Chiam See Tong
Singapore
“Sir, Singapore's sovereign wealth fund companies, Temasek Holdings and GIC, returned 17% and 9.5% yearly respectively, using largely Singaporeans' CPF money. Why is CPF returning 2.5% on the Ordinary Account and 4% on the Special Account only?”
“Thank you, Sir, for allowing me to take part in this debate. Under Singapore law, single parents are treated as singles who are not eligible to purchase a Housing Board flat unless they are 35 years old and they are also given reduced children benefits like lesser maternity leave and no Baby Bonus.”
“Sir, the collection of revenue from ERP gantries is way above the total amount of revenue lost by the Government from the exemption of household TV and radio licences. I would urge the Government to review and reduce the charges at ERP gantries for vehicles entering the ERP zones.”
“Although the Government is pumping $120 million a year to support needy students in all levels through a slew of enhanced financial aid schemes, schools funds and bursaries, we should not forget to look into the plight of students who have been cheated by unscrupulous education centres by helping affected students to pay or re-finance the…”
“Thank you, Mr Chairman, for allowing me to join in the debate. I would like to touch on fairer distribution of treating scholars amongst schools. MOE should ensure fairer distribution of teaching scholarship holders after graduation from NIE to the various schools.”
“Children and adults with special needs deserve better protection. It will reduce the anxiety of both caregivers and patients with special needs, like the mentally-ill and autistic children. I urge the Government to issue special I-cards to these patients.”
The complete record
Every one of 4,205 lines we hold for Chiam See Tong, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 1 of 85.
“Thank you, Sir, for allowing me to join in this debate. Sir, the confidentiality of a person's particulars is very important, especially when it can be used for all sorts of crimes. The person's name and identity card number can be used for fraud and cheating cases. The address and phone numbers may be used for burglary, break-ins and crank calls. Sir, I am concerned that most shopping centres and supermarkets are holding lucky draws and promotions and that they require participants to give their full particulars before they are eligible to participate in the lucky draws to win prizes. Hundreds of people participate in the lucky draws, often giving away their particulars willingly without knowing the dangers. How do the shopping centres and supermarkets that organise those lucky draws dispose of those lucky draw tickets? Do they burn or throw them away in bins where members of the public can pick them up and make use of their particulars? I would suggest that the Ministry fine-tunes the requirements for participants in lucky draws to protect them. Better regulation of data roaming charges”
“Sir, Singapore's sovereign wealth fund companies, Temasek Holdings and GIC, returned 17% and 9.5% yearly respectively, using largely Singaporeans' CPF money. Why is CPF returning 2.5% on the Ordinary Account and 4% on the Special Account only? Sir, I would propose that the Government add a variable interest component of 2% more to the Ordinary and Special Accounts as pegged to the investment returns of the two sovereign wealth fund companies. This will ensure that Singaporeans get higher returns in their CPF which are in better preparation for retirement and ensure that they will not be short-changed for the already unfair mandatory CPF lock-up of people's money.”
“Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak on my cut. In a small constituency like Potong Pasir, we have a few agencies involved in the maintenance and upkeep of State land, HDB land which are classified as non-common property. Agencies involved are namely Land Transport Authority (LTA), National Parks (NParks), National Environment Agency (NEA), Singapore Land Authority (SLA), Housing and Development Board (HDB), Citizens' Consultative Committee (CCC), Public Utilities Board (PUB) and SBS Transit (SBS). I also understand that one agency may engage other agencies for doing certain maintenance work. My point is that the maintenance and upkeep of land maintained by other agencies might be more cost efficient but it is increasingly difficult to get simple routine works like cleaning and regular maintenance done. The public, including residents, are often mistaken that the Town Council did not pay enough attention to this problem. I would suggest that for every land site which does not belong to the common property, signboards be placed to state the ownership including contact telephone numbers for any feedback. In particular, LTA, HDB, NEA and NParks should also conduct regular supervision and ensure proper upkeep of their respective areas.”
