Gan Thiam Poh
Singapore
“Chairman, the ComLink+ Progress packages aim to support the efforts of eligible lower-income families with young children to help them achieve stability, self-reliance and social mobility.”
“Madam, our maritime sector has been a key growth engine for our economy and provide many jobs and business opportunities. In addition to being an international maritime centre, Singapore is the top bunkering port and busiest container transshipment hub in the world.”
“Chairman, in rating the quality of public transport, most commuters would consider the following factors, such as safety, affordability, connectivity, reliability, accessibility, frequency, speed and last but not least, comfort. All these factors contribute to our commuters’ experience, which many of us go through almost daily.”
“Chairman, many of my residents are appealing to have MRT stations in the proximity of their homes. Will LTA reconsider a new MRT line to support residents at Seletar, Yio Chu Kang, Fernvale at the central, north and northeast zones to the city at the south, and new Woodlands North, as well as to Changi Airport on the east and Tuas on the…”
“Chairman point-to-point (P2P) services play an important role being a convenient and, at times, essential supplement to our public transport system, by providing direct access to specific locations. Our main P2P providers are taxis and private hire vehicles (PHV).”
“Chair, our hawker centres are our national canteens and provide a wide variety of affordable food to suit more palates and budgets. We have had many popular hawker centres sited all over Singapore, which have served residents over many years.”
The complete record
Every one of 667 lines we hold for Gan Thiam Poh, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 13 of 14.
“Thank you, Mdm Speaker. May I know whether the Minister of State will consider extending the EIP to private estates and private and executive condominiums?”
“Sales suspensions and revocations of licence are good deterrence for errant developers. With that, I support the Bill. 5.14 pm”
“The Bill that requires the developer to submit audited accounts for the financial year and auditors' report as opposed to the present requirements that require the developer to publish the last audited balance sheet and profit and loss account is only welcomed by home buyers. This will help facilitate more prudent decision-making by potential home buyers. This will instill discipline in developers to ensure a clean bill of health that will serve home buyers' interests. However, there is a need to provide better clarity to the rules. A special purpose vehicle is usually set up by the developer to undertake a property development. Therefore, home buyers should be allowed to have access to the audited accounts and auditors' report of the ultimate holding company or the developer company to have a more complete picture of the overall health of the developer. In the absence of holding-subsidiary relationship, perhaps the developer could provide a bank confirmation that the shareholder has the Page: 80 financial means to ensure the completion of the development. Madam, I appreciate the Ministry's efforts to consult the public, real estate professional bodies and consumer associations regarding the Housing Developers (Control and Licensing) (Amendment) Bill. In conclusion, I think the refinements are in the right direction. They will improve the quality of information and resources to the public so that it enables home buyers to make better informed and more prudent decisions. Secondly, they will enhance the governance of developers to ensure they carry out business activities in ways that best serve the public interest. The Bill injects greater rigour in accepting and assessing licence applications.”
“While the Bill is set up to address these issues and inject new rules to regulate irregular marketing activities, they may be administratively difficult or challenging to enforce, thus resulting in ineffectiveness of enforcement action. It is always a question of balancing between rigidity and practicality. Nevertheless, having a robust market regulating framework is key to ensuring an orderly and transparent market for the benefit of buyers and maintaining public confidence in the housing market. While the developers and their marketing agents have been focusing on the distinct features and attractiveness of the project site, including proximity to amenities and facilities, such as popular schools and shopping, it may be prudent for the developer to adopt a balanced and objective approach in his publication of sales information to highlight the potential trade-offs arising from being close to such facilities, such as schools and shopping malls, as these areas could produce noise and heavy traffic congestion. There has been a mandatory requirement for financial institutions to ensure investors are aware of the prevailing and investment risk factors so that investors can make informed decisions. I hope a similar practice could be encouraged to minimise unnecessary and undesirable disputes between buyer and developer and its marketing agent. Madam, property purchases require radically larger financial commitments from buyers. The financial health of developers is paramount and is important information to home buyers.”
“Madam, I declare my interest as a bank employee. Mdm Speaker, I support the objective of the Bill which provides additional safeguards in two ways, namely, improving quality of information and enhancing governance of developers to home buyers and better protection of their interests by ensuring that the Act remains relevant and effective in light of industry developments and dynamic property market trends. I noted the Bill will provide four areas of improvement: show flats, information of sale transactions, marketing activities and disclosure of financial status. Accurate and timely information on market values of homes is important to buyers. Inflated sale prices can mislead buyers and undermine market transparency and lead to distortions of the home market. Hence, it is important that full disclosure and publication of all rebates, discounts and other benefits, whether directly or indirectly granted by developers, should be made known to the home buyers, and such information should not be wilfully withheld by developers. Such benefits should include legal and valuation subsidies, whether in part or in full, by third-party, including financial institutions. Developers shall also make known to the public the total number of units that have been sold to the inter-related parties, such as directors, their immediate families and business associates, to ensure transparency of sales information. In addition, there have been public criticisms over questionable practices, for example, collecting blank cheques in advance, paying people to queue outside show flats to create hype, and misrepresentations of sales Page: 79 bookings and so on.”
“I thank the Minister of State for the comprehensive reply. I just want to find out how the current ratio compares with those of other countries, both developed and developing. Will MOH also look into contingency plans should there be a sharp increase in demand, such as an outbreak of bird flu, and whether the current strength is sufficient enough to meet the challenges? Will MOH also consider planning for extra manpower in case there is a sudden rise in demand? Will MOH think about looking into improving the ratio further from the current level?”
“I understand the Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices promote the adoption of fair, responsible and merit-based employment practices among employers, employees and the general public. I wish to ask the Minister whether there is a need to set up an agency to monitor fair employment recruitment practices so as to add more bite to potential discrimination against Singaporean PMETs in the workplace.”
