Halimah Yacob
Singapore
“Thank you. I think that is certainly a very good idea and that is what we want to do and wish to do, to have the integration of the facilities. As the Member said, it is to encourage inter-generational bonding and support. In fact, we have already started one in Mr Seah Kian Peng's constituency.”
“I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the clarification, and for his information, I have written twice to LTA. The answers have been negative. My question is, what is the alternative because the purpose of the overhead pedestrian bridge is for people to cross over but the elderly has difficulty crossing over?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am really happy to hear about the immense investment in helping households cope with the rising cost of energy. There will continue to be households that, despite these assistance measures, will face difficulty in paying for their electricity bills.”
“Sir, I would like to ask the Minister: if the problem in Japan is not resolved within the next few months, what measures will be in place to assist sectors that are affected, notably, sectors like electronics?”
“Madam, I have two concise clarifications. My first concise clarification is to ask the Minister about the very low unemployment rate. Given this very low unemployment rate, does MOM have strategies in place to help people who want to find jobs, not just those who are already displaced but those who are currently employed?”
“Madam, on behalf of the House, I would like to thank the Minister, the Minister of State and the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the very comprehensive and detailed responses given. This year, the Ministry of Manpower did not have the highest number of cuts. That honour went to the Ministry of National Development.”
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“Sir, I would really like to support what Dr Ong said. I think what he said is really relevant and useful, because there is a need to engage and encourage employers to employ people beyond 62 years of age. Right now, the prescribed retirement age is 62, although I must stress here that it does not mean that employers are forced to retire people at 62. In fact, the retirement age of 62 is meant to protect the worker, to allow him to work up to 62, and prohibiting employers from retiring anybody before they reach the age of 62. But many lower-income workers that we represent in the labour movement have made the request that they be allowed to work longer. However, employers are generally unwilling to employ their workers, although at the age of 62 many of them are still productive and can continue to contribute effectively to the workplace. So, I would like to ask the Minister what more can be done by MOM to encourage and promote the employment of older workers beyond the age of 62, particularly those who are in the lower income group and may not have much savings and, therefore, need to keep on to their jobs. The second point I would like to ask relates to the Government's plans to set up a pension plan within the CPF. The aim is, of course, to enhance returns for CPF members by lowering investment costs. I would like to ask what is the progress that has been achieved because, for this pension plan to be effective, there must be critical size. Otherwise, there may not be much savings in terms of institutional cost savings, and these institutional costs may be passed on to the workers, and therefore there will not be much of a return. I would, therefore, like the Minister to give us an update on this.”
“Sir, the current situation leaves such middle level executives exposed and vulnerable to unfair labour practices at work and is therefore untenable. Sir, the second issue that I would like to raise is with regard to the provision of maternity benefits for female executives. Currently, because female executives are excluded from the ambit of the Employment Act, they are not entitled to paid maternity benefits. This means that whether or not they are entitled to such benefits would depend on the employment contract. I believe that on such a basic issue as maternity benefits and maternity protection, our legislation should cover all employees regardless of their job status. I would therefore like to ask the Minister whether he would consider amending the law, so that female executives would be entitled to maternity benefits as a matter of right on par with other female employees in Singapore. This is consistent with our policy of procreation as well as to provide greater protection to women performing maternal functions. The Chairman: Mr Yeo Guat Kwang, please take your two cuts together. Work Safety and Occupational Health”
“Sir, I am not satisfied with the clarifications, but I shall proceed to my next cut. Sir, presently, the Employment Act does not apply to executives, managerial and confidential staff. With this exclusion, it means that executives, managerial and confidential staff do not have recourse to the labour court, which is under the MOM, in order to claim for unpaid wages or other benefits. It is important that all employees, except for the very senior staff in a company, have access to a simple and quick process of enforcing their rights. In support of this, I would like to point out that the Industrial Relations Act was already amended a few years ago to allow for rank-and-file unions to represent executives. Sir, allowing executives to have access to the labour court would be an extension of this development, which is primarily a recognition that executives too need some protection and assistance from unfair practices in the labour market. Hence, I would like to suggest that the Minister consider amending the Employment Act to allow executives to have access to the labour court. We can limit this to executives earning not more than $4,000, or other suitable salary level, to ensure that senior executives are not covered but only up to middle level executives will have recourse to the labour court. Sir, in my view, this amendment is necessary and timely as the recent economic downturn has shown that executives too are vulnerable and need support. Denying executives recourse to the labour court means that to enforce their rights, they would have to engage lawyers and file claims in the civil court which is expensive and injects too much legalism into the employment relationship.”
“When I raised this question earlier, I was told that a psychological tool is being developed by MOM and that intervention measures are going to be put in place by MOM. But now the Minister tells me that he is not aware of it. That is the first point that I am seeking clarification. My second clarification is that the Minister said there are 60,000 civil servants, but only 3,000 make use of the flexible work arrangements in the civil service. I would like to ask the Minister whether he is satisfied with that rate. What is the reason for the low take-up rate? Is it because the supervisors and the managers in the civil service are actually less than supportive?”
