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?”
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“Mr Chairman, Sir, I just want to appeal to the Minister for the visually handicapped. They are really mobile. They just need to have the sound at the door to guide them, while they are in the train.”
“Sir, with the liberalisation of the taxi industry, the number of taxis has increased. This increase in supply has made it more difficult for the drivers to sustain their earning level which has, in fact, taken a dip. Many of our grassroots leaders have affirmed this fact, ie, the income has dipped from about $1,600 to $1,200 a month. From the transport companies' perspective, is there any room for them to lower rentals? What are the operating costs and profit levels of these companies? One other solution is to raise fares so that taxi drivers can increase their income. With the deregulation of fares by the PTC in 1998, the Government can say that this is something that should be left to the market forces. There is clearly a market failure here, given that one company dominates the industry. I understand that this company alone owns 80% of the taxis in Singapore. There is distortion in the market where the price of the taxi ride cannot be determined by the normal market demand and supply forces. What are the measures put in place to help these taxi operators, especially the smaller operators to overcome the distortions of the market place? In terms of safety standards, while it is important to set a high standard to protect the interest of the commuters, this must be reasonable. With the current situation where there are many taxis, many have to work much harder and longer. Fatigue sets in and this may have led to their poor safety record. What are the measures in place to help these drivers and operators to meet the safety standards set by the authorities? Taxi Diesel Tax”
“We should not look at the cost of transport alone for a train ride or bus ride but the total cost, including the feeder services one has to take and also the cost of time one has to walk. This would ensure a fair and affordable transport cost to the people. As for accessibility, our buses are still not friendly to the less mobile. Much more can be done for the rail system as well.”
“Sir, with the liberalisation of the public transport industry, at the moment, there are two public rail and bus operators. I would like to ask the Ministry what is its long-term strategy in terms of public transport provision and what is the relative emphasis between the different modes, namely, buses, rail and even taxis. The Ministry should perhaps take a leaf from the low cost air carriers to ensure a low cost provision of service as it formulates the long-term strategy on the land public transport. In the last budget, the Ministry has acknowledged that because of the size of commuters in Singapore, direct competition of the rail system does not make sense. Why has it not actively persuaded the operators? Because, in this case itself, economies of scale would ensure that the general public has a lower cost of transport. It is to the public interest that the Ministry should act, similarly as it has liberalised the transport industry when it believed that competition would enhance the land transport service and cost. It is obvious that, with the two different rail and bus operators, many intervening inefficiency and high transport costs for the public arise in physical areas, especially in between the two rail systems. The transport company would evaluate the routes on a commercial basis, ie, definitely on profitability. This brings me to the role of the Public Transport Council (PTC) in that matter. Currently, they only review proposals by the operators for new routes and amendments to routes. Should not the PTC independently initiate a study of the whole system in particular areas to see if it is truly efficient and cost-effective?”
“Sir, a point of clarification. The Minister mentioned about a committee to review the warrant of arrest cases. I want to say that he was actually mentioning HDB representatives. I just wanted to request that town council representatives be represented as well, because some of these cases may be due to S&C arrear cases. Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee: An MND representative is there. So, he can look after the interests of the town councils.”
“It should, for example, tighten the licensing for the importation of cigarettes. I am told that there are now more brands in the market than before. Or use the taxes to subsidise the nicotine patch to help smokers to give up their habit. I understand that some importers are bringing in cheaper brands in order to make smoking more affordable, and people are smoking cigarettes made in countries where the law on nicotine and tar content is less stringent, and brought into Singapore illegally or without duty. A colleague, who has a Vietnamese wife, says he smokes cigarettes from friends and relatives who visit him. The result is that they are smoking more harmful cigarettes. We have about 50,000 Malaysians crossing the checkpoints each day. I urge the Government to take a more holistic approach to this problem of nicotine addiction, so that in the process of dissuading our young from taking up the smoking habit, the older loyal Singaporeans do not end up gasping for a puff. Sir, on this note, I support the motion.”
“Added to their woes are the difficulty in getting skilled foreign workers and the increase in the levy on foreign workers in this Budget. There have been many grouses on the man year entitlement (MYE) to the construction companies. This MYE costing has been used as a leverage on many tenders for local projects which some foreign companies have used to their advantage and, again, the local contractors have not had the advantage of hinterland to supply these skilled workers. Hence, the MYE has become a commodity to be traded. Many subcontractors are also finding difficulty in getting workers, as they are restricted by the main contractors as well. The relevant Ministries should review the whole structure and assist the industry to recover sooner. Tobacco Let me at this point talk about smoking. The Government has, almost without fail, annually increased the duty on tobacco for the past five years. The rationale is to deter our young Singaporeans from taking up the habit of smoking. I support the anti-smoking policy, in view of the nearly 2,500 deaths annually in Singapore. However, in the process of formulating the tax policy, the Government must realise that it is also hitting at a group of senior citizens who have for decades been smoking. They are the unfortunate lot who did not have the benefit of public education in their youth and are today caught in the clutches of the smoking addiction. At their age, 60 years and above, to give up the habit of some 40-plus years of smoking may probably do them more harm than good, as I am told. The withdrawal symptoms may cause them more harm. I would like to ask the Government to consider other measures to curb smoking, apart from just raising taxes on tobacco.”
