Dennis Tan Lip Fong
Singapore
“Yes, Sir. By combining practical experience with advanced analytics, we can transform traditional operational careers in the highly productive technology-enabled professions, ensuring that more high-value decision-making and better paying jobs remain in Singapore.”
“When Singapore officers are deployed at Bukit Chagar in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, do they enjoy the same legal protections and operational autonomy as their Malaysian counterparts enjoy when stationed in Singapore?”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. Relating to one issue of co-parenting, I would like to ask will the Ministry consider granting foster parents synchronised access to the child's Health Buddy app? Currently, foster parents have no access to the app and require the cooperation of biological parents.”
“Thank you, Speaker. I thank the Minister of State for his reply. Would the Ministry consider a tiered co-payment model for private providers similar to the EIPIC-P scheme where middle-income families can pay a regulated rate for a fixed number of additional private therapy hours to supplement their child's public intervention?”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. Just one clarification for the Senior Minister of State. I thank the Government for acknowledging the gap regarding the software-driven energy degradation and for the commitment to monitor and test when necessary.”
“Yes, just a quick clarification. I thank the Minister of State for the answers and the details. The feedback I receive is pertaining, especially to making appointments, because there have been instances where foster parents experience appointments being cancelled without their knowledge, and then having to arrive at the hospital unnecessa…”
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“Mdm Speaker, today, I shall be touching on three different aspects of the Budget. I will first start with the Budget proposal to enhance the Revitalisation of Shops (ROS) scheme. In November 2007, the Government introduced the ROS to enhance the vibrancy and competitiveness of HDB shops. As of March 2016, the HDB website stated that the scheme has benefitted 4,600 shops at 54 sites. It also stated that this covers over 50% of our town and neighbourhood centres. The scheme covers upgrading of common areas, promotional activities and rent-free periods for tenants to renovate their shops. In last year's Committee of Supply (COS) debate in March 2015, former Senior Minister of State for National Development, Mr Lee Yi Shyan, said that HDB has spent $8.4 million since the ROS scheme was introduced in 2007. Assuming the effective period of expenditure was from 2008 to 2014, this amounts to an average of $1.2 million per year. I hope the Minister can share with the House some details about how the ROS scheme has improved the businesses of HDB shops in the past nine years. Budget 2016 will set aside $15 million annually to enhance the ROS scheme. This is a large increase compared to previous years, more than 10 times the average expenditure in previous years. While I am sure it is good that our existing HDB shops are receiving more assistance to enhance their businesses, I hope the Minister for Finance can share the reasons for this large annual increase in funding for the scheme and also share details about how the proposed increase in funding will be utilised, and in what ways will the coming year's programme be different from the past.”
“Mdm Speaker, I thank the Minister for his answers. I have a few supplementary questions. First, the Minister mentioned about delayed promotion. Can the Minister explain to the House, normally, after an officer has been convicted under military law, what would be the time period that he would be held back for promotion? Secondly, will the Government consider amending section 14 of the Government Proceedings Act to allow certain situations of liability instead of the current absolute waiver from liability for all claims attributable to service? I can give a few examples for consideration: the waiver can be limited to actual operations and should not apply to training, or when a death or personal injury occurred as a result of omission from observing Training Safety Regulations (TSRs), or when negligence of an officer has some causal connection with the death or personal injury. Would MINDEF amend this law at least to reduce the possible moral hazard of any officers not taking sufficient care and caution in abiding by established TSRs during training exercises?”