“Sir, I am actually very disappointed with the Minister's reply, particularly with regard to the mental stress and quality of life in the workplace. I basically asked ----”
“In fact, even the British government, known to be very pro-market in their outlook, is now considering allowing fathers the right to take six months off work if their wives want to return to work after their paid maternity leave ends. I am not, of course, suggesting the way of Norway or UK. But I am just advocating five days of paternity leave. In the light of all these, I would therefore again request the Minister to consider legislating five days of paternity leave. The public sector already has such a leave scheme. If this change is made, it will align the private sector's practice with the public sector. Working Environment”
“Sir, after observing two weeks of debate in this House, I am quite convinced that there is great passion amongst both the Frontbench and the Backbench to promote work-life balance and other pro-family benefits. Of course, our challenge is how to translate this passion into reality and that is where we have to convince a lot of Ministries to put programmes in place. In this light, Sir, I am therefore proposing that the Ministry of Manpower consider legislating paternity leave of not more than five days a year for our fathers. We all agree that fathers play a crucial role in a child's development, particularly in the formative years. In legislating five days of paternity leave, we can, in a small measure, send a powerful signal that we acknowledge the role of both parents for a strong and stable family. Sir, if we provide paternity leave to our fathers, we will not be alone in doing so. In Norway, new fathers are allowed four weeks of paid leave after their baby is born and they can also request for another 12 months of unpaid leave. Their employers are obliged to re-employ them after that - not just the mothers, but the fathers too. This seems to have reaped some benefits. It was reported that Norway's birth rate has stopped declining since the introduction of this leave five years ago. Since 2001, the fertility rate in Norway has been 1.75 children per woman, higher than the European average of around 1.5. With a population of around 4.5 million, some 1.1 million are under the age of 18, a rise of about 4% in the proportion of young people, compared to seven years ago.”
“Sorry, Sir, actually I put up my hand earlier even before Dr Maliki, but you did not see me. I also wanted to seek a clarification from the Minister. I said that the figure of $1,800 to be paid to the S Pass holders will be in direct competition to the university and polytechnic graduates here. I did mention that the polytechnic graduates with two to three years' experience would obviously earn much more than $1,800. When the S Pass holders come in, their salaries will be lower than our fresh graduates and polytechnic graduates with two to three years' experience. So there is a direct competition. There is a serious concern of Singaporeans on that.”
“It would also undermine our ability to protect workers' interests effectively when a transfer takes place. Sir, there is clearly a need for us to review this provision to remove the ambiguities so that companies can restructure smoothly and the workers' interests are better protected. In this connection, I would therefore like to suggest that the Ministry set up a tripartite committee to initiate discussions so that there is an agreement on some of these contentious issues. I would also like to ask the Minister to give a time-frame for the completion of the work of this committee.”
“Sir, in 1996, the Employment Act was amended to make it easier for companies to transfer their staff when they restructure. So when the business is sold, there is no need for companies to pay retrenchment benefits. They can transfer the staff to the buyer but the length of service and terms and conditions of service of the workers will be protected. Sir, while this provision has generally worked well, there are implementation issues that have arisen which can give rise to prolonged disputes when companies restructure. For example, it is not clear to companies what kind of restructuring is covered under this provision. Some companies refuse to pay retrenchment benefits even when it is clear that it is not a situation under section 18A, making workers unhappy and frustrated. Other companies give inadequate notice to their workers before transferring them or refuse to share information about the transfer until the very last minute which makes it difficult for the unions to assess the financial viability of the buyer before agreeing to the transfer, or otherwise. Some companies comply with the letter of the law but not the spirit. In one restructuring exercise, the workers were transferred twice in a matter of two months. The first time they were transferred to another company, they were not told that two months later they would be transferred to yet another company. Examples like these make workers feel like they are some commodity being transferred from one hand to another. No doubt, at all, it helps the companies' competitiveness but workers' welfare in these instances is not taken care of if they are not properly treated. These and other issues, if not resolved, will weaken the effectiveness of this provision.”
“We have seen this happening in the manufacturing and services sectors, both of which started with lower number of foreign workers but which, over time, gets pushed up. Madam, Singaporeans are also concerned because S Passes will be employed in sectors that provide high value-added jobs, such as the pharmaceutical sector, and sectors where we, Singaporeans, have been told that these are the jobs which are meant for us. The question I would like to ask the Minister is what assurance would be given to Singaporeans, particularly our university and polytechnic graduates, that they will not be displaced by cheaper foreign workers in such jobs. Will these S Passes act as a disincentive for Singaporeans to upgrade themselves? What assurance is there that employers will not take the easy way out of employing S Pass workers instead of training their own workers to do these jobs? Is there a system in place in MOM to monitor and prevent abuses by employers?”
“Madam, the Deputy Prime Minister in his reply during the Budget debate, has given some assurance on the issue of S Passes. However, I still think that it is important for me to register the concern of Singaporeans, as many see this as opening yet another door to foreign talents, when so many doors are already open to them. The point I wish to stress is that Singaporeans are not averse to competing for jobs, so long as the basis is fair and takes into account our context and needs, but they feel that the competition from the S Passes would be unfair. Let me explain why. Firstly, up to now, there is a limit on the sources from which we draw our foreign talents or foreign workers. They are usually confined to traditional or non-traditional sources. In the case of the non-traditional sources, there are still restrictions as they usually come from India or China. There is greater flexibility for the "P" or professional passes, but they are usually senior level executives earning much higher pay. So it is not a major concern. With the S Passes, however, there will be no limit on resources that we are drawing from for the supply of workers, and they can come from Australia, New Zealand, or the Eastern European countries, or anywhere else in the world. The second point to note as to why Singaporeans are concerned is that the minimum wage of the S Passes is pegged at only $1,800. With the levy of only $50, employers need only pay $1,850. Does this place this category of S Pass workers in direct competition with our universities and polytechnic graduates with two to three years of experience? Although there is a cap of 5%, experience shows that, over time, this gap is not sustainable, as employers will start pressuring for more S Passes as a convenient way out for them.”
