Gan Kim Yong
Singapore
“Consumer complaints relating to the secondary resale market for tickets to major events and concerts have generally remained low. Nonetheless, to protect the public from scams on secondary ticket resale platforms, the Police have imposed Code of Practice requirements under the Online Criminal Harms Act to require designated online service…”
“Singapore does not condone the use of forced labour. We criminalise forced labour in Singapore under various laws. Relevant Government Ministries and agencies, such as the Ministry of Manpower, Ministry of Home Affairs and Singapore Police Force, play their part in investigating complaints of suspected breaches in domestic laws that relat…”
“The Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS) discontinued the PayNow nickname feature as scammers had been exploiting the use of nicknames to impersonate legitimate entities and trusted individuals.”
“As of end-2025, around 6,900 private residential buildings have registered their solar installations with SP Group for the export of excess solar-generated electricity to the grid. The installed solar capacity of these residential buildings is 115.3 megawatt-peak (MWp), or around 5.5% of all current installed solar capacity in Singapore.”
“The one-year pilot extension of liquor trading hours has seen strong interest from businesses. As of 31 May 2026, the Police have approved 88 applications for the extension of liquor trading hours from public entertainment outlets in these areas.”
“The Government does not make projections of domestic or regional demand for renewable diesel or sustainable aviation fuel. Demand depends on commercial considerations, evolving market conditions and regulatory developments across different jurisdictions.”
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“Children from financially disadvantaged backgrounds who require additional learning support, or a more conducive environment for self-study or revision, can seek subsidised tuition from self-help groups like the Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC), Yayasan MENDAKI, and the Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA), or the Special Tuition and Enrichment Programme run by the Singapore Teachers' Union. Pre-school Education”
“The Edusave Scheme was intended to support Singaporean students in Government-funded schools, and motivate them to excel academically as well as in non-academic areas. It is a form of Government subsidy to students in publicly-funded schools. As such, we do not plan to extend Edusave to Singaporean students who choose to study in private institutions, including privately-funded schools. Besides, Mr Ong, Dr Loo Choon Yong and Ms Lee Bee Wah had also asked about extending the Post Secondary Education Account (or PSEA) for use in private education institutions, during the Budget debate. For now, we are starting cautiously with a small group of institutions, given that our post-secondary education landscape is very diverse. As we gain more experience with time, we will review whether to include more quality institutions in the scope of use of the PSEA. Let me now move on to Mdm Cynthia Phua's questions about tuition centres. There are approximately 400 registered tuition centres in Singapore. MOE does not keep track of their turnover. From MOE's perspective, our school system already provides holistic education as well as a wide range of enrichment and remedial programmes to meet the educational needs of our students. However, we do understand that parents, wanting the best for their children, may choose to engage private tutors to provide additional support for their children's learning needs. It is not practical for MOE to intervene in such cases. Parents should allow their children some time to rest and reflect on their learning. They should avoid cramming too much in a day or during the weekends.”
“To this end, MOE is exploring the feasibility of introducing a licensing system to ensure that private schools meet certain standards in terms of academic rigour, financial stability and student welfare before they are allowed to operate. We will also be looking into an accreditation system to recognise high-quality private education providers, and to help students in selecting the right school that suits them. This point was also raised by Dr Teo Ho Pin during the Budget debate. Currently, all private schools are required to attain the CaseTrust for Education status before they can offer placement for international students. In addition, SPRING also certifies private schools for the Singapore Quality Class (SQC), which helps private schools put in place sound management systems and processes to improve their performance and attain business excellence. MOE will consult with industry to work out the regulatory framework, to support Singapore's development as a quality Education Hub. Mr Ong Kian Min asked whether MOE plans to have more privately-funded institutions to provide diversity in our education landscape. We started with two privately-funded schools in 2005 (Hwa Chong International and ACS International), and a third school in 2007 (SJI International). Currently, these three privately-funded schools have not yet reached full capacity. We will monitor the situation before deciding whether to allow more privately-funded schools to open up. 4.30 pm Mr Ong also asked whether we can extend Edusave and the Post-Secondary Education Account to Singaporean students studying full-time in private institutions approved by MOE.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, Dr Lily Neo and Mr Yeo Guat Kwang have both asked about the regulation of private education institutions in Singapore. MOE shares their concern about the uneven quality amongst private schools here. The private education scene in Singapore has evolved over the years. Up to the 1990s, the majority of qualifications offered by private schools were Distance Learning Programmes from overseas institutions. The Singapore agents' role was primarily to facilitate correspondence courses. They were appointed by the foreign institutions to handle administrative functions like collecting fees, distributing assignments and conducting examinations. They did not have campuses for regular classes. However, the role of these providers has changed over time and new private education organisations have emerged. Some have established physical campuses and hired lecturers to conduct full-time classes. Some have even developed their own course content and modules. They have built up expertise in delivering diploma programmes as well as degree programmes validated by overseas universities. The number of private schools has also grown from 267 in 1996 to 1,125 in 2006. At the same time, Singapore has acquired a strong global reputation in education due to the quality of the education programmes in our publicly-funded schools and tertiary institutions. Many foreign students are attracted to study here. It is important for us to preserve the reputation of our education system. Therefore, there is a need to enhance the regulatory framework for the private education organisations to ensure quality in this fast-growing sector. Education service providers should compete on quality, rather than on course fees or shorter time to graduation.”
“Going forward, children who have been assessed as being able to follow a curriculum leading to the 'O or 'N' levels or pre-vocational certification may have their education funded up to 21 years of age, up from the current 18 years of age. Sir, to sum up, let me emphasise that MOE’s vision is to allow every child in Singapore to develop his potential, including those with special educational needs. There is a Chinese saying which says, you jiao wu lei 有教无类, meaning we support opportunity to all children. We support the broad vision set out by the Steering Committee on the Enabling Masterplan. On our part, MOE will provide greater involvement in overseeing and supporting the management of SPED schools, a more diverse range of opportunities for children with special needs, as well as more training and professional support for SPED schools to achieve excellence. MOE will work in close collaboration with MOH, NCSS and other partner organisations to realise this vision. I am confident that with the collective efforts of Government, the community and the people, we can better reach out to children with special needs. Together, we can make a difference in their lives, and create a more inclusive society.”
