Arthur Fong
Singapore
“Mdm Speaker, I thank the Senior Minister of State for the response. A supplementary question. Would the Ministry of National Development (MND) or HDB consider putting double-glazed windows for bedrooms into the Home Improvement Programme (HIP) options in the future?”
“Mdm Chair, the Sports Master Plan of 2011 is bearing fruit. Since the inaugural Marathon Race in 1982, our sports calendar is now filled with several marathon runs, catering to a variety of running enthusiasts, from novices to Olympic champions.”
“Mdm Chair, in just under three months, we will be hosting the 28th SEA Games and, in nine months, we will have the honour of hosting some 1,300 to 1,500 para-athletes from ASEAN countries. We hosted the SEA Games some 12 years ago and we are hosting the ASEAN Para Games for the first time.”
“Mdm Speaker, I would like to thank Mr Chen for his clarification and I hope that Mr Cedric Foo would read it in the Hansard. But my point was on foreign workers, as he prevaricated from his answer to Mr Foo. But I hear him. It is good to have a peek into the Workers' Party's attempt on policy on foreign workers.”
“Sir, the Sports Facilities Masterplan costing $250 million was unveiled last year. The main objective would be to build facilities to cater for future sporting needs and sports development. Are there any updates in terms of new community-based sporting facilities to be built in the coming years, aside from a new stadium in Sembawang?”
“I hope this can be extended to other male national athletes as well. The Olympics is not the only prestigious sports event, even if it is indeed the most prestigious. Our athletes require more opportunities to participate in as many regional sporting events as possible.”
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“The situation confronting us is much more complex than in 1991 and more so since 11 September 2001. Terrorism and its financing are a clear and present danger. Singapore is an attractive target for terrorists. Our readiness and resolve in making ourselves a hard target are clear to all. Our anti-terrorism resolve comprises two components. Firstly, we have physical defences, augmented by investments in hardware and software. Secondly, we have the support of a citizenry that knows only too well the vulnerabilities that a small multicultural, multi-religious nation like ours faces. This Bill reflects our readiness and resolve to fight terrorism by suppressing financing for its activities. This also marks our commitment to counter and fight transnational crimes as the Bill will give effect to the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1373 for states to cooperate and prevent and suppress acts of terrorism, including terrorism financing. We are a major financial centre by many definitions. The financial industry is one of the crucial engines of Singapore's survival. The MAS (Anti-Terrorism Measures) Regulations are clear on how banks and practitioners in the financial industry must act. In this regard, as a banker, I can attest to the strict standards and regulatory requirements placed upon financial institutions, their employees and the users of the services of these institutions. There is no quarter given when it comes to not meeting standards. For example, "tipping-off", in the context of money laundering and/or terrorism financing, is covered in the Act. I applaud the consolidation of some overlapping provisions relating to terrorism financing under the Bill.”
“Thank you, Mdm Speaker, for allowing me to speak on the Bill. Many Singaporeans may not remember the collapse of the Bank of Credit and Commerce (BCCI) in 1991. Even professionals in the financial sector and, perhaps, practitioners in the legal and compliance functions of today, may not recall the incident. England's Master of the Rolls, Lord Justice Sir Thomas Bingham, said, and I quote, "I would like to pay a tribute to the Monetary Authority of Singapore for excluding BCCI. Singapore was one of the intelligent countries that did so. That was a shrewd and sound judgement." As a small country, I am proud to say that we have continually done the right thing, notwithstanding the storm of criticisms levelled at us. In the BCCI Page: 47 saga, Singapore was proven right in denying the BCCI the licence to operate in Singapore. More than 60 countries did not and, among those, many were major financial centres. This prudence and, more so, the calibrated responses that characterise this Government, continues to this day. I would imagine that had we not exercised what Sir Bingham referred to as "shrewd and sound judgement", our financial sector development would not have emerged, progressed and developed into what it is today. Mdm Speaker, we may have done the right thing in the past and done well by it. It is, however, worth reminding ourselves time and again to be on our guard. The security environment, hyper developments in financial products and the industry, the breakneck speed in innovations in communications, the Internet and computer technology, as well as the interplay of all these factors in transnational crime, are constantly evolving. Governments are worried about these issues.”
“May I ask what programmes and initiatives does the Ministry have in place to educate the public on fire safety? I hope the Minister can address my concerns and assure Members that the new requirements will not be onerous for the premise owners. With that, Mdm Speaker, I support the Bill. 3.20 pm”
“Thank you, Mdm Speaker, for allowing me to speak on the Bill. I welcome the Bill's overall objective of raising the fire safety standards of buildings and premises and improving the level of fire safety in Singapore. In particular, I support the move to enhance the preparedness of our people and premises in dealing with emergencies. Emergencies like fires can have severe consequences, causing injuries, deaths and serious damage to property. Hence, acting ahead of the curve and being proactive is important. However, I have some concerns about whether the new requirements may be too onerous for premise owners. For instance, the Emergency Response Plan covers both fire as well as fire-related emergencies. My question is: how will the owner know what types of emergencies he has to plan for? And in the first place, will the owner know how to draft such a plan, or does he have to engage a consultant? What are, if any, are the requirements for Fire Safety Officers (FSOs) for the various types of properties or buildings? Secondly, the formation of CERTs requires manpower. Some businesses are already facing labour shortfalls, so I am worried whether the industries, especially the SMEs, are able to cope with this requirement. Can the Minister clarify whether the premise owners are required to hire dedicated staff to form CERTs? Also, who will conduct the training and how long is the training for? Lastly, while it is important for premise owners to adopt the Emergency Response Plan and CERT framework to provide a contingency plan and an immediate first response during emergencies, we should also target the general public to educate them on the importance of fire safety and prevention.”
