Cynthia Phua
Singapore
“Sir, I am very glad that the Minister has elaborated on the diversification of our food sources. On the ground, our senior citizens are saying that the 10-cent increase in a cup of coffee is affecting their daily needs.”
“Where are the weak links that should be tightened? How does his Ministry intend to tackle the problem and whether it is engaging in any dialogue with different concerned groups in the community, for example, VWOs?”
“Mr Chairman, the Minister mentioned about the cross-agency effort on youth. He mentioned three Ministries – MOE, MHA and MCYS. I would like to ask for one more, ie, MINDEF, because for male youths, if they are delinquents, they would have left school and be enlisted earlier, and they could get help from MINDEF.”
“Many parents are working when the children are in secondary school. As a result, teenage students are left at home in the afternoon without proper guidance.”
“In the community, we came across many new cases where family could not manage to persuade the patient to have early treatment, resulting in nuisances being caused to the neighbourhood and the patient himself who suffers the mental illness.”
“What has been the outcome pertaining to our ongoing efforts to bring back our Singaporean medical students and some of the young doctors working overseas? What are the Minister's views on the newly introduced scholarship for medical students studying overseas?”
The complete record
Every one of 639 lines we hold for Cynthia Phua, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 5 of 13.
“Mdm Cynthia Phua asked the Minister for Transport (a) what steps are being taken to enhance the protection for students while travelling on school buses; (b) what are the interim safety measures to be implemented immediately; (c) why school buses are not required to install seat belts for its passengers; (d) what is the outcome of the review of the requirement of 30 children to an attendant in our school buses; and (e) whether the Ministry plans to impose a guideline of having an attendant for children below the age of 10 in our school buses. 11. Mr Sin Boon Ann asked the Minister for Transport whether safety belts in school buses are necessary and, if so, whether the Government will consider a financial assistance plan to help school bus operators install safety belts or new seats with anchor points for safety belts so as to expedite the process of implementing safety belts in school buses. 12. Er Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for Transport what is the cost of installing a safety belt to each seat in a school bus.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I just wanted to ask the Minister whether the four deaths are due to not putting on the back-seat seat belts or not putting on the front-seat seat belts. The reason is because the public tends to be lax in terms of the back seats. If that is the case, then there is a targeted education on this part itself. Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee: Public education is all-encompassing. Indeed, Mdm Cynthia Phua is right that some people may feel that if they are in the back seat they are safer, because they have got the front seat to buffer them. But we know that is not true because in a car accident, you can also be a projectile and endanger others in the car as well. Out of the average of four deaths over the past three years – I have mentioned the figures per year – about three were for drivers who were in the front seat and one for passengers in the back seat. SCHOOL BUSES (Safety measures and installation of seat belts) 9. Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked the Minister for Transport (a) what are the safety requirements before a bus is allowed to transport students; (b) whether the Ministry will look into enhancing the safety standards for school buses; (c) whether it will require special reinforcing of the vehicle frame before the vehicles are allowed to run as school buses; and (d) whether it monitors the driving performance of bus drivers who ferry school children. 10.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I understand that there is a limit to the number of trains that you can actually put in during the peak period. Is that true?”
“I just want to clarify because from what we understand from the residents, they have been successful in the ballot number, that means, given the chance to book but, because of the small development, they have not reached that level to select the booking, that means, they are not even offered to book the flat itself. So I just want to clarify whether that is the fact.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I just want to ask about the definition of "a successful applicant" because once an applicant is successful, in terms of balloting, he is not given the additional chance for the subsequent balloting. The successful applicant is defined as one that has balloted a number but because of the size of the development, he may not be able to have the chance to select. Would the Ministry look into reviewing this definition of "a successful applicant"?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I just want to ask whether there is constant monitoring of the stockpile of each of the importers to ensure that there is really no illegal hoarding in terms of the normal stockpile that they have. Mr Iswaran: Mr Speaker, Sir, by licensing requirements, the importers have to maintain a minimum of twice their monthly import quantity. That is the requirement. There has been no drawdown on that stockpile. They have maintained that, and there is an aggregate for each of these importers. Beyond that, what they keep in their inventories as part of their trading practice is something beyond the scope of Government monitoring. However, as we understand it, there has not been any major change in their approach. The importers continue to want to have a reasonable buffer in their own inventories so that they can meet the needs of their regular customers without interruption. There is no major shift other than the sudden spike in demand a few weeks back but that seems to have come down.”
