Fatimah Lateef
Singapore
“Some cases or disputes put up for mediation may span a period of time, maybe even years, and agreement may not have been reached at the first sitting.”
“This is because I feel that this can be a potential area for abuse and also misinterpretation. Take, for example, the beauty and wellness industry. It is not within the scope of this Bill. Neither is Traditional Medicine and Complementary Medicine.”
“In this light, perhaps can MOM work with the Ministry of Health (MOH) on a framework or guideline to assist and advise medical practitioners on some kind of algorithmic process, so that there is actually some kind of a loose framework they can refer to?”
“Therefore, we had to conduct more dialogue sessions and discussions, such as case studies, where we can show our families, especially those from the low-income groups, how to obtain assistance from the good schemes made available by our Ministry.”
“Chairman, I have one clarification for the Minister. It is actually pertaining to single unwed mothers, and I know the principles and values we want to uphold in the society and all that.”
“In terms of innovation and productivity, healthcare, as I said, is labour-intensive and patient-centric. So, we need to review that appropriately as well. Fifth, it is data-driven healthcare which is really a must moving into the future. This will help us formulate guidelines and policies.”
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“Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for allowing me to join in the debate. The President's Address was a comprehensive one, summarising the way forward for Singapore in the new world order. We take pride in our economic development and we have to continue to stay an open economy as we strive to develop new capabilities to adapt. The Singapore brand is a much admired and strong one but can our future generation uphold this for the next 50 years, building on and strengthening the foundations that we have built? For this to happen, we need certain attributes as a society and I have come up with a mnemonic – CITES: C – Creativity; I – Innovation; T – Teamwork; E – Enterprise; and S – Soul. These are the values we need to negotiate rapid change, face new challenges, increased competition and the greater uncertainty in a new strategic environment. We have been successful in the last 50 years and continuing to be so can be even more difficult. To do this we need our populace, our residents and our civil servants to adapt their mindsets. On creativity, we need to be open to each other's ideas, seek new opportunities and move out of our comfort zones. We may have been good at incremental improvements, but we need to look for break-through ideas and look beyond our boundaries at the global village. From our preschool to our senior citizens, we need to emphasise the spirit of discovery. As we strive to be a global city of the arts, we must continue to strengthen our creative businesses, ranging from film making to PC game development, fashion designing to developing gene therapy techniques, and so on. These creative services and international cultural events have high value-added components.”
“I would also like to suggest that the Ministry of Health continue monitoring and cooperating with the hospitals, in order to study the process and procedures of organ donation. One aspect is skills upgrading and more counsellors should be trained to fully understand organ donation and its related issues, so that they can communicate well with the patients and their relatives. Finally, I hope the Malay/Muslims will give their full and strong support towards this HOTA Bill. (In English): Sir, I support the Bill. *Cols. 3609-3610.”
“Thus, MOH will need to work very closely with hospitals and their ethics and transplant committees to come up with certain regulations and guidelines to be complied with. But I believe there must always be some flexibility and a case-by-case consideration, as long as reimbursements do not become inducements. Every individual in the chain of command must play their role and remain upright and ethical. As a small nation, we have to be realistic as we face the issue of organ donation. But we cannot spare any effort to help our fellow brothers and sisters suffering in silence. Sir, it is truly an altruistic person who can give up his or her organ, be it cadaveric or live donation. Let me continue in Malay. (In Malay): [For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A *. ] The Malay/Muslim community makes up 22% of new cases of kidney patients each year. The inclusion of Malay/Muslims into the HOTA Act means that we can obtain five more organ donors each year. This means that there will be 10 kidneys, 10 corneas, five livers and five hearts that can save the lives and well-being of patients as well as sufferers. The Malay/Muslim community is proud to be given this same priority as other communities in Singapore. In the dialogue sessions which I chaired, active and positive feedback was given, and practical suggestions were presented. I would like to thank those who have stepped forward and given constructive views. I would like to also express my appreciation to the Office of the Mufti of Singapore, and its proactive religious teachers, like Ustaz Nazirudin. Their presence in these sessions is important so that religious misconceptions and all doubts can be corrected.”
“This move will also call for a more systematic, proactive and well-organised living donor registry. It has to be very comprehensive, with rapid and efficient updates, as often we will be dealing with diseases, life and death issues which can be time dependent. There will have to be a dedicated secretariat covering all shifts throughout the day and night, which need to be well networked into all the relevant healthcare institutions and participating hospitals. On the inclusion of the Malay-Muslim community into the HOTA, the international Fiqh Council, prominent Islamic scholars and the MUIS Fatwa Council have all ruled that organ donation, both cadaveric and living, is permissible. The act of organ donation exemplifies the value of kindness (IHSAN) and compassion (RAHMAH), and it is about the protection and saving of human lives. It is the onus of the community to reach out and help those who are in need. Islamic scholar, Dr Yusof Qaradhawi had stated: "Removing a body part does not violate the sanctity of the dead. The sanctity of the body is preserved and has not been violated. This is because the operation performed is similar to that done on those who are alive … that is with care, meticulousness and respect." On payment to donors, I am indeed glad MOH is going to accord this some recognition. It is about time. Because similar practices have been done in countries such as the United States and the UK, where there exists some form of reimbursement plan for donors. It is important to recognise donors and their contributions. But this is a step which needs to be monitored and surveilled closely to ensure no coercion, threats, undue force or pressure is utilised. Ethical issues will certainly arise as we open a Pandora’s box.”
“He mentioned how glad he was that we are debating this Bill to consider extending the upper age limit beyond 60. Therefore, I feel all efforts to increase organ availability must be supported. In fact, I would even go one step further to suggest we lower the minimum age from 21 to 18 years. Sure, the projected numbers of cadaveric organs from this age group may not be high, but even one donor from this group can provide two kidneys, one liver, one heart and two corneas, to save and give a more meaningful life to several individuals. After all, 18 years is also the recognised age for consent for our national service population. There are challenges we face in the allotment of a scarce resource such as organs, especially in a small country like Singapore. Issues of equity (a fair opportunity for all waiting for the organ) and utility (optimal benefit from each organ) are often competing and complex ethical considerations will certainly arise. On the issue of paired matching, HOTA will now be amended to facilitate living donor transplant by allowing donor-recipient paired matching for appropriate exchange of organs. It is good to make this explicitly clear in this Bill. It is also a move in the right direction to enhance the chances of a patient getting an organ transplant. In the public consultation done by the Ministry of Health last year (involving feedback from at least nine organisations as well as members of the public), 95.5% of respondents supported this idea. With its implementation, we will be following a practice similar to the United States. However, concerns about donors who are non-citizens will arise most certainly, given our very cosmopolitan and open society, thus the need to be very clear with the guidelines that we are going to draw.”
