Chandra Mohan K Nair
Singapore
“Therefore, in the case, for example, which he mentioned, if a person lends a vehicle to another person and there is no reason for him, having known that person and having carried out sufficient checks as to why he wants the vehicle, and he tells him a very plausible story to suspect that he would use it for some crime which makes the car…”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, whilst all these avenues are very commendable, I would still like to ask whether we could formalise by having a student form of Parliament. The perception in Singapore is that the youngsters may not be that actively involved in politics.”
“Sir, may I declare my interest in the matter. I am a Council Member of the National University of Singapore. I am also the Honorary Secretary of the National University of Singapore Society, the Guild House. I am also an old graduate from the Bukit Timah campus. With that, could I ask this question, Sir?”
“Therefore, in passing this Bill, I hope that the enforcement agencies will take note of the points that have been raised here. I would also like to add that I am involved in this Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act.”
“I believe that some of these countries do allow but there may be stumbling blocks by way of immigration and work permit or employment pass restrictions.”
“Lastly, Sir, are there facilities within the prison for work-related activities and facilities for studies for prisoners? We must do our level best to give these prisoners a second chance in life. Perhaps the Minister could give us an update of the new Changi Prison Complex.”
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“Sir, on the topic of professional support staff in Parliament, our Government departments are getting more professional. It would, therefore, be useful for us in Parliament if more professional support staff could be provided. For instance, more political science, legal, economics and accountancy graduates could be employed by Parliament to beef up what we currently have today. Also, it creates employment for our citizens. The Supreme Court Judiciary engages Law Clerks to assist the Judges in legal research and related matters. Perhaps, it is time that professional support staff were recruited to assist all Members of Parliament. I take it that Cabinet Ministers and Ministers of State do have great support from the Permanent Secretary and his colleagues in various Ministries, Attorney-General's Chambers, etc, and they do not need much help. I believe most of the responses to questions and comments that the Ministers give us as Members of Parliament must have been coming, to some extent if not to a large extent, from a whole string of civil servants and support staff. With such useful support, Members of Parliament will get more professional, and the level of debate in Parliament would be of a higher standard. Hansard”
“Mr Ahmad Khalis has asked whether we can extend the scope for the Small Claims Tribunal. Over the years, just like legal aid, we have actually extended the Small Claims Tribunal's ambit. But this is an ongoing exercise. So I want to assure him that, as he has made some suggestions as to some areas where we may want to see how we can enhance the SCT's reach, we will consider his suggestion. In fact, if he has any suggestions, he can let me know. Because the SCT is indeed playing a key role in this overall scheme that I have talked about, that of helping Singaporeans to have greater access to justice. For example, in 2002, there were 40,132 claimants who went before the SCT, up from 37,000 in the year 2001. But when we examine whether or not to extend the scope, I think Mr Khalis will know that if contracts are too complex, if they require close examination of legal issues or legislation, then they may not fit the bill as one that comes within the SCT. Because with the SCT, it is an informal process. We will take some care in enhancing the scope without changing the nature of the SCT. Whether or not the SCT is reaching out, in terms of building up its jurisprudence and principles, I think the SCT has only so far four or five cases ventilated in the courts. But, internally, it is building up its own corpus of jurisprudence. Also, there are lots of informational pamphlets which are being distributed and made available. I understand also that periodic visits are made to the SCT by students. 6.00 pm”
“I think we have explained in this House that because of the burden of proof being so high, beyond a reasonable doubt, any accused who can cast a reasonable doubt on a prosecution's case will be acquitted. It does not necessarily follow that he or she is innocent. Whilst the law is such that he has succeeded to free himself of the charge, it should not be the case that we should then give a compensation to these people. As for the other group of people who are arrested by Police, I would like to let Mr Low know - I am sure now that he has got the help of lawyers he knows already - that under the law, the Police can only hold a suspect for 48 hours. Beyond that, the Police has to produce the suspect in court and the court will then give an order to continue detaining the suspect. I am told that, in most cases, the Police in fact can complete the investigations within 48 hours. So the Police will not just willy-nilly ask for an extension. If we require Police in such cases, if it decides after very full and complete investigations that the person will not be charged to compensate him, then it will hinder the Police in its work. And it will not be in the public interest because then our crime rates will not be the same. Police will then think very carefully before even picking up a person for questioning. Ultimately, like Prof. Jayakumar says, it is the people that run the system. I think the facts speak for themselves. People who come here know that we operate an honest system. The Mercer poll, not just by Singaporeans, but worldwide, 1½ years ago rated Singapore very highly, in terms of law and order, and the Police's honesty, competence, have also come through very well. Let us leave the Police to do its job, and not introduce this new scheme.”
“On one hand, the State decides to charge somebody for wrongdoing, and when we do that, I think Mr Mohan knows that there is a very careful process that before even a charge is levied, both in terms of the investigation process and also the prosecution process, the decision is that this is a case in the public interest ought to be prosecuted and which the State would devote resources to securing a conviction within the law, of course, then it would be incongruous for the State to say, "All right, we will also provide you with aid, either assigned counsel or with criminal legal aid, for you to fight the charge." So let us not do that. But of course, Mr Mohan knows that CLAS (Criminal Legal Aid Scheme) under the Law Society does a wonderful work. And we should again continue to promote that. It is a win-win situation where lawyers in town, particularly, younger ones, can do pro bono work. We talked about, for example, the image of lawyers earlier on. Prof. Chin mentioned the point about a few lawyers slurring the name of the legal profession. I think the CLAS is a wonderful scheme, where particularly young lawyers can enhance the image of the Law Society. And we do not give aid from the State. But Prof. Jayakumar, myself and others in the legal fraternity, we play golf and do other things, to help the lawyers raise funds. So we should leave it at that. Mr Low Thia Khiang asked whether we should have a criminal compensation scheme. I think he is talking about people who are arrested and then detained during investigations and, after some time, they are released, not those who are charged. Because we have answered this second point before that for people who are charged in court and then acquitted, should we compensate them.”
“And, indeed, the Law Society is also considering ways in which they can help people like that. Because I understand the Law Society is currently working on a new scheme called "Law Help", to extend help to deserving applicants in civil matters. This scheme would first target voluntary welfare organisations doing charitable work, matching those who need legal advice and help with law firms who could do the work on a pro bono basis. In time, building on the experience with "Law Help" and its criminal legal aid scheme, the Law Society hopes to construct a model to enable representation of people in family matters who do not meet the means test for Government legal aid. But I understand that this is currently at a preliminary stage. So let us see things in context. We cannot compare medical subsidies with legal aid. Everybody in Singapore would need medical aid, but not everybody would need legal aid. So I think the comparison Mr Sin makes is not quite on, although of course he makes it in a heartfelt way. Mr Chandra Mohan suggests giving the legal aid even to criminal accused persons. We have argued this out before in this House as to whether we should extend the state-assisted scheme where now only those who are facing capital charges would be given legal representation, two counsels in fact. We have said quite clearly in this House that it would be inconsistent.”
