allow me to digress from my speech a little to state my position pertaining to the operator who has won the first bus package under the GCM. A foreign bus operator, Tower Transit, has won the first bus package to operate buses from Jurong East and Bukit Batok interchanges. As a Member of Parliament for Jurong Group Representation Constituency (GRC), I sincerely urge Tower Transit to live up to its expectations of providing quality bus services as required under the GCM. Otherwise, the residents of Jurong GRC will suffer. Under what circumstances would a PTO fail to perform? There could be many factors, such as financial strength of the PTO, mismanagement of bus operations, not enough bus drivers and so on. From my experience, one of the biggest risk factors is the ability to attract drivers, commonly known as Bus Captains or BCs in short in the industry. This is because of our tight labour market and the requirements by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) to build a Singaporean Core in the bus industry. When I first took over the role of managing bus operations, overseeing a fleet of more than 1,500 buses and 3,000 Bus Captains, I had a dream. I dreamt that, one day, there would be a long queue of people wanting to join the ranks of a Bus Captain. Today, my dream has come true.”
“Mdm Speaker, I would like to declare my interest as I serve as a Senior Vice-President in SBS Transit. I would like to pay tribute to the outgoing Minister, Mr Lui Tuck Yew, for doing such a formidable job in the past four and a half years. Under his leadership, bus services have improved tremendously with the Bus Service Enhancement Programme (BSEP). Bus services will improve further with the Bus Services Industry Bill. The results of the train services are not as outstanding, marred mainly by the recent breakdown along the North-South and East-West lines. Nonetheless, Downtown Lines 1 and 2 have been largely completed under Mr Lui's tight supervision. My focus today, however, is on bus services. Mdm Speaker, please allow me to speak in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] About 10 years ago when I first joined the bus services industry, some bus captains told me, "Driving a bus is not a job for a human being." I was very curious, so I asked one of the bus captains who said such things, how long he had been driving public buses. He replied, "Over 30 years." I immediately asked him, "So, you have been driving public buses for over 30 years. Are you still a human being?" He shrugged his shoulders, shook his head and said, "No choice!" Then he walked away. Mdm Speaker, today I am going to talk about the hardship of a bus captain and why I support this Bill. Page: 68 (In English): Mdm Speaker, one of the most important parts of the Bus Services Industry Bill is Part 5, the step-in arrangements. Clause 30 of the Bill allows the Minister to issue a step-in order when a company operating the public bus services under the Government Contracting Model (GCM) fails repeatedly to perform up to the standards required by the public bus services contract.”
“I thank the Minister for the comprehensive reply. Firstly, I would like to express my condolences to the family members of the victims who were injured in the Taiwan colour party disaster recently. I want to ask the Minister a few supplementary questions. First, what are the lessons learnt from the colour party incident in Taiwan that are taken into consideration in the regulations governing such similar events in Singapore? How many applications had MHA received pertaining to the use of coloured powder during public events in the past one year? And did MHA reject any of these applications or had MHA imposed additional conditions, as learnt from the recent incident in Taiwan?”
“While we want to regulate the usage of commercial drones, we should not over-regulate so much so that the industry will find that it really kills the commercial initiative. For example, Amazon is battling with US Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA, for its reluctance to approve beyond visual line of sight operations so that Amazon can continue its trial to deliver lightweight goods to its customers using drones. Currently, in the US, there is a big debate whether the FAA is over-regulating the use of drones for commercial purpose. Meanwhile, Alibaba is pushing ahead with its own trial to deliver ginger tea packets to its customers in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. If this trial is successful, Alibaba could Page: 79 overtake Amazon in this respect. If a popular online store in Singapore, such as Qoo10, would like to apply for a permit to conduct a trial to deliver items of, say, less than one kilogramme in weight to its customers using drones, will the authorities approve such a trial? The commercial usage of drones is like a money plant. Money plants need very little sunlight and water to thrive. However, it still needs some light support for the plant to blossom. In the same way, innovative uses of drones will thrive as long the regulators do not unnecessarily block the initiative, akin to blocking the sunlight. At the same time, the innovative use of drones needs some support from the Government for the industry to bloom, giving Singapore an edge over other countries. With this, I support the Bill. 4.46 pm”
“What are the examples of necessary force that the authorities have in mind to "end the flight of the unmanned aircraft in the fastest and safest practicable way"? This is my second set of clarifications. Before I proceed with my third set of clarifications, Mdm Speaker, allow me to declare my interest as I am the Senior Vice President of SBS Transit. I understand that MOT is drawing up a list of security sensitive locations which include airports, power stations, army camps, Police establishments, headquarters of various Government Ministries, as well as Parliament House, as mentioned by the Minister earlier. Does MOT consider Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) tracks and MRT depots as part of the sensitive locations? Were there any previous instances where drones flew over and crashed onto the MRT tracks? We certainly do not want drone operators to take aerial photographs of MRT depots to aid potential intruders in vandalising the trains. We have just heard the Second Minister for Home Affairs saying earlier in the House that the Government is taking a very serious stand against vandalism. As mentioned in the beginning of my speech, the availability of affordable high-tech drones opens up many possibilities for commercial usage. In Singapore, the Timbre Group is considering using Infinium Robotics' drones to deliver up to two kilogrammes of food and drinks from its group of restaurants. It is not only novel but a practical way to solve their manpower shortage issue. I understand that all drones operating for commercial purposes need to apply for a permit even under the new Bill. At the same time, I understand that about 30% of the 70 applications for a permit to fly a drone in January 2015 were all rejected.”
