Chong Weng Chiew
Singapore
“Due to the high fees currently, often a spouse, usually a woman, would have to quit her job to take care of such an elderly person. Considering that the median household income is about $4,000, the household income would be halved if she quits, thereby creating financial hardship and family stress.”
“Mobility is a big problem for them and many cannot afford to pay for unsubsidised home therapy sessions or domestic help and taxi fares to bring them for follow-up appointments. More often than not, they miss their follow-up therapy sessions and their conditions will start deteriorating from there.”
“With regard to my cut on genetic counselling, I would like to suggest that the Ministry work with the Registry of Marriages to encourage all couples registering for marriage to go for medical screening and genetic counselling. Potential couples have the right to know about each other's health status.”
“" Teens under the age of 18 have to get permission from their parents and many end up persuading their parents to donate too. Their contribution comes at a time when demand is growing due to the aging American population.”
“It has to be fair and preferably tiered to be as inclusive as possible. It should also be responsive and flexible, easy to administer and not require too much bureaucracy. This is a pretty tall order. Still, we have to find a way to align the disbursement of healthcare subsidies in all our public medical facilities.”
“Sir, in many countries, whistle-blowing has been a major source of discovery of many fraud cases. Could the public have a clearer understanding of the exact protocol and processes in which complaints can be made and also subsequently on what grounds would such complaints be further investigated, that is to say, what information the public…”
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“Lastly, are there any plans to introduce new measures to increase job opportunities for the disabled?”
“Sir, with regard to my cut on the disabled, I would like to ask the Minister about his plans for increasing educational opportunities for the teenager and adult disabled at our vocational training centres located at VWOs, polytechnics, junior colleges and universities. In this age of life-long learning, constant skills upgrading and retraining is required for all workers, including those reaching their 60s. Are we similarly up to date in our education infrastructure and programmes for the disabled? Currently, the education system for disabled children is fairly well developed. At primary level, we have VWOs running 21 special education schools (SPEDs), with funding from the Ministry of Education and NCSS. For those who are able, they continue their secondary education in specially equipped mainstream secondary schools. The others proceed to one of the training centres or workshops run by VWOs. What happens next? Can we improve upon the current education and training opportunities for them after they leave school? I am sure that we can do more to equip them with updated skills to help them qualify for a wider selection of jobs. Presently, employment assistance for people with disabilities is coordinated by a VWO - Bizlink Centre Limited - which is supported by the Government and the NCSS. The Centre assesses their suitability for employment and helps them with job placement. Follow-up services and support are also given to help the disabled person remain employed. Could the Minister update the House on how successful the job placement service has been in terms of (1) the number and percentage of successful job placements by type of disabilities; (2) the average duration of employment; and (3) the range of remuneration and median salaries.”
“Due to the high fees currently, often a spouse, usually a woman, would have to quit her job to take care of such an elderly person. Considering that the median household income is about $4,000, the household income would be halved if she quits, thereby creating financial hardship and family stress. I thus hope that the Ministry would look into this need soon.”
“Sir, increasingly, more senior citizens will be living alone or with their aged spouses. Some of these elderly are single or widowed, with others prefer to live separately from their children to avoid family conflict. It is a pity that there are not more inter-generation families living together. May I ask, like the hon. Member, Mr Sin Boon Ann, if the Ministry has any information on the current state of relations between the elderly and the younger family members? With this information, I believe, we would be in a much better position to have policies to promote greater interaction among different generations. Ideally, the elderly should be staying with their families. If they are sickly they would be taken care of by their loved ones in familiar surroundings. In fact, this is also the objective of the Ministry of Health with regard to senior citizens ageing within Singapore. However, this could be a heavy task for the caregiver. It can be extremely tiring and straining, emotionally. I would like to ask if the Government has any new measures to give our caregivers, as well as caregivers support group, more support. Those elderly who live on their own will need more community services and facilities that cater to their needs. Unfortunately, currently many of these services remain patchy at best. Would the Government be facilitating the development of more client-centric care services for the elderly? Lastly, we also need to increase the number of homes that charge affordable fees to take care of senior citizens with difficult conditions and, in those circumstances, where it is quite difficult to have elderly within the family. This includes, especially, dementia cases.”
“" Teens under the age of 18 have to get permission from their parents and many end up persuading their parents to donate too. Their contribution comes at a time when demand is growing due to the aging American population. I am not suggesting that we focus on getting blood only from our teenagers but, rather, this development in the US could be instructive. There may be elements that we could adopt. We certainly do not want to make the parents of our teenagers nervous. Due to cultural differences, our attitude towards blood donation needs time to change but, sadly, we cannot afford to wait too long. We too have an aging population. The onus for blood donation remains on the adult population.”
“Sir, with regard to my cut on national blood programme, I am very concerned with the recurring shortage in our blood bank, particularly during our year-end festive seasons. In December 2005 and January 2006, our supply dropped to such low levels at one point that we have only enough to last 24 hours. With only 1.5% of our population donating blood, we have one of the lowest rates amongst developed nations. An adequate supply of blood is crucial. Imagine what could have happened if we had a crisis during that period? Incidents, such as 911 in the US, showed how vulnerable any country can be despite security measures. How we boost our blood bank is no longer just an health issue. It is also a national security issue. I would like to ask the Ministry if we could re-examine our blood donation programme and identify areas for improvement. As we try to increase supply, we should also try to reduce demand. One way is to get suitable patients to use autologous blood. Patients going for elective surgeries, in particular, could be encouraged to do so. Elective surgeries account for one-third of total blood usage but only around 4.5% of such procedures use autologous blood. Perhaps, we can look at the experience of other countries. An article in the Philadelphia Inquiry on 27th January this year described the success of blood donation drive in the US. Teenagers over the age of 16 are now the fastest growing group of blood donors, contributing up to 16% of the blood supply in some places. I quote: "Blood banks, including the Red Cross, have aggressively marketed to teens through web pages, MTV commercials. Research by the Ad Council shows teens are more willing to engage in community service than many adults.”