“We also need more private individuals, like Mr William Lim, to step forward and make selfless donations to the arts and culture sector. What can the Government do to encourage more private individuals giving to the arts and culture sector? Nurture Youths in Arts and Culture”
“Madam, during the proposal to build the Esplanade costing some $600 million, I raised doubts as to whether we would be able to fill the theatres there with enough programmes, much less world-class acts. I am elated to say, however, that my doubts had been put to rest because not only are we able to fill the performing theatres in our "durian" many times to sell-out capacity, but also often with world-class artistes. I would even say that world-class artistes would not have reached their peak if they had not performed their repertoire at the Esplanade. It gives me even more joy to say that the arts and culture scene in Singapore is dynamic, vibrant, and growing Page: 34 from strength to strength. The Arts and Culture Strategic Review (ACSR) Committee chaired had focused on a bottom-up approach to boost arts in the community. The intent is to be more people-oriented and include hobbyists as well as private arts and culture enthusiasts. I understand that more work is in progress in this direction. The Government has certainly spent much prudent dollars to boost the arts and culture scene in Singapore. But Governmental support in the area of arts and culture is not enough. There must be a corresponding, if not equal, support from the ground. Last year, on his 80th birthday, the celebrated pioneer architect, Mr William Lim, donated a six-figure sum to benefit six arts organisations and two artists. Mr Lim's cash donations and ardent support is one of the most significant private donations to the arts scene. We have had corporate donations to the arts and culture segment of society. The Singapore Press Holdings, the Hong Leong Foundations, LIPPO Group, OCBC Bank, Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank are just some of the generous corporate sponsors to the arts, and we need more.”
“The inference is that the Ministry's focus is on the community. Can the Minister explain its focus on promoting arts and culture at the community level and if that has drawn resources and attention away from many other arts and culture groups? Global City of the Arts”
“Madam, I applaud the Government's effort in promoting arts and culture bringing it closer to Singaporeans and the Government had spent heavily on community engagement efforts under the Community Engagement Master Plan launched in April 2012. In response to community engagement, an Arts and Culture Committee at the constituency level was formed to roll out arts and cultural activities for the community. These committees known as Community Arts and Culture Committee received grants from the Government to carry out and bring arts and cultural programmes to the people. As of the end of December 2012, a total of $19 million had been disbursed towards this programme. Madam, there have been some inspiring results that had sprung forth as a result of the programme. For instance, I note a growing interest island-wide in people learning to play the ukulele. In my own constituency of Clementi, we have stirred an interest in folks coming together and forming live bands – a return to pop yay yay and perhaps a little bit of the American Bandstand in Clementi. I also note a growing interest and participation in ethnic cultural activities by different races. One such example is the growth of Malay and Indian boys learning and forming lion dance groups. I call this phenomenon a "community cross cultural experience". Page: 29 But the funding to the CACC suffer the same syndrome as many governmental departments' budgeting efforts, that is, use it or lose it the next year. When it comes the deadline for the closure of accounts, there is often a rush for programmes and activities. The Ministry may do well to be more even-handed in this respect. Second, some sectors of the arts and culture groups are grumbling of limited support because of the CACCs.”
“National Design Centre Next cut, in the realm of good food, a critical part of things Singapore, 色，香，味 is all important. Literally, it means appearance, smell and taste. They are factors that help one to decide a dish is delicious or not. Thus, good design would help shape the appearance of a product. This is all important as products manufactured by our local SMEs will potentially venture and compete for market share abroad. An active design industry here would help successful local businesses like Mr Bean, for example, to venture abroad. Many would know the little "kink" at the back of a BMW that is called the Hofmeister kink. And, perhaps, our own business, in time, would have a brand like this going forward. Our Government announced that it would set up a National Design Centre (NDC) to achieve growth and transformation of the design cluster and to develop design as a vibrant integrated and competitive sector. When is the NDC expected to open? What can the design industry look forward to? Opportunities for SMEs in Design and ICT”
“Thank you, Madam. Singapore's low unemployment rate is an envy of many other countries. Yet, it is a source of tension for many of our business enterprises. The situation is not better with the tightening of foreign manpower, the lowering of dependency ratios and the hiking of foreign labour levies. Concomitantly, the Government has been calling on companies to look at ways and means to improve businesses' productivity as well as the productivity of its labour. The info-communications technology industry is a major player to boost productivity. A survey by the Economic Intelligence Unit revealed that the United States relied heavily on and successfully boosted its productivity using information communications technology. Sadly, the same report stated the same reliance on ICT was not material in recent times. In a Business Times article of 13 November last year, it mentions that the labour productivity of companies that are labour intensive is about US$37,000, whilst those that relied on ICT is almost 15 times more at US$545,000. The advantage of using ICT to boost productivity is obvious. We have invested heavily in this sector. It is timely for us to reap dividend in our attempt to boost our productivity all around, not just labour. For instance, IDA has provided our business industries a lot of schemes and grants to boost productivity. We have also launched a $46 million road map over five years to further develop the ICT industry. We are second behind Sweden in innovation and currently Asia's first. Page: 70 All these accolades are useful only if they have practical use to boost not only our productivity but also solve current problems, such as the manpower crunch. What is MCI doing to help companies tackle productivity and manpower problems with the use of ICT?”
“Madam, Singapore has earned a reputation internationally as the country that can get things done, with good infrastructure, capable IT support and personnel and a knowledge-based economy. These are the basic, necessary and vital ingredients to achieve our ambition to be an Intellectual Property hub. If I may add one other critical ingredient necessary to be an Intellectual Property hub is our impartial and efficient legal system. Madam, the areas of IP patents, royalties and licensing are important ones and set to grow. The World Bank listed royalties and licensing to be worth about US$200 billion. The number of patents is growing at a furious pace of 45% annually. 1.45 pm We should have a slice of that pie. But we must work at removing some impediments to growing the IP industry. Perhaps, even consider a review of section 34 which could blind-side an IP newbie, mostly inexperienced start-up individuals, registering their product overseas first and not being aware of the requirement under this section and would be fined. More communication and education are needed to counter potential "leakage" of IP filings going elsewhere. Could the Ministry study if this section could be removed or reviewed altogether or have more publicity or comprehensive communication plans such that the public is aware of this? Secondly, would MinLaw also consider setting up a Do-it-Yourself registration, a DIY facility, especially for small companies, many of which are start-ups, who Page: 46 may find it costly to register through the services of a lawyer? I look forward to the Minister for Law updating the House on the plans to further develop Singapore into an IP hub. How else can we help our local businesses to commercialise and exploit the IP that they own?”