“Sir, the collection of revenue from ERP gantries is way above the total amount of revenue lost by the Government from the exemption of household TV and radio licences. I would urge the Government to review and reduce the charges at ERP gantries for vehicles entering the ERP zones. The reduction of these entry fees will greatly help to reduce commuters' costs for those who need to enter the ERP zones many times during the day, especially salesmen and housewives who have to ferry their children to and from schools. I would urge the Government to review and reduce the amount of ERP charges at the gantry points. Taxi operator licence”
“I am very grateful to my fellow colleagues for helping me out of my chair. I am sorry about delaying the proceedings. Sir, the Government has unveiled impressive plans to upgrade several constituencies, costing millions of dollars that will improve the lives of residents. Whilst this is a good move to improve physical surroundings and the neighbourhood, what is lacking is the compassion and support for our marginalised citizens and their caregivers who are finding it hard to cope. Our society should create an awareness that these people are shunned and isolated because of the stigma that is attached to the illness. Caregivers of the mentally ill do not get the recognition and vital support which they badly need and, in the end, they themselves may develop depression, leading to mental illness. Sir, I therefore urge the Government to educate the public to create awareness on the plight of these marginalised citizens and their caregivers. More financial aid should be allocated to the support groups and the mental health institutions, eg, Singapore Association for Mental Health (SAMH). 12.30 pm”
“Thank you, Sir, for allowing me to take part in this debate. Under Singapore law, single parents are treated as singles who are not eligible to purchase a Housing Board flat unless they are 35 years old and they are also given reduced children benefits like lesser maternity leave and no Baby Bonus. We know that the Government is not encouraging single parents but like every developed country, Singapore has single parents and we should learn to acknowledge them. Rather have single parents who are responsible, than have problematic couples who end up in divorce and a traumatic child. Why should their children suffer the sin of their parents? Should single parents not be entitled to more benefits than normal couples when raising their children single-handedly? I am not proposing these benefits to say single parenthood is alright. I am proposing responsible parenting and proper investment in our young. Youth”
“Although the Government is pumping $120 million a year to support needy students in all levels through a slew of enhanced financial aid schemes, schools funds and bursaries, we should not forget to look into the plight of students who have been cheated by unscrupulous education centres by helping affected students to pay or re-finance their full or partial loans from banks and financial institutions. These students were greatly affected as their graduation were either delayed or stopped, making them unable to chip in to ease the financial burden of their families. MOE must continue to ensure the students take courses that are accredited with MOE by making stringent measures to scrutinise misleading advertisements and protect unwary students. Early childhood education”
“Can you allow me one minute to take my speech?”
“Thank you, Mr Chairman, for allowing me to join in the debate. I would like to touch on fairer distribution of treating scholars amongst schools. MOE should ensure fairer distribution of teaching scholarship holders after graduation from NIE to the various schools. It is normal that the elite schools, especially the junior colleges (JCs) can hand-pick scholars who are often their alumni resulting in neighbourhood JCs having fewer of these scholars. Scholars should be given opportunity to experience neighbourhood schools before becoming policy-makers in the MOE HQ so that they can have an understanding the challenges the neighbourhood schools face.”
“Children and adults with special needs deserve better protection. It will reduce the anxiety of both caregivers and patients with special needs, like the mentally-ill and autistic children. I urge the Government to issue special I-cards to these patients. It can be an electronic chip that stores confidential information about the patient's illness, special needs, contact and details of primary caregivers and the organisation that issues the card. Such a special identity card should also reduce the workload of the Police, the court and other parties that are involved in any offences that are committed. Making an arrest especially is a challenge. 5.30 pm Parents with special needs children”
“Handicapped persons in Singapore find it rather hard to eke out a living on their own, especially if they are doing illegal hawking with no permit. They are fined heavily many times, ranging from $200 to $750 or more if caught. The sale of tissue paper packs by these handicapped persons are not even enough to pay for those fines. I would urge the Ministry to show compassion to those handicaps caught for illegal hawking or fine-tune their enforcement law to allow the handicaps to sell, as it is an arduous task to apply for permit, especially for those in wheelchairs. Noise levels”
“Sir, the national flower of Singapore is the orchid. Singapore has expertise to grow orchids on a commercial basis. Singapore also has the expertise to collect and distribute orchids all over the world. Singapore should develop itself to be the world distribution centre for orchids, just like Amsterdam has done so for tulips and other flowers. In this way, 100,000 or more jobs could easily be created for our own people. Consumer protection”
“Sir, there is a cap on carpark lots. During my Meet-the-People Sessions, I encountered many complaints of drivers who have bought season parking tickets but could not find parking lots for their cars. They were fined many times, though it was not their fault. In a way, the HDB is unfair to these drivers. May I suggest that the HDB build at least one multi-storey carpark for Potong Pasir?”
