Choo Wee Khiang
Singapore
“Sir, bearing in mind the problem we have with Malaysia pertaining to the CIQ matter, would the Minister envisage any problem with our negotiations with Malaysia and will the Minister tell us whether there is going to be a deadline in terms of finalising the negotiations?”
“Sir, in today's Straits Times, it is reported that, "Singapore should not decide unilaterally on the relocation of CIQ facilities from Tanjong Pagar to Woodlands." It was mentioned by UMNO Vice-President, Dato Sri Najib Tun Razak. I take it that Dato Sri Najib had said that we should not move to Woodlands.”
“That is most important and let us not take the emotional aspect of it in dealing with this particular Bill. Let us be really focused. Let us take into consideration the well-being of the great majority of Singaporeans and the progress and prosperity of Singapore into consideration.”
“I thank the Minister for his reply. If we recognise the importance of sports, I think he should consider re-naming his Ministry to "MCDS", Ministry of Community Development and Sports. Dr Vasoo: Sir, as usual, Members have stretched their viewpoints. The Minister has given very elaborate replies.”
“Sir, I will be equally brief. The Singapore Sports Council has done a very good job and it has been transformed. But I understand from many National Sports Associations that they are all running into financial difficulties. They have a lot of good and great plans, but they need funds.”
“If they are working in the city, and you want them to buy a flat in the suburban area, they will have to spend a lot of time travelling to-and-fro. It is too troublesome and inconvenient. I have also come across a case where a resident wanted to sell back the 3-room flat to HDB in order to buy a bigger flat.”
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“Point of clarification, Sir. In view of the economic downturn, wage cut and unemployment, will the Ministry revise downwards the threshold for employment pass applications?”
“Sir, bearing in mind the problem we have with Malaysia pertaining to the CIQ matter, would the Minister envisage any problem with our negotiations with Malaysia and will the Minister tell us whether there is going to be a deadline in terms of finalising the negotiations?”
“Sir, I wonder whether the Minister would be able to highlight to the House the latest position of our Water Agreement with Malaysia.”
“Sir, in today's Straits Times, it is reported that, "Singapore should not decide unilaterally on the relocation of CIQ facilities from Tanjong Pagar to Woodlands." It was mentioned by UMNO Vice-President, Dato Sri Najib Tun Razak. I take it that Dato Sri Najib had said that we should not move to Woodlands. In other words, he is actually questioning why we should move to Woodlands from Tanjong Pagar, thereby creating all these troubles and issues. May I have the Minister's comments, please? Assoc. Prof. Chin Tet Yung (Sembawang): Sir, just now the Minister mentioned that the legal right that Malaysia has towards the Tanjong Pagar land is accepted. If that is the case, there may be a view taken as to why, if Malaysia has a legal right over the Tanjong Pagar land, it cannot operate its CIQ there, as it is supposed to have the right to do so. Can the Minister explain why therefore Singapore authority is needed in that particular situation?”
“Under what circumstances should we change?”
“Sir, one short question. I think a lot of lay people, individuals and small and medium sized businesses, will be asking why the Government is not considering suspending GST because this has the most far-reaching impact on one's cash flow.”
“That is most important and let us not take the emotional aspect of it in dealing with this particular Bill. Let us be really focused. Let us take into consideration the well-being of the great majority of Singaporeans and the progress and prosperity of Singapore into consideration. By being very friendly to the users, pushers and traffickers, we are doing a misdeed to Singapore.”
“Sir, thank you for allowing me to say a few words. First of all, I would like to support the Bill. However, I find that it is interesting to listen to the views of Mr Chiam See Tong, Madam Chiang and the like, and that is to make this Bill full of compassion. I think there are sufficient agencies in Singapore, whether it is rehabilitation, prevention or other social agencies, to take care of the emotional and compassionate part of it. Let us be very relevant and focused today. We are dealing with the misuse of drugs. If he were to study history and learn about the Opium War, then Mr Chiam would not want to make that kind of comment, so compassionate to the drug pushers, traffickers and, indeed, the recalcitrants. We must ask this question: at the end of the day, this particular Bill, when it is enacted, would it serve the purpose of prevention and deterrence? To me, at the end of the day, it does. We must be cruel to be kind. We are dealing with a lethal weapon which is sufficient enough to destroy the well-being of a society. Therefore, I believe that the introduction of new section 33A is a good section to deter people from abusing drugs. Indeed, I would make a further suggestion. There is no need really to differentiate a Class 1 consumer and a Class 2 consumer, ie, those who are caught under section 33A(1) and those who are caught under section 33A(2). I think we should just go straight to make them suffer by giving them not less than seven years of imprisonment, of course not more than 13 years, and give them six to 12 strokes of caning. In this way, we would be able to send a very strong message to the nation and to the people of Singapore: Do not even come near it.”
