Denise Phua Lay Peng
Singapore
“Sir, as Singapore ages, disability and ageing will increasingly overlap. The line between disability services and elder care services will blur. Many adults with disabilities face similar challenges as seniors in varying degrees, but at a younger age.”
“But the SPED schools are run by a lot of the other professionals as well such as occupational therapists, speech pathologists, psychologists, coaches and so forth. And I ask for MOE, as it always looks at SPED educators, to also focus on this other very important group; because retention is capacity.”
“Are there other strategies that the Prime Minister will consider, like easier adoption procedures to have more people adopt, more of us Singaporeans adopting? The second is, in terms of immigration as well, to bring in people who are of the right profile and suitable profile to grow our Singaporean population?”
“Enterprise grants should include accessibility compliance requirements. Inclusion cannot rely on goodwill alone. It must be systemically built-in. And finally, move five: on strengthening intermediaries and social service agencies (SSAs). Sir, if AI is to be whole-of-society, then SSAs cannot be left behind.”
“When SSAs become AI-enabled, the most vulnerable of us benefit. In conclusion Sir, Budget 2026 sets an ambitious direction: AI ecosystems, SkillsFuture strengthening, innovation hubs such as Lorong AI and the future AI Park at one-north. Ambition is necessary, but it is execution that determines whether progress is shared.”
“I thank the Minister of State for her assurance, assuring the House that there are indeed alternative identification methods available for those who are unable to use facial recognition. Just a couple of supplementary questions. Number one, are these measures systemic and applicable for all fully digital or not fully digital banks?”
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“Consider Mdm Siti, a 62-year-old hawker who earns an average of $1,000 per month. As a self-employed person, she is required to make an annual Medisave contribution of $339, or less than $1 a day for two years (2008 and 2009). This can even be paid for using the GST Credits which she would receive in March and July. If she works in 2008 and 2009 and contributes to her Medisave, she can receive $800 cash from the Special Payment and $3,200 in WIS into her Medisave. The total help from Workfare and Special Payments for these two years of work is $4,000. This is equivalent to four months' worth of her income. Our third strategy is to help unemployed workers. Even in the downturn, new jobs will be created. At least 45,000 new jobs are expected over the next two years, including many at the PMET level. In the public sector alone, the majority of the 18,000 jobs will be for positions that require at least a Diploma qualification. Mrs Josephine Teo would be glad to know that my Ministry is working with economic agencies to see how we can provide more on-the-job training opportunities in areas that will be especially beneficial to fresh graduates. EDB has announced a $100 million programme, PREP-UP, which includes support for on-the-job training in science, technology and engineering. This will allow companies to develop and retain a pool of experienced manpower within an industry, so that the manufacturing and exportable services sectors can seize new opportunities when growth recovers. There are also existing jobs out there at all levels, ranging from allied health professionals, hotel executives and F&B managers, to engineers and workplace safety and health officers in manu- facturing and construction sectors.”
“The Special Payment will be given entirely in cash to help workers meet their financial needs. They will receive up to a total of $1,200 paid over three payments, or up to $400 for each payment. Let me explain how the Special Payment will work. We will make Special Payments for work done in 2008 and 2009, together with the regular Workfare payments. The first payment will be made in March, actually, this is one month earlier than the usual Workfare payments, so that workers can receive help earlier. This will be based on work done in 2008 and on the same criterion as the regular Workfare scheme. We recognise that some low-wage workers may experience less regular employment this year during the downturn. Therefore, the work criterion for the 2009 Special Payment will be less demanding to make it easier for low-wage workers to qualify. Under regular Workfare, a worker would need to work at least three months out of any six-month period to qualify for each of the half-yearly payment. For the 2009 Special Payment, so long as the worker has worked two months in any six-month period, he will be entitled to half that payment. If he works three months, of course, he would qualify for the full half-year payment, just like the regular Workfare. Like WIS, the Special Payment is available also to self-employed and informal workers, as well as contract and part-time workers, provided they make CPF contributions and meet the criteria. I urge self-employed persons and informal workers to make Medisave contributions to qualify for WIS and the Special Payment. Their contribution rates have already been reduced two years ago, and the Special Payment is made in cash. The assistance provided by Workfare and the Special Payment is significant. Let me give you an example.”
“Other companies are using the Jobs Credit and SPUR to seize new business opportunities. Charles & Keith, a well-known retailer, is using Jobs Credit Scheme and SPUR to expand their operations and raise their service levels to greater heights. They will be hiring 25 more workers to support their expansion locally and will be sending them for Retail WSQ training. Unlike some countries which provide extensive unemployment welfare to displaced workers, our measures help employers preserve jobs to minimise retrenchments and unemployment. This will benefit workers. I strongly urge employers to work with their unions and workers to take full advantage of Jobs Credit and the training opportunities under SPUR, so that we can continue to sharpen our competitiveness and enhance workers’ employability during this downturn. Our second strategy is to help employees keep their jobs. By participating in SPUR, workers can upgrade their skills, improve their productivity, enhance their employability, and contribute more to their employers. They will become more valuable and more cost competitive to their employers. This way, we help them keep their jobs. During the downturn, employees also need to be more flexible in their expectations. Some of them may need to be redeployed, adjust their work schedule or accept lower bonuses and wages, to help the company stay competitive and viable. 1.45 pm Even as we try to keep jobs, this downturn will inevitably affect some low-wage workers. To help older low-wage workers and the self-employed, some of whom we may see a reduction in their income during this economic downturn, the Resilience Package will also provide a one-off Workfare Special Payment.”
“This sum is very small but the element of co-payment from the employer is important because it demonstrates the employer’s commitment and partnership with SPUR. Ms Cham Hui Fong had asked during the Budget debate if workers employed on shorter workweek and sent for SPUR training can get at least a part of their absentee payroll. This is indeed the case. Employers and workers on shorter workweek will always be better off if workers are sent for training as they can both benefit from the absentee payroll. During the Budget debate, Dr Ahmad Magad and Mdm Ho Geok Choo suggested expanding the list of Approved Training Organisations (ATOs) that offers SPUR approved courses. Selected Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) ATOs which have performed satisfactorily under WDA’s quality assurance system, will be included under SPUR to expand the range of quality providers available for training workers. More than 60 WSQ ATOs will qualify for SPUR. More can be included later if they meet the performance in future. Jobs Credit and SPUR are already having an impact on the ground. MediaCorp, for example, is a company that will be implementing comprehensive measures to control costs and save jobs. Amongst the measures it will adopt are an Alternate Short Week Scheme, and a suspension of the policy to carry forward leave, wage restraint and a cut in their variable component. As a responsible employer with 2,700 staff, MediaCorp makes it a point to consult the union in decisions that will impact its staff. More recently, it has plans to leverage on SPUR to up-skill an estimated 30% to 40% of its workforce, over a two-year period. MediaCorp welcomes SPUR and Jobs Credit Scheme as means to help manage their business costs.”