“The sender would then get nasty and harassed non-stop if the recipient questioned how his number and personal details were availed Page: 131 to the sender of such services. In the first six months of 2012, there were more than 1,000 cases of illegal money-lending activities reported. Although loan shark harassment activities were reportedly down by about 25%, this aspect is still a scourge. Harassment by unlicensed moneylenders has been a problem of concern to many residents in recent years. Can the Minister provide an update on the unlicensed moneylending harassment situation last year? How is his Ministry tackling this issue? Youth Harassment Mr Chairman, although Singapore has a fairly low crime rate, there is still a cause for concern especially with youth crimes. As recent as in February 2013, four boys were arrested for loan shark harassment activities including setting homes on fire and locking the gates. These youth were as young as 15 and average no more than 16 years old. They were attracted to these illegal activities by the short-term attraction of money without a thought for their future and the consequences of their actions and on others. In 2011, there were a total of 336 youth arrested for illegal moneylending harassment cases. What is the situation like in 2012? What can be done to prevent the malaise from worsening? Curbing Illegal Moneylenders”
“Thank you, Chairman. Singapore continues to enjoy a stable environment of low crime rate. The crime rate per 100,000 is about 581, the lowest we have had in the last 29 years. By many accounts and the types of crime committed in Singapore, many reported a drop. For instance, although loan shark harassment still remains a concern and there are still reported incidences of such harassment, the numbers have come down. As the Police says, "Low crime doesn't mean no crime". The Police attributed this drop in the crime rate to greater participation from the community and public vigilance. I would attribute this to some form of community policing system. I am happy to say that Clementi Constituency was part of a pilot programme named Delta COPS and a roll-out of the COPs initiatives at West Coast Division recently. Can the Minister give an early assessment on how the new COPS model has performed thus far, and how have residents taken up with COPS? Unlicensed Moneylenders Mr Chairman, sometime in November 2012, it was reported that a director of a real estate firm was charged for illegal money-lending activities. The potential customer took loans from the director with high interest chargeable and the loan to be returned after the sale of his flat. This dealing seems innocuous enough and logical given that the seller is due to be paid after selling his flat. However, this example reflects a more serious issue. We would be on a slippery road if we allowed such deals and illegal contravention of the Moneylending Act to go through as one of the modus operandi of loan sharks. In addition, many netizens had posted online of unsavoury propositions of offer of easy money.”
“Yes, there is a national anxiety and some angst but, instead of letting out this National Moan about the projected population numbers, there should be a National Vigour to address the Vulnerabilities of Singapore. Perhaps then, we might look at the "numbers" needed with more objectivity and a renewed urgency to move forward on borrowed time. Our future rests with the three keys: the White Paper has stated that the Heart of our Nation is represented by our Singaporean core. I would like to say that for a Strong Singapore and a cohesive society, we need a strong heart and, better yet, a Big Heart. The second point mentions that our population and workforce must support a dynamic economy that can steadily create good jobs and opportunities to meet Singaporeans' hopes and aspirations. If our population and workforce cannot be in adequate numbers to sustain an economy for the lifestyle we choose, then our hopes and aspirations will be but a distant and desperate wish. The third key takeaway is to keep Singapore a good home with high quality living environment. If we fail to do this, it simply means that many may make their homes elsewhere and many more will not even come, let alone become PRs for the possibility of us integrating them and making them part of our core. This is my worry, the projected conversion of 17,000 to 25,000 to Citizens from the 30,000 PRs yearly may even tail off, making that strategy to augment our core fall in the medium to long term. This effect on augmenting workforce numbers, sustaining a meaningful tax base, a sustainable economic environment will not be foreseeable and Singapore will certainly stop dead in our tracks. We need not worry about crowded trains or expensive properties then. Madam, with this, I support the White Paper. 6.09 pm”
“One of the first major debates during my first term in Parliament was on the Motion of whether Singaporeans are stayers or quitters when the going gets tough for Singapore. Mdm Speaker, I now ask the same of the 532,000 PRs amongst us. The White Paper envisioned an annual intake of 30,000 PRs which translates into another 200,000 PRs in addition to the 532,000, making it 732,000 PRs in 2020. Of this number of PRs, how many are PRs of convenience? How many are here just because of the environment for employment security that we provide? How many would cash out and sell off their HDB flats, their condos or even their landed properties, the moment the going gets tough? How many are here after getting their PRs? But on the other hand, Mdm Speaker, I have come across many Singaporeans with PR spouses. Some of whom their children are Singaporeans. In recent years, Singaporeans have clamoured for clear differentiation between Citizens and PRs, this has naturally resulted in some disenchantment of Singaporeans with PR spouses. To increase our core population of Singaporeans, perhaps the Government can consider allowing this group of PRs into Citizenship, joining their spouses and their Singapore-born children. There may not be many of them, but going by the demographics and the Page: 99 statistics of the White Paper, every PR will count towards the core. To conclude, the Government needs to convince Singaporeans that their anxiety and angst over the current day issues of a larger population with knock-on effects on property, schools and transport will be addressed, and to explain the rationale in careful detail the need for an even larger population in the future.”
“At the very least, we need a diverse economy with a dynamic workforce to continue to be attractive to foreign investors to set up shop here and vibrant enough for our SMEs to build capabilities and eventually propel themselves into other markets. I might have painted an alarmist scenario of a twin exodus from the Singapore economy of both SMEs and MNCs, but once that begins to happen, we are finished. Page: 98 What can the Government do to help Singaporeans consider the proposals in the White Paper better? Mdm Speaker, allow me to make some suggestions. In spite of the many attempts to cool the red-hot property sector in Singapore, the prices of real estate remain stubbornly high. The amount of cash-over-valuation (COV) remains high. I was told the average COV of a 3-room HDB flat in my constituency, Clementi, is more than $23,000. The amount of COV for bigger flats is reportedly even higher. The high COV is in spite of many cooling measures and the announcements of many more HDB flats in the pipeline. Mdm Speaker, the investment sector is already abuzz with expectations that one of the main beneficiaries of the White Paper would be construction and the real estate related companies. Generally, the average citizens are concerned that with a population of 6.9 million, the immediate pressure would be on the number of HDB flats available and the prices they would have to pay. In spite of the assurances given by the Ministry of National Development, the people are not convinced that there would be adequate flats to meet the rise in demand for housing brought on by its population. More needs to be done to convince the Singapore citizenry on the property front.”
“Therefore, we need parallel strategies to keep our economy going and to keep our competitive advantage. Singaporeans aspire for good jobs and with good pay. Our education system has been evolving and changing to prepare our students well. Our young folks will enter the workforce prepared and on good footing to take on good jobs. But, once armed with good education and work experiences, the typical Singaporean worker is also highly sought after. This is worrying, in the light of the McKinsey Global Institute Report. In the report, there would be a global demand for about 16 million to 18 million highly educated qualitative staff. Singapore workers would then be in demand and the only question is: will they be open to move elsewhere? Madam, judging from the first responses to the White Paper, I am concerned that the realities, the dynamics and the co-relations of a shrinking population, ageing society, workforce numbers plateauing and eventually fall, are still not apparent to many. As sure as we want to attract qualified people to come here, our people, along with this group, will be sought after by many other economies elsewhere. The scenario of a small working population has some realities that are frightening. The local SMEs will leave when they cannot find skilled professionals and workers. Cumulatively, together with the same well-educated Singapore Citizens being seduced to work overseas, will not augur well for us. The shrinking workforce will face pressures in surely having to share and carry a higher tax burden. This may exacerbate the situation further.”