“I want to assure the House that, over the past 20 years, we had amended the means test several times, and the last time was only about 2½ years ago. We amended the means test and now the income is $10,000 and the capital is $7,000. Actually, a family of four where the father works, with two children, the wife does not work, if he has an income of about $2,000, because of the allowance scheme, he will still qualify for legal aid. I think that is not bad. I want to assure Members that while we will continue to monitor the means test, let us not rush into raising it every time we feel that more Singaporeans need aid. We should not forget that, however we raise it, there will always be people who are cut off, at least the group of people that Prof. Chin and Mr Sin in a way have heartfelt concerns for. But these people are not bereft of any help. Because I am happy to say that we have got other people with the good hearts out there. So, for example, if a case like that happens in the LAB, LAB officials will be helpful, sometimes counselling can be given. And if the person really needs more specific help, they will provide the person with a list of voluntary welfare organisations to whom the applicant, who does not get aid, can turn to. I know, for example, of one quite recently, the Tanjong Pagar Family Service Centre now has a scheme, and it is on the website, where they administer pro bono legal assistance scheme, providing legal assistance, for an honorarium, to those who do not qualify for legal aid and are unable to afford the services of private lawyers. So I think that is wonderful. This is a situation where VWOs out there are given the opportunities and space to complement what the Government is doing.”
“To adjudicate would mean that you have, in a sense, to find out who is at fault. You have to do more than just trying to bring the parties together. Merging the functions will save resources, and it makes sense from an organisational point of view. I think in terms of achieving the objectives of these two parallel systems, we should, what the Chinese say, san si, think very hard before we do that. So let us see how these improvements work out first before we do something as revolutionary as that. The next point is legal aid. Legal aid is a recurrent theme in this House, and quite rightly so, because Members are concerned that Singaporeans should have the means whereby their disputes can be settled. The first point I want to make is that the way we have developed alternative dispute resolution processes helps Singaporeans to have different avenues to ventilate their disputes. In fact, over the past two or three years, not just the CMCs, but also the Singapore Mediation Centre, the Small Claims Tribunal as well, and also many industry-based mediation services have surfaced, including Insurance Dispute Resolution Organisation (IDRO), Association of Banks of Singapore and the Consumers' Association. So the first point I want to make is that, when we talk about access to justice, we should see it in a larger context. Yes, access to justice in the courts is important, being helped by the Legal Aid Bureau (LAB) to have your problems aired in the court is important. But really we want to help Singaporeans see that there are also other viable means of settling their disputes. So that is the first key point. The other point is that we are not deaf to the pleas of many MPs that we should always constantly be mindful of whether the means test is serving its purpose.”
“Instead of just waiting for the other party to come forward or writing to him a letter that, to him, may not make sense, we are training grassroots leaders to be involved in the scheme, to visit and persuade, and to try to change any wrong impressions that any person may have of the entire process. So let us see how that works. Currently, this is the approach that we are taking. We are also strengthening the referral schemes. We have several sources of referral, including the Police and the Multi-Door Court-house, HDB, CDCs and Family Service Centres. So I think it is important that all these referral sources should see the CMCs as the focus, the first stop should neighbours have problems, or family members have problems, or stallholders have problems. It has been reflected to me also the frustrations of residents who may think that they are being pushed from pillar to post. So we want to strengthen the referral system. We want to work with grassroots leaders to strengthen the Persuader Scheme. I share this in response to what Prof. Chin and Mr Heng have suggested, whether we should do more now to change the entire structure of CMCs. I would say we should not do more now because we recognise that CMCs started with a specific purpose. They were to parallel the Small Claims Tribunal (SCT) system. Small Claims Tribunal would take care of small commercial claims on the ground and there would be adjudicatory function for the SCT. But CMCs, on the other hand, would take care of relational and community disputes where the primary task would be to mediate. So we can see that there is a difference in treatment, and rightly so. Because for CMCs, we are talking about neighbours and family members who have continuing relationships.”
“In this way, we hope to replicate, as Mdm Ho suggested, the days of old when the ketua kampong, or the village headman, would mediate disputes in his own area. Another point that Mdm Ho asked is how we take care of volunteers. In fact, this is a recurring theme of her speeches in Parliament, which I think is very important because that is the key of our community mediation efforts. It is based on stout hearted, committed, passionate and trained volunteers who are prepared to give time to ensure that the process works. Hence, basically, the short answer is that we do recognise their efforts. We provide them training. This is important and also a sense of fulfillment through, for example, accreditation and also recognising them, for example, as master mediators. Hence, out of a group of 152 mediators, there are now 62 who are master mediators. 5.45 pm Mdm Ho also suggests that we should tap the grassroots leaders even more. This is something that we are working on. We are getting more grassroots leaders to come forward to train as mediators. This point is important because Prof. Chin, in his speech, mentioned the situation where if we try to get the parties to talk after the dispute has been boiling for some time, it is difficult. He called it a bold move on the part of MinLaw in introducing amendments to the CMC Act, making it compulsory for parties to go for mediation if required by the magistrate. But that is after the complaint has been lodged. I fully agree with him. That is why we are working towards a scheme which we call the "Persuader Scheme". This is where one party has lodged the complaint but the other party refuses to come. And I think this is the nub of many of the frustrations on the ground. Then what do we do?”
“The Members have asked for an update on how community mediation has progressed. In particular, Mdm Ho has asked whether or not there is a culture of mediation on the ground. Let me just update Members on some of the key points. As Members know, community mediation was introduced in 1998, about 4-5 years ago. Today, three out of four cases mediated at the CMCs are successfully resolved. I think Mr Heng asked for some statistics. CMCs have successfully mediated more than 1,400 cases so far. Last year, CMCs mediated 342 cases compared to 120 in 1998. Of course, we do not take joy in there being more cases. But I think the fact that there are cases out there means that we have to do more to make community mediation more well-known and acceptable on the ground. Part of making community mediation more acceptable and also instilling a culture is this whole question of awareness. Mdm Ho also asked how we create more awareness. I think that is an excellent point because community mediation may be new to some people, and some of them may have misperceptions as to how it works. Hence, one target area that we have been working on is to make community mediation more well-known on the ground through activities like road shows and talks in schools. In addition to this, we have also made community mediation more accessible. I think this is the point that Mdm Ho also made. She cited examples of people travelling very far to go for mediation, and that is why, over the last 2-3 years, we have established satellite venues. There are about eight of them now and they are all established in appropriate community clubs or community centres.”