“Sir, I rise in strong support of the Bill. Consider the following: (1) Patients with End Stage Renal Failure (ESRF) and heart failure dying waiting for transplants; (2) Patients with ESRF waiting for a kidney, an average of at least eight years on heamodialysis, three times a week, lots of pain and complications, and something I see on a day-to-day basis, almost every day, every shift, that I work. To raise the upper age limit – this is a timely and necessary move. Whether a kidney from a person can be used for transplant should depend on whether it is medically suitable and not on how old the donor is. Our population is living longer and our life expectancy follows suit. After all, every potential donor and transplant will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Currently, Singapore is still one of the countries with a low transplant rate and a very high haemodialysis rate compared to many other countries around the world. In the course of my work as an ethics tutor at NUS, I would like to share a quote from a first-year medical student’s essay: "I think that it is unfair to set an upper age limit for practical reasons rather than medical ones. The age limit merely narrows down the long waiting list for organs in the most convenient way possible. Hence, perhaps, a fairer method of determining allocation of the limited pool of kidneys is using Quality of Life calculations ... but this too may not be favourable for the elderly will always have lower figures in general." Last month, I met a patient, Mr A, 61 years of age. The former managing director of a company has been on heamodialysis for 20 years. He was on the transplant list but was recently removed as he turned 61.”
“Sir, in Singapore the new commonest areas for cardiac arrests to occur would be the home and the workplace. Indeed, many adults who are working have many risk factors for coronary artery disease and other chronic illnesses. Most workplaces have some form of a simple first-aid box. And there are others in certain industries where it is a requirement to have an industrial officer or a supervisor or even an industrial nurse on site. In the course of my work, I have come across many cases of cardiac arrests sustained at work where very little has been done upfront. Can the Ministry consider providing workers in all industries with some form of first-aid training? And perhaps specific supervisors can be trained in CPR and also AED skills? As Health Promotion Board also has a division called the Healthy Living @ Work, perhaps MOM can consider some form of collaboration with MOH and HPB? Promotion of Flexible Work Arrangements”
“Instead, we must practice values that push us towards excellence. I am confident, that based on our achievements in climbing the ladder of success so far, and our focus on long-term objectives, our community is able to go through changes for a brighter future. Thank you.”
“Instead, the first thing she asked for was what courses are available so that she can upgrade her skills. Now, Mdm Liza is taking a nursing course for three months organised by a CDC. She may be attached to a nursing home soon for on-the-job training. I admire Mdm Liza as a single mother with an iron will. And I hope she will achieve her ambition to be a full-time nurse eventually. Mdm Liza proved that with determination and sacrifice, one can change one's fate. We can learn a lesson from this story. As parents, we must prioritise the interests of the family and the children. If you are a heavy smoker, you might want to reduce the number of cigarettes smoked. Imagine what can be done with the money that you save in one day, one week or one month. Your sacrifice will have a major effect on your family’s well-being. In short, any choice you make must contribute to the family's well-being. For unaffected Malay/Muslim workers, my advice is for them not to be complacent, especially those who are less skilled. The global economic landscape changes quickly. The new economy requires new skills and qualifications. Some of the jobs available now may be gone one day. My message is: Upgrade your skills or get new qualifications. As the Malay saying goes, "Prepare the umbrella before it rains". Madam Chairman, even though this economic crisis is very challenging, it provides an opportunity for us to reshape our community, to become a community that is more intact and resilient. We must avoid wastage, and focus on things that can upgrade our families’ quality of life, like education, training and re-training, as well as health. We must inculcate values like hard work, thrift, be forward looking and not attached to material things.”
“MUIS has revised its Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme to enable our asatizah to pursue postgraduate studies in Islamic Sciences. MUIS Academy's latest effort to embark on the Research Fellowship Programme also aims at providing research training and build research capabilities and competencies amongst young asatizah. Through this, we hope to develop potential scholars for MUIS and the Muslim community. MUIS Academy also offers skills development and bridging courses to assist young asatizah graduates to gain employment beyond the religious sector, including training in social work and counselling for employment in the social service sector. I hope that Mr Hawazi notes the point that we are doing our best to help our graduates from the religious sector. Madam, allow me to conclude my address in Malay. (In Malay): [For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*.] We are now going through an economic downturn. Some Malay/Muslim workers, many of them sole breadwinners in the family, will be affected by this crisis. The Malay/Muslim community must be ready to face and overcome this downturn. We must emerge as a more resilient community, to ensure a better future for our families and children. One of our priorities now is to ensure that our children's education is not affected due to falling family income. We also hope that workers will try to equip themselves with suitable skills and qualifications, get new jobs and eventually, take care of their families. I'd like to share a story of a zakat recipient, Mdm Liza, who is also a single mother with a two-year old son. She went to MUIS in July 2008 to seek help. However, Mdm Liza did not only ask for financial assistance.”
“JMS has made a promising start and we remain open to more madrasahs joining the JMS. Mr Zainduin Nordin asked about the usage of the MBMF for mosque upgrading. MUIS estimates that about $15 million will be needed from MBMF for Phase 1 of the mosque upgrading projects, which will last five years. Major upgrading works may be granted up to 80% funding from MBMF. Less extensive projects may be given a small top-up grant. Mosques are selected for upgrading based on the urgency of their needs. Selection of mosques will depend on factors such as the urgency of the works required to prevent further deterioration of the mosque and the need to address major recurring problems. The financial viability of the project will also be considered. Five mosques will benefit under Phase 1. I am happy to announce that they are: Al-Ansar in Bedok; Alkaff in Upper Serangoon; An-Nur in Woodlands; Hajjah Rahimabi in Whampoa and Muhajirin in Toa Payoh. The mosques will receive various levels of support from MBMF depending on their needs. Muhajirin, which has just been rebuilt, will be the first beneficiary of this funding. MBMF will contribute about $2.5 million to the project while the mosque will raise the balance of the costs. Phase 1 of the upgrading will be undertaken concurrently with the construction of two new mosques in Sengkang and Punggol. Madam, MUIS offers a comprehensive programme to develop our religious teachers, or asatizah, as they play a key role in imparting values to our young and guiding the community on matters of religion. Mr Hawazi and Dr Fatimah Lateef may be pleased to know that MUIS Academy offers a range of capacity-building programmes, from baseline to professional and leadership training to postgraduate programmes.”