“If they travel with other working persons, they will not get the discount. We are encouraging companies to employ the elderly and to give them alternative jobs that best suit them at their age. Most of the time, their salary is lower. Take care of our working elderly. Allow them to use the senior citizen card to work. Discount cards – give an integrated discount card across transport companies and across modes of transport. Allow the daily commuters the loyalty discount. This works well with supermarkets, and I am very sure the commuters will like it too. Affordability of Public Transport”
“I do not intend to continue with the appeal for the change except to state that the bus fares will continue to rise in this model as the Board of Directors will continue to push for higher profits for the shareholders. That is the very essence of their existence. My only hope of the improvement of the public transport system now is on the central planning of routes. My only request is that it be done fast and the planners must not be desk-top planners. Go to the ground, take the buses and trains, understand the needs of the different segments of the population, look at the whole journey from one service to another, key travel points within the neighbourhoods, transport costs to the people. Improve the availability of bus services – there are still many areas where there are no bus services. Allow more private bus services to these areas, industrial estates, between small neighbourhoods, within nearby towns. Integration of services – there should be more integration between buses and trains or feeder buses and trunk services better coordinated, less waiting time for each change of service. Integrated benchmarks – look at the journey as a whole and set a series of integrated benchmarks and not solely on trains or buses alone. For example, the overall waiting time, the overall journey time, the standing space, and the time when there are seats available. These are all measurable. Elderly – this is where the use of the senior citizen card is different from the national agenda. We have highlighted that the elderly must work beyond 60 years of age, into their 70s. With that, they will get more CPF LIFE payouts. The senior citizen card tells them that they can travel only after the peak periods.”
“Sir, Minister Raymond Lim is a popular man on the street now. They remember him for the ERP and, hopefully, will remember him for the changes he is making for the public transport system, too. He has indeed painted a silver lining for the existing commuters of the public transport, and all of us are looking forward to the improvements to be made. For a list of present woes of our public transport, I walked to the desks of my colleagues in my office this morning to confirm the list: (1) Long waiting time for buses – trunk and feeder bus services – delays for as long as 45 minutes; (2) Overcrowding, especially in trains, which I am surprised by, not in buses; (3) High costs of transportation. Transportation cost is about $5 per day; (4) Infrequency; (5) Lack of bus services – must take at least two or three buses to reach a destination; and (6) Long journey – average, one and a half hours. Their wish list: (1) Comfortable standing space with a chance for a seat; (2) Waiting time – 10 minutes is acceptable; (3) Please do not increase costs anymore; (4) Knowing the arrival of the next bus or train; (5) Able to hop from one bus to another or to a train easily; (6) Short bus journey, average 45 minutes; and (7) For school children, one bus to the school. From my assessment, the wish list is not too tough to achieve. If the brains and hearts in MOT and LTA are put together, with their ears on the ground, we will all soon travel in our first-class public transport system. How to get to this first-class public transport system? We have asked for change of the ownership models of our transport companies.”
“When they eventually die, their death goes unnoticed like in the Lorong Ah Soo's case. Such a scenario is indeed a pitiful one. I suggest the Ministry look into a coordinated approach to handle these cases, where VWOs are unable to reach out to them and the Police are also unable to help because there is no known concern. Active Ageing”
“Here, I support the Government's call on the many-hands approach and encourage more voluntary service organisations to support the elderly in the community. With this approach, the Ministry must then plan and put in place the relevant services suitable for the elderly in the community. There must be a range of services from helping our elderly to be socially active and to daycare for the elderly. Presently, the services are provided ad hoc and not coordinated. Can the Ministry explain what are the planning parameters for elderly daycare and elderly homes in the community? Under the Eldercare Masterplan as well, it was shown that neighbourhood links (NLs) are part of the Ministry's plan in offering more services for active and ambulant seniors. I urge that more of these entities should be developed for the benefit of the elderly, as it serves as a good way to promote integration of the elderly and decrease their loneliness. I have supported one NL in the estate and it is politically managed, and I have seen the goodness of NL. My appeal is that we should build more NLs now and not delay, because the ageing process does not wait. In addition, the NL should cover a smaller precinct not more than 20 blocks where accessibility is critical. And we do not want a NL to serve precincts that is cut off by major networks of roads. It must be accessible and convenient to drop by. On keeping track of the elderly, as stated earlier, there will be more and more single elderly living alone. As of now, there is still no agency established to keep track of these individuals. We have seen an increasing trend of elderly people who are limited in mobility and have frail health and spend their time cooped up in the flat. Persistent approach does not open the doors.”
“Sir, as a mother and a wife, I would like to thank the Minister for his politically-right statement. There are many men now who are going overseas to do business and the opportunities to err and subject to temptations are high. Getting back to elderly care, based on the report of the Committee on Ageing Issues on 3rd February 2006, it gives the profile of the elderly population in the years to come. As at 2005, we had about 300,000 elderly individuals over the age of 65 in Singapore and this number is expected to rise to 873,000 in 2030. Seniors who are living alone or with spouse almost doubled, about 10% in 1995 to 20% in 2005. Proportionately, more residents, males and females, have remained single. Each successive cohort of older people will be increasingly more educated and fluent. On education and values of filial piety, our families are getting smaller and there are also more singles. We must outreach to the families that the primary source of support for the elderly must rest primarily on the families and not the nation. In schools, filial piety must be emphasised. Relevant information and education, and educational materials, especially the use of new media by both MCYS and MOE, are critical to imbue these values into our children. We are seeing more elderly parents who come and ask for rental flats, stating their children do not want them and they are getting older and older. I have a couple of 80 years old coming to see me. While we understand that some families may have difficulty to support their elderly parents, they must ask for help. They would ask how and where to ask for help. This is the situation now at the community. There is a lack of coordinated information and no central venue to find the information or services that they need.”