“In order to remain competitive and employable, our workers have accepted many adjustments, some of which are painful. But to the credit of our unions and workers, there was no loss of a single man-hour or man-day last year due to strike or industrial stoppage, which is something which no country in the world is able to achieve. A Towers Perrin survey last year of 10 Asian countries in the manufacturing sector, for instance, shows that the pay of manufacturing workers in Singapore has gone up by only 1% over the last two years, compared to an average of 20% for the rest of Asia. So, workers have done their part, and they hope to see the results. I would like to ask the Minister whether he can give us an update on the job situation, how serious is the structural unemployment problem in Singapore, and whether, in his view, the current programmes are sufficient to address them. What are the overall manpower projections to ensure that demand meets supply, and what more can be done to ensure that workers can be channelled in a systematic way to the sectors where jobs are available?”
“Madam, the economy is growing and things seem to be improving. But when you talk to Singaporeans, there are mixed feelings, as many are still worried about their jobs, including those who are still employed. Many are also concerned about outsourcing and the proliferation of contract work. There is a certain sense of instability and vulnerability. The most affected are older workers and those who are less skilled. Many feel that they are somewhat at the mercy of employers who can make choice picking from foreign workers who are younger and cheaper. It does not help that there are still a significant number of employers not within the unionised fold who retrenched without paying any retrenchment benefits to their workers. Madam, while I agree that building a wall around our workers and adopting protectionist policies will not help, I would like to ask the Minister what more can be done to ensure that Singaporeans continue to feel that they are important stakeholders in this society and are not left out. In my view, we must continue to focus on helping the less skilled Singaporeans upgrade and remain employed. At the same time, we must guard against training fatigue, as workers do complain that even after undergoing training, some still cannot find jobs. I would, therefore, like to ask the Minister how effective is our Place-and-Train scheme and also how effective is the Work Assistance Programme (WAP). 4.30 pm Madam, even if we are able to create many high value-added jobs, we know that, for quite a significant number of Singaporeans, structural unemployment will remain a reality. Today, all Singaporeans are competing in a global labour market, and the better-skilled stand a better chance compared to the unskilled.”
“On the second point of university admission criteria, I want to applaud both the MOE and the universities for the greater flexibility that they are now practising in university admission. The change in NTU's admission criteria is particularly bold and refreshing. It is consistent with the general review that is taking place with more focus being given to the values of passion, creativity and leadership. The changes to the NUS admission criteria, however, appear to be less significant. The criteria for giving 10% flexibility have not been spelt out, considering that a place in the university is something that is very much sought after in Singapore. I think it is important that our universities are transparent and make known their criteria for admitting students, so that it is clear in everyone's mind that the principles of meritocracy will continue to be maintained. I am, however, disappointed, that neither the NTU nor NUS talked about admitting mature students, who may not have fantastic qualifications but are nevertheless competent and able because of the vast working and life experiences that they have. I hope to get a clarification from the Minister on this, as I see the university as an important part in the whole process of lifelong learning in Singapore, and I believe that mature students will add colour and very different perspectives to the classroom, which will be beneficial to all students.”
“Sir, I wish to touch on two points. One is on university fees, and the other on the university admission criteria. Sir, I join my other parliamentary colleagues in voicing my concern over the increase in university fees. This issue is of special significance to me, because I strongly believe that education is the greatest leveller in our society. Through education, we give hope to everyone, regardless of their family background, so that not only those who were born with a silver spoon has a place in our society and continue to benefit from our progress, but the children of every family can aspire to a better life if they have the will and the tenacity to strive and succeed. Within a short period of almost 40 years, we are able to leapfrog from a poor undeveloped country to one that, despite our size, is recognised and respected as a practical model of development for many developing countries. I attribute this primarily to our heavy investment in education at all levels, including university education. I am concerned that many families will find it a terrible strain to send their children to university if the fees are increased. I would like to point out that the median wage for Singaporeans today is less than $2,000 per month and, therefore, university fees, averaging between $5,000 and $6,000 a year at the current level of subsidy, are already quite steep for many families. I would, therefore, like to urge the Minister to monitor this situation closely. I would hate to see a situation where certain courses are only accessible to the upper income as the fees are so high that that becomes a natural cut-off point for students, instead of their qualifications or capabilities.”
“What kind of joint activities or programmes are put in place so that students in SAP schools are able to benefit from a better understanding and appreciation of other cultures and practices and, therefore, mirror much more closely the experiences that they will face when they enter the workforce and our society. Because I fear that without those opportunities, they will be somewhat cocooned in an artificial environment that they are operating in when they are in school. Sexuality Education”
“Sir, I would like to join my parliamentary colleague, Mr Inderjit Singh, in applauding the Minister. I think I was one of those who also had raised concerns about streaming. And it is indeed most enlightening and one of the best news that we have received that, at least in terms of between EM1 and EM2, there will now be no distinction, and that other changes would also be made. This is the kind of changes that we would like to see. After putting up representations for many years, I really applaud that. Sir, I would also like to support Mr Inderjit Singh on the points that he had made. I would like to pick up on the point on social cohesion that he had mentioned and racial integration. To me, social cohesion is important for Singapore, a multi-cultural and multi-religious society, and a multi-pronged approach is really needed to instill this. So, whilst schools cannot and do not have the sole claim on promoting social cohesion, nevertheless, they play an important role in promoting racial integration, as our young spend a considerable period of their formative years in school, and their character and outlook towards society are moulded by their experiences in school. For most of our schools, the opportunities for mixing between students of other races are there, but there have been concerns expressed over the lack of opportunities for such mixing when it comes to the SAP schools. So, I would like to seek a clarification from the Minister on the kind of initiatives that are in place to promote mixing SAP and non-SAP schools.”