“In terms of curriculum changes, Irsyad, which only offers a programme for primary education, will implement a streaming policy for its students, in line with the three streams offered in the JMS curriculum framework for students at the secondary level. Irsyad will also strengthen its Arabic language programmes, by offering Higher Arabic as a subject at Upper Primary, and teaching one or two religious subjects in Arabic instead of English. Arabiah's secondary level curriculum will be revamped to allocate more time for academic subjects and Arabiah will eventually have the same number of curriculum hours for academic subjects as national schools. Religious subjects will be offered based on a modular system, most of which will be taught in English, and the level of Arabic language will be benchmarked to the GCE 'O' Level standards. Mr Hawazi and Dr Ahmad Magad have asked how we will help madrasahs which did not meet the PSLE benchmark in 2008. Arabiah has joined the JMS and therefore will not be subjected to the PSLE benchmark. While the primary responsibility for students' performance lies with the madrasah and the parents of the students, MUIS will share best practices of successful madrasahs so that all our madrasahs continue to improve on standards. MUIS will also continue to extend resources to all the madrasahs, such as the PSLE Ready Package, which was announced in 2007. Madam, we are committed to the success of JMS. The JMS will optimise use of our community's limited resources and improve the long-term well-being of our madrasah sector, especially that of our madrasah students. MUIS will continue to support all madrasahs. However, the bulk of MUIS' resources will be channelled to the JMS.”
“Currently only As-Salaam PPIS-Family Support Centre runs programmes to support and strengthen reconstituted families. To expand the reach of such a programme, a point raised by Mr Masagos, a dedicated centre for reconstituted families will be set up in the northern part of Singapore in 2010. In the meantime, an interim centre will be set up this year, to offer counselling, enrichment and other support programmes to reconstituted families. Madam, the community has put in significant resources and efforts to improve our religious institutions such as our mosques and madrasahs, and in the development of our religious teachers and scholars. We amended AMLA last year to allow the Mosque Building and Mendaki Fund (MBMF) to be used for the upgrading of old mosques and for religious education. Mr Zainudin Nordin asked about the allocation of MBMF monies and the progress of the Joint Madrasah System (JMS). Under the revised MBMF rates, the annual contribution from Muslim workers is expected to increase, from $10 million to $12.9 million, of which $3 million will be allocated to religious education. Over the next few years, the bulk of this sum will be allocated to the JMS to fund its initial set-up. The funds will be used for teacher training and recruitment, systems and facilities enhancement, curriculum and content development as well as and for student enrichment programmes. The JMS was rolled-out in January 2009 with a primary one intake of 202 students, who started school at the new Madrasah Al-Irsyad premises in Braddell Road. MUIS has recruited several key personnel for the madrasah, including a vice-principal responsible for academic subjects.”
“Madam, I am also happy to see our local mosques reaching out to families to share tips on budgeting and financial management. One such effort was undertaken by Jamiyah Ar-Rabitah Mosque at Tiong Bahru Road, which I am sure we are familiar with, which organised a financial management workshop for members of the public. The mosque is in Madam's constituency. A series of initiatives is also in the pipeline to empower our men in their roles as husbands and fathers. Adam Association or 'Persatuan Adam' will embark on a series of programmes this year. It will include bi-monthly forums, an outreach programme to get more fathers involved in parent support groups and public education initiatives. In building family resilience, special attention has to be given to specific, vulnerable groups such as minor couples and reconstituted families. Our efforts to tackle minor marriages have shown encouraging results. Muslim minor marriages have been declining. Since its peak in 2000, the numbers have fallen by 45%, looking at last year's figures. Similarly, the number of divorces where one or both parties were below 21 years, is declining. Since its peak in 2003, the number has fallen 29%, from 633 in 2003 to 452 in 2008. Muslim divorces, in general, have also been declining. In 2008, there were 1,697 divorces, a 3% decline from the 1,747 Muslim divorces in 2007. We hope that the trend will continue in the coming years. However, one worrying trend is the high rate of Muslim remarriages and serial divorces. In 2008, 31.7% (almost one-third) of Muslim marriages involved one or two parties who had been married before. In the same year, 31.4% of Muslim divorces registered involved people who had remarried.”
“By establishing a strong foundation at these levels, I believe that the educational performance of Malay/Muslim students will improve further, and we will see even more Malay students entering post-secondary institutions. Madam, we need more role models and mentors as we try to uplift ourselves. Mr Zaqy asked what plan we have to encourage more successful members of our community to come forward and volunteer their time and services. I share his concerns. Groups like the Mendaki Club or Young AMP serve as platforms for young professionals to dialogue, network and collaborate on special projects which would be beneficial to the community. Madam, as we help workers and their families cope with the economic downturn, we should not lose sight of our efforts to strengthen Malay/Muslim families. The recommendations of the Inter-Ministry Committee on Dysfunctional Families offer many opportunities for Malay/Muslim social service agencies to strengthen their services and be more effective. Mr Masagos Zulkifli asked about our community's efforts to strengthen family resilience. Various measures, both upstream and downstream, have been put in place. The Marriage Preparation Course was recently revamped to better prepare couples for the changes and challenges they will face in married life. Over 1,000 participants have undergone the new course as of December 2008, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. The CLF started a financial planning and budgeting course for families last year. The "Program Bijak Belanja' has trained close to 2,500 participants by the end of 2008. It will be incorporated as a module in the Core Parenting Skills Programme, yet another initiative to strengthen parenting skills in Malay/Muslim families.”
“Dr Maliki and Dr Faishal who are Chairmen of the Network are working very hard with the various Malay/Muslim organisations to ensure consistency in our approach in helping the needy families. Madam, prior to this Budget debate, I took the opportunity to brief Malay/ Muslim community leaders on the economic challenge facing our community and what both MUIS and Mendaki will do to assist the community. I appealed to them and their organisations to come together to help our community face the challenging times ahead. I am confident that they will do so. Allow me now to respond to some of the specific queries raised by hon. Members. Mr Zaqy asked about the educational progress of our children. Malay/Muslim students have made significant improvements over the years. More Malay/Muslim students in each cohort have obtained at least 5 'O' level passes, allowing them to progress to higher education. The percentage of Malay P1 cohort admitted to post-secondary institutions has more than doubled, from 36% in 1990 to 83.5% in 2007. Madam, the gap in performance between Malay students and their counterparts has been narrowing over the years. The gap between the proportion of Malay P1 cohort admitted to post-secondary institutions and the national average has narrowed from 24% to 11% over the last 15 years. Mendaki has been analysing the performance of Malay students and the possible areas for improvement. Over the years, targeted initiatives have been successfully introduced to raise the education outcomes of Malay/Muslim students, especially at the primary and secondary levels.”
