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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“I am equally happy to note that the Government is co-funding projects between the Government agencies and people-private sector organisations to organise programmes to deal with this issue. I ask MICA for an update on the collaboration between the Government agencies and the private sector on cyber wellness for our youths. What are the learning points so far? I have also read with concern from the press release that this initiative is not covering an area of youth cyber addiction. I must stress that this is an area of concern in helping youths deal with the addiction. I therefore ask MICA if helping youth computer addiction is deliberately left out and, if yes, why. Censorship Review Committee”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, spending too much time on the computer that is not related to school work or studies has been shown to affect the grades of our children. This is a fact shown by both our own local newspaper survey as well as many overseas studies. Singapore is probably one of the most wired countries in the world. Computer literacy for our children begins as early as Primary 1. In fact, I visited a school a few years ago where the school has in its curriculum to teach kids as young as Primary 4 to be competent in basic web design. Our intention of exposing our children at a young age in school to make them comfortable with computers is part of our knowledge-based economy. But, Sir, the downside of early introduction to computer work is that our younger people spend too much time on the computer. A survey showed that one in five teenagers spend up to 40 hours on the computer a week and this is near the average work hours per week for many adults and I wonder whether these children or these teenagers do find enough time left over for study or for some time outside for vitamin D. The school grades are often not the only downside to gaming addiction as many youths lose touch with other aspects of their routine. Many are so preoccupied that they are late for school, commit truancy, miss examinations and eventually drop out of school. Youths who spend huge amount of time engrossed in their computer often also have problems relating to their parents. This communication problem is worse if they are from single-parent homes. It is a time bomb of a problem if left unattended. Sir, I am delighted to note that the Government has set up the Inter-Ministry Cyber Wellness Steering Committee.”
“The first cohort is expected to take their examinations in 2012. And because the IB Diploma is an internationally recognised qualification, SOTA students, upon completion of the IB, can expect to enter higher institutions of learning of their choice – be it arts conservatories to further their artistic development or universities in Singapore or abroad. SOTA's unique proposition lies in the pedagogy which makes meaningful connections between the arts and academic subjects to provide an enriched learning and teaching experience for those who are talented in the arts. The distinctive curriculum and learning environment have attracted highly-qualified teachers with teaching and industry experience, and prominent artists, into SOTA's arts faculty as well as full-time practitioners who teach on a part-time or adjunct basis, such as Cultural Medallion recipient Lynnette Seah. In addition, SOTA has established partnerships for faculty and student exchanges, curriculum development and assessment with established overseas arts institutions such as the Chicago Academy of Art (USA) and the Shanghai Conservatory of Music Middle School in China. 4.45 pm Sir, in conclusion, let me reiterate that MICA is committed to nurturing our talent and ensuring the sustainability and vibrancy of our cultural landscape. We will work closely with the arts community, the private and people sectors in the upcoming Arts and Culture Strategic Review. This will prepare Singapore to make that quantum leap towards the next phase of cultural development, and become a leading global city and endearing home for Singaporeans. New media literacy and cyber wellness”
“I agree with Ms Irene Ng that a holistic approach is necessary to promote the literary arts. This promotion must go hand-in-hand with a love for reading, a point that she also made very eloquently. We have regular story-telling sessions at the public libraries and outreach programmes like READ!Singapore and the 10,000 Fathers' Reading event. The new Literary Arts Plan will be a comprehensive plan to cultivate greater interest in literature among the young, promote literary arts as a key tool to strengthen creative expression, grow our pool of writers and develop a robust publishing industry. The NAC will invest in writers through differentiated and targeted capability programmes, grow intermediaries and distributors through suitable incentives and increase the profile of Singapore writers, publishers and literary works both nationally and internationally. Mr Arthur Fong, Mr Teo Ser Luck and Mr Zainudin Nordin have requested updates on our efforts to nurture young talents through the School of the Arts (SOTA). SOTA commenced the current academic year at its permanent campus at No.1 Zubir Said Drive, next to the Cathay Building. As they have pointed out, they now take in students from Years 1 to 4, a total of 586. SOTA is well received by both parents and students. Last year, 1,000 auditioned for 200 places in the annual intake. And admission at Secondary 1 is through the MOE Direct School Admission (DSA) process. We accept older individuals seeking to transfer from their secondary school into SOTA and they may do so after auditioning at the SOTA Talent Academy which is held every March and June. SOTA offers a six-year programme, comprising four years of school-based curriculum leading up to the International Baccalaureate (IB) in Years 5 and 6.”
“Moving forward, we are committed to further strengthen the opportunities available to our artists and arts groups to draw on our cultural and artistic traditions as well as leverage the power of the written word to create works that reflect our identity. This year, the NAC will launch the Traditional Arts Plan and the Literary Arts Plan. Both will see a doubling of annual Government investment over the next five years. For traditional arts, this will amount to $23 million. We will focus our efforts to professionalise traditional arts groups and artistes, support the development of quality content, and ensure that traditional arts are accessible to the community. To support this endeavour, we intend to designate the Telok Ayer Performing Arts Centre to have a greater focus on traditional arts. Let me now touch on the literary arts. Powerful, incisive language brings essential truths to life. It conveys depth of meaning, passion. It resonates, it spans time and cultures and it has the capacity to move the spirit and to stir the soul. And so a strong foundation in the literary arts be it in poetry, drama, essays, novels or prose, is a powerful tool for more creative expressions in our everyday lives. For example, it is a key ingredient whether we are telling a fascinating story, composing an appealing song or writing an interesting script. The Literary Arts Plan, with $24 million to support it, aims to develop writing talents to enrich our cultural scene and give voice to our national identity. The Singapore Writer's Festival, a key platform under this Plan, will become an annual event from 2011. And I will ask the champions of the Writer's Festival to consider carefully Ms Ng's suggestion for a more suitable name to better reflect its scope and objectives, going forward.”
“So it is not entirely possible, I think and I know Mr Calvin Cheng is not calling for that but we must be mindful that the influences come in many subtle ways and different ways, and we should work hard to strengthen our culture to promote it both at home and abroad. The Esplanade, mentioned earlier, does its part in this area. Its programming focus has been to cultivate interest in Asian culture through festivals such as Huayi (Chinese festival of Arts), the Pesta Raya (Malay) and the Kalaa Utsavam (Indian) so as to strengthen our communities' sense of cultural identity. In fact, the majority of performances presented by the Esplanade are by local groups. Of ticketed performances in FY2009, 321 or 68% were by our local groups and for non-ticketed performances, about 1,500 or 81% were by own local groups. The Esplanade knows that our cultural scene is enriched by a diverse mix of performances and artistes. It is increasingly a premium destination in Asia for world-class international acts as touring groups now ask to perform at the Esplanade. It also lends support to many local groups. For example, it collaborated with the Singapore Repertory Theatre to make possible their first large-scale work with the Royal Shakespeare Company's "King Lear" and "The Seagull" in 2007, followed by The Bridge Project – "The Winter's Tale" in 2009. And the latest in this series is "The Tempest" which will open in April. This initiative by the Esplanade, which has to be exercised judiciously, will help local companies shoulder the risks of presenting large international productions and give them valuable exposure to international presentation standards and expertise.”