“Apart from criminal sanctions against errant teachers, what is the Ministry doing to instill a professional and ethical code of conduct amongst its education officers and to impose professional sanctions, eg, suspension from practising their vocation for a period of time or even be barred from teaching altogether? We find that in many other established professions, there are such sanctions. I would be glad if the Ministry could explain what are its policies and procedures in this regard. Co-curricular Activities”
“Sir, teachers play a critical role in our education system, so the MOE strives to ensure that our teachers not only have the textbook knowledge to teach students a particular subject but have actual life experience to make their teaching much more relevant to real life needs. The new MOE scheme would allow teachers to go outside the classroom and into the business sector, community organisations and even schools overseas to gain experience outside the classrooms, so that they can return with skills to share. However, the feedback that I have received is that while there is a policy in terms of implementation, there is not much progress, as principals, who will ultimately have to decide whether or not to release a teacher, are concerned with completing the syllabus in time and fear disruption to the classes. Sir, we have 26,000 teachers and this scheme was announced last year. My question to the Minister is: how many percent of these 26,000 teachers have indeed gone on corporate attachments? How does the Ministry propose to address the concerns of principals who have genuine issues and concerns about how the scheme would affect teaching schedules in the schools? Can the MOE make the scheme really meaningful in terms of providing additional support to schools if teachers have to be taken out from their lessons, so that there will be minimal disruption to the classes? Professional Ethics of Teachers Assoc. Prof. Ngiam Tee Liang (Nominated Member): Sir, in line with my parliamentary colleagues' desire to help the teaching profession, I would like to turn to the question of professional standards of our teachers. Lately, there have been a few court cases of teachers who had sexual liaisons with their students.”
“Sir, the Ministry of Education has taken a new approach in the teaching of mother tongue. The approach takes into account the ability of every student. With this, we have a syllabus for most students - higher MTL for those with the ability and aptitude and MTLB for those who are having problem with the language. Sir, in my view, this is a useful approach. As stated by one school principal, the pressure these days is not just to disseminate the necessary information to assist students in passing their examinations, but also to teach the students in a manner that they will be able to use the language learned in their daily life later. However, the changes carried out currently have been limited to only the Chinese mother tongue language. The Minister has said that he may make the same changes to the other mother tongue languages. I would like to ask the Minister if this will be done because currently although we do not have a major problem with Malay students passing their mother tongue language, I can however see that a growing number of Malay students will be facing problem because the quality of the Malay language has also risen. I would like to move on to another topic, which is the use of standardised pronunciation in Malay language or Bahasa Baku in Singapore. This is the result of a joint agreement involving countries in the region, including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei. I can see that in Malaysia, for instance, they no longer use the Bahasa Baku. But we in Singapore continue to use the Bahasa Baku. My question to the Minister is: do we still need to use Bahasa Baku in schools and do we need to reassess this policy?”
“My question to the Minister is also whether there has been a review of the Normal (Technical) syllabus and, if so, when will it be completed and whether the Minister can share with this House the key components of that review. Finally, Sir, I would also like to ask what is the overall strategic objective that the MOE intends to achieve when it conducts the review of the "N" level syllabus. Will the review result in the students in the "N" level stream being better prepared for either the "O" levels or for the job market? Also, does the review include a review of the teaching methods and approaches, because an important consideration for students in the Normal stream is that they do need an environment which is much more motivating and interesting?”
“Sir one of MOE's strategic thrust is to have a flexible and broad based education system. The Minister has just confirmed that. The key objective of this strategy is to provide diverse educational pathways. Indeed, while the MOE tries to have peaks of excellence, the words of Mr Ngiam Tong Dow resonates with many people when he said that we also need "high national averages". Mr Ngiam was, of course, citing the views of the former President of Matsushita Corporation of Japan, Mr Yamashita, who had made the same point. Mr Ngiam's statement resonates because many would agree that having peaks of excellence alone are not sufficient. We need a good critical mass of competent and capable school leavers who can man the industries and run the offices. In fact, this is critical, Sir, if we want to ensure that our workforce remains No. 1 on the BERI ranking, so that we can continue to attract investments and create more jobs for all Singaporeans. Sir, in last year's debate, I had made calls, together with other parliamentary colleagues, to ask for a review of the "N" level education, to make sure that the syllabus is much more meaningful and useful to the students in terms of either preparing them for their "O" levels or for vocational training that will help them to secure employment. Sir, I am glad to note that in January this year, the MOE announced about reforms to the Normal (Academic) stream. Normal (Academic) students can now sit for two "O" level papers one year earlier than they would otherwise do. I would like to ask the Minister whether there are any other reforms with regard to the Normal (Academic) students.”
“Yes, I will, Sir. As for the EM3, the same problem of stigma and labelling has continued. As I understand, the issue is one of motivation and interest. I would like to ask the Minister whether he will review the streaming policy, and what more can the Ministry do to refine its teaching pedagogy to suit the needs of children from more challenging backgrounds.”
“A New Zealand film recently won 11 Oscar nominations, and the New Zealanders were not even well known for film making. Australia has just released another potential blockbuster called "Passion", which I was told is comparable in impact to the "Ten Commandments" which was made in 1956. Thailand had two locally made films which beat the takings for the "Matrix" and "Lord of the Rings" in Bangkok. We are now operating in a different league where countries, regardless of their level of development, can leapfrog in certain areas if their people have the innovation and enterprise. Can our education system translate that vision into reality? Or will we be producing more of the same things? That is the question that I would like to ask the Minister. My second point, Sir, is on streaming. It is indeed sad that this is one sacred cow that has remained unslaughtered, and which I have also raised in previous budget debates. When we look at the way streaming is done, the lines appear to be rather artificial in some instances. For example, a child may be very good in English and Mathematics but so long as he is poor in the mother tongue language, he ends up in EM2. Now that the MOE has done a complete review of the mother tongue language and one only needs a D7 to enter university, I would like to ask the Minister what is the strong basis for keeping this distinction between EM1 and EM2.”