“Sir, I just want to know whether the Ministry has any immediate plans to improve the safety of the bus stops at Bendemeer Road.”
“But times are different now because nowadays most parents are working. For those who are well-to-do, they have maids at home to help look after the children. But the basic foundation of the family would be affected resulting in a lack of discipline in the families. No doubt the parents themselves have to bear certain responsibilities in educating their children, but the schools should also be involved in the discipline of the students. I feel that this is very regrettable. Some 20-30 years ago, when we were schooling, we were very respectful of our teachers and we remember them all our lives. I can remember that in the past when the naughty students saw their teachers they would try to hide themselves. But now, even when they have done something wrong or have misbehaved, they do not care two hoots about it, and they do not see the need to hide from their teachers. So I feel that the Ministry of Education should look into this matter - how to raise the status of the teachers, give them more authority so that they can play a very important part in disciplining the students. If the students show no respect for their teachers, then even with all the good plans going all the way to the next century, which the Minister had informed us yesterday, will be meaningless. Sir, my question is: "Has the discipline in our schools really gone to the point of disaster?" If so, then we should form a multi-departmental committee to look into this matter and to resolve this problem of juvenile delinquency. I am sure that over the past few days the Minister for Education had heard the views of many of our Members here. I hope that he would take this opportunity today to enlighten us on the problems of poor discipline in schools.”
“Sir, over the past few years, I have been talking about discipline in schools and on juvenile delinquency. Today, I am going to speak again on the same topic. It is reported that the problems of poor discipline and juvenile delinquency in schools are getting more and more serious nowadays. There were a number of newspaper reports on youngsters committing crimes ranging from petty theft to fighting, robbery, and even drug addiction. From the conversations I had with my residents, I discovered that in the neighbourhood schools, these problems are more serious, for example, smoking, fighting and even collecting protection money, etc. They use both inducement and threats to force their fellow students into joining their secret society. I have even heard that some 14-15 year old students were coaxed into working as bar-waitresses to earn money so that they would buy branded dresses, cosmetics and even drugs. In school, these students show no respect at all to their teachers. They have even scratched and damaged the car of their teachers. I sincerely hope that these incidents are the exceptions rather than the norm. Because if this gets out of hand and juvenile delinquency in schools becomes a very serious problem, we have to ask ourselves what kind of a society Singapore has become and what our schools are becoming. I would like to know whether the Ministry of Education has kept records of such incidents and whether such records could be publicised so that we know how serious these problems are in the schools. I would like to know what solutions the Ministry of Education has to resolve these problems. Just now, Mr Loh Meng See also mentioned that parents form a very important link in our whole education system. I fully agree with that.”
“I thank the Minister for his reply. If we recognise the importance of sports, I think he should consider re-naming his Ministry to "MCDS", Ministry of Community Development and Sports. Dr Vasoo: Sir, as usual, Members have stretched their viewpoints. The Minister has given very elaborate replies. We have covered as much as possible and we look forward to the Minister's seamless plans for the community and the social service sector. With that note, I would like to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, I will be equally brief. The Singapore Sports Council has done a very good job and it has been transformed. But I understand from many National Sports Associations that they are all running into financial difficulties. They have a lot of good and great plans, but they need funds. Could the Minister please go to the Minister for Finance and ask for more money in order to ensure that we can put SPEX 2000, Sports for All, Sports for Life and Healthy Lifestyle in place?”