“Madam, we must attract better foreign investments to secure good quality jobs and better wages for Singaporeans. I would like to ask the Acting Minister for Manpower how the Government ensures that the dependency ratio ceiling (DRC) does not undermine the employment opportunities for Singaporeans, particularly in respect to the S Pass policy. I suggest that we need to base the foreign worker quota policy upon the wages Page: 83 of the Singaporean workers, instead of the number employed. Would the Ministry be reviewing the existing DRC criteria for the DRC to be tied to the wages of Singaporeans at not less than $2,500 for S Pass quota and $1,500 for WP quota respectively? I hope MOM can continue to review the foreign worker levy and complement it with the foreign worker quota. A suggestion is to base the foreign worker quota policy upon the wages of the Singaporean workers, instead of the number employed. This may better serve the needs of both Singaporeans and businesses. Levies On my second cut, Madam, the foreign worker levy changes aim to shift businesses to productivity-driven growth and ensure Singaporeans remain our workforce core. I would like to ask the Acting Minister if there is a more direct way for employees to benefit from the increased foreign worker levies collected without additional cost to the employers. For instance, a top-up to the Medisave Account for all Singaporeans above 40 years old will help to alleviate their anxiety over medical costs in the long run. Moreover, the foreign worker levy increases have an impact on domestic inflation which affects many Singaporeans. Job Flexibility for Productivity Initiative & WCS and Productivity”
“[Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] It was announced in the Budget that the Government will bring in more anchor operators in the childcare sector, up from the current two. I would like to ask the Acting Minister whether the Government intends to invite Page: 30 non-profit sector groups, such as religious organisations and clan associations, to participate and how the Government intends to ensure that the childcare operators will pass on the savings from the disbursement of grant to subsidised residents and families. Childcare and Pre-school Sector”
“Madam, MOE's investment in education helps ensure that every child, regardless of family circumstances and background, has access to opportunities. I would like the Minister to consider either setting up a lifelong learning savings account or topping up each child's Edusave account by $2,000 per year up to the age of 20 strictly for the use of his or her university education in future, regardless of whether the university is in Singapore or overseas. This will help alleviate their parents' concern about the child's education cost. 4.30 pm Enhancing Edusave”
“Madam, I agree with the Ministry's decision not to list top scoring pupils. The purpose is to drive home the message to parents that their children's successes are not determined by that one test at Primary 6. In line with the recent moves and the fact that every Page: 89 school in Singapore is a good school, I would like to ask whether the Minister will also look at stopping the publishing of the raising of the school's minimum entry score. I also understand that the system of banding secondary schools based on their academic results has been abolished. The system had led to keen and sometimes unhealthy competition among schools. I hope the Ministry can reduce the schools' KPIs to ensure a less stressful, unhealthy learning environment for students and staff. 2.45 pm Secondary School Admission”
“Madam, I would like to ask the Minister for Transport – he mentioned about the nine routes that would be tendered out to the private operators. May I know whether Punggol, Sengkang and Buangkok are covered under these nine routes that he mentioned?”
“Madam, further to the suggestions I made earlier for the Government to explore introducing a new COE category – family car category – I would now like to suggest to the Minister whether effort can be made to alleviate the transport components of unit business costs for SMEs as a result of rising COE prices and whether he will consider introducing separate categories for commercial goods vehicles, heavy goods vehicles and very heavy goods vehicles. This will help small business owners and those who use the road as their livelihood. Revenue of COE Scheme Next cut. Madam, I would also like to suggest that when we have surpluses from the COE receipts, we can re-channel them to the Singaporeans who use public transport directly. The revenue from the vehicle quota premiums is expected to reach $2.4 billion in financial year 2012, more than the $2 million estimate. We can channel the surpluses to benefit the Singaporeans who use public transport directly, including enhancements and introductions of concessionary and rebate schemes and make public transport more attractive for Singaporeans. Can the Minister also consider issuing new Singapore Shares in our transport company to all Singaporeans to allow them to have greater ownership and participation and have direct benefit from our public transport system? Weekend ERP in CBD and Shopping Districts”
“Thank you, Madam. Given the significant investment in rail projects announced by the Government recently, what is the role of the public transport operators (PTOs) in ensuring that there is sufficient capacity to meet travel demands of commuters, especially in the short to medium term? With the recent fire at Newton Station and train disruption incidence, has there been an upward trend in service delays? What are the LTA and PTOs doing to improve train reliability? Are there targets set both for the short term as well as for the long term? Given the long lead time to bring about additional train capacity, what is the Ministry doing in the meantime to improve the crowding situation? Better Bus Service Madam, my second cut. Deputy Prime Minister Tharman announced a $1.1 billion Bus Service Enhancement Programme (BSEP) that would put 550 more buses on the road. Since the programme started last September, I understand that bus operators have already added some 90 buses, improved over 50 bus services, and opened five new routes. Can the Minister update us on the progress of the BSEP and whether there is any scope to accelerate the implementation so that more Singaporeans get to benefit from the programme? The Minister also mentioned recently that there is an intention to involve more private operators in providing more bus services, especially during the morning peak, express services and the shorter bus routes will feed into the MRT stations. Can Minister please elaborate on how this will be done? It was announced a few weeks ago that there is a need to look into improving en route reliability and also to ensure more regular waiting times. Can the Minister further elaborate on how this will be implemented? Page: 152 Public Transport Operations Expenditure”
“Yes, thank you, Madam. I want to ask a different question, not on hawker centre but on public cleanliness. I want to find out from the Minister whether there is any plan to resolve the issue of feeding of stray dogs, stray cats or birds in a public place by residents. Will there be any measures taken by the Ministry to tackle this issue, because it has caused some public hygiene and public cleanliness issue?”
