Ellen Lee
Singapore
“Madam, I have one supplementary question for the Minister. Given the increasingly heavy responsibilities that our Regular servicewomen have played alongside their male counterparts, will the same opportunities be made available for servicewomen to be appointed the Chiefs of the Army, Navy, Air Force and the Chief of Defence Force, and eve…”
“Singaporeans are savvy in utilising technology to solve problems at work and good at using multimedia to make new friends, show concern for society, entertain themselves and share life experiences. Perhaps, we should use our creativity and think of ways to resolve community disputes without resorting to the use of law.”
“Sir, with more Singaporeans living longer than their parents, being healthy and able to work beyond retirement age becomes a common concern for adults with family commitments.”
“Madam, although much has been done to empower senior citizens to age graciously, there are still many who choose to conform to long-held norms, such as living quietly and modestly at home, reading, exercising and socialising little and focusing their attention on family and children.”
“Madam, with a rapidly ageing population and more people leading a longer life, care for the elderly is inevitable. However, ageing couples who have two or fewer children or no child at all are confronted with the prospect of there being no one to take care of them and their daily needs, especially when they are sick, feeble and weak.”
“Madam, the Community Mental Health Plan had a three-pronged focus: increasing awareness, expanding early intervention capabilities and integrating care with the community care. Could MOH provide an update on progress made so far?”
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“This is especially important for estates with ongoing dengue transmission. For example, at Bukit Batok, water ponding was found in pump rooms due to leaky water pipes and poor gradient of the floor. Breeding was also detected in water tanks as a result of damaged mosquito netting. Such lapses can be prevented by putting in place a robust maintenance and inspection regime. Second, residents and HDB shop owners can play a part by refraining from cluttering common corridors with potted plants and bulky items, or placing items over scupper drain or concrete drain slabs outside their premises. Bad housekeeping not only gives rise to potential breeding habitats but also hampers inspection by NEA and the Town Council. Proper maintenance and cleaning of corridors and drains are also hindered by heavy cluttering in the common areas. While NEA is working with HDB and the Town Councils to improve the situation, I would like to call for the cooperation of all residents too. Third, residents going away on holidays or intending to be away from home for more than a week should ensure that mosquitoes cannot breed in their homes in their absence. Residents are advised to leave behind a contact number with their neighbours or the neighbourhood police post/centre so that the authorities can contact them, if necessary. Last but not least, I would like to stress that all stakeholders must continue to work hand in hand to deny mosquitoes of the opportunity to breed. Any lapses by one party will negate the good efforts put in by others. The Aedes Aegypti mosquito is a home breeder and will thrive if we are not vigilant.”
“Since July, NEA and the Hong Kah Town Council have been working together in stepping up the mosquito control regime to arrest the growth of the Bukit Batok cluster. From early September, NEA deployed 40 officers on a daily basis to search and destroy all possible mosquito breeding habitats within the cluster, compared to 10 officers when the cluster first emerged in July. From mid-September, the daily inspections were further extended to another 36 housing blocks surrounding the 34 blocks in the cluster, in an effort to curb dengue transmission. The Town Council also tripled its deployment of pest control officers to about 20 to carry out daily search and destroy operations in the outdoor areas, including pump rooms, rooftops and bin centres. Staff from other estates were roped in to help rid the cluster of potential breeding grounds by patching up treeholes with cement, filling up ground depressions with top soil, and even drilling holes in ash tray containers on rubbish bins in common areas to prevent water from collecting. The Bukit Batok situation improved also because the grassroots worked proactively with NEA and the Town Council to meet the challenge in eradicating dengue in Bukit Batok. Although the Bukit Batok cluster has closed, NEA and the Hong Kah Town Council are not letting their guards down, and are continuing with regular mosquito control efforts in the estate. The Bukit Batok episode has provided us with some valuable lessons which I would like to share with Members of the House. First, it is critical that Town Councils take every measure to ensure proper maintenance and effective checks of common areas and structures under their charge, to prevent creating conditions favourable for mosquito breeding.”
“Sir, have there been any cases where AVA has prosecuted hawkers for using plastic and styrofoam food containers in a way that is not desirable, as there has been concern that hawkers themselves may not know how to use them properly and therefore indirectly injure or harm public safety? Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman: Sir, I do not have the information on whether the AVA has prosecuted any hawkers. As far as we are aware, hawkers ought to be aware of the appropriate uses of these containers. These containers are actually meant to package the food for the consumers, rather than to be used for heating the food that they are selling. DENGUE FEVER OUTBREAK IN BUKIT BATOK (Update) 7. Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources whether he can provide an update on the recent cluster of dengue fever outbreak in Bukit Batok. The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan) (for the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources): Sir, the cluster at Bukit Batok Streets 31, 32 and 34 started on 11th July 2007. The number of cases reported each week increased from seven in mid-July to a peak of 14 cases in early September before declining thereafter. The cluster was finally closed on 4th October with a total of 117 cases reported. The outbreak in Bukit Batok is largely due to breeding of the Aedes Aegypti mosquito in homes. NEA has thus far uncovered 70 incidences of mosquito breeding, with majority (83%) of the breedings found in homes. The house index is the number of homes found breeding for every 100 homes inspected. For the Bukit Batok cluster, the house index is 2.67, which is almost seven times that of the national average of 0.39.”
“Sir, given the fact that most people are now eating out and also buying food back instead of cooking, I think in the public domain there is not much information about plastic and styrofoam which can be micro- waveable. Is AVA doing anything to raise the public awareness, because it is very common to see people putting styrofoam containers into microwave ovens to heat up food? Is there a time when AVA will be looking into doing away with all these styrofoam food containers, because many people have felt that it is not eco-friendly and could actually be going against the green movement as well?”
