Chee Hong Tat
Singapore
“The National Parks Board (NParks) resumed crow shooting operations in March 2026 across nine districts, including Yishun. These sites were prioritised based on several factors, including the volume and severity of public feedback on crow-related issues, as well as the technical feasibility of conducting shooting operations safely at each…”
“To drive sustainable construction and reduce reliance on conventional diesel generators, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) has required the use of battery energy storage systems (BESS) or synchronised generator set systems at Build-to-Order construction worksites for all building tenders called since February 2025.”
“The Housing and Development Board (HDB) tracks resident feedback on maintenance-related issues, including spalling concrete and structural cracks within HDB flats. Such issues are much less common in younger flats, compared to older flats above 30 years old.”
“The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) provides resources on its website to guide building owners and Management Corporations Strata Title (MCSTs) on lift modernisation.”
“Private retail developments sold through the Government Land Sales Programme are intended to complement the commercial offerings in public developments undertaken by agencies, such as the Housing and Development Board.”
“The National Parks Board (NParks) is reviewing both the Animals and Birds Act and the Code of Animal Welfare (COAW). The former will include pet sector businesses and the latter will include and start with pet groomers.”
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“Excessive consumption of sugar and refined carbohydrates can lead to weight gain and cause spikes in blood sugar levels. Such spikes increase the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, if they happen frequently over time. Dr Chia Shi-Lu asked about measures to discourage consumption of unhealthy food products. Assoc Prof Daniel Goh asked if we could introduce colour-coded labels for sugar content in processed food and drinks. I thank Dr Chia and Assoc Prof Goh for their useful suggestions. We will study their proposals as part of the fight against diabetes. Many food manufacturers already practise back-of-pack nutritional labelling. HPB's Healthier Choice Symbol (HCS) helps consumers make healthier purchases, through an identifiable front-of-pack symbol. There are currently 2,500 HCS products across 70 food categories. These products contain less sugar, saturated fat or salt. A 2015 consumer survey showed a high level of awareness of HCS products. Nine in 10 said they recognised these products as healthier options and eight in 10 said they use HCS to guide their food purchases. HPB has worked with close to 240 supermarkets on in-store promotions, such as lucky draws, food sampling and cooking demonstrations. I am glad to know that HCS products are gaining market share. Sales of HCS products are growing at 9% annually. Our target is to increase the total market share for HCS products to 25% by 2020, up from the current 17%. Some Members are concerned that healthier food may be more expensive. I understand these concerns. We need to work together with industry partners to provide affordable healthy options for Singaporeans. As of March this year, we have 52 food and beverage partners participating in the Healthier Dining Programme involving nearly 1,600 food stalls.”
“Mdm Chair, with an ageing population, it is not feasible for Singapore to meet future healthcare demand by simply building more and more hospitals, hiring more and more healthcare workers and providing more and more subsidies. We must also focus on developing a sustainable healthcare system. If we shift too far to the right, we will not be doing right by our fellow Singaporeans. If we overspend and shift too far to the left, our children will have nothing left in the future. Today, I shall talk about three areas to develop a sustainable healthcare system. First, promoting healthy living. Second, transforming our care models by bringing care beyond hospitals into the community. Third, enhancing value through innovation and productivity improvements. Let me start with initiatives to promote healthy living and to reduce diabetes prevalence. To fight diabetes, we need a supportive environment to encourage Singaporeans to eat healthily and exercise regularly. Under the Healthy Living Master Plan, we introduced healthier dining options and provided more exercise options in the community, workplaces and schools. One such initiative is the Healthy Community Ecosystem, which has been implemented in six neighbourhoods since 2014, including my own Group Representation Constituency (GRC) in Bishan-Toa Payoh. Group exercises are held in 40 community spaces, with an average of 1,000 residents participating each week. Lifestyle modification programmes have reached 14,000 residents in these neighbourhoods. To benefit more Singaporeans, we will be extending the Healthy Community Ecosystem programme to nine more neighbourhoods this year, including Jalan Besar, Pasir-Ris Punggol and West Coast. Eating right is key to fighting diabetes.”
“Mdm Chair, I will take the question by Mr Png. I mentioned in my speech earlier, Mr Png, that we are discussing with Mediacorp on sports coverage, and we will discuss with them the possibility of looking at schools' sports coverage. Likewise, Mr Png may be aware that Okto today shows arts programmes and local productions. It is something which we are also happy to discuss with Mediacorp and other players to see whether we can use the channels to be able to give opportunities to our young people to showcase their talent. Importantly, we have to think beyond free-to-air TV because there are many possible channels to encourage arts and sports, whether it is through community events or online platforms like Toggle, which I think will appeal to our younger viewers. These are different possibilities that we will explore and discuss.”
“Within the Government, this is an area which we are trying to build up and we do want to, whether it is through scholarships or other schemes, reach out to more young Singaporeans and get them to have an interest in translation. I am quite realistic. Translation is a specialised niche area. It is difficult for us to have large numbers but we do not need large numbers. We need good, quality translators. I am confident that with the support of our community, media friends, resource panels and language experts, we can do it.”