“Why is there a stumbling block amongst the police to refuse this aspect of human rights? I would urge the Government to review this restriction. The various stages in the criminal process include police arrest, investigation, recording of statements from potential witnesses and arrested persons under the Criminal Procedure Code, charged in court and right to counsel. The right to counsel comes a little too late. It may be too late for the accused. This perhaps should be changed and counsel should be allowed to see a person once he is arrested. For poorer people, Sir, access is available, but the only thing is that it is a bit late. And these avenues that are available include the criminal legal aid of the Law Society. In capital cases in the High Court, we have assigned cases where the Registrar of the Supreme Court, in other words, the State, provides legal counsel to accused persons in capital cases. In civil matters also, it is good that we have the Legal Aid Bureau under the Legal Aid and Advice Act. Perhaps I could suggest that, in terms of right to counsel in those instances, we could expand the areas covered besides that of road accidents, industrial accidents, divorce, probate and administration, and the like. Perhaps the State could afford to expand it so that poorer people would have better access to justice in other areas of law. Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee: Sir, first, I would take the cuts on community mediation. I want to thank the Members who have spoken on this topic. I think their speeches reflect the recognition that community mediation is important and has a role to play in ensuring that urbanised compact Singapore will have their relational and community disputes on the ground settled in a way that will promote good neighbourliness.”
“Sir, our Ministry of Law, together with the legal fraternity, perhaps should review the names of some pieces of legislation every five years or so. For example, we have the Women's Charter. The name perhaps should be changed as it is not a Charter for women. It is also a piece of legislation for children, men and even their families and relatives. Perhaps we could call it either the Family Charter or the Matrimonial Proceedings Act. The relevant bodies could look into the matter with a view to amendment. Another example is the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act. It is actually a misnomer, as this is not a temporary provision. It is a permanent feature of our statute books to detain undesirable elements in our society, including secret society members, drug offenders, etc, without trial. Perhaps it could be called the Criminal Detention Act or the Criminal Detention (Special Provisions) Act. Although I do understand the fact that it is temporary provisions, it is because every five years we come back to Parliament to get an endorsement to renew and make it effective every five years or so. Sir, I am sure there are many other statutes with names which could be amended, and perhaps the Attorney-General's Chambers could be tasked to look into this and they could work closely with the legal fraternity to come up with sound proposals. Right to Counsel The other matter is right to counsel. In our system of criminal justice, there appears to be no right to a lawyer, ie, counsel, for a person arrested until police investigations are completed. Why not? Is this an ideal state of affairs? If one were to be arrested, the first thing he wants is to contact his family members and/or his lawyers.”
“Law students and their families who obtained Second Class (Lower Honours) and Third Class (Honours) would, instead of thinking of migrating because these students cannot practise law in Singapore, be encouraged to stay in Singapore. There will be less tension, depression and frustration amongst these people in Singapore. On another note, our Government should do more for our lawyers. With the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), our Government should work with Malaysian authorities to allow our lawyers to be given a chance to practise in ASEAN countries, especially in Malaysia and Indonesia and also in countries like USA, England, Australia and Hong Kong.”
“Sir, on the legal profession, section 38(1)(c) of the Legal Profession Act states that, "The purposes of the Law Society include, inter alia, to assist the Government and the courts in all matters affecting legislation submitted to it, and the administration and practice of the law in Singapore." This law ought to be amended, Sir. It is an archaic law, passed in the late 80s, I believe, for reasons that were unpleasant at that time. We should remove the words, "submitted to it" and allow a free flow of ideas on the laws of Singapore. It affects the dignity of the legal profession. We must have confidence in our legal profession and our other professional associations. The Law Society of Singapore ought to be allowed to comment on legislation without any Government request as they must be taken to be responsible and competent. They are in the business of law. It is good for Singapore society to have another competent body and learned voice looking at and commenting on current and pending legislation besides Parliament and the Cabinet. 5.00 pm The qualifications for entry into the profession of advocates and solicitors must also be reviewed. A Qualified Person under sections 11 and 12 of the Legal Profession Act must be revisited to see if we could be more generous with our admission requirements. Why cannot LLB (Second Class) (Lower Honours) or even LLB (Third Class) (Honours) be given the choice to practise law? We have had lawyers and judges before with Second Class (Lower Honours) and Third Class (Honours) doing well as lawyers and judges.”
“Sir, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $89,476,670 for Head E ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $167,884,300 for Head E ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head R - Ministry of Law”
“I hope more lawyers, especially the younger ones, would come forward to help in giving free legal aid to our poor people. I presume, Sir, the courts are trying hard to reduce costs. I do hope the priority is to reduce costs and not to recoup the expenses in introducing and maintaining our electronic filing system. We should do a study and review all these escalating costs so that litigants would have cheaper means of access to justice.”
“Sir, on access to and cost of litigation. The administration of justice in Singapore requires that there be easy access to justice with minimal costs and this must be the cornerstone of our legal system. Today, in Singapore, those involved with litigation in court argue that access to justice in Singapore is getting more expensive, especially in civil court cases. The court filing fees, the fairly recently introduced electronic filing fees and other forms of payment for court records have increased especially in the last two to three years. For instance, under the Rules of Court, filing a Writ of Summons before 2000 was $150. Since around December 2002, it is $500 for claims below $1 million and $1,000 for claims above $1 million. Filing a Memorandum of Appearance was $20 and, today, it is $120. Hearing fees per day (except the first three days because of the SARS problem that we had last year) since June 2003 is $6,000 with value up to $1 million and $9,000 with value exceeding $1 million per day, and it is at a reducing scale thereafter. Before 1990, it was free of charge. Filing of a Petition of Probate or Petition for Letters of Administration was $150. Today, it is $1,000 (for estate exceeding $3 million). That is a lot of money for lay persons. In this connection, it is very commendable that the Law Society of Singapore and the Ministry of Law, together with the Supreme Court Registrar, are assisting by providing lawyers to do pro bono work and in reducing costs in criminal matters, but not civil, by providing free or reduced costs. Volunteer lawyers from the Bar must be commended for doing voluntary service. The Legal Aid Bureau must also be commended for providing legal aid in some sectors of civil law.”