“Therefore, I would like to propose the following measures: firstly, explain the definition of "mental capacity" and the meaning of lack of mental capacity to the public; secondly, what is the OPG and how does it provide advice, counselling and assistance to the public; thirdly, what is the hotline that the public can call if they need to seek clarifications and are the staff able to communicate in Malay as well as the other languages; fourthly, simplify the application process, with an option to fill out a form or to do it online. If we are required to provide data and information that are 10 pages long, many will not even want to do it. With that, Madam, I support this Bill. 5.54 pm”
“One more point, for a patient who has severe mental health disorder – I am not referring to the mild or moderate spectrum where symptoms can be controlled by drugs and therapy and they can function normally in society, the family and at work, which affects the insight and cognitive capabilities of persons – can they be covered under the MCA, and I assume they would, of course, need their medical specialists to verify and certify the severity of the illness in this case? And, of course, need to be given a case-by-case consideration. In conclusion, Madam, a person is not to be treated as unable to make a decision merely because he makes one unwise decision. Any decision made under this Act for a person lacking mental capacity must be made in his or her best interest. In Malay, please. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mdm Speaker, in amending this Act, we can do more to share information with the public. This is because many are unsure and unaware about the application of this Act. We must explain its details in a way that can be easily understood. Many people within our Malay community will not be able to understand the facts in its present form and, because of that, the number of people making use of this Act is very small. In fact, as they get older in the coming years, many will develop symptoms of dementia, stroke and others that can affect their intellectual capabilities.”
“It will also be useful for such a list to denote areas of specialisation of the personnel, such as whenever it is related to personal affairs, property, welfare or financial matters. This will reduce waste of time and expected changes that may need to be done later on if the wrong person is appointed. Next, will the Ministry be able to come forth with a suggested remuneration guideline for such cases, which can also be used as a reference? This may require it to be tagged to a suitable market rate, but with some degree of flexibility. But the main aim would be not to overburden such affected families, who may already be financially over-stretched. For those with mental incapacity who are institutionalised, for example, in nursing homes or attached to a VWO, can there be consideration for a "package offering" for them, especially for those with no next-of-kin and families? Importantly, also, there must be some guidelines to exempt or exclude those staff who are directly involved in the care of these clients from being their deputies for reasons of conflict of interest. On dealing with requests for medical reports for such cases, can we have a systematic algorithm streamlined, clearly drawn up, because I find that this can actually be a rate-limiting step or factor in most cases? When the Court suspends the donee's or deputy's powers in the absence of a pending Court application, can the Minister share with us the timeline within which this is acceptable before it needs to be considered void? Finally, can the Minister explain and take us through how this Bill will work or be executed for those who have already signed or are in the process of signing the Advance Medical Directive? This would be an interesting point as we are facing the onslaught of an ageing population.”
“With modernisation, our smaller nuclear families, "empty nest" syndrome, singlehood and widowed spouses from the longer duration of lifespans, especially for women, we have all these that are pointing in the right direction towards this updated Bill. When there is a lack of our first line of support, which is the family, then donees and deputies will play a useful role. However, they have to be adequately selected, prepared and appointed. Will the Ministry be able to come up with a listing of eligible persons who meet the criteria? This can then be a checking mechanism and a safeguard, especially for those who really do not have family nor other persons for support. Moreover, we can expect many of these persons to be in the more advanced stages of their lives and we do not want them to be taken for a ride or be taken advantage of by unscrupulous parties. I, therefore, support the suggested aid for those who deserve it and also a kind of a Legal Aid mechanism mentioned earlier. For example, in the UK, there is the Independent Mental Capacity Advocate (IMCA) who gets appointed to support a person lacking in capacity but has no one to speak for him. The IMCA can make representation on the person's wishes, feelings and beliefs and bring these to the attention of decision makers. In the NHS, for example, an IMCA is appointed for those who need serious medical treatment in hospital, for those staying more than 28 days in an acute hospital or eight weeks in a care home. I am not saying that we adopt this wholesale. But, in it, there are, indeed, gaps and limitations that perhaps consideration of some modifications or a customised version might be useful for our setting.”