“I strongly support Mr Inderjit Singh's call that, if we do not develop our local enterprises, we will continue to need to restructure and attract MNCs all the time, and not having enough local entrepreneurs to move the country up the ladder. I support the call for an agency for local enterprises. Property Among the areas where I feel we should have also looked into is the property market. Owning a property is the dream of many Singaporeans. Those who own an HDB flat will aspire to upgrade to a bigger flat, and this desire goes on. We implemented many measures in the past to curb speculative trading in property. Today, conditions have changed. Things are very stabilised, and too stabilised to the point that the market is only moving sideways. People find it difficult to upgrade, even though interest rates are low. Why? It is because the cost of transaction is still very high, amongst others. One of the issues is the stamp fees for property transactions. The Government could review the whole fee structure for property conveyancing to see how it can be realigned to meet the current market conditions. Concessions have been granted for transfers of mortgage. Can the benefits be extended wider to include purchases as well? The benefits extended to properties being transferred to REITs should be broadened to benefit other transactions as well and not just to REITs. A reduced rate would definitely give a boost to the property market. Construction While on the subject of property, I would like to say that while other industries have recovered, the construction industry is still caught in a tailspin. Contractors are going bust, and the domino effect on the subcontractors has made the industry a very high-risk business.”
“It is because of my recent experiences with EDB and SPRING that I sat upright and nodded my head in support of my neighbour in the House, Mr Inderjit Singh, in his call for a single agency for local enterprises. Let me explain. At this point I would also like to declare my interest. Recently, I was assisting my employer to apply for a site under the Warehouse Retailing Scheme (WRS), whose programme was owned by EDB. Unfortunately, being a local cooperative, our so-called sponsor agency is SPRING. Although SPRING is the sponsor agency, we were unable to obtain prompt updates of the scheme during the months of the process of the application. We have to learn from industry sources that a site has been allocated and the WRS guidelines have been changed. When we further checked, EDB has allocated a site not within the original guideline of the WRS. Of course, we made objection, but were scolded for not thinking out of the box by SPRING, the interesting partnership of the two agencies. What local enterprises need are not special but fair treatment, equal sources and speed of information, and effective delivery of services. While EDB has done a great job for the MNCs, unfortunately, it is but human, it has only one heart for the MNCs but not the local enterprises. If we continue with the prevailing attitude towards local enterprises, we cannot create a more conducive environment in which local enterprises can thrive. We are really in need of an effective agency looking after local enterprises. Local enterprises, too, provide the jobs and retain the earnings within the country.”
“I will begin with an overview of the Government's decision for the civil service to stay lean, but I hope this will not be at the expense of the public servants and efficiency. I know the Finance Minister had said when announcing the caps on Ministries' budgets that, "MOF believes that by cutting waste and operating more efficiently, Ministries can live within these caps without compromising service levels". I have actually cancelled two pages out of that because Mr Ang has spoken elaborately on this topic itself. We can cut cost but if it is at the expense of the quality of public service, I am concerned what will happen to ordinary citizens who depend on these services. One other area I want to mention is the cost of internal fixtures and fittings in Government departments and institutions. For the past three years, we have visited more Government departments and institutions than the normal ordinary citizens. I am very sure that the budget can definitely be cut even more based on the specifications that are being put into the tender document. I was told that in one hostel's tender specifications, it specifies for branded mattresses or equivalent for the hostel. Do we need such high specifications? Besides high specifications, the cost of fittings and fixtures will definitely be high. We can have furniture with wood ply and not solid wood. We can have homogenous tiles and not marbles on floors. They are all functional and serve the same purposes. I have seen glass staircases. They still have to be walked on, as in any ordinary concrete staircases. Call for a local agency for local enterprises I applaud Mr Inderjit Singh for calling for a single agency for local enterprises in Singapore. He hits the nail right on the head.”
“I am proposing that one answer lies in medical insurance. This will have to be a portable policy and everyone should be encouraged to buy the coverage according to his ability to pay the premium. If he moves on to the next job, the policy goes with him. When the policyholder is perhaps in his 30s, the premium may be a little higher than the norm. However, when the person hits 55 years, the premium could be gradually reduced because the policyholder may then be heading for his retirement. The higher premium he pays when he is, say, in his 30s would kind of offset the gradual reduction in premium he pays when he is in his retirement years. I know the current policies are tailored such that the premium goes upwards with age. But we should reflect and explore new options and think like the way operators of low cost airlines do in bringing a revolutionary change to the cost of air travel. I know several NGOs run free clinics even in today's marketplace. A good medical insurance is a vital cog in the wheel of good health. In this way, the aged can grow old with dignity and pride, without fear of burdening their siblings or family members. The sick need suffer no more pain than what has already been inflicted by his illness. The Government could also extensively explore various alternative medicines so as to bring down the cost of medical treatment and cure. In this medical bill, the medicine alone costs $43,252, and after subsidy, it is $40,385. Like what Mr Inderjit Singh has said, maybe a high-powered committee should perhaps look deeper into the question of medical insurance with the creative premium scheme. Lean civil service Next, lean civil service.”
