Eunice Elizabeth Olsen
Singapore
“But if we are finding it so hard to find them, despite a more educated and diverse population, perhaps we need to allow for more diversity in Parliament and in our political system. One of the biggest challenges for Singapore will be to nurture a new generation of leaders.”
“I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the clarifications. I have two supplementary questions. We are seeing more retrenchment cases involving PMETs. I would like to ask where can this group seek redress if their company is neither paying a severance nor paying them on a period of time stipulated, or if a company winds up.”
“I like to thank the Senior Minister of State. As he said, the Prime Minister previously said we have to treat the Rohingyas humanely, so if they are caught trying to seek refuge in Singapore, will they be treated as all other illegal immigrants, which means that they will be brought to court and face caning?”
“Finally, I would like to ask MOM how repatriation companies are regulated. There have been reports, not just online, but in the media about how these companies forcibly take in workers in order to send them home on their companies' behest. How is this not wrongful confinement?”
“I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary. I just want to clarify and ask whether he could address my question on whether or not the Ministry is adequately staffed, not only just to deal with but also to speed up the process to resolve the pending cases of the foreign workers because some of them have been known to stay in Singapore for…”
“I thank the Second Minister, and I understand that there have been 10 exceptions made in the past 10 years. I just want to ask the Minister whether he thinks with progress as a nation, for MINDEF to be more visible and flexible about deferments, and if the Minister thinks this can help affirm in the eyes of Singaporeans that administratio…”
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“Companies can adopt a charity for a year, making it easier to institute a volunteer programme for which staff can use their leave. Or staff can be free to volunteer with organisations in which they have an interest. There are over 1,000 registered charities in Singapore and more than 800 Institutions of Public Character that could qualify for this policy. It should not be difficult for employers to get written or stamped verification about use of leave for volunteer work. For more flexibility, employees can use the leave on an hourly basis based on the needs of the VWOs they work with. These are all possibilities. What is certain is that numerous studies have shown that paid leave for volunteer work helps to build employee morale. It helps to sustain volunteerism rates and helps to promote good corporate citizenship. In other countries, paid leave for volunteer work is left to companies to decide. But few companies in Singapore provide for this. I know DBS offers its staff two days and KPMG has a community day each September for staff to volunteer. I would like to ask if the Ministry of Manpower is willing to grant two days' paid leave for local volunteer work under the Employment Act.”
“Sir, in my maiden speech, I suggested that we have two days of paid leave for employees to do volunteer work. I would like to develop this further to see if the Ministry of Manpower is open to the idea. It may seem like an odd request, but Singapore is an odd country when it comes to volunteer work. Although our volunteerism rate is catching up with other developed countries, what sets us apart is that there is a drop in the percentage of volunteers when they go into the workforce and it is the reverse elsewhere. Our work-life commitments are such that people may think it is difficult to fit in volunteer work with the demands on their time. Or they may think that volunteer work is the domain of the youth or retirees. The challenge then is to nurture a culture that appreciates and recognises volunteers. For its part, I think all the Government needs to do is to be supportive and provide avenues for the rest of us to take. Paid leave for volunteer work fits the bill. Immediately, volunteerism becomes accessible to everyone. If you know that two days have been set aside for you to volunteer, it heightens your consciousness of community service. It is a great way to get started. According to a TODAY's article this week, new volunteers prefer "short-term goal, oriented assignments". This is prevalent around the world, but need not be seen as negative, as the work could evolve into "something more meaningful", said the report. Paid leave for volunteer work has also become the most popular form of support. It is big in Japan and the US. Up to 40% of Australian companies offer paid leave for volunteers and staff are more than willing to take it. There are several ways this can be implemented.”
“A point of clarification, Sir. Perhaps, I was very worried about the timer, so I did not really make my point clear. But I was just wondering if the Ministry will consider extending compulsory education to children with perhaps physical disabilities through early intervention which will qualify them for mainstream schools, especially since now more resources are given to a number of mainstream schools to cater for children with disabilities, such as facilities and better trimming. I would not say medically unfit, but because of their physical disabilities, they can go to the mainstream schools, and whether compulsory education can be extended to this group of children.”
“The older ones are getting new homes and facilities with help from MOE, which is allocating $55 million yearly, starting this year, to 2008, to improve education for the disabled children. Because the groundwork is done, it means the conditions are right and ripe to do away with an exemption. Even if children are put on the waiting list, it would not excuse parents from shirking their duties. The committee has said it may be too harsh to enforce CE on families with special children. I agree these families need help to overcome their difficulties, financial or otherwise. Struggling or dysfunctional families with abled children need help too, and they do get help. Are they excluded from CE? It should be no different for the disabled children unless our many-helping-hands approach is inadequate. I urge the Ministry to, at least, consider making education compulsory for the disabled children who qualify for mainstream schools as the exemption covers children with physical disabilities whose IQs can be higher than mainstream children. If education is compulsory in national schools and one qualifies for these schools, should not special education be compulsory? There are early intervention programmes that could determine if children with disabilities could cope with mainstream education. At least, let us start somewhere.”