“And he also has to review the curriculum. Can the Minister explain whether the four-year period is too short? RAdm [NS] Lui Tuck Yew: Sir, on school bullies, Dr Lily Neo raised a motion a few sittings ago and we had quite a discussion on this issue altogether. Let me say again that basically for bullying, this is something that MOE takes very seriously. Our teachers are trained to handle it, to meet with the child, to investigate the incidents, to provide counselling, to provide support and to provide remedial corrective measures, as necessary. That is the short answer, because we had quite a long discussion on this a few sittings ago. On the role of principals, we have actually moved to a situation where we have principals staying seven years in a particular school, compared to the past which may be four-five years. I think this allows them a sufficient amount of time to basically invest themselves in the school, bring their philosophy to bear, and to see through some of the changes as well as the results. But as a norm, it is not good for them to be in a school for too long, because we want new ideas, we want freshness coming in. So we really have to strike a balance, and we think that the norm of seven years now is probably about the right balance.”
“Sir, I have two clarifications. With school bullies on the rise, does MOE have a programme to really guide the rest of the children to handle the school bullies in school? Second, the Minister has emphasised on the role of principals in the schools. I would like to ask the Minister, if there is a change of principal within a four-year period, is the period too short? Let me explain. Recently, I have seen the case of a new principal in a school. The new principal has new ideas, which resulted in resignations of the second liners. Then the principal would have to recruit, convince and, at the same time ---”
“Sir, is there any target for the participation rate?”
“Sir, I would like to ask the Minister whether there is any target that MOE hopes to achieve for participation rate for sports CCA. With the Sports School itself, why do we have six other schools to embrace sports excellence? Can this excellence in sports be delegated down to the sports clubs which are keen to have more talented students who are good in sports? With this, can we have more MOE funds to allow more children in the normal schools to have sports CCA? Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: We would like as many children as possible to participate in CCA. The effects and benefits of CCA, as I mentioned just now, are quite obvious. But certainly we cannot force them, especially in primary schools. But now we know that primary schools have innovated various ways to get children to be interested, including modular CCA. Funds are already available from MOE, as well as MCYS, in the SEP Fund that I mentioned just now for each school to implement every quarter, every year, different kinds of sports that will enable all children to participate in sports that they may not be participating in, in a particular CCA. So, funds are already available.”
“Lastly, give more funds for children to learn games too, so that more can be selected in the primary schools for their CCA as well. Pre-School and Childcare Teachers”
“Sir, kindergarten education has largely been overlooked in favour of primary, secondary and tertiary institutions. I feel that more financial resources should be committed to pre-school education. It has been well noted from aged two to age five that children's responsiveness to external stimulus is at its peak. Kindergarten education should be made more affordable. Give more grants to approved pre-school institutions, hence, allowing the fees to be lowered. The average cost for a kindergarten teacher is about $2,500, with the teacher/student ratio in K1 and K2 of 1:25, and 1:15 for nursery. Staff cost is staggering for the kindergartens. The cost of kindergarten fee for two children in a family income of $2,000 would be a hefty 10%, ie, $200 a month, and this fee is only among the lowest. It has been found that around 5% of Singaporean children, aged five and six, do not attend kindergarten. Why is this so? Could the high fees be the reason? Presently, there is not a defining standard as to what constitutes good quality education. According to an UNESCO report on education, important contributing factors include good teaching, well equipped and safe learning environment, and an effective curriculum. Recently, MOE has found that many children who enter Primary One may only have the reading age of five; ie, they cannot even read words like "on", or "is" according to a senior reading specialist who helped develop MOE's new learning support programme. Help kindergartens to have a set of basic learning curriculum. With this basic learning curriculum, MOE would be able to effectively respond to the changing needs of the children, so as to prepare the children in a formal primary and secondary education.”
“Sir, I would like to ask the Minister whether efforts can be made to energy mark our water pumps for aquariums, waterfalls and koi ponds. As many believe in nian nian yu yue, there is the extra consumption of energy in homes and organisations, and these home aquariums and ponds are getting very popular. Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Sir, I will ask NEA to study that.”
“I will consider the offer by Mdm Cynthia Phua to consider maybe perhaps a pilot scheme where we can work together with Aljunied Town Council in terms of the lighting level.”
“Sir, I have two clarifications. The Senior Parliamentary Secretary has not answered my appeal for some funds to work on the various anti-littering programmes at the town council level. Second clarification. I would like to ask the Minister to set up a code of practice under the E2 Singapore for the lighting levels in our open area for energy efficiency. For example, acceptable lighting levels in common corridors, linkways in the estates and working with the Ministry of Home Affairs for lighting levels after midnight, taking into account the security and safety of residents. Here again, I would like to volunteer Aljunied Town Council to work with MEWR to set up this code of practice. Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Sir, in terms of funding for town councils and the efforts that we are trying to encourage people not to litter, actually that is the responsibility of town councils to make sure that the place remains clean and to educate the residents of the town council. But we do fund VWOs that help us in our effort to send the message over. So I am sure Mdm Cynthia Phua can creatively think of a way to get some funding from NEA through the respective VWOs in Aljunied Town Council. Sir, on the code of practice, it is a very good point. E2 Singapore is still in its early days. We have just launched it. We are now looking at sector by sector. In fact, we are now trying to establish some baselines. We are gathering data. So over time, as we develop some expertise in this area, as rightly pointed out by the Member, we need to establish certain levels that we think are acceptable and this will be progressively rolled out, as we build up our capability.”