“May I suggest that the Ministry expend more efforts to dialogue with the Family Courts to see how the procedure can be further simplified so that it will take less time, require less paperwork and Court hearings are further minimised? They should, in fact, make it easier and less costly for any layperson to make such applications directly. For example, instead of using formal Court applications, summonses and affidavits, we can also consider using appropriate layman-friendly application forms, supported by statutory declarations. The current affidavit template can be converted to such a form. Perhaps, we can really think out of the box here. If we can simplify the application, the legal fees can be further reduced. The Court filing fees for all documents can also be reduced by not having it pegged to the existing Court filing fees for Court summonses and affidavits. I would also suggest that even for the present regime, a detailed checklist can be published on the relevant website of the likely issues that need to be addressed in each application and the depth at which the issues need to be addressed. This will help lay people to better understand the requirements of the application readily. With that, Madam, I support the Bill. 5.47 pm Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef (Marine Parade): Mdm Speaker, this amendment Bill comes at a timely, critical juncture when, one, we are facing the steep curve of our ageing population; two, when our communities and families are getting more empowered and informed about such matters; and, three, most importantly, it is about mainstreaming and providing support for those lacking in mental capabilities and capacity amongst us.”
“May I suggest that the Ministry should have a fixed set of scaled fees which the Courts can then use as a guide or benchmark and this scale can be adjusted from time to time when necessary? In any case, there may also be some people who will not be able to afford a professional donee or deputy and, at the same time, are not able to find a suitable person to do it for free. For deserving cases where the persons are unable to pay for a professional donee or deputy, it is important that the Ministry should still allow access to a professional donee or deputy by allowing such fees to be paid for or waived. I am indeed, encouraged by the Minister's opening remarks on this issue. Indeed, there should be an equivalent of a Legal Aid mechanism where the Ministry can fund deserving cases. Alternatively, the Ministry can consider starting a pool of suitable and trained volunteers who can assist in such cases on a pro bono basis. Madam, I support the new provisions for the appointment of an auditor to assist the PG in examining any report of a donee or a deputy. I also support the new amendments for the additional persons, including the PG to apply to the Court for an order to suspend the powers of the donee and deputy. This will allow the PG to intervene in suitable cases where the donee and deputy may not be carrying out his duties properly and the interests of the persons which the Act seeks to protect can be better safeguarded. Madam, as a lawyer, my observation is that the present application process for deputies, when compared to the previous regime, is more complicated, time-consuming and, possibly, more costly.”
“Madam, I declare my interest that, as a lawyer, I have assisted in matters relating to the MCA. Madam, I am in support of the proposed amendments to allow the appointment of professional donees and deputies. I recognise that it is necessary to allow such appointments as some persons who are subject to the Act may not want their family members to take charge of their personal matters or be their donee or deputy, or some people simply do not have a suitable relative or friend to be their donee or deputy. Madam, fuller details of the requisite criteria and qualifications for professional donees and deputies should be provided in the Act or in this subsidiary legislation. The criteria should go beyond just allowing people to qualify as professional donees and deputies by merely being members of certain professions, say, for example, doctors, lawyers, accountants or even social workers, or even community groups. And I will also extend that to trust companies. Each individual candidate for professional donee or deputy, including those working in trust companies, must have the relevant training. They must also possess the right attitude. Will the Minister please share with the House more details of the criteria and training for professional donees and deputies? Next, the system of professional donees or deputies should be affordable and accessible to the average Singaporean. It is important that the fees of the professional donees or deputies be subject to control and regular review by the Ministry or by the Courts. Will the Minister please explain how the Ministry intends to ensure that the fees be kept affordable? How does the Ministry expect the Courts to determine the remuneration under the proposed new section 24(8A)(b)?”
“Mdm Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister, when he mentioned the higher percentage of elderly, would the criteria also be extended to private estates where there is a higher percentage of elderly as well?”
“The third question is: what are the measures which can be taken to minimise the need to divert emergency vehicles, as diversion may lead to more time delays?”
“I thank the Senior Minister of State for the answers. My question actually arose because I read that there were certain reported cases of flash floods occurring near hospitals. That is the background. I have three supplementary questions. One, have there been any known cases so far where essential services have been disrupted due to flooding? Two, is there a protocol in place to inform emergency vehicles early on if their route has been affected by flooding? Three, are there any measures which can be taken to minimise the need to divert emergency vehicles, as diversion may lead to time delays, if they have to go to another hospital?”