“Is there a recommending body of panel of Judges, Legal Service personnel, Cabinet Ministers or any other Committees? What are the rules applicable? Perhaps more information could be disseminated to Parliament and the citizenry so that the informed public could appreciate these matters. If there is payment of bonus to Judges, does the granting of bonus in any way affect the independent thinking of the Judges - could they be wittingly or unwittingly enticed in subtle ways into thinking along certain lines? Is it good to have the bonus scheme for Judges? Are we paying Judges too little or too much? And therefore why the need for bonus? In the long term, would it be possible, like some other Government matters and like arbitration matters, to privatise the dispensing of cases and justice and perhaps save costs? Could we have a pool of legal talent from the Judiciary, Legal Service, practising advocates and solicitors, law lecturers, professors and legal experts from regional and international community to form a "Panel of Judiciary" from whom court cases could be handled and heard in Singapore? I also would like to ask, related to this, about the new Supreme Court Building. What is the state of readiness of that building and what are the costs involved? And secondly, what is going to happen to the Subordinate Courts Building at Havelock Road? Will it be replaced soon? What is the long-term plan - will it be housed near the Supreme Court, if it is going to be moved? Judicial Renewal”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head E of the Main Estimates be reduced by $100. Sir, on independence and accountability, Articles 93 to 101 of the Constitution of Singapore provide for the appointment, qualifications and tenure of Judges of our Supreme Court. A Judge holds office till 65 years of age (unless extended). There is security of tenure and he can only be removed under Article 98 of the Constitution after a proper inquiry by a Tribunal appointed by the President of Singapore. Today, the general public expects, and the practice of good governance requires, that there is greater transparency in how the different branches of the Organs of State operate. These Organs are accountable to the citizens of Singapore and, inter alia, Parliament must be the main vehicle to ensure this by questioning policies and suggesting improvements. What then can Parliament recommend as far as the Judiciary is concerned? It is important for Parliament and the citizens to know the scheme of remuneration of all people employed by the various Organs of State, including those of the Judiciary. The monies paid to have a Judiciary are public funds and the public has the right to know whether money is well spent. I am sure the Government is careful and prudent about monies being utilised for the Judiciary. What may be lacking in the public arena is sufficient information being disseminated about these matters? What are the criteria used to assess the Judges' performance, independence, competency and value for money, and who decides these? Is there a structured salary scheme, increments, bonus scheme, etc, how much is paid out per year, in terms of salary and bonus? The salaries of Judges in the 1980s were much less than in the 1990s and 2000s. Who decides this?”
“Sir, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $47,776,960 for Head B ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $592,000 for Head B ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head E - Judicature”
“I am much obliged, Sir. DPP, as State Counsel, being officers in the Legal Service may be transferred to be part of the Subordinate Courts Judiciary and the more senior ones to be part of the Supreme Court Judiciary. This may create the impression, rightly or wrongly perceived, that they are one and the same and that may be unhealthy. Would it be preferable, Sir, that our criminal prosecutorial system requires that there be a separate judicial service, that is, Magistrates and District Judges come from this judicial service and not ones who are transferred from public prosecutorial office where Judiciary and members of Judiciary being transferred to DPPs. Our people and the international community must get the right impression that there is independence of our Judiciary.”
“I therefore propose that the Government form a committee comprising the legal fraternity, including the courts, AG's Chambers, Faculty of Law, Law Society, Ministry of Law and Police Force to review and recommend a better form of criminal justice system, including criminal prosecutorial system. The other point I would like to make is the prosecutorial office ----”
“Let us now try and reach first world status in other aspects of life in Singapore, so that we can claim to be and take pride in being in the premier league and not lower divisions, including in the criminal prosecutorial system and the overall administration of criminal justice. The recommendations I am proposing would, hopefully, reduce the manpower, time and costs to the Government. I would like to propose that there be more transparency in Police and prosecutorial handling of criminal matters. The criminal discovery process should be revisited to make it fairer so that the truth of the case is arrived at and the main goal of prosecutorial work should be to arrive at the truth of the case and to assist the court in arriving at the truth. Therefore, all investigation papers should be made available to defence or to its counsel, especially cautioned statements and long statements, under section 122(5) and 122(6) of the Criminal Procedure Code. These are for statements of the accused. Cautioned statements of the accused are made available upon request and upon payment of a fee. Long statements are never or seldom given. They are often used to impeach the credit of the accused or witnesses for the defence but never the prosecution witnesses. This may be unfair and might affect the quality of truth. Why must one pay for his own statement? Cost must be reduced. When such statements are given to the accused or to his counsel, he would be able to decide at an early stage whether or not to plead guilty or claim trial. This would save money, cost and time for the Police, prosecutorial court and related parties.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head B of the Main Estimates be reduced by $100. The criminal prosecutorial system in Singapore has worked reasonably well. There is, however, room for improvement. The process involves investigation by the Police and other appropriate enforcement agencies like the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau, the Central Narcotics Bureau, the Customs Department, etc, once there is a first information report lodged by a complainant or victim of crime to any of these Government authorities. Once the investigation is more or less completed, the Attorney-General's Chambers' Crime Division is consulted, that is, the Public Prosecutor or his deputies called Deputy Public Prosecutors (DPPs) and they will consider the merits and demerits of the case and decide whether to charge the accused in court by giving his fiat or not to take any further action because there is no prima facie case or sufficient evidence to get a conviction in a court of law. In the meantime, it would appear the accused has no right to see or obtain legal advice from his lawyer. He is not allowed to consult a lawyer until all the investigation is completed. In the meantime, he has been questioned and possibly interrogated and his cautioned statement and long statement recorded under the Criminal Procedure Code. Having discussed with the legal fraternity, especially the Criminal Bar of the Law Society of Singapore, I am of the view that our system could be improved to meet international standards. We are now considered a first world nation - economically, we have reached this category and we can take pride in that.”
“However, this move to cut CPF rates at this stage is a good sign to investors to have added confidence to remain here and for fresh investors to come to invest in Singapore. Mr Speaker, Sir, I do support the Prime Minister's call to cut the CPF rate in order to create more investments in Singapore and more jobs for our citizens. EXEMPTED BUSINESS (Motion) Resolved, That the proceedings on the business set down on the Order Paper for today be exempted at this day's sitting from the provisions of Standing Order No. 1. - [Mr Mah Bow Tan]. RETUNING THE CPF Debate resumed. 5.12 pm”
“Equally important, sacrifices must be made by the State, Government and civil service expenditure, cooperation from banks and financial institutions, to be more compassionate and not to exercise their legal rights without some care and concern for the plight of citizens. The lifelines to be given by the Government to the poorer sectors of our society who may be most hard-hit by the CPF cuts are to be welcome. This is the usual "Robin Hood" approach of taking - some might call it "robbing" - from the rich and distributing it to the poor. It is noble and should be palatable to Singapore society as a whole. However, the Government should, once in a while, take note of and be caring and compassionate, even if it is to be lip service, to the lower-middle and middle class of citizens who may be complaining that they are often left out. Land costs, rentals, utilities charges, GST, licensing charges, income tax, property tax, etc, must be reviewed and lowered. Let the State suffer together with citizens. Let us all share in the financial burden. My colleagues in Parliament have addressed these issues several times during the last two sittings last week. The CPF Board should also consider investing CPF monies wisely and grant members better interest rates. Mr Lee Han Shih, a freelance journalist, had mentioned in his article in Today on 28th August 2003 that the CPF Act should be amended so that members can enjoy higher interest rates by allowing computation of interest on a daily, rather than on a monthly basis. The CPF should look into this and explain why it has not done so. Overall, I am of the view that cost cutting must cover a wider ambit than CPF cost cutting alone. A holistic approach must be taken to reduce business costs.”