“Mdm Chair, I thank Mr Zaqy Mohamad for his questions. The first question on PSB, as I mentioned in my speech and also in my response to Mr Ganesh Rajaram, PSB is used to support our media industry, both Mediacorp as well as other local media companies. And we want to do this because, in the end, it is about being able to produce good quality Singapore content, tell the Singapore story and engage our audiences. This can be done by Mediacorp but it can also be done by other players, whether it is directly through contestable funding or through Mediacorp. One important point I want to stress is this. Mediacorp plays a very critical role as our national broadcaster. While we want to support the independent producers and grow many of these local media companies, create good jobs for Singaporeans, it is also important that while we do that, we must provide the necessary support and resources to help Mediacorp to succeed because, as a national broadcaster, there are certain important roles that they play to shape the Singapore identity, spread Singapore values, heritage and culture. We should work not as a zero-sum game but on how we can strengthen Mediacorp and the local media industry together. As to Mr Zaqy Mohamad's second point about translation, this is a challenge for all languages. It is an area which we are trying to build up. We do need more resources and capabilities in all three languages − Chinese, Malay and Tamil. And, in fact, our friends from the media will sometimes tell us that when we send out information, it is very often done in English and, for the Chinese papers, the Malay papers, the Tamil papers, they have to spend quite a lot of time to do the translation.”
“Mdm Chair, I thank Mr Png for his questions. The use of dialect videos for the PG Package has, indeed, been an effective communication tool. This has been used as part of the overall communication strategy in addition to the broadcast media, in addition to, very importantly, face-to-face interaction between our PG Ambassadors and the Pioneers. That is what we want to try and do, which is to use a range of different channels and platforms and to customise the messages in a way which is simple to understand, is able to connect and use these platforms and these effective communication messages to reach out to different target audiences, whether it is the elderly, working adults, or the young. That is something which I covered in my speech earlier. We want to enhance the content, make it engaging, look for different platforms and use different languages.”
“Mdm Chair, I thank the Member for his questions. On the first question, indeed, a significant proportion, up to 40% of PSB through Mediacorp, can be outsourced and Mediacorp has been doing that to support local media companies. The process in which they do that is that they would call for proposals and, in addition to what Mediacorp does, we also have a contestable funding that we do, separate of Mediacorp, that could go to a range of different companies as well. So, strengthening of PSB, it is important, and we do look for different opportunities, whether through Mediacorp, that means produced in-house by Mediacorp, or through Mediacorp to outsource to independent producers, or directly from the contestable funds to support independent producers. As to Mr Rajaram's second question on Iskandar, I think that is why we cannot stand still in this industry. It is fast-moving, and convergence is one challenge. I see it also as an opportunity for some breakthrough and innovation. So, it is both a challenge as well as an opportunity for breakthrough. What we need in the end, because it is such a talent-driven industry, is that building capabilities would be a very key part of any strategy. Whether there is Iskandar or not, I think we do need to build up capabilities, strengthen the production of local content, strengthen capabilities and develop effective channels because the competition is not just physically next door. It can come from as far as from Northeast Asia, across the Pacific from America. Because in today's day and age, the competition can come from anywhere in the world.”
“Design humanises technology and makes it smarter and more user-friendly. Mr Darryl David mentioned that design is not only for designers. I agree with him. It is something that can benefit everyone and across different sectors. To infuse design into our national skill set, DesignSingapore will work with six secondary schools to pilot enrichment workshops in design thinking. Students can pick up design thinking skills and apply these in their projects. They may or may not become designers in the future, but we believe design thinking can benefit them and different aspects of their life. We will consider the suggestions from Mr Darryl David to further enhance our efforts to nurture a nation of creative thinkers from young.”
“He is now developing other young designers in Singapore and giving them opportunities to work on different interesting projects. We hope to have another 40 accredited landscape architects by the end of 2016. We also plan to expand the programme to include other design sectors, starting with interior designers, and urban designers and planners. Another initiative is the Singapore Good Design Mark (SG Mark). This recognises exceptionally designed products and services that are developed in Singapore. In the last three years, SG Mark has gained considerable traction with our trade partners. We will work with the Design Business Chamber of Singapore to further establish SG Mark as a regional standard for good design. As a major consumer of design services, the Government, too, can play a part by providing opportunities to design firms of all sizes to take part in Government projects. This way, promising local firms will get the chance to demonstrate their capabilities and build up their track records. When I met some of the local designers, they told me that such opportunities are more important and more valuable for them than Government grants. We also want to involve our citizens and communities in the design process to co-create conducive spaces to live, work and play. In Yuhua, for example, the DesignSingapore Council is working with the Citizens' Consultative Committee to organise co-creation sessions for residents and community leaders. During these sessions, participants get to redesign and co-create programmes to engage their communities and enhance the experiences of residents. This user-centric approach is key not only in design, but also in our journey towards a Smart Nation, as noted by Dr Teo Ho Pin.”
“(In English): Mr Vikram Nair asked what we can do to improve Tamil translations. Indeed, this topic was raised at a recent NTC meeting, as we had observed a number of Tamil translation errors in recent months. These were avoidable errors, and they should not have been made in the first place. I have reminded all Government agencies that it is important to get their translations done properly, including Tamil translations. I have also asked NTC and its Tamil Resource Panel to conduct a systemic review and recommend areas for improvement. The review will be led by Parliament Interpreter Mr A Palaniappan, who is heading the Tamil Resource Panel. It will also involve other community leaders with expertise and passion in Tamil language and translation. To our friends from the Tamil community, I would like to say: (In Tamil) Correct translation is our commitment! (சரியான மொழிபெயர்ப்பே, நமது கடப்பாடு!) (In English): We are committed to doing better and getting our translations done correctly. Let me conclude with my last topic on expanding the role of design in our lives. Dr Teo Ho Pin and Mr Darryl David asked about the Design 2025 Masterplan. Singapore's design firms have done well. Through the Masterplan, we want to support them further, so that they can grow and thrive beyond our shores. One initiative is Design Accreditation. Since the launch of our accreditation programme for landscape architects last October, 120 have been accredited. About 80% of firms have at least one accredited Landscape Architect. Among them is Mr Franklin Po of Tierra Design, winner of the President's Design Award in 2015. Franklin is a Singaporean designer who used to work in the US before he returned to start Tierra Design.”