“MOE will provide training for these teachers through the National Institute of Education and cross-train more mainstream teachers to teach in a SPED school environment. In addition, MOE will work closely with the special education schools to actively facilitate interaction between mainstream and special education teachers. For example, we will encourage work attachments by mainstream teachers in special education schools, and for SPED teachers to be attached to mainstream schools. MOE will also enhance the existing framework to facilitate the secondment of more mainstream teachers to SPED schools. To allow SPED schools to ride on the developmental opportunities provided by the school cluster system and to strengthen the network of collaboration, they will be invited to join cluster activities in relevant areas such as capacity building and professional enhancement, pupil development and support, and community linkages and networking. Sir, beyond the sharing of professional expertise, additional funding support will also be provided to the Special Education sector. Currently, all schools receive funding based on the capitation grant for primary education. However, some of the SPED schools have some secondary age students or older, eg, Pathlight School where there are students who are taking secondary level mainstream curriculum, or Delta Senior School where students are in pre-vocational programmes. Funding for these students will be increased, based on the capitation grant for secondary education. The additional funding support amounts to about $8,000 per student per year. MOE recognises that some children with special educational needs may learn at a slower pace and thus need more time to achieve their learning outcomes.”
“These experiments have worked well, especially in helping these students transit to a mainstream school eventually. MOE plans to implement more satellite SPED classes in mainstream partner schools. This arrangement will allow the SPED children to interact with children in the mainstream school during some lessons, as well as other activities outside of the classroom. At the same time, they continue to enjoy the benefits of specialised instructions for most subjects in the SPED classes. Mainstream students would also benefit from interaction with people with disabilities from a young age, in line with our efforts to build a more inclusive society. To increase opportunities for interaction and socialisation, five SPED schools are currently located adjacent to mainstream schools. Another five will be located next to mainstream schools when their purpose-built school buildings are ready. For children in SPED schools who can benefit more from pre-vocational training, MOE will be exploring with training agencies like ITE and NTUC to make available to them pre-vocational courses which could be aligned to the Employability Skills System established by the Workforce Development Agency. This will help enhance their employability, so that they can be integrated into society and be more independent when they grow up. 3.15 pm Let me now touch on the third thrust - that of providing more training and professional support for SPED schools to achieve excellence. This is an area that the Steering Committee has highlighted in its recommendations, and which Dr Amy Khor also asked about. Currently, about 50% of the special education school teachers teaching the mainstream curriculum are not trained in the delivery of the curriculum.”
“Ms Denise Phua, Dr Amy Khor and Mr Christopher de Souza talked about integrating some children with special needs in the mainstream education environment, where such interactions would be beneficial to the learning outcomes of these children. I would like to reiterate that there are some 4,000 students with mild to moderate levels of special learning needs who are already in our mainstream schools. Close to 60 mainstream schools have been retrofitted to facilitate access for children with physical disabilities. There are also two designated schools for the hearing impaired and four for the visually impaired, catering to students who need specialised support. MOE is planning for four more designated schools to cater to the hearing impaired and visually impaired at both primary and secondary levels. In addition, to help children with special educational needs in mainstream schools, more SNOs will be recruited and trained to support children with other types of learning disabilities beyond the mild to moderate dyslexia and autism, to include disabilities such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). At the same time, some children with special needs who are currently pursuing the mainstream curriculum in SPED schools can benefit from greater interaction with other children in a mainstream school environment. Since 2006, Pathlight School has piloted a satellite SPED class for its autistic students at Chong Boon Secondary School. The Canossian School is housed in the same Eduplex as Canossa Convent Primary School. It has also piloted a programme to send a small group of its hearing-impaired students to neighbouring MacPherson Primary School to attend some lessons there.”
“Some VWOs have indicated to us that they face significant challenges in attracting quality leaders to head their SPED schools. Going forward, MOE will work more closely with the VWOs in the appointments of principals and school supervisors for SPED schools. MOE may also recommend mainstream Education Officers as potential candidates for SPED school leaders to enhance the professionalism in school leadership. Another area is in learning outcomes. We want to encourage SPED schools and parents to set high but realistic expectations and help these children to realise their potential. MOE will engage the SPED schools to help develop targets for the learning outcomes of their students. Depending on the students, these could include 'O' or 'N' level passes, or pre-vocational certification or other measurable outcomes. Dr Amy Khor was concerned about the quality of special education. In addition to defining learning outcomes, SPED schools will also need to show greater accountability for the quality of their education programmes. MOE will work with NCSS to develop a quality assurance framework, and carry out management audits of SPED schools periodically. I will now move on to the second thrust of providing a diverse range of educational opportunities for children with special needs. Just as MOE is offering diversity and choice in our mainstream education system, we also recognise that a differentiated set of approaches is the best way to meet the wide range of special needs. We should avoid a binary approach of either placing all children with special needs in mainstream schools, or segregating them entirely in SPED schools.”
“Indeed, SPED schools like Pathlight School and Metta School are good examples of the success of this partnership approach, where the expertise, professionalism and commitment of the VWOs have made a real difference to the SPED schools. We have significantly improved the Special Needs sector over the last few years. But I agree more can be done, and MOE is constantly looking at ways to further improve the quality of education for children with special needs. The Steering Committee of the Enabling Masterplan 2007-2011 has released its report on 12th February which proposed many recommendations relating to education for children with special needs. MOE agrees with the broad direction for education taken in the Enabling Masterplan report. In line with the "Many Helping Hands" approach endorsed by the Steering Committee, MOE has consulted the special schools and our VWO partners. We will adopt a three-pronged approach to further improve the quality of education for children with special needs. Broadly, MOE will provide: Firstly, greater involvement in overseeing and supporting the management of SPED schools, especially on educational matters. Secondly, we will provide a diverse range of educational opportunities for children with special educational needs. And thirdly, greater training and professional support for SPED schools to achieve excellence. I will elaborate on each of these thrusts in turn. Let me start with the first thrust, greater involvement in overseeing and supporting the management of SPED schools, especially on educational matters. MOE intends to play a more active role within the current framework, but we will focus on areas where we have core competence in. One such area is school leadership. Leadership is crucial in the management of the school.”