“What our handicapped friends are asking is to facilitate them so that they can earn their keep to support themselves. The handicapped I know have a generous heart. One of the visually impaired has even come forward to serve selflessly as a volunteer in Paya Lebar. She is a graduate; she is unemployed. She needs help herself, but she is helping others for now. Medical insurance As we march forward into the new order, we have to find new solutions to an otherwise old problem. This is the problem of medical care. The ever rising cost of healthcare with an ever greying population will put a strain between the providers of health services and the people. What makes this issue even more sensitive is because it concerns life and this can be an emotional issue. People who are sick will want the best care, yet the best is no guarantee to a cure. Worse still, the patient may succumb to his or her illness, and the next-of-kin will have to suffer the pains of having to settle a huge medical bill. Let me quote you this medical bill that is in my hand [indicating]. This belongs to my late ex-secondary school classmate. I have got her husband's permission to disclose this. She was hospitalised for 49 days and finally succumbed to her illness in December 2004. The total hospital bill for 49 days is $204,648. After the Government grant of $116,746, the remaining bill is $87,901. With Medisave, MediShield and some personal insurance, the bill now stands at $50,000. This liability lies with her husband and her three children now. When it comes to medical treatment, where is the line to be drawn between making a sensible decision for a loved one, to reaching out beyond the limits of a person's financial capability in the gallant attempt to save a life?”
“Just pause for a moment and ask: If the able-bodied are affected by structural unemployment, what more if someone is handicapped? Even the organisations that are set up to render them assistance face difficulties in a trying business environment. Many are asking for a budget to enable them to seek training to upgrade their skills and make themselves more employable in the new industries. Many of the visually impaired were previously trained to be production operators and telephone operators in the old economy. In addition, they are also asking for small relief or subsidies for their employers to purchase assistive equipment so that they can perform to their optimum as their able-bodied partners. Many strive hard to raise a family despite their difficulties. Recently, I was invited to a Chinese Lunar New Year function at our community centre organised by the Institute for the Blind. I was impressed by their self-help spirit and attitude. But they too need the care of the community and the Government. Although our transport authority and transport companies have persistently maintained their stand that public transport is meant for the majority, we have, I feel, arrived at a stage in our economy where we can be more inclusive and show a greater compassion for the less fortunate. To install a beeping sound system in the doorway to ensure that our visually impaired know where the door is and can independently move towards it is not a costly installation. We have made progress slowly and are able to include braille numbering on the lift buttons. The visually handicapped just needed that storey indicators so that they could move about the floors independently and freely.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, this year's Budget is like a beautiful bouquet. It has a wide variety of flowers, pretty ones with nice scent, to capture the hearts of the young, the middle age, the elderly (the uncles and aunties in the HDB heartlands) and even the corporate citizens, that is, the businesses. I rejoice together with many fellow Singaporeans when the Budget was announced. And this floral bouquet does not come cheaply. It will cost the Government some $1.3 billion. This "inclusive" Budget clearly reflects the hallmarks of our Finance Minister, namely, to be bold in making decisions, to recognise the needs of everyone and to give everyone some help to move forward with their lives while creating opportunities for them. It is a Budget that reaches out and touches the hearts of the people. It is just the typical style of Mr Lee Hsien Loong since his taking office also as Prime Minister to extend a helping hand to every Singaporean. Indeed, such is the Budget that has been designed that there will only be a "modest surplus" in 2005, in the words of PM, so as to allow for "measures to be taken to ensure that the vulnerable or needy Singaporeans are not left behind". Despite the many reverses that we faced in the past, we went ahead with the economic restructuring policies and, today, we can enjoy the fruits of our sacrifices. Indeed a Budget, such as this, makes it difficult for everyone to be critical but of course we will always want to push the boundaries a little bit more and ask for more. Handicapped and wheel-chair bound Today, I like to speak for the handicapped, the wheel-chair bound and the visually impaired, among others, who in times of economic difficulties will need more than just a little help from the Government, in terms of any special relief.”
“Can the Senior Minister of State also consider, while reviewing the signboards, removing the fence? Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee: Let me look at the particular instances in question. We have to ask who put up the fence, for what purpose and whether or not the purpose is still present. Certainly, we all agree that, as far as possible, let Singaporeans have more space to play on. Dr Geh Min (Nominated Member): Sir, I would like to ask a supplementary question on the access to land for sports and other recreational exercise. There has been a spate of articles in the papers with regard to the access of the new canopy walk in MacRitchie/Pierce, the central catchment area. As has been mentioned, the access to the canopy walk is longer now because Singapore Island Country Club, which has the land on lease, has closed off that particular area with a ---”
“Sir, I would just like to let the Senior Minister of State know that there are some fields that have been fenced in my estate. For example, the market that has been vacated is fenced up. There was a former army camp and it is now vacant but it is also fenced up and residents could not use it.”
“Sir, while the Minister is reviewing the scheme, could he also consider the cut-off period for the eligibility of lift upgrading as well, because this has been set for quite some time and some of the lifts are quite old?”
“Many patients, especially senior citizens, cannot take the strain of waiting especially when they are ill. When appointments are made for senior citizens, also be sensitive to their financial situation and schedule them a time after 10.00 am so that they would benefit from the lower transport costs. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, in closing, I am proud to say that over the past few years, in the face of challenges, we have responded well. We have stayed united as a nation - young, old, rich, poor - we sang with one voice and with one same hymn sheet. Singapore is the land where there will be ample opportunities for everyone. Mr Steve Chia is not here. I just wanted to say this. Is it not ironic that with this open and fair system and great opportunity Mr Steve Chia is able to be in this Parliament, and yet he has criticised that our system is not democratic?”
