Arthur Beng Kian Lam
Singapore
“Sir, the aim of the Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) is to encourage optimal road usage so that car ownership can be increased. My questions to the Minister are (1) what is the estimated cost to a motorist, ie, the median, that the Ministry of Communications is expecting?”
“Sir, one point of clarification, please. I am very pleased to hear the announcement made by the Senior Minister of State about the very comprehensive way in which IT is going to be applied in schools. I am also very glad to hear that six more computers are going to be added to the existing five for administration.”
“Sir, my topic is on public transport in mature HDB estates. Sir, we are all excited about the plans to achieve a world-class public transport system. However, as many of the mature towns have little or no reserve land, it would seem that the bus will still be the mainstay of transportation. I would like to ask the Minister two questions.”
“The Minister has implemented a paradigm shift in his approach to personnel management. The new salary scales announced are welcomed and will do much to raise the morale of the teachers. I am glad to hear that the Minister recognises the principal as the CEO of a school. This gives a significant recognition to the role of the principal.”
“Sir, I am glad to know that the Minister will be taking active steps to implement the IMC and that he himself will be chairing the Ministerial Steering Committee which will include the Minister for Education and the Minister for Home Affairs.”
“However, upgrading is necessary as the business of the centre will be affected if the town is not upgraded, and experience has shown that the business in upgraded town centres indeed improves. Sir, the HDB or MND earns from the sale of shops. Should not a sum from this be allocated to town councils for the upgrading process?”
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Every one of 722 lines we hold for Arthur Beng Kian Lam, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 6 of 15.
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am encouraged that the Minister has actually liberalised the policy for foreign wives. In our Meet-the-People sessions, we have been receiving many more successful replies from the Ministry. Can I ask the Minister what is the trend with regard to foreign husbands? Has his Ministry changed the policy? Has there been a liberalisation with regard to foreign husbands of Singapore girls?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I wish to thank the Minister, Minister of State and Parliamentary Secretary for their replies. I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, it is indeed encouraging to see the drop in first-time offenders because this shows effective control of the supply of drugs. The new programme that has been announced by the Minister and the successes that have been noted are indeed also encouraging. The most encouraging of which is the drop in the drug problems amongst the Malays and for this, I think, many of my colleagues in this House who have been active in the programme ought to be congratulated. Sir, I am also heartened to note that electronic surveillance will be implemented. I take note of the Minister's advice that this is complementary to the present rehabilitation programme and that this is not a soft option. I could not agree more with him on this.”
“To facilitate this transition, will the Ministry consider allowing the "good-risk" drug offenders, that is, those the professionals have said as having a good chance of succeeding, early release by introducing new surveillance measures, such as the use of electronic tags or bracelets? Yes, this is not a fail-safe system as some have mentioned, as the patient may be consuming drugs even in his own home. The whole idea of these tags is that the patient will have to be indoors by a certain hour each evening. However, if we combine electronic surveillance with drug testing and counselling, perhaps early release will be possible and family disruption minimised. Ironically, with electronic surveillance, instead of becoming less personal, drug rehabilitation may take on a more human face with early release being possible. Let us remind ourselves that an intact and supportive family is essential to successful rehabilitation. Will the Minister give this a try and start a pilot project?”
“Sir, may I turn to item (e) - Drug Rehabilitation and Recidivism. Sir, in 1974, Singapore experienced the start of the heroin epidemic. The situation peaked in 1977 when the heroin population was estimated to be 13,000. Since then, Singapore has been one of the few countries in the world to make drug rehabilitation compulsory, while still treating the drug offender as a patient and not as a criminal. Sir, I understand that two years ago, the Ministry started a new therapy programme: The Short, Shock and Sharp programme. In this programme, selected first and second drug offenders were put through an intensive two-week rehabilitation programme. Will the Minister please comment on the results of this programme and the problem of recidivism and relapse? Will the Minister also give the House an update regarding the problem of drug trafficking? Sir, the drug tragedy does not only affect the offender. It is a tragedy that affects the whole family, including the innocent ones, the spouse and the children. The aim of drug rehabilitation is not only to take the patient off drugs, but to be able to assimilate him back into society. Often, the long separation from the family for rehabilitation, extending between two and two and a half years, can make this transition back to society difficult. There may have been some instances of family break-ups and problems with the children. The drug centres are already having day release programmes, and have also established "half-way" homes. However, there is no place like home, and no better "balm" for the patient than to be with his family.”
“Sir, I thank the Parliamentary Secretary for the details. It is heartening to note that the first replacement cost will be $20 and not something more phenomenal than that. Of course, we do not encourage people to lose their ICs. May I just ask for one point of clarification. You are giving the person three days to register. What if he happens to be away and is not able to make it during that three days? Will he then have to defer to the next zone's period, or can he still get a new date in his own constituency?”
“Sir, may I refer now to item (d) - National Registration. Sir, the Ministry has announced its plans to issue credit-card type identity cards. The issue of the new identity cards will indeed be a massive exercise. What is the time-table and plan for the exercise to issue the new identity cards? Will convenient centres be set up both at the population centres and in the workplace, eg, in the central business district? This is important because some may find it more convenient to go during office hours and others may find it more convenient to go after office hours, and thus a site near their homes may be more convenient. Will there be mobile teams that can visit factories or other establishments where there are large groups of people? Sir, regarding the new identity cards, firstly, is the data to be captured any different? Secondly, what are the new advantages of this new identity card? Thirdly, should one lose this new identity card, what will be the replacement cost?”
“Before I go on to my next item, maybe the Minister would like to clarify.”