“He is right to say that we need to strike a balance and we have to send the right signals. At this stage, I believe we can be quietly confident of our cultural identity. Singapore's place in history and in the future at the heart of a thriving Asia has always been as a confluence between East and West, multi-cultural in its makeup and cosmopolitan in its outlook. As we take steps to strengthen our position as a global city, it is wise not to be too inward-looking. Our doors are open; we welcome the rest of the world as we hope that our artists, designers, models, filmmakers and others will be welcomed overseas. Singapore has a thriving publishing industry – I mentioned it in my earlier reply – about 8,000 titles both locally and imported ones. And these magazines have an international audience. As long as they do not breach the content standards set by MDA, it is best to let editorial judgment and business considerations determine how publications best cater to the tastes of their readers. As for the presence of more local faces at fashion shows, events like the Singapore Fashion Week are international in outlook and draw buyers from around the world. While we can encourage them to engage more local models, the international nature of the show would make it impractical that we determine a specific ratio. The truth is that we are exposed to a significant amount of western influence – books, movies, TV programmes, theatre productions, etc. Our own Singapore Idol show is more well-received and more watched locally compared to the American Idol programme. And so we have own faces but even then they sing western songs.”
“Among the many highlights, the 2010 Festival will feature new interpretations of seminal works by Singaporeans over the years. This will strengthen our artistic heritage and cultivate a new generation of art lovers. In particular, I should mention that Margaret Chan in Stella Kon's Emily of Emerald Hill is so far taking the lead in terms of advance ticket sales. About 50% of the tickets have already been sold. We exploit the possibility of putting on more performances but because it is a mono-drama of one-and-a-half hours, it is not easy for her to do so. But, it shows that there is a desire for us to re-visit these seminal works as well as for us to create new works that one day will also find the same resonance with our people. And this, indeed, is what the NAC and the Singapore Arts Festival will hope to do in the years to come. In the field of media, the MDA promotes and supports made-by-Singapore productions through collaborations with international agencies and broadcasters. The quality of our made-in and made-by Singapore content is evidenced by its success in engaging and entertaining audiences. I mentioned "Dinosaur Train" earlier – it is now the number one show on PBS Kids in the US. Even before the cameras started rolling, our Young Artist Award winner Boo Junfeng's feature film "Sandcastle" was signed by Fortissimo Films, a global distribution leader that helped Wong Kar-Wai to become the renowned Asian filmmaker he is today. Increasingly, our media talents are recognised both at home and abroad. Mr Calvin Cheng highlighted the important role that the print and broadcast media play in shaping our cultural identity. I do agree with him. But he also expressed concern over the excessive use of Caucasian models in our magazines and fashion shows.”
“And we urge more Singaporeans to come forward to do so. Mr Calvin Cheng, Ms Audrey Wong and Mr Ong Seh Hong have spoken on our cultural development and its part in building up Singapore's national identity. The two are symbiotic. A nation's culture and its expression through the arts and other creative fields help shape its sense of identity and its distinctiveness. Ms Wong also asked the Government to do more in developing and furthering the appreciation of local content and expressed that this requires a more pervasive approach across multiple platforms. We do this by commissioning and featuring local creators and content at domestic and international platforms. International platforms are important because they spur our artists to higher standards. They build our reputation as a global arts city. For example, visual artist Ming Wong received a Special Mention award at the 53rd Venice Biennale. At the invitation of the Edinburgh Festival 2009, the Singapore Showcase, which featured many of our artists including Mr Edwin Thumboo, as mentioned by Ms Irene Ng, and a number of our arts groups, was favourably received and I think was well reported on. Our next Showcase will be in Paris in October 2010 and it will be anchored by the Peranakan exhibition at Musee du quai Branly. While our museums have begun to lend artifacts and export exhibitions in recent years, this exhibition is the first at a major western museum, showcasing the Peranakan culture of Singapore to the French audience. Building on the success of the Singapore Arts Festival 2009, we will present the 2010 Singapore Arts Festival as a "People and Creation Festival", to bring focus to the Festival as a platform for more local talents to develop and showcase new works.”
“Building connections, integrating new residents in our midst and fostering cultural understanding between different communities will widen the common space for all and help to strengthen our Singapore identity. 4.30 pm Another example is the annual Singapore Heritage Festival that is organised by NHB to celebrate our nation's rich multicultural heritage. It draws Singaporeans from all walks of life, certainly including new citizens. And many have been forthcoming with their support. But better than that, it provides opportunities for new citizens to join long-time residents in performing at the various hubs, and helping out at the many exhibitions and activities organised as part of the festival. As part of MICA's effort to broaden and deepen community engagement in the appreciation of the arts and culture, I am pleased to announce that beginning in June 2010, citizen and PR students will enjoy free entry to permanent exhibitions as well as discounted rates for special exhibitions in the museums under NHB. We hope that, as is the example in other countries, this will inculcate an early appreciation for heritage and make the museums more accessible to the young. Ultimately, one tangible outcome of our various outreach efforts is a more engaged community. In an engaged community, individuals and organisations will seek ways to come forward to get involved, to volunteer, to contribute. To help drive MICA's efforts in this regard, the Arts and Cultural Development Office recently launched "give2arts.sg", a cultural philanthropy portal that makes it convenient for the public to lend support to arts and culture through donations, big and small, and, in particular, for Singaporeans to volunteer in support of a range of arts and cultural programmes.”
“We know through anecdotal accounts that some of these new migrants are already involving themselves in these arts and cultural activities at the grassroots level. NAC will continue to work with community partners to generate more opportunities for increased community participation and integration. This Arts for All programme that was launched in 2008 has so far reached out to more than 200,000 participants, many of them first-timers, through more than 400 activities. I understand that drumming and ceramic workshops alone attracted 800 senior citizens. Such interactive activities help also to bring artists to the community, allowing the community on the ground a chance to appreciate their works. And so for 2010, we are continuing with this programme and some 20 arts programmes have already been planned. Our outreach to the youths is equally important and it is through avenues like Noise Singapore, which is a platform to showcase young talents. Because Noise Singapore is also a partner of Singapore 2010 Youth Olympics Games, our youths are excited to have the chance to be seen and heard by an international audience come August. Heritage institutions are yet another avenue where we reach out to local communities and connect with new migrants and residents to facilitate their integration into Singapore society. Institutions like the Malay Heritage Centre, the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall and the upcoming Indian Heritage Centre are important. They help showcase and promote understanding of Singapore's diverse multi-cultural heritage and present Singapore's cultural and historical links to the wider region.”