“Through the efforts of the tripartite partners, just two months after SPUR started, more than 20,000 workers have already been committed for training. Close to 300 companies, spanning SMEs to multi-nationals, have committed to send nearly 13,000 workers for training. Another 7,500 individuals have signed up for training directly at the Continuing Education and Training (CET) centres, ITE as well as the five polytechnics. We have also been working closely with employers who are participating in SPUR to ensure our courses stay relevant and effective. Mr Low Thia Khiang had asked how do we decide on courses to be included under SPUR. As rightly pointed out by Dr Ahmad Magad, SPUR must focus on equipping people with skills that are in demand. This is why we work closely with the industry to identify the types of skills to be included in the Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) system, and select courses that are nationally-recognised, valued by industries and employers, as well as delivered by quality training providers. This approach will yield better outcomes from training. We will also facilitate placement of the participants after training, and monitor the outcome. The list of SPUR courses will be regularly refreshed to take into account the manpower and skills needs in the different industries. Several Members have commented about how to improve implementation of SPUR. Let me address these issues briefly. Mr Teo Ser Luck had asked about the absentee payroll for training outside working hours. If a company sends its workers for training outside working hours, the absentee payroll is paid to the worker, and the employer just tops up the remaining 10% to 20% or $1.50 an hour or less.”
“In addition, $650 million has been set aside for the Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience (SPUR) to train and upgrade our workers as well as help companies manage excess manpower. We will take a three-pronged approach: first, help businesses remain viable and save jobs; second, help Singaporean workers keep their jobs; and, third, help the unemployed find new jobs. Our first strategy is to save jobs by helping businesses manage their costs. First, the Tripartite Guidelines for Managing Excess Manpower and National Wages Council (NWC) guidelines offer employers and unions practical alternatives to retrenchment, such as shorter work weeks, temporary lay-offs and even wage adjustments, if necessary. Second, Jobs Credit gives employers a 12% cash grant on the first $2,500 of monthly wages for each local employee. Compared to a CPF cut, Jobs Credit helps businesses without affecting workers’ retirement adequacy, housing and medical needs. It also helps to make local workers more cost competitive, as foreign workers do not qualify for Jobs Credit. Third, SPUR helps to further reduce manpower costs when employers send their employees for training, through the enhanced course fee subsidies as well as absentee payroll. SPUR is also an important scheme to match workers to jobs, and I will talk more about this later. Today, SPUR covers over 800 courses in 24 industries, with a very generous 90% course fee funding across the board. During the Budget debate, Members such as Mdm Halimah Yacob, Ms Cham Hui Fong, Ms Josephine Teo and Dr Ahmad Magad voiced the support for SPUR, and I thank them for this. The progress of SPUR has been encouraging.”
“PMETs now form the majority, or 51%, of the resident workforce in 2008, up from 41% a decade ago. Wages have risen. The median monthly income from work for full-time employed residents rose over the year by 11% to $2,590 in June 2008, higher than the gain of 7.7% in 2007. After adjusting for inflation, the increase in real median income was still a healthy 4.1%. Median monthly household income from work increased by 13%, from $4,380 in 2007 to $4,950 in 2008, or 6.2% in real terms. Stronger growth was reported amongst lower-income households. Consequently, the Gini coefficient – which is a measure of income inequality – decreased for the first time since 1998 to 0.481. However, in recent months, the impact of the sharp economic downturn has been felt in the labour market. Employment growth slowed significantly for both locals and foreigners in the last quarter of 2008. Out of the 26,900 jobs created in the last quarter, more than half went to local workers. Overall unemployment crept up to 2.6% in December 2008, while resident unemployment rate also rose to 3.7%. Nearly 16,000 workers were made redundant in 2008, a five-year high. More than half of this happened in the last quarter alone. Going into 2009, the Singapore economy is projected to contract by between 2% and 5%. Our labour market will weaken considerably. Jobs growth will moderate further, while redundancies and unemployment will be higher than last year. We must all work together as a strong and united team to weather the downturn and emerge stronger. The Government has rolled out a $20.5 billion Resilience Package. On the jobs front, $4.5 billion will be dedicated to preserving jobs through Jobs Credit.”
“How long the recession will last, how deep it will be, is still too soon to tell. A major challenge for many countries is rising unemployment. The International Labour Organization has estimated that, globally, the number of unemployed could increase to 230 million in 2009 if the situation continues to deteriorate. In the US, unemployment surged to 7.2% in December last year, the highest in 16 years. In China, millions of migrant workers returned to the coastal provinces after the Chinese New Year festivities, but found that factories remain close. Across Europe, rising unemployment and fears of job security have led to unrest in countries like Britain, France and Greece. In Singapore, our labour market has benefited from strong employment growth in recent years. Unemployment is lower than in many other countries. I am showing you a chart on the screen that shows different unemployment rates over different countries. The labour market performed strongly in the first half of 2008, but eased in recent months, resulting in 227,200 new jobs for the whole year, lower than the 234,900 jobs in 2007. Singaporeans have benefited from more as well as better jobs. More Singaporeans are employed than ever before. Based on our Labour Force Survey in 2008, the employment rate for the resident population aged 25 to 64 rose to a new peak of 77%, mainly due to more women and older workers joining the workforce. Dr Lily Neo just now asked about the results of our various training programmes, and higher employment rate of our workers is a reflection of the success of some of our programmes. More Singaporeans are also now employed in Professional, Managerial, Executive and Technician (PMET) jobs.”
“I believe Taiwan has some relevant legislation on this matter; (3) Ministry should step up, speed up and publicise enforcement actions against errant employers or agents who violated the relevant labour laws to safeguard the interests of these foreign workers; and (4) Initiate formal G-to-G (Government-to-Government) efforts to hold foreign missions more accountable and take a more visible lead in stemming the practice of charging exorbitant fees of these workers in the base countries. Last but not least, Sir, I wish to urge the Minister to look into the plight of the many disabled workers in our country. I have already shared in this House the story of my deaf resident who lost a job during this downturn and still unemployed because potential employers do not even bother to want to interview her. Sir, we have laws protecting pregnant Singaporean women. Even the NTUC has just set up the Migrant Workers Forum to look after the interests of foreign workers. But employment support services for the disabled remain in the dearth. The Minister has never ignored the special needs community even before he joined politics. I hope he will commission a team of thinkers and doers comprising MOM, MCYS, NCSS and VWOs to craft measures to ensure that the disabled in our country have access to paid work that matches their disabilities, and disabled staff will not be the first casualties whenever an economic downturn kicks in. The Acting Minister for Manpower (Mr Gan Kim Yong): Sir, we are facing challenging times. Recently, the IMF had forecast that world growth in 2009 will fall to just half a percent, the lowest rate since World War II. The World Bank has projected that world trade volume will contract 2.1% in 2009, the first decline since 1982.”
“I am very pleased with the active participation of the Ministry of Manpower in working with my grassroots and other agencies in addressing my local residents' concerns, and promoting better harmony between local and foreign workers. Uniformed patrol teams organised jointly by key tripartite partners of grassroots leaders, MOM and the Police have helped very much to minimise undesirable behaviours of non-residents, and this is deeply appreciated by my residents. Sir, with the economic downturn, the number of foreign workers stranded in Singapore without work is on the rise. MOM, grassroots, NTUC and even activists such as One (Singapore) and Transient Workers Count Too have stepped up efforts to assist these workers in matters like employer disputes, food lodging and repatriation. However, many are reluctant to be repatriated as they need employment to redeem the hefty loans they have incurred prior to coming to Singapore. Unfortunately, this root cause is not addressed and different parties often fingerpoint at each other when cases are highlighted by the media. I propose that Ministry: (1) Permit only authorised good quality recruitment agencies to recruit labour from abroad on behalf of local employers; (2) Dictate the range of fees that can be charged for these agencies' recruitment efforts in order to avoid hefty loans by the foreign workers.”