“I beg to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“If they are working in the city, and you want them to buy a flat in the suburban area, they will have to spend a lot of time travelling to-and-fro. It is too troublesome and inconvenient. I have also come across a case where a resident wanted to sell back the 3-room flat to HDB in order to buy a bigger flat. However, HDB was rather reluctant to buy back the 3-room flat. As a result, he had trouble getting the 4-room or 5-room flat he wanted for his family which had expanded. So if we can allow single persons aged 35 and above to buy 3-room flats, then it will take a load off the back of the other resident who wanted to sell off his 3-room flat to upgrade to a bigger flat. This is a win-win situation for both. I really want to appeal to the Minister to consider allowing singles, aged 35 and above, to buy flats in the city area.”
“As it is, presently all housing agents have to pass the CEHA conducted by the tax authorities. Only on passing the said examination can they apply for a licence to practise as housing agents. They can then register with the HDB as authorised housing agents to deal in transactions of HDB flats. They enjoy certain advantages and priorities. Through them, the transactions can be expedited and completed within 4 weeks. 4.00 pm I feel that this is only one part of the story, ie, an examination conducted by the tax authority. What is more important is the professionalism in the housing agents. I hope that HDB or MND can help the housing agents to form a professional body or association. In my meet-the-people sessions, I have some residents coming to me about the inability of single persons above the age of 35 who were denied the right to buy some 3-room flats in my ward. I feel that we should consider relaxing this restriction on single persons who wish to buy HDB flats. For example, in Whampoa, which is an old housing estate, there are a lot of senior citizens. Many of them are hoping that their children could come and stay with them. But these children who are 35 years of age and above want to be independent and they do not want to stay in the same flat with their parents, but at the same time, they want to be near to look after their parents. So the best way out is to buy a 3-room flat close to their parents' flat so that they can also look after the old folks. Unfortunately, because of the existing regulations, a single person would not be allowed to buy a 3-room flat in the city area and this has caused a lot of inconvenience. In other words they would not be staying near to their aged parents to look after them.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head U of the Main Estimates be reduced by $10 in respect of Code UA 1500. (In Mandarin): Sir, Singapore is a small country with a lot of people and very little land. Property being a scarce commodity tends to be very expensive. However, because of the recent regional financial turmoil, property prices in Singapore have dropped. Even then, the prices are still very much on the high side to the people in general. This is the representative view of the majority of Singaporeans. To the ordinary citizens of Singapore, owning a piece of property is one of the most important things in life. Yet, when one wants to buy or sell a property, he will have to turn to the housing agencies for help, as property transactions are too complicated a matter to be handled by the laymen themselves. Whether the housing agency is good or bad makes a lot of difference to the buyers and sellers. In my meet-the-people sessions, I have come across complaints against bad housing agencies who gave a lot of troubles to their clients, causing them not only lots of inconvenience but also monetary losses. Therefore, I urge the Government to provide some form of assistance and protection to the general population in their property transactions. We should consider how to organise all the housing agencies and put them together in a professional body or association, the objective of which shall be to regulate and coordinate the activities of its professional members, so that they would conduct their business with professionalism, discipline and efficiency. This will be of great benefit to our people. I hope that the Ministry of National Development can play a greater role in this regard.”
“Looking at the TV programmes from another angle, when you are talking about the decline in viewership of our TV programmes, I think this is a bigger problem that we have to face. Because, basically, from the viewership, we can see the challenges facing TCS and SBA ahead. Comparing the viewership of our programmes with that of the imported ones, we can know how we fare. 12.45 pm Now, we have cable TV and wireless TV. Are there any differences in the programmes between the two? I think we have to consider this point. Thirdly, are the wireless TV Channel 5 and Channel 8 making profits or not? Fourthly, how are the programmes produced by us compared to those produced by Hong Kong and China which are now being telecast over cable TV? The decline of viewership for our local TV channels is not a totally unexpected phenomenon. I believe that in the years to come, viewership may continue to decline as cable TV gains popularity. I hope the Minister can take this opportunity to inform us of the future of cable TV and wireless TV. What kind of a role will TCS play in future? The next point is on digital TV. The advent of digital TV will also have an impact on television in Singapore. There will be some kind of revolutionary effect. I hope that the Minister can enlighten us on this new phase of development in television in Singapore.”