“We have very modern equipment to match the very talented medical brains. But the flip side is that medical cost to the lay people has also gone up. So where is the benefit of modern medical science to the lay people? We need doctors who are able to diagnose accurately. We need doctors who can recommend the right treatment. And above all, we need doctors who can offer good alternatives after diagnosing a patient - that these doctors have compassion for their patients and are mindful of the financial burden on these patients. [Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr S Iwaran) in the Chair] 4.55 pm Let me cite an example of someone who was diagnosed with lymphoma. Her doctor had advised her that there is a treatment which will cost her $25,000. However, it is not a cure. Or she can wait till the abnormal cell count is up to a certain level, then go for invasive treatment. It pains everyone affected when one is put in such a predicament of having to make decisions that can lead to life or death. However, I would like to add that I have faith in Mr Khaw Boon Wan. The Health Minister has done much to review the medical costs. But there are still many more basic changes that need to be done. There are many simple basic suggestions and improvements that can make healthcare affordable for our senior citizens at the community level. We need to provide more primary healthcare and basic medical screening services at the community level, ie, at the polyclinics and at local GPs. Also, the hospitals should recognise referrals by private GPs. Patients referred for hospitalisation should not be channelled to the high paying wards just because they were referred by the GPs and not by the polyclinics. Also, the queue at the polyclinics is very long now, and this should be improved quickly.”
“I must emphasise that the Ministry should also not overlook the importance of the family unit as it extends its hands to reach out to our youths. The success in building up a society lies in the success of young and old people coming together, recognising the interdependence of one another, and the cultural values of bonding, respecting and enjoying each other's wisdom. When there is a crisis, for example, no amount of professional counselling can replace the warmth and the solace that come from a family member. It brings me great joy when I see young people helping their elderly parents in doing household work, because it is such acts that go a long way in bonding the family unit. I think we are all too famous for fully exploiting the festive seasons in Singapore as tourist-centric events, or as occasions for retailers to spin a commercial twist to get more people to spend. While spending is an important cog in the wheel in the economic cycle, we should also look at how these festivities can be spun to give it a different flavour, one which is family-centric to get brothers, sisters, parents, grandparents to do things together and enjoy each other's company. The family message is somehow lost or hidden when we celebrate major festivities in Singapore. We are losing invaluable opportunities if we do not seize them when the occasion arises. Even among the Europeans, Christmas, for example, is "a family gathering". But, in Singapore, the theme is invariably about "buying a gift". Healthcare for everyone Sir, I now move on to the greatest gift that we enjoy as mankind - and that is the gift of good health. The President has mentioned affordable healthcare. Our health services sector has certainly improved.”
“It is a shame that we often see well designed sports facilities in the polytechnics, primary and secondary school grounds within the housing estates protectively fenced up because their keepers are afraid that if they open up to the community, they will incur additional maintenance costs. The various Ministries should adopt a more creative approach and assist in sharing the maintenance costs, based on the usage of these facilities. We could then invite past and present sportsmen and women to volunteer their services to make up the shortfall of people resources. In this way, we will create more avenues to encourage our young children to engage in community sports. But what happens then to those whose forte is not in sports? In this regard, I venture to suggest that the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports should also look into organising other programmes that can rein in these other youths to meaningful pursuits. Whether it is the arts or sports, the Ministry should constantly look for new pursuits and new activities that can engage our young people. Through its network with NGOs, the Ministry could actively recruit the young people into community service so that they are equipped with skills which could put them to good use later in life. For example, teaching them first aid and other medical skills would also render them useful to the community should the need arise. With destructive elements like SARS and the tsunami, these skills would definitely put us in good stead whenever the need arises. What is important is to give these youths a sense of ownership, as was mentioned in the President's Address. Family focus festivals Sir, still on the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports.”
“That a robust play may be appropriate but this is provided it does not cause undue injury to his opponent. That just as there must be humility in victory, there must also be acquiescence in defeat. That mental prowess is just as much an asset as physical strength to win a game. I feel that one of the best platforms for character building is on the sports field, where the competitive spirit can bring not just the best but the worst in a person's character. And the lessons learnt on the field can certainly put one in good stead later on in life, whether as an entrepreneur or an employee. There should be more opportunities for more children to be involved in friendly competitive games at each level within schools, intra-schools, community, district and national levels of sports and games. We should not only develop excellence in sports but also mass participation in these sports. Often, even up to today, schools said that there is a lack of resource persons and a lack of facilities and hence a limit to the number of children who can participate. Now with the five-day work week, it takes the schools even greater effort to allow more children to participate in these activities. I have always stressed that children should start young and especially those in the primary schools. Being young, naturally they too want to enjoy the outdoors. Hence, we should encourage our children to take part in outdoor activities. Once they are in the secondary schools, it is difficult to persuade our teens to be outdoors. Instead, you will find that they rather stick to their computer games, perhaps because they have not enjoyed the wholesome goodness of team play and outdoor activities.”