“Sir, I came across many executives and even fresh graduates who are ill-equipped to look for employment during this downturn. Some retrenched executives I know apply to only one potential employer, usually MOE, and then pin all their hopes on that one chance. Resumes that were sent to me for circulation often do not make any impression or lack critical information. Others I know perform badly at interviews, clueless about the do's and dont's of interview etiquette. A retrenched sales manager I know has applied to be trained as a nurse under the Ministry's Professional Conversion Programme, and he admits he may not be suitable, but healthcare is recruiting. 1.30 pm Sir, similar to financial literacy, many Singaporeans, especially PMETs, need to acquire literacy in career planning and development. I was very impressed by the menus of training programme choices I saw in the websites of WDA, e2i and NTUC Learning Hub, and the like. But, like in corporations where needs analysis and planning are conducted before sending staff for training, I believe that job-seekers must pre-plan before they pick their training from the generous menus of 800 programmes that are subsidised by Government. Hence, I recommend that Ministry and WDA make available on their homepages a career planning toolkit complete with self-awareness questionnaires, career orientation profile assessments, interview tips, resume templates and materials on how one can take ownership of one's career. I will be happy to help stage the solutions in support of MOM if this can help more Singaporeans to be more effective in their job search. Sir, on foreign workers.”
“Madam, two clarifications. One is on the Many-Helping-Hands. MOS painted a very, very rosy picture that all is very well with this approach. Sir, five MPs spoke up on this topic. Some of whom, like my colleague Mdm Halimah, have praised the 'many-helping-hands' approach right in this House before. I do not think any one of us is against this sacred cow. But all we are asking is a system study, or other methods, by which the status quo can be improved to make it more efficient and more effective so that help gets to where it is needed. The second one is on social workers. Social workers are very critical players in this sector and I admire them very much for what they do and what they bring to the table. But I believe that to level up the sector, what is required is not just soft skills but really the harder skills - like process mapping, strategic planning skills - and we can take a leaf from Motorola University, for example. They run a lot of Six Sigma-based courses that I believe are very useful for our sector. And we should look at levelling up our sector with this kind of hard core skills, including also market communication skills where matrixes for communication can be developed to communicate to target audiences from Hokkien or Hainanese-speaking residents or constituents to English speaking constituents. 6.30 pm”
“In this regard, I would recommend a study mission to Alexandra Hospital's IDEAS LAB, which chronicles the hospital's key service delivery tools, such as customer-base experience mapping and trending of balanced scorecard results and outcomes. (3) Appoint a carefully selected taskforce with the right mix of strategic leadership and execution bench depth, to be accountable to deliver what Prime Minister recently promised Singapore that he will "make sure that everyone who needs help will get help." (4) Consolidate and make available a confidential password-protected data base, so that key information on the case history of the vulnerable is accessible to appointed key agency representatives, and that the respective help agencies do not overlap their services or trip over each other. In conclusion, Sir, after observing and experiencing the challenges on the ground in the social service sector, I am convinced that it is not a lack of resources that those helping the vulnerable in Singapore are facing, and this is confirmed many times by the Ministry just now in the COS session. In fact, Government recently announced that only one third of the $6.25 million in ComCare fund is given out. The social service sector needs to undergo a serious review and we need to deploy our many-helping-hands approach wisely. Albert Einstein once said, "Ours is the generation that has seriously mistaken means with ends." Sir, with our MCYS Minister as the captain of the ship to lead us in navigating the four strategies I proposed, I am confident that we can avoid confusing means with ends and prove Einstein wrong, and extend help to where help is badly needed to the vulnerable in Singapore. Effectiveness of Many Helping Hands Approach during Downturn”
“Sincere and helpful MCYS and NCSS professionals are constantly developing programmes and seeking funding to support the many VWOs that they are taking care of. My sincere gratitude to them. But, Sir, most help agencies work in silos. The CDC has its own data base. MCYS has its ComCare data base. The People's Association has its household information system. MOE, Town Councils, Family Service Centres, ethnic self-help groups, VWOs, NCSS and even us MPs have our own mini data bases, from Excel spreadsheets to more sophisticated ware to keep track of our charges. How many of these agencies have the capability and the bandwidth to follow through till the vulnerable individual or family can stand on their own two feet and to ensure that no one falls through the crack? Sir, if the social service sector is likened to the Titanic, we need to go beyond rearranging the deck chairs or, worse, buying more deck chairs to save this ship and its passengers. We need a serious systems study of the features of the ship and align it with where it is heading, organise the crew, go beyond programme launches or publicity, and follow it through with execution excellence to save as many of the vulnerable as possible. Specifically, I urge the Minister to personally captain and navigate the following suggested strategies. (1) Commission an in-depth systems study of the social service sector, listing its target recipients, the numerous agencies involved, reporting matrices and outcomes. (2) Collaborate with the various agencies and construct a service delivery process map from the perspective of the user for each key group they serve, starting with the most vulnerable.”
“Sir, last July, a 14-year old boy with special needs fell to his death from a HDB flat. Sebastian Yeo Wei Xiong or Ah Boy or beggar boy as he was known to his neighbours, lived with his divorced mother in a rental flat. It was reported in the online New Paper that Ah Boy had stopped attending school for more than a year before his death. His mother had depression and would often lock the door on him. On the nights that he was locked out, he would hang the packet of food that he bought for his mother outside the door before going to spend the night at the void deck or at a nearby bus stop. Ah Boy is dead now. Could his death have been prevented? Sir, I say yes, but only if all of us who are trying to help can organise ourselves as a sector more effectively. Sir, as a full-time volunteer, I have witnessed and protested for years against the inefficiency and ineffectiveness of the way the "many-helping-hands" approach is being applied in essential services, such as education in the disability sector. At times, "many-helping-hands" degenerate to a "many-bosses-to-report-to" syndrome, eg, special schools. Even the formation of a Disability Office by MCYS to coordinate inter-Ministry efforts for pivotal disability services in health, early intervention, education and employment did not bear much visible fruit for various reasons. Sir, after serving three years as an MP, I now realise that the rest of the social service sector serving the poor and the needy faces similar challenges. The root cause does not lie in the competency or the mission of each agency. In fact, some of them whom I am familiar with, like the Central CDC, CDAC and Kampong Kapor Family Service Centre, are responsive, compassionate and able.”
“Perhaps pilot one or two education villages and let it morph to something that is more Singaporean, more Asian which will be even more powerful than the Darlington Education Village model.”