“The experiences that I have mentioned above show that it is timely to have an Unmanned Aircraft (Public Safety and Security) Bill in place. Even though I support the Bill, I have three areas of clarifications and one suggestion for the Minister. For the purpose of this discussion, I will use the term "unmanned aircraft" and "drone" interchangeably. I understand that under this Bill, a permit may be required for a drone to be used for specialised services such as: (a) flying the drone over any crowd; or (b) suspending, carrying or attaching any item to the drone unless it is manufactured to hold the item. We are celebrating SG50 this year and there are many SG50 events besides the National Day Parade, which is classified earlier on by the Minister as a special event similar to the SEA Games. Many drone fanatics would like to use their drones to join in the celebrations. Will Page: 78 the authorities require an amateur drone operator to apply for a permit from CAAS to fly the drone over SG50 events or other private events for the purpose of taking aerial photographs and videos? Can a drone fly with a Singapore flag during such events? What is the definition of "crowd" as stated in the advisory for the Safe and Responsible Operations of Unmanned Aircraft? This is my first set of clarifications. Under clause 13 of the Bill, an authorised person, including a Police Officer of or above the rank of Sergeant, has the power to use necessary force to end the flight of an unmanned aircraft in the fastest and safest practicable way. Does it mean that the Police Officer is entitled to use firearms to open fire at an illegal drone or is the authority thinking of using another bigger drone to destroy the illegal drone?”
“(In Mandarin) [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mdm Speaker, drones are getting more popular. According to the US Consumer Electronics Association, the global market for consumer drones will approach US$130 million in 2015, increasing by more than 50% from 2014 and, by 2018, the figure is expected to reach US$1 Page: 77 billion. With technology improvements, drones are getting cheaper, too. A popular China-made DJI drone, for example, costs as low as $1,200 and has very good functions. Many even consider it worthy for commercial use. Drones can help to solve many problems and create new opportunities. However, drones could also cause problems if the drone operators harbour bad intentions. On 29 April 2015, Katsu, a popular graffiti artist, used a drone to discharge red paint to vandalise one of the largest outdoor billboards in New York City. Section 7C of the Bill will prohibit the discharge of any substance from an unmanned aircraft. On 9 May 2015, a United Kingdom newspaper reported that an American tourist was trying to fly a drone close to Windsor Castle to take photographs. Fortunately, he was caught in time. Section 7A of the Bill provides MOT the authority to declare a list of security-sensitive areas as protected areas and prohibit drones from flying over them or take aerial photographs of the protected areas without a permit. These two separate incidents show the importance and timeliness of the Bill. (In English): Mdm Speaker, in my Chinese speech earlier, I had used two examples to illustrate how drones could be used to vandalise public property and also intrude into security sensitive areas. Earlier this year, there was also a drone that landed quite unexpectedly in the White House in the US. The incident had caused a huge public alarm.”
“Mdm Speaker, I thank the Second Minister for the comprehensive reply. Firstly, I want to offer my condolences to the Nepal citizens who have lost their loved ones in this earthquake and also congratulate and thank our Singapore team members – SPF officers, SCDF officers, and SAF officers – for doing a great job in Nepal. I also feel for the Singaporeans who were affected by the earthquake in Nepal. I understand the Second Minister had answered that we would look at what kind of effort we could provide Nepal in due time. However, I would specifically like to ask the Second Minister whether the Government would consider assisting Nepal to rebuild parts of the destroyed areas, similar to what we have done for Aceh. Secondly, I would like to ask the Second Minister how MFA kept in touch with the Singapore Mount Everest Climbing team after the 25 April earthquake. What advice did MFA give to the team when the team initially decided to carry on with their climb despite extensive damages in Kathmandu and the risk of avalanches in the mountain areas? I understand the team only decided to end its mission on 29 April, four days after the earthquake.”
“(In English): Mdm Speaker, as mentioned in my Chinese speech, all of us prefer to resolve disputes informally and amicably. In many instances, our grassroots leaders and community leaders could try to get involved and act as mediators. Even if the amendment Bill were to be passed, we need a structure and system to deal with such matters fairly, consistently and efficiently and ensure that the powers provided in the amendments should only be used cautiously and only as a last resort, as mentioned by the Minister of State. Madam, in this regard, I would urge HDB to perhaps study the Hong Kong Housing Authority's Marking Scheme for Estate Management in Public Housing Estates before exercising the powers of forced entry into a flat. The Hong Kong system, although meant for the public rental housing estate tenants and similar to our traffic offence demerits system, could be a preferred softer approach in dealing with recalcitrant HDB flat owners before applying the harsher law of forced entry and financial penalty. In the Hong Kong Marking System, a public housing flat tenant may be terminated from renting public housing if the owner has accumulated 16 demerit points or more within two years. For example, denying a public servant to enter the flat for inspection would yield a penalty of seven points and refusal to repair a leaking pipe another seven points, rendering the tenant close to being expelled from his flat. Similarly, HDB could consider a similar demerit system to soften the harsh law stipulated in the amendment Bill. With that, I support the Bill.”
“When the elderly person comes back in the evening, because he is illiterate, he may take down the warrant and intend to find a friend to explain to him what the warrant is all about the next day. However, the following day, after he goes out at 7.00 am as usual, HDB officers make a forced entry. We also do not want to see the situation whereby families returning from a week-long holiday find their flat being forcibly entered into by HDB officers under the powers provided by section 26B when a forced entry is allowed without a warrant. Hence, I hope HDB can put up some safeguard mechanisms to prevent the powers from being abused inadvertently. I would like to ask the Minister of State three questions. First, Minister Khaw revealed last December that, every year, there were about 9,000 ceiling leakage cases. Among them, 2,800 cases took more than three months to resolve. I would like to ask the Minister of State, suppose the Bill was passed a year ago, then how many such ceiling leakage cases for which the power provided under section 26A or 26B Page: 80 would potentially have been applicable to deal with those uncooperative residents? Second, the power provided under section 26A and 26B is very comprehensive. I would like to ask the Minister of State how HDB is going to train its officers to make sure that they use this power appropriately and with a human touch? At the same time, will HDB set up a special committee to establish a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for forced entries? Third, I would like to ask the Minister of State whether HDB can first consider using other channels to engage and persuade residents to cooperate, such as working together with grassroots leaders, to work out a solution. Section 26A and 26B should only be used as a last resort.”