“For example, we started the Information Service (Translation) Scholarship to groom more translation talents for the future. It is important to nurture passion from young and help our students to see the relevance of translation in their daily lives. We will work with schools and community partners to reach out to more young Singaporeans. Mdm Chair, please allow me to now say a few words in Mandarin about the "Community in Translation" initiative. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Early this year, we launched the Community in Translation initiatives. Through this platform, we hope to plan and organise various activities together with the community to raise awareness and interest in translation among our young. Our ultimate goal is to groom more translation talents and raise our translation standards in Singapore. This February, we held an English-to-Chinese translation workshop with the Ministry of Education (MOE). More than 100 secondary school students participated. More than 80% of the participants found the workshop useful, informative and fun. They felt that they acquired useful knowledge related to translation. We are delighted to know that some students indicated that they would continue to learn translation. We also plan to hold similar workshops and other translation-related activities in Malay and Tamil later this year. Another community partnership event is the National Chinese Language Challenge 2016. So far, this programme has attracted more than 1,000 students. This event is currently ongoing and will conclude in April. As with the translation workshop, we are looking to expand this to Malay and Tamil and use creative methods to increase the interest in translation among our young.”
“MCI worked with Mr Jeff Cheong and his team from Tribal to pilot a new approach for our recent MediShield Life video, "Love of a Lifetime". Some of you may have watched it. It had one simple message – just as the love between a husband and wife is lifelong, so, too, is the lifelong coverage of MediShield Life. The video has garnered more than 4.5 million views on social media and was much talked about during Chinese New Year when it was launched. 2.30 pm Next, MCI will use multiple platforms and channels to reach different segments of the population. Last year, we revamped Gov.sg and optimised it for mobile devices because that is what more people are using these days. We are now looking at Instagram and Telegram to supplement our communications. At the same time, we recognise that online platforms are not for everyone. Face-to-face interactions will continue to be a key part of Government communications. The human touch is important. A good example is how Pioneer Generation (PG) Ambassadors communicate with the elderly. This has been very effective. In 2015, awareness of the PG Package among Pioneers reached 96%. We want to help our seniors to understand how they can benefit from different Government policies and measures. We can build on the PG Ambassadors network and expand it to reach more seniors beyond Pioneers and to explain a range of Government policies beyond the Pioneer Generation Package and MediShield Life. Let me now touch on the importance of raising translation standards. I agree with Mr Ong Teng Koon that this is important to strengthen Government communication in Chinese, Malay and Tamil. The National Translation Committee (NTC) has rolled out various initiatives in the past two years to strengthen translation capabilities in Singapore.”
“Public broadcasters in many countries face difficulties due to increased competition from online media and falling advertising revenue. Even BBC is not spared. It moved its youth-focused TV channel, BBC Three, entirely online. It also plans to overhaul its organisational structure in response to these challenges. Besides BBC, other public broadcasters like RTHK in Hong Kong and NOS in the Netherlands, also regularly review their structure, strategy and funding models. This is why Mediacorp and its shareholder Temasek Holdings have decided to review Mediacorp's operations to better position the company for the future. The Government is fully supportive of this review and we will work closely with Mediacorp and Temasek Holdings in this effort. We want to help Mediacorp to further strengthen the three "C"s – content, capabilities and channels – so that the company can continue to do well as Singapore's national broadcaster and produce good quality local programmes for Singaporeans to enjoy for years to come. Mdm Chair, I will now touch on the ongoing efforts to enhance Government communications and translation. Mr Zaqy Mohamad and Mr Ong Teng Koon asked about further strengthening Government communications for different groups of Singaporeans. This is a priority for the Government. We believe communications is an integral part of policy formulation and implementation. We have built up stronger communication capabilities over the past few years. Looking ahead, we will continue to focus on three areas: content, platforms and languages. First, we need to create engaging content that can connect with Singaporeans. The most powerful and effective messages are simple to understand and contain a strong emotional element that people can relate to.”
“This programme is currently available on StarHub Go. Singapore Airlines also acquired the programme for its inflight entertainment, bringing local content to an international audience. We must ensure that our channels remain relevant and can meet viewers' preferences. Mr Vikram Nair asked about Mediacorp's review of Okto and Channel U. Mediacorp is exploring the idea of positioning Okto as a channel focusing on children and young adults, as well as sports. We have been discussing with Mediacorp on the idea of including coverage for school sports. I think there is value to supporting quality PSB programmes for children, as Ms Kuik Shiao-Yin has suggested. We have a good local children's programme called "Mat Yoyo". It is now available in English. As for Channel U, Mediacorp is examining ways to further enhance its Chinese content, which is currently delivered through Channel 8 and Channel U. Over the years, our vernacular channels have contributed significantly to the development of bilingualism here. They allow Singaporeans to stay connected to our language, culture and communities. Besides Chinese programming, we will also ensure that Suria and Vasantham have adequate resources to continue producing quality programmes to serve our different ethnic communities. The successful transformation of PSB will require persistence and hard work. Our industry players like Mediacorp need to have a steadiness to ride through business cycles, and not allow short-term commercial ups and downs to affect the longer-term goals of producing good quality content, building strong capabilities and developing effective channels. But the external environment is challenging.”