“Sir, when the Compulsory Education Act (CEA) was introduced in 2000, children with disabilities were exempted. I believe we should relook this decision. Previously the CE committee had said it did not intend to use the Act as a means to improve access to and support for children with special needs. But, now, the Government has said that it wants to progressively integrate the disabled into society. This would mean acting to ensure the disabled are not kept out from the mainstream. Hence, unless there is a medical diagnosis that a child cannot be educated, CE should apply to them as it applies to the mainstream. This is not a call for all disabled children to attend national schools. I know Special Education Schools (SPED) offer specially-tailored programmes with specially-trained teachers, special facilities and more time and attention for our special children. But why not include SPED schools in the Act? It was said that exemption from CE gives flexibility to families of children who need special care. Should it not be the Act that should be flexible for the children's benefit? Because the point we all accept as the reason we have CE is that education is vital for our children and we must protect every child's right to an education. Let us keep to this spirit and extend it to the disabled. MOE need not run SPED schools to make education compulsory for the disabled children. It already works closely with VWOs to support these schools. Since 2000, it has reviewed its funding programmes for these schools and provided more help in teacher training and curriculum upgrading. We have more SPED schools now than in 2000.”
“Sir, I declare my interest as the spokesperson for a programme that offers help to teenage pregnant mothers. I would just like to ask the SPS, since we have agreed that sexuality education is more complex now than ever before, how are teachers basically being trained to tackle this issue. I am just wondering whether a more discussive approach instead of really teaching it will actually help students have a better understanding of the issue and, on a personal capacity, for them to actually approach their teachers. So that helps them to understand this whole issue better.”
“By doing so, we can clearly distinguish between a genuine farmer and a Suzhou farmer.”
“Take, for example, a 100,000 square feet land, which is 10 times bigger than a normal bungalow, if they build a house there, the monthly rental is only $715, which is about the rental for a HDB 4-room flat. If anyone had done this, it is an obvious misuse of the Government's resources intended to help the poorer farmers to be gainfully employed and also as a means to provide an alternative means of food supply for Singaporeans. The misuse has recently turned from bad to worse. AVA has introduced further relaxation of such land use by allowing restaurants and guest houses to be operated on the farm land. The relaxation of the Government policy has negative impact on the agricultural policy of Singapore, though the Government had all the while in the past said that it did not have one. It has changed the nature of the original purpose of farm land occupation. Land for eating houses, hotels and residential properties commands a higher premium in terms of land price and rental. The result of converting agro-tech farm land for such use will certainly attract more non-farmers to set up their business on the farm land. It will cause an escalation of land prices and the bona fide farmers will find it unaffordable if they do not follow the same trend. As a result, it will kill the genuine farming activity and end up in the agro-tech park becoming a holiday resort, instead of a farm that produces food as an alternative source of food supply for Singapore. Sir, I hope that AVA could look into this particular matter, and it should call for reconsideration if there is a change of land use application. I seriously believe that AVA should ask for re-tendering of the land again or, at least, to charge them a premium for such an application.”
“For instance, when I need to use the lift, it would often be located all the way at the back of the mall. And when I want to enter a shopping centre, I would most likely have to carry the pram up the stairs, as there is no sloped walkway near the entrance." This is what the disabled have told me: They can get from one end of Orchard Road to the other; they just cannot enter the buildings, the older ones, in particular. And to think that Orchard Road is our most visited free access attraction for overseas visitors! As the URA intends to improve public infrastructure and the pedestrian malls as part of the revamp, I would like to ask the Ministry how the needs of the disabled, the elderly and families are being considered and provided for specifically. What features - for the shopping centres, along the pavements and underground links - will there be? Will there be more surface crossings? And how much, or what percentage, of the total funds for the revamp will be allocated for this purpose? If we want Orchard Road to be "one of the greatest shopping streets of the world", then it should be so for everyone. Use of Farm Land Assoc. Prof. Low Seow Chay (Chua Chu Kang): Sir, in 1998, an orchard farm land tender price was beyond $20,000 per acre per annum. Lately, the tender price of farm land came down. So it is below $10,000 per acre per annum. This worked out to be roughly about 0.8 cents per square feet per month. Because of this, the farmer, despite being labour intensive, still can earn a comfortable living by planting vegetables. This is a good sign. However, due to the low farm land rental price, rich non-farmers also take advantage and become Suzhou farmers and build their retired homes in the farm land.”