“Would the Minister consider having communication with the industry with a view to increasing the number of types of possible medical insurance beyond MediShield Life?”
“A question for the Minister to let me understand the Protocol a bit better: at the moment, do the Principals of the schools have any discretion at all to decide whether or not to release their pupils for questioning by the Police in school or to the custody of the Police? If they do have such discretion, perhaps the Minister could share with us what are some of the guidelines for this discretion. The second question is more of a suggestion for the current review: would the Ministry consider requiring the Principals to inform the parents of any pupil immediately upon the arrival of the Police at the school to interview the pupil or to take the pupil into custody, rather than to advise or inform the Police to inform the parents?”
“I thank the Minister for Home Affairs for his explanation so far. I have two questions. One of them both Ministers can jointly answer. The first question is, will the Minister set the time frame or give a rough estimation as to when the Ministry hopes the reviews regarding the interview and handling of minors in Police custody will likely be completed. The second question is addressed to both Ministries; or both Ministers can jointly consider answering this: let us say in a scenario where the Principal or the Police has already informed the parent of a pupil who is under investigation that the Police have come to the school, will MOE or indeed MHA consider allowing a suitable member of the staff to accompany the pupil, the minor, to the Police station until at least the parents turn up, or until the pupil is released from the Police station? I am not talking about the situation where the pupil is under interview, not at that stage. But what I am talking about is basically a member of the staff or allowing the parents to be at the Police Station but not during the interview so that, at the very least, there is some handing over between the school and the parents. Madam, shall I ask my other two questions to the Minister for Education later? Or should I ask them now?”
“I thank the Minister for the clarification. I have one further question. It is more of a clarification regarding the question I raised earlier, which maybe I did not make it clear. I would just raise it again. I understand that under the current Act, people with certain pre-existing illnesses are not covered by the Act. This presents a conundrum for members as it is normally compulsory for all members servicing their HDB loans through their CPF accounts. Can the Minister please confirm whether such members will merely be exempted from the scheme without any coverage from the scheme after the amendment? Even if such members are exempted from the scheme, will the Minister consider allowing a special form of coverage under the scheme, perhaps on a case-by-case basis, and even perhaps on a different premium? This will certainly give a better peace of mind to affected members. After all, surely the original intention of the scheme is to provide peace of mind to all members who have taken loans to pay for their HDB flats.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, I refer to the amendment in clause 28(h) of the Bill whereby the Board has the right not to pay under the scheme where a member was suffering from an illness when he joins the scheme. May the Minister clarify what would be these circumstances where the board may permit a member to join the scheme even though the Board may be aware of the member suffering from an illness at the time of joining the scheme? Mr Deputy Speaker, I understand that under the current Act, people with certain pre-existing illnesses are not covered by the Act. Can the Minister please confirm whether such members will still not be covered by the scheme after the amendment? Will the Minister consider allowing a special form of coverage under the scheme perhaps on a case-by-case basis and even on a different premium? The Bill also provides for regulations to be made to prescribe the circumstances where CPF Board may issue or reinstate an insurance cover or pay claims where the board is not liable to do so under sections 36(9) or (10). May the Minister please clarify the intention behind this proposed inclusion? I also support the amendments which allows the transfer of monies from the member's RA to another member's account for the purchase of an HDB flat. The amendments also allow CPF members to top up their spouse's RA or Special Account (SA) using money from their RA. This flexibility will benefit both the member and his/her spouse. I support the amendments. Page: 93”
“However, it seems to me, from a plain reading of the amendment Bill, that the only situations where a member can make a claim under the scheme for terminal illness and total permanent disability, even though the member is not incapacitated from ever continuing in any employment, are if (a) the member is suffering from terminal illness and is said by a registered medical practitioner to be expected to result in death within 12 months or (b) the member has suffered total or permanent disability of less than two eyes, two limbs or one eye and one limb. The scenarios seem rather limited. May the Minister please clarify whether this is what the Bill intended? Does the Bill provide for any other situation and where is this provided in the Bill? If the Bill does not provide clearly for any other scenario, I am concerned that the Act may not