“Such new cultures, arts and traditions add colour and vibrancy to our society and help Singapore become a distinctive global city. Over the years, some of these migrants who are arts practitioners have integrated with the local community and enriched our local arts scene with their experience and expertise. Brian Seward is one example – he is the Founding Member and Artistic Director of I Theatre Ltd. Liu Bin is another one – he is the composer and director of Liu Bin Cultural Arts. Seward came to Singapore, I think, about 15 years ago, he used to be Head Drama Examiner of the schools in the UK, and he has been in Singapore over the last 15 years teaching drama, writing, directing. He puts together family-oriented plays that are very well received, about three to four plays each year, and he is someone who certainly has enriched the cultural scene in Singapore. Liu Bin is a graduate of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. He has been in Singapore for more than 18 years already and is currently the conductor of many of the orchestras in our schools. The NAC plays an active role in promoting social cohesion, strengthening community bonds and mutual understanding of diverse cultures through the arts. Under the NAC's Arts for All programme, examples include the Arts Community Tours, which is a touring programme which brings performances and exhibitions to the various constituencies. It also puts together the District Arts Festivals, which is a collaboration between People's Association (PA), Community Development Councils (CDCs) and NAC, and this creates opportunities for interaction between communities and are showcases, on the ground, for a variety of artistic talents.”
“NAC will build on these initial efforts and work closely with partners like the WDA, arts organisations and educational institutions to provide more opportunities for continuous professional development across the arts sector. Ms Wong is right that the sustainability of this sector requires an ecosystem, not only of artists and arts groups, education institutes and researchers, but also for-profit arts companies. These for-profit arts companies play an important role in the long-term sustainability of the sector and contribute much to other economic sectors, such as tourism, entertainment and hospitality. I will speak on the role of the Esplanade a little bit later in the reply. But just to continue with this for-profit organisations, they help provide diverse career opportunities and facilitate skills transfer between the non-profit and for-profit sectors. It is therefore important that we have an environment that is conducive to the growth of these companies. To this end, the recent tax initiative by the Finance Minister to reduce Withholding Tax will help and NAC will work with the Economic Development Board through the City Alive! initiative to better cultivate such companies and to facilitate linkages between the non-profit and for-profit sectors. Let me move on to to speak about community engagement. Dr Ong Seh Hong commented that new migrants bring with them diverse and colourful cultures, arts and traditions, that we need to remain open, that we need to have the principle of including them even as we open our doors, and that is the right thing to do because they can contribute, as he has said, significantly toward building a culturally vibrant and engaged Singapore.”
“The NAC launched the Arts Creation Fund in 2008 to encourage artists to forge new artistic frontiers, to engage in experimentation and risk-taking without excessive financial pressures. To date, some 20 projects by established but also young, emerging artists and writers have been supported. The NAC has invested heavily in capability development and training. In 2009, grants increased from $1.5 million to $2.5 million. Eighty-three recipients in 2009 benefited from $1.6 million worth of local and overseas scholarships and bursaries, including post-graduate scholarships for continual education and training. There are also other programmes, such as the International Arts Residency scheme where our artists can hone their craft at the prestigious Künstlerhaus Bethanien in Berlin and the Parisian theatre school, Ecole Phillippe Gaulier, amongst others. Many past beneficiaries of these schemes – Lee Huei Min, Noorlinah Mohamed, Donna Ong and Brian Gothong Tan – have gone on to make valuable contributions and continue to do so to the Singapore arts scene. Overall, these schemes have been important in developing thought leadership, some research talent, capabilities for discourse and criticism, and raised the overall quality and professionalism of practitioners and those in supporting industries. We also need to make sure that we have sufficient capacity in the technical and managerial spheres. To meet the need for professional arts managers, NAC partnered the Workforce Development Agency (WDA) on the Professional Conversion Programme for arts managers in the middle of 2009.”
“It will also identify concrete strategies to mould distinctive peaks of excellence that would differentiate and distinguish Singapore as a global city and chart comprehensive talent development pathways that could nurture the creative capacity of people at all levels, from casual practitioners to star talents. Let me, first, thank Ms Audrey Wong for her thoughtful comments and suggestions as to what more MICA can do to nurture and grow our artists and arts groups. I will try to address some of her points here. I think over the years, we have grown a base of established and up and coming artists and arts groups. A number have started to gain international repute, some of them with the support of National Arts Council (NAC). Going forward, the NAC will refine its current support schemes to develop a suite of capability development tools that will be more targeted to the varying needs of artists and arts groups according to their stages of development. But we also need to look beyond the individual artists and the individual art groups to see how we can groom organisations, like professional and industry associations, and what roles these can play in developing and professionalising the sector through research, through training and collaboration, because I think it is extremely difficult for some of these groups and individuals who are already so busy on a day-to-day basis to put time aside to look at research, to look at how they can collaborate and build capacity across the industry. Ms Wong spoke about talent development and allowing room for experimenting and risk-taking. I agree with her.”
“And the number of Singaporeans who are learning or taking up an arts activity in their personal time or volunteering their support for the arts has doubled from just one in 10 in 2005 to two in 10 in 2009. Sir, from time to time, a thorough re-evaluation of our strategies is useful as we aim for the next quantum leap to distinguish our arts and culture from that of other emerging global cities. With this purpose in mind, MICA, together with our partners from the private and people sectors, will embark on a major arts and culture strategic review for Singapore's cultural development. Our overall goal is for twice as many Singaporeans, from 40% to 80%, to attend and benefit from at least an arts and cultural event per year by 2025. We also want to encourage participation by Singaporeans in the arts from the current 20% to 50% over the same timeframe, and this will include learning or taking up an arts activity in their personal time or volunteering their time and their talents in support of the arts. The main focus of this strategic review will not be on major infrastructural development although there is still some work to be done in this area. Rather, the Steering Committee will take the broad recommendations outlined in the Economic Strategies Committee report, crystallise concrete strategies and propose major initiatives to realise the vision. For example, it will recommend the place making efforts necessary to develop socially and economically vibrant cultural precincts.”