“Sir, I would first like to clarify that when I made the proposal regarding the joint operations room for the ambulance service, I referred only to emergency cases. I did not in my speech in any way refer to non-emergency cases. If I may quote my own speech, I said "in subscribing to a joint emergency ambulance operations room". Sir, I am not in any way suggesting that SJCDF should deal with non-emergency cases. Sir, I am glad to hear from the Minister that the Police Force has indeed done a good job. And it is heartening to note that for the first time in the last 10 years there has been a drop in seizable offences for two consecutive years, in 1989 and 1990. The Ministry and the Police Force must be congratulated. The GPC is also heartened to note that the Police Academy will be taking a much wider role. The GPC has been in discussion with the Ministry for the last two years regarding the future role of the Police Academy, and we are glad that some of our recommendations have been included. Sir, regarding CD reservists, it is important that the Police and the Civil Defence reservists who are outside the SAF orbit also be given all the recognition that the SAF reservist has been given. And as the Minister has not touched on this, I wonder whether he would further elaborate whether the RECORD Committee's recommendations will also apply to reservists under the Ministry of Home Affairs. Regarding CD volunteers, I am sure that their morale will indeed be boosted in knowing that they have an important role to play, for there is some confusion on the ground with CD reservists coming on line as to what is the role of the volunteers vis-a-vis the reservists, and we have heard the Minister clarify this point.”
“In this way, an efficient and customer orientated service could evolve without compromising efficiency.”
“The Singapore Joint Civil Defence Force (SJCDF) ambulance service has come under criticism for not transporting patients to a hospital of the patient's choice. I can understand the dilemma of the Ministry because what is perceived as an emergency by the ambulance nurse may not be appreciated by the patient or family or vice versa. In a panic situation, the family often calls 999 or 995 for an ambulance, but sometimes with the intention of sending the patient to a hospital of their own choice. The family or patient is right in wanting to readmit a patient to the hospital that was previously caring for the patient. As the case notes and medical history are available there, this makes good sense provided the patient is in a stable condition. Unfortunately, as mentioned earlier, the perception of what constitutes an emergency may be different. To resolve this problem, I would like to suggest that the SJCDF and all the hospitals, Government, private and restructured, participate in subscribing to a joint emergency ambulance operations room. The SJCDF could then play a coordinating role. When an emergency 999 or 995 call is received, it can then be verified whether the patient is requesting for transfer to a specific hospital. If this is so, then the particular hospital will be directed by the operations room to despatch an ambulance. In all other cases, eg, road traffic accidents and fires, the SJCDF ambulance is automatically despatched. This scheme would optimise the use of all ambulances in Singapore. Even welfare groups such as the St. John's Ambulance Brigade and Red Cross can be invited to participate. Private ambulance operators should also be invited to participate.”
“Sir, I wish to speak on Civil Defence (CD). The war in the Middle East reminds us of the importance of civil defence. Problems of water distribution, food distribution and evacuation of the injured were brought into homes live via television. These incidents remind us of the importance of being prepared. At this point, I would like to ask the Minister regarding the civil defence exercises that have been carried out. Is he satisfied with the public response? Is there sufficient public awareness? Are there plans to hold more realistic exercises? Sir, in Singapore there are civil defence reservists and civil defence volunteers. Many have come forward to join the civil defence volunteer units at constituency level. In a real situation, what is the role of the civil defence volunteers vis-a-vis the CD reservists? Are there plans to hold exercises to test the complementary roles of volunteers and reservists? Civil defence reservists seem to be held in much lower esteem than the SAF reservists. Yet, I know that the CD is now conducting upgrading courses and even conducting an officer's course. Could the Minister enlighten the House regarding the upgrading courses for CD reservists? Sir, to sustain the interest of the CD volunteers, it is necessary to have civil defence centres in constituencies. We have submitted plans for a CD centre for Fengshan and it has been approved. I am sure that there are many other constituencies that intend to have such a centre. Will the Ministry assist the Civil Defence Coordinating Committees at constituency level financially to equip the centres? Sir, I next turn to the issue of the ambulance service.”
“I recommend that more such modular courses should also be organised to give our officers an opportunity to upgrade. If an officer realises that at his time of retirement, he commands a good market value and has a good second career awaiting him, he will be much more motivated. Sir, the Police have now recruited into the Force some full-time Police National Servicemen who have completed their full-time NS stint. This group of young men have been inspired in their NS stint to sign on in the Police Force and for this credit must go to the Force. This group of young men must have a structured upgrading programme to ensure that they be upgraded academically. Thus, at the end of their initial six-year contract, they will indeed have a bright future in the Force and be prepared to give many more of their good years to the Force. I hope that the Minister will comment on these suggestions.”
“Sir, when a young person chooses a career today, besides salary, another important consideration is career prospects. There are two aspects that we have to consider here: (1) What are the prospects for career development within the service? (2) What is the market value or usefulness of skills acquired in the service? With the implementation of a broad-based curriculum for trainees in the Ministry of Home Affairs, the prospects for career development for the officers will be much greater. There will be a greater variety of choice. For example, a Police Officer can be posted to the Immigration or Prisons Department when the opportunity arises, and vice-versa. This will provide for variety, in what can be a very demanding career. For the establishment, what this will mean is a more even spread of talent. Sir, the uniformed officers of the Ministry of Home Affairs go through many courses conducted by university lecturers, visiting consultants, and courses con ducted by the Singapore Institute of Management and other professional bodies. Officers are also sent overseas for specialised courses. However, some of these new skills go unrecognised, as the officers are not issued with certificates of attendance by the competent authority. The university and other professional groups or institutions who help to conduct these courses should be ready to issue certificates of attendance or participation together with the Ministry of Home Affairs. These certificates are important because many of the junior officers retire at the age of 45 years (under the old scheme) and 50 years (under the new scheme). Thus, the officer has another 15-20 years of gainful employment in the private sector. All these certificates will enhance the officers "market value" when he retires.”