“Sir, the Government initiated the Remaking Orchard Road Plan to make the area a "compelling shopping destination" for Singaporeans and tourists. By that, I hope the Government also means the disabled. Since a committee was formed 17 months ago to oversee the plan, nothing has been said about whether the revamp would make Orchard Road more disabled-friendly. We have heard of the URA's $59 million subsidy scheme to help landlords build underground links. We have also heard the URA will review the existing planning and building guidelines to give owners more flexibility to redevelop. But how these initiatives will improve accessibility for the physically disabled, we do not know. As the hon. Member, Ms Irene Ng, has pointed out last week, wheelchair-bound folks find it "very difficult" to go shopping in Orchard Road. So I took a walk to find out what problems they would face getting from, let us say, the Marriott Hotel to Shaw Centre. They have to go all the way up Scotts Road, past the Hyatt, past Far East Plaza, past Goodwood Park Hotel, up the incline to get to the pedestrian crossing to get to the other side and come back all the way down again. Or they have to go along Orchard Road, past Lucky Plaza, past Paragon, all the way to the traffic junction where they can cross and come back down again. I am not sure how long either route would take but the rest of us would take three minutes to get from the Marriott Hotel to Shaw Centre via the underpass. Incidentally, the underpass to Borders is fraught with staircases. Each time, I came to a flight of stairs, I saw a mother struggling with her pram. Let me read from a mother's recent letter to the press about her Orchard Road experiences, and I quote: "Most of the shopping malls there are not family-friendly.”
“One quick question to the Senior Parliamentary Secretary. I would just like to ask what is the difference between insisting that MediaCorp has to farm out at least 285 hours of local production as a condition and insisting that radio must play a certain amount of local music.”
“Sir, I would like to clarify a couple of points. First, I did not say that it was not a big deal. What I meant was that it was a one-off thing and whether we could see that it is more sustainable. I also said that there are a lot of different methods nowadays that are very cost effective, and a lot of countries have studied it as well. I understand that there is Teletext and everything, but what I was referring to was more inclusiveness, in terms of family togetherness for the hearing impaired. As regards radio air-time, I asked what percentage of local music has been stipulated. Or is there a percentage of local music that has been played on the radio?”
“While costs may be a concern, there are more options now than before. Newsrooms are becoming electric. Scripts can be entered into a computer network and broadcast as captions. If needed, breaking news can be excluded, given the greater difficulties. Advertisers can come on board to generate goodwill. MDA collects $95 million in annual radio and TV licences to pay for public service broadcasting and support national and community interests. We could use this. Maybe each channel could select one show each week to caption too. The point is, let us have something, anything, on a long-term basis. We are limited only by our creativity and political will. I would be most happy to work with MDA to enact a Bill on this, if necessary.”
“We have newspapers, Teletext, the Internet, as they say. But reading the newspapers, like surfing the Net, is a solitary activity. Watching TV, however, can be a shared and favourite pastime, especially among families. Just imagine if you were to go home tonight and find your family enjoying a TV show. What if you cannot share in that moment because you cannot hear and you cannot understand what is happening? 4.15 pm TV captioning is about equal participation in society. It is about integrating the hearing impaired into our society. It has been said that not having captioning or subtitling is like a blind person not being able to read Braille. So, for a start, I would like to ask whether MDA can ensure that the daily local news on all channels have either subtitles or captions. Please consider that we are an ageing population. Almost 400,000 or 11% of our population are 60 years and above. The elderly are the fastest growing category of individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing. Captioning would also help the overall development and education of our hearing-impaired children. There are about 5,300 people registered with the Singapore Association for the Deaf. The total number of hearing impaired here probably is higher. This is similar to New Zealand, which has a smaller population base and 7,700 hearing-impaired people. Yet, it captions at least 65 hours of programming a week. Australia has a Bill that requires above seven hours of captioned programmes daily, including the news and current affairs shows. In 2010, all programmes are to be captioned. What do we have, save for one-off occasions like the National Day Rally? It is one thing to say we consider the needs of our hearing-impaired. It is another to provide for it.”
“Radio airplay is the most influential factor in music purchases. The public is more interested in a band whose songs they have heard on the radio. It gives them something to identify with and makes them perceive the band as successful. And should cultural imperatives be left entirely to the market? In practice, the quota system works for the music industry. Canada, South Africa, France and Australia introduced quotas. Musical infrastructure, royalty payments and domestic sales grew, some to record highs. Musicians had more resources and incentives to produce better music. Quotas increased as more local music could be supported. It is a virtuous cycle. Germany, on the other hand, rejected quotas. Its music industry shrank and it is now having a rethink. Whether it is a voluntary system, as in New Zealand, a minimum percentage of hours a week, or number of songs per clock hour, as in the Philippines, the mechanism could be worked out. There are many options, even a tier-system for different genres. We could consult the stakeholders. I would be happy to take ownership and get involved, as long as we consider the idea and do not dismiss it out of hand. Else, talk of diversity and following our passions would turn to ashes. Captioning of TV News Sir, I was very happy when the Prime Minister, at his swearing-in, held up a caring and inclusive society as part of his vision for Singapore. Hence, I would like to raise an old issue, which under the new dispensation should be looked at more kindly. The hearing-impaired community would love to feel included, and part of Singapore. One crucial way to do this is via TV captioning or subtitling of the news and other programmes. Many people think mistakenly that the issue is about access to information.”