“Mdm Chair, in Mandarin, please. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mdm Chair, MEWR announced a series of hawker centre policies last year, such as the removal of reserve rent, subletting and stall assignment policies to help moderate rental costs. Can the Minister of Environment and Water Resources give an update on how we have fared so far? I read that social enterprise NTUC Foodfare was appointed in June to run the first of the new hawker centres. Kampung@Simpang Bedok, also operated by a social enterprise, was also recently launched. I understand that 10 hawker centres will be ready within the next five years. Will the Ministry directly operate some of the new hawker centres and apply same social enterprise practices to them or will social enterprises run all the 10 hawker centres?”
“Mdm Chair, I read that Singapore's newest power station GMR Energy is set to change hands. This will take the number of previous owners to well above half a dozen since 2002. I wish to ask the Minister what is the rationale for selling local power plants to private investors, and whether the Government intends to sell their interest or the local power plants to private investors. How will the Government ensure that the cost of energy is kept to the minimal for all Singaporeans? Page: 70 I would also like to ask the Minister whether his Ministry can simplify the PIC application processes further, and whether it is feasible for both big and small companies to work together in innovation and raising productivity for the benefits of both parties. Electricity for Household”
“Madam, with news of record resale prices that we heard about last week, the public still feel very uneasy about the high prices. My question to the Minister is what can HDB do to cool down the resale market? Despite the fact that we have introduced so many rounds of cooling measures, the public still finds that the resale market prices seem to be out of control. Will HDB consider re-introducing poster-price system used in the past as part of the measures to regulate the HDB resale market? The next question is, will HDB also consider regulating the rentals of HDB flats? 12.45 pm”
“[Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Madam, the commercial and industrial rentals form a substantial component of business cost and businesses will pass on this cost to consumers. I urge HDB and JTC to take a more active role in controlling the rental for these properties. A good example is NEA's active co-management of new hawker centres to keep food cost affordable. I would like to appeal to the Government to consider up to 30% rental rebate as well as freezing rental revision for HDB and JTC tenants for the next three years while businesses undertake measures to improve on productivity and to ease inflationary pressures arising from rising rental cost. Page: 35”
“And a family of five or more for applicants to promote procreation and strengthen family bonding. Affordable HDB Flats”
“Mdm Chairperson, I would like the Government to re-consider my proposal last year about special housing grant for HDB applicants starting a family. I mentioned that we can start with $10,000 for each child which they can use to offset against the payment of their flat. We can introduce a HDB family housing grant for $10,000 for the birth of the first child, $20,000 for the second child, $30,000 for the third child, and so on. This will help encourage young couples to start a family early. Young families also need the support of their immediate families, such as their parents and in-laws. We can do more for three generations of families staying together. The new multi-generation priority scheme allows parents and their married child to submit a joint application to purchase a studio apartment or a two-room flat together with another flat in the same project. I would like to ask the Minister for National Development about the take-up rate for this scheme. I also suggest that the Government look at making bigger sized flats, that is, 4-room and 5-room flats, a priority for larger families. Page: 123 I read from The Straits Times that the Parenthood Priority Scheme (PPS) has seen a strong take-up rate, with applicants making up 30% of the flats on offer in the non-mature estates. The number of married-couple applicants with kids in the more popular mature estates was almost 80% of the flats supplied. I would like to ask the Minister whether he sees the take-up rate stabilising in mature estates and whether the proportion of PPS is likely to increase in the future. Would the Minister further streamline the priority scheme to grant higher priority for families of three or more for 3-room applicants, a family of four or more for 4-room —”
“Madam, there are currently three regional libraries and 24 public libraries. In terms of reach and impact, NLB mentioned in its website that there were about 24 million loans and 1.96 million library members in 2007. With the advent of e-readers and the rise of e-book usage amongst the youths, I would like the Minister to provide an overview of the 2012 figures. Our library membership and loans are affected by the shift towards e-reader devices. I hope the Minister can also elaborate on the plans to maintain the libraries' relevance among young Singaporeans. Budget 2013 talks about providing a better quality of life for Singaporeans and to build a more inclusive society. Libraries are social spaces where people from all walks of life can come together and learn through common interests. Many young members bring their kids to community libraries over the Page: 83 weekends to inculcate them with a love for reading. I would like to ask the Minister about the roles of libraries in the future, particularly in promoting social mobility, building a more knowledgeable society and fostering a close-knit community. It is with much anticipation that a new library at Orchard will be reopened in the first quarter of 2014. This will help increase the reading spaces in town owing to the closing down of bookshops, such as Borders and Page One. The public was asked to provide feedback on what they hope to see at the new library. I wish to ask the Minister for an update about the public's feedback. I would also like the Minister to consider extending the opening hours for the libraries, especially for those located in shopping malls, to cater to the lifestyle of Singaporeans. 3.45 pm Knowledge Highways for Singaporeans”
“Mr Chairman, the release of the Traffic Police annual statistics in February showed that nearly 300,000 traffic violations by motorists and pedestrians were detected, a rise of 3.6% from 2011 figure. That translated to about 900 people breaking traffic rules daily. The traffic offence with the greatest increase was speeding, road hogging and running red lights. I would like to ask the Deputy Prime Minister, who is Minister for Home Affairs, whether the Traffic Police would consider requiring all speed offenders to undergo compulsory education earlier, at their first offence, instead of only Page: 139 conducting such education for those who have their licences suspended when the full 24 demerit points are reached. Traffic Police – Motorcyclist Measures”
“[Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Recently, I suggested that the Government should give elderly folks who help look after their grandchildren grants and incentives, similar to those enjoyed by the childcare centres and parents. I hope the Page: 79 Government will consider this suggestion. I also suggest that the Government set up a COE category for families as a pro-family measure to encourage people to have children. In this category, the bidder must be a group consisting of three members of the same family, including children. One bidder can only bid once and cannot make multiple bids, nor can he own other COEs. The bidder will have to pay exactly what he bids and the bidder can also use the ATM to bid. The COE cannot be financed but MAS can allow the bidder to obtain an 80% loan. This can help curb high COE prices to some extent while taking care of Singaporeans' needs. The Elderly and Grandparent Care-givers”
“Of course, this would mean they get a smaller amount every month but, at least, they get some money instead of none at all. This will help them tide over. (In English): Mr Deputy Speaker, finally, I would like to thank the Government for enhancing the Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) that I had proposed earlier at last year's Debate. I would also like to thank the Government Page: 146 for introducing the Wage Credit Scheme which will incentivise employers to raise the salaries of the lower middle-income workers. With that, I support the Motion.”