“Thus, it may be difficult to convince officers to accept posting in a less glamorous department. Another reason may be that the officers may not feel adequate to venture into a new field in another department. To overcome this, I would like to propose that in the new proposed Police Academy, a new philosophy should be adopted. The Academy should take upon itself the role of a Law Enforcement Academy, serving the needs of all units of the Ministry of Home Affairs, that is, Prison, Immigration, Narcotics Bureau, etc. With a broad-based curriculum that would include subjects like narcotics, counselling, rehabilitation, etc, officers can be inter-posted more comfortably. There are examples to show that this can be successful. The present Director of Prisons, the present Director of the Central Narcotics Bureau, and the Commissioner of the National Registration Office, are all former Police Officers. If our officers in the Ministry of Home Affairs are given a common broad-based curriculum, this will lead to a more even sharing of the talent pool and provide for a wider choice of career paths for the individual officers. In summary, I would like to ask the Minister: (1) to give an update on the crime situations in Singapore; (2) to comment on the future role of the Police Academy as a Law Enforcement Academy with a broad-based curriculum. 4.05 pm [Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Abdullah Tarmugi) in the Chair]”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head Q of the Main Estimates be reduced by $100. Sir, before I focus on the Law Enforcement Academy, and as this is the first discussion under the Ministry of Home Affairs, I would first like to ask the Minister to give us a status report on the crime situation in Singapore. This is fundamental to all discussions on this Ministry. Sir, the Ministry of Home Affairs has under its portfolio functions which are very manpower intensive. The Ministry has computerised extensively, the officers have accepted job enlargement, and better and smarter work methods have been introduced. However, despite all these measures, the manpower need is still great. The GPC is glad to note that the Ministry has accepted and implemented many of the recommendations of the GPC to improve the working conditions. We are glad to note the increase in starting salary and improvement of the salary scales. The implementation of the annual promotion exercise that is now being conducted for the uniformed personnel has been very well received. 70% of the police officers were promoted this year. This has indeed boosted morale. I also understand that the recruitment exercise launched this year has had a good start. Sir, I wish now to focus on the role of the new Police Academy and to put forward a case for a common Law Enforcement Academy. The common skill that all officers of the Ministry of Home Affairs must possess is law enforcement skills. The officer may be an immigration officer, narcotics officer, police officer or prison warden. Today, the perception is that some of the units are more glamorous than others. For example, the Police Force is perceived to be the premier unit.”
“Sir, I thank the Minister for his reply. I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $12,579,900 for Head B ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $541,400 for Head B ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head Q -”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head B be reduced by $10 in respect of Code BA 1500 of the Main Estimates. Sir, as the legal infrastructure is fundamental to Singapore's economic success, one important area of concern is that of legal draftsmanship in the Attorney-General's Chambers. With a rapidly developing and complex society and economy, the drafting of laws becomes very important. One example of this was the drafting of the Copyright laws. Another complicated case is the proposed seizure of assets law with respect to drug offenders. Have we got a plan to enthuse our best and most brilliant lawyers to become legal draftsmen? Can the Minister please comment?”
“Sir, I thank the Minister for his reassurances and beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, it is exciting to note the benefits of LawNet. Can I just pose to the Minister another problem, and that is, the question of confidentiality, as this will be applied on a very wide base? Has this been addressed?”
“I also understand that the computerisation project of the Judiciary is also well underway. Although my GPC supports these developments, I would like to convey a few concerns I have received as feedback from lawyers and members of the public. Lawyers, especially those in the smaller firms, require more time to accept and learn the new technology. There is a fear that unfamiliar technology will be imposed on them and that they will not be able to cope if all transactions must be carried out electronically. For those who have already embarked on computerisation, they are at the moment faced with a number of databases and networks and they would like to be able to subscribe to different agencies and pay separate fees and learn different computer operating instructions. Like all businesses, lawyers are also concerned with the cost of legal practice. I am sure members of the public are concerned that computerisation will not result in an escalation in the cost of legal services. Will legal firms be eligible for low interest loans administered under the Small Enterprise Computerisation Programme? As we move into a new era, and as we run the next lap, professionals also need assistance to upgrade, especially when this may mean quite considerable capital investment in computers. In this connection, I attended a briefing recently at the Attorney-General's Chambers on some proposals that I understand may address these problems. Can the Minister elaborate on these future plans and, in particular, on the proposed LawNet?”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head B of the Main Estimates be reduced by $100. Sir, in the report of the Economic Committee chaired by BG Lee Hsien Loong in 1986, one of the main recommendations was for Singapore to become a centre for legal services. The report also added that in order to develop into such a centre, we must first of all continue to improve our legal infrastructure. The report called for the improvement of the retrieval of laws, regulations, court decisions, and rulings of regulatory agencies in and out of Singapore. One obvious way of doing this is through information technology. In this respect, I would like to quote what the Senior Minister said at the official opening of the Singapore Academy of Law on 31st August 1990: "The tremendous developments in information technology will change the way lawyers work. Lawyers who adopt computer technology will increase their productivity, saving time, manpower and costs. The computer, the fax machine and IDD give Singapore lawyers instant access to all the expertise in law and finance that they need and that is available in London, New York, Frankfurt, Tokyo and every other financial and legal centre of the world. To be able to do this efficiently, law firms need to be large enough to afford the infrastructure, textbooks, law reports, computer facilities, and to have easy and speedy access to specialists and to databanks like LawNet or Lexis." I am therefore glad to note that in the Minister's Addendum to the President's Address at the opening of Parliament, he mentioned the future computerisation plans of the Attorney-General's Chambers, the Registry of Titles and Deeds and the Registry of Trade Marks and Patents.”
“Teachers' mess like officers' mess, lockers for personal effects, bathing and changing facilities, etc, will be required. Let us not be afraid that we be accused of spoiling them, as in the teachers' hands lie the future of our children.”