“We are calling the support of our residents and we need the support of NEA and MEWR with some funding to help us achieve this goal.”
“We aim for 6.5 million population. And today we have more than one million foreigners on our shores. We live, work and play in a modern city with world-class facilities. However, littering in the city, our downtown, housing estates, hawker centres and other public places is still a common sight. I call for more action at national level to reinforce the social values of keeping our environment clean. May I ask the Minister what initiatives is MEWR undertaking to address the littering problem. May I also ask the Minister to consider: Developing a more coordinated approach where the various Ministries, like the MEWR, MND, MOM, and JTC as it deals with rental housing to workers, can reach out more to our foreigners. I am not blaming foreigners altogether for our litter but they bring with them their country's own culture and social background as well. Please take a look at Serangoon Road, after midnight on a weekend. Developing ways to inculcate the mindset of environmental civic consciousness. Many individuals have the mentality that because we have an army of cleaners to keep our public areas litter-free, they can take a more laid-back approach towards doing their part in keeping our surroundings clean, especially our young, as they grew up with domestic help. Work with the various agencies to reach out to the heartlanders in the HDB estates. Sharing good practices around so that the learning curve can be cut shorter. As a start, I share with the House what Aljunied Town Council has done to reduce the back apron littering. We have not achieved zero littering but we are actively working towards the effort of zero litter for the Aljunied estate.”
“Alternatively, provide these families in need, especially the divorcee with family and the downgraders, the assistance to buy the smaller ready flats or the HDB's buy-back three-room flats. I understand HDB has a very low stock now. Are they going to continue? We have been calling for many years for HDB to provide downgraders the necessary HDB loan to buy the three-room flats. HDB is simply forcing this group of downgraders to go to the rental flats. This brings to mind the supply and demand of HDB sold flats. HDB has 40 years of providing flats.”
“Her pay is only $1,600 and her take-home pay would just slightly be above $1,300 and she would have nothing left after paying the rental. She is presently digging into her savings. But how long can she last? She told me she cannot afford the $10,000 cash value for the resale flat. Hence, she has to come and see me to appeal for rental flats persistently. The other alternative - purchase from HDB direct. She cannot afford to wait for the long queue and then the construction period of at least two years. Rental flats - HDB informed us that there is high demand now. There is a need to control the demand, hence, to determine who is more deserving. This approach is like the cold wind which blows out the light of the last match stick the little girl holds. Let me ask the Ministry: who deserves the rental flats? What are the criteria? What is the demand for rental flats now? What is the current supply? What is MND's assessment of the demand for rental flats in 5-10 years' time? What are its planning parameters on the quantum of rental flats versus sold flats for the HDB in the next five years and in the long term? Is there a need to change the planning parameters? As the needs are now more varied, many cannot go into the flat queue as many have transacted at least twice, or have taken HDB loans twice, partly their mistake and partly MND's, as there was no control until much later. Can HDB have more rental flats at market value for them to choose the range of their rental pricing in the market, not at subsidised rate of $30 and $50 rental flats? Can HDB provide staggered subsidies and provide rental flats in the price range of $300, $500 and $800? HDB can set the criteria. At least, many more families can be basically housed and properly housed.”
“Sir, as a young girl, I always came across the story of the Matchbox Girl. And many a time, after reading, I would shed a tear. And recently, I read it in my son's Chinese textbook and the heart is still able to relate. There are two versions of the story - one with the child dying peacefully in the image of the warmth of her mother and the other dying in the cold, despite her persistent struggle for survival. You may ask: what has the story got to do with HDB affordable housing? I would relate the girl as the family in need, the state of mind she died with the roles of HDB which it chooses. Who are the people who need affordable HDB housing? Divorced single parents with children, families who could not afford to maintain the present flat, newly-wed couples and upgraders. What are their choices? Only three - HDB sold flats, resale flats in market and rental flats. I would just go into the first two categories of families in need. What kind of role HDB is playing? Going back to the Matchbox story and relating to the family in need, the image of the family warmth or the harshness of the cold world? For families in need, resale flats are out of the question in the current market as the cash value asked by the seller is at least $10,000 for a three-room resale flat. I have a divorcee who comes and sees me three times already, with a young child about eight years old and an aged mother. She rented a flat and has shifted twice along Lorong Ah Soo. Her latest HDB landlord has increased rents three times, from $800 to $1,000 and the latest increase is to $1,300. Her concern is her son who goes to the nearby school and she has to stick around that area.”
“Sir, I would like to ask the DPM, in view of the escape, what is the advisory to be given to the residents? On the way back, I met some residents and they are very concerned about their safety and the safety of their children as well. Would DPM give some advisory on this?”