“New and upgraded museums, the Esplanade and the new library, are among the most tangible outcomes of that study, but it is more than that. It has helped us better appreciate the importance of the arts and culture, to broaden our minds and deepen our sensitivities, to improve our overall quality of life, to contribute to a more culturally vibrant and gracious society and to strengthen our social bonds and emotional rootedness. Over the years, we have initiated a number of plans to bring to life the vision of the ACCA. More recently, these were encapsulated under the series of Renaissance City Plans (RCP) from the year 2000. Its key strategies were directed towards the focused areas of developing distinctive content, shaping a dynamic ecosystem and growing an engaged community. The RCP contributions were felt beyond our society as it also sought to internationalise our arts and cultural activities and to explore arts business as a new growth opportunity. The RCP was supported by a number of initiatives like the Heritage Industry Incentive Programme, the Arts for All Community Engagement Plan and the Arts Creation Fund to grow Singapore's trove of high quality, distinctive, artistic content. All these efforts have contributed to the development and increased vibrancy of our arts and cultural sector. Today, we have a daily average of 80 arts and culture related activities, 2.5 million visitors to our national museums and 1.5 million ticketed attendance at arts events annually. The number of Singaporeans attending at least one arts event a year has increased from one in three in 2005 to two in five in 2009.”
“Members who have spoken for their strong support in the development of the arts and culture in Singapore, and because the Minister for Finance has just come in, I also want to thank Members who have spoken very loudly that MICA should be given greater financial support [Laughter ]. Thank you very much. In reponding to the Members, I want to eleborate on how arts and culture has and can enhance Singapore's liveability and contribute to our vision for Singapore to be an endearing home and leading global city in the heart of Asia. To become a leading global city, we need to move beyond our established strengths and economic development, governance and infrastructure. One area where we need to further improve on, when compared to the top tier of global cities, is in the arts and culture sector. To this end, the Economic Strategies Committee have recommended that we make significant investments to better our cultural landscape, especially in the software aspects. Mr Chairman, MICA will focus on three areas in 2010. First, we will conduct a strategic review in the development of the arts and culture. Second, we will invest more in distinctive content creation and capability development, particularly in the traditional and literary arts. And, third, we will broaden and deepen community engagement. The seminal work of the Advisory Council on the Arts and Culture (ACCA) in 1989, led by then Deputy Prime Minister Ong Teng Cheong, mapped out the blueprint for the development of the sector. It made a number of key recommendations – improvement in organisational structures to the education system, to infrastructure and facilities as well as greater promotional efforts for the arts and culture.”
“Sir, I am pleased to read how well SOTA is doing. The school started with its pioneer batch in 2008 with 139 students and it has grown to 586. Feedback that I get from parents and students who enrolled in SOTA are that they are seeing less of their children, less of their kids. This is not because of the workload that is keeping the students back in school. It is because of the intense passion from both the students and the instructors that provide that "mojo" or motivation that keeps them back in school for longer hours. Sir, there is a waiting time to get into the school and some have likened it to a queue for a flat. For the 200 places for the first year, a thousand students auditioned for it. I understand that it is not the intention of SOTA to be like a machine to churn out professional artistes. Perhaps only about 2%-3% of the cohort will go on to be professionals in their chosen art form. The other students will continue their education journey in universities or polytechnic, with a strong base in the arts. I would like to ask MICA the following: what is SOTA's progress towards preparing the majority of the students via the choices of classes for the IB Diploma? Can the Minister also tell us or elaborate on the pathway of the SOTA graduates in regard to how they can further their training and their studies? Is SOTA tying up with NUS or NTU to have degree courses to allow the students to draw on the arts training base that they have gained at SOTA? This would go far towards adding to the professional base for the arts industry. Would SOTA also consider taking in mature students who otherwise would have missed the opportunity of attending the arts school? 4.15 pm RAdm [NS] Lui Tuck Yew: Mr Chairman, I thank hon.”
“It is a commercial decision and commercial operators get in to recoup their investments with a view to generate profit. Consumers may end up paying more. Because of the amount that SingTel had paid for the right to telecast, this is the unwitting effect of FIFA asking Singapore Football fans to pay more to be able to watch football World Cup 2010 from Africa "live". What can MICA do to ensure the local consumers are not held to ransom with the monopolising of the rights to telecast?”
“Sir, lovers and fans of football were greatly boosted with the broadcast of football matches telecast "live" from all over the world, unlike the times during most of our school days, where only a few high profile matches had "live" telecast. I recall one such football season where my classmates would come to school looking glum and brooded throughout the day because his favourite football team had lost, such is the fervour of football fans. The "live" telecast of football matches in general and in particular matches from the English Barclay's Premiere League, games upbig business. Many entertainment outlets from private clubs to sports bars and right down to the neighbourhood kopitiam showing the games "live". If they do not, they stand to lose business to their immediate neighbour who does. This probably explains why SingTel will fork out $40 million in the successful bid wresting the rights to broadcast the games "live" from StarHub. However, even though the changing of hands of the right to broadcast would only take place in the season 2010 and 2011, it is causing a great deal of anxiety, grief and worry. Football fans in Singapore were dismayed, to put it mildly, last year, when they were unable to view Live European Club Championship or commonly known as the Champions' League. But they were able to continue with their English Premiere League games. Come next season, they would have to change their contracts and deal with the unfamiliar setups, bringing grief to many. Well, football fans will, nonetheless, put up with it. It is big business and interest at stake. SingTel has paid big money to wrestle the rights from StarHub. Although in the initial period, football fans have not lost out the possibility of paying more in future is not guaranteed.”
“Madam, Members of this House have debated many times and spoken of the menace and disruptions caused by illegal moneylenders and their runners affecting their constituents. It is a topic of interest and a menace we seek to rid of for many years, even more so, after we have passed several laws, made amendments and increased the penalties. The problem still persists, only to see the loan sharks changing their methods of intimidation. It would also appear that loan sharks and their runners are able to keep steps ahead of our law enforcement. The case that my colleague, Dr Ong Seh Hong, mentioned about a young man in Hong Kong is indeed a real concern and it can very well happen here in Singapore. Loan sharking activities in Hong Kong and its nearby casino-filled island of Macau have many lessons that we can draw on. Loan sharking activities are like chameleons – changing its colour to suit the environment. In this case, the loan sharks are the predators changing their methods constantly. We have, with good success, dealt with and curbed the Chinese secret societies, even though it was steeped in Singapore's history. Our war on drug abuse and traffickers have earned us high distinction with drug enforcement agencies around the world. We look to similar success in dealing with loan sharks and seek the Home Affairs Ministry's assessment of what their strategies are as well as how to send a strong and definitive signal to loan sharks after the recent amendments.”