“We also provide professional support to SPED schools, including advice on mainstream curriculum and pedagogy, as well as some training courses. In September 2004, MOE announced a series of measures to enhance education support for children with special needs, both in SPED as well as mainstream schools. Through these measures, we now have enough places in SPED schools to cater to all children with special needs, compared to a waiting list of 230 children in 2004. The construction of customised school buildings for 19 SPED schools is largely on track. A Steering Committee on Teaching and Learning was set up jointly by MOE and NCSS in 2005 to look into improving the quality of teaching and learning in SPED schools. MOE has deployed 81 Special Needs Officers (SNOs) to 70 primary and secondary schools since 2005, and the number of SNOs is expected to grow to close to 240 by 2010. These initiatives are being rolled out and their full effects will be seen in the years to come. A SPED school requires a range of professional skills, some of which reside within the relevant voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) who specialise in different disability areas. There is also considerable diversity of needs across the SPED sector. Therefore, as Mr de Souza recognised, no single agency, whether MOE or other agencies, is able to provide the holistic support needed by children with disabilities. The needs of the children will be better served through a "Many Helping Hands" approach, involving partnership among various stakeholders in education, health and social services. MOE has partnered some 13 VWOs to operate special schools that offer customised services catering to children with different disabilities.”
“Mr Chairman, our education system aims to help develop individuals to realise their potential to the fullest, equip them with the necessary skills for employment and to imbue in them the right values to become good and active citizens. This applies not just to children in the mainstream schools, but also children with disabilities and special educational needs. I thank Ms Denise Phua, Dr Amy Khor and Mr Christopher de Souza for their comments and questions about special education, and most of all, for their passion and support for children with special needs. The Special Education sector has a very diverse landscape. It covers a wide spectrum of disabilities including learning difficulties, intellectual disability, sensory and physical disabilities. It also has a wide range of varying degrees of disabilities. Currently, there are about 4,000 children with mild to moderate special learning needs in our mainstream schools, and approximately 4,800 children with more severe special needs in 21 SPED schools. Of these 4,800 children, about 500 of them currently take the mainstream curriculum in SPED schools. These schools provide additional specialist and para-medical support to help the children access the mainstream curriculum. The other schools cater to children with more severe disabilities, and focus more on programmes to help them develop skills for independent living as well as vocational skills where possible. Ms Denise Phua, Dr Amy Khor and Mr Christopher de Souza have asked MOE to play a more proactive role in the education of children with disabilities. MOE already oversees the overall educational policy, direction and operation of SPED schools. We provide the majority share of development and recurrent funding.”
“Mr Speaker, through our various schemes, especially under the Advantage! Scheme which was announced some time last year, we have come out with a suite of measures to encourage older workers to continue to upgrade themselves. We are also working with NTUC to carry out job redesign so that certain jobs which were not suitable for older workers will be made suitable for them. We are also working with the employers' representatives, SNEF as well as SBF, to work with employer groups to change the work practices in the work places to make them more suitable for older workers and to also help employers change their mindset to be more receptive to older workers. Through all these measures, we will continue to encourage our workers to work longer in preparation for an ageing population and an ageing workforce. With regard to her question on lifelong learning, we will continue to pursue lifelong learning both through the WDA as well as the training institutions. Column No : 3045 PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP SCHEME AND BEST SOURCING 2. Mr Zaqy Mohamad asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) how will the Government rate its Public Private Partnership Scheme and outsourcing projects to date; (b) what are the measures being used to measure the success of these initiatives; (c) which projects have provided good returns and which have notably fallen short of expectations beyond reasonable limits; and (d) are there any new models being considered for the near future.”
“Mr Speaker, as I explained in my speech just now, we are taking various measures to encourage older workers to continue to stay in the workforce. We are also introducing a lot of initiatives to encourage employers to shift their mindset and to accept older workers in their workforce. We are studying the Japan's system of encouraging older workers to work. So I think, at the moment, our focus is on practical ways to encourage older workers to remain in the workforce, rather than to look at the retirement age.”
“I think the universities will have to continue to make their research programmes more attractive. Through Government funding, we will also provide opportunities for Singaporeans who are interested in pursuing R&D to have opportunities to pursue their interests in Singapore. It is a long-term effort. We would not be able to see results overnight, but with sustained effort from the universities and the Government, we would be able to achieve our objectives. Column No : 2842 Column No : 2842 ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2007 TO 31ST MARCH, 2008 (Paper Cmd. 2 of 2007) Order read for consideration in Committee of Supply [4th Allotted Day]. [Mr Speaker in the Chair] Head L - Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources”
“From Singapore's point of view, indeed, we can have the opportunity to become an international centre for R&D. In fact, we have already moved ahead in this direction. The Government, as I have mentioned earlier, has invested in the R&D efforts, both at the university as well as the research institution levels. Moving forward, we will continue to do so in a very targeted way to develop the R&D capability in Singapore. And how does this contribute to our economy? As we move forward towards a knowledge-based, innovation-driven economy, I think R&D will play a very important part to generate economic activities at the higher level and to also attract talents to Singapore.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I think many of our school leaders within our mainstream schools, and within the special education schools, have very close working relations with advisers on the ground, and I would encourage advisers themselves to also take a pro-active role in encouraging their grassroots leaders to be actively involved in helping out in the special education sector. If we can work together collectively through the many-helping-hands approach, we will be more effective in reaching out to these children with special needs. Column No : 1246 PUBLIC ASSISTANCE SCHEME (Review) 13. Dr Lily Neo asked the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports when was the last review of the Public Assistance Scheme and whether there has been an increase in the number of families on the Public Assistance Scheme.”
“Mr Speaker, with regard to the first question, I certainly would like to explain that many of these students actually did more than six hours of CIP. Ms Phua herself has experienced these voluntary services provided by students which go much beyond six hours. We hope that the 6-hour experience will open their eyes to the opportunities and the challenges of volunteerism. And through these six hours of experience, it could challenge them and enthuse them to continue in community service. With regard to the second question, the MOE certainly would like to explore different models of integration between special schools and mainstream schools. I think some suggestions by the Member are possible models for us to consider. And we certainly hope that these models that are practicable and effective should last beyond their individual personalities.”