“Sir, the focus of the Ministry of Education is on fostering the spirit of innovation and enterprise. And in line with this focus, I am glad to note that many changes have been made and that there is a certain amount of vibrancy and verve that one sees in the education scene today. However, the real challenge to me for the Ministry is how to translate its vision into reality. For this, it needs not only good policies but also teachers who believe in the vision and parents and students to respond to the various stimulus that it has put in place. From my own observations, there is still disconnect between the vision of the MOE and the reality down the ground. Recently, a JC student told the press that although he got an A2 in his mother tongue language, he would be resitting the examination so that he can get a score sheet that is as perfect as possible. Another student who got a C5 in her MTL will be retaking it for her mum who was worried that it would affect her chances of getting a scholarship. Sir, the MOE is trying to get Singaporeans to think about innovation and entrepreneurship, but everyone else is thinking about how many As to get so that they can secure scholarships, and thereafter get into the elite Administrative Service as a measure of success. That is what I mean by a disconnect and so long as this exists, I wonder whether we will be able to reach the peaks of excellence that the Minister so often speaks of. Perhaps the problem lies with the way we define excellence itself. It is still very much perceived as being very focused on academic excellence. I would like to cite the example of the film industry as an example of how others in the Asia Pacific region has surged ahead in terms of achieving excellence.”
“Sir, while Singaporeans will not disagree with the objective of building a medical hub, it is good as it will contribute significantly to our GDP. Singaporeans are, however, concerned that a busy medical hub treating many foreign patients, coupled with the other severe resource constraints that I have mentioned, will push up healthcare cost as public hospitals will then have to compete with private hospitals for specialists, doctors and nurses. There is clearly a need to match supply of healthcare workers with demand to ensure that healthcare cost will not escalate. In this respect, Sir, I would like to ask the Minister how the shortage of skilled manpower will be addressed, and what more can the Ministry do to make the healthcare sector much more attractive to Singaporeans, and what steps will be taken to ensure that turning Singapore into a medical hub will not result in higher medical cost for Singaporeans.”
“Sir, the Minister had cited shortage of skilled manpower as one of the three reasons for the increase in healthcare cost in the recent discussion on this subject in Parliament. I would like to ask the Minister how the Ministry proposes to deal with the shortage of skilled manpower. The many developments that we now see will continue to impose considerable strains on our manpower resources, and Singaporeans fear it will cause healthcare cost to go up. Let us look at the situation in terms of the manning position of our healthcare sector. Currently, about 40-50% of the staff strength at the ward level in our hospitals are already taken up by foreign nurses, and about 25% at the hospital level are also taken up by foreign nurses. There are about 1,500 vacancies in the healthcare services which are not filled. Juxtapose this against the demands that are going to be imposed on the manpower needs as a result of certain developments, one of which is the announcement on the part of the Government last year to develop Singapore into a leading healthcare services hub in Asia by increasing the number of foreign patients in Singapore from 211,000 in 2002 to one million by 2012, and juxtapose that also against a rapidly ageing population that will impose serious demands on healthcare services, the problem is very apparent. And it has been estimated that by 2030, the elderly will make up 43% of total hospital admissions. Singaporeans are also reminded by the recent exodus of doctors from the public hospitals. A recent media report cited that 177 doctors had left the public sector to join the private sector, including 43 specialists. So the question on everybody's mind is whether such an exodus will result in higher wages to attract and retain even more doctors and specialists.”
“I did not ask her what class of ward she had stayed in when she went to hospital. I wrote to the hospital subsequently, and was horrified to learn that she had stayed in an A Class ward. To me, that obviously is also an issue that we need to address - how to help Singaporeans moderate expectations while we talk about means testing for better-off Singaporeans. There are Singaporeans who obviously cannot afford higher class wards, and we need to educate them on the need to be prudent and careful in spending their health dollars. Preventive Healthcare”
“Sir, many changes are taking place in the healthcare sector. Some are fundamentals like the proposal to introduce means testing, and others are but refinements to the existing system. In the light of these changes, it is important, in my view, that we keep Singaporeans up to speed with these changes so that people understand not just how much different hospitals are charging but also some of the key challenges and issues that the Ministry of Health as well as our hospitals is faced with in maintaining an efficient but affordable healthcare system. The Minister has mentioned that he intends to put up a discussion paper on the Ministry of Health's website and he intends to use the Feedback Unit channels. I welcome such moves but I believe that they may not be sufficient. There is a need for us to engage Singaporeans on a much broader base to make them understand some of these issues, challenges and constraints. Because I do see that there could be a disconnect and mismatch. Singaporeans see that healthcare costs, particularly hospital fees, somehow defy the law of gravity, but the Ministry of Health and the hospitals obviously have very serious issues and challenges in trying to keep and provide an efficient healthcare system and at the same time making it affordable. So we need to actually engage Singaporeans to make them understand better some of these issues. The Minister also, at one Parliament sitting, had said that one of his strategies in controlling cost inflation is that he wants to help educate Singaporeans to moderate expectations. I think that is also an important point because I remember there was a resident who came to see me asking me for help in terms of waiving her hospital fees.”
“Sir, I have asked the Minister whether he would consider allowing Medisave to be used for the fourth and subsequent children as well as greater flexibility for IVF use. I believe the Minister has not answered that question.”