“I thank Senior Minister of State (SMS) for her comprehensive responses yesterday on the use of IT and also on the education village. I would like to ask Ministry to consider uploading lectures especially academic ones as well for all stakeholders, not just for teacher-resource sharing. In fact, Ivy League universities like Yale, Berkeley, and Stamford have already avail their lectures online through podcasts for sharing globally. I think we can try to model that - maybe do it at the primary and secondary schools' levels, where we are still upgrading teachers. Secondly, I would like to clarify if SMS would consider also putting online - assessment papers and worksheets, so that parents and families do not have to pay for these at shopping centre lobbies where counters are set up to sell these papers. I think some of the parents would be very willing to pay for good quality and authentic examination papers. On the education village, I thank SMS for the comprehensive reply on satellite partnerships examples that she has quoted. In fact, I am very, very appreciative of that because my schools are involved. However, the Darlington Education Village is unlike any model that we have seen in Singapore. It is a federation of three schools - mainstream, primary, secondary and special schools. There is daily natural interaction all the time because of the way the schools are constructed. I urge Ministry to study this model in detail. I know it is easy to say to be bold, and as what Minister has said, we have of course to cautiously implement new models. But I urge the Ministry to study this model in detail.”
“In conclusion, Sir, I would like to encourage the Ministry to continue its good work. Continue to be bold and innovate. Do not play too safe. As a wise man once said, "To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing." PSLE”
“Do not treat these children as addendum items in our education plan. Suggestion four: teacher recruitment and best sourcing. Sir, teachers are the top critical success factors in any education venture. The headline of an article in Wall Street Journal in April 2006 read, "It's the Teachers, Stupid". The article summarises the findings of Brookings Institution, one of the oldest think-tanks in Washington. It cites research that suggests that there is a huge difference in performance between students with the best teachers and those with the worst teachers. It also says that it is possible to discern in a short time if a teacher has what it takes and recommended that "weeding out bad teachers and recruiting better teachers" would be smarter than just shrinking class sizes. I applaud the Ministry for its dedication to bring forth its hiring plan during this time. I worry, however, about the motives and the aptitudes of some of the job applicants who may perceive teaching as a job that provides the iron rice bowl, complete with holidays and hopefully, a less stressful environment than the private sector. In fact, members of the public were attracted to MOE's advertisement last December that featured a principal, teacher from MOE, decked in black leather jackets and boots. I can assure the House and Singapore that it is way too warm in most schools to dress this way. Instead of glamorising the profession, it makes more sense to refer potential candidates to inspiring role models such as California's Erin Grunwell who performed a great turnaround job in the school. Grunwell wrote a book in 1999, entitled "The Freedom Writers' Diary". The book is the basis of a 2007 move, "Freedom Writers", starring Hilary Swank.”
“Still on my call to level the playing field, let me share with the House Bill Gates Foundation's strategy to replicate the school models that worked the best. Bill Gates wrote this recently, "A few of the schools that we (Bill Gates Foundation) funded, achieved something amazing. They replaced schools with low expectations and low results with ones that have high expectations and high results. Bill Gates shared that "these schools are not selective in whom they admit, and they are overwhelmingly serving kids in poor areas, most of whose parents did not go to college". Almost all of these schools, he said, are charter schools, much like the autonomous schools in Singapore, that have significantly longer school days than other schools. Bill Gates' strategy to replicate the school models that worked best is one that was already tested in Singapore, I would say, albeit a modest scale in the special education sector in the form of satellite schools. I believe the idea can be borrowed and use in mainstream schools as well. Sir, if the demand for good branded schools continues unabated, the Ministry should consider the potential of starting satellite campuses for schools in borrowed or new school grounds - start an RGS satellite, for instance, in the North, South, East and West cluster. To do this, the Ministry will have to acquire critical skills in building systems and processes that allow for scalability and consulting skills to install, implement and follow through till the desired outcomes are achieved. With MOE's track record, I am confident this is doable. And, Sir, as Minister considers my suggestion of replicating best school models and practices, I urge him to please do not leave out the special needs children especially those in special schools run by charities.”
“Two, I asked myself when we can witness such a scene in Singapore, where mainstream school and special school students can all enjoy one school life, interacting daily and bonding with each other, accepting each other's differences, all under one roof. Sir, I believe, if we only dare to try, an Education Village model can build inclusiveness and tolerance in Singaporeans from young, much more powerfully than the typical yearly school Community Involvement Programme (CIP) projects or joining grassroots Community Engagement Circles in their adult years. Suggestion two: Use of IT. Sir, I urge the Minister to help level the playing field and spread best practices throughout the education system so that the average quality of all schools, goes up. I offer four suggestions in this regard: (a) provide access to electronic education records, much like the electronic medical records, that will not just reflect one's progress but also allows a student or his family or his teachers to help manage the student's progress and take steps to close any learning gaps; (b) put core and good quality lectures online as a model for other teachers and as a resource teaching material for students; new teachers and their parents; (c) share assessment papers (or projects of good schools on the portal) instead of having parents buy them at lobbies of shopping centres; (d) embark on a dream of making available not just one PC for Every Student, not just for those in privileged schools. Start with the secondary school students first. In addition, structure a package of PC support and coaching for needy students whose families do not have the means to supervise them or provide for PC peripherals such as ink, paper and broadband access at home. 4.00 pm Suggestion three: Satellite Schools.”
“Sir, MOE has often enjoyed the reputation of being progressive and is considered a trail blazer in some areas. I encourage the Ministry to continue in this direction and not play too safe as it embarks on its future plans in running the education portfolio. I have four suggestions for the Minister to consider in MOE's future plans: (1) the concept of Education Village; (2) the Use of IT; (3) Satellite Schools; and (4) Teacher Recruitment. Sir, in a township named Darlington in north England, a pioneering education model is receiving rave reviews. Darlington Education Village caters for about 1,400 students aged from two to 19. The Village is a federation of three schools - a well-regarded special school, a mainstream primary school and a mainstream secondary school. Except for the classrooms where most academic subjects are taught, majority of the other physical facilities are co-used by students from all three schools. All the buildings are linked by a common corridor and a kaleidoscope of primary school, special school and secondary school students interact and transact with each other. Even if they do not study in the same classrooms, they share the same social programmes, non-academic lessons, toilets, corridor, cafe, library, labs and performance courtyards. I saw hot-dog stands operated by special-needs students coached by their nurturing teachers. Sir, as I quietly followed two of the special-needs students around the Campus to deliver the food orders to the lecturers in all three buildings, my heart was deeply touched for two reasons. One, I saw special-needs students successfully included in normal mainstream school life and yet still learnt according to their needed styles and pace.”