“I have a suggestion to make after looking at the details of the CPF LIFE and hope both the Ministers for Finance and Health could look into. Presently, the annual premium for MediShield up to age 50 years old is comfortable for most people with some contribution from their family members or when one is working. The premium gets very high from 76 years old onwards. My suggestion is that the amount of annual premium be reversed, ie, higher when they are younger and working, and gets smaller when they are older and without income. I am not suggesting cross-funding by the younger population to the older population. I agree that the cross-subsidy is not workable in the long run. What I have in mind is to set aside a portion of the premium of the insured when they are young to an investment fund to generate income to pay for the higher premium when the insured is older - just like the CPF LIFE, where a sum is placed ahead to earn the additional interest premium for a longer and higher payout. This is part of the pre-savings for the people. This would take out the pain for the older population in the continuation of the payment of the premium when they are older, and reduce the temptation of withdrawing from the coverage when they most need it. With this address, I support the Budget. 5.16 pm”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, I am appealing for a coordinated body in an agency such as the PA or MCYS who has direct dealings with groups and communities on the ground, to have a separate budget for outreaching to this group of the community. A concerted effort to outreach to the women folk on the ground is important to bring a lighter load on their shoulders. A study by Mr Colin Mathers, World Health Organisation, has shown that Unipolar depressive disorder heads the top 10 medical conditions contributing to the number of years of life lost in Singapore for our women. For men, it is placed second after Ischemic heart disease. Therefore, in my opinion, I feel that the above is one way to take care of the women folk in the community. I will continue my speech in English. *Cols. 713-714. (In English ): My third concern is the annual premium for our MediShield which I hope that the Minister for Health could look into. Before I begin, I would like first to thank the Minister for he has done much to revamp our healthcare system and his willingness to listen to the ground. I know he has conducted many ground dialogues on the proposed hospital means testing. In my recent effort to reach out to a woman to explain the goodies of the Budget and looking at the pay-out for the top-ups to the CPF Medisave Accounts, and persuading them to attempt to cover themselves under basic MediShield, I had to look at the MediShield's annual premium. The amount ranged from $160 for the age group of 51 to 60 years old, to $510, about three times, for a person below 80 years old. From 80 years old onwards, the amount is $600 and much more every two years. The latest bonus pay-out for this Medisave top-up is $450. It is only sufficient to use this sum for MediShield to cover up to age 76 to 78 years old.”
“They are mainly housewives, the key of the households; many of them not only have brought up their children but also are taking care of their grandchildren. Many of them also do not have much education and are not able to read the newspapers and perhaps maybe able to catch some information from their friends or neighbours. But such information may be half-truths or with added misperceptions and opinions or totally distorted. Recently, there were many important changes made in the Government schemes, such as Workfare, MediShield, the Budget handouts, the CPF LIFE and others that have a direct impact and long-lasting effect on our women folk. However, much of this information has not been properly rolled out and explained to them. Many have not been able to take advantage of the schemes as they are simply not aware of these schemes. Not being aware deprives them of asking or persuading their husbands and children to participate in the schemes and to take care of their welfare in the long term. Some just look at the contribution to the schemes as additional expenses for the family, their husbands and children. For example, the basic MediShield, it is indeed an immediate expense. However, in the long term it helps the family to cope with unexpected accidents and incidents of illnesses. Many of the women folk I spoke to informed me that their children have their families to take care and they do not want to further burden their children. Presently, they can do without this MediShield as they are healthy. Many look at the short term view and not the long term benefits.”
“" If we do not check this attitude of loftiness and superior haughtiness, then there is a high risk of the fate of the iron law of history descending upon us. Minister George Yeo, in December 1988, at the opening of the MSD Seminar on "Business Management for a Better Public Service" spoke of the three conditions required for a successful civil service. It must bring in the best and brightest. There must be not only intellectuals, but also moral leadership and a collective self-consciousness of its role in society and of its corporate mission. He then went on, and I quote, "As a group, civil servants must always be concerned with the national welfare and proud to be charged with the responsibility. A certain idealism keeps up group morale and group confidence. Pride and idealism must of course not degenerate into arrogance. You command respect, you do not demand it." I raise this subject not to question the integrity of our civil service. I raise this subject not to create a mistrust in our civil service. I raise this subject so that we pay more attention to the individual attributes, perhaps empathy beyond just brains and qualifications that the Budget has no hesitance to provide for the best, and as they succeed in climbing to the top of the administrative ladder, they do not forget the elements of a successful civil service and, more critically, the needs and heart of the ground people - the man-in-the-street, to be heard. (In Mandarin): [For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*.] Mdm Deputy Speaker, the next concern I have is to appeal for a budget to educate our older women folks in the community - the age group between 50 and 80 years old.”
“In our present world setting, there is increasing public expectation, demanding nothing less than the best from not only the frontline officers, but even the top brass who heads our Government Ministries, quasi Government agencies and other boards and enjoy fast track careers. Unlike the services offered by the private sector, where their customers may have a choice of providers, in the Government service, the customers have no alternative. It is a monopoly. There will be, for example, only one NParks, one HDB, one LTA, and so forth. Hence, what happens if the heads of these monopolistic bodies are not singing in harmony with the service quality and service excellence that are being imbued on their frontline officers? Inquiries and correspondences are ignored without even the courtesy of any acknowledgement. I say this from my personal experiences as an MP, having to deal with the senior ranks of the civil service. I believe my experience may also be the experience of some others in the House. One senior Member has advised me to be thick-skinned. My personal experience is that I have not only to be thick-skinned but also to be tenacious with the request that I have made. Recently, whether fortunately or unfortunately, I had the experience myself. I have been told by a civil servant audaciously that he, a civil servant, will one day, sign off on a set of plans that I had to personally appeal to him in person after many months of submission and delay. Here, I would like to state that it is a community project. Here I was very upset, but the consultant, who was with me, was as cool as a cucumber. He said to me, and I quote, "You are already privileged to be able to have an audience with him. Such remarks from them are so common for consultations like this.”