“Perhaps the Ministry of the Environment, with its vast experience in managing food establishments, should assist and advise schools. The livelihood of tuckshop vendors must be considered. We should help them to reorganise to meet their new challenge. Water coolers should be provided for children, as we know that living on flavoured drinks alone will lead to obesity and tooth decay. Secondly, changing and bathing facilities. With the whole Day School programme, children must be provided with proper bathing facilities. Our children's hygiene should not be neglected. Thirdly, transportation. Many of the Scheme B buses now send children to school early in the morning and office workers to their workplace later. With schools starting at 8.30 am, new transport arrangements need to be made. Fourthly, pleasant learning environment. Mr Speaker, Sir, to optimise the learning day, especially when the school may stretch up to 6.30 pm for some, we should now consider airconditioned classrooms. In this hot and humid environment, after spending millions on the Day School programme, should we not consider airconditioning to allow for better concentration? Let us not be hypocritical about this. Adults work in airconditioned environment. University lecture halls are airconditioned. This House is nice and cool. Why? To provide a more conducive work environment. So why not for students and teachers? Finally, Sir, the success of the Day School programme lies with one key factor, the teachers. Let us not neglect their needs - proper offices, staff rooms, teachers' lounge for rest and recreation, bathing facilities, etc. In a Day School concept, the needs of the school would be more like that of an army camp rather than a school.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Day School programme meets both a social need and an educational need. Social need With more and more couples entering the workforce, having a Day School is a relief to the young parents. This is much more desirable than leaving the child with a foreign maid or to the TV set. Furthermore, we have read of tragedies to young children left unattended at home. Educational need The opportunity to give the child a more relaxing and enriched school day is welcomed. No more haste of getting up at 6.00 am and the cramming of lessons. The schools will be able to plan a more broad-based curriculum. The children will be able to spend more time with their peers and there will bemore time for students and teachers to interact. One of the nightmares of parents and students today is that of tuition classes, tuition of English, Mathematics, Chinese, mother tongue. Even at kindergarten level, it is not uncommon. Hopefully, with Day Schools there will be sufficient time to cope with academic work and enrichment classes within the curriculum time of 8.30 am to 3.30 pm. Another aim of the Day School must be to provide a choice of extracurricular activities to children so that parents need not have to arrange for swimming lessons, music classes, etc, outside the school. The Day School would have served a pressing social and educational need if parents are saved the problem of shuttling their children from one activity to another. Sir, at this point let me voice some concerns. Firstly, food. The quality of food served in schools now becomes very critical, as the child will be having more than one meal including lunch in school. A well-balanced and nutritious diet at reasonable cost is important. Will the present-day concept of the school tuckshop be sufficient?”
“The Minister has already announced that private kindergartens have an important role to play and that the Ministry will be glad to assist. The specific requests that I would like to make are: First, sharing of kindergarten materials. Sir, the Ministry has spent much time and money and is the only body that has the expertise to develop this curriculum and indeed they have come up with a good curriculum. The sharing of this curriculum with the private sector will indeed be a big step towards helping the private sector to upgrade. Secondly, assistance in teacher training. There is a pressing need for more places in the Institute of Education's programme to help the private sector upgrade. With the mobility of many of the teachers who leave kindergarten teaching as a career, there is a need to constantly train new teachers to ensure that we have properly qualified teachers. Thirdly, in the realm of capital grant for physical upgrading and the acquisition of teaching aids and audio-visual aids, a one-time grant to assist upgrading, I think, is proper. Finally, Sir, the bottom line is always the question of affordability. We can run very good classes, but will the cost be affordable to the majority? Perhaps the Ministry can consider a subsidy programme comparable to the MCD's child care programme. As the child care programme has the societal aspect, so also has the kindergarten or pre-school education. The challenge to the private sector is not only to upgrade but to upgrade and yet keep cost affordable. For this, we need Government's help.”
“Sir, I welcome the introduction of the Preparatory Year programme for children aged five years by the Ministry of Education. Before I proceed further, I wish to declare my interest in that I am the Chairman of the PAP Community Foundation Kindergartens Committee. Sir, the Ministry of Education has taken on a big challenge in accepting the Preparatory Year programme as part of its responsibilities. I can understand the logic in extending the formal education programme for another year to allow for language acquisition. The standard of the Ministry's Preparatory Year programme is indeed very high. The teachers involved have gone through an orientation course. Let us remind ourselves that these are fully-trained teachers, now handling what is traditionally known as kindergarten classes. The curriculum developed by the CDIS is of a very high quality. The facilities and the amenities provided are also of very high standard. Each class is provided with a complete set of teaching aids and audio-visual equipment including VCRs, TVs and overhead projectors. Very few kindergartens in the private sector can match this programme; not even the "up-market" private kindergartens. The mission of the PAP Community Foundation Kindergartens is to provide good quality kindergarten education at an affordable cost, at neighbourhood level. We have improved our standards in an upgrading exercise over 1986-1988 and will be embarking on another exercise over the next three years. The Community Foundation will play its part in helping to better prepare our younger ones for Primary 1. 1.15 pm Sir, I believe that I speak not only for the Foundation but for all private kindergartens when I ask the Ministry to assist the private kindergartens to upgrade.”
“We should now press on, with the advice of the Minister, "to work out proper schemes to harness market forces constructively, and design mechanisms which are as distortion free as possible". This is our best insurance for a prosperous future. Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the motion.”