“Mr William Lim from Xtreme Media said this was "exactly what local producers need". We must also continue to raise our capabilities in storytelling, set design and videography. When I visited the set of "Tanglin"¸ I met its group of talented scriptwriters. They work in a team, constantly learning from one another and also challenging one another to think of fresh ideas. Mediacorp also brought in Ms Kathleen Beedles as a consultant. She is a UK producer who has worked on several successful dramas like the long-running Emmerdale, which has been on the air in the UK since 1972. Working with somebody like Ms Beedles gave our local production team and our young talents opportunities to learn from experts in their field. Third, we must proactively embrace new channels to reach audiences who are consuming news and entertainment through different media. Many Singaporeans today, especially the young, spend a lot of time online. So, PSB must extend its reach online to engage and connect with our audiences. Mediacorp launched Toggle in 2013. Within three years, Toggle's viewership has grown eight times. The increase in viewership was especially significant after its relaunch in April 2015. I met the Toggle team during my visit to Mediacorp and congratulated them on their success. I also urged them to continue to look for innovative ways to increase Toggle's reach. Toggle is a great platform to experiment with new concepts. Over the next two years, Toggle will release a slate of 11 original programmes aimed at younger viewers. The first, "A Selfie's Tale" by Oak3 Films, has done well so far with 600,000 views. PSB funds have also supported "Pursuit of Champions", a documentary about young Singaporean athletes, produced by The Moving Visuals.”
“We will strengthen PSB by focusing on three "C"s: content, channels and capabilities. First, content. I have spoken about how additional investments in PSB have improved the quality of PSB content. We will not be able to match the budgets of blockbuster American productions like Game of Thrones, or Korean drama Descendants of the Sun. But we can find other innovative ways to attract viewers by producing quality local content by focusing on our cultural heritage and featuring interesting aspects of Singapore society. We have had several of such well-received programmes. Mediacorp dramas like "The Little Nyonya" in the past and, more recently, excellent documentaries commissioned by Mediacorp like "Wild City – Islands" and "All Access Changi". These were produced by Beach House Pictures, an independent production company founded by Mr Donovan Chan and Ms Jocelyn Little in 2005. This brings me to my second point – building strong capabilities. Media is a talent-driven and knowledge-based industry. PSB funding plays a useful role to support Mediacorp and local media companies to attract, train and retain their Singaporean talent. Besides funding, we want to create opportunities for learning and collaboration. In May last year, we launched Fox Format Labs, a partnership between MDA and Fox International channels. Fox worked with five Singapore production companies to produce content for National Geographic Channel. Through the collaboration, our companies could screen their shows to an international audience. Last December, MDA and HBO Asia announced a two-year collaboration to raise local capabilities in drama production. I am pleased that the industry has responded positively to our initiatives.”
“Channel 8's "118", which addresses social topics in a light-hearted way, reaches more than one million viewers every week. Channel 5's "Tanglin" is watched by more than 300,000 viewers. Suria and Vasantham have grown their viewership significantly in the last few years. I visited them recently and was impressed by how they have built strong relationships with their audiences, organising community roadshows so that the public can meet the stars in person. Mr Darryl David asked if PSB funds support media organisations other than Mediacorp. The answer is yes. While most PSB programmes are produced by Mediacorp, a significant proportion is outsourced to independent production companies and will continue to be the case. Since 2013, we have also set aside some PSB funding for independent producers. For instance, this has enabled companies, like WaWa Pictures, to produce shows like Crescendo, or 起飞. The show included a live xinyao concert for the public that was featured in the series' finale. Through this show, Singaporeans learnt about the development of xinyao and the Chinese music scene here. I am encouraged by the progress that Mediacorp and our media companies have made. But the operating environment for our media companies is getting more challenging. Our viewers are consuming content from a variety of sources such as Netflix, iTunes, Spotify and many others. A few Members have spoken about this. Mr Ganesh Rajaram spoke about convergence. Indeed, we are facing that challenge. Free-to-air TV has to jostle to keep the attention of viewers. Several other Members, including Mr Zaqy Mohamad, Mr Vikram Nair and Mr Darryl David, have also asked what we are doing to strengthen PSB in a digital age.”
“Mdm Chair, I thank Members for their thoughtful suggestions. I will speak about MCI's priorities in three areas: strengthening Public Service Broadcasting (PSB), enhancing Government communications and translation, and expanding the role of design in our lives. PSB is an important part of our lives. PSB programmes not only entertain and educate Singaporeans, they also reflect our societal values, celebrate our local heritage and help shape the Singapore identity. News and current affairs programmes keep Singaporeans well-informed about the world around us and unite Singaporeans with shared experiences. For instance, we mourned as one during the National Mourning week last year when our founding Prime Minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew passed away. And we cheered with one heart during our SG50 National Day Parade. Only locally produced PSB programmes can have such effects. Foreign programmes will not reflect our local values and culture. Through PSB programmes, our media industry players can tell the Singapore story from a Singaporean perspective and with a Singaporean heart. That is why the Government has long supported PSB and, indeed, increased our funding for PSB in recent years. Like many other countries – Britain with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Japan with the Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai (NHK) – we recognise the importance of PSB. In the last financial year, we provided $250 million of PSB funding, almost double the amount three years earlier. As Mr Ganesh Rajaram observed, this sustained investment has enabled Singaporeans to enjoy many more quality programmes over free-to-air TV and radio, as well as through online platforms like Toggle. Let me share some examples.”
“I thank Mr Darryl David for his question. Mdm Speaker, indeed, working closely with MOE, our ITE, Polytechnics and Universities, is an important area for MOH. We will continue to look at what are the different options we have to attract more Singaporeans join the healthcare sector, whether it is to become doctors, nurses or allied health professionals.”