“With regard to my cut on genetic counselling, I would like to suggest that the Ministry work with the Registry of Marriages to encourage all couples registering for marriage to go for medical screening and genetic counselling. Potential couples have the right to know about each other's health status. If they plan to have children, this information will be even more important. For the majority, there will be nothing to worry about, but for the minority, this information could be critical. They could present an opportunity to seek medical advice and treatment. Preventive measures could help to reduce potential health risk to the unborn children and avoid unnecessary suffering. Every child is precious, especially in baby-scarce Singapore. Pre-marital health screening and genetic counselling will help to maximise the potential of each child in our small nation. Anti-smoking Policy”
“Mobility is a big problem for them and many cannot afford to pay for unsubsidised home therapy sessions or domestic help and taxi fares to bring them for follow-up appointments. More often than not, they miss their follow-up therapy sessions and their conditions will start deteriorating from there. Then what happens, ironically, is that they will reach such a bad stage that they have to be admitted into an acute hospital where their medical fees would then be subsidised. But does this not lead to higher treatment costs, more given subsidies and greater suffering, all quite unnecessary since it is preventable in the first place? Sir, I understand that such one-to-one home therapy sessions come at higher costs because they do not enjoy economies of scale, unlike sessions conducted at community rehabilitation facilities. However, I hope that the Ministry would be able to approve a system whereby selected cases, genuine cases, with severe problems gaining access to community services, can be given the benefit of subsidies for using home therapy sessions. Financial Assistance”
“If the Government would consider subsidising their services or, more importantly, share patient information with respect to patient confidentiality for the elderly poor, such monetary as well as logistic support will help many VWOs to expand its capacity to service more poor chronic sick elderly in more estates. It would also go a long way to help ensure that the service will continue to be provided to needy, senior citizens at very affordable rates. I hope the Minister would consider this suggestion favourably. Home Therapy Next, I will move on to my next cut on home therapy. Likewise, the Minister has mentioned examples on home therapy earlier on and I am sure the Minister is fully supportive of the fact that home therapy does provide lots of benefits for patients. My cut on home therapy would actually be particularly angled for the chronically sick, poor and those living alone. As much as we are able to, we should also do our best to help the elderly sick alleviate their sufferings, particularly in the area of therapy. As I have mentioned earlier in my speech on mobile healthcare services, many senior citizens have difficulties travelling even to nearby polyclinics or community rehabilitation centres for subsidised follow-up treatments. The case as mentioned by the Minister earlier on, to a great extent, is a good example of such a case where the patient would have problem travelling to specific centres for treatment. Hence, I would like to request the Ministry to consider extending Government subsidies to home therapy sessions for the elderly poor. Many of these live alone, with an elderly spouse or as "latch key" grandparents.”
“Sir, I am definitely happy and glad to hear the Minister's description of the Ministry's interest and views on the chronic sick's illnesses. My two cuts actually involve the following up of the chronic sick's illnesses as well. First, let me declare my interest as I am involved in a couple of VWOs that provide non-institutional clinical services to needy senior citizens - one runs a mobile clinic and the other provides domiciliary homecare services for the elderly. Today, I will be emphasising about mobile clinics. As our population ages, more and more senior citizens will face mobility problems. Although the Government has started working on making our neighbourhood estates barrier-free, this process will take a few years. Meanwhile, a growing number of elderly, especially the chronic sick, face challenges going to nearby polyclinics, or even their GPs, for their follow-up treatments. The mobile clinic concept offers an easier option for the elderly with chronic illnesses. They encourage them to get their illnesses examined and monitored. In fact, the work of the mobile clinics complements the services of our established polyclinics as well as general practitioners. If there is a way these two services can work together, they should, in the sharing of patient information, updating of patient conditions, treatments, and so forth. I am glad that the Minister's earlier description on IT has addressed these concerns. Currently, these mobile clinics operate independently and their services are not subsidised by the Government. They are only able to subsidise patients with funds from donors. As a result, they can only cater to a small number of elderly.”
“It has to be fair and preferably tiered to be as inclusive as possible. It should also be responsive and flexible, easy to administer and not require too much bureaucracy. This is a pretty tall order. Still, we have to find a way to align the disbursement of healthcare subsidies in all our public medical facilities. The longer we wait, the more our resources will be utilised inefficiently. ElderShield”
“Sir, when I first filed this cut on means testing in polyclinics and public hospitals more than a week ago, I was planning to ask the Minister about the implementation timeframe. Then I came across an article in Sunday's Lianhe Zaobao mentioning that the Minister said that he would not be in a hurry to do so within the next one to two years. This is due to the inherent difficulties of deciding which households qualify for subsidies. So I guess I do have an indication with regard to the timeframe. However, I would still like to ask the Minister to share with us the Ministry's findings and views to date. Are we still studying it, or is it "no go" for now? 2.00 pm I do agree with the Minister that means testing in practice is fraught with difficulties. I have some experience myself when I was working in a community hospital. The processes and tools we use for means testing can certainly be improved. We have to find ways to reduce the paperwork and cut down on our long waits for family members to submit their income documents. Unfortunately, the disparity now between our acute hospitals and step-down facilities does not encourage our patients to move on from acute hospitals to community hospitals and nursing homes. This is because patients in the latter are means tested but those in our public hospitals are not. As a result, we have more crowded C class wards. This is undesirable because it is an inefficient use of our medical resources. Also, a good portion of our subsidies is going to patients who do not need it. Due to the difference, our total healthcare subsidy costs are being elevated. I understand the Ministry's caution. If we were to proceed to implement means testing, the scheme has to be carefully conceived.”
“Moreover, proposals and applications for Government grants are all in English and they have to incur additional costs to engage consultants to just help them to write the proposals in English. SMEs, by definition, have assets below $15 million and employ less than 200 people. However, within this group, there is a diverse range, from one-man shows to those employing over 100 people. Their needs are very different and setting up different departments within the proposed agency will help focus on the specific measures to boost their viability and survival. In addition, Government help schemes for SMEs have daunting criteria. New companies with short track records have the greatest problems getting financing. Without help, many a fledgling enterprise will never see the light of day. They also need help with research and data to plan their businesses better, expand overseas markets, and greater subsidies for staff training. Thus, I strongly urge the Government to consider rendering our SMEs more support. Their development and growth will add greatly to the dynamic fabric of the Singapore economy. With that, Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the Budget. 4.05 pm”
“Unlike the bottom 20%, they pay taxes but live in apprehension of the impending means testing measures being imposed on more and more public subsidised services, from healthcare to education and others. If our means testing system is well-conceived, erring on the side of generosity, I think they would not mind so much. But if they perceive that their problems have not received due attention because they are supposed to be able to take care of themselves, I think they might protest with their feet. They are well-educated, skilled, hardworking and driven. They are the ideal immigrants. They are mobile. Based on anecdotal evidence, a significant number of Singaporeans seem to be migrating. This may or may not be true. Official statistics, unfortunately, are not available although I think it would be useful. Perhaps the relevant departments could make an effort to collect information on this because we need to know why and whether there are issues we need to deal with. Even as we open up to welcome foreign talents, we must also play defensive to keep our own local-born-and-bred talents. Next, I would like to speak on nurturing our local enterprises. Singapore's economy has benefited much from aggressive courtship of mega investments from MNCs. I agree with many of my parliamentary colleagues who have been urging for more support for our SMEs. We need to develop more SMEs. They can play a much bigger role in our economy than what it is today. Based on feedback from many local business people, setting up an agency focusing on their needs under MTI would help tremendously. Many entrepreneurs speak and write mainly in Chinese and communicating with Government staff is a problem.”