“In fact, The Guardian, a London newspaper, devoted an entire article to the ban on chewing gum when Mr Lee Kuan Yew passed on, instead of acknowledging that the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew had transformed Singapore from a Third World country to First in less than a lifetime. When we introduced caning against vandalism, we were called less than favourable terms, never mind the need to protect the property and public amenities. When we used hanging as a measure to control drug abuse and other very serious crimes, we were still very much condemned for being a cruel regime. Hence, the Housing and Development (Amendment) Bill that confers authorised HDB staff with the power to enter a flat with force and without prior notice to the occupier could go down as another example of Singapore's harsh autocratic laws. We must, however, decide what works for us. Having said that, we need HDB to convince us of their proposed safeguards to prevent abuse of power. At this juncture, Madam, please allow me to speak in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mdm Speaker, section 26A of the Bill allows HDB officers to forcibly enter an HDB flat with a warrant to remove illegal renovation features or conduct emergency repair work. I urge HDB to exercise this power with a human touch and show compassion. In Jurong, there are some illiterate elderly residents who go out early in the morning and come back late in the evening to earn a living. In the worst circumstance, we do not want to see a situation whereby an elderly person living alone leaves his home and, two hours later, HDB officers paste the warrant on his door.”
“Mdm Speaker, many hon Members of the House would have experienced residents' complaints about ceiling leakage issues taking months to resolve. A quick check of my mailbox revealed two latest incidents. One incident happened in a Jurong West flat. The feedback was received in October last year. The neighbour upstairs who was responsible for the leaking ceiling in the flat downstairs, refused to use the renovation contractor recommended by HDB and decided to engage his own contractor to do the repair. Unfortunately, the repair was not carried out properly and the problem was not resolved. The case dragged on until last month, taking a good six months before the problem was finally resolved. I have another similar case of ceiling leakage in a Jurong East flat this time round and it also took six months to resolve, from July to December 2014. During the six-month period, you could imagine the agony of the residents who had to endure the ceiling leakage. This amendment Bill is thus very helpful and timely to help mitigate the suffering of the residents who are victims of their inconsiderate neighbours. This is especially so when we have more than 80% of the resident population in Singapore staying in 940,000 HDB flats across the island and not all residents are cooperative. However, critics may perceive such honourable intents as being draconian and autocratic. When we introduced the ban on the sale of chewing gum, we were the laughing Page: 79 stock of the western liberal societies who disregarded the rationale behind the policy.”
“Thank you, Mdm Speaker, for allowing me to seek clarification on this very important, sensitive and emotional topic. Many Singaporeans have many suggestions on how to honour the late Mr Lee. For Singaporeans who have gone through the National Mourning period, there is something very special and dear to remember. But the next few generations of Singaporeans will not have the chance to see the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew in action. We hope that Mr Lee Tzu Yang's Committee can consider a few options so that they can engage Singaporeans to see their preference on how to honour the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew. As for the 38 Oxley Road house, we respect the wishes of the late Mr Lee but, at the same time, we also understand the sentiments of many Singaporeans. So, I would like to ask the Government to consider digitising the images of the Oxley Road home so that Singaporeans can do a virtual tour of the house or part of the house to understand the Page: 53 frugality of the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew.”
“Sir, in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] With the introduction of the Pioneer Generation Package, MediShield Life and more outpatient subsidies, more Singaporeans will visit the polyclinics and other primary health care services. Hence, I am very pleased to hear the announcement by the Minister just now that we will be building three new polyclinics. I would like to ask the Minister whether MOH will be expanding the current 18 polyclinics and build new ones? At this juncture, I would like to add that Jurong Polyclinic is one of the most crowded polyclinics in Singapore with a high number of patients and very long waiting time. Is there an immediate plan to expand its capacity or build a new polyclinic in Jurong? I would also like to ask the Minister whether MOH have plans to further tap the 1,500 private medical clinics to supplement the current network of polyclinics? We have heard stories that certain CHAS clinics have been overcharging patients with PG cards, offsetting the subsidies they are receiving. Will MOH consider setting up a hotline for Singaporeans to report on such abuses? Page: 125 5.15 pm Enhanced Primary Care”
“Mdm Chair, almost all Singaporeans that I know of are looking forward to the implementation of the MediShield Life and they want it earlier. At this point of time, MOH has not shed much light about the implementation details. For example, many Singaporeans with minor pre-existing conditions are anxious to know if they have to pay the 30% extra premiums. Is there an avenue for appeal if they have reasons to believe that their pre-existing conditions are minor and should not be paying the additional premiums? How would MOH carry out the means testing to determine the premiums subsidy level? How to apply for the additional premium subsidy? All these questions are not answered yet. In addition, a good 60% of Singaporeans currently bought private integrated plan on top of their basic MediShield plan. They are eagerly waiting for MOH to announce the details of the Standardised Integrated Plan that provides B1 class wards coverage. Companies are also waiting for the information so that they could streamline the medical benefits for their employees under the new regime. I hope MOH could share the details as soon as possible. Portable Medical Benefits”