“The income cap has been increased from a monthly gross household income of $1,000 to net household income of $1,500. Mendaki will also subsidise the fees of needy students who attend tuition programmes organised by grassroots organisations, such as MECs, in addition to the weekend Mendaki Tuition Scheme. Mendaki has also extended the Education Trust Fund (ETF) subsidy, which previously covered only pre-school, primary and lower secondary education, to include upper secondary students in both the mainstream schools and madrasahs. The limit of only three applicants per family has also been removed. Needy Malay students in tertiary institutions can tap on the Tertiary Tuition Fee Subsidy, which benefit families of household income of $3,000 and below, and can provide up to 100% subsidy of the tuition fee for applicants whose gross monthly family income is $2,000 or less. Students who need help but do not meet the eligibility criteria may apply for interest-free loans under Mendaki's Supplementary Assistance Scheme or Local Study Loan. The ITE Special Student Assistance Scheme has been helping needy Muslim students in ITE, Assumption Vocational Institute and Northlight School with their course fees and schooling expenses. MUIS will increase its annual contribution to the Scheme to help 350 students each year. Madam, at the same time the Family Development Network of the CLF is working with Malay/Muslim organisations to produce a booklet similar to the guide developed by Central-Singapore CDC. This booklet will contain tips and information on various programmes that families can tap on. We hope to launch this booklet by March.”
“Madam, given our limited community resources, MUIS and Mendaki should not duplicate the Government's efforts. They should focus on their strengths and value-add to the national initiatives, and what is provided for under ComCare. This is consistent with our approach of plugging the gaps. So I am sure Mr Hawazi, Dr Maliki and Madam Halimah who have queried about our community's response to the crisis, will appreciate the need to optimise our community's resources while leveraging on what is available nationally. Madam, for families, apart from ComCare and other national programmes, MUIS has set up a $2 million fund called the IHSAN (or Compassion) Fund. This is a one-off special fund which will be used to provide additional grants to zakat recipient families, grants to MUIS' partnering agencies for empowerment programmes, and subsidise religious education in part-time and full-time madrasahs. Affected families may also be channelled to MUIS' existing zakat programme pillars to ensure more holistic intervention towards self-reliance. 6.00 pm Madam apart from the targeted financial assistance by MUIS, we believe that it is also important that during this time of difficulties, families should not cut back on their children's education. Hence, we share Dr Muhammad Faishal, Mr Hawazi and Mr Zaqy's concern that the economic downturn could impact on children's education. The education of our children is one of the highest priorities for the community. Both Mendaki and MUIS will introduce initiatives to supplement national schemes to help needy students. Mendaki has adjusted its income eligibility criteria to help more needy students qualify for fee waivers for its educational programmes.”
“The Government has allocated a lot of resources into initiatives such as the Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience (SPUR) and the Workfare Income Supplement Special Payment. Some of the recently announced initiatives will provide direct assistance to households and targeted help for vulnerable families or groups. Our community's approach to this crisis must be three-fold: (a) we must first ensure that every affected member of our community has access to the various Government programmes provided at the national level; (b) where necessary, our community institutions must step in and close the gap of assistance, if these gaps exist; and (c) we must make adjustments to our way of life to prepare for an uncertain future. Let me now elaborate on the measures that we have put in place to assist our community to deal with this recession, starting with employment. Since 2004, the Employability Network of the Community Leaders' Forum (CLF) has placed 4,000 job-seekers in jobs. 40,000 training places were also taken up by some 26,000 workers. In November 2008, the Employability Network introduced the Job Ready and a Job Steady Programmes. The Job Ready Programme targets to help 4,000 jobseekers in 2009, more than 50% of whom would be the newly retrenched. It also targets to offer 9,000 training places this year. The Job Steady Programme will encourage workers to continue to train and upgrade their skills, to remain employable and relevant to changes in the economic landscape. Targeted at low-skilled workers, this programme seeks to enhance workers' awareness of the various job opportunities and programmes, like SPUR and the Workforce Skills Qualification System (WSQ) and make referrals to Continuing Education and Training Centres.”
“We must be resilient and continue to work hard to improve on our achievements as a community and as Singaporeans. We have made great strides in education and employment over the years and whatever the difficulties, this recession should bring out our perseverance and cohesiveness. We must focus our minds and efforts on achieving even greater heights. If we do not do so, when the economy turns around, which it will, we will be worse off than before. Madam, over the past two years, we have put in place key initiatives to bring ourselves closer towards the vision of a community of excellence. Last year, we amended the Administration of Muslim Law Act (AMLA), which will strengthen our key institutions and families. Four Muslims have donated their organs under the amended Human Organ Transplant Act (HOTA), saving several lives. The Joint Madrasah System (JMS) was launched and our madrasah students sat for the Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE) for the first time, and they performed credibly. When our Haj quota was reduced due to a shortage of accommodation in Mecca, our community understood and adapted. Key stakeholders like AMTAS, or the Association of Muslim Travel Agencies Association, conducted themselves commendably, working closely with MUIS to accommodate the sudden changes. The way we have faced challenges and situations bear promise to how we will tackle the challenges ahead as a community. Madam, we need to ensure that the people who will be affected by the downturn recover as quickly as possible. The Government's key priority is to help Singaporeans stay employed so that they can continue to support their families.”
“[For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*.] The development of asatizahs (religious teachers) is an important component of the religious life of our Malay/Muslim community. Today, more of our asatizahs achieve higher education levels, with some doing it overseas at well-known and recognised institutions. They are also more progressive in their ideas, thoughts and approach to issues, including issues that are sensitive in the community. I am indeed honoured to see these positive changes. In this matter, I hope MUIS and the Minister can give an answer on these matters. First, the future plans for the development of our asatizahs. This includes formal training programmes as well as providing funding for studies in overseas institutions for specialised training. Secondly, plans to help asatizahs' efforts to enhance their engagement and links with the Malay/Muslim community in Singapore. The Minister for the Environment and Water Resources and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs (Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim): Madam, the global recession will affect Singaporeans, including Malay/Muslim workers and their families. When I concluded the debate on the Malay/Muslim issues last year, we had not expected a turbulent time ahead. This recession is a new challenge to the community as well as our nation. As we enter this period of uncertainty, workers need to brace themselves for salary adjustments or even job loss. While the impact of the economic downturn will be felt by all, it will be more acute for low-skilled workers and those in badly affected industries. Yet, this should not prevent us from being hopeful about the future of our families and our children. We should face these difficult times with courage and determination.”