“Furthermore, could the Government consider developing a set of "Guidelines for Best Practices in Collective Sales of Private Properties" - I think akin to what my two learned colleagues have said a while ago about having prescribed forms and conditions - to ensure that all parties involved in a collective sale, including the developers and marketing agents, comply with them so that they could minimise disputes and unnecessary litigation? Sir, with that, I support the Bill. 2.18 pm”
“It is important to help them secure their nest eggs as they have toiled for many years to preserve them in the hope of living there peacefully till they die. For the elderly living in affected collective sale properties who are against the sale, we should try to minimise their sufferings from a reverse eviction from their legitimate homes. To them, the strong sentimental values in the place they stay far surpass the monetary gains. Moving to a new place would also pose as a hurdle, considering some of their physical, mental and emotional states. Sir, I urge the Government to try to strike a balance between avoiding ghettos and the need to protect the elderly, especially the frail and weak. Yes, I do acknowledge that under the Amendment Bill, the Ministry of Law already seeks to ensure that owners are consulted and be protected from being kept in the dark on the sale process. The presence of lawyers also helps to ensure that the elderly owners are not being forced to sign the collective sale agreement under duress and that they are clear about the terms and fully aware of the implications of the agreement they have signed or about to sign. But I believe the Government could do more to help the elderly. Sir, may I propose that, additionally, the Government consider letting elderly owners, aged 65 and above and living alone, have a one for one exchange in the new development so that they can continue to stay in the same locality they are most familiar with and to minimise the trauma of uprooting, searching for another home and all miscellaneous attendant problems attached to moving?”
“The protection of the ignorant, the ill-informed and the ill-equipped, mainly the elderly, is one particular area that the Government can explore to safeguard as part of this Amendment Bill. With our ageing population and more dysfunctional families, there will be many more elderly Singaporeans living alone without trusted or sound counsel at such critical times when the loss of their homes is imminent. To this group of people, especially the older folks who are frail and weak and possibly living alone, I hope we could consider their plight and promulgate ways to protect their interests. I personally know of some elderly persons staying alone for more than two decades who are negatively affected by en bloc sales of their properties. Last year, the Committee on Ageing Issues (CAI) in its Report on Ageing Population, vide a Media Release dated 8th February 2006, came out with some suggestions to achieve successful ageing for Singapore. I could not agree more with one of the calls made by the CAI, ie, to urge the Government to work with the private and people sectors to provide and ensure the old retain a roof over their heads. Sir, in the case of en bloc sales, I hope that the Government can consider this particular segment of our population. It is a fact that senior citizens view security and stability as paramount in their golden years. In the past 40 years, the Government has succeeded in housing more than 85% of our population in affordable public housing. HDB goes a step further to provide replacement units for those affected by SERS. To those not living in HDB flats, this security is no different as it also means a roof over their heads.”
“The improvement of 80% - 90% rule to include BOTH the share value and unit area has indeed been properly thought through to help and protect the minority, as some would have argued otherwise before the change was made. I empathised with those who had previously been adversely affected in one way or another. I feel that the Government has tried its best to be fair and, in this case, carefully addressed concerns of the minority to ensure that this group will now not be prejudiced. There has been much talk amongst owners who complained that they were not consulted before the start of a collective sale in their estate or the formation of a sale committee. The proper set-up of the Collective Sale Committee and its legal standing has been adequately addressed, including the rules to govern. The Government seeks to ensure that any sale attempt can start only if the owners have discussed the matter at a general meeting and agreed to proceed to explore possibilities of a sale. Also, currently, lawyers are not required to be present at the signing of the collective sale agreement. The new amendments seek to ensure proper advice is given to the "less educated" owners through the presence of legal counsel and regular updates. All these new changes are commendable and I applaud the Ministry of Law for accepting several constructive suggestions from the public to make the en bloc sale process more transparent and better protect owners who are legitimately selling or not deciding to sell their premises. Sir, there is one area that I would like to highlight to the House today which I feel the Government can do more.”
“Mr Speaker Sir, like the two speakers before me, I declare my interest in this matter. I do not have any property affected by en bloc sale nor do I represent anybody affected by en bloc sale. My interest in speaking on this topic is purely from a follow-up of what I have spoken at the Committee of Supply last March, and also because I have a few friends who are affected by en bloc sales and have been supplying me with ideas and ammunition. Mr Speaker, Sir, I applaud the Ministry of Law for amending the Land Titles (Strata) Act to enable the Government to address concerns of transparency and due process in the execution of en bloc sales. Sir, in the past two years, while we saw many Singaporeans benefiting from en bloc sales, we also witnessed quite a number feeling frustrated and angry, and some of them probably may still feel bitter after the new changes become law. Much as we hope to achieve and safeguard the interests of everyone affected, we cannot always meet the needs and wants of everyone. This is especially so in the case of the changes to the law on en bloc sales. Sir, having said this, I am heartened to learn that in the proposed legislative changes, the Government has taken cognisance of the many grievances, proposals and suggestions that have been aired at various platforms, including engaging the public through public consultations as early as April this year by listening carefully to the feedback and suggestions and brainstorming with some affected parties to hear them out. I applaud the Ministry of Law for doing this. Under the Amendment Bill, we see a raft of changes. Some of the notable key amendments are the changes done in ensuring the proper balance of voting rights in the case of mixed development.”
“When we are facing a crisis in life, the elderly person can advise us what to do. So we should, from young, inculcate love and respect for the elderly persons, and a feeling of gratitude for the older people. So that in 2030, those 900,000 people who are above 65 years old can happily enjoy life in their retirement because we have love and warmth in this world. *Cols. 1987-1988. (In English): Sir, with that, I support the changes.”