“Sir, Singapore is trying to develop its creative industries. Animation, film, TV and video, scriptwriting and even games are getting the best clothes to go to the grand ball known as Media Hub. But, left behind among the cinders and ashes is our own version of Cinderella - local music. To a local musician like me, even though my CD is only sold overseas, only a fairy godmother could help the local music scene to take off. How could it, when our radio stations hardly play local songs, especially English ones? There is some hope. Our Prime Minister, no less, has called for diversity and urged our youths to follow their passions. So, would Cinderella get her just rewards after slogging so hard? She has what it takes. Last year, several local musicians performed at the first "Made in Singapore" concert. A friend of mine was duly impressed and told me our musicians just need a platform to be heard. I am very happy to hear that Creative Community Singapore would further encourage projects like Jam Series by Arts for Us All. Anyway, along came a pumpkin-turned-stagecoach called Singapore Idol, which carried Taufik Batisah to the crown, with lots of support. The lesson is clear. To succeed, Singaporeans need opportunities. To follow our passions, we need space. There is space on TV. MDA supports local programming because it is socially relevant and creates national identity. Local music does the same. So, why not have local content requirements for radio airplay? I would like to ask if MDA could look into this. In theory, some might think the direction of the local music industry should be market driven. But that is a vicious cycle. Fixed playlists mean local musicians could not compete fairly, even if they wanted to.”
“I know that in the case of VWOs, activities like providing free services for the benefit of the public do not constitute taxable supplies. Now they can only claim a portion of that input tax credits. But if the intent is to support our charities in the long term, its specific outcome is good, should we not tweak the GST law to achieve our social objectives as laws are meant to do? After all, it is not the activity that is non-taxable. If a company were to provide meals and goods for a segment of the public for payment, it would be taxable. If a charity were to do exactly the same, but for free or subsidised without commercial returns, it would not be taxable. So let us allow a charity to claim all input tax credits as opposed to a portion for all taxable purchases for activities that meet its charitable objectives even if they do not constitute taxable supplies, unless actual harm can be shown to be done from this move. I propose that this be offered to VWOs which provide direct welfare services that benefit a specific group, for example, resident care for the elderly, day rehabilitation for the disabled and home help for the disadvantaged families. And it would start with smaller VWOs whose turnover is less than $1 million a year. It should not be difficult to do this if we really want to do it.”
“Sir, I believe, at last year's Committee of Supply debate, the Finance Minister was asked not to levy the goods and services tax on structures built for and items bought by the disabled. The answer was no. This year, I shall try a different tack as the intent behind the call to help our voluntary welfare organisations is a good one. Most of our charities are small. They generally raise small amounts and run up higher overheads in fund-raising. The ability to provide services at a nominal cost gets affected by rising costs. At the same time, to ensure they remain tax-exempt organisations, registered charities must spend 80% or more of its total receipts on its charitable objectives. Although the GST rate has risen from 3% to 5%, this rule did not change. The hike means that welfare groups must raise more money from the public to pay GST, especially for big ticket items. Of course, the GST is here to stay and charities cannot be shrouded from it. I am not asking for them to be exempt from paying GST but, given the Government's "spend less, tax less" philosophy, the job of caring for the poor or other disadvantaged groups falls mainly on their families or the VWOs. So if there are ways to support our charities, we should do so. The Government already helps to fund approved programmes run by VWOs but it does not want a culture of entitlement to take root in Singapore. Then why not allow a charity to claim input tax credits for all taxable purchases used to carry out voluntary activities that meet its charitable objectives? It would be like how any GST-registered company can claim an input tax credit for things that are used to make taxable supplies.”
“The Primary 1 and 2 curricula could follow the same modular route the Chinese language is going. Just as the changes to the teaching of the Chinese language are not designed to lower standards, neither should this. If pupils can gain an enthusiasm for learning, which otherwise might have been dampened by examinations, I am confident they would have the right attributes to adjust accordingly as the rigours of education increase. This might also help to wean some parents off their proclivity for assessment books and examination results. I would like to think this could be the start of a better way of life for the young. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, this year's Budget has been variously referred to as a Budget for everyone. But, as the Prime Minister said, "Remaking our economy and society is not just the job of theGovernment." Everyone has a part to play, and that includes the youths. If we build a Singapore that the youths can be proud to call home, I am confident that they will carry the nation to its goal of becoming a caring and inclusive society in time to come. Since we are all declaring interest today, I would like to declare myself as a member of the youth community. Sir, with that, I support the Budget.”