“Much as tenants today do not relish high rental increase of 200-300%, likewise, landlords and investors do not relish the "below-cost" rentals of 1985 and 1986. To make for a smoother economic cycle, perhaps we should indeed take the advice of the Minister to take this opportunity "to work out proper schemes to harness market forces constructively". Yes, we have taken years to do away with the archaic "rent control" laws. Can we put in place a more rational system by persuasion or, as a last resort, by legislation? This Government can be very successfully persuasive if it wants to, so we may not have to resort to legislation. As the property market is now around its peak, perhaps all can be persuaded to accept a ceiling figure for fluctuation when it comes to renewal of rental. I am sure that the experts (property consultants and economists with a wider perspective) can propose a range, if not a fixed figure. Thus, both landlord and tenant can live together, and comfortably. Perhaps there are models overseas that we can follow. In this area of property management, Government is a key player, as a major landlord, and thus can do much to influence private sector's attitude. In conclusion, Mr Speaker, Sir, I wish to say that the recession of 1985 is still fresh in our minds. The painful sacrifices that all had to make is a stark reminder of the importance of the Government, private sector and labour working together. If the scenario and problems facing us now are vastly different from that in 1985, I would be more comforted. Alas, they are similar - high cost of business due to increase in labour costs, increased costs of services and rentals.”
“Taking a wait-and-see attitude is only increasing the anxiety level. Statements like: "The Government cannot cocoon businesses from the resource constraints that we face as an economy" are not absolute truths, and give little comfort. The recession of 1985 has shown that active and timely Government intervention (Government acting as the catalyst) is important in the resolution of the problem. Mr Speaker, Sir, paragraph 33 of the Budget Statement [col. 247] puts this Government's approach to the problem more accurately than the previous statement that I quoted. The Minister reiterates, in paragraph 33, this Government's belief in a free market mechanism, whilst acknowledging that "the market mechanism is not a panacea", and that it will "take some time to work out proper schemes to harness market forces constructively, and design mechanisms which are as distortion free as possible". The labour problem and our policy towards foreign workers deserve high priority for re-examination. The reason for the increase in foreign worker levy has been explained ad infinitum. However, the formula has not worked to resolve the problem in a wider perspective in that labour cost is a problem today again, as in 1985. The levy may have helped to contain the narrower objective of controlling the number of foreign workers in Singapore. To compound the problem, there are still sectors, eg, in construction, where labour shortage is still acute. I will elaborate on this problem further in the debate under the Ministry of Labour. We need to re-examine our whole philosophy regarding guest-workers. Sir, the question of high rentals also needs to be re-examined.”
“Singapore's infrastructural cost has also increased with the increase in labour and fuel costs. The services highlighted by the Minister are transport and utilities. These services also affect all our workers. Faced with this scenario, the business community is asking: "What is the solution?" The scenario is so similar to the 1985 recession that to many, it is tempting to prescribe the same treatment. However, before we over-react, perhaps the Government should take the lead in providing pro-active action or advice. It is only the Government that has the resources to mount an exercise akin to that of the Economic Committee set up in 1985 to analyze the problems and propose solutions. A global perspective of the problem and its solutions is best put forward by the Government with the private sector actively participating. As Mr Lim Boon Heng has said, there should be a tripartite approach involving Government, employers and labour. I must reiterate that the private sector is very anxious (I am sure that the Government is too) for a solution. One not uncommon statement that reflects this anxiety is this: "In a recession, there is no business. In good times we are bogged down by insufficient labour, high labour costs and high rentals. When is it ever a 'good time'?" This statement is of course cynical, but reflective of the mood. The private sector is comforted that the Minister for Finance is acutely aware of the problem of rising business costs, but nowhere in the Budget Statement is it clearly stated what steps the Government is willing to take to rectify the problem. We all accept that external factors are beyond our control. However, as the 1985 Economic Committee had shown, there are some factors within our control - more specifically, within Government's control.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Minister for Finance has been candid and transparent in his Budget Statement and in his analysis of the problems facing the economy. Put in a nutshell, the problem is one of rising business costs. This problem is being discussed by businessmen, entrepreneurs and investors in forums ranging from the coffeeshops to the boardrooms. The Minister has confirmed that in 1990, business costs rose by 7.3%. Even more significant, the Minister has warned that this has brought business costs back to the level of 1982 - the pre-1985 recession scenario. Again, as in the scenario of 1985, the main factors (and here I refer to the local factors or indigenous factors) contributing to the rising costs of business are: (i) increase in labour cost; (ii) increase in rentals; and (iii) increase in cost of services, such as transport and utilities. Labour costs The labour costs have increased tremendously. Nominal wage rose by 9.4%, translated to a real wage increase of 6.4%. The wage share in GDP rose from 42% in 1989 to 44% in 1990. Although this is below the previous peak of 48%, this is indeed cause for concern as the trend seems to be for it to rise further. One only needs to look at the advertisements for employees in the newspapers to confirm the complaints of businesses that they are short of labour across the board - from factory operator level to clerical staff and executives. The Minister has warned that we should "watch it carefully", that is, this trend of increase in labour costs. Other Costs Rentals have also risen sharply. In the Central Business District, rental increases of 200-300% are not uncommon. Many small businesses, especially those in retail, have been very badly affected. The greatest cause for concern is that many of them are our own citizens.”
“The Government's assistance should also not be just monetary. If possible, assistance could take the form of the expertise available in the civil service. Administrative officers could be seconded to MENDAKI or the Malay/Muslim organisations to run approved five-year programmes. I would appreciate the Government's assistance in this regard. On that note, Mr Deputy Speaker, I support the motion moved by Mr Davinder Singh, Member for Toa Payoh GRC.”