“Very simply, without the presence of foreigners – many of whom are here to augment our workforce – makes the local kopi-tiam food much more costly. That said, the pace of foreigners landing in Singapore over the past few years has caused some concern, some tension. Yet, we know that a xenophobic Singapore will spell an early end to our economic growth and potential. Foreigners are blamed for any and everything that can go wrong in Singapore, sometimes without any basis. For instance, when news broke of the fatal tragic accident in Tampines, some people on the Chinese version of Twitter suggested the cement mixer truck driver to be another reckless Chinese driver! We need to compartmentalise and explain better the issues that have been a bugbear for many Singaporeans. The manner that the Government is tackling rising property prices, competition of places in schools, crowded public transport and other societal changes associated with a larger population must be convincing. If we cannot do this well at this stage, I feel that the angst and tension will only worsen if we are to move forward with the strategies outlined in the White Paper. Page: 97 Many Singaporeans are sceptical that we may be able to keep the Singapore Core with slightly less than half of the future anticipated population. It is another point that I suggest the Government explain better. Our core will shrink, given our current situation where couples marry later, delay or not having children, or staying single. We are simply not replacing ourselves. The White Paper has laid out various strategies that will help us grow our pool of core Singaporeans. It will be apparent that this will not be at a pace that will help sustain a viable economy.”
“Mdm Speaker, thank you for allowing me to participate in the debate on this White Paper. This is an important document as it sets the way on how we will organise the future Singapore society. In short, Singapore's survival and a perpetuation of the kind of life we have been used Page: 96 to. In this regard, Madam, I must say I am uncomfortable at the pace at which we are discussing such an important document. Although the White Paper has been published and various quarters were consulted and many Singaporeans have given their views, many more do not understand the need to augment our population and how the various strategies are to play out. More importantly, the rationale and the genesis of a possible 6.9 million population need to be explained further as this big figure headline has generated much anxiety and angst. Perhaps, this is the reason why there is nothing but negative sentiments abounding from the public. Whether it is speaking to the average Singaporean on the street or listening to Singaporeans giving their views on interviews by our radio stations, there is little buy-in to the proposed population growth to almost 7 million people. Madam, it is, therefore, not surprising to see even Yahoo News reporting fury from some Singapore Citizens to the future projected population to be slightly more than half, or 55%, being Singaporeans. Madam, most of us accept the necessity and contribution from foreigners brought to the Singapore socio-economy. Let us be honest. Without the vital contribution of the many foreign resident workers, the Singapore skyline, our way of life and, in large measures, the manageable cost of living, would be very different.”
“Mr Speaker, a couple of supplementary questions. The Senior Parliamentary Secretary mentioned the enrichment programmes that the students have participated in. I have seen success stories in many of my residents' children and how ITE has helped them and encouraged them. But is there support provided to graduates of ITEs – after they have finished and they are in the industry – for them to enrich themselves and to continue the skills upgrading because the jobs are evolving and changing? The second question: could the Senior Parliamentary Secretary share some notable industries or firms that have played a big role for ITE students to be involved in the international programmes and to upskill? As I have said, it is a very good social leveller, and I want to know if there are any success stories where ITE also work with industry partners. Page: 1344”
“Sir, I thank the Acting Minister for his response. A couple of supplementary questions. One is, we learned that two Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (DART) officers suffered chemical burns. How did this happen because, apparently, the workers were found to be covered with wet cement, but the DART officers had chemical burns? Second question is, going forward, would MOM, LTA, SCDF and the employers look into improving the rescue plans and rescue operations? Apparently, this is a seven-hour complex operation. What have they learned from that?”
“In encouraging Singaporeans to be gracious, many such PBS programmes have been effective in promoting somewhat, acceptable behaviour of our people in everyday situations. Can the Minister address these concerns, please?”
“Mr Chairman, I applaud the scrapping of the radio and TV licence fee. When I meet friends, they all said, "Ah, finally!" But I shared with them my concerns. The withdrawal of the fees may affect the quality and the quantity of the free-to-air television programmes. Already, we are seeing re-run of re-runs on television. Through the Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) funding, Singaporeans had the good fortune of watching good quality locally-created television serial, such as "The Little Nonya" that Mr Zaqy has spoken about. Programmes, such as "The Little Nonya", are also the pride of Singapore. CNA is also beamed to many living rooms in Asia. Kudos to the documentary teams who have produced such programmes with an Asian flair. Sir, while I appreciate that this is the digital age, and majority of Singaporean homes are equipped with cable television, this is a luxury not enjoyed by all. Many of the low-income families depend on the free-to-air television programmes for their entertainment. Sir, the importance of Public Broadcast Service cannot be overstated. I ask the Minister's assurance that the termination of radio and television licence fee would not result in poorer quality of PSB-funded programmes. There is also a knock-on effect on the many small production houses that have developed and continue to develop to provide content in this space. Sir, I have met some talented members of such outfits. They are entrepreneurial, passionate, young and did I mention, talented. Some of our older, experienced retired production personnel from the MediaCorp, SBC, TCS days are also working with such outfits. This provides a healthy talent pool of production and creative personnel and adds value to the industry.”