“30 am The second area of review, which I hope the Minister could look into, is in allowing greater flexibility for the use of Medisave funds for the fourth and subsequent children as well as paying for the in-vitro fertilisation treatment. Currently, Medisave can be used for only up to the third child and there are restrictions when we use our Medisave for IVF. But with the current emphasis on procreation, there is clearly a need to consider relaxing these restrictions. It does not make sense to encourage women to give birth but, at the same time, even when they have money in their Medisave, they cannot use it and will have to use their own cash. Healthcare Financing/Medical Insurance”
“Sir, currently, there are very limited and strict uses for the Medisave account. Singaporeans can use their Medisave savings to pay for the premiums of MediShield or Medisave-approved insurance schemes. They are also allowed to pay for certain hospital and outpatient fees up to a certain limit. Contrary to popular belief, Medisave is not an insurance scheme but it is essentially a savings scheme. As we are now in the midst of reviewing some of our healthcare policies, a fundamental change being the idea of means testing for hospital care, I would like to ask the Minister whether the Government will consider allowing greater flexibility in the use of Medisave. I think it is time that the Government allowed Medisave to be used for buying some type of healthcare policies, which CPF members are now using cash to buy, because they cannot use their Medisave. This makes sense because the deductible quantum under the MediShield or any of the approved plan is high. So MediShield does not cover a person from the first dollar of hospitalisation. In fact, MediShield covers catastrophic illnesses. It is designed to cover someone who suffers a prolonged illness or hospitalisation. But if a person is hospitalised for only a few days without any surgery, MediShield may not pay a cent. As healthcare cost is not likely to decrease, the burden for Singaporeans who are not adequately insured will get worse. So the Ministry of Health should consider allowing the use of Medisave to purchase some healthcare policies to top up the MediShield, subject to whatever safeguards it deems necessary. I hope the Minster will look into that. 11.”
“Secondly, will the paperwork and investigations associated with implementation of any kind of means testing add a substantial administrative burden to the system, with a resulting increase in administrative costs? A means testing system requires a large administrative staff to review applications and determine whether they meet the relevant criteria. Thirdly, will the means test be applied at a time the person is admitted to hospital or at regular intervals after the hospital stay started or for subsequent visits as a person's status may change over time? Finally, means testing requires someone who wants to benefit from the subsidy to identify themselves as poor. The process of documenting one's poverty and hardship can be a difficult and demeaning process initself, to my mind. Madam, we should handle means testing with care. People are most vulnerable when they are ill. My concern is that means testing, instead of reaping any good, will instead create more ill-will and anger and is, therefore, counter-productive. I would therefore like to urge the Minister to allow for enough public discussions andairing of views before means testing is introduced. I would also like to suggest to the Minister not to introduce means testing before an effective insurance scheme is put in place to catch those who fall outside the subsidy net. The current deductibles under MediShieldare very high. Those without an insurance policy to cover them and are not eligible for subsidies will be badly affected.”
“Madam, everyone has an opinion on means testing because health is a matter that is close to the heart of every Singaporean. Even those who are healthy today are concerned over the implications because, as sure as the sun rises, everyone will fall ill at some point of time in their lives and may land up in a hospital. Many Singaporeans today belong to the sandwiched generation where they have to take care of not only their own spouses and children but also aged parents or, in some cases, sickly siblings. The Government has repeatedly said that while it will have schemes to support those who are in difficulty, the best defence will still be the families supporting each other. Yet, in introducing this means testing scheme, the Government is making it more difficult for families to help each other. I am concerned, Madam, about the social implications of such a policy and how it will affect behaviour onthe ground. Will we see less support for elderly Singaporeans or those who are handicapped and sickly? And what about encouraging families to have more children? I am concerned that the policies and the messages that the Government is sending are contradictory and confusing. In my view, the angst, frustration and cost of administering means testing far outweigh whatever the benefits that can be reaped from introducing it. I would like to ask the Minister the following questions. Although means testing has already been implemented for step-down care and other services, hospital care is different. Even if per capita family income is used as the basis, a major prolonged illness can still cause a tremendous strain on the financial resources of a family. What yardstick will be used to measure affordability which is fair and equitable and also take into account individual needs?”
“I would like to ask the Minister on how the Syariah Court can cooperate with the Muslim bodies, Family Service Centres and the network of mosques, the Mendaki's family sector network and whether all aspects have been considered in its effort to assist our families to be stronger.”
“Madam, every year, MUIS extends financial assistance from the zakat to Muslim families who need them. Zakat has been playing an important role in assisting the poor families but it is nota long-term solution. The long-term and a more effective solution to assist the poor families is to assist them to be independent financially and also in other aspects so that they can withstand the times of rapid change that challenge every family. This is not an easy task, Madam, because families who need assistance often face other social problems. This means that a more comprehensive approach has to be taken to assist these families which are currently receiving assistance through the zakat. In this regard, I have been informed that MUIS has a plan to assist families who are receiving zakat assistance to be independent through the skill training programme, counselling and religious education programme. This is a comprehensive approach and is a positive move. It is also in line with the Islamic teaching which commands us to be hardworking. When the families are more independent, they will be less reliant on financial assistance. Could the Minister give further details on MUIS' plan? How can MUIS cooperate with other social bodies and agencies and when will this programme be implemented? Madam, I would also like to touch on how we can further strengthen marriages within the Muslim community. The rate of divorce in the Muslim community, which is still high, is a matter of concern. We need to determine why this is happening. More importantly, we also need to enhance efforts to assist the married couples so that they can stay together. In this regard, we need to practise a comprehensive approach.”