“It will not result in more divorces because this is a small price to pay compared to having to divide their CPF savings as well as any other matrimonial assets upon divorce and end up paying more. This is free legal advice from a family law practitioner like me. Also, from a social and communal perspective, besides building relationships, an additional safeguard will be to imbue financial planning knowledge into our youths, our young and seniors so that besides our CPF savings, annuities and re-employment laws, we can be self-reliant and able to survive old age. The first long-term measure will be to inculcate a savings habit in our young. Particularly, I hope the Government would render enhanced assistance to the low-wage and lower educated populace to educate them in this aspect of financial planning which is difficult for even some educated, like myself, to appreciate and understand. We need to ensure they have a sufficient nest-egg for old age and the possibility of living beyond 80 years with pride and dignity as my other parliamentary colleague, Dr Fatimah Lateef, has said earlier. (In Mandarin): [For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*.] Since when has the bringing up of children no longer served as a protection against one's old age? In our daily lives, we see and hear of the elderly being self-reliant on top of shouldering their responsibility towards their children and grandchildren. What has gone wrong? Different people have different views but the issue should not be neglected as it directly impacts our social values. This morning, I heard the FM 95.8 radio programme where the radio host commented that an elderly person used to be treated as a treasure in the family.”
“I had a discussion with a senior social worker, a friend of mine, and she shared some of the cases she sees and counsels. She highlighted that there are some families for whom there has been an emotional disconnect between parents and children. Some children, because of various dysfunctions in the family, have little or no relationship with their parents and, hence, resist supporting the parents in old age. On the other extreme are parents who over-indulge their children who end up self-centered and demanding of their parents. These are also the ones that we see at MPS and whom we see at the Family Service Centres. These are the parents who love too much and at the end of the day are ignored by children for whom they have given their entire lives and savings to. It is true to say that all the policies in the world will not be able to address this. It boils down to relationships. And that has to start with what happens in the home. I therefore ask the Government to urge families to focus on building positive relationships with their children when they are young and to seek help early from professionals if they need to, so that we do not end up in a sorry state of forcing families to take care of their elderly, as in our passing of the Maintenance of Parents Act. I pause here, Sir, to say that my parliamentary colleague, Ms Irene Ng, has made some good suggestions which I hope the committee will consider. But I also want to reassure Ms Ng as well as the House that it is better for husbands to contribute some of their CPF savings to their wives' CPF accounts because their wives will love them more for that.”
“We must take steps now to be self-reliant and self-sufficient and stay employed for as long as possible. It takes a lot of discipline and hard work to "delay gratification" and save up for rainy days, but these two key elements are vital for survival. And on this, I disagree with what Ms Sylvia Lim has said that people should be entitled to enjoy their CPF savings once they reach 55. We should embrace the notion of "workfare" and work for our own "welfare" for as long as we could. We should learn from the negative experiences of developed countries in letting welfare rule the day. Notwithstanding these changes for the better, Sir, and to move away from talking about money, money and more money, as one of my key grassroots leaders put it, I would like to reiterate the other aspects of support for the elderly and the ageing population. Family support for the elderly We cannot understate the importance of the family nucleus amidst a social fabric of an ageing population and care for the elderly. By and large, families should be the first line of support for the seniors. I am aware that many of us do our level best to ensure the elderly in our families live a happy and healthy life. But there are those who may not be so fortunate for one reason or another, including failed relationships. Government intervention and assistance may have to come in to assist these cases along with volunteer welfare groups. More importantly, it is imperative for us to educate our young people about their roles and responsibilities towards their families and build strong family bonds and ties from young. This emotional connect with the family will ensure lasting mutual care and support.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I join my parliamentary colleagues to applaud the Government for introducing significant changes to the CPF system to support us in our old age. Our uniquely Singapore Government has again taken the bull by its horns to introduce timely changes to help Singaporeans to grow old gracefully with pride, dignity and money. After the Minister for Manpower's revelation of how the Government will maximise the returns on our CPF savings, and the Second Minister for Finance's explanation of where the funds for these returns will originate, all rumours of the Government's sinister schemes to delay the release of people's hard-earned money are now put to rest as we see the nest eggs growing bigger and bigger when placed in the Government's incubator. With the raising of the draw-down age, older, frail or disabled senior citizens without financial support will find it harder to survive. As such, I urge the Government to consider the plight of these individuals who may be adversely affected by this policy and manage such cases compassionately, especially when they approach the Government to settle their arrears of housing loans, Town Council charges, water and electricity bills, taxes or other summonses. For those able, ready and willing to work, I hope the introduction of the re-employment law will be brought forward much earlier than 1st January 2012 despite all that Minister Lim Swee Say has said about his reservations to bring it up much earlier, so that all workers, particularly the elderly, can be assured of staying longer in their jobs. I hope Singaporeans will realise by now that with all the safety nets in place as we grow old, we also need a major mindset change and that is, to avoid relying on the Government for help.”
“Sir, I would like to ask whether or not, currently, there are any sanctions that would be taken against kayakers who breach safety conditions as well as the operators of these activities centres if the safety conditions have been breached. Because I think it would be necessary to reinforce the point that safety is paramount in these centres and that both the users as well as the providers have to abide by a certain set of conditions.”
“They cannot have a baby before they get PR. Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee: Of course, they can start a family. We encourage that. You do not need to have, for example, PR to start a family. In fact, that may strengthen their case. The other point is we should not give one year at a time. It is six months basically to help the family improve its economic situation. After six months, if there is a need to renew, an application can be made and ICA will look at the case again. If they have tried very hard, they have shown effort on their part, and their situation has improved, they may very well be granted, in fact, a Long Term Social Visit Pass. And if they are just off the mark, perhaps another extension may be granted to help them improve their situation.”
“Can I just ask the Senior Minister of State whether the Ministry will consider expanding the six-month period to a year, because it is not easy for a foreign spouse to be in Singapore for the first time to be able to look for a job within six months? The other question is: is it true that once they are married, the Government discourages them from getting pregnant because there is this fallacy that they are not supposed to get pregnant or deliver any baby before they get any long-term visit passes in Singapore? Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee: I take this opportunity, first, to affirm a fact - which is what we did just now with Ms Denise Phua - that just getting married does not mean that they can automatically stay; secondly, we will nail a fallacy, which is what Ms Ellen Lee has just said. What is the fallacy again?”
“So, instead of just relying on the husband's income, in this case, we give the wife an opportunity to look for a job to strengthen the situation.”