“If we single mindedly march toward a common aspiration to emerge as a stronger Singapore when this tsunami is over, we can say, like John Keynes in his essay "The Great Slump of 1930" that, "This is a nightmare, which will pass away in the morning." Sir, I support the Budget. 2.40 pm”
“For NTUC Childcare, which is the largest childcare operator in Singapore, an injection of investments in strategic areas, such as curriculum portals or e-learning for students or web-based teacher training packages, would take it to a different league. Sir, I say we go aggressive and turn the initials of SMEs to our very own MNCs! Sir, I applaud the Minister for being decisive and swift in releasing the Resilience Package, and I will be the first to admit that hindsight vision is always 20/20 and it is always easier to critique than to construct. Nevertheless, I believe that there is some bluntness in this Budget that can be sharpened so that we can ensure that precious resources are effectively and efficiently applied. As at today, very few can forecast the actual impact of the various initiatives to stall the crisis. Sir, there ought to be a clearer line of sight between the funds that we are investing with the outcomes that we desire. I urge the Minister to conduct a regular assessment of the impact of the schemes which should be further honed or abandoned if any initiative does not serve the objective. On this note, I would also ask the House and the rest of Singapore to appreciate Government's need to be bold and swift in moments like these and cheer rather than just jeer the team. Let us unite and support the Finance team so that they can test and learn quickly what works best and turn the blunt parang to a surgical scalpel to hasten the healing of any wounds sustained in this crisis. In conclusion, Sir, if we stay united as a people and stop thinking of "What’s in it for me?".”
“Sir, the days of solely counting on MNC investments to Singapore as a major weapon in our survival toolkit is over. Markets like India and China are attractive destinations today for MNCs because of their large domestic markets and bigger talent pools from which to select. Neighbouring countries, known to admire Singapore, had for many years, adopted the same fiscal and other measures not just to attract but seduce the MNCs to their countries. To run ahead of the pack, it pays for us to be contrarian and develop higher resilience for our economy through more aggressive Government efforts to nurture promising SMEs so that they can become MNCs. Sir, my key suggestions to Government are to redirect some resources to nurture the SME sector. Groom as many of them as possible to become MNCs! Move from defence to aggressively help them prepare for attack when the economy rebounds! For a start, as in the alleged mis-selling of structured products, the Ministry should consider similar measures, such as the appointment of independent persons to expediently oversee the complaints handling and resolution process in each financial institution for unsuccessful loan application by SMEs. Two, develop a special task force with the sole purpose of nurturing promising SMEs to multinational firms. I think of SMEs like the Promising Brand Award winners like Mr Bean, with injection of capital, expertise and technology, can be scaled and become the Asian version of Starbucks globally. I think of organisations such as the NTUC Childcare of which I am a board member, and I wonder why we would choose to invest in ABC, the failed Australian chain of childcare centres with its charismatic owner.”
“At a Parliament sitting last November, Finance Minister Tharman himself pointed out, and I quote: "It will be inappropriate for the Government to direct banks to lend, or to get involved in who they should lend to. These are commercial decisions which the banks themselves have to make, based on their assessment of the risks as well as the relationships that they maintain with their customers. Our banks make these assessments carefully, and take into account both the short-term risks and their long-term interests in keeping their customers. We should continue to leave these decisions to them. However, what Government can and will do is to enhance the various Government schemes that are in place to help our SMEs (small and medium sized enterprises) retain access to credit." Sir, I totally agree with the Minister’s comments and it pays to hone and be more targeted at saving our SMEs and go further and nurture the promising ones. Sir, it has been widely acknowledged that SMEs are an integral and significant part of Singapore’s economy. I have worked and consulted with both multi-national firms and the local conglomerates before and I can testify that there is inherently much deeper management and technical bench depth in successful MNCs. Besides the need for deeper management and technical bench depth, SMEs usually lack the ability to achieve economies of scale and expand beyond the domestic markets. There is often an under-utilisation of technology in these firms and they face difficulties in competing with the Government, GLCs and the bigger private sector players in attracting talents. Some of them do have promising business models, good dare and savvy, worth more than a second look.”
“As poet Rudyard Kipling said in 1892, "Oh East is East, West is West, and never the twain shall meet." A respected banker told me this, "Banks are not in the business of saving failing companies nor is it their objective to save jobs, as what governments are expected to do. At the most, banks can identify viable but perhaps mismanaged or marginal companies and help them restructure and turn around so that the banks can get their money back." This banker also said, "Government’s consideration is not purely commercial, of course, and it remains to be seen if the SRI in its current form will reap any results." This is borne by the painful experiences of some of the SME operators I know. An entrepreneur I know in retail shared with me his experience since October last year. He said this, "Despite an 80% increase in our business turnover and more than two times increase in net profit, our main bank cut our facility by 70%. Another bank also removed our OD line." This SME owner further said, "We approached a number of banks for new financing but none agreed to extend the line. The reasons quoted were unfavourable market conditions, low cash liquidity in our balance sheet and tighter control by the banks’ credit departments." He further lamented, "Even though we have a good business model and already secured a number of big firm orders in hand, the credit departments still refused to grant a new line. They fail to appreciate our business operations … and even after the Budget announcement, bank managers still seem hesitant to review our (application)." Are these quotes anecdotal? I do not think so.”
“Maybe include them in a modified SPUR programme; or create ways by which they can make a living such as creating contract teams and deploying them for specific tasks in the public sector or, better still, the people sector. Suggestion 3: Tier the Jobs Credit Scheme so that companies who retain the elderly and the disabled get a higher quantum than the current 12%. Suggestion 4: Introduce a total solution for the needy retrenched. I use the term "needy retrenched" because I know of retrenched employees who had been accorded very generous severance packages that will last them a few years. Again, we cannot afford to be too blunt in the way we design help and a form of maybe "means testing" will be necessary. For the needy retrenched, I ask the Minister to consider the following: 1. Provide a grant of up to $300 per month per eligible Singaporean for as long as the employers' Jobs Credit Scheme is running or when a job is found, whichever is earlier; 2. Secure an integrated package from the HDB, Town Councils and Singapore Power to institute measures, such as housing loan restructuring, deferments or payment by instalments for this target group; 3. Deploy career coaches and placement officers at career help desks at all community clubs and through a centralised portal; 4. Make public in multiple channels an updated list of available jobs through the various media; 5. Conduct a systems study to reduce the overlaps and inefficiency in the macro amazing maze of CDCs, ethnic-based self-help groups, grassroots organisations, VWOs, family service centres and charity bodies. Are we being hopeful that the SRI will translate to more loans for companies? Sir, financial institutions and the Governments do not answer to the same drumbeat or mission.”
“Sir, one of my young married residents who is hearing impaired (deaf) was laid off last December by a bank, not DBS, I might add. Even after my appealing to the CDC, the NTUC and several other banks for help, she is unfortunately still jobless. Her mobile phone (because she is deaf) which is her main form of communication, was disconnected because of unpaid bills. She updated me through a borrowed phone and this is what her SMS read, "My past experience in my job search made me feel hopeless due to (my) deafness. Hearing bosses will not employ deaf people who need jobs badly. Walk-in interviews make deaf people feel depressed cos we are rejected due to lack of communication. I mailed many times and there is still no response or response saying no available jobs." She ended off "Sigh …" Sir, when I sent in a Lunar New Year gift to help her husband (who is mute) and her young son, the couple was reluctant and they felt bad receiving the gift. All the couple wants is dignity through a paying job! Surely there is some room in our bonanza budget of $20.5 billion to help genuinely vulnerable workers to keep their jobs and sustain them. I have four suggestions, Sir, to sharpen some of the blunt edges of the Jobs Credit Scheme. Suggestion 1: Refine the Jobs Credit Scheme to attach strings so that there is a partial refund should retrenchments still occur. Suggestion 2: Set up a Task Force to innovatively address the potentially explosive situation of the thousands of job seekers who would be graduating from our universities, the polytechnics and the ITEs.”