“Mdm Speaker, if Mr Low is interested to know more about the statistics, I am happy to provide these statistics to him. But just to assure Mr Low, we do look at the future demand. As I had said, the ageing population is one of these trends that we need to prepare for. We are building more hospitals. Recently, we opened Ng Teng Fong Hospital in the west; in the north, we added Yishun Community Hospital; and there will be new hospitals coming up subsequently in Sengkang and in Woodlands. So, we do plan ahead and build ahead, and there are definitely areas which we will continue to work not just from within Government but in close partnership with the community. Many of these step-down care facilities, for example, are done in close collaboration with VWOs and with the community.”
“Mdm Speaker, I thank Dr Tan for his question. Indeed, it is a very important area for us to look at, to increase the number of healthcare workers and the number of Singaporean healthcare workers. We do this in a number of ways. First, it is to make sure that we have a good working environment for our healthcare workers, and this includes not just our younger workers but also our older workers. So, part of the effort that we have been working on and we will continue to do, is to work closely with the hospitals, the healthcare institutions and also our unions to look at how we can improve the work environment to allow our healthcare workers to work till a later age. We are also looking at supporting mid-career professionals who are interested to become healthcare workers. We will fund the cost of their training and provide them with training allowances during their studies to help defray their living expenses. And upon completing their training, they will receive a career transition bonus. We are also looking at how we can increase the pool of healthcare workers by bringing back Singaporeans who are studying overseas. We do this through the pre-employment grants which we offer to Singaporeans studying Medicine and Dentistry overseas. As of March 2015, we have awarded 630 of such grants. Very importantly, it is also about how we can make good use of the number of workers that we have by improving productivity, providing a good working environment and making sure that they can focus on providing good quality care for their patients.”
“It is important for us to bear in mind that there are many different aspects of what constitute good health outcomes: the efforts to encourage Singaporeans to stay healthy, how we run our healthcare institutions, improving productivity, how we review our processes and how we transform our care model.”
“Mdm Speaker, the assurance that I have given earlier about the staffing ratios going up is not a new assurance. This is something that the Ministry of Health (MOH) had previously already provided. The figures are in the public domain. We will be increasing the number of healthcare workers between 2011 and 2020. This is not something that is because of what is happening now and, therefore, we are hiring more workers. It is in recognition that our population is ageing and we expect healthcare demand to go up. So, we are building more hospitals and hiring more healthcare workers not only to take care of the current situation but in preparation for what is going to come in the future. This is something which the Government does in all areas, not just in healthcare. We always plan ahead, we always anticipate, we build ahead of demand and we deal with the situation before the problem emerges. This is something which we will continue to do. It is important for us to look beyond the numbers and I need to re-emphasise this point to Mr Perera, that we should not be overly fixated on one particular number, the staffing ratio, because it only represents one dimension of quality healthcare. Mr Perera mentioned that some of the OECD countries have higher ratios than Singapore. But if you also check their health outcomes, they do not necessarily have better health outcomes than Singapore. So, if we look at the issue from only a single dimension, we may end up with the wrong conclusions. Higher staffing ratios do not necessarily mean better health outcomes.”
“We are adopting this tripartite partnership approach to attract and train more Singaporeans to join the healthcare sector, improve productivity in our healthcare institutions and enable our healthcare workers to continue working till a later age. As I explained at the last Sitting, another important area is for all of us to show appreciation and support for our healthcare workers. This will go a long way to motivate our healthcare workers to continue putting in their best efforts to serve with care and commitment.”
“Mdm Speaker, at the last Parliament Sitting in January, I informed Mr Leon Perera that Singapore's doctor-to-population ratio in 2014 was 21 doctors per 10,000 population, compared to 18 in Hong Kong and Taiwan. For nurses, we have 69 nurses per 10,000 population compared to 66 in Hong Kong and 60 in Taiwan. I also explained that these ratios could only offer a broad comparison and we need to be mindful about differences in healthcare demand, clinical practices and operating environments. A higher staffing ratio does not necessarily equate better quality healthcare or better health outcomes. MOH has been expanding the capacity of our healthcare and aged care services in Singapore under the Healthcare 2020 Masterplan. We are on track to growing the healthcare workforce by 20,000 between 2011 and 2020. So, our staffing ratios will go up. In addition, the Government has introduced policy measures like Pioneer Generation Package and MediShield Life to improve healthcare affordability and give Singaporeans greater peace of mind. Looking beyond 2020, Singapore will face an increase in projected healthcare demand and also a smaller local workforce due to our ageing population. To keep our healthcare system sustainable, we must step up efforts to help Singaporeans to stay healthy and enable our seniors to age well. MOH is also working in close collaboration with healthcare institutions, unions and community partners to develop new care models and improve productivity, so that we can continue to provide high quality of care for Singaporeans and a good working environment for our healthcare workers.”
“I also want to take the opportunity to assure Mr Perera that we are doing a thorough review on how to improve infection control and also to look at the detection and response to outbreaks. The investigations that were done by the various hospitals and the professionals indicate that workload has not been a direct cause of these infections. There were other reasons for the outbreaks. Nevertheless, I think improving work environment, making sure that our healthcare workers have the support to do their jobs well and to look after their patients well, are areas which the Ministry will certainly work closely with our hospitals and unions, to improve over the years.”