“Sir, finally, I would now like to address Mdm Halimah's query on before-and-after-school care, which is also known as student care. As pointed out by her, this service is provided by both commercial and VWO operators, and has grown to be fairly popular among parents as an alternative care arrangement for their older children. With student care being less manpower-intensive than childcare, the operating cost is, of course, much lower. The fees for student care without subsidy are similar to, if not lower than, childcare fees payable after subsidy. Children enrolled in VWO centres may apply for fee assistance if the parents' combined income is less than $2,500. The fee assistance offsets up to 75% of the fees, with a cap of $150. We will seriously consider Mdm Halimah's suggestion to extend the fee assistance scheme to commercial centres as well. We will have to study this carefully but, meanwhile, families may also apply for further assistance from the CDCs and VWOs. Sir, I think I have addressed most of the concerns. Family Values”
“On her suggestion as to whether or not we could administer this together with MCDS and a grassroots organisation, at the moment, the scheme is being handled by the CDCs together with the Family Service Centres. Let us evolve, as we are dealing with young children and the level of expertise that is needed to manage such a scheme, which the Member must agree with me, should be very high, especially given the fact they are young and their needs may be different from toddlers and other children. She also suggested a registry of nannies to be placed at the CDCs. I think that is a good idea. I will put it up to the five Mayors as to whether or not they may consider that. Dr Amy Khor has also suggested that we should open more childcare centres later to allow parents who work late to come back. As it is now, there are some centres which have done so, in consultation with the parents. Some of them do keep their lights open up to 7.00 pm to allow parents who are working late to come back. But this is something that is mutually agreed between the parents and the childcare operators. Sir, I think I have addressed most of the concerns on childcare. The last point is about accessibility, in terms of childcare centres in workplaces. DrAmy Khor suggests that wecollaborate with MND on the gross floor space. Sir, I am notquite familiar with that. But let us look into how we can help more employers who are prepared to open up childcare centres at their workplaces.I agree with her and Dr Lily Neo and others that having childcare centres near the workplace will help parents, both fathers and mothers, to have peace of mind to know that their child is being taken care of professionally and being well taken care of.”
“The Government has also paid out $27.9 million under the Third Child Paid Maternity Leave scheme, of which $1.6 million was paid to self-employed mothers. Ultimately, it is not more subsidies or financial support that would keep prices down, but more competition from having more centre places. Apart from affordability, let me assure Members that my Ministry will also ensure quality, through both the Child Care Centres' Act and Regulations and through licensing. We focus on dimensions, such as safety, hygiene, nutrition, programme and curriculum and, of course, staff and training. I am proud to say that, today, over 90% of childcare centre supervisors and teachers have either been trained or are undergoing training at the required level. In addition, MCDS has developed a dedicated training programme for infant care personnel in consultation with childcare experts, healthcare professionals from the Ministry of Health, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, and the Ministry of the Environment. Sir, to provide more options to parents, we announced in January this year a new home-based care option for infants, known as Family Day Care. Childcare centres will match interested parents with trained caregivers who will care for the infants in a home. I am happy to say that even before the service was fully operational on 1st March this year, close to 1,000 parents and caregivers had indicated interest. Of these, 230 parents and 270 caregivers have registered for the service. Sir, Dr Amy Khor has suggested that we should be aggressive in pushing this scheme. I support her. At the same time, we have to allow the industry to develop because, as she rightly pointed out, we have to have the right people to become nannies and babysitters.”
“Sir, let me now move on to infant care. Singapore, like Italy, does not yet have good infrastructure for infant care. Less than 1% of our infants here are enrolled in infant care centres. Given the much higher staff-child ratios required of infant care centres, we must consider implementing an infant care subsidy rate that is different and higher than the current childcare subsidy. But I assure the Member that the matter is part of the holistic review of marriage and procreation measures which will be completed by August this year. My Ministry values our partnership with childcare operators, and my officers meet them regularly to review and improve our procedures. The procedures for setting up childcare or infant care centres are clearly set out on our website, www.childcarelink.gov.sg. My officers also actively provide consultation to interested operators to enable them to meet licensing requirements which ensure proper standards of care. If Members or potential operators have specific feedback or suggestions on how to improve the process, my officers would be happy to discuss the matter with them. We encourage more operators to provide infant care services, either in their current childcare centres or through setting up new centres. We will continue to offer capital grants to VWOs to defray the start-up costs. As mentioned earlier, capital grants are also extended to employers, if they set up workplace centres. These measures will help to keep fees affordable. But we are mindful that the infant care industry must be financially self-sustainable. It is a new industry. Sir, at the same time, parents can also use the Baby Bonus scheme to pay for the cost of centre-based care. As at February this year, $104.5 million has been paid out in Baby Bonus.”
“Strong childcare infrastructure, as pointed out by many Members, is certainly another critical factor, and this is important if we are to help our families to have more children. As at end February 2004, there are more than 650 centres providing almost 55,000 places. MCDS is working towards a target of providing 58,000 childcare places by FY 2005. This will meet the needs of 25% of children below seven years of age. Nevertheless, we take into account the enrolment at existing centres, and review this target annually to ensure that there is no over-supply. While many of these centres would be in HDB void decks, some would be in residential landed estates. Let me assure Mr Andy Gan that we will continue to work closely with the URA and childcare operators to minimise inconveniences to other residents. Several Members have also spoken about the need for us to work with employers to provide childcare centres at workplaces.I would like to report that we already have many places which are available, both at Government agencies and non-Government agencies. A good example would be Creative Technology in Jurong, where they have an inhouse childcare centre. We will work with every employer who is prepared to open up childcare centres in their workplaces, and see how best we can facilitate that. I understand Dr Lily Neo's concern about the subsidy level of $26,000, but we have to be mindful that we do not want childcare centres to proliferate. As it is now, there is already some excess capacity in our childcare centres. So, we will continue to work with employers on how best we can open up childcare centres at workplaces, because that is a very good move. My own Ministry has a childcare centre that has benefited a lot of my staff who have young children.”