“We must still be a society that believes that our primary responsibility is to look after our families and not depend on others in the first instance. We must be able to instinctively fulfil our family responsibilities and obligations. If we want our children to be caring and responsible, we have got to live by those values and show them what being caring and responsible means, especially in tough times. My concern for Singapore today is that we will fail if the debate in this House and the debate outside this House degenerates into a squabble about how to split the family fortune into handouts and inheritances. So we need to make sure that as we debate all these issues in the next six hours, we keep sight of this fact - that we cannot afford and we should not design a permanent, unconditional and needs-based welfare system, despite the alluring simplicity of giving $400 here and $500 there with no questions asked. That is the road to ruin, it does not work, and there are many examples from the West who have gone ahead of us on those roads. We know it does not work and it is not sustainable. We need to make sure we keep on track and we maintain a system that emphasises empowerment, not entitlement; a system that encourages dignity, not dependence; and a system that emphasises self-reliance and not state reliance. Policy Matter”
“This is a long-standing policy of the Government and we believe in integrating Government agencies, the VWOs, the grassroots - as brought up earlier - and the broader community in order to fashion a comprehensive social safety net. Why do we do so? It is not just a matter of trying to reduce Government liabilities. But we do so because we believe that it is best to let each sector do what it is best equipped to do. We want a lean and rational Government formulating sound policies and providing resources where they are most needed. But we also want a caring community of good hearts and honest hands who know the ground, who know the needs, who make assessments of how much is enough - that is the question the Member asked earlier - and is able to reach out to people to ensure that no one falls through the cracks. Now, of course, the Many Helping Hands model does come with its problems. There is always the risk of duplication. There is the risk of gaps. There is the difficulty of coordination. But, despite all those difficulties - I am not trying to trivialise those difficulties - I submit that our Many Helping Hands model in Singapore, run by caring hearts and honest hands, is still a system that works. In fact, we have compared it to many other countries which have tried different variations. Our system is sustainable, it works, it is flexible, and it delivers help where it is most needed, by people who truly care. The fourth question which I want Members to think about is values and responsibilities. In the midst of debating dollars and arguing schemes, we better not lose sight of values and, in particular, of family responsibilities. We must still be a society that believes in hard work.”
“This is not a small sum of money. Now let us look at where this money comes from. The $140 million is what my Ministry provides to all the Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs) and social service organisations on the ground. We all know these are run by their boards and they raise their own funds. But because so much of their work is crucial to our social mission, we provide funds for them to enable them to upscale and do even more. So we have budgeted $140 million this year. Over and above that, we will put in another $100 million. This will be direct assistance provided by my Ministry to needy families. That will come through ComCare, public assistance and other various schemes targeted at individuals and families. So that is $240 million straight off from the budget of MCYS. Over and above that, you see that there is another $220 million which comes from donations. As Mr Sin Boon Ann said just now, Singaporeans are a generous people and they do open up their hearts and their wallets to help. But let me also try to take some credit on the part of Government, because with the recent decision by the Minister for Finance to have a 250% tax relief on donations to Institutes of Public Character (IPCs), a significant proportion of those donated funds actually represents tax forgone by the Ministry of Finance. So, let me put to you that there is a major chunk of money available for needy families. Let me also put to you that the Government is shouldering a major portion of that burden, together with the community at large. So I think that we should not doubt that funds are available. The next question is a perennial question: is our Many Helping Hands approach working?”
“I believe the imperative for the middle-class is to get a good job. They need jobs and it is not a matter of welfare from MCYS. As the Minister for Finance said in his summing up speech, the Government will spare no effort in job matching. The Government will heavily subsidise training. The Government will provide training allowances under SPUR. In addition to that, MCYS will provide additional interim short-term assistance through our Work Support scheme, which is administered by the Community Development Councils (CDCs). But let me also be very honest and blunt and say that we cannot give the middle-class more in handouts than what we give to the Singaporeans who are the most needy. That has to be the upper limit. The Member asked just now whether we track cost of living for the different groups of Singaporeans. We do. But I also tell you very honestly that we track the cost of living for the most needy Singaporeans, and we cannot commit to giving additional support to enable the middle-class to maintain a standard of living which, perhaps, they have become accustomed to. So there are limits to how much we can do. As for Mr Zaqy and Dr Fatimah Lateef's call for greater flexibility at the edges - certainly, we will be there, we will be available, and we will provide assistance. But please understand that it is conditional, it cannot be an entitlement, and it will have to be pegged to the level which the most needy Singaporeans require. The second question which should frame our discussion today is: do we have enough resources allocated for needy Singaporeans? If you look at the handout that we have just circulated, we have calculated that for this financial year, the social service sector will require and will receive about $460 million, almost half a billion dollars.”
“I believe there are three broad categories of Singaporeans who are needy. First, those who are permanently unable to work and have no family support. These are Singaporeans who are going to require long-term social assistance and we put them on schemes like the Public Assistance scheme. The second group are Singaporeans who are just able to cope in good times, but in tough times like this when they lose their jobs, or their over time, or their bonuses, they find that they are unable to cope. For these borderline families, we have our ComCare schemes which are specifically targeted and provide conditional, relevant and interim assistance. The key objective here is to enable these families to tide over the current difficulties and get back on their feet. 1.15 pm The third group of Singaporeans who need help are those from dysfunctional families. This is something which I am sure all Members of Parliament are familiar with. Every week at your Meet-the-People (MPS) sessions, they may present a housing problem and say they need a rental flat. They may ask for some additional cash, or there may be a problem in the school, or a loss of job. But actually, if you spend time with them, you realise that the presenting problem is just the tip of the iceberg. Actually, there is a multitude, a whole web of social and personal problems, which have trapped these families, and it is a hole that is getting bigger and deeper, and they are unable to pull themselves out of it. We convened a Committee specifically to study this problem and later on in the COS, I will share the recommendations. But, having said that these are the three categories of Singaporeans who are needy, I think we also have to deal with Mr Zaqy's question: what about the middle-class?”
“Sir, the ComCare fund is a commitment by the Government to do more for needy Singaporeans to ensure that no one is left behind. With this year's budget, allocation for ComCare has been increased. At the local community level, we welcome this. The decentralisation, together with the many helping hands approach, allows the local leaders slightly more leeway in disbursement. Can I ask MCYS what has been the utilisation rate of the local ComCare fund over the last few years? If there is indeed underutilisation at the local level, can MCYS consider some relaxation and perhaps some other unique approaches for the use of this fund so that we can find other ways of reaching out to the needy, elderly and disabled, especially during this period of the crisis? The Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (Dr Vivian Balakrishnan): Mr Chairman, this is going to be a very long session. We have budgeted more than six hours for this year. MCYS confronts inflation. Every year, the Question time during COS increases inexorably. But I suppose since my Ministry's budget for this year is $1.9 billion which represents a 33% increase, it is only fair that there is an inflation in the time provided for Members to make sure we are spending that money properly and wisely. My Ministry's priorities in this difficult year are quite straightforward: first, to provide assurance and hope for needy Singaporeans; second, to boost the many helping hands that hold up our social safety net; and, third, to strengthen the bonds that bind our society together. There are a few questions which I want to put in front of the House, right at the onset of today's debate. The first question is: who are the needy? And this relates also to Mr Zaqy's query earlier on.”