“Although the queue-jumping, the throwing of litter out of one's flat and the parking of vehicles in the driveway of others still happen, the fact is we have improved to be kinder and a more gracious society. 12.15 pm We have played our part as good and gracious hosts at major events held in Singapore. International guests from all over the world during IMF and APEC meetings have remarked how gracious and friendly Singaporeans they have had the opportunity to meet were. We had 20,000 volunteers out in force to give foreign guests participating the Inaugural YOG a good impression of Singapore. Graciousness of our people will indeed go a long way and is an important part of our branding. But, Sir, we cannot turn on our best behavior during these events or when we have guests and then revert to our ugly self the moment the guests leave. We need to be kind and gracious all the time. We need that to be part of our lives and our DNA. Well, maybe that is stretching it a little, but I made my point. We need to work at it. Can the Minister tell us what resources and initiatives his Ministry is deploying and planning for towards a kinder and more gracious society? In my cut on public service broadcast (PBS), I shall also reiterate the role of public broadcasting and its impact on this topic. National identity”
“Not only is the pace of doing business faster, if we look around, the physical landscape over at our business district has changed with new office buildings readying themselves for banks and law firms to move in, the addition of transport services to cope with increased use are all testament to a bustling city. Even older estates, like my ward in Clementi, has changed in a short 10-year period with more facilities and hip spots to serve our residents’ needs. We have been fortunate to have good economic growth allowing us to provide our people with good education. A well-educated population should serve as the basic ingredient for a gracious and kind society. We have first-world infrastructures, but without the kindness and social graces, we would be nothing more than gorillas having English tea in nice western suits. The English, known for their strict adherence to certain acceptable social graces have, in the last decade, had their image marred by the behaviour of football hooligans. How are we doing in our social graces? Sir, in the early 1950s and 1960s, even right up to the 1970s, it is not uncommon to see people spitting on the street. Equally rare to see people giving up their seats to pregnant women or elderly folks on public transport. Queue-jumping is a norm and never thought to be a problem. But in present day Singapore, although we are still far from perfect, far from the ideal society where people give way to one another, be kind to one another, and be gracious to their neighbours, the score card is not all discouraging. We still have the uniquely Singapore seat reservation practice of the "chope already" system with tissue packets in hawkers’ centres.”
“We are a nation of immigrants. Our forefathers hailed mostly from China and India then. But they were mostly from Southern China and Southern India. Majority of our early Chinese settlers are from the province of Fujian and our Indians migrated from Tamil Nadu. However, our immigrant stock is deepening and getting more complex in recent years. We have Chinese from the northern state of Heilongjiang, as well as Indians from all over India. It is now a common sight to see Caucasians living amongst us in our HDB estates. Not so many years ago, many are from European states, such as the United Kingdom, France or Italy. Now, we have quite a few residents from Eastern Europe. This addition to our population stock is a plus, but does present some challenges to our cultural heritage. On a positive note, this diversity has added to Singaporeans’ gourmet choices! We only need to look at the types of cuisines offered at the restaurants and coffee shops at many of our food haunts. We have Chinese restaurants, yu tiao from Taiwan, Chongqing steamboat, noodle shops that serve Halal food from China. In this regard, it is important to preserve our traditional cultures and a deeper appreciation of our heritage. Equally important is to refocus on what is our traditional culture and heritage especially in light of the changes and amidst the inter-twining social fabric of our society with the new immigrants. What is MICA and its agencies' plan to preserve our culture and heritage? Social kindness and graciousness Sir, my next cut. Many Singaporeans feel that we have become a fast-paced society. They are not wrong. The economic growth we have experienced and the faster pace of life can be seen and felt.”
“Madam, it has been said that, "The monies gained through economic activities may be used up in difficult times. But it is the capital gained through arts and culture that would stand us well in good and bad times." Arts and culture play an important role in our economic development and also in rich and ancient countries like Athens and Rome, and in recent times, London, New York and Paris. The same may be said of the Golden Age of China. As the saying goes "300 years under the Tang Dynasty and 50,000 poems". This underscored the importance of arts and culture to a nation. We are a small and young nation. We cannot underestimate the importance of developments in the arts and culture. The Arts and Culture Review Steering Committee has identified the importance of citizens' participation in the arts. The aim is to have eight in 10 Singaporeans to attend at least one art and culture event a year. The other goal is to have half of our citizens to be engaged in the arts and culture activities. I have had the privilege and pleasure to join our residents at many of these events at the Esplanade, and I wish that the Ministry can perhaps publicise more of such events. These are reasonable goals and objectives to achieve a dynamic arts scene in Singapore aimed at introducing arts to cross sections of our society and to increase the appreciation of the arts. To reach these goals, however, we need to include more of the stakeholders' opinions. Can the Minister share with the House the Arts and Culture Review Steering Committee's recommendations? And what is the progress towards the stated goals made earlier? Arts and culture infrastructure”
“As Singapore makes good strides towards being a knowledge-based economy, it is important that we, as a nation, continue to innovate and leverage on our intellectual capital. I understand that towards this end, the Government has invested substantially to help businesses to increase productivity and innovation. But many of our companies, especially the small and medium-sized companies may not fully realise the importance of exploiting their intellectual property rights. For instance, intellectual property rights is not an everyday issue that companies seek help with at the Chambers of Commerce and industries. If they do, some may not know how to fully do so. I would like to know whether the Government has invested enough to build up the ability of our local companies to deal with intellectual property especially when 99% of our businesses are SMEs. Also, while help is available for businesses in regard to innovation and increasing productivity, I would like to know if the Government is doing something to help individuals. I believe that Singaporeans are creative lot, increasingly so amongst our youths. I know that many polytechnics students are devoting their free time to create apps compatible with the iPhone. But at the national level, we need a conducive environment and framework to stimulate this creativity. We have in our midst, individual inventors who have ideas but do not know how to develop their ideas so that they can be brought to the market. Does the Government have plans to help them take ideas further? Are there multiple agencies that the individual or companies have to deal with or is there a one-stop shop in the works? Legal Aid Bureau”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, I was pleased to learn of the launch OneMap last year. I applaud the SLA for this move. It suggested to me that our public agencies are at the cutting edge of technology as well. Civil servants can no longer be seen as drape and boring. As a result of Civil Service innovations, formerly state and unused premises such as Dempsey, Rochester, are being revitalised with new and exciting eating and drinking places. The OneMap is another pro-business and pro-public enterprise initiative. More public agencies can take the cue from SLA and introduce such innovations to liven up Singapore. For OneMap, I am particularly pleased that the Government agency is sharing with the public information that they have. What is more noteworthy is that it is easily accessible and user-friendly. Indeed, applying technology to geospatial information can potentially benefit the public and community in many ways. Businesses can take advantage and create value-added services. Indeed, I hope businesses may spin off as a result. I would like the Ministry to provide an update of the usage of OneMap, if any, to add more services. I personally have put OneMap on my homescreen in my iPhone and found the level of detail to be very high. I have seen on the OneMap SERS flats that have not come up in Clementi already on the application. I would also like to check with the Ministry on the positioning of OneMap. There are other providers of one online maps and there are businesses which already provide value-added location-based services to the public, for example, Maps Buddy on the iPhone. Can the Minister assure that OneMap would not crowd out these other developers and if there any other collaborations in the works? Fostering creativity Mr Chairman, my second cut.”