“Sir, the Senior Minister of State mentioned about family preservation and not being a burden to the State. For many of these applicants requiring their foreign spouses to leave the jurisdiction without giving them any short-term visit passes, it is already a breaking up of the family, so to speak, because they are forced to separate for a period of time, which is uncertain. The other thing is that there are also many local spouses who feel that they can sponsor their foreign spouses in Singapore and therefore have not been in any way a burden to the State. Can the Senior Minister of State please elaborate on these two points that he has mentioned? Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee: Sir, first, let me say that the success rate of applicants for Long Term Social Visit Passes for foreign spouses is actually quite high - 85%, over the past five years, from 2002 to 2006. So it is the 15% who may not qualify at the outset, but they will be informed why they do not qualify. For some, it is because their income is not stable enough or they are unable to furnish proof of employment. But, in any case, when that happens, they will not be asked to leave immediately. We will give them extensions, normally with a Short Term Social Visit Pass, maybe over two-three months, so that the husband will have an opportunity to improve the situation. If still that does not come to pass, then it is a matter of separation until the husband meets the requirements. Like I have said, from 2004, in fact, we have opened up because, where appropriate, we now grant a six-month Long Term Social Visit Pass to enable the foreign spouse to look for a job. This is especially so when the family income is not sufficient.”
“Sir, I just like to ask the Minister, when he mentioned about short-term leases, is he talking about leases below three years until 2010 when the supply is stabilised? And what will happen to all these transitional offices once all these leases expire, because that would mean relocation and incurring more cost again for these businesses that have to relocate?”
“With the close cooperation between SAF and the TNI on sharing of facilities and knowledge as well, in the event that relationship between the two countries should be bad, which I hope do not happen, will that compromise the security of Singapore, because they would have knowledge of what we have and how we operate? I would think that in times of warfare, that would be something dangerous.”
“The media, in reporting these black sheep, had not been very sensitive to the backlash it creates on the vast majority of the good lawyers in the legal profession. It is unfortunate but that should not deter us from searching and upholding really good role models to inspire young Singaporeans. There are already so many honourable and respectable lawyers who volunteer their time and expertise not for the glory or the awards to be given by the President on National Day. We can find them in so many Government bodies, and my personal observation is that the Ministries of Law and Home Affairs seem to have the largest concentration of volunteer lawyers. Many other lawyers are also volunteering their time and expertise in statutory boards, churches, temples, mosques, grassroots organisations, meet-the-people sessions, and many other voluntary welfare organisations quietly and without calling any attention to themselves. Granted that we may never prevent bad sheep in the legal profession, but there are so many good ones to bury the bad. Sir, it is time that we saluted these good role models and make known their stories and sacrifices to the younger law students. My fourth and final point, Sir, is on empowering the Council of the Law Society to handle money-laundering. My other observation is that clause 15 amends section 71 to empower the Council of the Law Society to make certain rules relating to make money-laundering. I find it strange that the Law Society should be tasked to make these rules when the Police Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) already has a unit to handle money-laundering. Would it be more appropriate for the law enforcement officers to handle and investigate into such a serious offence? Sir, with that, I support the Bill.”
“Since March this year, the Law Society's electronic bulletin, E Jus News, carried an invitation to attend "a dialogue on the preservation of the legal heritage of the former Supreme Court Building and City Hall Building." The Government has announced that the former Supreme Court and City Hall Buildings would be converted into art galleries. The Steering Committee of the National Art Gallery hopes to seek views from the legal profession on the drafting of the preservation guidelines for the former Supreme Court and City Hall Buildings - the preservation of the physical infrastructure, the use of space for commercial purposes and how best to preserve the legal heritage of these buildings. The dialogue session will be held next Thursday, 19th April 2007, at 6.00 pm. Sir, when I first read that notice, I wondered why the Government showed so much interest in preserving buildings but not the good work done by lawyers and judges, past and present. I would like to ask that the Government include the significant good work done by our Judiciary, the legal fraternity and the academia of Singapore from the early years of nation-building till today to be included in these two buildings as part of our legal heritage. Sir, I strongly urge the Government to consider this proposition. This will be a good testament that the Government values local talent and upholds the important contributions that these people - our local heroes and heroines - have done for Singapore. Sir, there are enough bad publicity on errant lawyers and those who embezzled clients' money. Except for two notorious ones who are still at large, those caught have been punished and struck off the roll.”
“Tommy Koh, some of our past Law Society Presidents, including the current President, some distinguished Judges, past and present, noted for their fairness and wit, and lawyers, both senior and junior, whom I deeply respect for their integrity and defence of the defenceless, such as Mr Subhas Anandan, and many others whose names do not make it to the press often but are nevertheless doing much good work in Singapore and beyond. With such great passion and energy, these legal dignitaries have made it their vocation to serve the people and the country to maintain peace and stability and the due process of law. Singapore owes much to them for its reputation as one of the best legal systems in the world. I believe that if the curriculum could have a module on these distinguished persons and their contributions to society, we could inculcate something in the young law students to want to make it their mission to embark on the same trodden path. Perhaps, we should not be stressing too much about technology and materialism that we churn out lawyers who seem to miss the fundamentals of being a lawyer in the first instance. Of course, the dilemma is that we must have law students trained in technology, finance and business, so that they could one day become judges or lawyers who have to handle or determine such issues. But these could be done alongside the need to impart humanitarian values and ethos. Third, has the good work by lawyers gone unnoticed? Sir, on the subject of having a curriculum to impart to our young law students on the good work done by past or existing local lawyers and judges, I would like to mention another observation that I have made.”