“Cooling-off day. Such a move is clearly designed to further disadvantage the Opposition. If the PAP really wants a Cooling-Off day, it should also ban all newspaper reports on Polling Day. The Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) opposes the proposed cooling-off period and wants to see a genuine electoral process that will include; (i) announcing the boundaries of all the constituencies at least six months before the election; (ii) one month of real campaign; (iii) dissolution of Parliament on Polling Day; (iv) free up the media, ban all media coverage on the day of the election; (v) a more equitable distribution and wider choice of advertisement in the same day. The amendment to increase the number of SMCs from nine to 12 is too little. I would suggest the number of SMCs to be increased to 40, or half of the total number of seats in Parliament. This will enhance Singapore's effort to build a more democratic society. 4.33 pm”
“Sir, I would like to point out that there are too many TV shows on food shown locally and internationally. I would suggest that the number of programmes on food be cut down and that the content of food be hygienically presented. Sometimes they even use TV stars and celebrities to endorse their food. These shows are even carried out during prime time viewing on Channel 8 and Channel U. New and repeated Korean and Taiwanese dramas are also not spared on prime time, late night Channel U and Channel 8. Scenes like feasting, slapping, screaming, cat fights, caustic remarks, scheming, revenge and getting even with each other are shown plot after plot over 100 episodes and these are addictive and have an adverse influence on Singaporeans. I would suggest that these shows be replaced by some local Malaysian shows. By doing this, we can directly help to foster relationship and understanding between our neighbouring countries. It is also a small step towards promoting economic union between Singapore and Malaysia which I have advocated. TV shows relating to education, science, history, travel, famous people, humanitarian work and some community films should also be included. In my opinion, too much time is given for advertisements in between shows which generates a lot of revenue for MediaCorp. Use "Vasantham" for Indian integration”
“Sir, my cut is on control and maintain standards of private education institutions. In order to control and maintain standards of private education institutions, the EduTrust must ensure that students take courses that are accredited with the MOE, by scrutinising misleading advertisements and newspapers. There were much feedback claiming that unaccredited schools were using the names of the accredited ones in order to recruit students. The EduTrust must always be vigilant in its investigation for any suspicious non-compliance with MOE regulations. Private education”
“In November 2009, it was reported that IRAS decided to raise taxes on HDB flats. The economy has not recovered. With depressed salary and unemployment, many Singaporeans are still struggling to buy a flat because of high prices. I would request that the IRAS will not implement the decision to increase the property tax on HDB flats for at least another three years or until the economy picks up. I do not think that the Government is so poor that they have to squeeze every ounce from Singaporeans who are already finding it hard to make out a living in this struggling economy. Seventy percent of Singaporeans comprising the middle and lower income families will be affected. Diesel car tax”
“Sir, I shall talk about more measures to curb property prices. Sir, in order to curb property prices from escalating further, I would suggest that the three-year minimum observation period for sale of each HDB flat only be imposed on permanent residents (PRs) and foreigners, and not on Singapore citizens. PRs and foreigners should also wait for three years before they are allowed to purchase HDB flats. After all, foreigners and PRs are only allowed to sell their private properties after three years of purchase.”
“Sir, I would like to speak on my cut on Defence.”
“Little attention is paid to the accompanying social consequences, in order to overcome the declining birth rate. While the birth rate is falling in other developed countries as well, the whole situation in Singapore is among the worst in the world. We are seeing the outcome of our social and economic policies. My observations and by talking to the ordinary people, I would say that the declining birth rate is due to the following fundamental reasons – high cost of living, including for public housing where couples have to work long hours to service their mortgages; insecurity of jobs; high cost and burden of educating and bringing up a child. As long as economic hardship continues to worsen for families, whether in the form of high cost of living or taxes, there will be an imbalance in the natural forces. Also, it is important for the Government to find out why in certain countries, like Sweden and France, can increase their fertility rates instead of following the liberal immigration policy. A more integrated and holistic approach is required. What we need is a more conducive environment for people to reproduce by keeping the cost of living from ballooning and providing comprehensive social nets for families struggling to balance career and child-raising. More incentives are necessary for couples undergoing fertility treatment and also needed the Government's change of mindset on unwed pregnant girls. Lastly, any new policy to improve the birth rate should be made simple and always target the largest segment of the population to achieve any lasting results.”