“Pupils can benefit from this scheme if schools can offer a range of creative programmes. I think this is an important part of education. Unfortunately, the more stressful features of our school system seem to have overshadowed these other facets of education. Where does this stress come from? The 2002 National Youth Survey reported that the biggest source of stress for pupils was their studies. A 2001 UNICEF survey reported that 45% of our students felt sad when they do badly in school. That is a higher percentage than China, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Indonesia, and 4.5 times greater than in Australia. Newspaper reports add that children are afraid to disappoint their parents, whose expectations of sterling academic success weigh more heavily on their little shoulders than their schoolbags. The nub of the issue is that "doing well" and "success" are judged exceedingly by examination marks. The examinations have reached make-or-break proportions. But contrary to popular belief, the purpose of education is not to help pupils to ace in their examinations. It is to nurture inquisitive and nimble minds by instilling the joy of learning and the thirst for knowledge amongst our children, so that they can make a difference to society and realise their potential. It will definitely take some doing to change mindsets, even though the MOE is now injecting more diversity and plurality into the system. I would like to suggest that our primary schools do away with examinations at the Primary 1 and 2 levels. At such a tender age, pupils would be better served by being initiated into formal schooling in a way that cultivates their innate sense of curiosity in the world and encourages learning for learning's sake. This could shift the undue emphasis away from examinations.”
“If these individuals can raise some funds on their own, perhaps MCYS could act as a middleman to rope in corporate sponsors, who may be more willing to contribute, if there is an official endorsement by the Ministry. Thirdly, Unity. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am pleased that the Prime Minister has decided to recognise sports as a charitable purpose, as well as to expand the definition of "charitable purposes". By explicitly recognising groups from various sectors in society, the message is that "every citizen belongs". This will go some way towards building unity in our society. This initiative could be the catalyst for greater integration of minority groups, such as the disabled, into society and for developing a better understanding of the needs of these groups. Finally, Sir, Singapore needs a healthy approach to Life, not just in the literal sense. We should have balanced lives and live them to the fullest. This is relevant for our children and our youths. Allow me to share with you a recent encounter I had with a boy who won an award for being the all-rounder pupil in his primary school. I asked him how it was like at his new secondary school, and I thought he might want to recount his new experiences or talk about the new friends that he has met and the new curriculum that he is experiencing. All I got were four words from him. He said, "I am very stressed." It was barely a month into the academic year, and I shudder to think what he might say when the examinations actually draw near. I would like to juxtapose this conversation with the welcome news of the $100 one-off top-up to the Edusave accounts of eligible primary and secondary students. The Edusave scheme enables pupils to participate in enrichment programmes and provides them additional resources.”
“We cannot hope for one without allowing for the other. Some young adults find that Singapore can be stifling at times, especially when they feel an open mindset is lacking. The almost inevitable path for most Singaporeans has been: a good job, an HDB flat, a car and two children. After some time, the formula for a successful life becomes: a better-paying job, a bigger flat and a bigger car, which means less time for children. It is like flying auto-pilot with the dials permanently set for "the next best thing". Many youths, however, yearn for something other than the norm. For example, look at sailor Elaine Chua, who was the only Singaporean to sail around the world in a global challenge three years ago. She wants to take up the challenge again but, this time, all by herself, as well as become the first Asian woman to single-handedly cross the Atlantic. At 27, Ms Chua is someone whom we should uphold and whose choices we should affirm. I am personally very inspired by her. By supporting such role models, we can demonstrate to the young that there will be space for their passions and that we are open-minded to non-conventional choices. Perhaps, MCYS could assist Singaporeans who have extraordinary dreams by extending to them small loans for their extraordinary ventures, similar to how there are loan schemes for SMEs. I agree with the Prime Minister that we should not create a culture of entitlement. However, I think this would help provide opportunities to those who want to put Singapore on the map, strive for something never done before, or whatever the possible criteria.”
“And that is why, sometimes, some of our young Singaporeans say that something is missing in Singapore. We have been admonished far too often than necessary that nobody owes us a living and our policies seem to go the extra mile to prove that there is no such thing as a free lunch. So much so, unfortunately, that when it gets filtered to the man-in-the-street, it sounds like "every man for himself". However, it may not be a bad thing to share your lunch. Take, for example the Share-a-Meal programme run by the Milk (Mainly, I love kids) Fund. By donating the cash value of their lunch, just once a year, donors help underprivileged children in their education. So, I welcome the Budget's emphasis on the importance of helping others. Measures, such as topping up the ComCare Fund and working in collaboration with VWOs, would create a conducive environment for volunteerism to grow. I look forward to the package of incentives to encourage more Singaporeans to come forward, and I hope it will be a genuine affirmation of the Government's message that it would work with the people sector so that "nobody should be left behind". Secondly, Open-mindedness. Sir, Singapore has long been recognised for having one of the world's most open economies. The initiatives to grow our services industries and diversify our economy indicate that we are open to change. Of course, we must be open to such change if we are to remain relevant to the rest of the world. We should also be open-minded to non-economic changes in Singapore society. Singapore tends to err on the side of caution when it comes to social change. But, if openness to social change is like one side of a coin, the other side would be the culture of entrepreneurship and risk-taking Singapore needs.”