“With the modular and buffet spread of law topics and subjects at university level at NUS, if SMU were to at least have the basic or even replicate the competitive spread to be as good a Law School, will there be sufficient legal academia with quality to spread across both law faculties in NUS and SMU? Sir, this is notwithstanding that some of these academics are teaching at our business schools of NUS and NTU. Second, how to motivate the young lawyers to stay? Sir, the recommendations made by the Committee have given me the impression that its focus has been to tap talent. Regrettably, it did not attempt to address the issue of why law firms face shortages of lawyers, particularly the new and young entrants. Sir, in recent years, there has been a rising demand for lawyers but at the same time, many have left the practice. Why did so many young lawyers leave the practice? What caused them to be disillusioned and gave up practising law after investing years of training and sheer hard work? This question stirred my heart greatly and caused me to wonder why I stayed on and, more importantly, still believe in the legal profession, despite all the upheavals for the past 26 years of my practice. I chose law because I wanted and believed, and I still believe, I could contribute to the advancement of justice and equality, and betterment of society. I was blessed with a number of good role models that showed me what a lawyer could and should do. As a young student, and later a lawyer, I drew inspirations from so many great role models. For instance, Minister Mentor, the late Mr David Marshall, Prof. Jayakumar, Dr Thio Su Mien, Prof.”
“While the Review Committee found the range of legal services in foreign laws and Singapore law available here satisfactory, several recommendations were made to enhance the schemes. Apart from these, the Bill also proposes to enhance the penalty for lawyers practising without a practising certificate. Another change looked into is that all lawyers must complete a Legal Practice Management Course before being allowed to practise as a sole proprietor, or a partner in a law firm, or a director in a law corporation. Let me assure you, Sir, that I fully support the two points that I have just mentioned. Sir, I followed the report of the Third Committee of Supply of Lawyers with great interest when it was first released because this is an area that is close to my heart, as a practising lawyer. So I would like to share some of my concerns regarding the new changes in the Legal Profession (Amendment) Bill. Separately, on a more personal note, I would like to share why I feel that good role models are important to motivate younger lawyers to remain in the profession. First, establishment of SMU Law Faculty. Sir, in August 2007, the Singapore Management University (SMU) School of Law will welcome its first cohort of law undergraduates. This is in line with the recommendations made by the Third Committee of Supply of Lawyers to set up a second Law School in Singapore to help augment the number of law students. While I welcome the idea that SMU has been given the opportunity to develop a new Law School in Singapore, I do have my concerns nonetheless. My chief concern is whether we have the brightest and the best of legal academia to cater to two Law Schools.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Legal Profession (Amendment) Bill, as explained by DPM and Minister for Law, amongst other things, targets at the need to boost the supply of lawyers, impose higher penalties for errant lawyers and heighten collaboration between local and foreign law firms. The main aim of the Bill is to implement the recommendations made by the Review Committee formed to evaluate two schemes - the Joint Law Venture (JLV) and Formal Law Alliance (FLA) schemes - as well as the recommendations of the Third Committee of Supply of Lawyers. In December 2005, the Government set up the Third Committee on the Supply of Lawyers to review the supply of lawyers as part of its periodic reviews to ensure that the supply of lawyers keeps pace with demand. The last review was done in 2001. The report noted the rising demand for legal talent as well as the attrition of the Singapore Bar in recent years. Recommendations made by the Committee Among the recommendations made by the Committee is to consider the flexibility of setting up a second Law School in Singapore to produce an additional estimated 90 students per year per term. It also recommended allowing Singapore law firms to hire foreign legal talent who may eventually qualify to practise Singapore law in the areas of finance, banking and corporate work, and other areas of legal or regional practice as may be approved by the Attorney-General, provided they pass a Qualifying Examination. The Joint Law Venture and the Formal Law Alliance schemes were launched in 1999 to allow local firms to collaborate with foreign law firms to provide a convenient and efficient mode for delivery of legal services in cross- border financial transactions.”
“Whether in an effort for development of an underdeveloped area in a poor country, or the revival of a dying city centre in a rich country, governments have been involved in land development projects all over the world. In an extreme case, government may use force in order to get existing landowners to sell their property. Sir, the issue of land acquisition by the State for private use has raised questions in many parts of the world. For example, the Orissa government was reported acquiring 1,135 acres of land to hand over to a Korean steel company Posco. This was reported in the Indian Express on 2nd August 2006. Regardless of the negative (or even extreme) examples highlighted in some parts of the world, and I think the recent ones being in China, I have great faith in our Government in ensuring a fair system of compensation in land acquisition based on fair market value. Sir, with that, I support the Bill. 7.19 pm”
“China is grappling with the compensation problem which is currently based on previous income from the land. The standard compensation is 4-6 times the average production value of the land in the past three years. There is no land market which can determine a market price. Strictly speaking, it is not "land acquisition" but "compulsory land resumption" because the government is the owner of the land and merely taking back the land under "land use rights". In Britain, the compensation is based on the value of the land to the owner and this has difficulties because the value, say, of an ancestral home may be above the market value. The fair price thus remains an unresolved question. Ultimately, land is like a financial asset whose price moves as the expected returns from it change. The way the price of shares changes when the prospects of a company change, the price of land changes when the prospective rental revenue stream from that piece of land changes. This depends on the use to which it is put. Forest land owned by tribes, as in the Tata Steel project in Orissa in India, had a low expected income from it and thus each parcel of land has a low market price. Agricultural land owned by farmers in Haryana has low productivity. If the land continues to be used for forestry or agriculture, its market price would be low. Yet, when the same land is put to a different use, the cash flow from the land changes. This different use, and the enhanced valuation, is possible only when the land is consolidated. Sir, when the acquired land is not for public use such as road widening but for commercial enterprises, I hope the Government can be equally transparent. Land acquisition for commercial projects is not new and has been controversial all the world over.”