“Sir, if things are going to get worse before they get better, will we be further drawing down our reserves for the next several years? I would like to ask the Minister to shed some light on the specific criteria by which recommendations to the President to draw down our reserves are made. I would ask him to also consider and maybe report to us the necessary post-recession steps to systematically top up the reserves that were drawn down. Sir, the million-dollar question that even the MOF team could not answer as at now is – will Jobs Credit be translated to save jobs or would some companies retrench anyway, just like Chartered Semiconductor in the face of its massive losses? With a no-strings-attached generous scheme like this, how can we avoid the scenario of what happened in the US where some of the public bailout money found its way to funding up to US$18 billion in Wall Street bonuses or fancy corporate parties? Even the US Congress has introduced legislation just last week to cap compensation for employees of any company that accepts Federal bailout money. By the same token, Sir, there should be accountability too on the part of recipients of the Jobs Credit Scheme to ensure that our precious reserves are not simply fattening the pockets of shareholders and top executives who are paid broadly on the basis of profit sharing. Is there a need to inflate the coffers of healthy enterprises that are not at risk of losing their employees? Would a broad-based blunt Jobs Credit Scheme simply means moving our reserves into the wrong pockets and creating windfalls for some; at the expense of taxpayers and at the expense of target recipients especially those who are vulnerable – the elderly, the disabled and the needy retrenched?”
“Sir, let me first publicly thank the many ground inputs that were given to me when I polled a network of bankers, lawyers, grassroots leaders, residents, hoteliers, MNC and SME business operators. Majority of the ground feedback has been highly favourable. The Resilience Package covered many bases from businesses to individuals to even the charity sector. Some even deem this Budget as one of the most progressive Government intervention packages in the world. For that, I thank our competent Finance Minister and his team. Sir, I will touch on four specific topics: On national reserves; the Jobs Credit Scheme; the SRI and the need for assessment and recalibration. Sir, the drawing down of the national reserves is a significant decision and has silenced the many proponents whom I am very sure did not expect this. At a youth dialogue held last week and chaired by my colleague, hon. Member Christopher de Souza, two key concerns stood out. One, the fear of our young people who worry that they will be jobless upon graduation. Two, the young people also expressed concerns over the impact of the unprecedented step of dipping into national reserves on future generations. Much has been said that these are extraordinary times and drawing down our reserves is the way to go to avoid irreparable damage to our economy. But, Sir, it has been largely projected that the current crisis will last at least two to three years. Bill Gates has just sent out his 2009 Annual Letter with the message that the impact of the current economic crisis will be felt for a long time, and he is optimistic that the problems we face today will be behind us if we take a longer timeframe, such as five to 10 years.”
“I, therefore, ahead of the Budget debate, urge that more resources be accorded to the Ministry to study, analyse, prioritise and address the top needs of these vulnerable groups – low-wage, elderly, disabled and foreign workers. Last but not least, is the amended Act sustainable? Sir, I want to also call for balance and moderation as we try to protect the needs of employees and workers in Singapore. All of us operate in an eco-system – change in one part affects another. As many of us call for more protection for the rights and welfare of employees, there is a strong need to ensure that the cost of business in human resource is moderated so that businesses can sustain and jobs are kept. Therein, I believe, lies the tension and challenge of ensuring that the triad of interests of (1) employer; (2) the employee and (3) the nation is balanced. With the widespread introduction of the five-day work-week; generous maternity leave and childcare leave; coupled with reservist leave; paternity leave; compassionate leave; and in the case of some industries, the benefit of school vacations which add another, easily, eight weeks of leave, organisations are hard-pressed to deliver results with the same manpower. When companies find Singapore less than competitive, then the provisions may not be sustainable and in winning the war, we may lose the battle in keeping the jobs for the very people we care about. Hence, the need to moderate and think of the bigger picture as together we work to adopt an employment legislation that is viable over the short and long term. In conclusion, I want to thank the Minister for the proposed amendments which, I believe, are definitely moving in the right direction. I support the Bill, Sir. 5.24 pm”
“They are either too lowly educated, too afraid to lose their jobs or unable to articulate their concerns or present evidences in the labour courts. In an economic downturn, they are also likely to be the first to go. We read in April this year a special report by journalist, Radha Basu, who wrote at length on the plight of the disabled, employees in our country. A few disabled people she spoke to rejected her interviews fearing that they will be fired or not be able to get a job in the future. From various interest groups, we have also heard the plight of foreign Bangladeshi Indian workers who are stranded in Singapore due to unfulfilled job promises by some employers. Many have taken up extensive loans in their home country in the hope of work in Singapore, and are now too poor to return home. The same can also be said of domestic helpers, local and foreign, who are not included in the current Employment Act. Perhaps we can take a leaf from Taiwan, which actually has provisions to work with the home countries to limit, in fact, the quantum of brokerage fees or loans before these workers secure work in Singapore. Sir, we need more teeth to protect these vulnerable groups. I fully understand that the root causes of their plights are not simple to resolve. But unless action is taken in collaboration with the other stakeholders, for example, the home countries of the foreign workers, we will risk our reputation of being a progressive country. I know the Minister, the Senior Parliamentary Secretary and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Manpower are personally empathic and want to do the right thing.”
“Sir, the Act must be robust enough to reflect the profile of this workforce of the future of ours. Specifically, I believe that the inclusion of junior managers and professionals in the Act for some benefits is progressive. However, I seek an explanation on how the salary threshold of $2,500 is derived. I doubt many junior managers earn less than $2,500 and some fresh university graduates in fact command starting salaries of more than $2,500. So, how is the $2,500 derived and who is the specific target group intended for coverage by the Act? Sir, I also want to commend the Ministry for the provision of the Portable Medical Benefits Scheme, which I believe is another right move to recognise contract and other temporary workers. However, the new Act is still a work-in-progress and fairly generic and traditional. I believe there is a future need for Ministry to later on further amend the Act to better suit the profiles of the workforce of the future, to address the specific needs of part-timers, contract workers, elderly workers, disabled workers and higher-salaried white-collar employees. Next, is the amended Act enforceable? Sir, the Employment Act is the main piece of legislation governing employment practices in Singapore. Resources must be assured to ensure that the Ministry has the teeth to enforce the Act. Whether in economic downturns or not, there is a strong need to protect the interests of the most vulnerable employee – the lower-wage workgroup amongst us. And I refer to specifically three groups, namely, the elderly, the disabled and the foreign workers (including domestic helpers) who are hitherto not covered by the Employment Act. Sir, these vulnerable workers are likely to be the ones who will not have a voice.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Bill. For the amended Employment Act to be effective in the long term, I believe it ought to pass three tests: (1) Is the amended Act robust enough to cater for the future? (2) Is it enforceable? (3) Is it sustainable? First, is the amended Act robust enough to cater for the workforce of the future? Sir, in a McKinsey interview with the CEO of Manpower Inc, one of the largest global recruitment agencies, several trends were observed: – a global workforce that is dominated by older and more expensive workers; – a stark increase in ‘non-regular’ or flexible staff; – the shortened lifecycles of jobs, including hot jobs, in the IT sector, for example, the 'webmaster' which is fast disappearing, as many of us learn how to construct and update our own websites; – the poor job that most companies are doing in terms of training their workers; and – the interest in part-time jobs by older and female staff. Sir, the workforce of the future in Singapore is one that is likely to go in the same direction, if not already there. Our future workforce is one that will be characterised by: – more executives and other white-collar workers on site or in home offices, as a result of our excellent education system; – more elderly workers, an outcome of our rapidly ageing population; – more disabled workers, a result of better education of students with special needs in our schools; – more foreign workers, due both to job preferences of locals and an overall talent crunch; – more part-timers, likely women and retirees; and – more contract workers on flexible work arrangements as companies continue to adopt the strategies of workforce optimisation through outsourcing.”