“We should want to involve the young in national and community issues, because it is the best way for them to go beyond their self-interests. It is the best way to instil the desire to contribute to Singapore. Unfortunately, there is a tendency for the younger generation to drift away from Singapore. There are no easy solutions to this trend. My take is that, if the young feel that the State's value system is not consonant with the values they hold, they will continue to feel something is missing in Singapore. To stay rooted to Singapore, the young need more compelling reasons than those solely of the economic kind. Having grown up in a stable and secure Singapore, more of our youths have post-material aspirations, according to the book Youth.sg, a study on the state of youth in Singapore. Growing our economy may provide more opportunities for our youth, as the Prime Minister said. But, then again, as a highly educated generation living in a globalised world, many of our youth will be able to seek out opportunities elsewhere. Singapore needs to offer them something more lasting so that, should our economy not thrive as hoped for, her citizens will stay loyal to her. Some say what Singapore needs most is a soul. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I agree. Singapore needs SOUL, ie, a Spirit of generosity, Open-mindedness, Unity and Life. Firstly, a Spirit of generosity. I am very pleased that one of the key aims of the Budget is to take care of the less able and fortunate by promoting community involvement as well as corporate philanthropy. I know I am a newbie in Parliament, but I think this is the first time that the Budget has elevated the status of volunteerism to this extent. For so many years, we seemed not to have looked beyond the pursuit of economic gain.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, thank you for allowing me to participate in this Budget debate. First, let me apologise for the hoarse voice and occasional cough.I seem to have contracted a rare virus known as the "Budget Fever"! Certainly, there has been some buzz since the Budget was announced, ie,like when a certain NMP missed her swearing-in. There has really been a buzz, because the initiatives announced try to target as many people as possible. Sir, this is indeed a commendable effort. For my part, I intend to focus on how the Budget aims to foster a caring and inclusive society. The Prime Minister has said, "It is ultimately a sense of community that makes us truly a nation". I could not agree more. I would like to encourage the Government, when it formulates policies, to be mindful of how those policies affect our sense of community and, as far as possible, to implement policies that help build that sense of community. I was very pleased, for instance, to hear that measures would be introduced to help revitalise the shops in HDB estates. Many of us remember fondly, I am sure, how as children we bought flavoured ice and Mamee noodles from our neighbourhood mama shops. Our HDB retailers are very much a part of our national fabric, and this initiative is an example of what Singaporeans need to see to believe that we are building a society where every citizen belongs. Shared experiences and memories, like those of our small HDB shops, are essential in building a sense of belonging, as the Prime Minister said. These memories are best forged in our younger days, and this is why the young are important to Singapore. A harmonious and united, caring and inclusive society can only be built if the seeds are planted in our youth.”
“Sir, I would like to ask the Senior Minister of State whether a statement of account can be produced from time to time, so that the public is also aware of how the money is being channelled with regard to the funds of the Singapore Red Cross Society.”
“What we do or do not do this year and how we commit to the tasks we have set ourselves will leave an imprint on our young nation for the years ahead. Nation building takes more than just a pragmatic approach. We must also develop an emotional ballast. We must strive to be a caring and socially responsible society, a people unafraid to take risks, to fall and pick ourselves up, and to follow our hearts. Above all, this is a journey that we have to make together. Sir, I support the motion.”
“I would like to suggest that there be an activities coordinator at each school to facilitate the inclusion of more groups and interests within the CCA system. In the long term, I would hope to see that the current points award system for CCAs to be eventually dismantled so that our youth can truly get the chance to pursue activities solely out of passion and not because they need the points. I am happy to note in the Education Minister's statement that more recognition will be given to student achievements not captured in the national examinations and how more flexibility will be given to schools and tertiary institutions to admit students based on these merits. This should help eventually to mitigate the argument for the current CCA points system. Sir, I think we should not underestimate the importance a happy childhood could have on our youths' rootedness to Singapore. We do not want our kids to remember their childhood as being one big tuition class. Parents should realise that the biggest role of education is to "develop the potential of every child", as the President had outlined. The education system must develop that potential, and focus less on examination-taking skills. We should be aware that all our good intentions will come to nothing if our young do not have the time because they are too over-taxed to contribute beyond the classroom. I urge the MOE to continue to move away from a one-size-fits-all approach. I would like to commend it for making community service a part of teacher training from July. It will help teachers to relate better and on a more personal level to their students with regard to volunteerism. Mr Speaker, Sir, the President's Address holds much hope for Singapore, but the most important period is ahead of us.”