“This force is the individual who no longer sees himself as a member of a community but, added the late Mr Rajaratnam, as one entitled to rights and no obligations. This then points me to look at our civil service employees, especially those who are holding key positions. I ask that they pause and ask themselves if they are too detached from the realities of the frontline and the ground and see themselves as individuals alluded to elegantly by the late Mr Rajaratnam. I say this because over these few years, together with the change of leadership in Government we have placed emphasis on the renewal of the civil service at the same time. For the older civil servants, many have come from varied and poorer family backgrounds and many have since retired. They had a greater propensity to empathise with the demands and needs of various sectors in our population. Many of our key officers presently are returned scholars. Some come from well-to-do background and many have benefited from a "helicopter" career path. The lack of opportunity to mix and interact with the various sectors of the population is also now a concern of our education system. Recently, the Ministry of Education has called for schools to create opportunities for the children in the gifted stream to mix socially amongst their less intellectual peers. As a parent, I have recently received a letter of invite or permission for my less gifted child for an outing with these gifted schoolmates. We have read about junior and middle-level Government employees brainstorming on service quality, attending courses to equip them to deal with their customers, the public.”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, the Singapore economy has done incredibly well last year. It shows the wisdom of our Government when we embarked on the economic restructuring exercise. Painful though it may be for many workers, the rewards have clearly silenced the harshest critics. This year's Budget came with a bagful of goodies. I must say the goodies were like the spray of water on a garden during a hot humid day. The Budget kept almost everyone happily talking. While everyone is in high spirits, I think it is appropriate that I raise this topic today about our civil service. Certainly in no small measure, our civil service employees - and I hesitate to use the words "public servants" - have a hand in the execution of the policies. They too should be congratulated. But it is timely that as we relish this achievement, we be reminded of where success can lead to. At this point, I would draw on the wisdom from no one less eminent than one of our founding fathers, the late Mr S Rajaratnam who, in 1982, was the Second DPM (Foreign Affairs). In his speech at NTUC, he broached the subject of how the higher a society climbs up the ladder of success and prosperity, the greater is the probability of it coming crushing down. He called this the "iron law of history". And this was what he said, and I quote, "If you ask me about the odds, the probabilities are as high as to vouch on inevitability, and I base this judgment not on my understanding of history." However, as laws of history, like all societies are man-made and he surmised that we can therefore change the laws and survive. He then went on to talk about the X-factor that kicks in when society prospers and becomes a destructive force.”
“Sir, I have two supplementary questions. First, I would like to ask the Minister to also set a target for feeder bus services for non-peak hours. These feeder services are really basic bus services for the residents and children to move around. Second, I would like to ask the Minister to consider hastening the review of bus routes as, presently, there are many areas that are really lacking in feeder bus services to connect the residents to the various MRT stations as well as bus interchanges.”
“Sir, can I ask the Minister to paint us the picture for the ERP in 2010? Would it be an ERP entry or would there be no gantries in one of the expressways, as what we have seen in one of the photographs that has been sent round?”
“The question is this. A lot of them do not know that they need to apply every year. Can the SPS do a little bit more publicity?”
“Sir, just one question. I would like to inform SPS that during the recent walkabout, the residents complained that they did not -”
“Sir, in view of the rising trend of this contaminated food from China, has AVA increased the percentage and range of products for sample audit?”
“Would the Minister not agree that there is still a need to review the planning parameters by HDB? HDB seems to end up in excesses either way in the property cycle - 10,000 excess flats three years ago and now, 27,000 applicants for 4,764 flats available currently in HDB website. That is 5.6 times over-subscribed. My second question: will the Minister also consider providing three-year data on the potential supply of flats and its location so that young people who are going to get married are able to plan and be assured of the potential supply of flats? This is similar to private developments because once they apply for planning approval, the data is available in the URA website.”