“Mdm Chair, I echo hon Member Mr Cedric Foo's view on bicycles and the use of bicycles on pedestrian paths. Electric and motorised bicycles are getting more popular in Singapore. As a result, I have two groups of residents who came to see me with regard to the use of motorised bicycles. The first group mentioned and complained about how motorised bicycles were used on the pedestrian walkways and endangered the pedestrians, especially children and the elderly. The second group of residents approached me to appeal for waiver of summonses issued to them for using their motorised vehicles along the pedestrian walkways when I requested the Police to step up enforcements. Some residents who received summonses include elderly residents and they reasoned that it was safer for them to use the motorised bicycle on pedestrian walkways. I would like to ask if MOT knows the number of authorised motorised bicycles in Singapore, that is, those which are authorised by LTA, and how many of them have been summoned for using pedestrian walkways or park connectors and other offences for the past five years. Page: 90 Given that the Government has plans to build a cycling network of more than 700 kilometres, more motorised bicycle users would be tempted to use the cycling paths and park connectors. Thus, I would like to ask if MOT would consider registering motorised bicycle users or owners for better control and enforcement. Regulation of Motorised Bicycles”
“Secondly, I hope MND could consider increasing the subsidy per shop to, say, $20,000 for Singaporean shop owners and a lesser amount for others and to encourage better participation as well as keeping pace with the significant increase in construction cost since the commencement of the ROS scheme. I hope that MND would agree that the two suggestions could possibly make the ROS scheme more attractive. Revision and Rebate of Rent”
“Mr Chairman, shops at neighbourhood centres provide much convenience to the residents and add vibrancy to the neighbourhood. However, many clusters of shops in HDB heartlands, especially in Jurong West, are ageing and need upgrading to bring more life to the neighbourhood. Fortunately, HDB provides co-funding for upgrading of common areas under the Revitalisation of Shops (ROS) scheme. In addition, many of the shop owners and shoppers have also benefited from the subsidies for the promotional events under the ROS. The upgrading programme under the ROS scheme, nonetheless, needs the consent of all the shop owners before they could take advantage of the subsidies. This is very difficult. Although some shop owners know the scheme is beneficial to them and the community, there are always some who do not cooperate. Thus, I understand that only a handful of the neighbourhood centres are able to take advantage of the upgrading scheme since its Page: 149 inception. In addition, the current level of $10,000 subsidy per shop is also losing its appeal given the inflation over the years, especially the escalation of construction costs. Hence, I have a couple of suggestions to tweak the ROS scheme to make it more attractive. 6.30 pm Firstly, MND could consider aligning ROS with the Neighbourhood Renewal Programme (NRP) to allow only Singaporean shop owners to vote. Similarly, it would also require to garner at least 75% of the votes to embark on the ROS. And the rest of the shop owners would then have to go along with the decision and pay the upgrading costs accordingly. I reckon that HDB might have to amend the appropriate law and regulations to facilitate such a change.”
“Madam, I appreciate MOE's effort and promise to increase the number of school-based Student Care Centres or SCCs to 120 by 2015. I also want to Page: 70 congratulate the Minister for the success of the scheme. Many of the school-based SCCs are full and, with long waiting lists, as soon as they are opened. The shortage of vacancies in some of the school-based SCCs that are near to rental blocks is even more severe as the demand is high. I hope the Minister could share with us on the constraints of providing more places at these school-based SSCs, whether it is space and infrastructural constraints in the school or manpower constraints faced by the operators. If it is a manpower constraint, would MOE consider extending similar subsidies and grants for volunteer welfare organisations (VWOs) to expand the places at these centres or set up additional SCCs near the school? For example, I have a VWO that is ready to do so in Jurong and I hope the Minister can consider it seriously.”
“Deputy Prime Minister Tharman, in his Budget Statement, mentioned that the Government would roll out "enhanced internship in two-thirds of polytechnic courses and half of ITE courses over the next two years." This is an ambitious target. Could MOE share with us what is the number of internship opportunities required to support the target? How is the Government incentivising the companies to provide meaningful internships? At the end of the day, it has to be a win-win situation for the company, as well as for the student. Every School a Good School”
“Mdm Chair, in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] It is said that the biggest fear for a man is to choose the wrong career, while the biggest fear for a woman is to marry the wrong man. In modern society, gender equality means women also work and are equally wary of choosing the wrong career. While we invest heavily on SkillsFuture, we also need education and career counsellors to counsel the students to help them understand their own strengths and weaknesses as Page: 48 well as their area of interest and various options. Secondary school students can then make informed choices when they select courses at tertiary institutions, and ultimately, make wise decisions in their career choices. However, the education and career counsellors engaged by MOE must, first of all, have actual working experience in the different fields and receive specialised training in order to advise the students effectively. Otherwise, they will just be engaging in empty talk and mislead the students. We are all aware that every parent wants their children to be successful. However, not everyone can become a doctor or a lawyer. As such, schools should communicate with parents and parents should work together with schools so that each student can make career choices according to their ability and interest instead of just picking the one with the highest pay. After all, no matter which job you do, you can achieve greatness. (In English): In English, Madam. I have mentioned in my Mandarin speech that we need to involve parents when MOE counsellors provide career guidance to the students. At the tertiary level, it is more important for the students to intern at relevant companies to apply the skillset they have acquired at the educational institutions.”