“Madam, with the Marina Sands announcing its opening date in April this year, we will be expecting tourist arrivals to increase. Singapore is a declared target of regional terrorist groups. They will relish at any opportunity to strike and make a statement of their intent. We have so far been able to keep our island State safe and also for our visitors. We have done well in maintaining security necessary for high profile visitors who came here for the world meetings, including Presidents during the recent APEC. With the addition of these two iconic tourist attractions, we now have two vital spots where terrorists can attack. Like key installations, are the operators and the Home Team ready to make these two facilities hard targets? Can the Minister assure us that there are adequate resources allocated to tackle the crime and terrorist threats at these locations? Casino and social menace”
“Mdm Chairman, Singapore revolutionised our tourism landscape when we open the casinos in each of the two Integrated Resorts. Unfortunately, the image I have of the resort is that from a picture published on the front page of the Straits Times is that of queues and guests lying on the floor waiting to get in. This is far from the glamour associated with casinos rolling out red carpets and glitzy decor to entice people to try their luck at the tables or simply to enjoy top-rate entertainment by various artistes. Many people have since thronged the island of Sentosa. On the first day of its opening, it was reported that close to 80,000 people turned up at the door of Resorts World. Madam, I declare that I have not been to Resorts World yet. I have no idea of the size of the crowd but take it from what was reported in the media that the number must be big. The crowds are a mix of locals, foreign workers as well as a good number of tourists. It is a lightning rod for accidents waiting to happen. To date, the debate in the House and our focus have been on regulating casino management and the possibly related undesirable activities. We have the Casino Regulatory Authority (CRA)watching over the management to make sure they fall in line with the Casino Regulation Act. There is also the Casino Crime Investigation Branch (CCIB) as the enforcer fighting casino crimes. Collectively, there are about 300 staff. With the number of visitors to Resorts World at over 50,000, the dedicated manpower towards safety and security must be strained. I would assume that the CRA and the CCIB are mainly dealing with regulatory and gambling-related crimes respectively. We cannot expect them to police other areas.”
“Mdm Chairman, in less than 15 months, India has experienced the Orissa cyclone, the water scarcity in Gujarat, the floods in Bihar, West Bengal, the massive earthquake in Gujarat as well as the terrorist attack in Mumbai. In China, there was the devastating Sichuan earthquake and also recently the tsunami in Asia. We in Singapore are thankful that we are not situated geographically in an area where it is prone to such natural disasters. But, Madam, the downside is that we could be lulled into a false sense of security, making us indifferent to the need to be prepared for any unintended crisis. Throughout history, the scene of official paralysis is often a cause for unnecessary loss of lives and property. Although Singaporeans are confident that this will not happen here, we must nevertheless be on guard lest our reputation of having an efficient and effective public machinery will be tarnished if we are unprepared for such disasters, however remote it may be. The city of New Orleans is still paying the price for being unprepared when it was hit by the hurricane. Their problems were made worse when the Federal Government were caught off guard. Singapore being a small island State, our economy and our livelihood heavily dependent on tourism industry and services and being tensely populated, a terrorist attack or a serious industrial accident can set us back. I look to hear from the Home Affairs Minister on updating the House on the progress of our effort by enhancing crisis preparedness amongst our people and how our Home Team have kept up in this area.”
“Madam, may I take both cuts together? 6.15 pm”
“We should be single-minded, committed to spend our energies to ensure that Singapore becomes an attractive city for the talent, be it Singaporeans or foreigners. The outcome must be that we need to acknowledge the fact that as we push towards increasing our productivity –”
“It is a difficult balance that we need to achieve, that is, to explain our position and the reasons for recalibrating policies on foreign workers and PRs, and that of acknowledging the concerns of our people. The fact is these very foreigner workers often bear the brunt of job cuts when economic times are hard and are easy punching bags when the economy experiences a downturn. The PRs are blamed when property prices increase, when service standards drop and when our children fail to get to the school of their choice. In some schools, parents have commented that foreign scholars edge our children out in the academic race. This recalibration of policies requires a delicate response as both groups can be emotionally charged by the changes or the lack of it. There are many knock-on effects on the social fabric while we recalibrate. Sometimes, both groups, that is a PR and a Singaporean, are in the same household. The Singaporean wife of a PR expressed to me that we are an ungrateful lot and ignore the contributions that the close to one million foreigners make. I can only imagine the kind of angst, conflict and the doubt that the couple faced. Ironically, in an advance society like ours, inter-racial and inter-religious marriages have fewer issues than the one faced by a couple of whom one is a citizen and the other is a PR. I know it is difficult for a government as decisions must be made by the couple themselves. But with the changes, it will mean tougher choices for them. I only hope that their decision will not be less beneficial for Singapore. We have to assure both Singaporeans and foreigners alike that our Government is not wavering on our policy.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, in recent years there has been a visible increase in the number of foreign immigrants in our midst. At last count there are close to one million foreign immigrants, including foreign workers here on Work Permits, S-Passes, Employment Passes as well as Permanent Residents. Some have become citizens, others are keen to apply to be Permanent Residents and some will not. All said, their increased numbers have added much diversity to Singapore as most Singaporeans will agree. However, there are segments of Singaporeans who lament that the uniquely Singapore way of life has taken a new phase, especially in the heartlands. Heartlanders have complained that the environment is dirtier than before and blamed this on newly arrived foreigners. Although there is anecdotal evidence that some incidents have been attributed to foreigners, largely our fellow countrymen do still have habits that are anti-social. It boils down to each resident taking ownership of our living environment but that is another debate altogether. The Town Councils and HDB Branch Offices have been working hard to educate all residents and we have seen some improvement but we have a long way to go. Sir, we cannot afford to be xenophobic. We cannot let a "them and us" attitude to permeate. With the challenges that we have identified and debated on earlier and the slew of strategies to execute, we need all Singaporeans to be in concert. We cannot have a polarised society. Sir, the Government needs to explain its position and its stance towards the foreigners, either here as foreign workers or PRs.”