“Sir, the Primary Education Review and Implementation (PERI) Committee was set up to study ways to enhance primary education in Singapore. One of the areas covered was the move towards only graduate teacher recruitment by 2015. Many still feel that the academic qualifications of the primary school teacher may and should not be the only factor of consideration. This is secondary to personal qualities and ability to connect with young students. Can I have the Ministry's stand on the matter? And if indeed, we are moving in this direction, what will happen to the large numbers of non-graduate teachers currently in circulation in the system? Also, in reviewing the current curriculum for primary school, will there be consideration, moving towards a more "international school concept", ie, a more modular, project-based approach, with emphasis on ECA, not just for point acquisition, more active and experiential learning as well as more non-academic subjects focus such as issues which are of interest to students of this age group? Single-session Schools”
“Madam, amongst medical staff many still perceive the school health services division as rather archaic and few young doctors voluntarily choose to work there now. Will there be plans to rejuvenate and invigorate the "school health" on a more exciting and stimulating front so as not to engage the staff but also the youths and students that we are reaching out to? Will there be any increase in funding and programmes we can look forward to in terms of outreach? In July 2008, the Health Promotion Board organised the Championing Effects Resulting in Improved School Health (CHERISH) conference. The objectives were to empower local schools and enhance school health promotion efforts and programmes. Can we have some details and update on this programme? Health Education for the Young”
“Madam, in restructured hospitals, use of generic drugs is encouraged. At SingHealth, for example, there is a group purchasing office which negotiates on the purchase of drugs for the institutions with significant cost savings annually. Can the group purchasing office of this be expanded and extended to Government facilities and institutions such as nursing homes and other VWO-run facilities and homes for the elderly and disabled? This step can certainly help with, first, cost-cutting; secondly, regulating use of non-standard drugs; and thirdly, having more competitive choices of non-standard drugs, if necessary. Already now in many nursing homes, inmates have to utilise Medifund to help with their payment for care, and we heard today that Medifund utilisation has doubled in the last three years. This may become a more prominent cause as the number of elderly is only expected to escalate in the coming years. Policy Matter”
“Does MOH have any plans on how this can be implemented? There certainly need to be rules and regulations as to how we can use Medisave overseas and which countries will be eligible for it.”
“Madam, mental health-related diagnosis can encompass a multitude of problems with wide-ranging variety and different ICD codes. Medisave has now been ingeniously packaged to help Singaporeans with chronic illnesses utilise them for chronic use. It has also been expanded to help cancer patients pay for certain approved tests. Perhaps it is time to consider allowing it to be used by patients with chronic mental health illnesses. These patients have a long-term problem and thus the need for long-term care and follow-up. Moreover, some psychiatric medications can be costly as well. One suggestion is to carefully select a few established mental illness diagnosis and have a trial period for Medisave utilisation. This list should initially only include clear-cut diagnosis, such as schizophrenia, manic depressive syndrome, etc. This implementation will then need to be monitored closely with feedback obtained from end users to check for feasibility and need for fine-tuning. If successful, perhaps a new batch of diagnosis can be tried out. Use of Medisave Overseas Medisave is a national savings scheme which assists individuals to put aside a part of their income to meet their personal or dependants' hospitalisation needs and expenses. Since its implementation in 1984, Medisave has helped over two million people save on their hospital medical bills. Periodic adjustments are also made to Medisave to help evolve the scheme with changing needs and time. Of late, there has been some discussion on utilisation of Medisave to cover overseas medical care. There can be both pros and cons in this. Certainly, we do not want any relaxation of the policy to go out of hand and miss the main reason as to why Medisave was set up in the first place.”
“Madam, the healthcare sector is one known to be very proactive in the provision of jobs to retirees and also to those starting up with a second career, be it after retrenchment, loss of jobs or staying out of the workforce for some time. Recently, it has been announced that the healthcare sector will have several thousand job openings in the next few years. To be more precise, 4,500 jobs for healthcare professionals and hospital administrative staff. Can MOH give the breakdown of these jobs in the respective categories, eg, medical, nursing, allied health, administration and other support services? Also, whether applicants should approach individual institutions or whether they can go through WDA or the cluster office. Perhaps the Ministry can give us an update on the Professionals Conversion course which has been introduced. Strengthening the 3M Framework”
“Madam, new media opens up new frontiers and exciting opportunities for some but also has the potential to cause others to stumble. In line with AIMS' recommendation that education remains the key in combating the risk, the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) has worked with the public, people, and private sectors to organise and support media literacy, public education outreach activities, targeting students, parents, educators and the public. We are mindful of the greater risks posed to minors and therefore have recommended in the AIMS report, that a new inter-Ministry Task Force on Cyber Wellness will be established and this will be chaired by the deputy secretaries from MICA and MOE. And MICA and MOE will collectively contribute a total of $10 million over the next five years for the Task Force to coordinate national efforts and develop strategies and programmes for protecting the young as well as work with other private sector partners. In conclusion, let me assure the House that MICA remains fully committed to improving public engagement and communications, and will continue its efforts to foster a more open and inclusive society. 30 pm”
“And then I started going down to two-liners, one-liner, a few words. It was quite an experience. It was not easy to have a very meaningful and deep discussion, but I think everybody enjoyed it and that certainly appears to be the way that discussions are held in a web-chat environment. We have to adjust to it, and we have to make sure that we know how to respond appropriately so that both parties benefit fully from such an engagement. To this end, therefore, MICA has been recruiting more information officers conducting new media training and we have been sharing relevant knowledge with other agencies. Over time, e-engagement will augment the wide range of channels the Government uses to communicate and reach out to the public. Let me assure the House that MICA is fully committed to develop the rich and richness of Government-citizen communications. Let me also take this opportunity to address some comments, including those that were just made on my reply to Miss Penny Low about self-regulation in the Internet. The comments seem to have misconstrued my remarks as a desire for more regulation on the Internet. Let me say clearly that I am not advocating such a position. In fact, the topic of self-regulation is what some bloggers have asked for. Members may remember that in responding to the AIMS Committee, a group of bloggers had proposed for community moderation to replace the Government's promised lighter-touch regulatory approach. It is for the online community to decide if there should be self-regulation or not. Likewise, it is for them to deliberate on how online postings could be self-regulated or moderated. The Government will continue with its promised lighter-touch regulatory approach and to engage netizens in a constructive and beneficial way.”
“Particularly for Vasantham, we announced at last year's COS that it will become a full-fledged stand-alone channel to offer a wider variety of programmes with more hours of broadcasting. And so it became a stand-alone channel on 19th October 2008. Since then, average ratings over the past three months have increased by more than 50%. These results affirm that Singaporeans support and enjoy local programmes on local channels. Mr Zaqy Mohamad asked about MICA's plans on e-engagement. The Government agrees with AIMS' recommendation to adopt an evolutionary approach and has begun engaging on the REACH portal and the online letter Fora of local mainstream media. As I responded in the House two days ago, we are not close to the idea of engaging on other objective and credible sites in future. Given the nature of the Internet, the Government has to be focused and selective on what platforms to engage netizens. As Mr Tong Sian Hwee pointed out in his letter that was published in the Straits Times Forum today, and I quote, "An unreasonable expectation is to be able to respond to or challenge all contributions." He added that, "It is also useless to enter into discussions on sites which are obviously anti-establishment." These are his words. As a relatively new mode of communication, the Government will require time and resources to build up additional manpower, capacity and skills to facilitate better e-engagement. I think, obviously we should not underestimate the skill sets. Since I have a bit of time, let me just share that when I first went to do a web chat, I started typing out an entire paragraph – obviously it took me quite a while, not that I am such a bad typist – and by the time I finished I had missed major chunks of the conversation taking place.”