be clear enough about the circumstances that may apply to the new situation where a CPF member who is insured under the scheme will now be allowed to make a claim under the scheme for terminal illness and total permanent disability, even though the member is not incapacitated from ever continuing in any employment. I seek the Minister's assurance that CPF Board will provide clear communication to CPF members for the circumstances which may apply under this proposed amendment. The Bill also seeks to allow a non-spouse member who is a co-owner of a property to pay the premium for the HPS scheme of the other co-owner. I welcome this change as this recognises the possibility as well as perhaps the increasing occurrence of the situation where co-owners may not be spouses, for example, in the case of a flat which is owned by a man and his mother. The change will address the current anomaly in the present Act.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, may I speak in Mandarin? (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] I support the proposed amendments to the Bill in respect of HPS. HPS is a mortgage-reducing insurance that protects members and their families against losing their homes in the event of death or permanent incapacity before their housing loans are paid up. It is compulsory for any HDB home owner who is using his or her CPF savings to pay the monthly housing loan instalments for his or her HDB flat. The scheme does not cover private residential properties, executive condominiums (ECs) or privatised Housing and Urban Development Company (HUDC) flats. Buyers can only opt out of the scheme if they have taken a similar mortgage-reducing insurance policy. The Bill seeks to enhance insurance coverage under HPS. Under the proposed amendments, a CPF member who is insured under the scheme will now be allowed to make a claim under the scheme for terminal illness and total permanent disability, even though the member is not incapacitated from ever continuing in any employment. If this is a substantial change, it will Page: 92 represent a departure from the existing ruling under the current Act and it will be a welcomed change as it may provide more flexibility for members who are caught in different situations. I note that the same change is also effected in the same Bill for DPS.”
“Yes, Mdm Speaker. I apologise. Madam, can I ask for Question No 10 to be answered?”
“May I ask that the question be addressed in the Ministerial Statement later?”
“I thank the Minister for providing the answer to my question. I have a few supplementary questions. The first is a clarification: I am not sure I heard the Minister correctly as to whether he has answered the first part of my question on whether any of the MRT's components or systems are operating past the manufacturers' recommended end-of-life date and end-of-line operating cycle. My next supplementary question: if a certain part has already expired according to the manufacturer's recommendation, but for some reason SMRT has still decided that they are in working condition, what will be the margin of tolerance that the Minister feels may be acceptable? Would it be six months to a year or more? My next supplementary question: would the Ministry consider requiring the transport operator to have a proper rail asset renewal schedule for the expired or soon-to-be expiring parts, even if the parts do not seem to be breaking down yet, so that we can stay on top of the curve as far as system performance is concerned? My next supplementary question: would the Ministry consider publishing input KPIs to measure parts replacement and maintenance works, setting targets and benchmarks against other MRT systems to track not just that the inspections are done regularly but also indicators like the ratio of engineers to the length of tracks and proportion of parts past their end-of-line dates? My last supplementary question: under the new contracting model, who pays for and is responsible for triggering parts replacement. Is it LTA or SMRT? If there is a change from the current situation, when will this take place, given that negotiations between LTA and SMRT have dragged on for two years or so?”
“It is important for us to develop this area such that people will have confidence that they are able to challenge any questionable decision-making process of any public authority. As an eminent English Judge Lord Hoffmann puts it succinctly, "The principles of judicial review give effect to the rule of law". The average Singaporean must also be able to afford reasonable legal fees to commence the judicial review application, or the rights under the law will be merely academic. To this end, it is also important that provision be made for sufficient legal aid to be extended to the applicants of the judicial review such that legal costs will not be a deterrent to Singaporeans who have a genuine case that he wishes to bring up. Finally, whatever political changes the Government may have in mind will probably have important consequences on our nation- building. Singaporeans must be amply consulted and Singaporeans must be happy with such changes before any decision is made for their introduction. Mdm Speaker, the Workers' Party will provide a platform for Singaporeans to have a strong say in the direction in which Singapore will progress. Singaporeans must feel secure about our country and where we are going from here in the next 50 years and be confident of the governance and institutions of this country. With that, Mdm Speaker, I support the Motion of Thanks.”