“The cheapest car in the market is around $50-$60,000. This is equivalent to about a year's wages. Car ownership is a constant gripe of the middle class. The elites have no problems paying for cars. The lower 20% do not even think about affording cars. The middle class aspires to own cars, works hard to pay for them and winces under the heavy burden of car ownership. Their main complaint, based on feedback I have heard over the last few years from my residents, is that they are dissatisfied with our current transportation system. Most are executives and professionals, and they are pressed hard for time and desire much better connectivity. The Transport Ministry may wish to be more responsive to feedback on the inconvenience of the now widespread "bus-MRT-bus" mode of travelling. Wherever MRT stations pop up, some bus routes will be withdrawn to get commuters to use the MRT. But the travelling patterns of people are diverse and varied and having some overlap is actually desirable as it provides alternatives, adding to the robustness of our transport system. For example, I understand that this morning, there were some problems along one of our MRT lines. It caused many commuters to be delayed. Imagine if there were a crisis affecting one of our MRT stations, the whole line could be jammed up for hours, even days. Buses offer a much needed alternative and they are flexible. Their routes can be changed easily and I hope the Government will take a deeper look into this issue to see how we can improve our current transport system. The middle class also feels squeezed and has not been given that much in terms of Budget "goodies".”
“The Japanese have always loved fresh fish, but the waters close to Japan have not held fish for decades and the fishing boats went further than ever. The return trip took more than a few days and the fish became not so fresh, so fishing companies installed freezers on their boats. The Japanese did not like the taste of frozen fish. So, fishing companies installed fish tanks instead and stuffed the fish into the tanks. The fish were alive but tired and dull and the Japanese could still taste the difference. To solve the problem, the Japanese companies added a small shark to the tank! The shark would eat a few fish, but the remaining fish would arrive in a very lively state. The fishes survived because they are challenged! The feature concluded that people need right-sized challenges to keep them active and to help them work better. Our Government's task is to figure out the right "shark" - the appropriate combination of fiscal incentives to motivate a diverse group of workers. Low taxes, minimum bureaucracy, efficient and reliable infrastructure are some of the pillars of a successful and competitive economy. Controlling inflation and maintaining a reasonable cost of living is also essential. In recent years, many Singaporeans have complained about the rising costs of living, but if we examine our Consumer Price Index trend over the last decade, we can see that, if cars and housing were not included, our CPI has actually been quite stable. The high cost of our cars jacks up our overall cost of living. In a recent international ranking of the most expensive cities to live in the world, Singapore was near the top, because of this. A 2003 Household Expenditure Survey found that about 35% of all households own cars. The overall average monthly household income is $4,800.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, this Budget is very much a social Budget, by its emphasis on the people's welfare, particularly the lower income group. In the past, MPs had constantly exhorted the Government to pay more attention to them, as they struggle to adjust to globalisation and catching up. Every year, the Government has given assistance through various help schemes, on top of the usual "ang pow" in various guises for all Singaporeans. Over the years, we have become so used to the annual goodies, big or small, that we would have been very surprised if there were none. My Parliamentary colleagues who spoke earlier have expressed their concern of a crutch mentality developing among the very people we aim to help. Going forward, I hope the Government will continue to help needy Singaporeans but refrain from too many unconditioned giveaways. These should be reserved for those who are truly destitute and helpless, especially children and the elderly. As much as possible, future grants should be tied to efforts, along the lines of Workfare, to encourage our people to be more dynamic and independent. There is a fascinating article in the Straits Times on Saturday about the determination of new China immigrants to succeed, titled "Enter the Hungry Dragons". New immigrants are often viewed with some apprehension but they do provide the established community with a much needed jolt. They have not received any Government assistance and depend entirely on their own efforts to succeed. On the same day, I read my January copy of "Armynews" which featured an article, "What's your shark for '06?". Now this story is much too good to keep for our NSmen alone, so please indulge me while I share a thinking soldier's "sashimi" story.”
“Sir, in many countries, whistle-blowing has been a major source of discovery of many fraud cases. Could the public have a clearer understanding of the exact protocol and processes in which complaints can be made and also subsequently on what grounds would such complaints be further investigated, that is to say, what information the public must offer in order to kick-start a significant level of investigation?”
“Equally high standard should be expected of the auditors as a flawed audit in the case of deadly pathogens would be a matter of life and death unlike failed audits in the world of businesses and commerce or charities for that matter. With this, I support the Bill.”
“However, in view of the lethal potential of certain agents, we need to deploy the best resources available from security technology to armed escorts to ensure that certain agents do not fall into the wrong hands. Insiders, those with approved access, would be the most difficult to guard against. They would be familiar with the protocols and security procedures, they could be motivated by any number of reasons such as financial temptations or threats. I would like to ask the Minister whether we have a detailed and standardised personnel screening programme in place at all facilities to determine the integrity of the individuals seeking approval for handling higher risk agents or regular access to the facilities containing these agents. Do we have a human reliability programme which conducts regular background investigations? Do we have in place a framework to assess, protect and investigate the claims of maybe whistle blowers? Such policies and procedures should be uniform across similar facilities depending on the types of agents they deal with. They should not be left to the discretion of various management committees of the facilities. Thus, in conclusion, to ensure high standards of biosafety and biosecurity we must establish uniform standards for the physical protection, control, accounting, and transportation security of listed agents and toxins together with personnel vetting procedures to ensure the reliability of scientists and workers granted access to these agents. This is regardless of whether the personnel are working for private or Government facilities.”