“In Hong Kong, when private land is acquired in the public interest, usually to implement public works projects, it may be acquired either by negotiation or by resumption under the relevant ordinances, which provide for payment of compensation based on the value of the property and for business loss, at the date of acquisition. The Lands Department was also involved in the resumption of land for implementation of urban renewal projects undertaken by the Urban Renewal Authority in Hong Kong. During 2003, statutory compensation totalling HK$65 million was paid to owners of 60 resumed properties affected by 11 urban renewal projects. In a situation where agreement cannot be reached on the amount of compensation, either party can refer the claim to the Lands Tribunal for adjudication. Apart from statutory compensation, there is an alternative system of ex gratia zonal compensation to provide a simplified compensation procedure and early payments leading to land resumption in the New Territories. Unfortunately, paying the landowners market value is not always possible. In fact, in some countries, the compensation often runs into difficulties. The problem arises because before the land is developed, its price is low. After it has been developed, the price goes up. The developer is often seen to make huge profits from resales. Neighbouring plots of land also see a sharp increase in price due to the effect of the land development. This sharp increase in land prices makes the previous landowners feel they have been short-changed. In India, West Bengal, the government has addressed this problem by paying 30% above the market rate. Even in China, land is not private property and people merely have 'land use rights'.”
“Doing so would serve to convince people that the land was indeed acquired for a reason and not to deprive an otherwise thriving business, or a family business, or demolition of a family home, or newly acquired asset. Sir, the Act must send a correct signal to the ground that the acquisition process is indeed transparent and fair. For example, we are aware that the Government has plans to build more MRT lines, roads and expressways in the future. Although these new land acquisitions are likely to be on a smaller scale than compared to those done in the 1970s and 1980s, there would still be people affected - be it business premises or homes/houses. I hope the Government takes this opportunity to demonstrate that the acquisition process is indeed a fair and transparent one. This is crucial, as the Singapore Land Authority had previously said that it was unable to reveal the areas earmarked for acquisition. To the individuals who will be affected in future, I hope the Government would ensure that ample notice is given to affected landowners and more time is given to them to relocate before they surrender the affected land to the Government. Further, the process for landowners to appeal all the way to the Appeals Board should be simplified so that there is no unnecessary waste of time and money. As the acquisition is not an "act of God" but the act of the Government motivated by long-term public interest, the sacrifice of the affected landowner should be recognised and compensated adequately. But what is adequate compensation? Sir, Singapore is not the only country to practise fair acquisition. Nevertheless, I propose that we examine other countries' acquisition actions, such as those in Hong Kong and Australia, and see how we can learn from their experiences.”
“Further, many people deem it right that if the Government's intention to acquire land is ultimately to sell it to the developers for commercial, residential or other uses, then the Government should not be the only one to profit from the astronomical sums it collects from the developers through development and other charges while it only pays less than adequate compensation based on unrealistic figures pegged at a time when the property market was at the lowest. In the past and even now, these compensation sums are often not enough to repay the mortgage and other loans taken out by the owners, the cost of relocating home and business and what money can never compensate - the loss of clientele, business goodwill built over decades, feng shui and other sentimental values. The land or property owners who are affected by the acquisition should not only be paid market rate, they ought to be paid for the loss of business caused by the disruption or premature demise of their businesses and the loss of an environment that they have sunk their roots. Although this amendment may indeed lessen the grievances of property owners over valuation prices, it would not necessarily make them happy to be told to leave and set up a new home or a new business elsewhere. Past unhappy settlements, the most recent being the case of Hock Kee House in Paya Lebar acquired for the Circle Line construction by the Singapore Land Authority, could certainly be avoided in future. Sir, I also wish to emphasise that, if acquired, the land should be developed quickly for the stated purpose, as in the Hock Kee House case, and not left vacant for several years as in the case of fire or other sites acquired but somehow "forgotten".”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I applaud the Ministry of Law for amending the Land Acquisition Act to enable the Government to pay market rates for all properties acquired under the Act after the Bill becomes law. This is indeed a laudable move and long overdue. Under the amendment Bill, the compensation payout will factor in the property's location as well as improvement works done to the property by the owner and upgrading works surrounding the property carried out by the Government. Previously, such works were not considered if they were carried out within two years by home owners and seven years by the Government. Besides pegging compensation for land acquisition to market value, the Ministry of Law has also abolished some arcane provisions in the current Land Acquisition Act. These seek to reduce compensation of acquired land that is devastated or affected, directly or indirectly, by fire, as well as acquired land used as burial ground. Previously, properties affected by fire were compensated at one-third their market value, as some owners had resorted to arson to evict their rent-controlled tenants. Given the new move, any land will be assessed no differently from other acquired land. With all the unhappiness caused by the current Act, particularly the mismatch of when the date on which the compensation sums should be assessed, the new changes are definitely a welcome change. Sir, we have a Government that has been seen by many to be very rich and can afford to pay the market value of the land that is acquired for State use.”
“Sir, I know that the trees and things that are along the highways may not come under his Ministry's purview, but I think there have to be regular checks, because sometimes the overgrown trees and branches do block the signs. I notice that because I travel along the CTE quite often to Woodlands. Some of the signboards need more maintenance than is currently being carried out.”
“Hence, knowing and getting to them early is very critical. The group that we should be concerned with are not the ones who exhibit behavioural problems in school and are picked up by the system. The ones that we should be worried about are those who have quietly slipped through the system and reappear in society eventually, either through the juvenile justice system or, perhaps, as adults in the bottom 20% of our society, who have to struggle to make ends meet due to low education, low skills and being in a disadvantaged position in today's competitive and globalised environment. Madam, I applaud MOE and MCYS for their efforts and programmes in reaching out to these OSYs. However, while step-up programmes may be the way to go, we must scrutinise to see if the programmes have successfully reached out to them. How do we measure the success of these programmes and what are the positive case studies that we have? Prevention is always better than cure and when both MCYS and MOE collaborate together to track these students' progress and attendances and follow up on the referral and intervention processes, we can save these OSYs and prevent them from becoming delinquents. Volunteerism”
“Madam, MOE had announced yesterday several measures that it would take to further reduce the school dropout rate and keep it low. This is good, and I hope this means that both MCYS and MOE will closely collaborate with each other to keep the rate low. They will have to collaborate with each other to identify potential out-of-school youths (OSYs) and how to go about helping them before they drop out of the system. Procedures must be set up for the schools to identify, follow up or refer these OSYs to MCYS or community organisations trained to intervene, so that the issues accompanying them could be resolved. Madam, not all OSYs are delinquents or potentially so. We must avoid stigmatising them just because they have dropped out of school. Obviously, those who play truant are indeed recalcitrant due to related issues such as rebellion, no interest in studies, peer pressure, drugs or glue sniffing, rioting, etc. However, there are those with genuine family and individual issues due to marital break-ups of their parents, unstable family conditions and others. Youths also dropped out when they do not find school a caring and supportive environment. We have read success stories of how OSYs are making good and crediting their schools for their success. Caring principals, teachers and peers rank highly and sources of stability are reasons why youths choose to remain in school even if they are not academically inclined. Of course, there are also many outside influences not within our control, which, unfortunately, often place OSYs at risk, that they are not so rooted to an institution and, very often, not to their family, and expose them to lots of undesirable influences and, therefore, higher risks. Once they leave the system, it is very hard to track them.”