“Our Government has done well for our citizens and the nation for the last 40 years. We need to do much more, and it is going to be more difficult, because the competition is much keener. It is getting more difficult to grow since we are a first-world nation, and to maintain that in the midst of keen competition is going to be that much tougher. Article 6 of the Constitution of Singapore states that there shall be no surrender of the sovereignty of Singapore as an independent nation unless it is supported at a national referendum by not less than two-thirds of the citizens who can vote. Academically speaking, for a start, we may wish to consider this in the long-term remaking of Singapore. If the Government has not thought about it, or has done so but it is of the view that it is definitely not possible to have such thoughts to come to reality, I would urge that we get the reasoned paper on why it is not possible in the long term. I know the CPF issue is in the spotlight, but what I have mentioned is food for thought to try and, hopefully, resolve our larger problem of survival economically as a nation. I suppose these must, for the time being, be left aside, but I do sincerely hope that our Government and leaders in the business and academic community would address these issues at some stage in the near future. For now, let us all unite and come up with cost-effective measures to ensure creation of more jobs and secure reasonable remuneration and contribution into our citizens' CPF, so that all retirement needs, payments like housing and medical care, can be met.”
“The business community and citizens of Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore would, I suspect, want as close a relationship as possible, both in terms of political, economic and family ties. Would it not be important, therefore, for the political leaders, especially from these three countries in ASEAN, to work harder and more productively towards this goal of merger as ASEAN has existed for more than three decades. Let us take advantage of the common factors like race, language and way of life amongst our peoples. We have Malays, Chinese, Indians and Eurasians, just like in Malaysia and Indonesia, and also in China and India, as far as the Chinese and Indians respectively are concerned. I know it may be idealistic and even unrealistic to think of such a possibility today, but we sow the seeds of such thoughts in our young leaders and they have to explore all avenues to survive, and who knows what may come out of this way of thinking for our future generations of citizens, who would be more global in outlook in the years to come. Mind you, this does not mean people who think this way are disloyal but, rather, I believe it is the citizens who dare to think boldly that would make the difference for the betterment of Singapore in 20 or 30 years. If we want to survive for the next few decades, we need to open up space - have dual or multi-citizenship, and have multi-national partners in business and as nations doing business, and not just companies and Government-linked companies. Politicians need to be more innovative, just like company directors have for the last 30 years or so. Companies are going global. Governments should consider at least going regional politically. The political system needs to be relooked and a new system adopted for discussion at least.”
“However, would we want to consider, and do we have a new vision of joining forces politically, geographically and economically with some ASEAN countries? Is it possible to work together as ASEAN neighbours and let us share the pie as a joint venture company of nations? We were once part of Malaysia from 1963 to 1965. We became a sovereign republic on 9th August 1965. What would we have been if we had remained in Malaysia? We can only speculate. Historians should write about it and explain to the citizenry. Let us now speculate and perhaps give deep analytical thought on having Singapore, Malaysia and perhaps even some other ASEAN countries merge in some form to create a United States of South East Asia, if not absolutely, then at least economically, and all of us in ASEAN work together and share part of our assets, manpower, time and expertise. It is like forming a holding company, and each participating country being a subsidiary, and all working together in harmony and all reaping the benefits of our collective efforts to benefit all as a family. Team effort is what is required to match the premier league players. Additionally or alternatively, we should all put on our thinking caps and consider the possibility of joining, in an economic sense, the premier league players like China and India. Our closest relationship as a nation to nation is of course Malaysia, and then comes perhaps Indonesia. At first thought, everything might seem impossible, what with the history of political leadership having had their problems, especially in the 1960s. However, today's generation of political leaders must bury the old differences, even if some of the current leaders in Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore might be related to the older leaders of these countries.”
“Our Cabinet Ministers and top Government officials have to be much more innovative henceforth and come up with revolutionary ideas, which is possible only if they are willing to think out of the ordinary and long-practised ways of dealing with the business of governing Singapore. I trust they are looking into various possibilities, as we have a Government that is pragmatic and is a long-term planner. Citizens must assist in this regard by giving innovative ideas, which may be idealistic and/or practical. It is our duty as citizens to help our Government to lead it to the right path of progress. Our mindset and tactics must, if found necessary and essential, change in order to survive well, to be competitive and to create jobs in Singapore. We are a small nation geographically and population-wise. We do not have natural resources. There are a lot of disadvantages in that sense, compared to many nations in ASEAN, Asia and the world. What can we do really? Let us think out of the box. Theoretically speaking, one could therefore ask whether being a sovereign nation called the "Republic of Singapore" is the ideal state of affairs in, say, 20 or 30 years. Can we survive as a small nation when ASEAN countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand are forging ahead at a different pace of economic progress? They are hungry for economic progress, just as we were hungry in the 1960s to the 1990s, and we progressed at a faster pace during this period, as we had to survive, which definitely was an added and essential impetus to survive as a young nation. I am sure we can and will survive as a nation for another decade or two comfortably.”
“On hindsight, perhaps the Government should have acted earlier, even before the General Elections in 2001. At least, we are now trying to make amends. It is never too late. Let us all work together as Singaporeans. I believe our Government is trying hard, but more needs to be done by one and all. Temporary measures require us to be cost-effective. This means we have to cut down on CPF and all other forms of cost-cutting measures. We have to be lean and fit for a race that is going to be very competitive for the next few years. CPF cuts alone would not be a great help in bringing in more investments from abroad and locally and, therefore, more employment for our people. However, it is a strong signal to the world looking at Singapore, as a country to invest in, that our Government is trying to cut down on business costs. More cost-cutting measures must be put in place sooner than later. And this is essential and is an emergency, as a lot of businesses from Singapore and the ASEAN countries are going especially to China and India. And it is well possible that there would be even more competition in the business world, as Malaysia and other ASEAN countries move on progressively to catch up with the rest of the world. It is a race between premier league nations, Divisions 1, 2 and 3 and amateur teams, with the same set of rules and there are no handicaps given to small nations. Singapore must find innovative ways to be in the top league. How do top premier league players stay on top? They devise various means, including looking at the world's best players and managers, training them professionally and paying them well. We also need to look at not just the best companies and top-notch entrepreneurs, but also the potential nations as business and economic partners.”
“The two giant nations, China and India, with over 2 billion people, are and will be, population-wise and business-wise, forces to be reckoned with in the premier league of nations in the global economic arena. Singapore can try but realistically would find it very difficult to be in the premier league because, in terms of population base and business base, production of goods and services, invention and information technology, manufacturing of high-end technological products, production of university scholars, scientists, inventors, engineers, doctors, architects or any professional groupings, political leaders and tertiary professors and, in many other respects, touching on economic and other considerations, it is realistically impossible. However, Singapore must and will no doubt do its level best to survive comfortably and progress in the face of all the competition from near and far. And since we have reached first-world standard, economically speaking, our citizenry would expect that standard of living in the years to come. Singaporeans would have a tough time trying to aspire to reach this target as the years go by. We have a disciplined and hardworking population that will fight hard to advance as the years go by. We have a good Government, civil service, judiciary, rule of law, caring nation with many voluntary and Government-sponsored community of volunteers. All these good institutions have served us well the last few decades and will continue to do so. But is it sufficient in the future? The Government should have and must have known all this was coming many years ago. The citizens knew and constantly talked and complained about the high cost of business in Singapore. This is not new at all.”