“But this would, in turn, add to the burden on all major hospitals, and elderly patients would have to wait for a long time. The Government can consider renting out spaces at lower prices to family physicians or community hospitals in mature estates so that they could charge elderly patients at rates as low as the polyclinics. This would reduce the burden on the hospitals and the elderly. On increasing the number of healthcare professionals, besides grooming locally and recruiting overseas, we can also encourage retired doctors to return to service. Meanwhile, we can also provide medical services over the phone or on the Internet, to help those who are nursing at home or those suffering from chronic illnesses, so that they do not need to see a doctor so often. Besides physical well-being, we also need to take care of their psychological well-being. "Ageing in place" is a very good suggestion as "no place is better than home". "Ageing in place" allows older people to continue to live in a familiar environment. This is good for their mental health. We need to expand the scope of "ageing in place" and build more elder-friendly facilities in the community. Senior citizens also need to have sufficient cash after retirement to help them maintain their standard of living. The Lease Buyback Scheme is a good way to do so. Furthermore, the retirement age has been pushed back, with the current statutory retirement age at 62. But they can only withdraw a portion of their CPF at age 55. For some older Singaporeans, they may lead a harder life. The annuity of CPF LIFE may be extremely helpful for some elderly. Can we consider giving out annuities at an earlier age?”
“I hope the social enterprise principle will be introduced to maximise the equality of the service and minimise its costs to Singaporeans. Let me continue in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] An ageing population is one big challenge before us. By 2030, the number of elderly above 65 years old would be 900,000. If the total population then is 6.9 million, 900,000 would be more than 13%, and the elderly who need medical attention may reach 117,000. There are several trends in eldercare that we need to take note of. One, with longer lifespans, expenses on chronic illnesses and long-term care would go up. Two, with smaller families, it has become more common that two middle-aged persons have to take care of several elderly, and the family alone will not be able to bear the medical expenses of all the elderly. It is often said that "the poor are better off dead than sick". This shows that older people are worried about costly medical expenses. Inflation, rising cost of living and increased medical expenses affect the low-income most. MOH is already reviewing Medifund. I believe the revamped Medifund will better meet the needs of older Singaporeans. However, they need to first use their Page: 145 MediShield or MediSave to pay for the medical expenses before they can apply for Medifund. But some elderly are so poor that they may not even have MediShield or MediSave. As the number of elderly aged above 65 would reach 900,000 in 2030, we need a large number of healthcare professionals to take care of them. Traditionally, older patients prefer to visit the polyclinics, and if they need to see a specialist, they need a referral from the GP in order to see a specialist at subsidised rate.”
“The aim is to ensure that public transport is not only affordable or accessible to Singaporeans, but also attractive to Singaporeans as a reliable proposition. Public transport, as Minister Lui mentioned during the debate on the White Paper on Population, continues to be congested. Commuters are frustrated by the overcrowded MRTs and buses during the morning peak hours, outside of the school holidays. The variable waiting times and the increasingly frequent train disruptions add to the source of commuters' frustrations with the public Page: 144 transport system. Some have argued for the nationalising of public transport, so that it can be a "public good" to serve the social needs of the commuters. Others felt that the current system should be fully "privatised", so that competition among transport operators will increase the effectiveness and efficiency of public transport. Actually, it is not the case of "either-or". Rather than accepting calls of either "nationalising" or "privatising" the public transport system, I would like to propose a third way of looking at our public transport system. I urge the Ministry to look at certain aspects of our transport system and adopt social enterprise principles to enhance the attractiveness of public transport here. In Willie Cheng's recent commentary on what makes a social enterprise, he explained that a social enterprise is actually loosely defined as a business with a social mission. He added that debate on the term actually revolved around social impact and profit re-distribution. To me, most importantly, the social enterprise serves to maximise the benefits for the public and also try to minimise the cost.”
“The older residents were supportive of a system where public housing continues to be affordable, even though they have to be resold back to HDB. They shared with me that they just wanted a roof over their heads at a comfortable price with enough savings for retirement. Some also told me that property appreciation did not affect them much as they did not intend to sell their flats in the first place. Younger residents were concerned that their asset would lose its value, even though most of them wanted to buy low and sell high. Others wondered if we could provide the options of two types of housing. The first type of public housing will be similar to the current system with a resale market. The second type will be a cheaper and no-frills type of affordable housing. They suggested providing this second option to 4-room or smaller flat applicants. The option of having new basic flats with no resale market would help Singaporeans spend within their means. This will allow them to set aside more cash to pursue their own dreams. They will also have more cash and CPF savings for their retirement, instead of having a higher portion of it locked into their property. However, this option is not without its fall backs. I am concerned that the two types of flats will actually widen the income inequality among Singaporeans in the years to come. Hence, considerable control of property market still remains key to the stability of housing prices. And I hope the Ministry can continue to gather feedback during the Singapore Conversations, to assess whether Singaporeans are ready for these changes. On the issue of transport, I would like to offer suggestions on how we can enhance the public transport system in Singapore.”