“While I do not suggest that we limn a picture of our past and etch them on the walls of public buildings and exhibition walls, I certainly feel that we can do more to remind our young so that they better appreciate the very difficult footsteps taken by our forefathers. While I feel that we have made some inroads in engaging our youths in the field of arts and sports, and in giving them some space to channel their creativity and their energies, I believe there are many youths out there who need direction in life. There are many who lack the inner spiritual and physical strength to shed their cloistered life, and are waiting to be shown how they can be drawn to make a meaningful contribution to our society. That our youths are easily drawn to western fad, such as to tattoo their bodies like the way cowboys brand their cattle on the hind side, and for them to be so easily drawn into a frenzy and into almost blind adulation of an idol, beg the question: what is going on in the minds of these young people? Education The second concern is education. While national service has done much good for the young, this education to give our youths the courage to face strenuous life should begin when they are still in school. The Ministry of Education has expanded the CCA. I feel that more needs to be done so that character building and ruggedness are also imbued in the activities, so that we do not breed a society of lily-livered boys and girls. Since we just won the Tiger Cup, let me take soccer as an example. A player may learn from his coach the rules and the techniques of the game. He may also learn about his responsibility to his team mates, and his club. But will a coach teach him his responsibility as a sportsman?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I speak in support of the Motion of Thanks to the President. In his speech to this House, the President had said that we open this Second Session of the Tenth Parliament with a heavy heart. Sir, it is important that we be mindful of the fragility of the material world and the vulnerability of mankind, as we look back at the events that left many parts of Southeast Asia devastated by the tsunami. It is indeed unfortunate that we have to end 2004 with such a painful souvenir of human tragedy. But there was one good cause that came out of this calamity, ie, it brought the people in the region closer together. Today, we are ever closer to the people of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malaysia. We are, as the President had said, a member of the global community, closely linked to share their joys and their sufferings. Our response to the disaster was swift and decisive. The whole machinery went into action - the military, the medical team and the humanitarian aid. It heartens me to see so many Singaporeans, especially the young, channelling their energies to good use when the nation needed them most. This army of young volunteers, some with parents and grandparents in tow, came forth to volunteer their services to collect donations, pack the foodstuff, clothes and other items for shipment to the neighbouring countries. Investing in our young This brings me to the point that I want to make today - investing in our young - in that we need to constantly imbue in our young the right values so that they know that the prosperity and peace of today can always be washed away tomorrow without warning. They have to be prepared for the life of constant effort, of labour and strife, which is the very foundation on which our forefathers had built up our nation.”
“In another instance, another international company was prepared to settle for the second best and sent one of their executives for posting to China. Though his level of understanding of the language was elementary, the result was that the company has to employ a translator to assist him during his posting, and international companies do not always welcome this as they have confidential dealings. But just learning the language is not enough. So a third Singaporean, a young man in his late-20s, currently working in Fuzhou, China, has discovered the books and literature that he read while in school in Singapore were not sufficient to take him through business and commercial discussions, especially on banking and accounting terminology. Added to this, he discovered that there was a cultural gap in the thinking of a Chinese Singaporean educated in English with that of his Chinese business counterparts. Their approach, their thinking and their interpretation of friendship were different, though both are Chinese. Additionally, there is also the historical gap that the Singaporean gentleman has to read up to get him into a comfort level to court their friendship, in winning the confidence to socialise and do business together. Hence, the value of learning the Chinese Language and using it confidently is very crucial for our students. It goes back to my earlier argument that we should expedite the implementation of these recommendations and not wait till four years later. Sir, I hope the Minister will consider this proposal in the implementation of the new teaching programme for the Chinese Language. Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the motion.”
“Also, for those who are to be affected by these changes, I feel that the changes in the subject content should take effect as soon as it is practical and be phased in gradually. A reduction in the subject content should not be done suddenly by cutting off the syllabus. This is especially the case for the current cohort of lower primary students if the changes are to be of benefit to them. In fact, it is my view that the current content is too heavy. For example, my youngest son, who has recently completed his final examination, has to learn 60 phrases, some are two words and others are four words, just to take the final Chinese spelling test of 10 phrases. It took both of us, mother and child, two weeks to complete learning the list. However, for the English Language, he is only required to learn 30 of them and to take a test for 10 words. From this, there is little wonder why our children love the English lessons but not the Chinese lessons. The modular syllabus method, as recommended, to allow students to learn at their own pace, is indeed a good idea. Let me end by sharing three real cases of people who face actual situations relating to their learning of the Chinese Language. The first case is set in a scenario where an international company demands that employees to be posted to their China offices must not only read and write the language, but they must be competent in the language to the extent of reading and understanding the text the way they do in English. Of course, among the first countries that this company turned to for potential candidates are Singapore and Hong Kong. A scholar from Singapore, now in the private sector, has to forgo this posting because of his lack of mastery of the language. The scholar thus lost what is considered a prime posting.”
“The other language will be learnt, but at a different level of fluency. To enable the interest and use of the language, it is vital to improve the language environment in schools, families and society. When everyone understands this reality, it will be easier for them to accept the measures proposed by the Education Ministry to improve the teaching of Chinese, including introducing flexibility in teaching methods. Those who need encouragement to learn the language should watch the CCTV's language programme where you can see Caucasian presenters teaching viewers on word vocabulary and sentence structure. A student's command of Chinese is not only due to his ability but also his interest. His interest is, in turn, influenced by his family's background and motivation. My third concern is the examination structure. I want to dwell on the way our examination is structured. We are too oriented towards the form that we miss the substance. I am glad that the Review Committee will change the way our students are tested and assessed, by moving away from vocabulary and memory, to giving more marks to how they speak and use the language in the right context for the PSLE and 'O' level examinations. What is the use of learning words but you cannot string them together? A proverb or a famous Chinese poem does not make you a Mandarin. In fact, in any language, it is more difficult to use simple words and string them together correctly in order to communicate effectively. Changing the examination format will do just the right thing. Again, Mr Speaker, why not introduce the whole recommendations altogether at an earlier date?”