“With this categorisation, we will be able to strike a better balance between allowing more latitude in the handling of low risk agents and greater restrictions for the more dangerous organisms. Now that we have addressed the issue of biosafety, I would like to ask the Minister if we could do more to enhance biosecurity in Singapore. The objective of biosafety measures is to prevent the accidental release of dangerous agents and toxins, and, on the other hand, the aim of biosecurity measures is to prevent deliberate theft or diversion of purposes of biological terrorism or warfare. This Bill addresses both issues. However, I would like to request that the Government consider putting in place more substantial biosecurity measures in view of our rapid developments in the field of biomedical research. The reason is simple - there are national as well as international security issues involved here. For it is biosecurity or rather the inadequacy of which is what that worries me. Although the possibility of bio-terrorism occurring in Singapore at this point in time seems remote, a single incident could definitely be potentially devastating. We are an international travel and transit hub. Every year, we have 8.3 million foreign visitors, 80 of the world's airlines converge here through 3,900 scheduled weekly flights to more than 180 cities in 56 countries. More than 5 million air passengers stop over here. Our reputation for safety in all aspects from health to low crime rates is an important asset which must be defended vigorously. We need substantial biosecurity guidelines for the physical protection, control and accounting of dangerous organisms. Security resources are, as we all know limited.”
“These incidents highlighted the potential of laboratories becoming sources of outbreaks. As a result, most would agree with the need to regulate the safe handling of biological agents and toxins through legislation. This Bill follows the league of developed nations such as the United States and Britain which have established laws on biosafety and biosecurity. I am convinced, after reading the Bill, that we will have adequate measures to establish a high standard of biosafety in Singapore. These will minimise the probability of accidents like those I have mentioned earlier on. The regulations are thorough covering the possession, import, transportation and the disposal of biological agents and toxins. They will ensure that the operators of facilities handling high risk agents put in place adequate measures and policies to maintain biosafety. It is also very reassuring to know that the Ministry will conduct regular audits to make sure that the laws are followed and safety standards being met. I am also pleased to note that a good degree of flexibility has been included in the legislation to address the issue of balance between safety and freedom of research. Measures to increase safety should not obstruct other essential operating systems within the laboratory. Neither should they hinder the researcher's ability to perform experiments in a timely manner. The agents have been categorised into five Schedules according to the ability to cause death and illness, the availability of preventive measures and treatment and their potential for bioterrorism. These criteria determine the degree of regulation.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Bill. The enactment of the Biological Agents and Toxins Bill is timely for two reasons. Firstly, the legislation is in line with our goal to be a regional biomedical hub. To gain ground more quickly in this sector we need to increase our collaboration with the international scientific community. In order to attract world class researchers and organisations, we have to establish a good regulatory framework, supportive Government policies and the necessary infrastructure. The new laws will boost their confidence in our research environment, the quality of the work done here and help ensure the safety of their staff. Secondly, we face the threats of bioterrorism, however remote the possibility. These measures will help to minimise and secure access to agents with bioterrorism potential. The bomb attacks in Bali a couple of weeks ago are chilling reminders of the danger terrorism poses. Terrorism will continue to be a grave problem in the near future. Terrorists will use any means at their disposal to wreak damage and chaos. Thus, we must guard against this vigilantly. Our laws have to strike a balance keeping research safe and being too restrictive. Our legislation should not be so onerous that we discourage vital research work from being conducted here. However, we must be mindful that as we develop into a biomedical hub, more laboratories will be working with biological agents that could pose public health risk. The necessity of legislation took on urgency after an incident here in 2003 when a staff was infected after he was exposed to the SARS virus in his laboratory. Soon after, there were two other similar reports of laboratory-acquired SARS in our region.”
“Sir, I would like to ask the Minister whether there would be sufficient public education, as this is a new Police Unit. I think, to many members of the public, they would not know what are the standard operating procedures that the Minister has talked about earlier on.”
“Sir, MCYS started a youth consultation exercise which involved a large number of young Singaporeans. The objective was to engage them and incorporate their visions, desires and ideas into our national plans and agendas. I think this wonderful initiative should continue to be carried out regularly with on-going smaller sessions as well as larger-scale exercises carried out at least once every three years. Can the Ministry at this point of time provide an update on the recent exercise? Last year, the Ministry was renamed MCYS. This change of name reflects the importance our Government places on engaging and involving youths in our nation building. However, on the one hand, there are so many youth issues and their corresponding implications for Singapore's future. On the other hand, we have resource constraints and, thus, MCYS should prioritise its areas of focus. Can the Ministry share with this House its priorities in the area of youth engagement and the plans to address these priorities? Funding for Sports”
“Sir, it is not easy to read fast, and I have to apologise for it. First, allow me to declare my interest in a few charity welfare organisations. VWOs are central to our "many helping hands" approach to welfare delivery. There are two groups of VWOs: those run by secular groups and those supported by religious groups. Both have their places in our community complementing one another. However, while VWOs with religious connections enjoy the continued patronage and support of their various congregations, non-religious VWOs do not have such an advantage. A recent national survey commissioned by the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre found that 52% of donations made by individuals between April 2003 and 2004 went to churches, temples, mosques and other places of worship. A proportion of these donations are in turn used to fund community projects and VWOs supported by religious groups. Hence, all the more our secular VWOs need the Government support to carry out the mission and tasks effectively. Because they are secular, they are not restricted by guidelines inherent in VWOs linked to religious groups, and thus can work together with all groups in our multi-religious, multi-cultural community to reach broad based targets.”
“In addition, our disabled need a supportive social network within their community to help them to overcome various inconveniences. I would encourage the Ministry to erect a match-making or even befrienders' service scheme to link the disabled with their neighbours and volunteers staying in the vicinity, so that they would have an extended family to look out for assistance in their daily lives. Building Strong Families”
“Sir, to achieve our goal of becoming a more inclusive society we have to adopt a more holistic approach towards integrating the disabled into our daily community lives. The major complaint I heard from many of my disabled friends in Singapore is the problem of transportation. Given the dominance of high-rise buildings and the fast pace of life in our city, we have to overcome many obstacles to accommodate the physical and social needs of our disabled friends. We are certainly going the right direction with more ramps, lifts in public places, but there are still many areas of disjoints which hinder their movements. As we all know, just one area of disconnect could render a very simple journey "mission impossible" for the disabled. And there are implications from such physical inconveniences such as the inability to take on jobs leading to lifelong dependence on family members or financial assistance, depressed self-esteem and so on. Hence, I would like to recommend that MCYS work very closely with MND in the planning and revision of public facilities and infrastructure to ensure that all these little kinks are ironed out. It is also very important that the disabled be given the opportunity to be self-reliant. Many of them, in fact, are eager to contribute and be active and involve members of our community. 5.30 pm Due to the rapid advances in technology, there are many affordable software and hardware which can help the disabled to work from home and become gainfully employed. May I encourage the Ministry to do more to improve the employment prospects of those who are disabled, and also to have schemes and financial provisions to help them acquire the necessary training and skills, tools and hardware to enable them to work.”