“I hope the Ministry can re-look at the main principles of public housing and assess whether they continue to be relevant today. Do we need to return public housing to basics? The fundamental issue lies with whether we see housing as a "public good" or a home; or whether we view housing as an asset or a house. Many young residents shared with me their anxieties of obtaining a new flat. Hence, I welcome MND's move to delink the prices of new flats from the prices of resale flats. I also suggested previously that MND continue to price future new flats at not more than five times the eligible applicants' annual income of the flat type they apply for. Mr Deputy Speaker, I have been collecting feedback and suggestions from residents and friends as to what are the measures that the Government could implement so that prices of housing are always stable, predictable and attractive and within reach at great comfort to all Singaporeans. Singaporeans could perhaps take less than 10 years and less than 20% of their monthly income to settle their housing loan fully and early. All Singaporeans, regardless of their income capability, are certainly assured of a flat well within their affordability. Some suggested that we could consider offering lower pricing for longer Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) of eight years to 15 years. However, that Page: 143 would only serve to defer the issues faced by Singaporeans today. Others suggested that the Government consider the option of allowing new flat applicants to own a new flat at an attractive and comfortable price but on different terms and conditions that such flats can only be resold to HDB. I mooted this idea among residents and my friends, and have received mixed reactions.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank you for allowing me to join this Budget debate. The 2013 Budget is an inclusive Budget that addresses the needs of segments of the population that are most in need of help. At the same time, it is a Budget that is progressive and focuses on providing prosperity and greater equity in the longer term. I think Budget 2013 is a check point. It is a time of reflection and to plan for a better future for all Singaporeans. It is also the time for us to take further steps in transforming our economy, creating a Page: 142 fairer society, and improving the lives of all Singaporeans. The immediate priorities and tasks of the Government are to resolve the challenges of housing and transport. Housing and transport form the foundation of our efforts to create a better Singapore in the future. I would like to talk about these two issues and healthcare, which form the three cornerstones of creating a better quality of life for Singaporeans. First, let me start on housing matters and offer some suggestions. The rising housing costs continue to cause some anxieties among home buyers, even though a record number of BTO flats was being built. As Minister Khaw pointed out in his blog, HDB would have launched 50,000 flats over 2011 and 2012, with the increased sustained supply stabilising the housing market. However, home buyers continue to be anxious about rising housing costs. One Straits Times Forum writer wanted public housing policy to "return to basics", following news of the sale of a $2.05 million executive condominium. Another Forum writer wanted the Government to redefine public housing policy. The HDB's vision is to provide affordable homes of quality and value.”
“I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the comprehensive reply. I have one supplementary question. May I know whether the Committee has focused on any industry or sector which is dominated by low-wage workers, to focus our strategies to help these workers earn better pay and also to enjoy better employment terms?”
“After a full day's work, I feel energised just by the sight of my children at home. They remind me of my purpose in life and what I am striving for. The success of our population policies depends most importantly on the personal choices and efforts of our fellow Singaporeans. We can agree on some issues and will disagree on other issues. However, there are many parts to Singapore's future in 2030 which we must work and create together as a family, Page: 21 as a community and as a nation. With that, Mdm Speaker, I support the Motion with the proposed amendment, and the assurance by the Government that it will do its utmost to create a better and quality life for Singaporeans, and to also help Singaporeans to increase productivity to bring a better life for our children and our next generation. Last but not least, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all the Members here and also my residents in Pasir Ris-Punggol and all Singaporeans a Happy Lunar New Year. 1.11 pm”
“The existing Punggol Town Centre will be expanded into Punggol Downtown with a Town Square and a Creative Cluster. I wish to ask about the Government's plans for the type of creative cluster businesses it intends to attract and the estimated timeline for the redevelopment. I also wish to appeal to HDB to grant a few days' grace period without penalty for each month of instalment payment to flat owners. This will help to ease the financial strain and burden for those families whose income barely meets the household expenditure. On pro-family housing policies, I think we can go a step further than the newly introduced Parenthood Priority Scheme. We can also explore a special housing grant for HDB couples for each child they have, subject to a minimum of two children. Young families also need the support of their immediate families, such as their parents and in-laws. We can do more for them. When Punggol is fully developed, the housing units in Punggol will be tripled to 96,000 units. As Punggol becomes one of the largest HDB towns under the Punggol Downtown, I would like to request that LTA expedite the building of the Cross Island Line. This will facilitate better connectivity for the larger number of residents from Punggol to towns in the central and western region. I hope LTA can look into opening the line in stages within the next decade, with Changi, Pasir Ris and Punggol as the first stops. While the population policy is of national concern, we must continue to adopt policies that are both pro-Singaporean and pro-Singapore. The organic growth of our Singapore Core must be the utmost priority. Recently, I shared my experiences as a father with the parents at my Punggol Edusave presentation ceremony. To me, children fulfil the life of a couple.”