“It would be in the Government's interest to ensure this because, if there is a great shortfall in this CPF scheme, the Government, being a responsible one, would have to lean towards a more "welfare-oriented" and socialist political system which the PAP Government tries to avoid directly as far as possible. The corporate philosophy of CPF is, and I quote: "a social security savings scheme jointly supported by employees, employers and the Government. CPF members are employees and self-employed persons in Singapore. The basic purpose of the CPF is to help members meet primary needs like shelter, food, clothing and health services in their old age or when they are no longer able to work. Benefits offered are to help meet one or more needs of the CPF member in his retirement. They include withdrawals by the member for retirement, permanent disablement, home ownership and medical care. The amounts available depend on how much the member has saved in the CPF. The CPF Board is the trustee of members' CPF savings. They seek to protect and preserve the value of the savings. They provide fair market returns at minimal risk, while opening avenues for members to seek higher returns on their own after carefully considering the risks involved. The guiding principle is prudence. Any return should contribute towards the member's well-being in his retirement." Sir, it would appear that the above stated philosophy may need to be modified in difficult economic times. The Prime Minister touched on globalisation and how it has continued to affect our economy. There are advantages and disadvantages in globalisation.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for allowing me to speak on this topic of retuning the CPF pursuant to the Prime Minister's Ministerial Statement on 28th August. The legislative history of the Central Provident Act dates back to the Central Provident Fund Ordinance of 1953 (Ordinance 34 of 1953) and it commenced on 1st July 1955. "Provident" means seeing beforehand and providing for the future; being prudent, thrifty and frugal. Our CPF Act and its predecessor legislation, during and prior to the PAP coming into power, have, in some way, made compulsory saving of citizen's moneys to form the Central Provident Fund and out of which authorised payments are made. On the whole, it has brought a great deal of advantages to our citizens and working population in Singapore. It has also brought a large amount of money to our Government and, hopefully, it has been used to invest and reap some good returns. It would be ideal if these, or some of these returns, could be ploughed back to CPF account holders as a whole. The website of CPF Board provides that the mission of CPF is "to enable Singaporeans to save for a secure retirement". And its vision is that of "a world-class social security organisation providing the best national savings scheme for Singaporeans to enjoy a secure retirement". The emphasis has always been savings for our retirement. Our Government must guide our people to ensure that, as far as possible, the retirement needs of the majority of our citizens would be met.”
“However, would the Minister look at the promotion of citizenry participation on a higher level, in political discussions through NGOs, and not restrict it to just political associations? Politics belongs to the people. We must encourage them so that they will show concern about political life in Singapore and more would participate in political activities and, hopefully, in politics and to run for general elections in the years to come. There is this constant complaint that even the PAP may not be able to find enough candidates of the right number, and that could probably apply even more so to the Opposition parties. So, by us encouraging promotion of citizenry participation in Singapore life, including politics, perhaps we could have a better feel of politics amongst our citizens and, therefore, they will participate more in political life in Singapore.”
“Sir, the Feedback Unit is a useful tool for our people to give their views on current issues, be it politics, economics or social matters, and the feedback being relayed to the Government is useful to the Government for policy making. However, the perception must be right. Whilst the senior officials have done a good job, including the chairpersons, the view may be that the chairperson, being a PAP member, may not be the ideal situation, because this is a feedback session from the people. It may be timely to consider whether we should have an independent, non-partisan person of repute to be the overall chairperson. This might create greater participation amongst thinking citizens and people with differing views and even the cynics, because the feedback coming from them will be very useful to our Government. 3.30 pm What is the chain of commands and what happens once feedback is given to the Feedback Unit? What is the follow-up action from the Feedback Unit to the Government authorities? How many views given by citizens have been adopted by the Government in one way or other? What is the means of reporting back by the Government to the Feedback Unit and, thereafter, to the participants who participated in these feedback sessions? Over the years, the Feedback Unit has had several chairpersons. Do we have a basis for assessing the success of the Feedback Unit as a whole, and is it still considered a viable organisation worth keeping? Sir, I will just quickly go on to my next cut. Our citizens are given a great deal of opportunities to participate in Singapore life through various organisations, including Government committees, PAP committees, RCs and other organisations and also associations formed under the Societies Act, through the various 6,000-over associations.”
“Politicians, especially Cabinet Ministers, can always be patrons or advisers of PA. PA is an association of the people. It should not be labelled as a PAP organ anymore. It must be an institution for the people and the people's activities, and it must be depoliticised. I would therefore urge the Minister to relook at this organisation and make it a people's association without too much connection with the PAP leadership in its board of management. It has been commented, Sir - and PA recognises this - that activities organised by PA are being supported mainly by a particular race. I am sure PA is trying its level best to ensure that this problem is minimised. Would the Minister consider having, perhaps, in the office-bearers of PA top management, more Malays, Eurasians and Indians, and have this advertised, so that all races would feel they are made welcome in PA? It is also important and crucial that all races treat it as their national duty to participate in PA-sponsored activities. Race-related organisations must also help the PA.”
“Sir, the annual report of the People's Association (PA) provides in its vision to be the leading organisation in building an active community where all contribute readily to the nation. The mission provides: to promote active citizenship and multi-racial harmony, to connect the citizens for community bonding and volunteer work, to provide affordable access to life-skill and lifestyle activities, and to bring the people closer to one another and the Government. The PA has done well over the years. It has historically grown with the progress of Singapore from the 1960s till now. It was the brainchild of the PAP leadership. It was a machinery to get the pulse and feel of the citizenry. Today, PA has bloomed on its own through the management and administrators, organising a wide range of activities for our people. PA's board of management comprises 15 members, two-thirds of whom are PAP members, and include the Prime Minister and three Ministers. Could I ask the Minister why the need for this? The Ministers are busy people, and they should be released from such responsibilities, unless, of course, they do not want to for political reasons. Should PA not be governed by the people of Singapore and not political leaders? Politicians should learn to govern the country and leave the governing of PA and other associations to the citizenry. Would the Minister not agree that it would be preferable if power and responsibility with regard to associations registered under the Societies Act - and I believe PA is one - are spread to citizens, and the political leaders should be more sporting and must learn to be confident of their own citizens? Our citizens should be allowed to bloom and they should be given the chance to hold senior positions.”