“Madam, this Budget is not a bland and uninteresting one. It exposes the vulnerabilities that every Singaporean and PR face. How able are we to stoke up, rev up, our workforce to tune in to this productivity work-life is the indication of what kind of life and future we will have in the 10 years and beyond. I call on the Government to work on articulating better the objectives of the Budget and how vulnerable our economy and, hence, our livelihood and to those of our next generation. Madam, I support the Budget. 6.44 pm”
“Madam, as Finance Minister has said, this is a phase shift, a transformational step up the value chain. I am interested to know, aside from all the incentives and the perks given out to private and public actuators to create this productivity lifestyle, how can people be moved into this? For reasons that I have mentioned above, those who say this is a bland Budget, I would say this is a wake-up call. My concern, Madam, is that the ship is hard to turn not because the seas have become rough but the ease that we have become accustomed to moving with the current has made it tougher. The issues about foreign and local workforce have been debated by speakers before me but I have this to add: in a slew of incentives to employers to increase productivity, there are businesses with jobs that require foreign workers, notwithstanding the increase in foreign worker levy to be phased in. Why? We have been successful in upskilling and raising the education of our people. Kudos to the Government. We have been quite successful in giving people a good way of life, even low-wage workers and no-wage persons have no interest in doing these jobs simply because they think it is beneath them, too tough or other valid reasons. Union Chief, Mr Lim Swee Say, had assured the House that there will be no intention of sending foreign workers home and employers will continue to have these workers, but at a higher cost with the phase in of the increased levies. Will the businesses have other jobs or areas that productivity gains, drawing from the Budget incentives or assistance, to offset the costs that are imminent? If not, I hope these businesses will not shift out or close down altogether. That might leave a carnage of SMEs depending on these businesses a tougher time.”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, this Budget has been called many things from progressive and, in the same breath, mildly uninteresting and lacking the impact for individuals that some were hoping for. Colleagues at work have asked me: where are the goodies? But make no mistake, it is a Budget that we need to support if we are to weather the next phase of our economic development. This Budget is about jobs, it is about a livelihood, it is about our future and that of our next generation. We have to start addressing that today. It is about sustainable development. No, I am not going to talk about the green environment. I am actually referring to how we can sustain and grow our economic development that we have achieved. How can we grow and stay relevant and plug in with the rest of the world? Jobs – we have not been thinking about jobs for a long time. What do I mean? We have not been thinking about how we do our jobs. What can we do about our jobs or what can be done with our jobs? Mr Lim Swee Say talked about job redesign and job enrichment and various programmes, and it has largely been very successful but that is a movement that has largely been top-down with partnership from employers. Have individuals thought much about it? Perhaps a few. The constituents and those who come to the MPS would probably not think much of being able to relate to the core of the productivity as well as how immediately it helps them and their families. How do we inspire to aspire to the objectives of this Budget? How do we create the change or, in Minister Tharman's word, "shift" in this workforce? And the change would be to leave enough momentum and occupy mind space for the next generation workforce for the decade.”
“Sir, I am happy with the inclusion of new section 28B (Offences involving minors below 16), and I join my fellow Members in applauding this. This has implications that include our efforts to reform wayward youth, our concern and care for youth at risks and the curbing of future serious crimes committed by such minors as they become more brazen by being involved as loanshark runners and activities like that of besetting residences. I am hopeful that this new section will reduce the pool of runners for the loansharks to prey on. I am also glad to hear that there will be a tightening of the Change of Residence Regime and this will definitely go some way in reducing the anguish and tension of residents, like the gentleman and others like him who came to my MPS. I support the amendments. 4.47 pm”
“We have been successful in our war on drug abuse by sending a clear and definitive signal as the types of drugs and tactics and modus operandi changed, our drug enforcement officers have kept ahead most of the time of the criminals and the addicts. I feel that if we let unlicensed moneylenders and loanshark runners staring up the barrel with minimum punishments, I am certain that we can alleviate this increasing problem. Loansharking and thuggery goes hand in hand. The thuggish behaviour of loansharks in trying to recover their monies exists not just in the movies. In some instances, the thuggish acts of loanshark runners are not confined to just those of their debtors. Many times, the harassment acts include defacing public properties such as lamp-posts and common walls of HDB flats. This is an affront to law and order and brings to the community a feeling of being under siege. We must show that there is zero tolerance for hooliganism, thuggishness and gangsterism. Have we sent a strong enough signal with this amendment? Sir, I think we can. Let us not miss the opportunity to give the innocent parties a chance for some relief and a message to all unlicensed moneylenders and would-be illegal lenders and their runners. As early as 1993 when Prof. Jayakumar moved an amendment to the Moneylenders Act, the then Commissioner of Police had also signalled the intent of the authorities that such illegal acts of vandalism and harassment will not be tolerated. In fact, Prof. Jayakumar informed the House that while the amendment to this Act was in process, the Police had told him that there was already a dampening effect on the scourge of illegal moneylending harassments.”
“While I appreciate that monitoring because of operation reasons has to have a low signature, I think the victims and households could be kept informed of what the Police are doing. My Town Council and property managers and contract workers as well as HDB would join the residents in welcoming the amendments. Mr Speaker, Sir, I think as significant as the changes are welcome, I am not certain that it will leave an indelible mark (pun intended) here, and definitely not a strong enough signal to loansharks and particularly the loanshark runners. I urge the Minister to consider a stiffer penalty than those proposed, specifically on section 14(1), the revised penalty for first time offenders, who are unlicensed moneylenders, is a mandatory imprisonment term of not exceeding four years and an optional caning of not exceeding six strokes. I would like to urge the Minister to consider invoking a minimum imprisonment term of two years not exceeding four years, and a mandatory caning of two strokes not exceeding six strokes. For repeat offenders, to invoke a minimum imprisonment of three years, not exceeding seven years, a mandatory caning of three strokes not exceeding 12. On section 28(1) and (2), harassing borrower, besetting his residence, etc, the revised penalty of mandatory imprisonment not exceeding five years for first offenders, I would like to urge the Minister to consider invoking a minimum imprisonment of three years not exceeding five years, and a minimum caning of two strokes, whether there is property damage or a person is hurt. For repeat offenders, to invoke a minimum imprisonment term of four years not exceeding nine years.”
“On another visit to the block, another frustrated family related how the loanshark runners had splashed paint through the open front door of their flat narrowly missing their young child's eyes as he sat in the living room watching the television. Apparently, the family and the loanshark runners know that the unit that was borrowing was actually five floors above their targeted unit, and that the borrowers had moved five years ago. Sir, at the recent MPS, an exasperated uncle was in tears when he came to seek to appeal to the authorities who have in custody of his nephew to require his nephew to change his address. You see, his nephew whom he only sees on and off for about the last 10 years, has been borrowing from loansharks and the debts squats have been harassing and other family members, damaging property most of the time. His neighbours were empathetic but their empathy and understanding have worn thin and his once friendly neighbourhood of 20 years has now evolved into a tense environment for the last few years. This is a move that has been anxiously awaited for, and will go a long way towards alleviating the suffering of those who have become victims of loansharking activities. I would have opened my speech with the reference to a timely and necessary amendment but left out timely in the opening. The amendments are significant and I am sure my colleagues and families who are being harassed will applaud the changes introduced. I would say that although the amendments have come a little late for some of the families I have cited earlier, late is better than later. I am also happy to hear from the Senior Minister of State that the Police are actively monitoring the situation.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for allowing me to speak in support of the Bill. The amendment to the Moneylenders Bill is necessary to check the growth of illegal moneylenders and the associated activities that have affected many innocent parties. These activities cannot be left unchallenged as they are significant ill-effects on the society and the law and order of the country. Sir, many Members of the House had, over the last few years, cited experiences of residents in their wards, we just heard of a few today. Innocent parties, like older folks and young child who are at home in the day, bear the brunt of the loanshark runners when their homes are beset. MHA reported that harassment activities has surged from 4,759 in the first half of 2008, to 9,395 for the same period in 2009. This is so even after the introduction of stiffer penalties and invoking the Criminal Law (Temporary Provision) Act in 2005. What is worrying as MHA had pointed out is the evolving tactics that have terrorised many heartland families. A family in my division sold their flats after two years because of persistent harassments from loanshark runners. They moved in with their in-laws within the constituency to facilitate their children's schooling. They are unable to afford to purchase another flat in the area as the prices have moved up over the last few years. The loanshark harassments have indeed affected the family in many ways beyond terrifying the young and the old, but have also set the family back financially. They have used up one bite of the HDB loan cherry, they have to contend with resale levies and to have their growing children cramp into their in-laws' flat.”