“We need to attract better foreign investments so as to secure good quality jobs, better-paid jobs for our Singaporeans. I am heartened by the Government's drive to create high-value jobs, with two-thirds of Singaporeans holding PMET jobs by 2030. The rental costs for commercial and industrial properties also affect the rising costs of living among Singaporeans. I would urge the HDB and JTC to assume bigger and more active roles in controlling the rental for these properties. A good example is the role of the NEA and its active co-management of new hawker centres with non-profit organisations. Thirdly, we must continue to build good affordable homes and implement pro-family housing policies. On good affordable homes, I welcome MND's move to delink the prices of new flats from the prices of resale flats. This will address many young couples' anxieties. May I also suggest that MND continues to price future new flats at not more than five times of the eligible applicants' annual income of this flat type. We also can do more for three generations of families staying together. The new Multi-generation Priority Scheme allows parents and their married child to submit a joint application to purchase a studio apartment or 2-room flat together with another flat in the same project. I suggest that MND looks at making bigger sized flats, that is, 4-room and 5-room, a priority to larger families to encourage them to live together. Page: 20 I am also encouraged by MND's land use plan to build more regional centres, so that people can work and have leisure near their home. As a Pasir Ris-Punggol Member of Parliament, I am pleased to note that Punggol will be developed further.”
“In 2030, I hope all Singaporeans will live out their own "Singapore dream", have great and good career options and excel in different pathways they wanted. To do so, I urge the Government to invest heavily in education. We must preserve our social mobility and allow every child to realise their potential to the fullest. Our investments in education should address our demographic challenges. Our ageing population will require more healthcare services. From NPTD's Paper on Foreign Manpower Demand, the projected growth of foreign healthcare professionals and support care workforce is about 9,000 and 6,000 respectively. I believe that more should be done to encourage locals to join these sectors instead. I urge the three medical schools here to do more to attract Page: 19 and nurture medical professionals amongst Singaporeans. Most parents applaud the recent announcements on the enhanced child and infant care subsidies. Sharon, another Punggol resident I met, suggests that more cost subsidies should be given to early childhood teachers to upgrade themselves. This will increase the level of professionalism in this sector. Besides affordability of childcare courses, parents continue to be concerned by the accessibility and quality of early childhood development programmes. Could the Implementation Committee on Enhancing Pre-school Education give us an update? The rising cost of living continues to be one of the chief concerns among Singaporeans, particularly the lower income group who have seen their real income stagnate. With rising income inequality a global phenomenon, we must help our low-income Singaporeans upgrade, take on good jobs and earn better wages.”
“(In English): The White Paper aims to build a vibrant population with a strong Singaporean Core. Its main goal is to provide Singaporeans with better lives, higher quality homes and wider career choices to pursue their dreams. It Page: 18 is pro-Singaporean and pro-Singapore. A Punggol resident, Tan Siang Meng, recently shared his sentiments with me. Singaporeans are our national resource. We should do all we can to encourage the birth rate, rather than vary the pace of immigration. I want to discuss how we can focus on the organic growth of Singaporeans, what more we can do to support Singaporeans, to strengthen the Singaporean Core. The Government is here for Singaporeans, along with Singaporeans and always on their side. We need to reassure them that housing, jobs and cost of living are taken care of, as we experience demographic challenges in 2030. We not only have to assure Singaporeans that the plans in the White Paper benefit Singaporeans, we must ensure that Singaporeans can feel the benefits and get the benefits of Singapore's progress in 2030, without doubt. Housing, cost of living, job competitiveness and Singapore's low birth rate are issues close to my heart. During my maiden speech in this Parliament last year, I offered some suggestions on improving Singapore's low birth rate, in terms of HDB flat rebates and free infant care. Therefore, I welcome the recent Government initiatives that address the issues I had highlighted. We are on the right track in our population policies. Allow me to make three observations and suggestions to further strengthen our population policies. Firstly, the Government should continue to create as many opportunities for every Singaporean to be successful in life.”
“Hence, the Government can subsidise the grandparents who help look after the grandchildren with a childcare grant. This is a form of recognition of their contributions and will be seen as pro-family. The elderly have laid the foundation for today's Singapore. Their contribution should not be forgotten. When drinking, we should remember where the water is from. We must take good care of them so that they can enjoy their senior years. Looking after the elderly means they can age gracefully. Quite often, we hear people say that they are not afraid of death but sickness instead. This shows how the elderly are worried about high medical expenses. I hope the Government can relieve the elderly of their worries and consider waiving GST for all medical expenses, regardless whether they are subsidised by the Government or not, and relax the criteria for using ElderShield. Besides physical health, we should also look after the elders' mental health. Ageing-in-place is a very good proposal. There is a saying that nowhere is as good as one's home. If the elderly could age in place and continue to live in a familiar environment, they will have better mental health. We need to expand the scope of ageing-in-place and build more pro-senior facilities in the community. By 2030, seniors aged 65 and above will reach 900,000. More caregivers will be needed to look after them. Hence, to import a certain number of foreign caregivers is necessary. In conclusion, to keep Singapore vibrant and to stay true to the Singapore spirit, we must have enough Singaporeans. I hope the enhanced Marriage and Parenthood Package can encourage Singaporeans to have more children so that we can have the joy of three generations living together. At the same time, we can build a more gracious society.”
“Mdm Speaker, let me first speak in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Singapore's population policy should not only meet our development needs, but also promote social harmony. We must maintain Singapore's vibrancy and build a quality home that all Singaporeans share. Recently, we have been discussing how large a population Singapore will have in the future. The reality is that Singapore does not have enough people and has a low fertility rate and an ageing population. By 2030, seniors aged 65 and above will reach 900,000 and those who need care may reach 117,000. This is a serious challenge we are facing. To ensure a Singaporean core, we must first raise our citizens' fertility rate. In this regard, we must have strong determination. We have talked about this enough during the last several days. Now, I would like to focus on childcare and eldercare. Many families rely on maids to look after their children. It would be most helpful if the Government could reduce or waive the Foreign Domestic Worker Levy. At the same time, employers should adopt more pro-family measures. When a person's family is harmonious, his productivity will also increase. As the saying goes, "a harmonious family can lead to the success of everything". Besides maids, many couples also hope their parents, that is, the grandparents, could help look after the children. If the elderly can help look after Page: 17 our next generation, our family and social cohesiveness would be strong. The elderly can play with their grandchildren and the latter can receive more love from them. Youngsters will be able to feel more warmth from the family. Grandparents are more experienced and caring; therefore, couples will be more comfortable with leaving their children with them.”