“The President mentioned that the Government will work closely with the people. We must remember that Singaporeans are the masters of our country. In this connection, Singaporeans must feel engaged in the country. They have a right and a say in the governance of the country. They must not feel resigned to being a digit in the country, helplessly dependent on those in authority to make all decisions for them. Singaporeans must feel empowered about their future and in giving them a voice and a role in nation-building so that they will be engaged and vested in the country. To this end, access to information is important for all. It is important because every citizen needs access to information in order to make informed decisions concerning matters around them which we need a comment and input in nation-building. The engagement of Singaporeans does not stop at giving them a platform to speak. They must be given the background and information so that they can make informed choices and give constructive input for nation-building. Page: 16 Correspondingly, transparency is also one of the features of a good government. For this reason, I would echo the previous call for the introduction of a Freedom of Information Act by my colleague Mr Pritam Singh who spoke about this in his speech at the President's Address in 2011. The office of ombudsman. The Government should consider setting up an independent office of ombudsman. Such an office can review any allegations of wrongful decision-making, as well as to investigate any allegations of wrong-doing on the part of public servants. Such a process may also avoid legal costs that may come with judicial review. And on judicial review, although our laws provide for judicial review, this avenue remains under-developed.”
“I would like to ask the Ministry of Law to consider reviewing the limits under the means test for all applications for legal aid under the Legal Aid Bureau. I believe the current limits of $10,000 disposable income is still too restrictive and a moderate increase on the limits may provide much needed assistance to many more low-income earning Singaporeans who are caught by the current limits. Many lawyers in private practice are already doing pro bono work. May I also suggest that the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) and the Government Ministries consider allowing their lawyers to spend at least some time doing some form of pro bono work? AGC has a big pool of lawyers who are called to the Bar. This will not only help to increase the assistance that can be rendered to Singaporeans who cannot afford legal assistance, it may also help Government lawyers, being public servants, to better understand the challenges that many needy Singaporeans requiring legal assistance may face. I move on to strengthening governance in our national institutions. In the next 50 years, we need to work towards further strengthening our national institutions, including our Civil Service and Statutory Boards. We have a highly talented Civil Service which we have built over time and one which is known for its integrity. Until now, our Civil Service has only worked with one ruling party. In the next 50 years, we must ensure that our Civil Service will always remain one of the key stabilisers of our country, regardless of which political party is in power. The independence and political neutrality of the Civil Service and Statutory Boards must be fiercely maintained so that Singaporeans will always have complete confidence in the non-partisan nature of these institutions.”
“As the AG said and I quote, "Disclosure may or may not affect the outcome of the case, but the fairness and openness of the process is important". Disclosure and, particularly, early disclosure, of evidence promotes a transparent process and also potentially reduces legal costs. The accused is aware of the case he has to meet. Indeed, in some cases, he may be advised from the disclosure made that he has a weak case, and he may be advised earlier to take a certain course of action. Transparency in a criminal justice process will demonstrate to our citizens that evidence is taken seriously and that, in fact, evidence is submitted early and efficiently. This knowledge will surely strengthen public confidence in our criminal justice system. Page: 15 Legal aid. We have to ensure that our legal system is readily accessible to all Singaporeans, regardless of their economic means. It is heartening to see the continuing increase in the number of cases that are handled by volunteer lawyers under the Law Society's Criminal Legal Aid Scheme (CLAS). In recent years, it is also heartening to see many lawyers volunteering at our community legal clinics all over Singapore, giving legal advice to many needy Singaporeans, and also lawyers volunteering their services to do pro bono legal work under various auspices, such as the Law Society, the Community Justice Centre and various non-government organisations (NGOs). But I think there is still a shortage of lawyers who are able to provide pro bono representation work. Many people need lawyers to assist them beyond giving advice for 20 minutes in the manner that we see at community legal clinics.”