“On Ms Irene Ng's suggestion, we have to also bear in mind that it is not easy to enforce because, first, we have to check whether they are paid CPF. If they are not paid CPF, then the CPF record will not be there and we are not sure whether they are working. But we will take up the suggestion and see what we can do with regard to inspection and to see whether we can check at the worksites. Unions”
“I would like to thank Mdm Halimah for the suggestion. Certainly, we will take into account the different language requirements for the materials that we will be circulating to the workers in order to reach them effectively. Mdm Halimah also suggested that we should also look at occupational diseases, and this is something that we will look into. The last point is about contract workers. In fact, I mentioned in my speech that the Ministry does take a proactive action to reach out to contract workers. Mdm Halimah would also appreciate that these contract workers very often are "informal". So there are no established channels for us to reach out to. If they are members of the union, we could take advantage of the union's network to reach out to them. And if they are employed by members of the SNEF or SBF, we can also reach out to them through their employers. But I agree that more needs to be done and, hopefully, together with the Tripartite Alliance, as well as the Tripartite Action Group, we can do a lot more in time to come.”
“The Ministry has a programme on enforcement action against illegal workers. Some of these programmes, for effectiveness reasons, have to be kept confidential. Therefore, it is not possible for me to tell him when we are going to conduct a raid on illegal drivers who are ferrying workers to the construction sites. But we take note of his comments and, at the appropriate time, enforcement actions will be taken against employers who employ illegal workers, whether in the construction sites as drivers or in any form of illegal employment.”
“Remedial Orders will be issued instead where there are serious lapses, particularly systemic lapses, which require attention so that we can compel companies to take remedial actions. Other penalties will be calibrated to better reflect the costs of irresponsible practices. Where appropriate, we will also hold directors and managers who are responsible personally accountable. Contractors who have not instituted comprehensive safety management systems should do so promptly. They should ensure that their workforce is adequately trained and that resources are allocated to proper safety equipment and processes. My Ministry is currently reviewing our demerit points system for the construction sector. I note concerns that contractors, who have multiple worksites, would find the current system a disproportionately heavier burden on them. We will factor this into our calibration of the demerit points system. But let me emphasise that we will not hesitate to stop work or impose other penalties against all worksites, if a contractor is found to have serious systemic flaws in his safety management practices, because the lives of workers at all his sites could be endangered. In summary, our ultimate objective is to shape behaviour to create workplaces with fair and acceptable employment practices, and which take care of workers' safety and health. In doing so, we will make Singapore a great place to work.”
“Under the new Workplace Safety and Health Act, it is illegal for employers to dismiss their workers or threaten to dismiss them if they raise legitimate safety and health matters with the authorities. We want to create a culture of openness in this area, and foster a spirit of co-operation and feedback. I thank Mr Yeo for his questions and inputs over the past year on the reform of occupational safety and health in Singapore. He has been a consistent and tireless supporter of our efforts to raise standards and thereby protect the welfare of our workers. Other Members, such as Mdm Halimah Yacob, Dr Amy Khor and Dr Teo Ho Pin have also made important contributions to the debate and given us valuable suggestions and insights. Dr Wang Kai Yuen has asked whether the current enforcement regime and demerit points system used in the construction sector are too harsh on contractors. MOM's enforcement framework is not penalty-driven. Our inspectors do not have to meet targets or quotas for detecting violations, and it is not a numbers game. In addition to detecting non-compliance, we will focus on systemic weaknesses, and giving feedback to companies on how to improve. This will have a greater impact over the long term rather than simply penalising errant companies. Recalcitrant companies will be closely monitored and guided under a special surveillance programme. Over the past year, we have increased our enforcement activities and will continue to do so over the next few years, but our inspectors will be fair and professional in carrying out their inspections. Stop-Work Orders will be issued only where there are imminent dangers to workers.”
“I am pleased to inform the House that we will increase our enforcement presence significantly. The number of inspectors will be increased by 50% to about 150 inspectors over the next two years. A range of new targeted enforcement programmes will be introduced, supported by new capabilities in collecting and analysing information through an electronic reporting system. This information system and analytical capability will guide our enforcement measures, as well as our promotional and educational efforts. Under the new framework, the conduct of comprehensive and proper risk assessments will be a key requirement. Some companies may not have the capabilities or competencies to do this on their own and may need to engage external parties for this purpose. To help companies defray these costs, MOM has set aside a $5 million Risk Management Assistance Fund, which would be used to co-fund the cost of engaging a consultant to assist in identifying and addressing risks at the workplace. Under this Fund, employers who qualify will receive up to 70% co-funding when they engage safety consultants to conduct risk assessments, subject to a cap of $7,500. We will announce the full details of the scheme soon. MOM will also step up worker outreach, to ensure that workers are aware of their rights and know the channels to voice their concerns. We will be enhancing the orientation course for foreign workers for this purpose. We have already published a new booklet for foreign workers to help them understand their rights to a safe working environment and their responsibilities. We will be producing more materials with safety messages and make them available to the workers.”
“There has been good support from industry too - particularly from companies which have a strong OSH culture and appreciate its long-term benefits. Understandably, some businesses have expressed concern. SMEs, in particular, are concerned with the potential increase in costs to meet the requirements of the Act. They are also worried that they do not have the skills and competencies to comply with the Act. MOM acknowledges these concerns. We will provide written and online guides to explain the new legislative regime. 5.30 pm We will also devote additional resources to helping industry build stronger OSH capabilities, including the use of third-party safety professionals. Together with the industry, we will develop a framework of competency standards for OSH personnel to raise their competency levels. We will also step up the accreditation of training providers to ensure that there are adequate and competent providers to support the needs of the industry. Our aim is to persuade all employers to become willing partners by embracing and adopting sound OSH practices as part of their corporate culture. The newly formed Workplace Safety and Health Advisory Committee (WSHAC) will champion various promotional activities, at the national and sectoral levels. The Advisory Committee will be playing an active role in this year's National Workplace Safety and Health Week to be held next month. One early initiative of the Advisory Committee is to publish a report jointly with the Ministry on accident trends and analysis. This will highlight the "hotspots" and will be useful in designing programmes to curb accidents. During the Second Reading of the new Act, Dr Amy Khor, Dr Teo Ho Pin and Mdm Halimah Yacob urged MOM to increase our pool of inspectors and step up enforcement.”