“Madam, over the years there have been changes and expansion to the programmes over the minority TV channels, such as Suria and Vasantham. However, over time, external inputs and improvement from foreign TV channels have also been tremendous. Likewise, the competition from paid or cable TV, which offers a very attractive wide range of Malay, Tamil and Hindi programmes, has been very strong as well. Does MICA have plans to step up the programmes and performance of our minority TV channels to cope with the profusion of these imports from cable TV? Will there be platforms and plans as well as funds to provide greater support to local minority content programmes for Suria and Vasantham channels? In fact, currently, the latter still shares a channel with the KIDs and Arts programmes. RAdm [NS] Lui Tuck Yew: Madam, the hon. Members have raised questions on broadcasting and public engagement. Let me first address Dr Fatimah Lateef's question on future plans and funding for Suria and Vasantham. Suria and Vasantham are important channels that reflect our multi-cultural heritage and way of life, and provide relevant local programmes for the communities. And therefore MDA provides funding support for the production and acquisition of quality programmes, such as news, current affairs, children, information and drama. MDA will sustain its support for both channels during this economic downturn. Competition from other TV channels and cable TV have actually incentivised improvements and I think this is amply demonstrated by an increase in the average ratings for both channels, especially during the prime-time belt of 8 pm to 11 pm.”
“National Arts Gallery: Proposal to have a Legal History Museum”
“Thank you, Madam. In 2009, the School of the Arts has just taken in the third intake of students. The new campus at Kirk Terrace will also certainly provide a more stimulating and exciting environment for an arts institution. Can MICA provide an update on the response and quality of students enrolled thus far? Will there be plans to expand the curriculum and increase the intake of students? Will there be consideration for foreign students intake? As arts education can be costly, for the local students from low-income families, are there specific bursaries or funds that they can tap on besides the usual national level funds where they would have to compete with students from all disciplines? Arts Outreach in the Community I will take my second cut. Much effort has been put into bringing arts into the heartlands. This helps promote a strong audience base and an active community participation. There are currently many arts-related interest and performing groups at the local community levels, eg, Chinese opera groups, Chinese orchestra, drumming groups, etc. Instead of just bringing professional arts groups with their programmes into the heartlands, can MICA consider more partnership with and funding for such community-based programmes? Running such groups may be costly for the local community. The partnership can enhance their morale and standing in the arts arena. The platform will also be a good learning and sharing avenue for those involved. Can the Ministry come up with, say, a list of the professional arts groups which are interested to do this for the local community amateur groups to approach? Perhaps, we can also have the details of the new Community Partnership Grants which can be tapped on for these purposes.”
“The creative industry is a very mobile and labile one, not just at the national level but also at the international platform. It is also an industry with many freelancers. In fact, freelancers make up approximately about 35% of the manpower in the industry in Singapore today. This number is expected to rise in the background of this economic and financial crisis, and more related companies are going to probably retrench or tighten up. Does MICA plan to have some programmes or courses to harness their talent through training, paraskilling and networking? Perhaps a central directory or register of such personnel may be useful to have. This can also help the Ministry keep score of the aggregate demand and supply of freelancers and jobs. This may also prove useful for new graduates who plan to enter the field in these difficult and challenging times. Lowering Costs of Communications”
“Sir, URA has recently announced the masterplan for redevelopment of the Paya Lebar-Geylang areas. This area is one which is rich in culture and heritage of the Malay Community and it holds the Malay Village as well. Many residents and shopowners in the area feel a strong sense of attachment and thus they would like to have as much as possible retained. Will MND and URA be working closely with the inputs from National Heritage Board in planning the redevelopment for this area to ensure as much as possible of the Malay ethnic characteristics are preserved? Most certainly, if some of the structures and places cannot be retained in its original form, some sort of replication or a new structure with the unique Malay features can be done. Sir, this area also holds hundreds of temples and clan associations. Will this be affected in any way? Sustainable Development and Environmental Sustainability”
“The presence of street prostitution comes with various social disamenities in the Geylang Area, for example. These include overcrowding and noise pollution to residents because it is also a residential area, traffic congestion and increased illegal parking as well as various minor offences. At Geylang Serai, I have led a multi-disciplinary community and agency task force and our efforts include the following: brightening dark areas and lorongs; trimming of trees for enhanced visibility; residents dialogue, feedback, cooperation and patrol, including organisation of activities in the parks and lorongs; dialogues with pub owners and management; working with LTA and URA on various issues including the coffeeshop issues; and the Police and anti-vice. Of course, a whole list of things have been done but due to overwhelming pedestrian traffic, an increased amount of litter is generated and public health concerns, such as dengue fever, is also a very real issue. Can the Ministry provide some more sustainable supervision and enforcement efforts, as well as greater presence in the area? This will certainly help the residents there. 6.00 pm Harassment by Loansharks”
“Sir, members of the Home Team are often front-line officers who come in contact with the public very frequently. This may be face to face, in written communications and also telephone conversations, as such etiquette and expression in communications play a very crucial role when engaging the public. Are there programmes for these officers to go to, so as to improve their communications and their interaction with the public? Will there be plans to enhance the quality, quantity as well as the level of training? We have had our fair share of negative communications and interaction. As they are also very public in their jobs and are fast often seen at the front line, does the Ministry also agree that they should all have some form of first responder's training, which includes CPR, first aid and perhaps also automated external defibrillator training? In this way, they can also help to improve the Singapore's out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival rate. Private Security Industry”
“With jobs, these families can pay for their daily expenses and livelihood. The investment on children’s education cannot be compromised, and for those who cannot afford it, the Government has many schemes to help them with regard to their children’s education. The Government also gave assurances that those in need will receive help, including the low-income, elderly, the sick and those unable to work, through the programmes that were announced. Help is also given to those retrenched, including through training programmes that will prepare them for other jobs. Eventually, no matter how much is done by the Government, it is up to the individual to work hard and stay committed to overcome this crisis. Our community has overcome many challenges before this, and is able to move forward. I believe that they possess a lot of resilience in facing this economic crisis. *Cols. 1855-1858. (In English): Mdm Deputy Speaker, I support the Budget. 6.57 pm”
“The small red dot has a strong brand name and a big heart, and at its core will be the ethos of thrift. (In Malay): [For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*.] This year’s Budget is the biggest ever. It requires Singapore to dip into the national reserves. This shows that Singapore is in a good position to overcome the economic crisis, and we have enough savings that we can give away. The wisdom of making preparations for difficult times, for example through the practice of frugality and savings, is an approach that is often emphasized by the Government. Hence, for the Malay/Muslim community, I would like to ask them to always instil in themselves the habit of being frugal, and to be flexible during this economic downturn. Try to use this period of downturn to attend "Smart Spending" programmes, and learn ways to reduce unnecessary spending. Parents must teach their children about the importance of saving from an early age, as the Malay saying goes "If you are willing to persevere in the beginning, you will enjoy the rewards later." For workers, they need to continue taking the opportunity to upgrade themselves so that their skills stay relevant. Those who are unemployed also must not be choosy when it comes to jobs, in order to continue their livelihood. Our new graduates must change their mindset, accept any available jobs first and not to be too choosy. Our objectives must be to strengthen abilities and improve qualities. Experience also plays an important role. The era of the iron rice bowl is over. This Budget focuses on workers and jobs, although there are those who hope for more cash handouts. The Government’s thrust to save jobs is the correct action because without jobs, how will the families support themselves?”