“It is most painful when someone loses his job after working so hard for so many years in the same field. One particular group of people is those working in the manufacturing sector. A significant number of Singaporeans were retrenched when the factories were closed and relocated to Penang and China and so on. Although many new jobs have been created, a lot of these opportunities are created in the service sectors. The displaced workers from the manufacturing sector find it hard to adapt and make such a switch. In my own personal capacity, I have tried to help some retrenched Singaporeans by offering them opportunities in the service sectors but my experience is not too positive. I used to interview several middle managers displaced from the manufacturing sector before I could find one who would possibly fit into a management role in the service sector. Even then, only one out of five who was eventually offered made it. I hope MOM can help more displaced workers, help them to organise courses and work with e2i to find new ways to help them. Lifelong Learning”
“Mdm Chair, the definition of mid-career varies. Typically, it means someone who has worked for 10 to 15 years and is probably in their late-30s or 40s. At this mid-point, one might come to a crossroads and: (a) have a feeling of a need to upgrade and deepen his work skills so as to do better in his career; or (b) seek the ultimate goal and meaning of one's life and contemplate a possible change in his career; or (c) in the worst-case scenario, face retrenchment because his skillset has become redundant or his company has closed down or relocated. For those who need to upgrade to deepen his skills so as to perform better in his fields of work, he is definitely more self-motivated and can help himself to look for suitable courses, and he will find SkillsFuture Credit very useful. For the second group, maybe the Government could collaborate with the industries to provide more mid-career scholarships to facilitate change of career, perhaps as a means to encourage people to tilt towards growing industries. It does not mean that we are encouraging people to change jobs or change career. Several literature about mid-career crisis shows that very often people find themselves unhappy in a path which they have trodden for some time. This is a modern-day illness. As for the third group, it is the most worrying. For many people in their late-30s and 40s, they would have several significant financial commitments, such as housing mortgages, Page: 44 young or school-going children and elderly parents to support and so on. And they can ill afford to lose their jobs at this time of their life. This group deserves the most attention. Mdm Chair, as we accelerate our economic restructuring, more Singaporeans will be displaced from their jobs.”
“Thank you, Mdm Chair. I have a clarification for Minister Iswaran. I am pleased that MHA has responded to my call to set up a dedicated cyber crime unit. I have made this call in my past Parliamentary Questions or PQs over the last half a year. This dedicated crime unit, which is now called Cybercrime Command, is sited in the CID as well as in the Division. I have also noted the education effort to fight cybercrime. Could MHA also consider working with the ISPs to put up online ads at the appropriate website to remind people not to fall into cybercrime? The other question I have is: I have noted that the retiring age of a Police officer is 55 years old, not the senior officer but the Police officer, would MHA consider extending the retirement age for those officers who are still fit, or re-employ them in a bigger number if they are still fit?”
“It does not need the heavy vehicle to run on the chassis dynamometer to verify if the speed could exceed 60 kilometres per hour. The chassis dynamometer is a bit like a treadmill. The chassis dynamometer test is only required if the Police had caught drivers speeding in heavy vehicles. That means they do not have to be tested on a dynamometer unless they are caught by the Traffic Police and they have to send the vehicle Page: 15 for a check more thoroughly. So, instead of having the Traffic Police do more enforcement action, as mentioned by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) previously, maybe the Traffic Police could work with LTA to refine the inspection process to better detect whether the speed limiter is functioning during the annual inspection. That is, we have to nip the problem in the bud. Road Safety”
“Mdm Chair, my topic in this segment concerns heavy vehicles and I would like to declare my interest as I am the Senior Vice-President of SBS Transit Limited, a subsidiary of ComfortDelgro Limited. The sheer size of the heavy vehicles means it could cause much more severe harm during an accident. I noted from the Singapore Police Force's website that the number of fatalities that resulted from accidents involving heavy vehicles has increased by 37.5% from 32 cases in 2012 to 44 cases in 2013. Speeding by heavy vehicles is a major concern. I understand that heavy vehicles are required by law to install speed limiters to restrict their maximum speed to 60 kilometres per hour. There are almost 49,000 heavy and very heavy goods vehicles in Singapore end of last year, 2014. How many of the 49,000 heavy vehicles have working speed limiters? Very often, I see heavy vehicles travelling along the second or third lane on a four-lane road, especially along expressways. So, probably, they are speeding. However, the Traffic Police has only caught 57 vehicles for faulty speed limiters or related offences in the past five years. That is, there are 49,000 heavy vehicles on the road but only 57 heavy vehicles were caught with faulty speed limiters by the Police in the past five years and yet in the first half of 2013 alone, 1,766 heavy vehicles were caught for speeding violations. Why the discrepancy? Are heavy vehicles required to check the speed limiter during the annual vehicle inspection mandated by the Land Transport Authority (LTA)? From what I understand, the check is quite superficial. The annual inspection does not verify if the speed limiter is working or tampered with.”
“In the first place, the pay of many older blue-collar workers is quite low. For an average monthly income of $2,000, 1% additional CPF contribution will mean $20 more each month. For employers, the additional CPF contribution is unlikely to be a deterrent factor for employing older workers, considering today's tight labour market, not forgetting the generous 8% Special Employment Credit for hiring older workers. Hence, the time may be ripe for the Government to set a timeframe to restore the employer's CPF contribution rate for workers between 55-62 years old in stages. Why 62? Because it is the official retirement Page: 84 age right now. This will send a strong message that older workers are valued, just like how we value our Pioneer Generation. With this, I support the Motion.”