“Sir, I come from a veteran estate where foreign workers are a common sight, and I have worked on many of the strategies that the Minister has spoken about. I thank the Minister for the slew of strategies that are explained. I do believe, however, the configuration of the strategies is very important. For example, education, posters and banners may not work as effectively for the foreign workers who are normally transient in nature. Sir, I would like to ask the Minister to consider two more aggressive strategies, one of which is the use or deployment of a budget to hire, for example, uniformed patrol – not necessary armed – to regularly patrol the residential areas to deter, counsel and educate the foreign workers at the void decks regarding their undesirable behaviours. The second strategy is to place greater accountability on the employers themselves so that they will be responsible for errant workers, and not just have the grassroots, the community or the Police handle all the errant behaviour. Sir, I would like to ask the Minister to consider these more aggressive short-term strategies, besides the long-term ones.”
“Develop a more user-centric, not agency- or Ministry-centric, map of services for easier navigation, so that those who are more able can equip themselves to make more informed choices for themselves for their future. The same map can be used by the appropriate Helping Hands in society to identify, eyeball and support those who are at risk due to their lower income or education. Let us also continue to learn from others who have walked the journey before us in the UK, Scotland, Germany, Japan and the United States. In the UK, for instance, the Office of Public Guardian has already been set up with its own business plans and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). We can avoid any potential pitfalls while localising our practices to align with our own Singaporean culture and values. We can even contribute, as we learn, to a bank of best practices to carers and practitioners in the rest of the world. In conclusion, I would like to again thank the Minister and his team for this significant legislation. Mdm Deputy Speaker, I support the Bill. EXEMPTED BUSINESS (Motion) Resolved, That the proceedings on the business set down on the Order Paper for today be exempted at this day's sitting from the provisions of Standing Order No. 2. – [Mr Mah Bow Tan]. MENTAL CAPACITY BILL Debate resumed. 6.06 pm”
“Communication has to go beyond the usual brochures, media releases and cartoon illustrations. The Ministry has been proactive in recent years to address the needs of the ageing population and those who are at risk, eg, the disabled and the lower-income group. Many of us in the sector are encouraged and grateful by initiatives, such as: (1) Council for Third Age; (2) Enabling Master Plan for the Disabled; (3) Trust Company for the Disabled; (4) Financial Literacy campaigns; (5) ComCare Funds for the needy; (6) Community Foundations; and several others. The new Bill cannot operate in a silo if it is to make a difference. There is a need to integrate the many pieces of effort and provide a clearer roadmap for Singaporeans planning for their future. Take, for instance, the Bill presupposes that there are sufficient financial resources available for persons to plan the future. But findings of the October 2006 AXA survey of 10,000 Singaporeans showed that most people do not have sufficient to retire and, in fact, have a "worrying disconnect with reality", as far as the resources they have for retirement are concerned. This lack of preparedness is further compounded in families with disabled children and, worse, in lower-income families with severely disabled children. The current "que sera sera, whatever will be will be" attitude towards the future is a potential time-bomb for a rapidly ageing population. Thus, I would like to urge the Ministry to take the lead to integrate the many piecemeal initiatives to help Singaporeans, especially those who are ageing and/or disabled, to be more prepared for their future.”
“In addition, a loss of capacity can be caused by an array of conditions, such as psychiatric illness, dementia, Alzheimer's disease, brain injury, learning disability and other neuro-developmental problems. In drafting the Code of Practices, medical and disability experts, social workers and so forth must be included to provide expert inputs to assessments of capacity and for appropriate care plans for the persons affected. Crucial dialogues must be held. Because the Bill provides for a framework that is flexible and intended to be so, to ensure that individuals can participate as much as possible and to cover a range of possible scenarios for decision making, there is a real need for clarity for the purpose of day-to-day implementation. What do we mean, for example, by terms such as "all practicable steps" in clause 3, "best interest" in clause 6, "minimum level of restraint" in clause 8, "reasonable price" in clause 9, and "reasonable expenses" in clause 24? All these in practice need clarification and guidance for those implementing the Act. A comment often overheard regarding the Bill is that whilst it is a very good idea in principle, how will the Bill or the Act later become public knowledge and be understood and applied? Out of the 10 professionals whom I have sent the proposed Bill to last week, only one lawyer could fully comprehend the terminology, proposed features and implications of the Bill. I, therefore, propose the development of a Communication Matrix that lists target groups according to their income and language proficiencies; how and where these target groups receive information; and matching communication strategies so that many people who need to can easily access the information needed to plan for their own futures and know where to get help.”
“Sir, it may be appropriate to even suggest that the Office eyeballing the needs of the elderly is also appointed to look into the needs of the younger disabled and identify common needs and strategies. It has been said that behind every glamorous vision are a million plodding steps that need to be taken before the vision becomes a reality. Indeed, legislation alone is not sufficient and must be supported by practical guidelines and other initiatives to ensure that the Bill, if and when it is passed, does not become a white elephant. The 2008-9 business plan of the UK Office of Public Guardian speaks of the reality of execution difficulties of the Mental Capacity Act, and I quote, "The implementation of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 in UK and the establishment of the Office of the Public Guardian is an ongoing challenge". I therefore ask the Minister to consider three suggestions to ensure that the Bill, when passed, will achieve its intended purposes. They relate to the need for: (1) consultation in developing the Code of Practices; (2) mass communication and education; and (3) integration of other pieces in a master plan for the elderly and the disabled. Madam, the Code of Practices is a critical document provided in the Bill to provide further guidelines and illustrations on implementation of the Act. In the UK, this document issued by the Ministry of Justice is 302 pages long. I am not certain that the Singapore equivalent needs to be that long. However, I believe that time and resources must be applied to ensure that there are careful consultations during the drafting of the Code of Practices. This is to ensure that it is localised to our Singapore conditions and understood by all stakeholders, not just attorneys and lawyers.”