“Sir, my first cut is on permanent residents. Is there any cap on the number of permanent residents? With all the productivity incentives, training and other incentives to encourage businesses and also incentives for Singaporeans to be gainfully employed and the Government expecting Singaporeans to be self-reliant, these measures shall reduce the dependency on foreign skills and talents. More foreign workers are being used in the construction, marine and the health care sectors. The Government and the organisations say that Singaporeans are not willing or prepared to take up these jobs. Singaporeans are blamed and have been accused of not taking up some low-end jobs with low pay. But the fact is that with the current cost of living, it is practically not possible to survive with low-end jobs offering lower pay, and hence Singaporeans hesitate to take up these jobs. It is the Government that is directly responsible for creating this environment by making Singapore an expensive place to live. Singaporeans should not be blamed for that. The Government should focus on and revamp the whole education system and training for workers, and also introduce policies to encourage and motivate Singaporeans to take up the jobs in the sectors where foreign workers' talents are mostly used now. This will reduce the dependency on foreign workers. Does the Government have plans in this area? Birth rate Sir, my second cut is on raising the birth rate. Singapore's birth rate continues to decline despite the Government's special tax incentives, such as the Baby Bonus scheme. As usual, the PAP's practice is simply throwing money at the problem and encouraging more foreigners to fill the gap.”
“Hence, ensuring that despite placing a cap on the number of foreign workers, industries that require foreign labour due to the shortage of certain skills in Singapore, will still be able to get the workers they need. The Ministry of Education – I would like to suggest the Government to peg the increase in tuition fees for tertiary institutions such as polytechnics and universities to the inflation rate or the actual reported increase in operating costs. This aims to limit the ability of the institutions to raise the fees beyond what is acceptable based on reason. Every increase in tuition fees should also be matched with increase in financial aid for needy students so that nobody is left out. Setting up of a "Work and Study" scheme in tertiary institutions – this scheme allows students to work on cared by the institution and Government. This helps students finance their education, while gaining useful work experience in a safe and convenient environment. The last suggestion I would like to make has already been made by Minister Khaw Boon Wan. If each individual Singaporean is encouraged to take more personal ownership of their health and lifestyle, perhaps the Government can consider introducing an individual balance score card which the Government could use as a cost saving incentive. This will be given to individuals to offset expenses in the move to adopting a healthy lifestyle for example, gym membership, medical bills, purchase of exercise equipment, health checks and supplements as well as to redeem benefits such as better insurance payments such as the 'no-claim' bonus in the car industry.”
“Sir, some people say that this year's Budget is an election Budget, but I do not think so. As long as there is increase in GST and the GST is still intact, it is difficult to say that it is going to be an election Budget. The increase in GST will hit hardest the lower income group as well as our increasingly marginalized middle income group even with the GST offset measures from the Government which is short term. I would suggest that the Government take a radical step by reducing the GST by 2% points to rein in inflation which has gone up too high. I believe that the Government can afford, given that the GST collected accounted for over $6.6 billion or 15% or more of the total revenue, plus additional revenue from the two casinos when they come on stream. Tax credits only benefit big companies and have limited benefits to borderline companies like SMEs where growth is important and is a constraint to keep momentum going. Upfront cash or grants is more helpful for SMEs with cash flow problem for them to invest in skills and technology. The foreign workers' levy could be varied according to industries, like hospitals, old folks homes, hospices that rely a lot on foreign health caregivers which eventually leads to higher operating costs. I would like to propose the creation of a skills shortage list for short-listing of foreign worker applications. Create a ranking of skills that have a shortage of labour in Singapore for example, nursing, coaching of certain sport, medical experts etc. With this list and a cap on the number of foreign workers allowed to enter Singapore, work permits will be issued in priority of the shortage in local labour available.”
“How serious is the problem generally perceived by workers that foreigners are taking jobs from Singaporeans?”
“I think sovereignty is out of the question. I was asking about a purely commercial transaction.”
“What are the stumbling blocks which the Minister can foresee in leasing a vacant island from Indonesia?”
“The Bill updates the definition of "arbitration agreement" in Part II by expressly including arbitration agreements made by electronic communications. Clause 2 amends section 2(1) by redefining "arbitration agreement" to clarify an arbitration agreement can be made by electronic communications as defined in Option I of Article 7 of the Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration, as amended by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) in 2006. International arbitration is becoming more widespread. Singapore aspires to be an international arbitation hub of this region. We have the expertise but more importantly, Singapore must build up a reputation as a fair and honest place where impartiality is an accepted norm. We must also put in place our arbitration laws which recognise the irrevocability of arbitration agreements and the enforceability of awards prevails. The method of selecting arbitrators is an important aspect of the arbitration process, for arbitrators' ability and fairness are the decisive elements in arbitrations.”