“In fact, I think the Esplanade was telling me that particularly so when they run programmes for school children, that up to about 30%-40% of those participating would be going to the Esplanade for the very first time and, in a sense, therefore, these programmes are very beneficial in providing a foretaste of how exciting and how innovative the arts can be and how it can contribute to the curriculum for a school-going child.”
“Mr Speaker, three supplementary questions. Firstly, could the Minister dimension the loss in the corporate sponsorship so that the House can understand how much was that? Secondly, with the F1 in the second year held in and around the area, were there any positive contributions to the Esplanade's activities, or negative effects on the Esplanade's operations or events? And, thirdly, on the increase of attendance from 900,000 to 1.7 million, what is the profile of this increased attendance, the demographics and the people who are attending the events? RAdm [NS] Lui Tuck Yew: Thank you to the Member for the supplementary questions. I do not have the specifics on the loss in corporate sponsorship but I would actually take this as a blip for the past year in part because the sponsorship growth over the years had been strong. And in the case of the Singapore Arts Festival for this particular year, we actually saw an increase in the number of sponsors as well as the amount of sponsorship. So, it is really hard to categorise it as whether this would be a trend for the future but you can be assured that the Esplanade is working very hard to cultivate the sponsors as well as to encourage them to increase the amount of sponsorship. On the F1, obviously, I think with some of the road closures, it has impeded the activities in the Esplanade somewhat but I think for this particular year, compared to the inaugural F1 last year, the arrangements went far better and the inconveniences posed both to the retailers as well as to people attending the shows were far less. On the increase in attendance, we have actually been very encouraged that a good number of these people who have come forward are doing so for the first time.”
“Most of these students who had left for home had been utterly disappointed and the word of mouth will naturally sully our Singapore Brand and hurt the education hub strategy. The other is the healthcare hub where feedback from foreign patients have begun to surface on the costs and the value of our services compared to other emerging medical centres in the region. Sir, the economic challenges facing us are indeed serious. We have faced some daunting ones in the past and as sure as this crisis will pass, another will surely come our way. A look around us have shown success stories in developing new infrastructures along with such strategies. The Esplanade, the Asian Civilisations Museum, the Singapore Flyer, the F1 Street Circuit, the upcoming Integrated Resorts, our transport system are all results of our various strategies tackling arts development, tourism, job creation and a standard of living for all. But, Sir, our success is not measured by these things. Ultimately, it is the people, the grace, the humility, the civility, the "live and let live" attitude and the magnanimity of our people that will define who we are and how successful we see ourselves. Are we gracious, how do we react when we receive grace, are we arrogant, are we intolerant, are we narrow minded, do we have small hearts? Let us include the goodness in our people in the Singapore Brand. Sir, I support the motion to thank the President for his Address. 2.25 pm”
“We need to see around corners faster than before, we need to be even keener and earlier in adopting of new concepts and ideas. We need to be able to be better in learning on the fly. Just like what "telemetry" does in Formula One teams. The drivers are able to communicate and send data from the car to the pit, and vice versa, to adjust the car's handling and responses as the race progresses. This is important as fuel loads, road and tire conditions constantly change. In many cases, each race is planned with the next race in mind. This is what we have to do. I look forward to the ESC's work and recommendations. Sir, while we continue to build and draw from the advantages of the Singapore Brand, we must guard the branding from being blemished. Sir, the education system and the generous facilities offered in our schools have given us the envious position where parents in the region and even beyond send their children to. Our reputation has attracted 97,000 foreign students from 120 countries to study here in institutions run by private enterprises. Sir, an estimate of an average spending of $20,000 per student from the 97,000 students will give us $2 billion business. Not a small contribution at all to our economy. Only up until recently, did we try to ensure the quality of private education enterprises here. I call on the Government to pay special attention and assistance to these businesses. Perhaps, the Government can have a regulatory body hold accountable through guidelines and annual audits on the practices of such institutions, much like what MAS does with licensed banks. These incidents where foreign students lose their hard-earned money will taint our reputation in markets where it matters most.”
“The Singapore Brand and the confidence in our Government and officials has given motor sports fans all over the world the very first Formula One (F1) Night Race. How we handled SARS and how our continually evolving education system that other countries are looking to model after adds to our brand. Or, perhaps, because of our brand, we can make headway in these areas others find difficult to replicate or even to do. Sir, although we are a small island state, a little red dot of 700 square kilometers we have been able to punch above our weight. Global crisis or not, we have the resolve to continually think of, put forth and execute strategies not only for our continued survival but to flourish as a nation. The Prime Minister's announcement of the formation of the Economic Strategies Committee (ESC) shows that resolve and that capability. Singapore is playing in the big league. If I may draw an analogy like that of the English Premier League. In the English Premier League, whether a team stays on the top of the league goes beyond the £50 million associated with television rights that teams earn. Once out of the top league, English football teams struggle to attract and retain good players. It is vital, therefore, to attract good players and groom young players. We are no different in Singapore. We cannot afford to fall out of the top league. For Leeds United fans, they will tell you that one year of mismanagement and they are condemned in the lower leagues for years on end. To keep us in the big league, we have never shied away from exploring new avenues or new strategies, we have been early adopters and created test beds for ourselves in many areas. The response of the Government in forming the ESC to get us going is just the thing to do.”