“But I would like to inform the House that we have, in fact, stepped up our enforcement efforts significantly. For example, in the food and beverage sector, the Ministry's stepped-up enforcement has resulted in a significant increase in the number of illegal workers arrested, from 474 in 2004 to 603 in 2005. In November last year, a series of coordinated raids were conducted at 13 coffee shops which led to the arrest of 52 illegal workers over a period of two days. This stepped-up enforcement has resulted in more errant employers being prosecuted in court. Last year, the total number of errant employers jailed was 42% more than the average during the period from 2001 to 2004. Moving forward, we intend to continue our emphasis on enforcement and we will expand the Ministry's Employment Inspectorate in the coming year. The Ministry is also reviewing the Employment of Foreign Workers Act with a view to increasing the penalties against illegal employment, among others. Let me now turn to the other important area of workplace safety and health raised by some Members. During the COS debate last year, MOM announced that it would be revamping the existing occupational safety and health (OSH) framework to engender a strong safety culture at the workplace. Since then, we have put in place a new legislative framework. The new Workplace Safety and Health Act was passed by Parliament in January this year. It came into force on 1st March, replacing the Factories Act as the primary Act regulating occupational safety and health. Mr Yeo Guat Kwang has asked what the reaction has been since the passing of this new Act. Unions have been supportive, as this Act means better protection for workers.”
“Of the 10,200 workers retrenched from private sector establishments with at least 25 employees in 2005, about 4,000 were from companies with relocations overseas. It is inevitable that we will continue to lose some of the lower-end activities to the lower cost countries. Therefore, we need to continue to build up high-value, high-technology industries, and identify new growth areas. We can understand that workers are concerned. Those who are affected by outsourcing may be displaced and have difficulties coping. Under the Employment Act, a retrenched worker is eligible to claim for retrenchment benefits if he has at least three years of service. Singapore employers are generally enlightened and responsible, and they do pay retrenchment benefits to their staff who are made redundant, sometimes even for those with less than three years' service. Employers should also try to help retrenched workers in their search for jobs, where possible. Some companies have engaged counselling services to help retrenched employees cope with the psychological impact. We encourage more companies to do so. Unions can also help in the process too. The WDA has various programmes to help displaced workers acquire new skills needed to secure new jobs. WDA also runs a network of job centres under the Distributed Careerlink Network (DCN) to advise on job opportunities and help retrenched workers find jobs. Mr Steve Chia has highlighted the need for my Ministry to step up its enforcement action against illegal workers, and suggested regular but surprise checks. Perhaps we should inform them ahead of time! Such illegal activities are clearly in breach of the Ministry's work pass conditions and they do undermine our manpower policies.”
“But we will look at the Act from time to time and see whether we can improve the effectiveness of the Act to protect the interests of contract workers. The issue, today, really is one of compliance and enforcement, not the lack of legal protection for these contract workers. The CPF Board and the Ministry of Manpower will continue to investigate complaints against violations and take serious actions against errant employers, including legal prosecution. Employees, including contract employees, who are denied their employment benefits under the Employment Act should seek advice and assistance from their unions, if they are union members. Non-unionised workers can approach my Ministry officers for help. Our officers will help the workers to pursue their claims if they have a valid case. It is important for employees to bring incidences of non-compliance with the law to the attention of the authorities promptly. Any delay in reporting non-payment of salary and CPF will make recovery much more difficult, especially when the company is facing financial difficulties. Some employees may agree with their employers to forgo CPF payments in return for higher take-home pay. By doing so, they compromise their retirement savings and financial security, as pointed out by Mr Yeo. Mr Yeo also asked for more statistics on contract workers to be published. We do provide such statistics but, as Mr Yeo would appreciate, it is not easy to track contract workers as many of them are informal. Let me now turn to Mr Seng Han Thong's comments on how we can help workers affected by outsourcing. Companies operating in Singapore are increasingly outsourcing part of their operations to focus more on their core businesses, and to reduce costs.”
“First, the number of contract workers has been increasing over the past few years, although the overall proportion remains small. MOM's Labour Force Survey showed that the share of workers on short term contracts of less than a year rose from 2.9% in 2001 to 4.9% in 2004. Notwithstanding this increase, the number of successful claims lodged by contract workers under the Employment Act has remained stable over the past few years, at about 200 per year. Contract workers enjoy the same protection as permanent full-time employees under our employment laws, such as the CPF Act, the Employment Act and the Workmen's Compensation Act. Their employers must contribute to the CPF if their income exceeds $50 a month. They are also entitled to specific employment benefits under the Employment Act, such as annual leave and medical leave, and overtime pay if they work beyond the contracted hours of work. Mr Yeo pointed out that there is a minimum service period of 3-6 months to qualify for benefits under the Employment Act, and suggested that this should be reviewed. First of all, it is not easy to track intermittent employment and it is not easy to verify such employment. It is also not easy to justify on-going liability for an employment contract that has been severed. For example, an employee works for an employer for a short period of time, say, one month. At the end of the month, the contract is terminated or is completed. Later on, if he were to return to the employer to continue to work, the employer would then become liable for the previous employment that they have entered into. This may not be fair to the employer and, in the long term, it may, in fact, deter the employer from employing these employees who have left the company.”
“However, imposing the "Mandarin requirement" in jobs where this is not needed is inappropriate and it will prevent companies from getting the best candidate. The Tripartite Committee on Employability of Older Workers also recognised the need to improve HR standards in relation to recruitment and retention. It recommended establishing a Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices, which will go beyond age-related issues. Mdm Halimah Yacob has asked what role the Alliance will be taking and what measures it will put in place and what resources have been given to the Alliance. The Alliance will be set up by June. Led by SNEF and NTUC, it will receive support from MOM. The Alliance will also work with employers, employees and unions to promote a culture of fair and responsible employment practices. The Alliance will start by publishing guidelines and good practices to help shape behaviour. It will also partner relevant agencies to develop industry capabilities and introduce training programmes. Employers that are exemplary in implementing fair employment practices will be recognised. I expect the scope of the Alliance's role to evolve over time as it gains more experience and confidence in promoting fair employment practices at the workplace. Several Members expressed concern over the impact of certain employment practices on workers. Ms Irene Ng was concerned that contract workers were not paid CPF and other statutory employment benefits. Mr Yeo Guat Kwang mentioned the need for legislative protection for these workers. Mr Seng Han Thong had urged a more holistic approach to outsourcing to reduce its impact on workers and how we can help them. I will take these issues in turn.”