“Mdm Speaker, I thank the hon Member for his supplementary questions. First, the clarification on the doctor- and nurse-to-population ratio – this measures the total population. The hon Member has also asked whether we could initiate a study to look at caseloads and workload. I think there are other benchmarks that we could use to assess staff well-being in our healthcare institutions. For example, our hospitals conduct employee engagement surveys every two to three years, and this is used to gauge morale and job satisfaction. We also use the survey results to further improve staff motivation, engagement and retention. This survey is extended to all groups of healthcare staff – doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, administrative and ancillary staff. In the latest survey, seven out of eight of our hospitals have either higher or comparable job satisfaction scores, compared to the Singapore national norm. This is something which we will continue to keep track. I think the suggestion from Mr Perera about looking at how we can further improve the work environment for our healthcare professionals is something we will certainly consider. We are looking at not just the work environment for our healthcare workers, but also how we can use the opportunity to improve productivity which will lead to better quality of care, better service for our patients and also to look at whether we can reduce the manpower requirements for our healthcare sector to be ready for an ageing population. These are ideas which we will take a look at, in our continuous effort to try and improve productivity and sustainability of our healthcare system.”
“The number of registered nurses has increased by about 19%, from 31,700 to 37,600. Our public hospitals have been working closely with union leaders and healthcare professionals to provide a conducive work environment. This is an ongoing effort. Initiatives that have been implemented include flexible work arrangements for nurses, shorter rotating shifts for doctors, workflow process optimisation and adoption of information technology to streamline and minimise administrative workload. We will continue to work with our stakeholders to strive for further improvements Another important area is for all of us – Ministry, hospitals, as well as patients and their loved ones – to show appreciation and support for our healthcare workers. Often, a simple "thank you" or a nice gesture can go a long way to motivate our healthcare workers to continue doing their best to serve the public with care, professionalism and commitment.”
“Mdm Speaker, direct comparative studies on workload and work stress of healthcare professionals are not readily available. One other way is to look at the statistics on the number of doctors and nurses per 10,000 population compiled by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The doctor to population ratios for Australia, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US) ranged from 22 to 34. Singapore's doctor-to-population of 21 doctors per 10,000 population is comparable to the ratios of Asian economies like Hong Kong and Taiwan, at 18. For nurses, the nurse-to-population ratio in Australia, Japan, South Korea, the UK and the US ranged from 56 to 115. Singapore's ratio in 2014 was 69 nurses per 10,000 population, which is comparable to the ratios of Hong Kong and Taiwan at 66 and 60 respectively. While these ratios may provide a broad comparison, we need to be mindful of the differences in healthcare demand, clinical practices and operating environments across different countries. We are committed to providing good quality healthcare for Singaporeans which is accessible and affordable. To prepare for an ageing population, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has been building more healthcare facilities, such as acute hospitals, community hospitals and nursing homes. We are on track to meet our target of providing 9,000 acute beds, 3,000 community hospital beds and 17,000 nursing home beds by 2020. We are also hiring and training more healthcare professionals so that healthcare institutions have sufficient manpower to care for our patients. Between 2011 and 2014, the number of registered doctors in Singapore has increased by about 22%, from 9,600 to 11,700.”
“So, when the Workers' Party talks about the importance of transparency and having a Freedom of Information Act, I hope they go beyond talking about these Page: 55 ideas and to put them into practice, including in the running of their Town Council. After all, we know that actions speak louder than words. Singaporeans will judge politicians and political parties based on what we do and not just what we say. Singaporeans are a pragmatic, resourceful and resilient people. We are the descendants of lion-hearted Pioneers who built this country. If we continue to stay united, work hard and embrace the pioneering spirit of our forefathers, I am confident that we will overcome our challenges and emerge even stronger than before. Together, we have come this far and built this place from scratch. Together, we have created a country that we feel proud to call home. And, together, we will build a better Singapore for our future generations. [Applause.]”
“We must preserve these elements if we want to remain an innovative society. The critical thing is that when we open up, we do not lose our identity and we must continue to ensure that Singaporeans remain at the core of everything we do. This is not easy to achieve and there will be tensions, but we must find a way to strike a good balance between these objectives. If we simply do what is convenient and choose the path of least resistance, including pandering to populist sentiments or avoiding difficult topics, we are effectively short-changing our future generations. And we will end up like the Japan which Leo Lewis talked about in his article. That is not the future which I want to see for Singapore. That is not the kind of society which I want my children to inherit. The PAP Government believes in facing difficult issues with courage and determination and working closely with Singaporeans to tackle our challenges. The Government does not have all the answers and we cannot do everything on our own. We need to work with partners from the private and people sectors. I see more scope for such collaboration going forward as our challenges become increasingly complex and multifaceted. But it does not mean that we simply step back and do less. Having a reduced role for Government does not necessarily mean other sectors will become more innovative and dynamic. It is not so simple. What we want is to grow the pie for all stakeholders, and for the Government to catalyse and enable stronger collaboration and innovation. This is not a zero-sum game. More importantly, we must have leaders in all sectors who walk the talk and who say what they mean and mean what they say. This is an essential element of trust. And without trust, there cannot be effective leadership.”