“Sir, once again I agree wholeheartedly with hon. Member, Dr Lily Neo. She always has the privilege to mention those points before me. The Ministry has introduced subsidies for homecare providers three years ago. I think that is in line with the Ministry's objective of promoting homecare or rather home-based or community-based care as compared to institutional care. However, currently, the subsidy does not extend to many other services including home therapy services. Thus, I hope the Ministry will reconsider this decision in view of our growing ageing population. An increasing number of elderly Singaporeans will require physiotherapy and other follow-up care services that are conducted at their homes and in the community. This is because many elderly people are either living alone or are alone in the day, when their children or caregivers are at work. Hence, they are home-bound. Yes, there are daycare centres at various locations island-wide but, even so, elderly with mobility problems will have problem accessing these services. In addition, not every estate has daycare centres. In fact, those people who will benefit maximally from therapy are actually those who are home-bound. If a person has the ability to go to a daycare centre for rehabilitation, probably his disability is not as bad as one who is home-bound. Thus, without MOH's subsidy, the elderly poor will not be able to benefit from treatment and therapy just when they need them most. If the Ministry could subsidise such services, many elderly will benefit from this improvement in their health, as well as their quality of life. Thus, I hope that the Ministry will review its position on this policy.”
“Sir, I would like to declare my interest as a health practitioner in a few charity welfare organisations. In fact, I agree fully with what hon. Member Dr Lily Neo has mentioned. Currently, only patients who seek treatment for chronic illnesses follow up at polyclinics qualify for Government subsidies. However, there are limitations to the reach of our polyclinics to the needy. Many of the elderly sick have mobility problem and thus have difficulty going to the polyclinics without assistance. As a result, many of the sick, the poor elderly postpone or even to the extent of defaulting on their visits to the polyclinics until, very often, which is the case, their conditions are irreversible or untreatable. Such situations lead to unnecessary sufferings and could result in even heavier medical bills for them subsequently and their families, as well as the taxpayers, who would subsidise the more aggressive and usually more costly treatments to help them recover. To alleviate the situation, may I suggest that the Ministry of Health consider allowing means-tested patients to seek subsidised chronic sick follow-up at private clinics. Our network of private clinics is excellent, at least one within walking distance of almost every HDB block. Next, besides giving grants to our two current health groups, would the Ministry consider allowing qualified charity welfare organisations who offer chronic sick follow-up medical services to the needy to claim similar grants? This way, voluntary welfare organisations can also assist in serving the poor and sick by offering subsidised services which complement those already offered by our current medical agencies. This would be perfectly in line with the many-helping-hands approach of our Government.”
“This is much welcomed and praised by the traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, as well as patients who prefer TCM treatment. Such a cooperation plan can help to promote better mutual understanding and recognition between the western-trained doctors and the TCM physicians. I hope that, in the not too distant future, similar cooperation plan may be extended to more Government hospitals and clinics. However, to arrive at such a stage, as pointed out by Minister Khaw Boon Wan, the pre-requisite is that the professional standard of the Chinese physicians must be raised. At present, we have two colleges providing specialised training for Chinese physicians. There are some 2,000 registered Chinese physicians in Singapore, and another 1,000 or so studying in the two colleges. May I ask the Minister whether his Ministry is keeping track of the number of TCM students and registered practitioners to ensure that there would not be a situation of over-supply of TCM practitioners? At the same time, we must ensure that the TCM bodies in Singapore go for quality rather than quantity.”
“Sir, currently, there are two medical clusters providing a wide and comprehensive range of public health services to Singaporeans. At the same time, they have the objective to pursue medical excellence and thus provide certain premium services. This is definitely an inspiring and exciting goal in line with our desired status to be a centre for medical excellence. However, the availability of premium services in public facilities often leads to very high cost for certain families. For example, whenever a patient is admitted regardless of the class of the ward, the family of the patient would normally request that the medical personnel choose the best available treatment for their loved ones. More often than not, there is little discussion over cheaper alternative treatment, particularly because the filial piety is part of our Asian culture. There may be some marginal differences in their effectiveness but the cost difference can be substantial. Thus, I would like to recommend that our current two clusters focus on providing basic health services only, and if the two medical clusters are to pursue premium services to set up the third cluster, if necessary, for these premium services. The third cluster would have the freedom to pursue excellence for more cutting-edge medicine in our quest to be the world class centre for excellence. Traditional Chinese Medicine Sir, my next cut is on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and I wish to speak in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): Sir, I wish to thank the Minister for Health who has, after listening to my repeated appeals in Parliament, finally decided to allow qualified Chinese physicians to treat patients in the wards of approved public hospitals.”
“Sir, last year, I spoke on the necessity to implement means testing to maximise the use of subsidy dollars for truly needy patients. Once again, I would like to reiterate the need for us to implement this in all public hospitals when we are ready. Currently, patients in community hospitals and nursing homes are means tested. However, this is not the case in our public acute hospitals and partly contributing to crowded "C" class wards in these acute hospitals. Thus, we should align the disbursement of healthcare subsidies. In addition, if we are going to implement means testing to all, all the health facilities should use the same template for means testing. An example of potential inconsistency will be using per capita income to determine the subsidy at acute hospitals, but household income to determine subsidy at step-down care facilities. We have now close to three years of experience and, I must say, success in implementing means testing in community hospitals and nursing homes. The processes and tools involved, however, though could be improved. Messy paperwork and long waits for family members to submit income documents have led to lots of delays. Therefore, may I propose that the Ministry fine-tune and come up with better processes that save time and manpower cost and, at the same time, to have a graded scale, as mentioned by Mdm Halimah earlier on, if we are going to extend the implementation of means testing to acute hospitals.”