“Sir, how can we have unity in our people if the Government behaves in such a way? Nowadays, of course, I think the Ministers are more enlightened. They do not behave like the Ministers before. The Minister's name was Mr Teh Cheang Wan, in case Members do not know. But he is not living now. He is dead. If we want to have unity, I think the Ministers should be more enlightened and do not behave like Mr Teh. Sir, justice and equality, these are the values that we should adhere to. If you want to have unity, you must have justice and equality. I have one brother older than me. Believe it or not, we never quarrelled and we never had a fight in the house. I know why now – it is because our parents were equal and just. Whenever they bought a shirt for my elder brother during the New Year, they would buy one for me. If they bought a pair of shoes for him, they would buy one for me. So we always had equal treatment. If the Government does not take it too seriously about the Opposition, treats them fairly, I think they may get Potong Pasir back. A bit of equality would do a lot of good. Sir, we should look at this Pledge as a whole, not word for word. "One united people, build a democratic society based on justice and equality, to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress". Sir, these are the key words. The American Constitution also said they want to acquire happiness. That is a very elusive thing. But I think we can achieve it with this Pledge. I think if Singapore builds on the foundation of this Pledge, it would not go wrong. 4.25 pm”
“I had told the story many times but I think it is worthwhile telling once more. In those days, the PAP was generous enough to give me a walled-up empty office space at the void deck. The public got to know about it. The owner of a flower nursery donated one exotic plant to me, and I believed he also gave one each to Mr Goh Chok Tong and Dr Tony Tan. Of course, I straightaway told him that I would be planting it in the constituency itself, and not take home to plant it. Like a dutiful MP, I wrote to the Minister, I said, "Can I plant one tree in my constituency?" He said, "No. The planting of trees in the constituency has been mapped out by the Parks and Trees Division." So I wrote to the Parks and Trees Division, "Can you please give me a map of the planting?" And they said they do not have such a plan. So I wrote to the Minister and I said they did not have such a plan. And their reply was through the HDB which said, "You cannot plant a tree there because the soil does not suit that plant." I do not know how he said it was the soil. Did he make a test of the soil? Anyway, I stopped linking with him and I planted the tree in any event. Believe it or not, that same night, some hooligans came and pulled the tree out with the roots still intact and threw it in front of the office. I was really surprised. It was a good tree, and the Chinese name is supposed to be the "seven sisters" tree because they have fruits like gingko nuts. I suppose there are seven of them in a bunch. That was the treatment I got but we still persisted. I planted it in a big pot and it started to fruit, and somebody must have thrown a bottle of bleach into the pot and, sad to say, the tree of course wilted. I should have taken it home to plant it. Anyway, that is the story of the tree.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I embrace the National Pledge. I believe in the whole of the National Pledge. If Mr S. Rajaratnam were here, I will tell him that I and my Party thank him for crafting such an excellent legal document. I think we should look at the Pledge as a whole and not as a contract word for word, and try to argue on the words. The whole thing is a great ideal. I think we can accept this as the foundation stone for nation-building for Singapore. Sir, you see the importance of unity. Mr Rajaratnam did not say "united people", he said "one united people". For the people to unite, there must be justice and equality, and I think these words are very meaningful and very important to Singapore – "united people". But we cannot have united people if the Government discriminates against certain sections of the people. In a democratic country or society, we believe in free thought. We should be allowed to think as we like, whether we like the Opposition or the ruling party. But as it is, there is great discrimination from the first day I entered politics until today. At first, it was worse. The ruling party threatened that anybody who supported the Opposition would get the facilities last. So if you stayed in a HDB flat, and if the lift gets spoiled and you get caught in it, you will be the last to be rescued, which is quite a frightening threat actually. I think the people should take it with a pinch of salt but, sometimes, such a threat can be quite frightening. With regard to transport, the MRT Station is built ready for use but the train shall not stop at the Opposition ward. Sir, I can remember those days very clearly. Fortunately, for us, the train did stop at Potong Pasir. Believe it or not, I wanted to plant one tree, and it was refused.”