“In fact, this service to the community sparked my involvement in humanitarian work, serving humanity on a global scale today. Indeed serving humanity is the best work of my life and thrift is not a brake on your dreams, excellence, ambition, promotion, success and reaching out to others. Ignite your imagination and creativity and learn to think out of the box during these challenging times. Do not be negative and do not feel down. It is not how badly things turn out for you so much as how you respond to them that is important. We can use this period of crisis to come out more into the community. Spare some time to volunteer your services, build your networks and for those who have lost their jobs, we may be able to help put you in touch with our community outreach programmes and job placement programmes. You may just find a job through networking with others. The positive influence you create on people is something which cannot be measured in dollar and cents. OCBC has done a survey on the top dreams and wishes of Singaporeans. Last year, the top three dreams and wishes were: (1) seeing the world; (2) self improvement; and (3) making money. Not surprising. This year, the top three wishes are: (1) starting families; (2) settling down; and (3) buying a home. It certainly highlights the return to core values of family, kinship and human relationship. How these have changed in a span of just a year! With this Budget, Madam, the question we have to ask ourselves is not whether our Government is too big or too small but ask whether it works, whether it helps families, whether it helps create and fund jobs, whether it cares and whether it helps citizens plan a retirement which is dignified.”
“From the economic perspective, thrift begets capital, which begets prosperity Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew has mentioned that, "this Budget is not ungenerous, nor overly generous". Indeed, it is a natural law, you cannot both overspend and save at the same time. We would not have been able to afford this Budget if the Government had not been prudent and frugal. Financial prudence and thrift are part and parcel of our public expenditure. Frugality will prevail in public finance far into our future. On the issue of why we have to dip into our past reserves brought up by Member Mr Low Thia Khiang again, I feel that Mr Low should be happy that we do have reserves to dip into. This is the result of a hardworking and honest Government that has seen us through many previous recessions. Now that the Budget package has been announced and the monies are about to be disbursed, it calls on everyone, every family and every company to do the right thing, ie, the practice of thrift and prudence, compassion and empathy. This encompasses the ideals of hard work, financial prudence and generosity. Thrift leads us to use all we have in the wisest way to promote thriving. This Budget will test Singaporeans' adaptability, how companies can negotiate changes and innovate, how professionals can learn from conversion courses. It calls on us to reflect on what our wants and needs are. Strict financial planning for yourself and your families. Live within your means. Waste not, want not and always put something aside for a rainy day. All these seem so familiar to me. Coming from a family with very modest background, I did voluntary community work during school breaks to fend my restless teenage energy, whilst my friends went on overseas holidays and on shopping sprees.”
“In a crisis as this, everyone and every company will be affected by the tsunami people effect, no matter how deep their pockets are. Anyway, such companies can share their benefits with their employees – sharing bonuses and goodwill during good times and of course taking pay cuts and tightening their belts during tough times. If the Member can come up with something more practical and creative, I am sure everybody will be more than willing to listen to him. Member Sylvia Lim also suggested earlier today by giving out money to retrenched workers. She suggested giving out 50% of their last drawn salary for six months which she said should be ceiling about $500 per month. I am not sure we want to support this, instead of making sure people have jobs like the Jobs Credit Scheme. Because I would also caution the Government against taking on her suggestion, as it may lead us down the slippery slope of unemployment benefits, welfarism and of course something like what we call the dole scheme in the West. So imagine what this would do to our workers, in terms of their mentality and psyche as well. Globally, this crisis is the consequence of an era of easy credit, indebtedness, instant gratification and living beyond one's means. For example, the sub-prime crisis and the Ninja loans in the US. But this crunch actually stems from a deeper moral and spiritual matter. At stake, is a virtue which capitalism depends on, that is thrift. The main reason we are in this situation is that people have lost their sense of thrift. In Samuel Smiles book titled "Thrift", it is mentioned that thrift is the daughter of prudence, the sister of temperance and the mother of liberty.”
“It is a bold Budget they say, valued at 6% of our GDP. It has pushed new boundaries. It has sparked debates in all sectors, from coffee shops to schools and corporate boardrooms. Mdm Deputy Speaker, extraordinary circumstances do call for extraordinary measures. It is a most challenging crisis we are facing, just as Barack Obama puts it rather succinctly, and I quote, "The challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many." Yes, it is serious enough that we have to respond in an extraordinary way with a calculated risk at implementing the well-thought and researched Jobs Credit Scheme. The Member Mr Low Thia Khiang yesterday wanted evidence that it will work well as a pilot, as an original. There will be no prior data and no statistics to analyse for now. It may or may not be statistically significant, in terms of saving jobs, we have to see. But to help him see this clearly, let us consider the following hypothetical scenario. Company A has 200 employees with Jobs Credit Scheme at 12% for the first $2,500 per employee per month, this would mean $300 per employee per month saved by the company. Thus, for the 200 employees that Company A has, it would get about $60,000 per month from the Government. This can be used to pay for at least 20 workers if we consider each of them earning about $3,000 per month. This is equivalent to Company A not having to formally pay the salary of about 10% of its workforce as the Government is already doing it. These 20 people could have lost their jobs without the Jobs Credit Scheme. But we will have to monitor the scheme and follow through. Mr Low was also not supportive of the scheme as he said the companies which are doing better will also benefit from the scheme. I asked him – but he is not here – so what?”
“The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. – (Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee). Bill considered in Committee. [Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Matthias Yao Chih) in the Chair] Clauses 1 to 19 inclusive ordered to stand part of the Bill. Clause 20 –”