“Mr Chairman, may I take my two cuts together?”
“The activities that these folks in Clementi are involved in provide our residents opportunities to integrate, to increase mutual trust and inter-dependence within the community. I hope that the Ministry can consider rolling out such a programme in other divisions and to support this initiative further. Crimes against elderly”
“Sir, Members in this House had related incidents of loanshark harassment, break-ins, robberies targeting of senior citizens, vandalism and mischief, just to name a few. Our Home Team has been doing a good job in solving and preventing crimes, especially in our estates. Yet, our Home Team cannot be everywhere. This is where our residents can play a greater role in the safety and security of their community. Neighbourhood policing is not new – in Palm Springs, in UK, people form collaborations with the police to look after the community. At my ward in Clementi, we have the Delta Citizenry. It is made up residents and RC members, guided and supervised by trained Home Team officers. Clementi NPC has been working with our grassroots to organise and form this citizens policing unit. Our initial efforts recruited some 325 members and we had another 200 signing up to be citizen cops during our recently concluded community day two weeks ago at Clementi Town Centre. It is not only the RC members who form the Citizens-On-Patrol (COP), our residents are now taking ownership. There is an obvious genuine interest from the citizenry to take charge of and play a role in their own safety. The residents are pleased, especially so when we had a block that was targeted by loanshark runners, and the high visibility of Delta Citizenry prevented the mischief that the loanshark runners were targeting on this block. And also, a trained member of the Delta Citizenry also witnessed a robbery in place and was able to provide a very good description to the Police and the culprit was caught a few streets away with the loot in hand. Although this programme is not a substitute for the Police, it is indeed an effective collaboration between the community and the Home Team.”
“Would there be a survey of public security concerns being planned for? Anti-terrorism measures”
“Sir, ask any tourist or foreigner who has visited or stayed in Singapore for sometime and they would tell you that safety and security in Singapore is one of the chief reasons that they stayed or enjoyed their visits here. More importantly, Sir, amongst the criteria of well-developed infrastructures, a stable economy and a political environment, an efficient Civil Service and business-friendly facilities, global MNCs also cite safety and security as reason for them to inject billions of dollars of Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) here. Our citizens would be the first to tell their friends that the safety and security that many of us take for granted is often contrasted to the places they have travelled to. Our Home Team has been doing a good job in tackling crimes and inter-agency co-operations have kept up our branding as a safe and secured place. With a highly porous border, it is indeed a challenge in the control and patrol of these points. Twelve billion tourists visited us last year. More than 20,000 travelled to work daily from two of our land border checkpoints. We have been reminded many times that, in today's security climate, Singapore is a prized target for terrorists. Being a small and densely-populated island of six million, health pandemics can cripple our economy, lapses in food security can cause the population untold misery, and border security breaches would certainly unsettle our people. Sir, is our resident population aware of these concerns and, if so, to what degree? What is the top security concern of our citizens in terms of public safety and security? Is there a survey done on how our citizens would react to threats or acts of terrorism or health pandemics? What are MHA's measures to understand the public security concerns?”
“Sir, ComCare's EnAble programme has provided much relief along with the grassroots volunteers and I urge our Government to place the care of caregivers in our long-term care programme as well. Sir, I support the Budget. 3.39 pm”
“But, Sir, is this heightened alertness that has kept us safe and well, is this enough with this heightened alertness? This crisis management attitude that we have been criticised of had allowed us to enjoy a comfortable state of affairs and managed our cash well. I dare say that the same people who brand us as being paranoid are here enjoying the fruits of such "paranoia". In fact, Sir, I would even go as far to say that the heightened crisis management mode is in our DNA. To me, Sir, this Budget also reflects how we have moved from just crisis management to about Singapore being prepared. Returning the $4 billion is preparing us by keeping us in a good fiscal position to deal with future crises. Raising workers’ levy, although not popular with businesses, is necessary to prep local workers for the challenges ahead. Increasing productivity is to help our economy leap over the spectre of stagnation. Before I end, Sir, I have a call to make on the Government and for them to consider more programmes for caregivers. Member Mdm Halimah had talked about the tough life of the singles who care for the aged. I, too, see this to be an increasing phenomenon. Some of our hon. colleagues in the House had spoken passionately on the stress of caregivers. In this regard, my residents, like those Mdm Halimah had cited, had the good fortune of seeing the good work of ComCare. The programme provided relief to an elderly father and his intellectually-challenged middle-aged daughter. The gentleman in his 70s is frail but he cares for his daughter. I met them at their flat and in that 25 minutes, she laughed, she cried, she yelled, she cooed all in between moments of lucidity. In her moments of clear-mind lucidity, she provided care for her father and even cooked for him.”
“The Year of the Rabbit is turning out to be full of surprises. The political instability in the oil-producing countries is causing an unstoppable spiral in oil prices. We are unsure of the developments in Libya. The unrest places a spectre over the oil-producing countries. Would further hikes in oil prices lead to a global recession? Where will we be and how do we meet those challenges? Sir, in training to be fit, the catch word for any fitness buff when beginning to train is that of core muscles. The core muscles are similar to the soul of the country. Developing core muscle is important as it provides a body balance and stability. The same must be said for Singapore’s nation-building effort. What is our core muscle? Besides having the good fortune of having a group of honest and capable men and women running the country since Independence, we should also be thankful for the core institutions in Singapore. A weak government and a feeble civil service would surely sink us. Singapore’s future will be finished. We would be a "has been" and foreign investors will give us a miss. Sir, another core characteristic of Singapore is to instil in our institutions a kind of crisis management mode. Our leaders had been made fun of, ridiculed even, for making use of the fear element of Singapore being in a crisis mode and in constant paranoia. We only need to cast our mind back to the Asian financial crisis and the outcome for Singapore. The outcome for us is better than most, if not all of our immediate neighbours. When our immediate region was gripped in economic recession, we were able to fork out extra budgetary measures of more than $10 billion to help our people.”