“The current co-payment is already a heavy burden on the shoulders of the Town Council, and adding any more to its plate would only result in passing on the cost to the residents. As we all know, the Sinking Fund and Routine Maintenance Fund are derived from the contributions of service and conservancy charges paid by the residents with some grants from the Government. I would like the Minister to undertake a review of the balances of the Funds in the Town Councils. The Fund is depleting because of the hefty contribution from the Town Councils for the Lift Upgrading Programme. If HIP is to be added on, I can surely say that the Town Council may be bankrupted. I seek the Minister's clarification on the improvement contributions in this Bill. Minister's decision Finally, the Bill states that the contribution is determined by HDB and not by the Minister directly. I would like to urge that since a Town Council, a statutory board, is under the purview of the Ministry of National Development and, being prudent, such a matter does require the Minister's attention, although we all know that our Ministers work extremely hard and long hours. One last point as I just remember this. The works under the HIP are not new. Why only two pilot precincts? Can we start faster? Can we go full force immediately? On this note, Sir, I support the Bill. 3.22 pm”
“6 metres is because this was what I did when I was staying in a HDB flat with my mother-in-law who was then 65 years old. I shortened the bamboo poles for her so that it was lighter for her. I weighed the pole with just one pair of jeans and three T-shirts all wet, it was 4 kilogrammes. It was that heavy and I had not factored in the ring load as well. So I urge those who have not tried to go and do it before carrying out the socket part replacement. We talk about preparing our nation and society for an ageing population. We should then not overlook this problem faced by our flat dwellers. The HDB should look at the design and ask whether it is suitable for our elderly residents. With the space adding item in their flat under MUP, which is now no longer available, HDB is unable to install the elderly-friendly racks for our residents. I sincerely hope that HDB has not forgotten this and is not going back to just repair and replace the pipe sockets. HDB must complement the work of Minister Lim Boon Heng who has, within a short period of time, come up with so many services and programmes for our elderly. We must help the elderly in their basic routine at home. I urge HDB to sincerely look into the provision of elderly-friendly clothes hanging devices for the home. Spare a thought for the elderly and do away with sockets before lives are lost. Possible contribution by Town Councils Next, I would like to question the amendment under clause 4 which amends section 65(d). I will first declare my interest as the Chairman of Aljunied Town Council. What are the upgrading works apart from the current works, such as the Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP), which the HDB is looking at recovering not only from residents but also from the Town Councils?”
“I have an average of at least five households seeking assistance because of water leakage in toilets every week, whether from the ceiling or from the pipes. HDB is creating a dilemma for these residents. If they fail the water-test for leaks, they are compulsorily required to repair their toilets under the Bill. The job has to be done and they have no money to pay. What next? Court summons. HDB should include such repairs as essential and pay for them. This is especially if the leaks are due to the same reason as the spalling concrete, in that it is due to the inadequacy of the material used, especially during the construction peak in 1986, and this is putting aside what was not properly carried out in the past by the landlord - HDB. Before I end on toilet upgrading, please make our upgraded toilets elderly-friendly - no curb at the doorway to the toilet, lever tap, big buttons for switches, side bar next to the toilet bowl. From the photograph shown in HDB's website again - last night, I went to the website to look at some of the photographs - I did not see the bar at the side of the wall, an indication that this elderly feature is not included. I have more to dwell on the need to provide for the elderly later on. Next, replacement of pipe sockets. I also note that the HDB will be changing the pipe sockets and the bamboo pole holders under HIP. We know that 8.5% of the population is above 65 years old. Many of them are also staying on their own. The weight of the poles with wet clothes is a real challenge for the elderly. This morning, I went to experiment again. I went to weigh the wet clothes on one bamboo of about 1.6 metres - the normal length is about 2 metres. Why I used 1.”
“I would like to urge that the HDB provides a warranty of five years for spalling concrete as many of our residents have been facing this problem in the flat for so long. Give them the comfort in knowing that they can rest their mind for this period of time. A warranty shorter than this period will not be fair to long-suffering lessees of HDB flats. Even presently, when HDB contractors do the repair of spalling concrete, the spalling and the leak are still not done properly, and repair has to be carried out again and again. Each repair at the toilet is about $200 to the residents and I hear feedback from residents frequently that they sometimes have to pay for another or even a third repair two years after each repair. The present method of repair by HDB is clearly not effective. HDB should urgently look at a better repair method and the use of better materials for such repairs. If HDB and the contractors are able to provide the five-year warranty, the residents are assured of the best method of repair, good quality of material and the best skills for their repair. In view of the frequent spalling concrete at the toilets, this brings me to my next point, that is, the Optional Improvements of toilet upgrading that HDB is empowered to carry out under the Bill. While the Bill is supposed to offer the residents a choice, in reality, is there a choice? I quote from the HDB website, "... to opt out of toilet upgrading, the toilets will have to pass a water test for leaks. This is to prevent ceiling leaks at the flat below." The reality is that many of these toilets are in bad condition. We get to hear many of these at the meet- the-people sessions.”