“Let outstanding teachers teach Chinese and give them a better chance of being promoted as vice-principals or even principals, or be given even Ministry HQ postings. This can indeed encourage teachers to take a serious view of the Chinese Language education and motivate them to take a lead in creating a better learning environment for Chinese in schools, to give students a good grounding in Chinese at primary level and to make them like the language so that they would continue to learn it in future. At home, we would like to ask the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (MICA) to support this call, ie, to encourage Chinese subtitles for our Chinese news so that our children are encouraged to follow the news. I just came back from Beijing and I could follow the Chinese news there because they have Chinese subtitles. But I find it difficult to follow the Chinese news in Singapore because of the speed. I support Mr Gan's earlier proposal to allow more educational programmes for our children, eg, the National Geographic programme to be in Chinese and encourage more good Chinese children programmes for our children. English will continue to be the dominant language in Singapore. Increasingly, many people understand that learning the Chinese Language is important for Singapore's economic survival too. With the rise of China as an economic power, we know that even non-Chinese have been picking up the language. As students have different learning abilities, we cannot expect to keep on raising the level of Chinese Language education similarly as English at the first language level standard. Most of us who have gone through the bilingual system will realise that, at any one time, one would have mastery of one language.”
“The sooner we fix the problem, the better it is for the future. Human resources are our only asset. If we have to wait four good years, this may result in unnecessary casualties for those who are struggling with the Chinese Language under the current system of learning. What good is a discovery if it is not widely available for everyone to benefit? The second concern is to encourage a learning environment. There is a need to encourage a learning environment for the child to learn his Chinese Language. A few suggestions have been raised. One, the language ability amongst students from different schools is different. Increase the teaching hours for Chinese in some SAP primary and even SAP secondary schools after understanding the child's background. Before the child enters primary school, a survey should be carried out based on the student's family background, socio-economic status and the language used at home or in the neighbourhood. Principals or teachers should have the flexibility to decide on the amount of time spent in English and Chinese so that students will be able to learn the first and the second language faster. The key to success lies in the motivation and opportunity that one has in learning the second language. Allow these students to learn Chinese at different levels and pace through this flexible system. Use family background, learning ability and interest to distinguish these students. Teaching of Chinese can be effectively improved by conducting lessons in small groups so that teachers can employ flexible methods for teaching students of different learning abilities. Teachers must be able to distinguish students with different abilities and interest in order to employ different teaching methods as well as to teach at different pace.”
“There may not be a total or ideal change in the way that the language is cultivated, but the phased approach, implemented with the end objectives in mind, will certainly be helpful for the present students in the lower primary. We should strive to provide every student the opportunity of a good grounding in the Chinese Language as soon as possible, once the principles and recommendations of the revamped curriculum have been accepted after this vigorous debate. I need to declare my interest. I am an interested mother as my youngest child is now in Primary One. I have anticipated the English-speaking environment that he would grow up in and thus I provided him the Chinese learning environment during his kindergarten years by enrolling him in a neighbourhood kindergarten. Here, most of his kindergarten classmates speak Chinese at home. He is now in a SAP school. Although with additional periods of Chinese lessons, unfortunately, most of the children are from the English-speaking homes. The speaking of English is predominantly used in the school and I found that for his final year examination results, his Chinese grades have already been lowered. Sooner or later, his interest in learning the language would wane if he does not see the need to continue to speak the Chinese Language in the school environment. He would have lost the advantage that he had in his kindergarten years. I am urging the Ministry to expedite the implementation since it has recognised that this is the problem in the learning of the language. Yet, a child will not be able to benefit from the Review Committee's recommendations until he is about Primary Four or Five. By then, many would suffer the existing fate of many children hating to learn the language by this age.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, although I am wearing a Chinese jacket from Beijing, I am not speaking in Mandarin. I rise to support the White Paper, especially with its emphasis on fluency and confidence in speaking, listening and reading. This is the way ahead for the learning of the Chinese Language and I want to congratulate the Ministry for not only recognising the problem but in being bold enough to get to the root cause of the issue to tackle it. The fact that even in China, where Mandarin is the main language, they accepted that the better way to teach the language was by helping the students to recognise the words first and keep the writing to the later part of the learning programme. The importance of learning the Chinese Language is often not appreciated until the students grow up and join the ranks of the working population. I have three concerns. The first concern is implementation in 2008. It is a good start that we first tackle how we can help our students to master the language. We recognise that there is a deep problem in our learning of the Chinese Language. But if this is the case, I do not understand why the Government is not seeking to expedite the implementation of the Review Committee's recommendations, especially the key features of the revamp. We are now going into 2005 and why do we need to wait until 2008, which is another good four years, before introducing these recommendations. Since we have recognised that the cultivating of learning interest from young is a good start, students should be allowed to learn at their own pace as quickly as possible.”
“Sir, I want to urge the Minister to consider the matter again because under the Interim Upgrading Programme, this item is not within the guidelines. If the Minister would say yes, it would be included in the guidelines, then I am very happy.”
“Sir, I would like to urge the Minister to reconsider this matter. Because these clothes drying racks occupy part of the tenant's space. It is considered as common property. For the Interim Upgrading Programme, it involves the upgrading of the common environment. Would the Minister consider including this item into the interim upgrading so that our existing flat owners do not have to wait so long for improvements?”