“Since the Ministry of Education would not be able to accommodate all pre-primary students in its own schools, these measures are appropriate and ought to have the full support of the Government. Mr Deputy Speaker, I support the Government's move to establish the Edusave Scheme. Considering the importance of pre-primary education, I would suggest that the Scheme starts to operate when the child is four years old. The Government can allow parents to use Edusave funds to pay kindergarten fees, which usually range from $15 to $30 a month. I raise this point because, as we are aware, there is a small number of parents who do not send their children to the two-year kindergarten classes, or even if they do, send them for one year only. Financial constraints could be the problem here. Mr Deputy Speaker, let me now move on to MENDAKI. The President's Address touched on efforts to improve the status of the Malays. The Government has committed itself to providing assistance to MENDAKI and Malay/Muslim organisations in their efforts to uplift the community. It is also offering assistance to Malay/Muslim organisations to embark on their own five-year programmes to assist the Malays to improve themselves. Malay/Muslim organisations must take this golden opportunity to coordinate their five-year programmes. In this regard, I think we need to focus on three main areas: education, economy and socio-cultural aspects. We know that the Malays want to progress along with the other communities. They want to stand on equal footing with the other communities. They want to be a part of the national mainstream. When considering assistance for Muslim organisations, the Government should scrutinise their programmes. They must be in line with the corporate plan of MENDAKI, outlined last year.”
“They are pleased by the move as their children will now have equal opportunity to study in these classes. Mr Deputy Speaker, education at the age of four or five forms the foundation for the ten or more years of formal education that follow. It is at this age that children are most receptive to the basics of their mother tongues, English and Mathematics. It is easier for them at this age to absorb the fundamental values of their communities and accept moral education based on Eastern ethics. We must therefore encourage parents to send their children to the two-year preparatory programme when their children are four years old. The responsibility for conducting pre-primary courses has been shouldered by the PAP Community Foundation, People's Association, social and community organisations and private sector kindergartens. The Government can assist by providing these organisations subsidies for conducting pre-primary classes, in the form of grants for every pupil. We can take the example of nurseries where, as we know, children of working parents receive a per capita subsidy of $100 from the Ministry of Community Development. It would benefit parents if the scheme could be extended to pre-primary students as well. The Ministry of Education could also assist in ensuring quality teaching in the preparatory year courses by (a) planning and implementing a proper curriculum for all pupils; (b) producing suitable textbooks; (c) providing adequate training for kindergarten teachers; and (d) providing proper facilities at kindergartens. In this way, the quality of private sector kindergartens would improve, to match the preparatory programmes run by Government schools.”
“The people of Singapore are urged to work together and mobilise all efforts, to increase our productivity towards a higher standard of living. The emphasis on education is a wise move. We want to be able to tap the talents of our people, who are our only natural resource, to give Singapore the push into the next lap. The people are thus to be given all opportunities to upgrade themselves through formal education, from primary right up to university level, as well as through part-time education. Adult citizens who have missed the opportunity of an education in their younger days are encouraged to take part-time courses in order to succeed in their chosen vocations. Efforts to upgrade the skills of our workers must also be given priority. If necessary, workers can be given paid study leave to further their studies in the various institutions, like the vocational and technical institutes. Investment to upgrade the skills of our workers will benefit our industries, especially high-tech industries. Mr Deputy Speaker, the people of Singapore welcome the Government's move to ensure that every child gets at least ten years of education. The new school system to be introduced next year will allow every student the chance to study in a secondary school before going on to the vocational and technical institutes, junior colleges or the polytechnics. One important feature of our school system is the Preparatory Year Programme. The Ministry of Education intends to expand it by increasing the number of SAP schools offering this programme to 15. At the same time, 10 to 20 other schools are envisaged to accommodate students learning Malay or Tamil as their mother tongue. This programme, to be launched next year, has long been awaited by the Malay and Indian communities.”
“A graduate engineer could end up in a job much lower than the status would allow. The idea of setting up a third university is lauded but care should be taken that it does not end up into a third class university. Sir, the next idea of setting up an International Foundation is also well supported. The network of overseas Singaporeans and friends of Singapore should extend beyond social contacts to business, trade and commercial contacts. There could be Singapore Chambers of Commerce set up in foreign capitals. The networking could also be promoted in the spirit of ASEAN co-operation through the establishment of ASEAN clubs or associations. Whilst Singaporeans agree that we should attract as many foreign talents to Singapore as possible, we must also be careful that this should not be done at the expense of our own local talent. It would be useful time and again to recognise our own talent at home. We should give equal, if not more, attention to our own local talent and find ways and means to help them develop their potential to the fullest. Again the emphasis of talent should not only be in the area of academic achievements but also in other areas as well, eg, the arts. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am confident that Singaporeans on the whole are firmly behind the vision and goals spelt out in the President's Address. What we need to do now is to transmit this vision fully to the people so that all Singaporeans will work in one accord towards fulfilling it. Encik Ibrahim Othman (Bedok GRC)( In Malay): Mr Deputy Speaker, the President's Address last week spells out the country's vision under the new leadership. The Government has outlined long-term plans to bring Singapore to the status of a developed nation.”
“Sir, while the long-term plans spelt out in the President's Address are generally bold and imaginative, a few areas have been singled out for further improvements or fine-tuning. Sir, the proposed establishment of the Service Quality Improvement Unit is well-received and supported. The name chosen for the Unit is particularly apt since the approach is to be one of improvement and not futile criticisms. The latter approach would only put the civil service on the defensive. To ensure that the Unit would be truly effective, it is suggested that a supervisory panel of non-civil servants be set up to guide the work of the Unit and study the suggestions offered by the public. This would give the Unit more moral clout. The Unit itself could still be staffed by civil servants to provide the administrative support. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, in the area of education, it is felt that our education system should not only emphasise academic excellence but excellence in other areas. Mr Davinder Singh mentioned this afternoon about excellence in sports. The current emphasis, unfortunately, weighs too heavily on what is termed as "bread and butter" excellence, or academic achievements for the sake of career advancement. Our universities produce very good engineers and doctors, but not necessarily good leaders or good thinkers. There should be more opportunities for self-improvement through higher education. Moral, social and attitudinal developments are probably more important in the next phase of our education system. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, some reservations have been expressed about the aim of having 40% of each age group qualifying for university or polytechnic. This could lead to more frustration arising from unfulfilled job expectations.”