“Sir, in the Final Report of the Advisory Committee on TCS Chinese Drama and Variety Shows (ACCESS), 1996/98, it was pointed out, among other things, that TCS should not telecast programmes which are unsuitable for children, during the prime time. In the past, TCS used to schedule their programmes in such a way that certain types of programmes were telecast during certain time slots to cater for the different groups of viewers. However, as pointed out by the Advisory Committee, in recent years, there was a change in this kind of arrangement. I feel that the Singapore Broadcasting Authority should prepare a menu for TCS so that they would be guided as to when to telecast what kind of programme. Then, the Chinese Programme Advisory Committee (PAC) will not have to spend so much time to set out all this advice in its annual report. The Committee will then have more time to devote themselves on constructive suggestions and giving ideas on the production of better programmes, such as art programmes, documentaries, etc. to inculcate cultural values in our children and young people, for example, to encourage people to look after the old and the elderly. On the locally produced TV drama serials, I am glad to say that over the past few years, they have improved by leaps and bounds. But there is still room for improvement. On the whole, the programmes are good. There are not many big problems with the programmes. But, as pointed out in the final report of ACCESS, TCS should be careful not to introduce undesirable values in these serials, as these serials have considerable influence on our society at large.”
“At the same time, our Singaporeans, especially the lower-income people, can be assured that their medical care and medical treatment will not be affected by this current turmoil. I hope the Government can step forward to assure these poor Singaporeans that notwithstanding the turmoil, they can continue to afford and enjoy good healthcare services in Singapore.”
“Sir, I agree with Dr Lily Neo. What she said is reasonable and she has a valid point. She actually looks at the long-term point of view. But I am looking at what is immediately in front of us. Right now, we are facing a regional financial and currency crisis. To many people, it is a very sudden and hard blow because they really do not know what hit them. In this economic turmoil, many countries around us have to tighten their belts and some countries, I believe, have told their government departments to cut down on expenditure. I know of one country in Southeast Asia where even the Ministry of Health was ordered to cut down on expenditure. It is an across-the-board cut of, say, 12% to 15%. Under the circumstances, the quality of their health care service will surely be affected. In Singapore, our Budget is a prudent one. But at the same time, I hope that in the exercise of prudence in our Budget, we will never, never neglect the healthcare for our people. We should not cut down on our healthcare expenditure. This is because, crisis or no crisis, nobody wants to fall sick. However, should somebody fall sick at this time of crisis, of course, he hopes to be able to get the appropriate treatment in time. At the same time, when he is receiving his treatment, he also hopes that he can afford to pay for the medical fees and expenses that follow. I hope that our Singaporeans will not say, "Don't fall sick in Singapore. It is more expensive to fall sick than to die!" I hope the Minister for Health can assure that this is not the case. During this turmoil, when we are tightening our belts, we are cutting down on our expenses.”
“Sir, I would like to seek clarification from the Minister. Foreign-trained doctors actually come from the recognised institutions. But I do not think nurses fall under this category because we recruit nurses from all over the world. I just wonder whether, as a result of recruiting so many nurses from overseas, our service standards will be affected or impaired.”
“Okay, send the booklets to parents also.”
“Sir, I would like to ask the Minister whether there is a brain drain problem in terms of foreign recruited doctors and nurses. Is there an contractual agreement between ourselves and the foreign recruited doctors? Because I am worried that after having a short stint in Singapore, they learn a lot from our medical services and then leave somewhere for good. I am actually concerned about it. Secondly, are there records to show that foreign recruited doctors have left after a short stint of service in Singapore? As regards obesity, I wonder whether the Minister will consider sending booklets on obesity to hawkers and fast food operators to tell them what have they done to our young people. Twelve out of 100 is actually a very serious thing. An hon. Member: The parents should not send them there!”