“I am even happier to hear that the Government will help our youth "translate ideas into constructive action" through seed funding and other support. There is no better way to give youths a stake in Singapore than to give them ownership of their ideas all the way to the implementation stage. If this is not done, then Singapore runs the risk of becoming one big feedback unit, but not a nation. Although youths will be given the space to be heard, it is also important to set the right climate for their participation. This means that the support extended to them should not waver even if they were to try and fail in their endeavours, so long as they are able to learn from their mistakes and are willing to pick up the pieces again. Our youths must feel that they are being trusted if they are to "have the passion and commitment to act on their convictions and ideals". I welcome the Education Ministry's Addendum to say that it will continue to inject more flexibility and choices in the education system. One area where I would like to see more alternatives is in the range of co-curricular activities (CCA) accepted by schools. More can be done to accommodate different areas of interests among students, and I think we need to relook at what constitutes a CCA. If our youths are to follow their passions and ideals, they should not be penalised if those passions take them to an external organisation, for example, a VWO or a youth organisation. If some students prefer to be active in such groups, the schools should recognise them as core CCAs, which would make them eligible for the same number of points that students in school-based CCAs get. After all, no school can offer an exhaustive list of CCAs for all its students.”
“As teachers receive more training or are transferred from special needs schools, it becomes easier to integrate these students into the mainstream. If we have to work things out as we go along, or work around things, let us do that. There will always be kinks but we will learn with more experience. Most importantly, the daily interaction between disabled and non-disabled children should lead to greater awareness and better socialisation between both groups of Singaporeans. It is something that cannot be easily substituted with infrequent, ad hoc outings. Through daily interaction at a young age, it should become second nature for Singapore to treat its disabled population well. Then, there would not be a need for the President to always address their concerns in his speech because these needs would already be met in daily life. We would not have the current situation where bus ramps for the disabled have been rejected because of "costs" and "boarding delays". Instead, we would take a leaf from Korea where street pavements are disabled-friendly for both the blind and the wheelchair-bound. Therefore, I agree with the President that it is important to engage our youth - all our youth - with all their varied interests and talents. They will be our future leaders and if they are to "build on what we have achieved", they must feel rooted to this country. The question is how to achieve that. I believe that we cannot teach our youth to love Singapore, but what we can do is to build for them a Singapore that they can love. This is why I am glad to hear that the Government will open up more avenues for the young to be involved in national and community issues.”
“The President has said, "How Singapore treats and takes care of disabled persons reflects the kind of society we want to be." First, we need to be conscious of the needs and concerns of the disabled. How many of us, when we watch the news bulletins at night, are struck by the fact that hearing-impaired Singaporeans cannot listen in to the transmission together with us? I am heartened that the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports has said that it would find ways to help the disabled integrate into society. One way is to provide for news captioning for the deaf. This is something that two volunteers from the Singapore Association for the Deaf have recently asked me to raise, and it is a legitimate concern. I thank them for raising this point. Our nearest neighbour, Malaysia, has already done this. So do many other countries. If the Media Development Authority can determine that at least 285 hours of local content production on MediaCorp must be outsourced to independent production houses, it can surely require there to be news captioning for the deaf in the name of an inclusive society. Perhaps, MCYS can work with MDA on this. The best way to integrate the disabled into society is to start from young, in the schools. If I may just add on to what Ms Indranee Rajah has said. I would like the Government to consider allocating one class for special needs students in a number of mainstream schools, for a start. As new schools are being built, or new buildings added to existing schools, it should be possible to accommodate the inclusion of special needs students into the mainstream, for example, as it is done in some schools in New Zealand. In Singapore, mainstream schools are beginning to accept autistic children more than in the past.”
“We should strive to build up a culture of corporate philanthropy. Again, the tsunami crisis has shown that companies have both the capacity and compassion to make a difference. Companies can develop volunteer network systems with a little help from other companies who have already embarked on such efforts, or from the NVPC. Alternatively, organisations can work with schools on various volunteer projects. This can strengthen community ties and give staff a greater sense of fulfilment and ownership, especially if they help to run the programmes. Perhaps the civil service can look at adopting its own volunteer network system. In this regard, I would like to ask the Government to consider granting two days of paid leave under the Employment Act for employees to do local volunteer work if they are keen to do so. Similar to how the Government had granted parents two days of childcare leave a year, in this instance, it would be a measure of the importance that the Government places on volunteerism in our nation building. Two days may not be much, but it makes it that much more conducive for working adults to volunteer. Added up, if enough Singaporeans are keen to take up this offer, the number of extra volunteer hours will, I hope, be meaningful. This could complement Dr Chong Weng Chiew's suggestion to loosen the regulations imposed on VWOs. Last year, the national volunteer rate rose from 14.9% to 15.2%, according to the NVPC. The new target for 2006 is 18.6%. My dream is for Singapore to be a nation of volunteers. It is imperative for Singaporeans to play their part if volunteerism is to contribute to our sense of nationhood. But there is also a role for the Government if it is to be part of an open and inclusive society.”