“But, Sir, the speeches delivered in this House in the last few days gave me a sense of renewed hope and enthusiastic anticipation. Even Mr Low has given the Government a good report in agreeing with the quick, nimble and just response the Government had taken in tackling the crisis. There were novel and refreshing ideas from many Members. Indeed, there is much to do and there are identified gaps in the traffic so that they can pull ahead with. We can gain back some of the elbow room that we might have given up or that were stalled due to market forces that affected many of the strategies of the growth and bread and butter engine hubs that I have mentioned earlier. Sir, the crisis has illustrated vividly the vulnerabilities of our open economy to global events. Having said that, Sir, in our short history as a nation, we have indeed come very far. A success story that has brought Singapore fame and Singaporeans glory and admiration from people and governments from across the world. Being efficient, transparent, honest and dependable is what others say of our Government and of our officials. This is testimony to the Singapore Brand we have earned for ourselves. The air travellers' darling, SIA, is a benchmark for quality service not only for airlines but for many other industries. Our PSA, is contributing to our state coffers by managing ports in many locations. CapitaLand, is bringing the Raffles City Brand to China and the Middle East. We have enjoyed many years of success in what we set out to do. We have also learnt from the mistakes we have made. In this process, we have in the international arena secured the Singapore Brand.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, a short two or three years ago, our economy hummed along with all pistons firing. But the recent and still unfolding financial market turmoil and global economic situation have negated some of the elbow room advantages we had in certain areas vital to our economy. The education, medical, biotech, bioscience, logistics, air and shipping hubs, IT, financial centre strategies had been affected in some way or another. In my speech during the Budget debate in February, I spoke of the drastic changes in the market value of the world's five largest banks by market capitalisation. I remarked, "What a difference a year makes," when those banks lost a whopping US$630 billion in value over a 12-month period from January 2007 to 2008. Well, Sir, it is barely four months since and what a difference a quarter makes. The early part of the quarter was marked by more job losses, more negative numbers reported for corporations and anaemic economic numbers for the developed economies. The engines of the global economy seemed to be grinding to a halt. Demand was sucked out of the trade winds, businesses were drifting into the doldrums, deal flows ebbed for many institutions. Now, we are hearing of "green shoots among brown weeds" and the topic in many hallways and water-coolers are about the economy going on the mend. But most will agree that the jury is still out and it is still early to let our guard down. In closed quarter conversations, notwithstanding what my hon. colleague, Mr Sam Tan, had described of packed restaurants and malls, many are quietly grappling with the reality that this could be a long drawn and difficult time for the Singapore economy. The band seems to be taking a longer intermission and there is little else we can do.”
“Defence Minister Teo once said, our youth are "fitter, but less rugged". Perhaps, another reason could be that parents mollycoddle their children or even over indulge in them. A lot has to do with the home environment where domestic help take care of everything from packing the child's bag to clearing up after him. Since there is little we can do to improve his ruggedness at home, I would be interested to hear from MINDEF what can be done to enhance the ruggedness of our young people, especially in relation to their National Service training? Full-time National Serviceman”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, after the explanation from MINDEF on the rigorous medical tests that pre-enlistees have to undergo, I cannot help but wonder if our youth today are fitter but less rugged. Our youth today can avail themselves to more and better sporting facilities to enhance their fitness. This goes a long way to prepare them for National Service. But in spite of better sports amenities and the resources available in our school system, we have seen several young national servicemen dying from their National Service stint. Given our declining population base, every National Serviceman is an important national asset. Every National Serviceman lost, is a national tragedy. In Taiwan, there is a degrading term for "softee" youth called the "strawberry generation". They are so-called because like strawberries, the Taiwanese youth are thought to crush easily under pressure, so lacking in ruggedness. Do we have the same phenomenon here, in spite of all our physically fit young men having to go through the rigour of National Service? Post-National Service youth are definitely tougher. But the concern is with our pre-enlistment youth and how to add that quality of ruggedness to stand them in a better position to endure the toughness of National Service training. One of the reasons for the strawberry-like phenomenon, perhaps, could be because of the rise in obesity in our youth. About 10 years ago, the proportion of overweight youth was about 2.8 percent points of the total population. But last year, it has gone up to 3.6%. This may be a worrying trend. On the positive note, we do have a fitter younger generation compared to 10 years ago. In 1998, the percentage of youth passing the National Physical Fitness test (NAPFA) was 74% and the percentage has risen to 80% last year.”
“Defence expenditure is not only to develop but, more importantly, to maintain our defence capabilities. Once lost or diminished, who can say what it will take to recover and rebuild our armed forces in the aftermath of a security crisis? It is like turning on a television 20 years ago when it took a while for us to see a picture on the screen. Nowadays, when we turn on the television, it is solid state, it comes on – so also must be our defence force. It has to be at the solid state level where operational capabilities need to be on at the flick of a switch. I call on the Defence Minister to assure the House that our SAF's capabilities will not be compromised in any way, even as we are facing this rough patch in this global economic slowdown. I support MINDEF's attempts to maintain and enhance the capability of our SAF. We already have a cap of 6% of GDP and I think that should be maintained. The defence expenditure of 28% of the total budget is not only necessary but vital.”
“Sir, the financial and economic crises are creating new social and political stresses all around. Economists in our region are in difficulty and the prospect of more job losses seems inevitable. The fall in global consumption appears to be long term. It is likely to be aggravated when businesses react by decreasing or stopping investments in production capacity due to lower expectations of future sales, even if lower interest rates make capital inexpensive. Sir, the investment climate is usually predicated on optimism. In the current climate where optimism is low or dissipating, I fear the potential flashpoints for terrorism and security challenges that are ever present will be heightened. Any incident between displaced groups or countries teetering on collapse within the current crisis will cast us into a tailspin. The United States of America is spending US$100 billion annually in their campaign in Iraq. The financial meltdown is making American law-makers queasy about increasing defence spending. This will affect America's role as the protagonist in policing many troubled spots around the world. Our immediate security environment is also severely tested. There may be new flashpoints in the horizon brought on by the threat of terrorism or by the discontent of economically disadvantaged groups. Sir, I note that my colleague, Mdm Ho, in her speech on the Budget had called on the Government to relook at defence spending in these difficult times. But I beg to differ. I am of the opinion that, now more than ever, we must not shy away from investing in our defence force. Sir, we are celebrating the 25th year of Total Defence, and we have invested wisely to bring our SAF to where it is today.”
“Sir, the world has not seen a far-reaching economic downward spiral since the Great Depression. This financial pandemic is still wreaking havoc to many businesses and, in turn, making the outlook for many economies seem bleak. The Great Depression had many causes but it is noteworthy that the disparate wealth positions between countries contributed in some way to what instigated World War II. We are holding our breath to see the effectiveness of the Government's stimulus packages and the central bank policies elsewhere in the world. I believe there exists the potential for security risks between countries caused by the challenges posed by dire economic outcomes. Thus, I would like the Defence Minister's view on whether there are any potential challenges to our immediate security environment. In that eventuality, given Singapore's size, how and what are the measures we may adopt to deal with these challenges to the security environment in the current environment to the current situation? Finally, if and how is MINDEF working with our neighbours in the region to ensure that the concerns that will impact negatively the security environment around us will not impinge upon the already difficult economic and financial stresses already faced by many of these countries? Impact of Economic Crisis on our Security”
“It is also common to see them driving at speeds over 80 km per hour. If I may quote the President of the National Safety Council of Singapore: "Compared to an ordinary car, it's harder for a heavy vehicle to brake, as there will be greater momentum pushing forward." At that speed and with the load that they are carrying, when confronted with an emergency, they cannot brake in time. When involved in any accident, the outcome can only be fatal. So I urge the Home Team to increase enforcement to ensure and enhance the road safety of heavy vehicles for all our road users.”