“Is this Budget crafted so that the PAP may win the election? I am guessing that it may have crossed the Finance Minister’s mind but it is in all probability not in sync with the character of this Government. Just by raising the foreign worker levy runs the risk of upsetting the 130,000 SMEs. The levy could have waited until next year long after the result of the election is known. True to the character of good governance, if it the right thing to do, even though painful, we will do it and do so expediently. But notwithstanding good governance as reflected in a good Budget, Sir, please allow me to share some of my views and reservations. For starters, I am extremely uncomfortable for Singapore as a whole to come to expect to be given a share of our national coffers whenever we are in surplus. My unease is heightened when I hear and read about some quarters calling on the Government to share national wealth whenever there is a surplus and not wait until it is an election year, for it is an assumption that in an election year, the Budget will be filled with goodies and payouts. During the financial crisis, we did not suffer the ugly fate of some Asian states being raided by irresponsible funds only because of our strong financial position. Our reserves accumulated over all the years of prudence put us in good stead. We would not have been able to do that if we had started to share surpluses whenever there were surpluses. Sir, we need always to save for a rainy day. I think in current times, we need to save for a rainy season. We were lucky to have escaped the global financial crisis not too long ago with little long-term effects on our economy and financial health. We cannot expect to be so lucky all the time.”
“Mr Speaker, I am grateful to be given the chance to participate in the debate on the Budget Statement. I speak in support of the Budget. Many of the residents that I have spoken to are in support although not everyone is satisfied with what they will receive. Sir, this is to be expected. It is human nature. But on balance, many also agree there is little to fault from this Budget in that it is generous in varying degrees and crafted with everyone in mind. The business community, however, may be caught off-guard having to re-adjust their dependence on foreign workers with the increase in the levy. Although I share some of their concerns and also empathise with the SMEs, unfortunately, I think it is a necessary bitter pill to have to swallow and to take now. The Minister spoke about the strategy to increase in real incomes of our workers over the next 10 years. We have to start today with the measures in place to see this through. The dependence on foreign workers to meet business demands has stagnated the wages of our low-skilled labour. As we upskill workers with the re-designing of jobs to attract more Singaporeans to take on jobs that businesses need, we would also need to address the easy way out that we have taken for so many years. The easy way out is not meant as a criticism of business but it describes an expedient means to meet the labour demands that businesses have to address. There is no denying that it is a bitter pill for businesses to swallow. But I would like to caution that not taking the bitter pill now will mean that we are taking poison pills each day that we do not begin to tackle this. It will be terminal for our workers and our businesses and for Singapore. Is this an election year? It probably is by all indications.”
“Question No. 10, Sir. The Senior Minister of State for National Development (Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien) (for the Minister for National Development): Mr Speaker, Sir, HDB collects an administrative fee of $10 for each flat application. From 2008 to 2010, the administrative fees averaged $790,000 per year. The purpose of the administrative fee is to defray the costs of conducting the sale exercises. These costs are incurred regardless of whether the applicants are eventually successful in their flat application. For example, for each application, HDB will need to verify the eligibility of every person listed in the flat application for subsidised housing. Based on the information gathered, HDB will then need to decide the priority scheme that the applicants are eligible for and assign them their due number of "chances" in the computer ballot. After the ballot to determine the queue order for flat selection, HDB will have to notify all the applicants of their ballot results. A recent survey by HDB shows that the administrative fee at $10 per application is insufficient to cover HDB’s costs incurred in conducting flat sale exercises. Hence, HDB is unable to refund the fees for unsuccessful applicants. MOTORISED BICYCLES (Regulations) 11. Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng asked the Minister for Transport (a) what is the estimated number of motorised bicycles in Singapore; and (b) what regulations govern these vehicles to ensure safety for the riders, pedestrians and other drivers on the roads.”
“I would like to thank the Minister for his comprehensive reply. I would like to know if IDA would impose stiffer penalties or firmer action against the mail mis-deliveries because in today's world, some of these mail, if they are mis-delivered, could have legal or financial impact. RAdm [NS] Lui Tuck Yew: What we are doing is really re-looking at the QoS and, as part of the re-look, we may be prepared to re-consider the penalties that we may have to impose. Once again, let me say that based on the standards that we have established today, SingPost meets them fully and the number of complaints, I would have to say, are actually relatively small compared to the volume of mail that SingPost has to handle, which is about 60 million mail items on a monthly basis. 2.58 pm”
“Finally, Mdm Deputy Speaker, I support the amendment as it provides a safety net to all the helpless, abandoned and neglected citizens by their ungrateful children. I congratulate the Workgroup for drafting the amendment, providing it with the power to take away from irresponsible parents the use of the Act and force their children to provide for them. I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate the good work of all my fellow Members of Parliament who had participated in drafting of this amendment, especially Mr Seah Kian Peng. 6.29 pm”
“This would put to rest any concern and generate more support to the intent of this law. The full weight of the law must be brought to bear on children who have abandoned or neglected parents who have not failed them. Having said this, blood is thicker than water. Applying the law on issues that involve a lot of emotion is a terribly tricky issue. Would the application of the law lead to strengthening of family values and filial piety? I have my doubts. After applying the law to ensure naughty children look after their parents, it is difficult to have a good, normal parent-child relationship. The work of the Tribunal is not enviable and requires tremendous amount of wisdom and deft, some of which Mr Viswa had alluded to earlier too. Mdm Deputy Speaker, may I suggest to keep perhaps a lid on the publicity of the details of cases when the law is applied. Matters like these would make front page in tabloids. This "privacy promise", if I were to put it, would encourage more parents with no means of livelihood to come forward. No parent would want to embarrass their children and in the process wash dirty laundry of their family in public. If suffering parents do not come forward and file a complaint against negligent children, this law would be nothing more than just another useless legislation. For the Asian mind, we would rather bear with the family faults than to bring them out in the open. No Asian family would like to publicise family embarrassment because doing so would damage an already fragile familial relationship. I do recognise that without the publicity of such errant behaviour, the deterrent effect of the law would be blunted, but a delicate balance nevertheless needs to be struck.”
“It is bad enough for the children with means neglecting their ageing parents, it is outright atrocious for them to take advantage of their parents and of their retirement nest egg. I am especially glad to note that the inclusion of the amendment to the Act to allow the Tribunal or the Commissioner to deliberate on all applications and reject any frivolous ones. When this amendment was tabled and publicised in the media, it generated a lot of concerns in some quarters, especially the children who had been abandoned by absentee parents, children who had been estranged from their absentee father – perhaps he had philandered, was negligent or irresponsible in his ways that they feel they owe such parents nothing. Hence, it is understandable that they are concerned that their irresponsible parent is using the law to force them to look after their parents. One young person actually used the word "extort". These children understandably would feel aggrieved, unjust and would resist if they were compelled by the law to provide for this kind of a father. This amendment thankfully, however, provides a safety valve against any indiscriminate action to force the children to provide for their parents. The amendment also allows the Tribunal and Commissioner to evaluate the means and capabilities of each individual children to share the providence of maintaining their elderly parents, thus making it fair and equitable. The fact that there are concerns of the children fearing that the amendment may discriminate against them suggests that more can be done in the area of publicising this Act. I would suggest and urge the Ministry to conduct more public education for the purposes of educating the public on the necessity and supporting the intention of the Act.”