“He mentioned that, and I quote, "An accused may be detained for days or weeks without access to a lawyer", and "we need to re-evaluate whether this is fair or desirable". Mr Thio stated that the Law Society's Criminal Practice Committee has recommended that a suspect be allowed to consult a lawyer privately for up to one hour before statements are recorded by the Police. I agree with the President of the Law Society's call for the Government to accept this recommendation. In our legal system where the accused is innocent until proven guilty, we must give the accused an opportunity to have early access to legal counsel. Until he is proven guilty, he has all rights as every other citizen. As a democracy, we must value the rights of every Singaporean and guard them jealously. These rights must include his rights to early legal advice in a situation where the end game is potential punishment by the Court. Just as the accused's failure to abide by the law shall have consequences, equally, we must give the accused an opportunity to understand his rights and defences at the onset. Disclosure in criminal proceedings. Moving to another point regarding access to justice, I would like to refer to the Attorney-General's (AG's) speech at the Opening of the Legal Year as well. The AG made proposals for early disclosure of evidence in criminal cases by both the prosecution and defence. I support this proposal. This is a step in the right direction for our criminal justice system. Fair disclosure of evidence in criminal cases in common law countries are usually taken seriously. Discovery of obligations under our civil procedure rules have been in place since time immemorial.”
“Yes, we have to take care of such Singaporeans when they are in need but, like the social worker, we must have Page: 14 empathy with even the most difficult of cases and, at the same time, we must not easily give up on trying to find ways to help needy Singaporeans get out of this financial spiral. In a small city-state like Singapore, we cannot afford to be a society where every man lives for himself. This is especially so in a place like Singapore where a large part of our population is made up of transient residents. Like pilgrims on the same journey, we have to watch out for one another so that we can all arrive together. Rule of law and access to justice. Rule of law is the lynchpin of developed nations. It is the knowledge of the rule of law that informs citizens their rights: what to do, how to conduct themselves, how to lead happy, orderly and lawful lives. The rule of law also helps the government of the day and our national institutions to manage and run the country in accordance with the laws of the land. And rule of law must come with access to justice. Early access to lawyers. Recently, the President of the Law Society, Mr Thio Shen Yi, had, in his speech at the Opening of the Legal Year on 11 January 2016, brought up the issue of a suspect's right of access to legal counsel before the suspect's statement is recorded by the Police. As Mr Thio puts it succinctly, and I quote, "Justice and fairness are served because it is that lawyer's job to advise the suspect to tell the truth, to articulate any defences that they may have, to cooperate with the Police, to advise if no defence is available, but also to advise on the privilege against self-incrimination".”
“Mdm Speaker, in the President's speech, he mentioned five key aims that the Government hopes to fulfil in this coming term. I would like to touch on the fifth aim – to engage and partner Singaporeans in nation-building. Madam, 2015 now behind us. While we are thankful for much that we have achieved and gone through in the last 50 years, the next 50 years will likely be more challenging. We cannot rest on our experience of the last 50 years. As the world becomes more complex and people more mobile, it is important that Singaporeans feel rooted and committed to Singapore. There are many elements in nation-building and, for today, I would like to focus on just three points: social justice; rule of law and access to justice; and strengthening governance in our national institutions. Social justice. The President talked about a caring society and treating one another with warmth and dignity. Before we can move ahead together, we must continue to have a Singapore that looks after its people, regardless of their economic means. Ultimately, how we treat our people reflects very much on ourselves. How we care about the less well-off and the less fortunate will speak very much about ourselves. We must have compassion and empathy for our fellow Singaporeans who are less privileged. We should desire to grow together as a nation and as a people. Recently, I had a poignant conversation with an experienced social worker who shared her deep concerns about families she worked with, where both the parents and, subsequently, the grown-up children in the families continue to rely on state welfare assistance.”