“Sir, I think quite a lot has been said about sports, sporting nation and sporting people and, therefore, I have nothing more to add. Mr Wee Siew Kim (Ang Mo Kio): Sir, many Singaporeans have fully subscribed to the notion of sporting Singapore. Sports, along with the arts, make the continued development of the character of Singapore society. It is no surprise that residents in the Sengkang new estate look forward eagerly to their sports stadium, especially since it features so prominently in their master plan. Additionally, this sports stadium is going to be the first stadium to be co-located with a modern community club. This CC is going to be a key centre for the community in the Anchorvale and Fernvale areas of Sengkang. Co-locating allows maximum utilisation of common areas, such as the carparks, as well as non-duplication of sports amenities. At the same time, both facilities can take full advantage of the Sungei Punggol river frontage. However, the need for the SSC to now fully cover both operating and building development costs has put a year's delay in the plans. Previously, the building development of the sports stadium has been on Government grants. Moreover, the bundling of four sports stadiums together for assessment and approval compounds the magnitude of the problem for the SSC. May I ask the Minister whether he could review the need for the bundling of the four stadiums and allow the Sengkang Sports Stadium to proceed ahead, as the CC's fate is inextricably tied to that of the sports stadium. A review to free up the gridlock would be most appreciated.”
“It is one of the best ways for different races to play and grow together as friends, and gel together as Singaporeans. In this connection, I would like to know why, in many of these games like table tennis, basketball, swimming and wu shu, for instance, are played mainly by the Chinese, whilst sepak takraw and even soccer by the Malays; and hockey and cricket by Indians. What can the Ministry do to minimise this problem and get our Singaporeans to gel together?”
“Could I ask also that for the Singapore Sports Council members, whilst they have done well, perhaps there should be a term for them also, so that there is rejuvenation and new persons coming at the helm to be in charge of sports? How about office bearers also in the Singapore National Olympic Council, Singapore Football Association, Singapore Badminton Association? I see a trend towards politicians being more involved in these bodies. I am sure our politicians are very busy, and I think more leeway should be given for the citizenry to participate in leadership roles. Therefore, I would urge the politicians to be perhaps patrons of these associations and not as Chairpersons or Presidents. Give others a chance. Of the approximately $500 million that has been earmarked for sports as a result of the Committee on Sporting Singapore Report, how much has actually gone to the NSAs? Since the announcement of the above grant, what are the specific budgetary plans for the various sports development objectives? What monies have been spent and under what headings? What outcomes, tangible or intangible, have been recorded or accounted for? It is learnt that foreign consultants have been employed to the administration or divisions within the Sports Council. How experienced are they and how effective have they been? What is their experience as compared to local sports administrators who probably can do a job as well? If not, could we send them abroad for training so that they come back with expertise and remain loyal to Singapore? How many talented athletes do we have and are receiving funding and how much in preparation for the 2003 South East Asian Games and beyond? How does the MCDS propose to make sports less defined by race? As we know, sports creates social cohesion.”
“Much obliged, Sir. Sports promotion in Singapore is under the charge of the Ministry of Community Development and Sports, especially the Singapore Sports Council and the Ministry of Education's Singapore Schools Sports Council. I am glad, today, we have a Ministry of Sports and there is a Minister who is fairly sports minded and, I am sure, a sporting person. In the old days, I remember the late Mr E W Barker always wanted to be a Minister for Sports, but there was no such Ministry. And I hope with that, the standard of sports should increase in Singapore, not only at the local regional level but also international level. In that connection, has the Singapore Sports Council or the Ministry as a whole done enough to promote sports persons at the national and international levels? What are the incentives and what are the steps taken to remove the disincentives? We had, in the old days, sportsmen and sportswomen in the 50s and 60s in badminton, weightlifting, hockey and athletics. I hope we will bring back the glorious days soon. As has been mentioned, Sir, on the admission criteria for Sports School, I think it is important for us not to be too idealistic in wanting them to be both sports boys and also to be good in studies. I think the main criteria must be sports and, if at all, education can be a criterion but it should not be one of the main criteria, because we must produce sports boys and sports girls, and that must be the priority. The Sports Council has a Code of Governance for national sports associations, popularly known as the 10 commandments. There appears to be a maximum term for NSA officers to serve in the various NSAs.”
“They depend on mass transport services to get around, to work, to socialise, and to study, just like other Singaporeans. My Ministry will continue to work closely with MOT, LTA and the NCSS to look into the transport needs of the various segments of our population. Mr Charles Chong has also expressed concern for the support given to disabled sportsmen. I will cover this under the help for sportsmen in Singapore. Sir, on the point raised by Ms Braema on the need for a demographic study, I would agree with her that an integrated approach is needed and we need to better understand where the needs are, and where our disabled are located. We are, at this point in time, working together with the various Government agencies to arrive at an integrated approach, as the example given in meeting the transport needs of the disabled. At the same time, we are also doing a study on the profile of disabled persons, and this will help us better in devising new policies and programmes to help our disabled better integrate into society. Finally, the care and concern for the disabled, as I mentioned, is not just the responsibility of MCDS or the NCSS. The needs of the disabled are best met when all relevant agencies and partners play their part. My Ministry, as I said earlier, will work with relevant partners in the public, private and people sectors to strengthen services for the disabled and to create an environment for the disabled to participate in the social mainstream.”
“The Adapted Vehicle Transport Service (AVTS) is for those with severe ambulatory problems, mostly the wheelchair bound. The NCSS spends a total of $1.9 million each year on these transport schemes for the disabled. Concerned with the high cost of AVTS and the long-term sustainability of the Transport Fund, the NCSS formed a Work Group with representatives from MCDS, MOT and LTA in 2000 to review transport options for disabled persons. The Work Group has studied various systems overseas and considered various models. It has recommended a centralised and dedicated transport service for the wheelchair bound, including people with disabilities and the elderly. My Ministry will review this proposal with the Ministry of Transport. As the Work Group's proposal implies considerable cost, there is a need to further study how the objectives can be more efficiently and effectively implemented. Sir, we recognise that the responsibility for transportation for the disabled cannot lie with the NCSS alone. The schemes by the VWOs target their clients and not the general disabled or elderly population. Furthermore, the NCSS has no expertise to develop sustainable transport solutions for the elderly and people with disabilities. There will be more disabled and elderly persons who are ambulant or semi-ambulant, and who could take public transport on their own or with a companion, only if the public transport system is disabled-friendly and elder-friendly. A person with poor or very low vision, for example, needs voice or tactile aids to find his way around. I am glad that the MRT stations, for one, have been progressively made more accessible. I agree with Members that transport needs and solutions for the disabled and the elderly should be addressed.”
“They will be engaged to help assess their clients' needs, acquire the equipment, train and provide the necessary support to the users. My Ministry is still working out the details of the scheme which will be released in due course. Sir, my Ministry has not neglected caregivers of the disabled. We are working with NCSS to set up a one-stop information and referral centre to help caregivers of the disabled find the right information, advice and services. We will also set up Special Student Care Centres for children with disabilities while their parents are at work. Sir, I agree with Ms Braema that we need to give the disabled a helping hand to be part of the mainstream. The measures I have just outlined will help achieve this. The IMC on the Ageing Population already has its hands full dealing with the issues on the elderly, and we should let it focus on these efforts. However, some of the initiatives for the elderly also benefit the disabled, eg, the work on barrier-free access. Over time, we will see improvements in the situation for both the elderly and the disabled. Mr Charles Chong, Ms Braema and Prof. Ngiam have all raised important issues on the transport needs for the disabled. The problem of an accessible transportation system for persons with disabilities is not new. The NCSS has a Transport Financial Assistance Scheme to help needy people with disabilities attending approved programmes with MRT, bus and taxi subsidies. Taxi subsidies are meant for those who cannot take public transport. The voluntary welfare organisations have put two other schemes in place to help those who cannot take public transport: there is the contract bus service for the ambulant but who need a helper, eg, the intellectually disabled and those with neuro-muscular disabilities.”