“This is why the employment rate for those aged 50 to 64 has increased year on year, reaching a new high last year and is likely to improve further. In view of the above, maybe the Government could consider gradually increasing the employer's contribution rate for workers between 55 and 62 years old, until they reach the same rate as the younger workers. This suggestion will bring about the following benefits. Firstly, we can recognise the contributions of older workers, just like how we recognise the contributions of the Pioneer Generation. Secondly, we can rectify the wrong perception that productivity of older workers will drop significantly once they reach the age of 55 or at any particular age. Thirdly, a higher employer CPF contribution will enable older workers to accumulate more CPF balances, so that they could better enjoy their twilight years. (In English): I had earlier explained in Chinese that when we reduced the employer's CPF contribution rate in the last decade, it was because we were concerned that employers may be reluctant to hire older workers probably due to their perceived lower productivity. That may hold true for older blue-collar workers, in particular, involving manual work. In fact, the abundance of foreign workers at that time might have further eroded the competitiveness of our local older workers. However, the tide has turned. The tide turned after we started the economic restructuring process. The tide turned after we tightened the growth of foreign labour in recent years. The tide turned as many employers now cannot find enough local workers. In fact, many firms have to resort to hiring older workers in their late 60s on a part-time basis so that they could have enough quotas to hire foreign workers.”
“Madam, I would like to touch on the mindset about older workers and please allow me to speak in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Ten years ago, workers aged 50 to 59 made up 17% of our workforce. By 2014, this ratio had increased by five percentage points to 22%. In fact, with every 10 working adults, more than three are above 50 years old. In this year's Budget, the employer's CPF contribution rate for workers aged 50 and above is raised by 0.5% to 1%. Consequently, that pleases one-third of our workforce. As a matter of fact, these older workers have, for a long time, been unhappy with their lower employer's CPF contribution rate, particularly the older white-collar workers. They often questioned if their productivity was, indeed, lowered significantly upon turning 50 or 55. Perhaps, we could reflect on why the Government had made significant reductions to the CPF contribution rate of workers above 50 years old in 2003 and 2005. At that time, we were going through a financial crisis and many companies were retrenching workers. In fact, those who were in their 50s were the worst hit. In subsequent years, even though the economy had recovered, the influx of foreign workers had eroded the competitiveness of our local workers, especially the older blue-collar workers. In order to encourage employers to continue hiring older workers, the Government had to lower the employer's CPF contribution rate. Page: 83 Today, the tide has turned. With economic restructuring and tightening of the foreign workforce, employers are more willing to employ older workers and have since learnt to appreciate their reliability. Moreover, employers receive Special Employment Credit of up to 8% of the worker's pay when they hire workers who are above 50 years old.”
“If this Budget is an election year budget, as framed by Ms Rachel Chang of The Straits Times in her commentary, then the $33 million gain from the petrol duty hike does not appear to be a clever move. This is because most of the Budget goodies only take effect in the later part of this year or in 2016, but the increase in petrol duty is immediate, burning a hole in the pocket before one can smell something sweet. Page: 82 The increase in petrol duty, however, needs to be looked at in totality, together with the policy tweak on the Carbon Emission-based Vehicle Scheme (CEVS). I understand that the Government is trying to urge Singaporeans to buy car models with lower carbon emissions by increasing the rebate quantum and petrol prices at the same time. Assuming an average car owner uses about 50 litres of intermediate grade petrol a week, the impact of the increased petrol tax of $0.15 per litre will cost about $416 a year, inclusive of GST. Over a 10-year period, assuming all other factors remain constant, the impact is $4,160. This is less than the $5,000 rebate for an A4 band car, the lowest band that enjoys Additional Registration Fee (ARF) rebates due to lower carbon emissions. Nonetheless, I must say the cost of a greener car is much higher than a normal car currently. Moreover, the current tweak in the CEVS only increases the rebate for the highest band of the lowest carbon emission car without touching the rest of the bands. Hence, I would like to urge the Government to be more generous in the ARF rebates under the CEVS. Otherwise, the increased petrol duty is unlikely to nudge Singaporeans to buy greener cars and will be portrayed as a means to raise tax revenues.”
“When the Government introduced the Pioneer Generation (PG) Package last year, the Government set aside $8 billion to fund the PG Package. This year, the Government introduced the Silver Support Scheme which would only start in 2016 and would cost about $350 million in the first year. However, the Government does not specify how it is to be funded. Is it to be funded through the Budget of next year and future years? Or is the $350 million part of the $11.67 billion for Special Transfers, Top-ups to the Endowment Funds and Trust Funds? If it is not, would the Government consider using part of the remaining surpluses of $8 billion accumulated over the last four years to set up a Silver Support Fund so as not to burden the future generations too much? By the way, I support the principle behind the Silver Support Scheme where the most needy receive some financial support. In this way, we could better make use of the limited resources rather than giving money to all above 65 years old, as suggested by Mrs Lina Chiam. In fact, this suggestion of giving money to all, including millionaires above 65 years old, goes against the policy of taxing the rich, which is supported by even Mrs Lina Chiam herself and the Workers' Party. Madam, I turn now to the increased petrol duty, which was labelled as the biggest stink in this Budget, as proclaimed by many car users. The increase in petrol duty would yield about $177 million a year or a net revenue of $33 million in the first year after the one-off one-year road tax rebate. As mentioned, the petrol duty hike has caused much angst among car users.”