“For example, some people with disability may have no problems deciding what to eat and where to live but maybe unable to decide best on matters related to property and finance. Hence, the laudable provision of the Bill that persons participate as much as possible in any decisions made on their behalf. To prevent abuse, limitations were also imposed on the powers of the Deputies and donees in matters such as the making of gifts, execution of wills, key decisions like sterilisation and the carrying out of life-sustaining medical treatment. These are good news and good features. I want to move next to the point of similarities between the elderly and the disabled. In the same new Bill are provisions addressing what appear to be similar needs of the elderly and the "disabled". Both the elderly and the younger disabled at some time in their lives need someone to make decisions on their behalf and to look out for them and to look after them. The key difference is the time that it happens, the elderly are likely to take a longer time to reach the point of need but many elderly people do become less able and disabled at some stage. As the Minister had alluded to, we have nine people potentially in this House who could be afflicted with dementia. I believe that it is not just dementia we are talking about. Everyone in this House is potentially disabled. And, indeed, the sooner we can see that some needs of the "disabled" and the "elderly" are not all that different, the sooner we can "mainstream" policies and services for the "disabled" in areas such as healthcare, employment, workfare, Medisave top-ups, MediShield, ElderShield scopes and coverages, tax reliefs for dependants, public transport and even housing.”
“At a recent dialogue with my residents and grassroots leaders, I learnt that there is even concern that planning too early will (1) disrupt harmony amongst their children, and (2) encourage the abdication of filial duties of adult children who are not "appointed" to make financial and personal welfare decisions when their elderly parents lose their capacity. Hence, for the typical Singaporeans, there is a need for the Ministry to educate them so they can make informed options, instead of relying on their potentially false confidence that things will fall into place when the time comes or as the Chinese call this attitude, "chuan dao qiao tou zi ran zhi", or as the song goes, "que sera sera, whatever will be will be". As the new Bill is based on the British Mental Capacity Act passed in 2005 and came into force in 2007, Singapore is in a fortunate space to not have to reinvent the wheel. Positive new features were introduced in this new Bill. The Bill is comprehensive and protective of the person lacking capacity. The new positive features of the Bill include the Lasting Power of Attorney that the Minister spoke about, a new regime for the appointment of a Deputy and even Successor Deputies for the person lacking mental capacity and the creation of the new Office of Public Guardian and Board of Visitors with accountabilities to safeguard the persons lacking capacity. The new Bill is comprehensive and its authors took care to protect the person lacking capacity. Concerns raised in the UK experience were considered and, I believe, one of which was that lacking capacity need not be total and some people may lack capacity only in regard to some areas.”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, I rise in support of the Mental Capacity Bill and thank the Minister for this significant legislation. If executed well, this new Bill will make a real positive difference to many lives. I will speak on three key points: (1) responses to the Bill; (2) its positive features; and (3) provide three suggestions for implementation. The response to the Bill is mixed. One, professionals, especially the social service, legal and healthcare sectors, generally welcome the new Bill as it provides a comprehensive framework that reforms and updates the current Mental Disorders and Treatment Act (MDTA). The current Act is limiting in its scope and does not allow persons to plan in advance for a time when they may lose their mental capacity. Two, parents of special needs or disabled children appreciate the new Bill and thank the Ministry for this. In a 2006 Parent Workgroup Report on enhancing the financial security of persons with special needs, close to 100 parents and disability experts were engaged. The families' key fears were grouped into two main areas, namely, (1) financial and (2) caregiving arrangements when they are unable or no longer around to look out for their special needs children. And, three, other Singaporeans who either do not have or do not want to rely on their children and wish to plan in advance for their old age, I believe, also embrace the new Bill. However, for the man in the street, the content of the Bill does not appear to be their concern.”
“First, I want to register my thanks to the Minister for initiating the Clinical Practice Guidelines project. I think it will be very useful for the families and other practitioners as well. Two supplementary questions for the Minister. Sir, cosmetic treatments such as liposuction, currently performed on willing adults, are regulated by the Ministry. Does the Minister think that the same should be done for this non-mainstream treatment for helpless children or adults with disabilities, especially those performed by non-medical professionals or non-medically trained practitioners? Would the Minister consider registering these practitioners, putting them on probation first, and maybe confirming them and renewing their licences on a regular basis? Secondly, would he also consider developing a whistle-blowing policy so that those who have suffered from irresponsible practitioners will have a platform to have their cases heard and, at least, have the Government look into their issues?”
“Further, PTC's and LTA's service regulation is what ensures that, in the pursuit of profit, they do not compromise on service standards. Now, food is important. It is an essential. If we follow your argument, then you would say all supermarkets in Singapore should be social enterprises. But we do not have that. Yes, we have NTUC, but we also have Carrefour, Giant, Cold Storage. So, I think we should focus less on the form but on the outcome that we hope to achieve.”
“Sir, public transport, like education, housing and health, is a basic key essential service that is usually provided by the State and also a key component of cost of living. So, when this is delegated to a listed company, whose objective is always to, I guess, maximise net profit margins, then there will also be tension between generating profit and providing better and cheaper services, hopefully. So, would the Government consider restructuring firms like SMRT to either agencies like HDB or cooperatives like NTUC, to reduce this tension? Mr Raymond Lim Siang Keat: In short, the Member is suggesting that public transport operators should really all be social enterprises. I think that is her basic proposition. As I have said in my answer, it is not true that if the PTOs are profit-driven, it will not serve the public interest. In fact it is because it is a commercial entity that gives it the incentive to be efficient, cost-conscious and customer-centric. What is the public interest here? The public interest here is that you want a public transport system to be affordable and a high quality public transport system. How do you achieve this? We achieve this not by saying that every public transport operator must be a social enterprise but by introducing competition into the framework, contestability which we are doing, and have strong economic and service regulations in place to protect the commuters' interest. In the case of economic regulation, we do not allow the PTOs to profit maximise because we have a price-cap formula. They cannot charge what the market can bear. So what they have to do, because of the price-cap formula, is really to lower down their costs in order to increase their profits.”
“Sir, I have more than 250 PA recipients who are not very educated and they may have difficulty trying to apply for exemptions or waivers. And $110 is not a small sum for the PA recipients to pay for the TV licence. So using the analogy of the rental fees where, I believe, PA recipients actually pay a lower rent, I wonder if the Ministry could consider a more structured fee schedule, so that the PA recipient can pay a lower TV licence fee and thereby have their financial burden reduced. RAdm [NS] Lui Tuck Yew: The situation is that even though television is a common item in many households, not all households have a television. And, certainly, it is not just the PA recipients that may have some financial difficulties, other households may also have financial difficulties, albeit on a temporary basis. I think the better approach really is for such cases to come forward and for them to be dealt with on a case-by-case basis rather than to have tiered application fees. So that is really the approach that we prefer to take.”
“Sir, I would like to return to the topic of genetically modified food before it is hijacked by Dr Lim. The positive comments that are said about GM food have also been said about foods containing trans fat. Given that there is literature that suggests that the findings are not conclusive about the benefits or danger of GM food and also the fact that the Ministry is not prepared to institute warnings and so forth, would AVA or the Ministry consider putting up more educational materials or updates so that our people can be more assured and can make informed choices as they choose their food?”
“I want to thank the Minister, his MOS, PS and team really for this thankless task of adjusting to the needs of so many people, different types of clientele. Thank you very much. Madam, the public would like to know if the Public Assistance quantum would be pegged to an inflation index. Can the Minister also consider having a focused team that eyeballs the Enabling Master Plan and probably give a more regular update on the progress since many people were consulted in crafting it?”
“Madam, just a number of clarifications and to complete my cut.”