“Can the elderly go to a tribunal to lodge a complaint of abuse, be it physical, emotional or financial, and let the tribunal intervene? Many people are still unaware of the care-giver support services now available. Anecdotally, families often do not comprehend dementia and feel that their elderly relatives are making life difficult for them, hence, straining relationships. If households struggling with such an elderly member could reach out for help, say, at an FSC, a proper assessment of the condition could be facilitated. They could be advised on constructive ways to manage the demented person's condition and link them to support services at the same time. Sir, given that there is an increasing trend of elderly living on their own, it is therefore important to have a "community watchdog" such as the one recently set up, ie, the ComCare Local Network, to serve as a lookout for them. We cannot neglect public education. Unfortunately, care-givers are unlikely to come out on their own due to a lack of awareness, and dealing with elderly depression, very often accompanied with dementia, is very time-consuming and emotionally exacting. For those living on their own, a community of support is crucial. Elderly and Ageing Issues”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, it is by coincidence that my colleague Dr Lam Pin Min talks about care-givers because what I want to talk about is actually the legal protection for the elderly suffering from dementia - an important area, but often neglected because these elderly people are kept at home and out of public view. Over the past 50 years, there has been much recognition of the discrimination against mentally-ill adults, both nationally and internationally. Human rights and the rights of people with mental and physical disabilities have been given greater importance. Yet, in Singapore, the understanding and regard for the rights and needs of these people are still severely lacking. They and their care-givers are at risk of social exclusion because of the nature of their illness and as a result of people's negative attitudes even amongst many professionals. People with dementia gradually lose their abilities to make effective decisions. They cannot understand speech and words, cannot communicate, make mathematical calculations, and perceive risks, and lose memories of recent events and decisions, and cannot recognise places. As a result they put themselves in physical danger, make bizarre decisions regarding finances and related matters and sometimes even commit crimes. In the perspective of violence, caring of elderly people with dementia stretches the care-givers' patience to the limit. The potential for abuse by care-givers is always there. Apart from the usual physical and emotional abuse, it is also common to hear of financial abuses. Would the Ministry therefore consider rallying some institutions, such as the HDB, banks, Legal Aid Bureau and medical systems, to link up to inform and protect the interests of these dependent elderly?”
“Sir, I just want to ask, with so much effort and money spent on acquiring the state-of-the-art weapons and advanced technology, are there still any applications of those military strategies that are expounded in "Sun Tzu Bing Fa"? Because I think that is not very much money to be spent but a lot of philosophies to be employed in real warfare.”
“Sir, the Minister said that there were difficulties in the negotiations with Indonesia. Could he highlight what those difficulties are, and what exactly is in the package that was supposed to be discussed between Singapore and Indonesia, particularly in the ET?”
“My question is: are police officers not given that discretion to accept the letter from the doctor even though it may be dated a long time ago to show that this person is really not mentally well and, therefore, he could not be loitering or committing any offence? It was reported that he was behaving suspiciously.”
“Sir, I have two questions. One is on the cyclists - how vulnerable they are. In my MPS on Wednesday, I came across a case where a taxi-driver was being charged for reckless driving because, according to him, it was the bicyclist who came into his path, a blind spot. He got knocked down but he was not hurt. But it was because the cyclist had damaged his taxi, that was why he made a U-turn back to go and look for the cyclist to ask for compensation. Unfortunately, the cyclist called the police and said he was knocked down at a different location. So the police came and charged him for reckless driving. I have actually written to the Ministry on this. My point is: is the Police so ready to believe that, in any road accident involving cyclists, whether motorcyclists or bicyclists, it is always the vehicle owner that is at fault, and not the cyclist, even though he could be the one who had been reckless? It is a question of who says what. My second question is to DPM Wong. I am not criticising the police officers. Sometimes, they have been over-zealous. Again, on Wednesday, I have a resident coming to tell me that his brother, who is not mentally well and carries with him a letter from the doctor to say that he is mentally incapable, was found wandering in Ang Mo Kio at about 3 or 4 am. When he was caught, despite being shown the letter that was dated in 2002 from the doctor to say that he was not mentally well, the Police, nevertheless, arrested him and charged him, and he had to bail him out. I was told that the letter was not accepted because it was outdated. In order to prove his brother is actually mentally unsound, he had to get a fresh letter from the doctor.”