“Mdm Speaker, I thank the Minister of State for the comprehensive answer. My supplementary question is: would Ministry also try out other possible sites that are seeing high peak-hour traffic patterns, and also, whether the scheme would be extended to another operator, run concurrently to see how effective it is?”
“Thank you, Sir. I just want to add one more point. The hon Member mentioned modifications done by workshops, but not all cases actually are done by workshops. In fact, there are cases that are Do-It-Yourself (DIY), and the parts are procured by the workshops. So, I think we should also look at that aspect, whether how far, or to what extent, the law should be applied. That is question one. Question two is whether the Ministry will consider public education, such as media education, to constantly educate the public. The public may not be aware that what they did is actually an offence.”
“I would like to ask the Minister if it is possible to introduce more clarity and uniformity for the definition of "acceptable" level of noise produced by cars and motorbikes so that there is no question of double standards that may be raised by the public. The Ministry should also differentiate between modifications that may make a car even safer from other cosmetic or performance modifications. If a modification can add to safety, consideration should be extended to allow it. Lastly, the Ministry may wish to consider the provision of amenities and facilities to meet the needs of local car enthusiasts. This will help to contribute to safety on our public roads. At least, motorcar fans will have an alternative venue to test their driving skills and also pursue their interests.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Bill. I would like to comment on section 5 – the enhanced penalty regime for the illegal modification of vehicles. Noise pollution caused by modified motor cars and bikes has been one of the most common factors or topics in the feedback and complaints received by many Members, including myself, in this House. Such complaints are corroborated by the steep increase in the number of motorists caught for illegally modifying their vehicles. The number has risen from an average of 146 cases per month in 2008 to a staggering 920 in July this year. According to LTA, most of the offences were due to unauthorised changes on exhausts, tinted windows and lighting. In view of this disturbing trend, it is understandable the Ministry seeks to impose tougher measures. Page: 1499 With the proposed amendment, a vehicle that is illegally modified may be detained for up to three months by the Registrar of Vehicles (ROV). Many drivers have told me that this penalty is quite harsh and, hence, I have no doubt it will act as an effective deterrent. Nonetheless, I feel that it should be the last resort for such offences. Public education should always be our first line of defence. I agree with my colleague, Er Dr Lee. In addition, all car workshops and their mechanics should be licensed by LTA to provide only approved modifications and parts for modifications or repairs or to assist the motorists to obtain relevant approval for modifications that do not conform to the approved list by LTA before modifications are done. In fact, the list can be found on the LTA website. It is quite comprehensive. Excessive noise generated by illegal exhaust modifications is a pet peeve among most Singaporeans.”
“My other concern is whether in creating a robust regulatory regime that we might unwittingly "normalise" or reduce the stigma of gambling, resulting in more Singaporeans letting down their guard vis-a-vis gambling. When you go to the Integrated Resorts, we have sort of successfully merged the family entertainment component with the casino component. So, going to the IRs is like going to another shopping mall and I think that may perhaps lead some people to let their guard down. There is a good chance, given the easy availability of legalised gambling in Singapore, that the social attitudes towards gambling may become lax. Once that happens, we would have sown the seeds of more problems down the road. [Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Charles Chong) in the Chair] Sir, can Singapore give casino gaming a more positive image, and reap the benefits that come with this paradox? This raises the question of whether Singapore can manage the downsides associated with the casinos. If we can, we would, perhaps, have created a paradigmatic shift in terms of casino gaming – that of regulating casino gaming such that economic benefits are maximised while negative social externalities are minimised. Sir, I am highly sceptical that this can be achieved and hope that the Government will be similarly inclined so that we remain constantly vigilant and, perhaps, one day end our love affair with casinos. On that note, I support the Bill and look forward to the robust enforcement of the law for the benefit of Singapore and Singaporeans. 5.22 pm”
“Are such Responsible Gambling programmes pro-forma exercises that the IR operators engage in because they are mandated to? How does the Casino Regulatory Authority measure the effectiveness and efficacy of the RG programmes? In short, it is important that such programmes have both form and substance. Sir, there is much to commend in this Bill. The decision to permit casino gaming in Singapore was a controversial one. The economic benefits have been reported regularly in this House and the mass media but once the novelty factor wears off, the challenge increases for the IR operators and, in a way, that also adds pressure on the Government to show that its decision was right in the first place. This impacts upon the Government in that the economic largesse was one of the key selling points of having not just one but two casinos in Singapore. Sir, the barometer of the "rightness" of the decision to allow casino gaming will be whether the Government can regulate and manage the attendant social ills that come from the operations of the two casinos and, with it, the easier and increased access to gambling. This is something that requires strict scrutiny and a no-nonsense approach, given the known social downsides that inevitably accompany the casino gaming industry. Page: 1410 I reckon that, in time, there will certainly be a definitive rise in problem gambling and the attendant social ills and law-and-order ills. It is the nature of the beast of casino gaming. Casino gaming also brings in the foreign elements and so the crime control apparatus here has to be able to be on top of these challenges.”