“Sir, let me, first, begin by thanking Members who have spoken on employment practices and workplace safety. Our efforts to nurture a quality workforce must be supported by parallel programmes to build great workplaces. Employment practices must be fair and equitable, based on ability and productivity. Occupational safety and health systems must be comprehensive and robust. Globalisation and competition may put pressure on companies to cut costs in order to survive. Some may be tempted to take the easy way out by cutting back on the provision of legislated employment benefits. Some may even be prepared to compromise safety and health standards and, in the process, put their workers at risk. These practices are not acceptable and will in the long term undermine the interests of our workforce and our economy as a whole. On employment practices, the Government recognises that more needs to be done to prevent discrimination and other unfair practices at work. During the Budget debate, Mr Ahmad Khalis raised the concern that the "Mandarin requirement" in job advertisements was not always relevant to the job. I agree that employers should not use discriminatory criteria. They should assess candidates based on their merits. The Tripartite Guidelines on Non-Discriminatory Job Advertisements serve as a useful guide to employers in this regard. MOM investigates all complaints of discriminatory employment practices, including those alleging that the "Mandarin requirement" was used to exclude non-Chinese candidates. In some cases, employers are able to justify the requirement, such as the need to deal with Mandarin-speaking clientele.”
“Registration has a specific purpose, and that is to ensure the minimum criteria for teachers are met, the minimum physical configurations of the schools are met and that the curriculum that they offer is of acceptable content. That is the primary objective of the registration. To really regulate the entire private education industry we have to rely on collective effort with the industry itself. That is why, I mentioned earlier on that we are glad to see that the industry itself is taking the initiative, through the Association and, in fact, through CASE as well, to look at ways to improve the image of the private schools and, at the same time, to preserve the interest of the students, including their fees and so on, to make sure that their interests are protected. 5.30 pm Effectiveness of Education”
“MOE's registration is part of a multi-agency approach involving EDB, CASE, SPRING, ICA and STB to protect students' interest as well as to encourage PEOs to work towards organisational and academic excellence. We believe that the market is the real test for the quality of education provided by PEOs. Industry players should work with accreditation agencies to differentiate themselves and to raise the overall standard of PEOs in Singapore. To this end, MOE is pleased to note that various industry associations such as the Association of Private Schools (APS) and the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (ASME) have stepped forward to help private schools upgrade. Students and parents, local or foreign, should conduct their own checks on the quality of the courses, tuition centres, schools or PEOs before enrolling in these programmes. I agree with Mr Yeo and Dr Ong that we can provide more information to help students make an informed choice. Since February 2006, MOE has enhanced its private education website to include information on some of the checks that students can do when selecting institutions which offer external degree programmes. Other information available includes the CaseTrust for Education and SQC-PEO schemes and there are links to these and other relevant websites. Moving forward, MOE will continue to enhance its website to provide more information to students and parents. Assoc. Prof. Ong Soh Khim's query on higher degrees will be taken up by my Minister later.”
“Mr Yeo Guat Kwang called for greater quality control of private educational organisations (PEOs) and for more information of PEOs to be made available to assist students to make an "informed" choice. Under the Education Act, MOE registers private schools which include tuition centres, language schools and commercial schools. These private schools must meet building and fire safety requirements and have an acceptable curriculum and qualified teachers before they can be registered. Tuition centres have to seek MOE's permission to engage teachers. Dr Ong is right that these teachers must possess educational qualifications beyond the levels they intend to teach and have the knowledge related to the subject areas to be taught. For example, for secondary level subjects, teachers must have 'A' levels or above. However, some parents prefer to engage private tutors either through tuition agencies or their personal contacts; some engage their relatives and friends. Tuition agencies are commercial set-ups usually registered as businesses/companies with the Accounting and Corporate Regulating Authority (ACRA). Unlike tuition centres, they do not come under the jurisdiction of MOE and they do not operate as a "school" per se. For PEOs who wish to offer external degree programmes (EDPs), MOE will register these programmes if the foreign university offering the programme is bona fide and that degree is conferred by the foreign university. However, MOE's registration is not tantamount to the accreditation of the PEOs or endorsement of the quality and standard of the courses delivered by them.”
“For instance, modules such as Communications Skills, Creative and Applied Thinking Skills and Foundational Mathematics could be covered in the programme. As some of these modules are also part of the main diploma programmes, DPA students who have taken the preparatory programme can be exempted from these courses subsequently. For a start, we target to have about 500 students admitted under the DPA exercise each year, or about 100 students per polytechnic. This is equivalent to about 2.5% of the polytechnics' annual intake, in addition to the 5% currently allowed under the Joint Polytechnic Special Admissions Exercise. Going forward, the DPA exercise may be expanded after the polytechnics gain more experience with direct admissions procedures. The DPA will start in 2007 for the 2008 polytechnic intake. In the longer term, as the polytechnics and schools gain more experience, we can also further explore how some secondary schools can have closer tie-ups with the polytechnics. Some possibilities include allowing students who are very clear on their desire for polytechnic education to progress directly to the polytechnics without taking their 'O' level examinations. Mr Chairman, our schools and polytechnics will have exciting and challenging years ahead with these new initiatives. They will help keep our education system relevant and produce students and graduates that will meet the needs of our changing economy, as well as allow every individual to develop their potential to the fullest. Sir, allow me now to move on to address some issues regarding private education that were raised by Dr Ong Seh Hong and Mr Yeo Guat Kwang.”
“There is therefore scope to put in place an additional pathway for direct admission of these students who are clearly intent on going to the polytechnics, similar to the Direct School Admission Exercise at the JC levels. The Direct Polytechnic Admission (DPA) exercise will allow some secondary school students to obtain confirmed places in the polytechnics even before they take their 'O' levels. However, they will still need to sit for their GCE 'O' level examinations and obtain the minimum polytechnic entry requirement. The DPA exercise will be open to all Secondary 4 students in the Express and Normal Academic courses. Students can begin applying to the polytechnic courses of their choice, around May/June of their Secondary 4 year and they will be informed of the outcome in July. The timing is in line with the current Direct School Admission Exercise. The DPA exercise will allow the polytechnics to assess students in a more holistic manner. The criteria will be merit-based and transparent and may include factors such as students' interests and aptitude in the applied areas. Polytechnics may assess students through aptitude tests, school recommendations, school-based results, interviews or their participation in the applied subjects and modules such as Design and Technology, AEMs and AGS. Early confirmation of polytechnic places through the DPA will also allow students to benefit from a special preparatory programme offered by the polytechnics, which will start in January, before the commencement of the formal polytechnic calendar. This preparatory programme will help broaden students' learning experiences, and help them build a strong foundation for the polytechnic education.”