“Singaporeans feel less secure and safe, especially when what have been acted out in movies could actually happen in a safe haven like Singapore. In embarking on the wider open door policy, the Government is allowing a greater influx of foreign workers. Is there a system to track whether the foreigners, who are here, truly carry out legitimate businesses and not underground activities, such as drug trades or activities that could transmit diseases through sexual contact? How does the Government ensure that the setting up of the helplines or the National Council on Problem Gambling would indeed curb gambling addictions or whether they are indeed effective watchdogs? Traffic Rules”
“Have illegal money-laundering activities and Internet crimes, eg, Internet gambling, dropped as a result of increased efforts and resources dedicated to curbing such activity? The Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act (Chapter 65A) has been promulgated to curb money-laundering activities in Singapore. How far has this served its purpose and what is the level of money-laundering activities in Singapore? In view of the Community Engagement Programme (CEP), is MHA enhancing efforts to engage private security agencies and in-house security personnel and the grassroots leaders to combat and reduce crime? This "many helping hands" approach would help the Singapore Police Force keep its manpower strength lean and fit and focusing on core competencies/functions and tapping on such useful networks for intelligence and growing them as strategic partners. Control of Vice I would like to know what have been the efforts by the MHA in the clamp-down of sleazy massage parlours which are hotbeds for vice activities. What further measures are taken to ensure that such massage parlours do not sprout in the heartlands or even in traditional vice activity localities? As for illegal prostitution activities, what has MHA done to eradicate illegal prostitution/vice activities by social visit pass holders, work permit holders and even student pass holders? As Singapore's economy is widely reported to have improved robustly and the future promises much more opportunities for all, Singaporeans and foreigners alike, we are likely to draw in more and more people from all over the world. There is a perception that when the IRs are fully operative, prostitution, drugs and other related vices would also correspondingly increase.”
“Mr Chairman, many elderly persons live alone and many are lonely. Their eagerness for companionship makes them vulnerable to friendly strangers with ulterior motives. I know of an elderly widow being cheated by an older man who withdrew her lifetime savings of $200,000. When arrested, he got her to withdraw her charge and then married her as an assurance that he would repay her money. Unfortunately, he was eyeing her only other asset, a three-room flat, but he disappeared when he failed to get it sold. How many of such crimes against unsuspecting elderly by strangers have been solved? Like my GPC Chairman has said, many of these cases, though, on the face of it, are cheating cases, are not being picked up by the police as such. Are the campaigns to raise the elderly persons' awareness effective? With the setting up of the elderly crime watch group, how many elderly persons actually have helped to prevent other elderly persons from bogus persons? Reports by the Singapore Police Force (SPF) showed that the crime rate of a list of index crimes had dropped in 2006 as compared to 2005. Does the drop in crime rate take into account the solving of crimes by the police (the clearance rate of investigation papers that have been put up, ie, those that have been solved and those where the accused persons/suspects remain at large)? What indices are being used to measure the rate of crime other than by comparing previous year's numbers? Should a safety index be set up instead of using a comparative rate of crimes per annum, especially after the casinos in the IRs are set up, as many people associate them with more crimes and, hence, less safety?”
“Sir, I seek the DPM's clarification again regarding the 25 hours of pro bono work. As you know, Sir, we have to take up a practising certificate every year, and I am wondering whether the 25 hours will have to be shown anywhere to show that service has been provided the previous years so that we can practise and take up a practising certificate for the new year. But for those who have not clocked in the 25 hours, then they would not get the practising certificate, or something of that nature. Of course, the other thing to ask is, who is going to keep check on the 25 hours?”
“A question for the DPM. He said that there will be a collaboration between the Law Society of Singapore and the Ministry to have lawyers provide 25 hours of pro bono services at the two legal clinics where our advice would be given. Sir, I am sure you are aware that the Singapore Association of Women Lawyers currently runs about 14 or 15 such services - free legal advice, we call it "free legal counselling" - at about 14 to 15 CCs pro bono. There are also many other lawyers who are providing pro bono services at different parts of Singapore, including the MPS. Sir, my question is, when these two legal clinics which are going to put on trial and these 25 hours that are going to be put in, are they going to be made compulsory as part of the services by lawyers? Would that restrain or stop other lawyers from coming forward to provide their services for free because, I believe, currently, all these services that are provided by them are truly pro bono? But if you stipulate that there must be a minimum number of hours to be put in and if there should be an introduction of certain requirements like a means test for the applicants, who are going to ask for the legal advice, then we may actually see a situation where fewer lawyers may want to come up to offer their services for free?”
“In the event that the low-income people are involved in court cases relating to scams and swindles, or are issued summonses by the Town Council, SP Services, Traffic Police (TP), Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) or other Government departments, the Government will appoint a lawyer to represent them, so as to facilitate an out-of-court settlement. *Cols. 2437-2438. En-bloc Sales”
“[For vernacular speech, please refer toAppendix A*. ] Sir, it is common for the low- income group to receive court summonses or letters from the banks chasing for debt payment. As many of these law-abiding people do not wish to get involved in lawsuits and suffer further personal financial losses, they will just make payment to get over it. However, there are cases when individuals need to defend themselves in court, but they are not able to afford the costly legal fees. In such cases, they will turn to the Legal Aid Bureau to apply for free legal assistance and representation. But, often, they are not likely to have their wish fulfilled because they will not pass the means test conducted by the Legal Aid Bureau. Also, there are ordinary folks who wish to seek resolution through the court for purposes, such as to claim back their rental deposits, to chase away tenants who had failed to pay rentals promptly, to recover monies in commercial dealings or to claim refund of course fees from private institutions. To engage a lawyer will mean that they have to incur substantial legal costs to pursue these claims and, as such, they feel that the cost incurred in lawsuits will greatly exceed the sum they seek to claim. Sir, Singapore is renowned for upholding the rule of law. However, there are low-income people who are not eligible for free legal service offered by the Legal Aid Bureau. To them, this is difficult to comprehend and ironical. These people often feel that they will have no choice but to helplessly watch the cheats or the law-breaker go scot-free. Sir, I would like to ask the Government if it will broaden the scope of assistance offered by the Legal Aid Bureau, or to lower the threshold of the means test.”
“Sir, I would like to ask the DPM, now that we are attracting more foreigners and foreign talents to live and work in Singapore, would there be any changes made to our language policy, particularly, the mother tongue policy because our composition is no longer just Chinese, Malay, Indian and others. Because the others would comprise a lot more other nationalities as well and some of these people feel that perhaps their own languages should be made official as well.”