“Sir, we are talking about old flats and not new flats which will be taken care of. But we are urging the Minister to look at the older flats because these are where our older residents are living. This item is included in the Main Upgrading Programme but it is not included in the Interim Upgrading Programme or the Lift Upgrading Programme. Could the Minister consider, due to our aging population, installing this item under these two programmes?”
“Sir, I would urge the Minister to look actively at banning smoking in those places where there are many young children, especially at hawker centres and eating houses. I am a passive smoker. My mother has passed away but my father is an active smoker. It is very easy for a passive smoker to become a smoker because you are used to the smoke. I would like the Ministry to actively look into banning smoking in such public places. Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Sir, again, I would like to thank the Member because we do have evidence to show that non-smokers, who are exposed to the smoking environment, will eventually pick up the smoking habit and this is something that we want to prevent. As I mentioned in my reply, we will consult and consider all the issues carefully before we move because there are implications. We will finish the study before we make a decision.”
“Sir, since many of these victims are very young girls, should not our schools be more secure in the sense that either the Ministry of Law or the Ministry of Home Affairs as well as the Ministry of Education should check all these work permit applicants before they are employed in Singapore? Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee: Sir, I think we should separate the issues. In terms of the security of school premises, as Mdm Phua knows, this has been beefed up. In terms of strangers going to schools, whether it is for mischief such as terrorism or even for more down-to-earth matters as disturbing the students, both in terms of possible sexual abuse or even gang activities, the schools have beefed up too. Certainly, for workers working in school premises, the schools can carry out due diligence checks but it will be quite another thing to say that all those who work with the school should also be checked for their background. This may mean rolling back what we are trying to do to help people who have a record but have turned over a new leaf to be able to work productively.”
“Sir, I would like to ask the Minister how come an American, Jack West, 58 years old, who is a sex offender, was able to enter Singapore and to teach in schools here and investigations were only instituted after the New Paper reported of his presence in Singapore. Secondly, should the sponsors of a work pass applicant be made accountable and asked to undertake the due diligence checks before recommending him to the Ministry for processing? Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee: Sir, for foreigners who come to work in Singapore, we do not carry out checks with their home countries whether they have got criminal records. As to whether the Ministry of Manpower could carry out such checks, I think a balance has to be struck. In answer to a question from Ms Irene Ng on the need for checks to be done on employees, I said that we have to maintain a balance. There are certain professions which, because of sensitivity, for example, if you work in a security area, checks need to be done, but not so in this case.”
“Sir,I just wanted the Minister to clarify this point. I am mentioning about the PPP in the Sports Hub itself so as to makesure that the rates are affordable toan average Singaporean. I am heartened to note that the Ministry is working together with MOE to make available more sporting facilities for our residents.I ammentioningthe Hub itself, because of the PPP, and I am concerned about the affordability of itsuse.”
“Sir, most of these sports facilities are not beingusedintensively to be commercially viable. Can the Minister explain how he can ensure that the rates of these facilities can be made affordable to an average Singaporean?”
“Since the procedure allows the principal, eg, the developer to make direct payment, the Authorised Nominating Body should allow such direct payment by the principal, and not when the principal is aware and chose to, or may make payment, of the amount outstanding as stated in the Bill, after the choice of the consequences has been made. The concern is that the principal could do direct payment rather than having the work disrupted. On this note, I support the Bill.”
“It should not be the case where an adjudication application is made and the contractor has to be told to re-apply again to kick off the procedure. The time taken for the procedure is itself very long. When there is no payment, that is already ranging from 40-45 days upon invoicing, then a claimant can apply for adjudication. This application is to be made within 7 days, another 7 days for the Authorised Nominating Body to send out the notices to the relevant persons, and yet another 7 days for respondents to respond before the commencement of the adjudication. It is stated in the Bill that within 7 days, after the commencing of the adjudication, the adjudicator shall determine the application. However, reading further down the line, there are clauses that state, within 14 days, after the commencement of the adjudication application or within such longer period as may have been requested by the adjudicator. By the time an adjudicator makes a judgment or decision, a quick calculation would show that it would be at least 70 days or more. If the procedure taken is too long for a decision, the eventual outcome is that this Bill could end up being a white elephant. The point of concern is that the administrator of the procedure, ie, the adjudicator, must be knowledgeable and decisive. Thirdly, the consequence for not paying the amount is to exercise the lien on the goods supplied or to serve a notice in writing to suspend carrying out construction work. These consequences are disruptive to the overall schedule of the development work and should be avoided. But these are the two stated consequences under the procedure.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, for any legal procedure to work effectively and efficiently, the procedure must be simple to understand, easy to apply and administer. As I see it, the Ministry has tried to simplify the procedure. However, it still takes me, a real estate personnel, some time to understand the Bill, the requirements dictated by the procedure. My concerns are: how do we help the small and medium contractors or subcontractors so that they could understand and make use of this procedure to achieve the objective of this Bill, ie, to improve cash flow by expediting payments in the building and construction industry? I would like to urge the Ministry to reach out to the contractors and subcontractors through pamphlets to announce the availability of the adjudication procedure and provide them with a simple step-by-step explanation on the procedure. The Minister of State has already mentioned seminars and talks. Perhaps, a dedicated inquiry centre could be set up for a period of time so that these contractors and subcontractors could turn to, to seek understanding of the procedure. Secondly, to achieve the objective of expediting payment, the procedure must be administered promptly and effectively. In accordance with the Bill, for an adjudication procedure to kick off there are many steps and adherence to the timeline required. The differentiation between the supplier of goods and services and the construction work contract has to be made. In most of these subcontract works, often it is not a clear-cut differentiation. The question is who is to assist to determine the differentiation as the timeline and procedure are different.”