“So I would like to ask the Minister for Health what plans has the Ministry to ask for more funds for their officers to provide better preventive health service to our students. For example, I heard that in many schools, they are engaging some medical and physical education experts to guide the teachers and students on ways of healthy living. In this respect, the Ministry of Health should help by providing more resources for the schools to improve the general health of the students. 4.30 pm”
“Sir, we always say that for the nation to be strong we must have strong people. We always say children are the future masters of the nation. We all know that we must have a healthy body and a healthy mind in order to get things done in the best possible manner. In Singapore, have we done enough to develop ourselves into a nation of healthy people? This is a big question, particularly on the health of our children. Every year we invest a lot of money on education. However, are we spending enough on the health of our children? When I look at our little boys and girls running about in my constituency, many of them are chubby and cute. But a few years later, when they grow older, they have a good chance of turning fat and overweight. Obese school children seem to be a common sight nowadays. If we are going to spend so much money on education, yet unable to cultivate our children into boys and girls, then we would have lost the meaning of our total education. I am told that when children are overweight, they are less fit, and the majority of overweight children are not doing well in their studies. So we should do something about it. Looking after the well-being of the children is also a responsibility of the Government. While giving them a good living environment, we should likewise give them strong bodies so that they could learn and grow up to be useful citizens of Singapore. Every year, the Ministry of Health is spending only $11 million on school health services. Assuming that there are half a million school children, we are spending only about $22 per year on each student. I feel that this amount is grossly inadequate.”
“Sir, I do understand what the Minister said that we are successful to a certain extent. But I just want to know whether MTI has anything in mind to promote such companies in future. Does he have anything concrete?”
“Sir, I just want to know whether we are ready for it. Is the SESDAQ ready for such high-tech and high-risk ventures? BG George Yong-Boon Yeo: Sir, I thought I have already said that SESDAQ had some success but we need to do much more to make it more successful. Even then, we are not sure how successful it can be because, as in the Israeli example, they do not even try to create their own second board. They just make use of NASDAQ. But then, again, they have very strong Jewish connections in New York city, which we do not have.”
“May I know from the Minister what are the roles that he has in mind in promoting SESDAQ and promoting companies with high-tech and high-risk? BG George Yong-Boon Yeo: I thought I have discussed this in some detail in connection with high tech enterpreneurship in Singapore, which has got to be financed, and that the characteristic of this market is different from that of the normal market. We need specialists, different laws and regulations governing bankruptcies and disclosures, in order to facilitate this particular sector. Investing in high-tech is quite different from investing in, say, a sector like real estate. Our traditional skills are in the traditional areas. This is a new area for us and we have got to tweak our rules and regulations to nurture its growth.”
“How successful have we been in promoting fund raising and supporting such high-tech and high-risk companies in the SESDAQ market? Do you have any figures to substantiate? BG George Yong-Boon Yeo: No, I do not have the numbers here.”
“Sir, I have to bring myself back to SESDAQ. Earlier on, the Minister mentioned about SESDAQ. I just want to know what is the role of MTI in promoting SESDAQ and how many companies has it helped to push them on to SESDAQ. Can he give us an assessment about our SESDAQ because it has been around for quite a number of years and how successful have we been? BG George Yong-Boon Yeo: The idea of the second board is to enable companies which need high-risk funds to raise them. This means that, on the second board, the criteria are less stringent than on the main board. This was the way NASDAQ in the US was conceived. We started it in Singapore. The rules and the environment may be somewhat too rigid. So SESDAQ has had some success, but we need to do much more to make it an avenue for high tech-firms to raise funds through SESDAQ. It is, of course regulated by MAS. MTI is only interested to the extent that we are trying to promote high-tech companies in Singapore and to help them raise higher risk funds more readily here.”
“Sir, my question was not answered. It is about the survey. Does JTC conduct any survey on its performance? How often do they collect feedback from tenants of JTC, so that the tenants have better service?”
“Sir, he has not answered my question pertaining to SME schemes, whether he is going to restructure the various schemes that we have now.”
“Maybe they can take a global approach and restructure some of the schemes, so that SMEs will be able to enjoy to the fullest the various schemes introduced by the Ministry. One last point, Sir, is about JTC again. I just wonder whether JTC has come out with some kind of survey to see what kind of grievances there are from the tenants. At the same time, have there been any service performance indicators reflecting the good work put in by JTC? JTC tenants would then be more than willing to take the point on cost control and reduction, and freezing of the rental charges, and so on and so forth. I am sure with this explanation, they will be more perceptible to the complaints on the inflexibility of JTC.”