“Sir, thank you for allowing me to join in the debate. I do not support the Bill as it is based on wrong principles. The appointment of a person to be a qualified person is based on a non-transparency procedure, since the Minister is involved and also on political consideration. Currently, we admit UK Queen's Counsels (QCs) to practise law in Singapore on specific cases through the supervision of the High Court and the Board of Legal Education. I think this process is sound and should not be changed. I am reluctant to support a law that supports non-transparency in its provisions. The relevant clause is clause 15A which allows the Minister to exercise his discretion to allow any person to be a qualified person if, in his opinion, that person possesses such qualification or expertise that will contribute to promoting or enhancing the quality of legal service in Singapore or the economic or technological development of Singapore. In section 15A(4), it gives a non-transparency clause. An exemption or abridgment granted to a person under subsection (3) may be subject to such conditions as the Minister may think fit to impose by notice in writing to the person; may be notified in writing to the person; and need not be published in the Gazette. This is where the non-transparency lies. 3.51 pm”
“To meet the challenges of India and China, to protect ourselves against protectionism, Singapore must take concerted efforts to embrace Malaysia. We must aim to have an economic union with Malaysia. With a total population of about 27 million between the two countries, we can build an internal market of our own. This, to a certain extent, enables us to fight protectionism. In his speech, the President said, amongst other things, "we must have social cohesion". Social cohesion is about arousing the emotions of people to feel a sense of togetherness, unity and closeness, but Government policies do not reflect this, especially in regard to Opposition MPs. We practise one country, two-system policy in regard to CIPC funding for community works and no proper amenities to all the MPs although they are legitimately elected. Lastly, in order to have gracious living, we must inculcate good values to our young ones by teaching them to have humility, compassion and kindness. 1.52 pm”
“Sir, Singapore's destiny is tied to the destiny of the big countries because of its small size. Singapore is like a sampan, floating in the sea. When the tide comes up, the sampan will rise, and when the tide goes out, the sampan will sink with the ebbing tide. This makes Singapore vulnerable to what is happening in the world. Singapore must always be alert and be on its toes for the tide can suddenly change and good opportunities come our way and we can reap the investments that are available. Singapore, therefore, must maintain a good infrastructure, governed by a strong and efficient democratic government, checked by a strong Opposition. It will make sure that the Government not be allowed to degenerate into an authoritarian one. The political system must be changed to give maximum representation that will strengthen our society and our lives. The present GRC system must be abolished. If it is not possible, then it must be modified by its present size of five or six to two-member GRCs, comprising one ethnic Member and one Chinese Member, and the two-member GRCs be limited to 20. Going by the present number of parliamentary seats, there are 40 single-seat constituencies now. Bigger GRCs are not needed because a two-member GRC can produce the optimal number of the minority race MPs while maximising meritocracy in Singapore's electoral system. There must be free and plausible media where more news of the Opposition is allowed. This also includes activities of the two incumbent Opposition MPs. The views of the Opposition must be heard by the public. This is in line with the changed world. America has, for the first time, elected a black-African American to be its President. Political system must evolve with the times.”
“Often, it does happen where people just carry you and off they go. I notice that an offence, under this Act, can be a $10,000 fine or a six-month imprisonment, which I understand, can disqualify a candidate from taking part in future elections. Sir, I hope that the Minister could give a clear clarification on this type of spontaneous processions. 3.59 pm”
“Sir, I am not really making a speech but I want a clarification from the Minister. This problem concerns my party directly. At every election, at the end of an opposition election rally, some supporters would rush up to the stage, and chair one or two speakers and walk around the field where the rally was held. When they move, a crowd will follow them and soon a recognisable procession will be formed, and the police can take action against them if there are any offences committed. There are no organisers for such processions, these are spontaneous processions and neither are they planned. Usually, the party that organised the election rally will have to take responsibility of the so-called illegal procession. Since 1984, I have experienced such incidents. The ones I experienced, though noisy, were orderly and well-behaved. Their behaviour was nowhere near the rowdy crowd of "red-shirts" that went on a rampage in Pattaya, which stopped the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on 10th April 2009. In my view, such behaviour will never happen in Singapore because Singaporeans are educated and well aware that holding of international conferences in our country is a source of revenue and will not do anything to impede such an event from taking place. Singaporeans, in fact, will go all the way to welcome visitors to such prestigious meetings. Sir, I would like the Minister to clarify that such processions arose on its own. There are no organisers, they are not planned and they are spontaneous. I would like the Minister to clarify what is his position on such spontaneous processions during the election rally. Are they illegal and do they need a permit, or can they be exempted from permits, because this affects me personally?”