“Page: 54 When I met our local film producers and designers, they supported keeping Singapore open to international talent, so that our creative industries can remain vibrant and competitive. They also saw value in having young local talent work with these foreign experts, to broaden their perspectives, deepen their skills and build stronger networks that could lead to possible partnerships in future. We have to manage our population growth carefully. At the same time, we must not over-tighten the inflow of immigrants and foreign workers and send the wrong signal that Singapore no longer welcomes talent. That will hurt us as it will lead to slower economic growth, fewer jobs and a less vibrant society. I know this is a sensitive topic to raise in a maiden speech. But I believe it is an important issue for Singapore's future, which we need to discuss and find the right balance. Let me tell you why. Earlier this month, there was an article in The Sunday Times by Leo Lewis entitled "Japan's deflated generation". It described how Japan's ageing population, deflation and slow economic growth over two decades have produced a new generation of young Japanese who are afraid of taking risks. They do not dream big but look for small moments of happiness in their current situation. One of them, a fashion school student, said, "I often surprise myself. I am more conservative than my mother. I am more conservative than my grandmother. She lived in a time of war." When I read the article, I asked myself, will Singapore end up like that? Or do we have the vision and courage to innovate and chart a different path? One of our key success factors has been our ability to stay connected to the world and be open to new ideas and talent from abroad.”
“This would encourage more seniors to continue working and stay active. It would also help some Singaporeans to return to the workforce on a part-time basis. In this way, they will be able to take care of their families and earn some income at the same time. We must be bold in thinking of new ideas. Only with innovation and determination can we achieve the desired outcome for these schemes. All stakeholders, including the Government and businesses, have to try out new ways of doing things. I suggest that the Government appoint a designated agency to take the lead in promoting the development of heartland shops and, at the same time, work with other Ministries and the Federation of Merchants' Association to review relevant rules and regulations. When necessary, they should move with the times, improve existing policies and schemes to further support entrepreneurship and small businesses. A few constituencies can be selected to pilot these new ideas. (In English): Mdm Speaker, I will now conclude in English. The third thing we need to do to promote innovation is that we must stay connected to the world and be open to different sources of ideas and talent. This includes attracting overseas Singaporeans to return home. They bring useful perspectives and networks from abroad. To be an innovative society, we also need to have a largeness of spirit to welcome and integrate international talent, especially in sectors where we are still growing our local talent pool. Being open to international talent does not mean we dilute the focus on developing Singaporean talent. The two objectives are not mutually exclusive and can, in fact, reinforce each other. Ultimately, what we want is to strengthen Singapore to benefit Singaporeans.”
“Page: 53 Moreover, many proprietors of heartland shops are ageing and their children may not be keen to take over the business. I am worried that with this trend, our communities will soon lose their vibrancy and this unique aspect of local culture will be lost. I have discussed with the Federation of Merchants' Association on how to help heartland shops improve productivity and enhance their products and services to attract more customers. In addition, how we can provide opportunities for young people to start their business within the community, to take the first step in becoming their own boss. When I visited my constituency, I noticed that the vicinity near Toa Payoh West Market has attracted some young people to set up shop. One of them is a successful ice-cream shop known as Creamier. This shop was started in 2011 by three Singaporeans in their 30s. Their business is good and they have attracted many customers. They have subsequently expanded their business by opening a cafe named Sunday Folks at Chip Bee Gardens at Holland Village. Recently, during a visit to the National Design Centre, I found out that the handmade ice-cream created and produced by Creamier has won recognition from the centre as a top-class locally created product. This shows that their creativity and design are, indeed, outstanding. Apart from cafes, we can also consider setting aside some heartland retail space to create an entrepreneurial hub, so that startups, entrepreneurs and investors can set up shop in the HDB heartlands. In other words, extend The LaunchPad scheme for startups to the heartlands and bring venture activities to our neighbourhoods. In addition, the heartland shops could also consider providing part-time or temporary job opportunities for residents.”
“And SPRING supported them. They are building on their initial success to experiment with new ideas and products. I am proud of what TSK has achieved and wish Raymond, Annie and their colleagues continued success in their innovation journey. As a society, we must not be intolerant of genuine mistakes and come down too hard on people who try and fail. We should encourage new ideas and accept that some of these ideas will fail. This is part and parcel of learning what works and what does not, so that we can refine our solutions and make them even better. At the individual level, we need people with the gumption to take calculated risks and to push the boundaries when pursuing their passion; Singaporeans with the determination to press on in the face of adversity and the resilience to bounce back when they fail. This enterprising spirit is not only for startups and entrepreneurs, it also applies to other areas, such as how the Government formulates and implements new policies; how we improve our social services; and how we develop strong and caring communities. Mdm Speaker, please allow me to now say a few words in Mandarin on how innovation can help to rejuvenate our neighbourhood shops. (In Mandarin):[Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] I believe that there are many people like me who patronise the heartland shops for daily necessities. These heartland shops have become part of our lives and they also contribute to the community by providing job opportunities for residents. In recent years, heartland shops have encountered many challenges, for example, rising costs and manpower shortages and so on. Most of these shops are small businesses which are unable to derive benefits from economies of scale and find it difficult to invest to improve productivity.”
“This includes my residents in Bishan-Toa Payoh. Independent retailers submitted the most competitive bids in our Town Council's latest Page: 52 bulk tender for electricity supply. This will translate into lower costs for our residents. The second thing we could do to promote innovation is to encourage risk-taking and experimentation. We need an environment where people are willing to try new ideas and are not overly afraid of making mistakes. This spirit is a key success factor for British technology company Dyson, whose inventions include the bagless vacuum cleaner and the bladeless fan. Its founder, Mr James Dyson, said their engineers are not afraid of testing and failing, as that is part of getting to the final product. When I was at the MTI, I visited Tan Seng Kee Foods (TSK). This is a family-owned Singaporean SME. It is now run by Mr Raymond Tan and his sister Annie. Their grandfather started the company. TSK manufactures noodles which they sell under the "Kang Kang" brand. These are not just any regular noodles. They are preservative-free, fresh noodles that can be kept for a month without refrigeration, far longer than conventional noodles. So, how did TSK overcome the problem of fresh noodles having a shorter shelf life? With support from SPRING, they conducted R&D and found a simple but effective solution: pasteurisation. TSK adapted this process – typically used in dairy products – to extend the shelf life of their noodles without affecting the taste and quality. This makes it more convenient for their customers and allows TSK to export its noodles to overseas markets, opening the door to more business opportunities. Like many who take the innovation route, TSK had to deal with risks, challenges and setbacks. But they were determined to keep trying.”