“Sir, earlier on, the Minister mentioned that I made unfair comment on JTC. Indeed, it was not true, because I did not make that comment. By saying "inflexible", I did not mean that JTC has not been doing well. In fact, I said that IP21 is actually quite well drawn up. I must declare that I am a tenant of JTC, and I am quite happy with it. But whatever I said earlier on were actually comments and feedback from friends of mine who are tenants of JTC. As mentioned by the Minister, salary, wages, rental and service charges are the key components of the cost of doing business. But I am sure the Minister is well aware that when it comes to wages and rentals, it actually equates to cost, cash upfront. You just have to pay. And therefore many companies in Singapore are having this problem, meaning financial difficulties, in paying up instalments, and wages. Therefore, earlier on, I had asked if JTC would be prepared to be even more flexible to come out with some financial schemes, eg, deferring of payments and lowering of the rates, and so on and so forth. I am actually quite pleased that the Minister has reassured us that they are quite watchful of costs. But I hope that the Ministry will continue to monitor the costs. We do not know what is going to hit us with this turmoil. So I hope that the Ministry will keep on monitoring the costs and be even more flexible. The other point mentioned by the Minister is about the SME schemes. He himself said that there were too many schemes and he could not recall all of them. I just wonder whether we should take a fresh approach by seeing how we can actually help SMEs.”
“Sir, can I make a clarification, please?”
“Sir, JTC's IT 21 actually is quite a good plan. I think it will put Singapore's land to best use in years to come. However, I have been receiving quite a number of feedback pertaining to JTC's way of conducting business, in that it has been very inflexible and rigid. Especially in view of the currency and economic situation, many private sector enterprises are going through a tough time. They are all trying to tighten their belts. In fact, they are fighting for survival. I feel that JTC, being one of the largest landlords in Singapore, should try to help various enterprises which are going through financial difficulties in that probably JTC should consider not just holding on to the current rental charges and other charges, it should instead take a bold step to reduce rentals, and also take a bold step to understand various problems which are faced by various enterprises in terms of their financial difficulties and non-fulfilment to make payments to JTC. Also, on a number of occasions, businessmen have complained to me about JTC's demand pertaining to the utilisation of land and buildings. With this kind of economic downturn, it would be very difficult for many companies to accede to JTC's demand of, for example, fulfilling the gross ratio requirement. Sir, I think the Minister should enlighten the House as to whether JTC will take any major steps to help enterprises and businesses in Singapore to tide over this difficult period. 2.45 pm”
“Of course, we cannot live without money. But you also cannot live without these virtues. Without such virtues, I think the prospects of our country would be jeopardised.”
“We should not neglect the nurturing of our children in this aspect. We must bring up a next generation of Singaporeans so that we do not produce zombies. Some people have described that our future generation will be just like zombies or robots. They only know Science, Biology and Chemistry. They do not know about their oriental traditions, culture and roots. They do not even know the virtues of the oriental societies. The Prime Minister, Mr Goh Chok Tong, has already mentioned in one of his recent speeches that we must not only emphasise intellectual education, we must equally emphasise the other aspects of education. I therefore hope that the Government will pay due attention to this aspect, ie, physical education and moral education to bring about a better, more suitable and relevant education system for Singapore, and with a proper strategy. Mr Speaker, Sir, sometimes I cannot help thinking whether we should have an overall comprehensive review of our education system, especially for the primary level. What is taught at the primary level might be an over-emphasis on intellectual education and forgetting about good citizenship, moral values and ethics. These are important lessons that they must learn for their foundation in life. At the same time, I do not know whether the Government or the Ministry of Education should think more about our mother tongue education. If our mother tongue education is not made more interesting and popular, then our children may not be able to directly understand and get a feel of our own culture and tradition. So I think it is necessary for the Government to review comprehensively the primary education. This kind of intangible asset is a very important motivating force for the progress of our country.”