“They can also be included in the computation of scores for admission into JCs/CI as well as polytechnics. Students will still be required to offer the five core subjects - English Language, Mathematics, at least one Science subject, at least one Humanities subject, and the Mother Tongue Language, to ensure a strong foundation of basic academic knowledge. Students may also be given exemptions for certain polytechnic modules if the same content has been covered in the AGS. We expect that AGS will initially be offered in four to five secondary schools. The AGS will be rolled out in 2008. To date, Ngee Ann Polytechnic has expressed interest in working with St Andrew's Secondary School, while Temasek Polytechnic will be partnering with Temasek Secondary and Dunman High Schools. The polytechnics may extend their offerings subsequently depending on students' interest and resources available. Let me now move on to the Committee's third key recommendation, which is the introduction of the Direct Polytechnic Admission Exercise. Today, most students apply to the polytechnics through the Joint Admissions Exercise, based on their 'O' level performance. Starting this year, the Joint Polytechnic Special Admissions Exercise will admit up to 5% of the enrolment based on special talents. Both of these admission exercises are conducted after the 'O' level results are released. We recognise that there are some secondary school students who are interested in, and have the aptitude for, an applied education. Many of these students will already have decided quite earlier on that they want to study in the polytechnics, and even the specific courses that they want to take up.”
“The IP schools are well-positioned to introduce these modules because of the greater curriculum flexibility that they have in not having to prepare their students for the 'O' level examinations. The list also includes Autonomous schools like Dunman Secondary and Temasek Secondary Schools, and neighbourhood schools like Bishan Park Secondary, Dunearn Secondary, Outram Secondary and Choa Chu Kang Secondary. We aim to roll out the first AEM from January 2007. As the polytechnics and schools gain more experience in offering AEMs, more schools can come on-board to offer AEMs to their students. In addition to these AEMs, there are students who are keen to take up applied subjects in greater depth. Today, there are a small number of applied subjects available at the secondary schools, such as Design and Technology, Food and Nutrition and Principles of Accounts. The Committee's second recommendation is to introduce more 'O' level equivalent subjects in applied disciplines at the upper secondary level, which will be known as the Applied Graded Subjects (AGS). Like the AEMs, the AGS will enhance our curriculum offerings and provide more opportunities for students to pursue their interests in areas currently available only in the polytechnics, like Electronics, Creative 3D Animation and Cell and Molecular Biology. For example, students taking the Creative 3D Animation course will learn how to create a 3D animation movie, from plot development and character design, to the final rendering of the animation scenes. The new AGS will be equal in rigour and scope to a full GCE 'O' level subject. These subjects will be equivalent to the other elective subjects that students currently take at the 'O' levels.”
“As Dr Khor pointed out, applied learning such as the AEMs, will give our students a broader and richer learning experience, help them discover their strengths and interests, and help them make better decisions on their future course of studies. The content covered in the AEMs will be of a greater rigour and depth than the existing enrichment activities and programmes, but less than that of a full GCE 'O' level subject. Each AEM will comprise about 40 hours of contact time, of which practical content such as laboratory work, projects and presentations will make up about 50%. Depending on the type of facilities required, AEMs could be conducted either in the secondary schools or in the polytechnic campuses. The polytechnics will recognise students' efforts in taking the AEMs. For example, polytechnics will take into account students' participation and performance in the AEMs if they apply through the discretionary admissions system. Students may also be given credit exemption for relevant polytechnic modules. Initially, the polytechnics will work with 10 to 15 secondary schools to develop a range of AEMs customised to suit the areas of focus of the participating schools. The AEMs are meant for a wide range of students: those who are keen to go to polytechnics as well as those who wish to study in the JCs. The applied learning experience will benefit both groups. It is interesting that among the schools which have indicated interest in introducing AEMs, there are four Integrated Programme (IP) schools - ACS (Independent), Hwa Chong Institution, Nanyang Girls High School and Raffles Institution.”
“When we consulted students through focus group discussions, many shared with us their desire for greater exposure for applied subjects in their secondary schools. They found applied learning experience very interesting and practical. It helps make the lessons come alive. 5.15 pm Today, our secondary schools offer a robust GCE 'O' level curriculum which prepare our students for a broad range of post-secondary options. While this option has served us well, we can do more to enrich the secondary school curriculum and provide more choices for our students, especially in applied learning experience. The Committee has therefore made three key recommendations. Firstly, the Committee recommended the introduction of elective modules with applied content in the secondary school curriculum. The polytechnics have been working together with schools on a variety of programmes for secondary school students, such as seminars, camps, workshops and projects. For instance, students from Bishan Park Secondary School have been attending short courses in Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Video Production and Food Science at Nanyang Polytechnic. Temasek Polytechnic conducts Aerospace workshops for students from Bedok South Secondary School and Yuying Secondary School. These workshops introduce students to the basic theories of Aerospace Engineering, such as propulsion systems and aerodynamics. We can formalise and build on these linkages between schools and polytechnics to develop and offer Advanced Elective Modules (AEMs). These AEMs can include topics as wide-ranging as Creative Game Design, Electronic Product Design, Entrepreneurship and Food Innovation.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, as Singapore's economy becomes increasingly diversified and knowledge-based, our education system must also change in tandem to produce students and graduates with the right mindset, knowledge and skills to meet the manpower needs of our new economy. MOE has, over the years, introduced significant changes in our schools to provide greater diversity and flexibility in our education system, and we will continue to do so. Dr Amy Khor has asked for more pathways and options in applied learning. My Minister has earlier outlined a few new initiatives that MOE will be introducing in our schools, and I will now elaborate. The Polytechnic-School Review Committee was set up in October last year to look at how we can introduce greater diversity and flexibility in our secondary school landscape, by offering more options for applied learning. In the course of our study, the Committee consulted widely among the stakeholders, including principals, teachers, parents, students, as well as the industry. We also studied the education models of Europe and the United States. When I was in Sweden, I visited a few upper secondary schools. I was impressed and inspired by the level of energy and excitement among the students in one particular school. This school had a special niche in Mass Communications. The students were highly motivated and engaged in exciting hands-on practical projects like producing television programmes, documentaries and radio shows for their schoolmates. They were even tasked to organise an annual film festival for the city. We want to similarly enthuse, engage and motivate our students, some of whom may learn better through a more practice-oriented approach.”