“Madam, one of my business friends cheered the Budget deficit this year and declared that Singapore would need to get used to frequent budget deficits, given the current voter sentiments. I reminded him that Singapore could go down the road of Greece if we have persistent budget deficits. He shot back and said that the US has survived with many years of budget deficits. Singapore is no US. For the record, the US has been running a budget deficit in 45 out of the past 50 years and the US national debt is now at a staggering US$18 trillion. Of the US$18 trillion, more than US$6 trillion of the debt is held by foreign investors, the largest chunk of which is held by China and Japan at about US$1.3 trillion and US$1.2 trillion, Page: 81 respectively. Will ASEAN bail Singapore out like what the EU has done for Greece? The answer is a definite no. Will China and Japan bail Singapore out if we have massive debts? The answer is far from certain. If we start to have persistent budget deficits over the years just to please the voters, it will be the beginning of a slippery slope downhill. Singapore will fall into the trap of what was expressed in the Chinese saying “富不过三代” – that is, our prosperity will decline sharply after the third generation. Hence, there is a need for the Singapore Government to exercise financial discipline. For that matter, we are glad that the current $6.7 billion deficit in this year's Budget could be funded by the $15 billion Budget surpluses accumulated over the last four years by the current term of the Government. In addition, much of the $6.7 billion deficit is meant for the Changi Airport Development Fund which amounts to $3 billion and other provisions for top-ups, such as the Special Employment Credit Fund and so on. This is prudent.”
“I thank the Minister of State for the reply. For those appeal cases involving Singapore Citizens owning overseas properties and yet could buy an HDB flat, what are the criteria that HDB uses to evaluate these appeals?”
“I thank the Minister of State for the reply. I was asking about the percentage and number of applicants who gave up their flats from 2010 to 2014, broken down by year, to see whether there is an increasing trend of residents who are not able to collect their keys due to financial problems, that is, those who have booked the flat but could not collect the keys because of financial problems.”
“I thank the Second Minister for the comprehensive reply. The crime rate involving e-commerce has increased by more than 200% in 2014 – 225% to be exact – and it is a cause for concern. And the problem, as the Second Minister said, is compounded by the low solving rate of e-commerce crime. I had, last year, in September, suggested that the Police consider setting up a dedicated cybercrime unit so that they can really look at the different aspects of cybercrime, get the relevant skillsets and also look at the transboundary kind of situation. But it did not appear to Senior Minister of State Masagos at that time to take this suggestion seriously. So, if the e-commerce crime rate has increased so rapidly, would MHA consider this suggestion again?”
“The rationale of my above proposals such as having a transition period, simplifying the process of applying consumption permit, allowing some supermarkets to sell liquor beyond 10.30 pm is to soften the onset of the new alcohol restrictions. However, it should be accompanied by tight enforcement of the law and the phone app is one of the ways the Police could involve the community to assist in the enforcement. In this way, offenders know that the chances of being caught are high and thus serving as a strong deterrent. At the same time, the Police could also be compassionate towards first-time offenders, giving them prior warning before prosecution. Many first-time offenders may be ignorant of the law or have committed the act out of carelessness. But we know that the recalcitrant should not be condoned. I hope the Police could cast the enforcement net wide and tight and at the same time, be compassionate and light on the first-time offenders. Mdm Speaker, I support the Bill. Page: 42 3.13 pm”
“Increasingly, we see more of them operating 24 hours to cater to the changing lifestyle of Singaporeans, who work late and could only do their grocery shopping late at night, including the shift workers. I suppose the main objective of the Bill is to curb consumption of alcohol at public places after 10.30 pm. Hence, the prohibition of sales of alcohol after 10.30 pm can be seen as too restrictive. I would like to urge MHA to be more lenient in granting permission for supermarkets to sell alcohol beyond 10.30 pm, especially for hypermarkets that are not too near to housing estate. This is especially so during this festive period where many retail outlets are extending their operating hours and shoppers are doing late night shopping to stock up for Chinese New Year. But to compensate for the seemingly more lenient approach as suggested earlier, I would like to suggest that the Police consider tapping on technology for better enforcement and it is difficult to enforce island-wide "no drinking" after 10.30 pm. For example, the Police could consider developing a smart phone application for Singaporeans to snap photographs of people violating the alcohol restrictions and send these to the Police via the app. This is similar to the app developed by the Municipal Service Office (MSO). The photographs snapped by the smart phone will reveal the date, time and place where the photo is taken using the Global Positioning System or GPS technology. To deter frivolous submissions, only registered user logging in with SingPass password will be allowed to send violation photographs via the app. And such submissions will also allow the Police to track public feedback and identify problem areas where the public is most concerned with.”
“The particulars of the offenders would be recorded and the Police could consider charging the recalcitrant repeat offenders. In addition, MHA could also consider working with the merchants who are adversely affected by the restriction of sale of alcohol in Little India and eventually Geylang, to set up low price drinking places for foreign workers – at dormitories or at places near the dormitories with the help of SLA or URA – so that foreign workers could still consume alcohol after 10.30 pm on the eve of their off days. Otherwise, there may be a spill over to illegal sales of liquor during the restricted hours, when the demand is not met, especially during the initial stage. Clause 13 of the Bill requires an event organiser to apply for the consumption permit for alcohol to be consumed at an event held in public places, for example, a BBQ outing at the East Coast Park. I would like to ask MHA to share with this House the application procedure and assessment criteria for granting such permits. I request that the application procedure would not be too tedious and cumbersome. It would be good if the application for alcohol consumption could be made online at the same time with the application for the permit to organise the event in a public place. Page: 41 As for the prohibition of sales of alcohol after 10.30 pm at all retail outlets island-wide, the several feedback that I have received indicated that it is too restrictive, even for those who do not drink, like myself. It is also being viewed as too paternalistic. In the past, most supermarkets or hypermarkets close at 10.00 pm.”