“For example, how compliant was the IR operator in the case of the IR operator seeking to renew the licence? How compliant were they with regard to the social safeguards? Sir, the IR operators have various routes by which they can choose to develop, maintain and promote the IRs as compelling tourist destinations, and if we focus narrowly on the economic aspects, then I think we run the risk of short-changing ourselves. We need the IR operators to be mindful of their social responsibilities. They should be fully sensitised to the realisation that their legal and social licences to operate in Singapore is very much tied in to how shared value is created by the IR operator for itself and Singapore generally. My second point is that we should not be unduly concerned about the pre-emptive nature and, perhaps some might say, paternalistic approach towards imposing social safeguards. Hence, I welcome clauses 84 to 90 that relate to exclusion orders generally. The casinos must not be allowed to prey on local, financially vulnerable casino patrons who visit the casinos frequently. Neither should such persons be tempted in the first place to see casino gaming as a quick-fix to their financial woes. As such, enabling the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) to issue visit limits to individuals and also for families and individuals to apply for such visit limits – in addition to the current family and voluntary self-exclusion – are to be welcomed. Sir, could the Minister elaborate more on the Responsible Gambling (RG) requirement that the IR operators are required to demonstrate commitment to? Are the approved Responsible Gambling programmes and their outcomes subjected to external audit?”
“That is why we can tackle this problem on two fronts. Mr Speaker, I believe today will not be the last time we debate on this topic. Many will still continue to debate on this issue. Some will say it is effective, while others will disagree. The debate will not stop here. And there will be others who will say, "Why don't we bet on this?" 5.15 pm Asst Prof Tan Kheng Boon Eugene: Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for this opportunity to participate in the debate. I was studying in the US when we made the decision to allow casino gaming in Singapore and I recall being visibly disappointed. If today's debate is anything to go by, it shows that there is still a lot of controversy over the subject matter, but I think we have to make do given that we have made the decision. So, it is timely to review the Casino Control Act comprehensively now that we have had benefit of practical experience with regard to the regulatory regime for the casinos in the past three years. I do hope that there will be regular and robust reviews of the regulatory regime governing the casinos, and that the Government will not shy away from making timely and regular amendments to the laws, if need be. Page: 1409 Sir, while I agree that the economic dimensions of the Integrated Resorts must be maintained and even enhanced, I believe it is important in any evaluation for the renewal or grant of a casino licence that the Integrated Resort's track record in complying with the regulatory framework should be made a factor in the evaluation process. Clause 10 of the Bill should not only emphasise the IRs' economic obligations but also require the evaluation panel to consider how the economic obligations are being fulfilled.”
“In NCPG's survey of 3,315 Singaporean residents last year, 47% of Singapore residents aged 18 and above reported that they have participated in at least one form of gambling activity in the past year but only 1.7% of the respondents may be classified as "probable pathological gamblers". Page: 1408 The testimonials given by recovering problem gamblers on the NCPG website are very meaningful. One shared how he overcame his addiction to jackpots, while another revealed how support groups helped him cope with his despair of wanting to end his life. From the three testimonials provided by recovering problem gamblers, I conclude that it is important for one to take the first step towards taking personal responsibility and seeking help. It is equally important that the gamblers were supported by helpful communities and supportive families. Hence, our public education's emphasis on personal and family responsibilities is on the right track. We just need to amplify this and continue to do so through the media going forward, even after our casinos have become an accepted part of our entertainment scene. With this, I would like to conclude with my support for the Bill. Let me continue in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech on Pg 1435.] Mr Speaker, Sir, gambling is one of the roots of evil. Since ancient times, we have known about the harm that gambling brings. It breaks up families. Yet, many still choose to disregard the consequences and are hooked to gambling. According to psychologists, people are addicted to gambling for two reasons: one is thrill-seeking, while the second is to drown one's sorrow through gambling. We have heard of the phrase "drink one's sorrow away", and there are people who "gamble their sorrows away", too.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Bill. I thank the Ministry's efforts to enhance law enforcement measures and improve social safeguards through the amendments. I agree with the amendments introduced, which include casino visit limits, enhancement of the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) casino exclusions and requiring casino operators to implement a more comprehensive responsible gambling programme. I appreciate the four-week long public consultation exercise on the draft Bill in August, with stakeholders from grassroots, religious and social service groups and the Integrated Resort (IR) operators. I would like to propose a suggestion and provide an observation. Firstly, I would like to suggest a spending limit to be imposed on local, financially vulnerable casino patrons based on their current personal incomes. The limit should be a small percentage of one's personal income. I understand from REACH's summary of feedback that the issue was discussed in the context of the Casino Visit Limit System, where a Committee of Assessors will assess the financial situation of an individual, taking into account his ability to service his debts, and the extent of his gambling activities. I hope further research and studies can be conducted to examine if this idea of tagging how much a gambler can spend in a casino is viable. Secondly, personal and family responsibilities are ultimately the key to preventing and tackling the issue of problem gambling. While the Government is doing its best to enhance safeguards, the individual has to take personal responsibility for his or her own actions.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I wish to declare my interest as an employee of DBS Bank. I speak in support of the Bill. I support the objective of the Bill, which is to increase the protection of investors. However, extending civil liability to FAs may be too onerous. I am sure that there are alternative measures which are not so difficult or cumbersome to minimise the incidents of FAs making false and misleading statements. Certainly, FAs should exercise due care and diligence when making presentations to clients. However, how far can we expect them to take responsibility is another question. Many products these days have varying and complex attributes which perform very differently under various market circumstances, especially when market cycles have shortened and become more volatile and unpredictable. As for due diligence, many instruments are linked to a web of other factors worldwide and, on a number of occasions, as we have observed in recent years, investments can go wrong through no fault of the local distributor or FA. The domino or butterfly effect of a single incident or poor judgement in the link of a chain can send huge and totally unexpected repercussions through the financial sector. Lastly, all FAs will now find it necessary to take on profession insurance and this will be costly. In the end, the cost will be passed on to the investor. I am concerned that this cost may reach a level that will make investment advice unavailable to a significant segment of our public. Would the Minister care to share with the House his views on this? 2.12 pm”