“Sir, this year, the thorough review of our MediShield scheme is welcomed by many. Those who study it in detail will understand the benefits. However, some Singaporeans may not comprehend the changes and the corresponding benefits fully. Words like deductibles, claim limits, are Greek to many. However, they seem to be very clear about having to pay higher premiums and thus many are unhappy with that. Therefore, I hope the Ministry will conduct a very comprehensive public education exercise to help our people understand the changes fully. We can have road shows in all four official languages and even in dialects to ensure that everyone, the young, and particularly the middle-aged and the old, have a good understanding of the MediShield coverage. Hopefully, with a better understanding, fewer will opt out and remain under the protection of the MediShield. This will go a very long way for Singaporeans to contain their medical cost. Secondly, I would also like to suggest that MOH work very closely with CDCs to identify those who will opt out of the scheme and to check with them if they fully understand the consequences of which they are having genuine difficulties in paying the premium. For those with obvious genuine problems with paying the premium, maybe the CDCs could look into assisting such poor families.”
“That is not to penalise all the good and sincere IPCs while we try to sieve out the black sheep. 5.45 pm Goods and Services Tax”
“Sir, the Council on Governance of Institutions of Public Character (IPC), at the end of last year, has published proposed guidelines seeking feedback from current IPCs. The proposed guidelines cover almost every aspect of the administration and operation of charities, from fund-raising practices to financial management, from financial disclosure to recruitment and staffing practices. It includes checks at every level of the fund-raising process, especially for fund raisers that bring in more than $1 million in cash. While most VWOs and donors welcome the recommendations for more transparency, implementing many of them comes at a cost, both in terms of time and resources. For example, the Ministry of Finance and the Commissioner of Charities' Office in IRAS have proposed that charities make available online financial details, such as all incoming receipts, including donations, grants, membership fees, investment income. Other information includes expenses incurred, the balance sheet, the total wages of the top three key employees, and their ratio of reserves to annual expenses. Without a doubt, this will result in extra administrative burden. Implementing the rules requires elaborate computer systems, more manpower to track, distribute and monitor every event, and this costs money. Ultimately, the donors will have to pay for it. Staff at the VWOs also get the sense that they are not trusted and they feel demoralised. May I suggest that we ease up on some of the requirements and, to counteract any potential abuses, put in place avenues for reporting of abuses, a framework for investigation, heavy penalties for those who have been discovered to have abused the trust of the Government and the public.”
“Without the necessary care, Tan Ah Pek's condition will deteriorate unnecessarily. Hence, the Government must support every component of step-down care fully. This would help to bring down medical costs overall and reduce the sufferings of the poor elderly. Lastly, I would like to reiterate my call to the Government to reduce the audit requirements for VWOs. I understand that the objectives of greater Government oversight are to enhance the professionalism of VWOs, raise the standards and increase their accountability to the public, and they also just as likely to encroach upon the freedom of the professionals and volunteers, eroding their independence and may reduce their personal motivation and commitment. Bureaucracy impedes the creativity and dampens incentive. Conversely, autonomy gives them a sense of pride and self-satisfaction. Additional audit requirements lead to heavier workloads for our already strained social services personnel and distract them from their main duties. Thus, I urge the Government to consider reviewing our current systems of regulatory and administrative control for our voluntary welfare organisations. On the other hand, for those VWOs which flout the rules and abuse the trust of well-wishers and the Government, they must be severely punished and heavily penalised. Such heavy penalties would act as a deterrent and send a warning signal out to potential wrongdoers. We must not create a hurdle for the good VWOs in the process of dealing with the black sheep. We must not forget to make sure that we give sufficient encouragement for VWOs which are sincere and effective in delivering their services. With this, I support the motion.”
“Firstly, we must have the ability to administer follow-up care to the chronic sick. If Tan Ah Pek were a diabetic, follow-up care is crucial to prevent his condition from deteriorating. However, for many elderly, mobility is a problem. Going to polyclinics or hospitals, especially by themselves, is akin to scaling Mount Everest. Secondly, we need to provide subsidised home therapy. Currently, only therapies given at day care centres are subsidised. The Ministry introduced subsidies for home-care providers three years ago. However, they do not extend to home therapy providers. Mobility is a big problem for many elderly, particularly those who have no relatives who can help them, or who are, as what I would call them, "latch key" Ah Gongs and Ah Mas, whose family members are at school or at work in the day. I hope the Ministry will reconsider this decision, in view of our growing ageing population. Thirdly, we also need home help if home-based care is to be feasible and to be more common. Certain social services are required, eg, Befriender services, laundry services and meals-on-wheels services. There are currently a few providers for these services, but I must say that there is much more room for improvement and much more support to be given to these providers. Looking at this holistically, if we want the elderly sick to recover at home, we need all the supporting components to work well together. If only one component is missing, the entire plan has to be abandoned. Mr Tan Ah Pek would either have to stay in a nursing home or, more likely, in the case of many poor elderly currently, neglect their health by not going for follow-ups. As we say in Chinese, que yi bu ke, which may be translated as "not a single component must be missed".”
“Another recommendation is the setting up of a central nation-wide database of recipients and the details of the assistance they have received. Apparently, there have been cases whereby some recipients take advantage of the system by applying for as many schemes as they qualify for. Due to the lack of a tracking system, they are successful. In addition, the ignorance of the other qualified poor has ensured the availability of the funds to such people. While one might argue that as long as one is willing to give and the other is willing to receive, the Government should not interfere with the process, I would beg to differ. Most donors, given enough relevant information, which is not the case currently, would have preferred to move beyond to help more needy people, once the basic needs of the first group have been taken care of. A central database would help us to even out the uneven distribution of welfare and reduce exploitation. Next, I would like to highlight on geriatric care for the elderly which has been eloquently elaborated by the hon. Member, Dr Lily Neo, yesterday. So far, the home-based care aspect of elderly care has not received sufficient support from the Ministries involved, particularly for its step-down care components, namely, home nursing, home medical, home help and home therapy. Let me just elaborate. Imagine an elderly, say, Tan Ah Pek, who has been admitted into an acute hospital for stroke. Subsequently, he is transferred to a community hospital for rehabilitation. Ideally, if it were up to the Government to decide, the best scenario would be for Ah Pek to be sent home for home-based care, as compared to institutional care. However, for this to happen, all the other components must be in place to support home-based care.”