“Mdm Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to speak on the Alcohol Control Bill. Excessive alcohol consumption is the fourth leading preventable cause of death in the United States and I believe it is also a cause for concern in Singapore. Page: 40 Today, we are not debating about the ills of drinking alcohol per se. We are debating on how drinking alcohol in public places can cause public nuisance and the need to curb public drinking after 10.30 pm. Many hon Members in this House would have received complaints from residents about parks, HDB void decks and lifts that are littered with beer cans and wine bottles, and soiled and reeking of vomit or urine, possibly the doings of groups of inconsiderate people after a night of drinking. The make-up of these groups is quite diverse, ranging from youngsters, young adults to foreigner workers. Not only do they create noise, the sight of the drinkers also poses fear and anxiety to the women residents and parents with young children. So, therefore, I strongly support the Bill. I am also heartened to read that more than 80% of the people who were polled supported the alcohol restriction as reported in The Straits Times although some online commenters have doubts about the validity of this poll. But notwithstanding the wide support of the Bill, I have a few concerns and suggestions for the Minister to consider. When this Bill passed through the stages in Parliament and formally comes into being law, I would like to suggest that MHA considers adopting a transition period of say, two to three months, for the public to adapt to the new restrictions. During the transition period, the Police could consider issuing warning letters instead of issuing summons for first and second time offenders.”
“May I clarify with the Minister whether the Government will pay for the cost of the suit? Or will the Government use the MediShield Life fund to pay for the legal cost even though the person being sued eventually cannot afford to pay his outstanding premiums? My suggestion is of course not to be heavy-handed when dealing with Singaporeans who cannot afford to pay the premiums, as mentioned in my speech on 8 July last year. And many hon Members have also alluded to this. I note that clause 4 sub-section (2) allows for the CPF Board to deduct the MediShield Life premiums from a person's Medisave account. If his Medisave account does not have sufficient funds, the recovery body is entitled to recover the outstanding premium from the person's salary, bank account and so on. I would suggest that the Minister could consider recovering the outstanding premiums from the person's other accounts in his CPF such as the Ordinary Account, Special Account, Retirement Account or Special Retirement Account and so on, before appointing a defaulter's agent to recover the outstanding premium by other means. In this way, no Singaporean can claim that he has money in his CPF but cannot use it to pay the MediShield Life premiums and end up being sued by the Government. With this, I support the Bill. Page: 124 5.57 pm”
“We have confidence that the MediShield Life will go a long way to change the narrative, but of course we have to communicate the benefits to all Singaporeans through various channels. This Sunday, for example, I will support Dr Amy Khor to have a dialogue with Jurong residents on MediShield Life in Mandarin. I hope that such efforts will continue and have to be sustainable. Page: 123 As for how the medical professionals will change the way they treat the patients because of the universal insurance coverage that may cause cost escalation, I will not venture to offer any solution but leave it to fellow parliamentary colleagues who are doctors and the Ministry of Health (MOH) to work on it together. Dr Amy Khor has earlier on touched on the issue of the definition of the number in households or address. I would like to seek a clarification. When a young couple has a newborn baby and decide to move back to their parents' flat, and assuming they also changed their address, will the newborn baby and the young couple be considered as part of their parents' household to compute the number of people in the household to qualify for the insurance premiums? Next, I want to touch on Persons with Disability (PWDs). If the PWD is less than 21 years old, his parents are obliged to pay for his MediShield Life premiums as mentioned in clause 4 subsection 1c(ii). When the same PWD turns 21 and cannot work or accumulate enough savings in his CPF account, would his parents still be obliged to pay for his MediShield Life premiums? Would the Government consider paying the premiums of PWDs using the Additional Premium Support? My second clarification is with regard to clause 15. Clause 15 of the Bill allows a recovery body to sue a person to recover his outstanding premiums.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, MediShield Life is a game-changer. It will change the way how Singaporeans will benefit from our healthcare system. It may also change the way how medical professionals care for and charge patients. For the first change, it is good news for many Singaporeans. I totally agree with Senior Minister of State Amy Khor that we need to communicate the benefits of MediShield Life to all Singaporeans. More so than the Pioneer Generation (PG) Package. One of my residents received his PG card from me personally soon after National Day last year. The PG card was wrapped in a very nice hamper, along with other PG gifts prepared and donated by my grassroots leaders. Before giving out the PG hamper, we also explained the benefits of the PG package in different languages to the audience. However, this Pioneer did not open the PG hamper for months. Not just because the hamper was so nicely wrapped but more importantly due to his recent experience with the hospital. About a year ago, this Pioneer fainted on the road and was sent to a public hospital by an ambulance. He had to stay one night at the hospital for observation. When he was discharged from the hospital, his children had to pay a hefty medical bill on his behalf and he was frowned upon by his own children. Since then, he refused to seek any medical treatment for fear of incurring medical costs. It was not until our PG ambassador explained the PG package to him again on a one-to-one basis late last year did he have the courage to open the nicely wrapped PG gift hamper and use the PG card. Similarly, many Singaporeans lament that they "can afford to die" but "cannot afford to fall sick".”
“I thank the Second Minister for the reply but, apparently, the media from both sides of the Causeway has reported that Princess Cove's developer, Page: 27 Guangzhou R&F Properties have engaged a Malaysian-based environmental and hydraulic consultant Dr Nik & Associates to carry out a detailed environmental impact assessment, and it was reported that EIA had concluded that the reclamation will not be contributing too much negative impact to its environment. I am not so sure if the Second Minister has clarified this report with the counterpart. In addition, it was also reported in the press that the outermost point of the reclaimed land of the Princess Cove project will only be 290 metres away from the Singapore border. Two hundred and ninety metres is a relatively short distance, less than six laps of an Olympics-sized swimming pool, so many average swimmers could easily swim that distance. Hence, does such a close proximity between the Johor's reclaimed land and Singapore's borders pose a border security threat to Singapore?”