“However, Mdm Deputy Speaker, until then, the validity of the social contract of "when we were young our parents looked after us and when they are old we repay them back" seems to be not very valid now. Abandoning parents when they get old and sickly is no longer the odd exception we hear of and then shake our heads with a heavy sigh; rather, I think it is getting to be a little sporadic. As an Asian society and a more globalised workforce, I am afraid we may see more of such cases. I think we need a serious examination of how we teach or transmit values to the next generation. Parents cannot abdicate their responsibility of teaching values to their children only to the schools. Well, that is another debate altogether. Some very good programmes and initiatives were shared with us by hon. Member Ms Denise Phua earlier on. I am seeing more and more elderly parents seeking help after being persuaded, cajoled and finally duped into selling their flats. The elder folks are seeing me for help to apply for rental housing. Their $20,000 flats that they bought 30 years ago have appreciated to some $350,000 and the children see this as seed money to their first 5-room flat or a condominium. It is fine. It is even progress for the next generation, as some of our old folks say yi tai pi tai hao – If not for them ejecting their parents from their plans and rationalising that their parents want to live alone and that they can live their own lives. In private conversations with fellow Members, I came to the sad conclusion that this is a phenomenon common not just to Clementi, it is happening in many places in Singapore as well.”
“We grew up instilled with the values of the duty to look after our parents when they grow old, especially since we owe them what we have through their struggles, which was very well articulated by hon. Member Mr Viswa earlier. If not for anything, it is only fair that we look after our parents when they are old. What I am concerned is that the caring of our parents should even be debated. But as our fellow colleagues before me have alluded to, the treatment that our elders received or rather, in the context of the Bill, not received, should be debated. We have come to that – rather sad state, I would say. But what troubles me, as a son of Singapore, as an MP, as a trustee for the next generation, is that one's duty of care towards his parents and one's duty to his country are inextricably tied together. What then does this say of Singapore's sons and daughters? If they neglect their duties to their parents, so is it right that there is a law that compel negligent children to care for those who had cared for them as they grew up? When we first introduced National Service, we needed the Singapore Armed Forces Act to compel people to serve and protect our nation. This was back in the early 1970's when we were still in the early years of nation building and we had largely a migrant stock that made up Singapore. But over time, however, the need for our youths to do National Service to serve the country is no longer in doubt – it is now a given. And, hopefully, over time, as we instil once again the need to care for our elderly parents, the Maintenance of Parents Act may be nothing and may possibly be repealed. I look forward to that day in Singapore, and perhaps it would be one step closer to a gracious society.”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, I thank you for allowing me to speak on the debate on the amendment to this Bill. Many of my fellow colleagues have spoken and presented their views before me and what I want to say may have already been touched upon. Nevertheless, I need to air my views to get the weight of the matter off my chest. We are an Asian society and our social mores and cultural norms differ from those of the West. When it comes to the topic of caring for our elders, it becomes even more apparent, perhaps less distinct now, because we are moving more towards the West in this aspect. Mdm Deputy Speaker, while looking at this issue, I am careful not to be judgemental in how each society chooses to live their lives. I remember that my American friends were amused when I told them that it is not uncommon in Asian societies to continue to live with one's parents after the American equivalent of the senior high school. Many continue to live under their parents' roof even after National Service and in the armed forces and right through university until they can afford to purchase their own homes. In the West, it is not inconceivable for young adults to set up their own homes and live their life even while they are working through university. Perhaps it may be a matter of geography but, largely, the children and their parents live separately and very separate lives. In fact, this is expected of many of the young western adults. In Asian societies, however, this is inconceivable. The concept and idea of filial piety in Asian societies, steeped in Confucianist values, had its roots in history.”
“ECONOMIC EXPANSION INCENTIVES (RELIEF FROM INCOME TAX) (AMENDMENT) BILL Order for Second Reading read. 3.36 pm”
“WOMEN'S CHARTER (AMENDMENT) BILL "to amend the Women's Charter (Chapter 353 of the 2009 Revised Edition) and to make related amendments to the Central Provident Fund Act (Chapter 36 of the 2001 Revised Edition), the Children Development and Co-Savings Act (Chapter 38A of the 2002 Revised Edition) and the Guardianship of Infants Act (Chapter 122 of the 1985 Revised Edition)", presented by the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (Dr Vivian Balakrishnan); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. CHILDREN AND YOUNG PERSONS (AMENDMENT) BILL "to amend the Children and Young Persons Act (Chapter 38 of the 2001 Revised Edition) and to make consequential amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code 2010 (Act 15 of 2010) and the Private Education Act 2009 (Act 21 of 2009)", presented by the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (Dr Vivian Balakrishnan); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. RETIREMENT AGE (AMENDMENT) BILL "to amend the Retirement Age Act (Chapter 274A of the 2000 Revised Edition), to provide for the re-employment of employees and to make consequential amendments to certain other written laws", presented by the Minister for Manpower (Mr Gan Kim Yong); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES (AMENDMENT) BILL "to amend the Employment Agencies Act (Chapter 92 of the 1985 Revised Edition)", presented by the Minister for Manpower (Mr Gan Kim Yong); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister if this family had been on the radar of being counselled when Mas Selamat was first arrested, it took him two days, very deliberate planning, to make his way to Tampines to this family. So he must have read this family very well for him to go through with it, and even have that family coerced or otherwise cooperate with him. So I just want to want to know if this family was, in the first place, within our radar for counselling when he was first arrested. Mr Shanmugam: There was no indication to us that this particular family was in any need of counselling. I think a better answer to the Member's question would be this: the Member had sort of assumed that Mas Selamat thought he would get help and deliberately made his way to this flat. I think in the Statement that I have made I pointed out that Mas Selamat thought that there would only be one person in the house, Nur Aini. That seems to have been his primary motive, not because he thought that the entire family would help him. 3.32 pm BILLS INTRODUCED ALLIED HEALTH PROFESSIONS BILL "to provide for the registration of prescribed allied health professionals, for the protection of the health and safety of the public and for purposes connected therewith", presented by the Minister for Health (Mr Khaw Boon Wan); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed.”