“To this day, the MP has been effective only because each of us is backed by a whole team of volunteer community leaders who have indeed sacrificed much and to whom we indeed owe much. As we prepare to run the next lap, the role and expectation of the political leadership have to be realistically re-evaluated if we hope to enthuse the next generation into politics. Mr S. Chandra Das (Cheng San GRC): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I join my other colleagues in supporting the motion standing in the name of Mr Davinder Singh. Sir, many Singaporeans I have spoken to or who gave feedback fully endorse and support the plans and directions set out in the President's Address for the next lap of Singapore's development. It is an Address that reflects the happy state of affairs that Singapore is now in; unlike many other countries which are actually living on a day-to-day basis. Some governments work from Parliament to Parliament, elections to elections. In one country, at this point of time, the ruling party would not even convene a sitting of Parliament because there is a good chance of it being even thrown out. Sir, it is worthwhile, at this juncture, to remind ourselves that this state of affairs in Singapore did not dawn upon us. But rather it is due to the vision, wisdom and hard work of our political leaders that we are in this present situation. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the plans and programmes spelt out that the new generation of leaders are ambitious but also realistic. They reflect the confidence of the Government on the future of Singapore and the commitment it has for Singapore's continued progress. Although 25 years is a long time down the road, the plans provide a clear focus or target for the populace to aim towards.”
“When I heard this during my in-camp training, I was very much saddened. This, I am sure, is not a concept which the establishment chose to promote, but somehow this is a perception that was present in the non-graduates. I feel that we should now re-assert in this House that there is a part for everyone in Singapore. We each are what we are, and in Singapore, there must always be a meaningful role for each and every citizen. If we allow our self-esteem to be eroded, the self-fulfilling prophecy of failure will come true. In addition, with continuing education and adult education at tertiary level now becoming more widely available with this new plan in the next lap, none should despair. Role of GPCs Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the role of GPCs has increased tremendously since its inception in 1987. GPC work is now taking up more and more time of an MP's duties. The GPCs are ready to shoulder more responsibility. Parliament has assisted by providing MPs with allowances for a legislative assistant and a secretary (total $750). However, we should note that, in addition to the GPC, in this term of Parliament, MPs are also taking on the role of managing town councils. At the end of the day, the MP also has to earn his living, and carry out his role as a father or mother, and as a husband or wife. How much more responsibility can we realistically carry? How much more can we contribute effectively as "part-time politicians", doing practically a "full-time job"? Perhaps it is now time for us to consider two alternatives: a) the need for some full-time MPs; or b) the provision of secretariats to help MPs shoulder the added responsibility.”
“How do we resolve or even alleviate this problem? More day care centres? More single session or day schools? Yes, of course, day schools should be of immense help to the family. More "latch key" (before and after school) programmes? Scrap the maid levy? I do not know. Whatever the solution, let us be more sympathetic to the plight of the young couple, and not put the blame on them. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I focus on this problem of the young couple because in this next lap we must not make the mistake of putting undue pressure on the young couple to have a child or children before they are ready to shoulder the responsibilities of parenthood. We know that many of the problems of society, such as drug addiction, juvenile delinquency and poor academic performance have its roots in the family structure. In our haste to replenish our population, we should not unwittingly create a new set of problems in the years to come. Singapore My Home - A Role for Everyone Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, in our search for excellence, having arrived is often taken to have a university degree. Even more pressure is now felt in the public sector. Some graduates feel that there are two classes of graduates: scholars and non-scholars or ordinary graduates. The ordinary graduates feel discriminated against. Is this perception or truth? If the graduates feel this pressure, what more the non-graduates? One analogy that is used is that of the "farmer". The non-graduates refer to themselves as "farmers". They then distinguish themselves as "high-tech farmers" or "low-tech farmers". The "high-tech farmers" are the non-graduates who are doing desk jobs or doing better in life, while the "low-tech farmers" are those who are doing less well or so-called mundane jobs.”
“He is exhorted to excel in all aspects of his life - many have brought down their golf handicap. He is responding to Government's call. Yet, why does he not excel in the bedroom? Why is he or she not producing more babies? This is multifactorial. Firstly, the question of affordability - the cost of bringing up a child. If both parents were to be working, the cost of fostering out a baby would be in the region of $200 to $300 per month. If one were to employ a maid (which the Government of course discourages), the maid levy is another stumbling block. Now if the number one child is, say, 3 years old, the problem would be to find a place in a day care centre. There are just not enough places. If one cannot find a child care centre very near home, one has to look further. The young couple who probably cannot afford a car - also Government's policy - will have to make arrangement to send the child by public transport, but also have to ensure that he or she reaches work on time. In the evening, the child again has to be picked up on time, if not the child care centre will be unhappy. Now, what about overtime work and excellence at the work place which sometimes means working longer hours? Do we now feel that the young couple has enough stamina left after the long day to enjoy "nuptial bliss" and to be encouraged to have more children? If you add on to this the stress of having to help the child cope with school work, I believe that the last traces of libido and the desire of wanting to have another child will simply evaporate. This is more so in the case of the working mother, with a less than participative husband for reasons sometimes beyond his control, eg. travelling overseas for work, reservist training, and community and welfare work.”