“The salary boom highlighted in the media applied to the professionals and those in the managerial grades. The high wage growth did not come the way of the general workers, the cleaners, not the sales assistants nor the hawker assistants or chamber maids. Yes, Government has given various schemes and top-ups to cushion the GST. These would have been good if we could tame the fury of inflation, which had snatched away whatever little largesse given out to the masses. This year, we expect inflation to hit 3.5% to 4.5%. A recession is looming in the US, and dark clouds hang on the future. Co-payment I therefore appeal to the Ministry to create some air pockets for these lower-income residents before they suffer from hypoxia because of rising inflation. What is HDB seeking for each household if they co-pay 5% and 7.5%? HDB may be recovering a few hundred dollars from each of the one- and two-roomers, but for these residents, it is a lot of money. Furthermore, the number of these one- and two-room flats is not large relative to the overall number of HDB flats. In addition, the percentages of subsidies were worked out when the MUP, which is the Main Upgrading Programme, was first introduced some 15 years ago. The percentages have since not been reviewed. I therefore ask the HDB to: (a) absorb the co-payment for these smaller units and reduce the percentage for the other larger units; (b) lower the co-payment for 4-room flats to 7.5% instead of 10%; (c) lower the co-payment for 5-room and Executive flats to 10% instead of 12.5%. Spalling concrete I note that there is no mention of the warranty period for spalling concrete and I would like to presume that the present practice of giving six months' warranty is still in practice.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Bill, as it is timely, given that many of the older flats do require some repairs, especially the toilet. This exercise will give our residents an option to enjoy an upgrade of their flats at subsidised and economy of scale rates and nip in the bud the nagging problem of spalling concrete. The idea is hip, but what is not so hip is in the details of the quantum of co-payment by the residents and the possible contribution by the Town Council. I would say this amendment is like the HDB offering ice-cream to dwellers of older flats. Sadly, the manner of giving is such that not all of them will be able to enjoy the offer. Because of this co-payment, some may just have to watch while others are polishing their ice-cream. This is the case I want to make for the dwellers of one-room, two-room and three-room flats. I believe all Members in this House will know how much damage inflation has inflicted on the pockets of the lower-income group. We hear them during our meet-the-people sessions and at block visits. The list of household items, which have gone up in prices, is growing day-by-day. The lower-income dwellers do not have to wait for a recession to hit them. They are already hit. The Sunday Times ' report on 2nd December 2007 captured the essence of what is happening on the ground. Yes, the media also reported that shopping malls were crowded last December, but I am sure that the buying spree was not by those who live in one- or two-room flats. Take a quick look at 2007: A&E charges and GP clinic charges up. Public transport, school transport charges up. University tuition fees up. Electricity tariffs went up. Food prices up. What about wages? The earnings of many lower-income workers are still below $2,000 a month.”
“Sir, the Minister has given us very elaborate details of private housing. I would like to ask the Minister that in view of the property market now, what is the status of the new supply of HDB flats in the next three years. Because a lot of newly-wed couples are coming to see us and saying that they find difficulty in getting new flats.”
“I agree totally with what Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Law, Professor S Jayakumar, who recently presented this perspective when he spoke at the Rule of Law Symposium. In the application of the rule of law, it has to be in accordance with the social, cultural and political values of each society. I quote: "Asian societies like Singapore generally give greater importance to the larger interests of the community in arriving at this balance. In western societies, the tilt is towards more emphasis on the rights of the individual." In Singapore, we must continue to protect and uphold the traditional core family structure and values. Definition of rape under section 375 I support Mr Alvin Yeo, our hon. Member, who spoke on this matter earlier. I would like the Ministry to review the definition of rape in marriages. A rape indeed arises if a man forces himself on a woman without her consent. A rape is a rape. We should not allow a man to hide behind the screen of marriage to cause hurt and harm to his wife. With these comments, Sir, I support the amendments to the Penal Code.”
“Phone cameras are so easily and conveniently available, and many have misused these devices. Psychological rehabilitation and tagging offenders Sexual offenders are a group of people who need help to correct their state of mind and require psychological treatment and rehabilitation, instead of just spending a term in prison, or even caning. We should introduce laws requiring these offenders to go for mental examination and psychological counselling. The other advantage from this would be for the medical experts to carry out research so that they can map out more accurately the profile of a sexual offender in the context of our Singapore society. We should have a clear picture of these offenders, their profiles, behaviour patterns, family environment, and so forth. We need to study their characteristics to better prepare ourselves on how to tackle the problem in future, instead of relying on western profiles. With the growth in population and technological enhancement, I can foresee an exponential rise in the number of such offenders. I believe the cultural make-up and the environment may be factors that exert different influences on such offenders. It may well be time for us to have the first-mover advantage to look into the minds of these offenders, given some insights, so that we can pre-empt the problem before they become unmanageable. While I am not advocating at this point that we adopt the measures taken by some US states, eg, Washington, where there is a community registration process for sexual offenders, we may well take heed of what other countries are doing to keep abreast of how the problem is being tackled elsewhere. Section 377A Sir, I would also like to state that I support the retention of section 377A.”
“Time is of the essence. The Ministry should weigh more in favour of the interest and well-being of the young victims than the offenders, without fearing that the law will be too draconian. Lower the age group on offenders Thirdly, the new amendment stated that the offender must be 21 years of age and above. We are beginning to see sex offenders getting younger and younger. We have allowed Singaporeans to apply for a driver's licence and require males to do National Service from the age of 18 years. For other sexual offences, a person as young as 16 years of age is liable for punishment. Therefore, in this instance, can the Ministry lower the offender's age limit to 18 years old or even 16 years old, instead of 21 years old? At 16 or 18, the offenders should know what they are doing and be responsible for their actions. Many countries have criminalised sexual grooming of children in their national legislation - Australia, Canada, United Kingdom and USA. The law in these countries made it a felony for anyone to communicate with persons under the age of 18 via computer system, through the Internet with the intention to groom or lure a child for sexual abuse. Posting of salacious photographs In addition, I would like the Ministry to make it an offence more easily for anyone who threatens to expose or upload salacious photographs of individuals on the web pages, so that the victims would not be coerced into submission by such threats. Many sexual abuses arise from such threats. The penalty for such an offence should be heavier if the photographs were taken without the knowledge of the victims and, for young victims, it should also be similarly imposed even if the offenders have their consent.”