“I wish to assure Members that the best Integrated Resort proposal for Singapore will, I am confident, be amongst those that we will receive at the end of the process on 29th March 2006.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I cannot answer for the Supreme Court. As for Ministry of Education buildings, as a guiding principle, the architects and the management involved are very conscious of maintenance costs. In fact, most of the schools, including the polytechnics and ITEs, have put in place energy conservation programmes to ensure that they do not inadvertently incur excessive energy costs. INTEGRATED RESORT PROJECT (Update) 10. Mdm Ho Geok Choo asked the Minister for Trade and Industry if he will provide an update on the latest position on the Integrated Resort project, in light of the recent withdrawals by some bidders. The Second Minister for Trade and Industry (Dr Vivian Balakrishnan) (for the Minister for Trade and Industry): Sir, the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Integrated Resort (IR) at Marina Bay was launched on 15th November 2005 and will close on 29th March 2006. The companies which had earlier submitted concept plans during the Request for Concepts (RFC) exercise earlier last year were invited to participate in the RFP. During the course of the RFP process, a number of the invited companies have decided not to participate in the bid. This is not unexpected. As with any other major investment, potential investors must assess the potential returns on the project, their ability to fulfill our requirements and, of course, their assessment of their chances of success. Before deciding on whether or not to proceed with a bid, the process of preparing the proposal itself would cost each of them several million dollars. These are business decisions which each company would have to make on its own merits.”
“Sir, we are reviewing the utilisation of these campuses and, if they are not used by the MOE, they will be returned to the Government for other purposes. If they are required by the Ministry for other purposes, then we will continue to utilise them. Assoc. Prof. Ong Soh Khim (Nominated Member): Sir, this is with respect to what the MOS has just mentioned about selecting building designs that are functional and not lavish so as to minimise building cost. I would like to find out whether the Government will actually consider the possible long-term maintenance cost and utility bills that will be incurred in the building design, because a cheap building design may incur huge maintenance costs. For example, we visited the Supreme Court and we were told by the Registrar that the monthly utility bills are very high.”
“The Ministry of Education has an evaluation process to ensure that development spending by institutions of higher learning and, for that matter, by schools, provides educational benefit and is cost-effective. MOE adopts cost norms that are established across the public sector. This is to ensure that building designs are primarily functional, not lavish, so as to avoid excessive building costs. For projects exceeding $50 million, MOE also seeks approval from the Development Planning Committee comprising three Ministers, including the Minister for Finance. This provides an additional layer of checks for bigger value projects. MOE is mindful of the need to maintain good financial discipline, as we have to optimise the allocation and utilisation of the budget for MOE as a whole, and for each institution under the Ministry. This will ensure that the institutions' total costs would be kept down and thereby ease the pressure on significant fee increases over time.”
“As we go along, both the polytechnics and ITEs will have to continue to keep up their facilities, equipment and buildings, to make sure that the programmes they offer are relevant to the development in industry. Therefore, it is important for us to continue to develop our capability within the polytechnics as well as the ITEs. As a result of this continuous development, the operating costs will continue to increase wherever they are justified. I would also like to assure the House that we do take a very serious view on cost increases, and there are processes in place to ensure that these increases are justified and they are money well spent to deliver quality education to our children. Therefore, it is better for us to adjust the fees as the cost increases are incurred rather than to accumulate them to be introduced at one go. INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING (Overspending on building infrastructure) 9. Mdm Ho Geok Choo asked the Minister for Education (a) if there are any steps in place to ensure that institutions of higher learning do not overspend on building infrastructure; (b) how does his Ministry moderate Government expenditure on building design and other infrastructure design; and (c) can the savings on recurring expenditure on design and maintenance be channelled to stave off the need to raise school tuition fees.”
“Mr Speaker, between 2001 and 2004, for polytechnics, we have kept the fees the same, mainly because of the economic recession during that period. Last year, we revised the fees and, this year, we revised it again, just to keep up with the cost increases. I think it is better for us to make small incremental increases rather than to accumulate a huge sum of adjustments and we have to make those adjustments sooner or later. With regard to the second question, ITE does offer some assistance, such as the CDC-CCC Bursary Awards, the ITE fee remission scheme, etc. ITE also administers certain awards for students. As I have said, the ITE administration is aware of these schemes, and if MPs do come across residents who need help, do let us know and we will investigate each case.”
“Mr Speaker, with regard to the first question, for the polytechnics, the fees had remained the same from 2001 to 2004. The fees were only increased last year, and this year was the second increase. For ITE, the fees had remained more or less the same from 1994 to 2004. So the fees had not been adjusted, and we are adjusting now to catch up with the increases in operating costs. With regard to the financial help, we believe that there is adequate help made available to the students. As I have given in my earlier answer, we would like to assure Dr Khor that, if students are genuinely in need of financial assistance, we will provide them. If Dr Khor or any other hon. Members do come across students who need genuine help from us, we welcome them to forward such cases to us and we will process them accordingly.”
“In summary, Sir, in the case of registered societies, which are essentially the coming together of members by contract for a common purpose, the primary responsibility to ensure that the affairs of the society are properly conducted lies with its members. In addition, should the society raise funds from the public, the donating public can also play a part to ensure that the funds collected are used as intended.”
“Sir, out of some 6,200 societies registered with the Registry of Societies (ROS), only some 16% or about 990 societies have a charitable purpose as their main objective. In any case, for all societies, whether charitable or not, basic safeguards are in place to ensure proper maintenance of the society's financial accounts. Thus, all societies are required to submit their annual returns to the ROS within one month of holding the Annual General Meeting (AGM) or if no AGM is held, then within one month after the close of the financial year. The returns are to be accompanied by a copy of the society's audited statement of accounts to be certified by the society's auditor or if the gross income or expenditure exceeds $½ million by a qualified company auditor. Sir, such statements of accounts enable the Registry to check on societies should there be allegations of mismanagement of society funds or fraud. If there is evidence of fraud or an offence that is criminal in nature, the Registrar will refer the matter to the appropriate authorities for investigation. Sir, on the issue of watching over societies which are charities and institutions of public character (IPCs) where funds are raised from the public, there are also other key organs, such as the Commissioner of Charities which play an important role. But in any case, as we strengthen corporate governance of these societies, we should avoid a heavy hand, as that may stifle the initiative and public spiritedness of volunteers, thereby hindering the growth of civil society.”