“Firstly, why are young Singaporeans not marrying? If one were to have a private talk with them, not a survey form, you find that Singaporeans - be they male or female - are very much normal human beings. Their desire to have a normal family life is also very great. Their problem is not having met the right mate. Thus, one of our approaches, that of having the SDU and other organisations and allowing for opportunities to mix is right. However, the observation that there is a fair amount of inhibition in the first encounter especially is worrying. Here, I believe that a change in the education system is required. We should encourage co-educational education from pre-school to tertiary levels to rectify this situation. We cannot have an in-between situation whereby primary schools and secondary schools are just unisex. I know the educationist will give us a whole list of reasons why we should not do this. The change to co-educational education is important for two reasons: As we move into Day School (all the details just announced today) and Single Session School, what it will mean is mixing with one sex for the major part of one's life and in the most important formative years. Secondly, for the male Singaporean, the 2(r) years of National Service is another artificial barrier. Practically all the colleagues are male, and so of course the male feels more comfortable in an all-male environment. Furthermore, common bonds, and a strong sense of camaraderie are built during our National Service years. Why are young Singaporeans not having more children? Here to attribute this to putting "careers, leisure and personal interests above marriage and parenthood", to me, is extremely unfair. The young adult is exhorted to achieve in his career.”
“The leadership, I am sure, is aware of these perceptions, and the best way that we can dispel these in the "next lap" is not to argue and debate whether these are legitimate or not, but to show by our actions that these actions are mere perceptions and not truths. This is the challenge to all of us. The Prime Minister has said: "To succeed, this programme needs the support of all Singaporeans." Sir, as the world becomes smaller, as the population becomes better educated and more mobile, we can no longer ignore these negative perceptions. Emigration will "snowball" as a problem if we do not address these. This reminds me of an incident in my earlier years as a medical officer in the Ministry of Health. One senior civil servant from the Ministry very proudly told us: "You can all resign, even emigrate if you are not happy with your posting. We can fly in one plane load of doctors to replace all of you tomorrow." This sort of arrogance did exist. The impression sticks on. However, I believe we can gradually eradicate this disease. Singapore is our home, and it is here that we belong! People: Our Most Precious Resource Sir, the declining population has been highlighted in the addendum. There is a strong sense of urgency in trying to resolve this problem, and rightly so. The problem is analysed in page 21 of the book in this way: "Young adults today put their careers, leisure and personal interests above marriage and parenthood. So a sizable number of Singaporeans remain unmarried." This I feel is to put the problem in too simplistic a language, and is an unfair indictment on all those in Singapore whom we regard as "young adults". I presume that this would refer to all those of reproductive age. And I feel that there are other facets to look into.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to support the motion to thank the President. Sir, life is a marathon and not a 100-metre sprint. In Singapore, we have completed the first lap, and we are now preparing for the next lap of the marathon. As we set our goals and objectives for the next lap, as have been done in the addendum book "Singapore: The Next Lap", we must also reassess at this time our achievements and our mistakes, whether they be of omission or commission. With this as our base, we then plunge forward. As the Prime Minister has put it: "This book suggests ways to capitalise on the physical and social assets that our earlier generation of Singaporeans has built over the last 25 years, and improve them to match our new needs and aspirations. It represents both change and continuity." 3.36 pm [Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Abdullah Tarmugi) in the Chair] The most important and fundamental achievement of the first lap is to have set for Singapore a sound infrastructure that provided for economic and social growth: Infrastructure that provides for a sound political system, an independent judiciary, a policy of meritocracy and equal opportunity, and a respect for every individual, regardless of race, language and religion. In the zest and sometimes haste to achieve these goals, the Government has been perceived by some to have been: impatient, autocratic, intolerant of criticism, materialistic, and paternalistic - having a "government knows best" attitude. I have used the word "perceived", for I do not agree with all of these criticisms. To me, it is not so much defending ourselves against these criticisms that count, but to keep in mind that there are some negative perceptions of Government that are present today.”
“Yes, Sir. By moving this amendment, I am asking that "contention" be kept inside. So there can be contention, except that we do not go on to conflict. That is my point to Mr Chiam.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, can I clarify one point?”
“Sir, I beg to move an amendment to the Motion moved by Dr Ong Chit Chung, At the end, to add - "and recommends that the five values shall be as follows: Nation before community and society above self Family as the basic unit of society Community support and respect for the individual Consensus not conflict Racial and religious harmony." Mr Speaker, Sir, in the spirit of consensus building, I have discussed this amendment with the mover of the original motion, Dr Ong Chit Chung, the Chairman of the Feedback Unit, Mr Chandra Das, and the immediate past Chairman, Dr Tan Cheng Bock. Dr S. Vasoo has also given his support. We have reached consensus, Sir. I hope that DPM BG Lee will join us in enhancing this consensus.”
“In my mind, one of the major players must be the schools. It is my hope that our young will have the opportunity to learn these values by way of formal education and also through extracurricular activities such as visits to welfare homes and exposure to the problems of the handicapped. Through field visits, the young will learn many of these values and see them in action. DPM BG Lee Hsien Loong has given us an example of how this is done in Japan. I think we should learn from this. Like many earlier speakers, I believe that the final onus would be in the hands of parents of today. Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to move my amendment which I have handed in. With your permission, Sir, the Clerk can distribute it to Members.”
“National servicemen do not enjoy putting aside 2(r) years of their life to acquire military skills which they hope never to use. The Government has made compulsory military service universally applicable regardless of race, language or religion. Here, national need of an effective defence force comes before community, society and self. The family is that unit that gives the young man the support during his period of military service. The SAF has been mindful of this and has reached out to the families. Orientation visits are arranged for family members and employers. Regard and community support for the individual is given by way of recognition of the individual's performance during military service in both the private and public sectors. For families who face hardship because of national service, there are schemes available to alleviate these hardships. There was resistance to national service in the initial years, but consensus was built out of the initial contentions. The SAF has exemplified in parade procedures, eg, in commissioning parades, respect for race and religion. This, to me, is a model of applying shared values in formulating Government policies. So it is that all present, past and future major policy decisions must pass the test of not contradicting our shared value system. Then and only then will having shared values be meaningful to us. I would go so far as to say that all political parties ought to first subscribe to these values before they can be registered. This can only reinforce the shared values which we want to preserve for the next generation. To ensure that these shared values are understood by our young, families and parents of course have an important role to play. The media has an equally important role to play.”