“Sir, our road construction contractors must be the least road-safety conscience people in Singapore. As a driver of a motorcar on Singapore roads, I note that the workers working on the roads are exposed to grave danger everyday. As MPs, we can certainly do something for these workers. If we should read in the morning papers that some workers have been run down by a motorcar and die, I think that would be too late for us to do anything. I would then feel certainly sad or even guilty since I have not tried my best to do something for them. Those workers killed on the road would only appear as a statistic but I have to remind Members that they are also human beings. They are fathers of children and husbands of wives. And I wonder if the Minister could consider instructing the road construction contractors on the road to attain high safety standards, and persuade these contractors to take steps to warn motorists of the presence of their workers on the road.”
“Sir, can you carry on whilst I search for my speech?”
“Sir, I have only one question for the Minister. In view of the great influx of foreign construction workers in Singapore, will he consider asking the various bus companies to increase the frequency of buses that ply along Geylang and Serangoon Roads? Workers tend to hang out in these places, especially on Sundays and public holidays. Increased frequency of buses will ensure that the local general public is not affected by longer waiting hours, wasting time and packed buses. Buses”
“Sir, at the moment, about 40% of places in one cohort qualifies for university places. I wonder if the Minister could do anything to increase that number because nowadays, those who do not have university education suffer a disadvantage. One, difficulty in getting jobs. Two, even once he gets a job, his pay will always remain less than $3,000. At my Town Council, I notice that most of them who earn more than $3,000 have got a university degree. And without a university degree, a $3,000-mark seems to be a hurdle. So I hope that the Minister can increase the number of university places to let more students into the universities so that they will not be disadvantaged.”
“Madam, the cost of dental care has been escalating steadily over the years. It is such that low-income Singaporeans cannot afford to see the dentist. I will just give a few examples of the charges. One filling is now $80 and a capping is $2,000. One root canal procedure is $3,500. The cost of dental care is very high these days. I wonder whether the Minister is willing to open up Medisave for poor workers to use their Medisave for dental care. And if not, whether some kind of subsidy can be arranged for them? COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY REPORTING PROGRESS”
“Sir, I am going to speak on rubbish collectors. There are two issues here: one is hygiene and the other is image. As regards image, our rubbish collectors do not look professional. They wear singlets, no gloves, no caps and no proper shoes. It is a bad image for Singapore. With visitors coming from abroad, our rubbish collectors do not give a good impression. The other issue is hygiene. Sometimes, they do not wear gloves. They do their work with bare hands. I do not know whether they help out at the hawker centres. Should they be assistants at the hawker centres, they will be carrying the dirt and germs from the rubbish trucks to the place of work. Sir, I wonder if the Ministry could improve on these two points. One is the image. Unlike other places where I have been to, like Los Angeles, the rubbish collectors wear proper caps, aprons, gloves and proper shoes, and they look very professional. I hope the Ministry can do something about improving the image. Hawker Centres”
“Thank you. A Caring and Active Community”
“Is the Government helping to reduce the cost of living in caregiving and assist caregivers in caregiving chores? It is not enough if you are basically giving a discount to a levy in which Government has implemented in the very first place, provided the family has means to employ a foreign domestic worker which costs about $300, $400 for a reasonably experienced FDW. This does not –”
“Sir, I would like to put up a case for financial assistance for unpaid caregivers. Providing care for persons with disability (PWD) has become a way of life for many Singaporeans. With a fast ageing population and longer average lifespan, there will be an increase in Singaporeans trying to balance working and caregiving responsibilities. The need to care may be related to either event such as a stroke or a gradual process such as the onset of dementia. In either event, you may not be sure where to begin. Currently, many of the caregivers are employed full-time. I believe some are also employed part-time. Employed caregivers struggle to balance their time and energy between work and caregiving. Caregivers are often exhausted, burdened and stressed. Employed caregivers find it necessary to turn down training opportunities or promotions. They may take retirement or simply quit their jobs altogether providing care for their loved ones. Lost work opportunities take a financial and emotional toll. Caregivers not only lose current income and benefits, they also face reduced retirement income because of zero CPF contributions. Caregivers who enjoy their job, are friends with their co-workers may also become depressed and lonely after quitting. With zero income, an extra responsibility of being a family caregiver for a PWD is added to an already costly equation. Many people are feeling the financial burden on top of emotional and physical burdens that come with the situation at home. Currently, there is a foreign domestic worker levy concession available to families with children aged 12 years and below and elderly aged 65 and above. Families of PWD who need help in caregiving.”