“They found that they have difficulty in "keeping up with the available schemes, especially since there was no comprehensive listing of all available schemes that they could easily refer to". If the professionals, ie, the administrators and operators, are confused, can you imagine the bewilderment of our poor and feeble elderly? We must simplify and consolidate our assistance schemes, so that they are easy to understand and, just as importantly, easy to administer. A review of all available schemes should be conducted regularly and, wherever possible, overlaps be reduced and the gaps plugged. For many years now, our approach to assistance for the disadvantaged has always been the "Many Helping Hands" approach. A weakness of such an approach is that, without sufficient coordination, communication and cooperation between the various agencies, particularly the voluntary welfare organisations, it could easily result in confusion, inefficiency and lack of economies of scale. We can learn a simple lesson from the fast-food company, McDonalds, which operates on the "KISS" principle, ie, Keep It Simple (Stupid). This is one of the ways to ensure efficiency and speed. Our assistance schemes should also be efficient and speedy in reaching our needy families, preferably JIT, ie, Just In Time. I recommend that we set up island-wide one-stop centres, where those in need can go to apply for help, especially in areas where the needy are concentrated, eg, one to two-room rental flat areas. The locations have to be easily accessible for people who have problems with mobility. I urge the agencies involved to set up such centres for all target needy groups together.”
“Of these, most were likely to have heard about the schemes from friends (60%) or relatives (21%). This shows that we need to do more to reach these needy families. We also have to be much more effective in raising the awareness of our assistance schemes. More publicity and better strategies are needed to identify and reach them. The elderly needy are particularly vulnerable. They are most likely to be "hidden" as many are isolated, with negligible social networks, are illiterate and dialect-speaking. In modern day Singapore, they struggle to understand the presentations in the mass media. Being poor, they may not even have the money for televisions or newspapers. If they are hard of hearing and having weak eyes, they would have difficulty even listening to the radio, watching television and reading any printed materials. The only solution is for us to reach out to them personally. For this, we need the help and collaboration of volunteers, grassroots leaders in each neighbourhood, and social workers. In addition, the study also found that even social workers felt that there are too many financial assistance schemes involving different agencies - MCYS, NCSS, CDCs, VWOs, FSCs, GROs, etc. I quote: "While many have similar eligibility criteria, others have specific criteria corresponding to the policy objectives they were meant to serve. As a result, there are not only many overlapping schemes, but also gaps where the criteria exclude some needy groups. Attempts to plug the gaps usually result in the introduction of even more schemes, further complicating the already confusing system." It is not only potential recipients who are confused. Even scheme administrators, as illustrated in the survey, are confused.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, unlike hon. Mr Zainul, I did not come back from any desert. But I do have a coarse voice due to flu. The Budget is a wonderful one for most Singaporeans, if not all. It contains help for almost everyone, as mentioned by so many speakers earlier on, from the school-going children to retired elderly, from working adults to needy families. While coming up with the dollars and cents, we need to look into the delivery component at the same time. This also applies to the recently announced ComCare Fund. We have many assistance schemes in Singapore to help the poor, the elderly and the jobless. But there is much more we can do to improve our system of delivering help to them. The Social Development Feedback Group has recently released an interim report on needy Singaporeans and our social safety nets. The study found that many needy residents are now aware of the schemes available. The Government has been putting much effort planning and setting up various schemes to help different groups of needy Singaporeans. However, this is not enough. No matter how good our schemes are on paper, they are useless if they are not reaching the people they are meant to help. In the study, a face-to-face interview was conducted with 311 residents of 1-2 room rental flats in nine mature housing estates, including Ghim Moh and Henderson. As the MP for one of the areas covered, this has a personal resonance for me, and it is an issue close to my heart. About 50% of the respondents were over 60 years old. Most were unemployed due to old age or chronic illnesses. Although many of them were in financial difficulty or needed assistance in securing daily necessities, only 33%, or one third, were aware of any financial assistance schemes.”
“This is so because, for them, it is always troublesome to see doctors regularly for follow-up, particularly so if they have few or no symptoms. This is even more so if they are poor, with outstanding utility or rental arrears, and following up on their long-term illnesses is viewed as much less important. Thus, many such patients decided to default on their follow-up. I wish that MOH would be able to review our current system and address these concerns through more systematic public education and improving on the policies of chronic illnesses and their follow-up as, if neglected, we will be in deep trouble in the coming years as our population ages rapidly, with medical complications like heart attacks, strokes, kidney failures and amputations haunting our elderly. With this, Sir, I support the motion.”
“The mobile elderly participate in exercises, such as tai-chi and qigong, congregating occasionally at the senior citizens' corner to watch TV, sing karaoke, and play chess. Unfortunately, these elderly do not form the majority. Many elderly are confined to their homes. They either find it inconvenient to get out of their houses because of their immobility or they are simply not interested in exercising or interacting with others. For the group of elderly who are home-bound because of their disability, there are currently not many programmes for them, though there are currently social or rehabilitative day-care centres. These cannot cater to the immobile elderly, as they cannot get to the centres at all for the rehabilitation exercises or for rehabilitation. Thus, we should look into offering solutions to help these immobile elderly who are stuck in their homes currently. One example would be the promotion of better and more effective befriender services, and the other is to encourage operators, particularly VWOs, to offer rehabilitation to these poor elderly at their homes, with subsidies given to poor families. I urge the Government to give due emphasis to the welfare of these home-bound elderly. Lastly, I would like to highlight a crucial point for an ageing population like Singapore's, ie, the importance of follow-up care for chronic illnesses among the elderly, particularly the poor. In fact, I am indeed glad to note that Minister Khaw has highlighted to promote holistic care among primary healthcare as one of MOH's priorities in 2005. Many elderly, particularly the not so well-to-do elderly, have not paid much attention to their chronic illnesses, particularly those with high blood pressure and diabetes.”
“If you doubt his ability, you shouldn't have hired him in the first place." And likewise, once the Government is satisfied with a VWO's management practice, it should not be micro-managing its day-to-day operations. The Government may share or recommend systems but their implementation should not be tied to the Government's funding or resource support. We must be careful to maintain the delicate balance between State oversight and autonomy for VWOs. While we penalise VWOs for flouting rules, we must make sure that we give sufficient encouragement for VWOs who are sincere and effective in delivering their services. We must not create hurdles for the good VWOs while in the process of dealing with the black sheep. Finally, I would like to speak on the issue of the care for the elderly. In fact, my GPC Chairman, Mdm Halimah, has elaborated many useful points with regard to healthcare system, and I would not repeat these points. It is somewhat ironic that as the youngest elected MP in the House, my profession is to look after the health and welfare of the elderly. At this point, let me declare my interest once again as the CEO of Ang Mo Kio Hospital, one that offers step-down care services. It is my daily preoccupation to come up with new plans to enhance elderly care. Well, I am not alone. Over at the Ministry of Health, scores of civil servants and the Minister himself deliberate upon these issues unceasingly. [Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Chew Heng Ching) in the Chair] 5.00 pm One of the great challenges is how to encourage more senior citizens to lead active healthy lifestyles. Prevention is better than cure. As mentioned by Mdm Halimah, we should definitely allocate more resources to prevention care.”