“And if I may speak on behalf of the other volunteers, it was very heart warming to see Singaporeans not just coming forward to give, but many of them were really giving beyond their means. A lot of them came to us and said, "We are really sorry. This is all that I can afford." Children were coming down on behalf of the parents who could not make it to the Red Cross. I think the most heart warming thing for me was to hear that the children insisted that their parents brought them down to give a donation. So I think Singaporeans have really shown that there is this huge compassion that exists within us. Now is the time to tap on, to build, to encourage and to continue with this compassion so clearly found in our society. Sometimes, the problem is that we may misconstrue what volunteerism or volunteer work means. Let us not be conditioned to think that to volunteer is to sacrifice our time. Let us instead be creative and redefine how we choose to volunteer. The simple act of joining the neighbourhood watch once a month to guard against crime, for example, is an act of volunteerism, because it is an act of taking a stake in our society. If we think of it that way, we will slowly realise that everybody and anybody can be a volunteer. In particular, doing volunteer work can give a new sense of purpose to elderly Singaporeans who may well find that they have a lot left to offer to the rest of society. I am confident that there are many volunteers like centenarian Teresa Hsu out there. Unfortunately, the statistics indicate that there is a drop in the percentage of volunteers when they reach their mid-20s. This is when people embark on their careers. Yet, it is when we enter the workforce that we gain many new skills, some of which can be useful in volunteer work.”
“That can only happen when we show that we are conscious of the needs and concerns of those other than ourselves, our families and our ethnic groups, and that their needs and concerns are also important to us. To volunteer is to do just that. To volunteer is to demonstrate enlightened self-interest. In choosing to care for other Singaporeans, we enlarge the pool of our countrymen who will care for us and our families in return. That is when we feel we belong. One way to strengthen our sense of nationhood through volunteerism is to bring the various ethnic self-help groups together through an integrated volunteer network system. Already, there exists a one-stop career link centre, a joint effort among the self-help groups to help people find jobs. Why not a joint volunteer system? For example, the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre has an e-matching service to meet the needs of both volunteers and various voluntary welfare organisations. We can think of it as the e-speed dating version for volunteerism. A similar system that bridges the self-help groups could have many benefits. It may be time for these groups to take the next step to set up a combined volunteer and social services database so that less privileged Singaporeans can be helped in a more inclusive way, in a manner that would befit a more inclusive society. I know it is going to be tea-break soon. And being a typical Singaporean, I can just imagine the mouth-watering array of food that would be found at a combined self-help ethnic groups' event! The potential is there for volunteerism in Singapore to grow. During the tsunami crisis, I must say that I was very fortunate enough to have a first-hand experience of that. I was fortunate to help out with the Red Cross.”
“It may not be an easy bar to clear, but let us rely on uplifting beliefs rather than dwelling on thoughts that will weigh us down. We are fortunate to have a relatively small population base. It makes it conducive for us to work together and join hands across our island as one united people. Every contribution will be valuable and important in growing our sense of nationhood, simply because the only way to build a nation that endures is to include everyone in this process. It cannot be achieved through Government-led campaigns or a top-down approach. Singapore needs firmer foundations if it is to be the open and inclusive society that we want it to be. What then should be the bedrock of our future nation? Sir, I would say that we must plant the seeds of volunteerism among our people in order to help give Singapore the roots it needs as a nation. There are many reasons why the simple act of volunteering can have a profound effect on our national identity. At its essence, to volunteer is to take a stake in our society. By reaching out to others, we can strengthen and multiply the bonds that hold our society together. By investing in relationships, we will be able to make a difference to another person's life. It becomes an emotional commitment, and the emotional commitment, I believe, plays a far stronger role in keeping us rooted to Singapore than any physical or material commitments. I, for one, would certainly choose the girls in the homes with whom I have worked over any HDB flat, upgraded or otherwise. To call Singapore a nation, there must be a sense of belonging - not only to the land itself but, more importantly, to each other.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for allowing me to join in the debate. Being the youngest Member here, I ask all hon. Members to bear with me and, of course, all feedback is more than welcome. We are always constantly talking about improving ourselves. So I hope to walk in that direction. Sir, the President, in his speech, has laid out the groundwork for the Government by giving us a blueprint of its priorities for the year ahead. I do not intend to take a look at all seven pillars that we have been proposed to uphold our society as it moves forward. Instead, I would like to focus on what I see as the cornerstone of the President's Speech - that Singapore must long be a "land of opportunity" for its people and, more importantly, that it would need the participation of all Singaporeans. This is a timely call. Last August, we witnessed a change in the political leadership. Now, we are entering into the 40th year of independence for our country. It is a new stage in our development or, as the President put it, "the next phase of our journey". For the past 40 years, the priority, as a small island, has been to ensure our economic viability. In that time, we have made very good economic progress - from third world to first world. Indeed, little Singapore has grown up. But in striving for a sound economy for our country, let us not forget how crucial it is to forge a nation - one nation of Singaporeans. It seems to me that our sense of nationhood so far has been playing catch-up with the growth of our GDP. Perhaps there can be no better time than now to change that. Sir, I believe it is time for Singapore to seize the moment and take off on that leap from being a country to becoming a nation. In fact, we have already shown many instances of that.”