“A company like Trusted Hub, for example, which deals in high end digital data storage solutions for office documents, makes the effort to hire disabled persons. They now make up more than 70% of its workforce. We will step up efforts to raise public awareness and correct negative attitudes towards persons with disabilities. Assistive Technology (AT) can improve the productivity of persons with disabilities and facilitate their learning and employment. The use of Assistive Technology is still sporadic today as much of the equipment is imported and costly, and so out of reach to many of those who could benefit from it. To ensure that disabled persons can afford and access appropriate enabling technology, we will set up an Assistive Technology Fund to provide grants to needy individuals to co-pay for assistive technology that could enable them to learn or gain employment. Let me just give you one example, Sir. The fund will help more Singaporeans with disabilities to manage their tasks expected in the school or the workplace. Take Ms Lim Lin Li, as an example. A graduate of Nanyang Polytechnic in 2001 with a Diploma in Accountancy and Taxation, she is confined to a wheelchair due to a weakening of muscles in her limbs. She is now working as an accounts assistant with the Salvation Army - thanks to the special keyboard and numeric pad for PC work provided by the Society for the Physically Disabled. So, by the use of AT, she is able to work like any other individual. Getting the technology alone is not enough. We need partners in the private and people sectors to come forward and help users get the most of this scheme. Today, a number of VWOs are already providing assistive technology support to their clients.”
“Now 7 years old, he is in Primary One in a mainstream school. From April this year, my Ministry will co-fund these programmes with NCSS to reach more children like Matthew. There are currently three centres funded by MOE to provide early intervention for infants and children. We will now fund these, and plan to set up three more centres, catering to at least another 150 children. In addition to this, my Ministry is working with childcare centres to take in children with disabilities under the integrated childcare programme. This developmental programme enables these children to attend the same childcare centres as non-disabled children and interact with them. Let me give you the example of a girl named Lisa (not her real name), a child who had mild developmental disabilities and attended the Presbyterian Community Services integrated childcare programme. Lisa responded well to the integrated childcare programme and made great improvements in communicating with other children and her teachers. She has since gone on to Primary One, in a mainstream school, and can now speak both in English and Mandarin. With greater funding support, we hope to see more children like Lisa succeed in getting a mainstream education because of early intervention. Six centres will provide places for 60 disabled children this year. We plan to expand this to provide places for 250 disabled children over the next five years. More places can be considered if there is demand. Like any other person, a disabled person wants to be gainfully employed, self-reliant and a part of mainstream life. To this end, we will work with partners to identify more jobs and training needs of persons with disabilities. We want to see more employers coming forward and giving the disabled a chance to prove themselves.”
“We should try and institutionalise psychiatric and mentally handicapped support groups, have websites and promote organisations, either voluntary or Government-sponsored, and I hope our Singaporeans would go the extra mile to do more for the mentally handicapped. Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Sir, I agree with Mr Charles Chong, Ms Braema Mathi and Mr Chandra Mohan that what we do to help people with disabilities is an important marker for our maturity as a caring society. So I am pleased to announce that my Ministry will strengthen our disability programmes. Over the next five years, we will spend $60 million more on programmes for the disabled. 5.00 pm Going forward, our programmes will focus on early intervention to give children with disabilities the best chance to lead life as independently as possible. With early intervention, we can improve the number of disabled children who can benefit from mainstream schooling. Specialists at KKH and NUH estimate that with appropriate early intervention, up to 80% of children with developmental problems would be able to attend normal schools and subsequently lead independent adult lives compared to about a third today. Those who cannot benefit from mainstream schooling will have Special Education. More than 300 children aged 0-6 years are already benefiting from early intervention programmes for infants and children. Take the example of Matthew (not his real name), who suffers from ataxia, a degenerative nervous tissue condition, and delayed gross motor development. Under the Asian Women Welfare Association's Special School's early intervention programme, he had weekly therapy and progressed well enough to attend a kindergarten class at the PAP Community Foundation Education Centre.”
“Sir, one of the most dreaded diseases is mental illness. Mental diseases cause loss of enthusiasm to live and affect the self-esteem of persons affected. Human beings are generally reluctant to associate themselves with mental institutions and mentally handicapped people. There is a phobia of sorts, and unless you have a family member or close friend or relative hospitalised there, you try and avoid such institutions. There is generally, wittingly or unwittingly, stigmatisation of mentally handicapped people in our society. This must be looked at seriously and remedial measures taken. What can the Ministry and all of us do to try and de-stigmatise mental illness and take care of the mentally handicapped? Our Government does care for this, but can do more, I believe. Since Dr Siegmund Freud's day, one may argue that scientific advances made in psychiatry, mental disorder and mentally handicapped research have not been so far-reaching that we now understand fully how the mind really works, how mental problems arise and what the cures are for mental illnesses, be it manic depression, schizophrenia or any other mental illness. The various psychiatric medicines available today, for example, Lithium, Proziac, Respadol, etc, and ECT doses, ie, electrical doses to the brains, have reduced the problem of psychiatry compared to the 1950s. Equally important would be the care and concern shown by the psychiatric patient's family members, relatives and friends and the community as a whole. What are the measures taken, Sir, by the Ministry to educate our people on psychiatry and the mentally handicapped and how do we adopt programmes to help society to be more knowledgeable about psychiatric illness and bring about de-stigmatisation of mental illness in our society?”
“Sir, my topic is on promoting a caring and compassionate society. Whilst we have progressed to be a first world nation, it may be timely to ask whether, as Singaporeans, we are a caring and compassionate society. We have anecdotal evidence that Singaporeans generally care more for themselves and seldom assist or bother with other people's problems and predicament. There are, of course, exceptions to this. Would the Ministry have programmes to enhance our citizens' response to the call for a more caring and compassionate society? A caring nation is one that shows compassion and goodwill towards the lesser fortunate citizens and also to animals. I trust the Ministry will spare no efforts in promoting, amongst our people, the need to be compassionate and caring to our poor, our sick, our less educated and less successful. I hope the Ministry, together with the Ministry of Education, will do their utmost best to promote and enhance voluntary work by students and adults and joining the hundreds of voluntary organisations and contribute their time and energy, besides monetary contributions, to worthwhile causes, including charitable organisations, homes for the poor and elderly, animal care and groups of such nature. Perhaps, the Ministry could elaborate on the schemes that they have in place, or propose to have, so that the citizens would know more about it and could participate actively in such efforts so that, as a nation, we grow to be a more caring nation.”