“The risks are that this process may not only erode the professional and managerial independence of the welfare professionals and volunteers, but may also reduce their personal motivation and commitment ...". Many of our VWOs face operational problems today. One of the key issues is the difficulty in hiring and retaining good staff. The lack of motivation and the commitment is due partially to the many official restrictions executives face in the running of a welfare organisation. Bureaucracy impedes creativity and dampens incentive. Conversely, autonomy gives them a sense of pride and self-satisfaction. People contribute to voluntary social service sector programmes because they feel that they can make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate than themselves. Those who join the social services are not in this sector for money or fame. While I agree with the new system of control which demands performance indicators and set targets are necessary, these can also lead to the additional workload for our already strained social services personnel and distract them from their main duties. After a while, many of these personnel leave for the private sector and other organisations as they do not feel fulfilled in their vocations. Thus, I urge the Government to consider reviewing our current system of regulatory and administrative control for our VWOs. Such requirements should be lifted to give our VWOs more freedom to be enterprising and creative in their provision of welfare services. There is a Chinese saying, "yi ren bu yong, yong ren bu yi". Ray Kroc, the entrepreneur behind McDonald's, wrote something similar in his autobiography: "If you hire a man for the job, you ought to get out of the way and let him do it.”
“While VWOs with religious connections enjoy the continued patronage and support of their various congregations, non-religious VWOs do not have the advantage of such a "faithful" support base. And all the more, they need the Government's backing to carry out their mission and tasks effectively. However, precisely because they are secular, they are not restricted by guidelines inherent in VWOs linked to religious groups, and can thus work together with synergy to reach broadbased targets and causes. Next, I would like to touch on the discretion VWOs have in undertaking their responsibilities of delivering welfare and care. In the June 2002 issue of the Asian Journal of Public Administration, the article "Welfare and Public Management in Singapore: A Study of State and Voluntary Sector Partnership" by David Seth Jones, the author expressed his concerns that, and I quote, "... the recent imposition of operational models, "best practices" frameworks and performance testing, coupled with the strengthening of the legal provisions governing voluntary welfare organisations, entails a significant extension of the regulatory and management control by the state. This has perhaps undermined the previous balance in the partnership arrangement and more closely wedded the voluntary sector to the state bureaucracy." I am similarly concerned with this development. While I understand that the objectives of greater Government oversight are to enhance the professionalism of VWOs, to raise the standards of delivery and increase their accountability to the public, I share the author's concern that, and I quote, "... they are equally likely to encroach upon the freedom of managers, professionals and volunteers ...”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to join my colleagues here in thanking the President for his Address. In his Address, the President spoke on many issues, including the "many helping hands" approach to welfare delivery as well as healthcare. I would like to focus my speech on just two areas. One is on the welfare scene in Singapore and the other is on care for the elderly, particularly the poor elderly. First, on the topic of voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs). Let me declare my interest as I am involved in a few VWOs in Singapore. I am indeed heartened by the spirit of charity among Singaporeans. Without their support, many VWOs would not be able to operate. Indeed, VWOs are the key in our "many helping hands" approach to welfare delivery which includes the Government, families, corporations, community groups and individuals. Unlike welfare nations, our VWOs take on the main responsibility of delivering welfare services here in Singapore, with some funding support and resource input from the Government as well as other sectors. The Government's main roles in this process are as a regulator and facilitator. A recent national survey commissioned by the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) found that 52 of all donations made by individuals between April 2003 and April 2004 went to churches, temples, mosques and other places of worship. A proportion of these donations are in turn used to fund community projects and VWOs supported by these religious groups. I would like to suggest to the Government to enhance promotion and support of the growth of existing as well as new broadbased non-religious VWOs. While VWOs supported by religious groups have their place in our community, non-religious VWOs complement them with their broadbased secular outlook.”
“So if we want to convince our students and their parents that we need to spend more efforts in learning Mandarin, we must, first of all, attach more importance to our bilingual talents, particularly in the Government departments. For promotion and rewards in the Government service, is the proficiency in two languages one of the important factors for consideration? It is only when Government officers who are effectively bilingual are given the respect and recognition, that we can encourage more people to learn Chinese and be effectively bilingual. Finally, I would like to suggest that the Minister for Education consider using the examination system used by the Associated Board of the Royal School of Music (ABRSM) in Singapore. In Singapore, many students learn music and they go through the graded examination process of the ABRSM examinations. There is neither time limit nor age limit. You take whatever grade of examination you like according to your learning progress, as and when you are ready. It is very flexible. Maybe we can apply this kind of system to test our students in Chinese. I support the reform recommended by the Committee with the hope that future generations of Singaporeans can be effectively bilingual to ensure a good future for Singapore.”
“But my father insisted that Chinese was important and every Sunday, I had to memorise Chinese texts, otherwise he would pull my ears. Therefore, during my school days, I hated Sundays and my ears were extra large on Sundays because of the punishment. I have to emphasise that Chinese is difficult to learn but if we think that the language is useful to us, we must persist and not relax on our learning of Chinese. Now, I would like to talk about immersion. Immersion has long-term effects on our learning of the language. Talking about immersion, I fully support this bicultural programme that was proposed recently. Among them, the students could go to colleges in China where they could have the opportunity for immersion learning. Yesterday, my parliamentary colleague, Mr Gan Kim Yong, talked about the arrangement for our students to go for immersion in Chinese. It is not simple and not cheap too. Such opportunities are not easy to come by. Not long ago, I went with Minister of State, Mr Chan Soo Sen, to dialogue sessions with new emigrants from China to Singapore. They suggested to us that our students could have immersion programmes at Chinese clan associations or at their homes and spend time with them there, so that they could have a feel of our lifestyle and get in touch with Chinese culture and Mandarin as spoken by native Mandarin speakers. I hope that the Minister for Education would consider this suggestion. The rapid development of China's economy has made the world realise the importance of Chinese and Mandarin in the international stage. But in Singapore, where English is the working language, many students and parents do not attach much importance to Chinese because most students, after graduation, will stay in Singapore and they will use mainly English.”