“Would the Minister consider full-day school for our primary schools? Currently, what happens is that parents have to pay extra transport cost to and from school because most of these primary school kids are having enrichment classes as well as remedial classes in the afternoon, and this is on top of the parents having to pay for the before-and-after school care for their children. Since it is going to be a five-day work week, would the Minister seriously consider having a single session for primary school children as well?”
“Sir, can the Minister let us know, for vacant houses and vacant flats, what are the rights that his officers have and what are the measures that they take to enter these premises to check? Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Sir, the Member has raised a very important question because we need to check households when there is a report of a case. When we come across a house which is vacant or locked up, and we cannot enter, we will need to get permission, but we work together with the authorities. Sometimes, the owners may be away or they may be working during the day time, but we will ensure that we will get access into the house one way or the other through legal means to ensure that we can at least go in and do the inspection. We have received calls from the public to inspect some of the vacant premises and we work with the relevant agencies to allow our officers to go into the premises to inspect. So I would like to assure the Member that when there is a report of vacant premises which may be a potential breeding site, we will obtain the necessary permission for us to enter and inspect the premises and deal with the case.”
“Sir, can the Minister of State let us know what are the causes of the four accidents and whether, after these accidents, any additional measureshave been taken?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to ask the Minister to help these families to review their utilities bills, especially thosecases where their utility supplies have beencut off. They have to be helped to review their billsto reduce their utilities expenses.”
“Two supplementary questions, please. Most schools go for selection process, even for CCAs. In view of the emphasis on CCA for mass participation, would it demolish this selection process? The second question is that we understand some of the community activities can be considered as part of the CCA programme of MOE. How many of such community activities have already been selected, and what are they?”
“If one of the sub-MCs did not efficiently and effectively manage the common property, resulting in deterioration in the maintenance or management of the mixed development as a whole, what is the role of the main MC or vice versa, the sub-MC then? If one of the sub-MCs has committed offences under the Act, what is the role of the main MC? Would the main MC be responsible for the acts of the sub-MCs or vice versa? Finally, would the decisions made by the main MC need to be adopted by the sub-MCs or vice versa? This feedback is for the Ministry's consideration. I support the review of the Acts and wish to request the Ministry to commit the Bill to a Select Committee of Parliament for further deliberations. These amendments in the Bill concern many buildings and developments, including implications on the management and maintenance of HDB flats by the Town Councils, as the Town Councils Act was originated based on these two Acts, ie, the Land Titles (Strata) Act and the Buildings and Common Property (Maintenance and Management) Act. Secondly, I share the concern of my parliamentary colleagues here that there should be a provision in the Bill to prosecute persons responsible for killer-litter, for example, falling windows and hanging flower pots which are still prevalent despite the many joint efforts by HDB and related agencies. This is most important and critical, as this is the review of the Building Maintenance and Management Bill for buildings.”
“It means business for the commerical units and this will translate into higher rentals for the commercial units as well. In deciding for the use of the car park and the charges, this is always in dispute and has always ended up with the decision made by the residents, rather than by the commercial lessees, in view of the majority of respresentations. Many of the mixed developments have car park charges that are high and deter shoppers from patronising the commercial shops. Let me show you the sensitivities of the car park charges. We know how popular the IMM shopping centre in Jurong is because of the free car park facilities. We heard recently that when the new owner took over and decided to charge customers for the use of the car park, because he wanted additional revenue, the number of customers fell tremendously. And as a result, the car park was reverted to free parking the next day. The Ministry should consider the car park as a limited common property, intended for the exclusive use of the user group. This would allow the correct user group to decide on the charges and the need of the car park spaces. If, for the older development, where the car park is shared, the quantum of the car park lots for the regular users could be logically determined and sub-divided and classified as a limited common property under each of the sub MC. Third, the relationships between the main MC and sub-MCs, the roles and responsibilities of the sub-MCs and in relation to the MCs, the main MC and vice versa. This is not clearly defined in the amendment Bill. Issues such as, if there is an inefficient sub-MC resulting in a deficit in the sub-MC's funds or vice versa, how would this affect the main MC?”
“This would end up in a really long wait for the existing mixed development MCs which had already been waiting for a long, long time for a review of these Acts so that they could manage effectively. If the two-tier system could be allowed to be implemented in some of the newly registered MCs of the mixed development, that is, developments that have been handed over by the developers to the MCs, the review of the two-tier MC system could be made faster and many of the issues arising from the existing mixed developments could be resolved, and the mixed developments can be better and effectively managed. Second, more equitable sharing of the maintenance contribution in mixed use developments. Under the two-tier system, the developer is allowed to set up a main MC with several subsidiary MCs. All the unit owners of the development will be members of the main MC, which will be responsible for managing only the common property shared by all the unit owners. Examples quoted were the driveways and car parks. My contention is with the car parks. The car parks should not be classified as a common property of the main MC. Many mixed developments already have a separate designated car park for each of the different users. By classifying the car park as a common property of the main MC will not resolve the conflicting interest that many MCs face today. Let me give you an example. The residents from the residential units would like to have the least visitor lots in the car park, firstly, for ease of parking by residents and, secondly, for less maintenance requirements. However, for the commercial lessees, the car park is essential to the attraction of customers for the commercial units.”