“If we over-emphasise on intellectual education, concentrate only on how many `A's the children can score, and neglect the other aspects of education, such as moral education, physical education, community education, then you may end up with negative results. These results would be the production of a new generation of people who care only for their own self-interest and utilitarian value of life but do not care about respect for the old, the teachers and become arrogant and swell-headed. They do not even know how to repay the society to serve the country and to be loyal to the country. In recent years, juvenile crimes seem to be mounting in Singapore. The question is: is it related to the lack of promotion of moral education in Singapore? Mr Speaker, Sir, this morning, the Lianhe Zaobao published an article by Mr Lee Ther Sen, who is an educationist. In the article, the importance and effect of moral education and community education is emphasised. The article highlighted one important point. He said that community education is social education. The problem to be solved is to correct the conflict of interest between the individual, the society, the country and the community. It is to overcome the problem of extreme individualism so as to provide social cohesion and harmony. So community education is not only a question of relation between the individuals and the society to promote solidarity, it is also an important key and a collective will to overcome difficulties and crisis. Therefore, he said that community education is an indispensable link of the five aspects of education which must be given its due respect and importance. I entirely agree with what he has said. I feel that, Mr Speaker, Sir, if we neglect this invisible asset, we will only do so at our own peril.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, apart from increasing the tax cut for income tax and interest tax, etc, I hope that the Government will help those first-time buyers of properties to give them special attention because these people who bought the properties for the first time normally have financial problem. In other words, they do not have adequate cash upfront to pay for the properties. So I do not know whether the Government is prepared to consider allowing such people to make use of their CPF money to pay for the first downpayment of 20%. Then the people who benefit will not be the first time property buyers but also others as well. At the same time, I hope that the Minister for Finance will allow the business community to understand why there is so much prudence in the present Budget. Many members of the business community feel that, as compared to our Budget, the Hong Kong budget appears to be more flexible and better able to help the business community to tide over the crisis. Mr Speaker, Sir, let me go to the next important topic. In this year's Budget, the emphasis is on education. I feel that at this time of economic and financial turmoil, highlighting and placing emphasis on education is only right. I feel that education is not only aimed at educating people in English, the Science subjects like Chemistry, Physics, etc, but equally important is the need to bring up our children to become cultured, civilised citizens with traditions. In other words, we must also have moral education, physical education and community education for our children.”
“First, I would like to indicate my support for the Budget Statement. Mr Speaker, Sir, from the media reports, we can generally see that many in Singapore have expressed disappointment over this year's Budget. Some business people have expressed the view that they are completely lost as to why there are no off-Budget measures as announced by the Minister. The small and medium-sized businesses are even more so in this case. Generally, people feel that the Government must be more positive in helping the economy, the businessmen and to stimulate our economy so as to enable us to tide over the storm in Singapore. Right now, we are very disheartened about the effect brought about by the economic turmoil and it is quite reasonable that the business people expect the Government to announce rescue packages and measures for the people. I agree with Mr Leong Horn Kee that the Government must pay closer attention to the current developments and should work together with the local organisations in business and industry to maintain a continual dialogue with them. I hope that, if it is possible, the Government should immediately set up a Special Committee, a Special Task Force, to prepare for the rainy day. This Task Force or Special Committee should aim at helping the Government to provide views and collective wisdom, to collect feedback so that Singapore and the country can go through this storm. The members of this Committee should be representatives from the Manpower Ministry, Ministry of Finance, MTI and representatives of private sector organisations.”
“Sir, I am aware that the Chinese Renminbi has been rather stable and unhurt thus far. I wonder whether it is going to have an impact on our economy next year.”
“Sir, with the currency and stock market turmoil, our economy has performed rather well during the last quarter. My question is: in the absence of a turmoil, would our performance be better than the given percentage? Also, if there were to be a speedy recovery in terms of currencies and stock markets in this region, would the prospect for 1998 be better than 5-7%?”
“It is peculiar, is it not? If the survey is done, why am I not told?”
“May I know when the Ministry intends to conduct the study and survey and when will he be able to let us know?”
“I disagree with the Minister of State. By diverting Service 139, he is telling us that it is going to cost the residents more money and more time. So it is not solving the problem.”
“Sir, if the Minister of State were to look at my question today, I never mentioned specifically about linking Whampoa and Toa Payoh. It was my previous request. My question today is: how is the Ministry going to improve the public transport service in Whampoa in its totality, taking the whole Whampoa Estate into consideration, and whether he has any plans at all?”
“Would the Minister of State agree with me that the LTA has been conducting the so-called reviews on a very haphazard manner? Why? Because, on the one hand, the Minister of State tells me that there are adequate bus services in Whampoa Estate but, on the other hand, I have been receiving complaints about the inadequate public transport service in Whampoa Estate. How does he reconcile that?”
“Sir, is the Minister of State aware that Whampoa Estate is an isolated estate and I wonder whether LTA has conducted a comprehensive review of the public transport service in Whampoa?”