“We need to come up with innovative solutions to provide a conducive living environment for these different groups of seniors, so that they can age well and age in place. Besides improving our quality of life, such innovations also allow our companies to realise commercial value from their products and services. The market is not confined to Singapore. Many other cities have rapidly ageing populations. By innovating and solving our problems, we will develop new ideas and create new value that can be exported overseas to grow our economy and provide good jobs for Singaporeans. Let me share another example from my time at the Energy Market Authority. Contestable consumers today can choose from many electricity retailers. These include independent retailers who offer innovative contracts, such as supply of electricity from renewable sources and energy management solutions like smart meters and demand response. But this was not always the case. Previously, there were no independent retailers in Singapore because we did not have an electricity futures market for independent retailers to manage their risks. Setting up the futures market was a complex and difficult task. Earlier attempts had failed because power generation companies did not want independent retailers to enter the market and compete with their retail subsidiaries. But my colleagues and I did not give up. Together with the Singapore Exchange (SGX), we thought of different ways to overcome the obstacles. And after some initial setbacks and many months of hard work, we succeeded. Today, we have a futures market with three independent retailers – CPvT Energy Asia, Sun Electric Power and Sunseap Energy. I am glad their entry has led to more competitive prices and more choices for consumers.”
“There are three important things we could do to encourage innovation and enterprise. First, we must face our problems and challenges with a positive attitude. We should view these as opportunities to develop new solutions and discover new breakthroughs. Innovation often involves bringing together ideas from different disciplines and sectors and also from other countries. Existing ideas from adjacent sectors can be applied to new problems to achieve a better outcome. An example is how the Ministry of Health is working with Design Singapore and VWOs to bring together healthcare professionals, architects and community leaders to co-create a senior-friendly living environment at Kampung Admiralty. We want to develop infrastructure and solutions that encourage active ageing and intergenerational bonding. By combining ideas from different disciplines, such as healthcare, information technology, design and social behavioural research, we aim to provide better care and greater convenience for seniors in a home and community setting. The learning points from this project can be applied to other estates. This is a priority for Singapore as we need to be ready for an ageing population. Many of our older towns already have a higher proportion of seniors. I see this when I meet my residents during house visits and constituency events in Toa Payoh. Some of my elderly residents are in good health and lead active lives. I met this 100-year-old lady who stays with her family in Toa Payoh North. She exercises regularly and joins her friends for outings and activities. She is more fortunate than some of her neighbours who are non-ambulant and require frequent medical assistance.”
“I was fortunate to be part of the MOE team working on some of these initiatives, including the establishment of Northlight School and Assumption Pathway School, for students who are less academically-inclined. These innovations in policy and implementation have benefitted Singapore and Singaporeans. Some people claimed that Singapore lacked innovation. And they either attributed this to Singaporeans not being confident enough, or tried to put the blame on our education system, schools and educators. I respectfully disagree. If we had not been innovative, could we have survived after 1965 and become one of the most admired and prosperous cities in the world? Could we have improved our lives and transformed Singapore from Third World to First in one generation? As Mr Lee Kuan Yew said, "This is not administration doing a job. This is entrepreneurship on a political stage, on a national scale." The President has highlighted our key challenges in the coming years and how we must create Singapore's future together. Looking ahead, my worry is that we get trapped in the comfort zones of our current success and we start to lose our appetite to take risks and question the status quo. Will we end up playing it too safe by staying well within existing boundaries? Will we focus too much attention on complying with rules and procedures, instead of the outcomes we want to achieve? It is fine if we just want to cruise along in maintenance mode and make small, incremental improvements. But it is not good enough if we want to deal with difficult challenges and bring Page: 51 Singapore to the next higher level. To do that, we need to embrace the enterprising spirit of our Pioneers and we need to innovate.”
“Mdm Speaker, I speak in support of the Motion. Last year, we celebrated Singapore's 50th birthday. This year, we embark on our journey to SG100. Our first 50 years have not been easy. The odds were stacked against us. But our founding fathers and our Pioneer Generation had a "never say die" attitude. They took on whatever challenges they faced with courage and determination. Through hard work and innovation, they overcame many obstacles and brought Singapore to where we are today. Innovation was critical to our success. As a newly independent nation, we faced many difficult issues for the first time. There were no templates and standard operating procedures to follow. We had to chart our own destiny and find new paths as we go along. We started National Service and built up our armed forces to defend ourselves. Against conventional wisdom at that time, we attracted multinational companies and foreign investments to create jobs for Singaporeans. Dr Goh Keng Swee took a calculated risk to transform the swamps in Jurong into Singapore's first industrial estate. We also succeeded in many other areas, such as turning Singapore into a Garden City; creating a harmonious multiracial society and allowing many Singaporeans to become home owners through our public housing policies. All these achievements did not happen by chance. They were due to the hard work and innovation of our Pioneers. As we developed, we continued to innovate. Mr Philip Yeo realised the bold vision of joining together smaller islands through land reclamation to form Jurong Island. Mr Tan Gee Paw and his team at the Public Utilities Board (PUB) successfully implemented NeWater and enhanced our water security. On the education front, we have created new pathways for our students.”