“Is the Government going to form a corporate body to supervise the pay out of this large sum of money to the party's concerned and look into the worst- case scenarios who are in dire need of help? The system must never be abused. Thank you, Madam.”
“We will fight in the villages. We shall never surrender." Sir, Singapore is like that. We will never give in to the onslaught of the recession. Will we come through? I think so. Singapore will survive. But will we become stronger? I have my doubts. Because the programmes contains in the Budget are welfare in nature. Some people prefer to have a recession, so that they can get more welfare, free money from somewhere. This time round, the Government even take out from the vaults, the surpluses, to pay, to keep jobs. Sir, I wonder if this could have negative effects. Since money is given to firms and workers, let us all see that this recession prolongs, we can get free money. I think one thing is necessary and that is to train workers to be productive and competitive. I think, if we have that spirit, maybe this will be all right, despite the free money that is given out. Under the scheme for direct assistance to households, help should be given for transport with regard to education, to help middle-income group. There is a sharp difference of fares that are paid by junior college students and Polytechnic students. Students purchase the same concession passes which have the symptoms of use. I urge the Government to overlook and to establish a fairer system of charging concession passes for all students by adjusting the prices for concession passes for Polytechnic students and we will be able to relieve the heavy financial burden of families, of all middle-income with at least one child in Polytechnic. Relieving costs at a time of belt-tightening in expenditure. Sir, my last point is the distribution of $4.5 billion, which is a lot of money. It must be completely transparent in its distribution.”
“Thank you, Sir, for allowing me to join in this debate. This year's Budget Statement is a fair one. Both business people as well as our workers benefit from this Budget. In past years, when the economy was bad, the nature of the Government was to cut costs. When the CPF contribution rates were cut, and there were widespread layoffs. This time round, no such thing happened. Instead the Government's priority were to preserve jobs and building for the future. The Budget speech sounded like the first manifesto of the PAP in 1954, whereby it stated that the wages shall not be cut as a solution to the recession of the day. [Mdm Deputy Speaker (Ms Indranee Rajah) in the Chair] 4.32 pm I would urge the Government to encourage companies to train their workers to be more productive and competitive. Now that their CPF rate are not cut. Sir, the WIS programme, incentive programme given to low-paid workers is a reasonable one, provided that the workers are in good health. I wish the Minister would amend this programme to reflect that should the worker fall sick, some financial assistance be given to him until he gets well and recover to be able to work again. I support Mr Inderjit Singh's call for foreign workers to be reduced. In times of economic slowdown, jobs are difficult to come by. The interests of local workers must come first. The Government must be seen to protect the interests of the local workers. Sir, as I sat in my seat yesterday, I was amazed by the way many MPs spoke with conviction and passion. Ms Irene Ng, especially sounded very Churchillian. We will all remember that in 1939, Churchill gave a rousing speech. He said that, "We will fight against the Germans. We will fight in the beaches. We will fight in the fields. We will fight in the wills.”
“There is a sum of $80 million budgeted in 2006 to be used for upgrading of flats at Potong Pasir. But that sum, although budgeted, was not released. I am asking whether part of that sum can be used to fund observers to overseas elections?”
“The DPM says that there were a lot of people and everybody was stepping on the ground. That will not confuse the dogs. In fact, this is a good case for using tracker dogs because his trousers were there and left a scent and, secondly, he could run very fast. The dogs will outrun him anytime, because he had a fall, he sprained his leg and he was limping. So, this is a case for tracker dogs to come in. I have tried to convince DPM but he does not seem to be impressed by what I said. Mr Wong Kan Seng: No, Sir, it is not because I am not convinced. I will pass Mr Chiam's view and his knowledge about tracker dogs to the police department and I will let them assess this. There may well be a lot of truth, there may well be a lot of insights in what Mr Chiam said, and I am no expert in this but I will convey it to the professionals for them to study and, hopefully, we will learn from this the next time too.”
“Dogs have got 20 times stronger smell than human beings. Have Members watched the movie about the early southern states where these slaves used to escape and these dogs would go after them? They got no chance of running away even if they tried to go through the swamps. In this case it is the same thing. Mas Selamat would be going ahead and we have five sniff dogs chasing after him. Whether he goes into the bush or climb a tree, I think he will not escape.”