“Sir, adopting a work-life friendly culture requires a paradigm shift in the mindset of both the employers and employees. It has to be based on the principle of reciprocity. Employees must be responsive, responsible, adaptable and accountable in the usage of work-life programmes. After all, at the end of the day they have a job to perform! The challenge lies in helping both single and married individuals shape their own work-life harmony by setting realistic life and career goals. My Ministry will focus on helping the individual achieve personal work-life effectiveness through providing resource materials as well as sharing success work-life stories. Let me just share with the House one example of how work-life arrangements have benefited our women. MsKaren Phua, previously worked part time and job shared in MINDEF. Her previous job at MINDEF allowed her to job share. She worked from Monday to Wednesday and her colleagues worked other days. The Mil-Com CEO, Dr Diana Young, readily agreed to her proposal for the same flexible work arrangement. Now a HR and training manager at Mil-Com, she said that she was blessed to have had supportive employers that allow her to work three days a week. This allows her to spend more time with her two primary school children and back to working full time now as the children are older. So it provides an opportunity for her to transit and change her lifestyle while the kids are young and when the kids are older, she can go back to full time work. Sir, let me now move on to the issue of childcare and infant care. Many Members have spoken on this issue and I really thank them as this is a very important issue.”
“Mooted by Mdm Halimah Yacob herself, the guidelines will serve as a roadmap for organisations to adopt work-life strategies. MCDS will be releasing the detailed findings of this study and the guidelines soon. Although we may be in the infant stage of promoting work-life compared to countries like the US and Australia who are 20 years ahead of us, our efforts have shown results. Many organisations are now showing interest in work-life and recognise the benefits of being family friendly. This is evident from the increasing response to the upcoming Singapore Family-Friendly Employer Award – a biennial award that recognises family-friendly organisations. A total of 456 organisations applied for the Award this year as compared to 342 in 2000. There was also a quantum leap in the number of organisations which meet the shortlisting criteria. The number vying for this biennial Award has increased from 16 in year 2000 to 110 this year. The past winners of the Award have formed the Employer Alliance on Work and Family, chaired by Dr Jennifer Lee. Being convinced of the importance of work-life balance and the long-term business case, the Alliance has been sharing the companies' experiences and the benefits they reaped from being family friendly. Sir, we have just placed Singapore on the international work-life map despite the fact that we only started this programme three years ago. The Head of the Work-Life Unit was recently invited to a work-life conference organised by the Alliance for Work-Life Progress held in the United States. The presentation was well received and many international work-life experts applauded our efforts and our tripartite approach as €˜innovative' and holistic.”
“Examples of leave benefits are family care leave and parental leave while employee support schemes cover health and wellness programmes and social activities. Sir, our approach to this issue is a three-pronged one. We promote work-life strategy, we build local capability and we facilitate funding for consultancy and training. We have taken the "tripartite approach" of Government, employers and unions working hand in hand. Our partners are the Ministry of Manpower, SNEF and NTUC. Together, we adopt a holistic concept of work-life harmony based on the 'whole person'. We also partner business associations, training agencies, Health Promotion Board, SPRING Singapore, voluntary welfare organisations and other Government and statutory bodies to organise promotional and training events. So far, we have organised more than 140 such events that have reached about 10,000 CEOs and HR practitioners. Sir, in response to feedback from employers, we have produced resource materials to guide employers on how to implement work-life programmes. We have trained a pool of about 20 work-life consultants to assist companies implement work-life programmes. In addition, the Work-life Unit has obtained SPRING Singapore's agreement to extend the Local Enterprise Technical Assistance Scheme (LETAS) grant to SMEs wishing to engage work-life consultants. All organisations can also tap on the enhanced Skills Development Fund to send their staff for work-life training. Sir, recently my Ministry commissioned a bottom-line study on the impact of work-life programmes on 11 local family friendly organisations. The findings show that these programmes reaped positive returns from implementing work-life programmes. Our tripartite partners have also developed a set of guidelines on Best Work-Life Practices.”
“So in view of this trend, I think there is a concern from all of us to reflect on how best we can try and help out to prop up the TFR for Singapore. Having or not having enough children in the next generation affects everyone. Its impact reverberates across society, whether we are married or single, male or female. Children rejuvenate society; and we all need them. Sir, let me now turn to the issues raised by various Members on work-life strategies. Mdm Halimah and Mr Yeo Guat Kwang have stressed the importance of work-life strategies to enable individuals to balance work and family responsibilities. I fully agree with them. I also agree with Ms Braema that every person, male or female, single or married, has multiple roles and responsibilities at work and at home. Indeed, singles are members of the family and have legitimate work-life concerns as well. Work-life harmony concerns all of us and is not just the exclusive prerogative of parents or married persons. Sir, my Ministry has proactively addressed the need to balance work and life by setting up the Work-Life Unit three years ago, under your leadership then, Sir. The Unit helps employers implement work-life strategies that align their business goals with their employees' personal and family needs, which apply to married people as well as singles. The most common and useful practices in the workplace are naturally those that address the main concerns of employees. Work-life practices can be broadly classified into flexible work arrangements, leave benefits and employee support schemes. Flexible work arrangements include flexi-time, part-time work and a compressed work week.”
“These leave schemes allow mothers and fathers to enjoy their children and family life. Now, if I ask you to turn your attention to handout5, this is where the reality begins to sink in. These generous measures come with a hefty price tag. Norway and Sweden spend about 3.5% of their GDP on family-related benefits. In both these countries as well as the Netherlands and France, income tax rates are high going up to 40%-50%, and the value added tax (which is equivalent to our GST) is double-digit, and there are also social security contributions. Our philosophy here has been different. We prefer to leave more disposable income with the citizens so they can choose how they wish to spend it on what they need. In Singapore, like in these other developed countries, women, especially those who have undergone years of education, want to work. While we do not want to go towards an expensive family support system, and must take into account business concerns, we still need to do more. If we do not help our women, they will have to choose between a mummy or career track. And this is a lose-lose situation, as Singapore will then end up with fewer mothers and babies, as well as a smaller workforce. Sir, the idea of having children is important to every society. The United Nationsdid a study a couple of years ago to identify what were the factors responsible for the growth of some of the countries in the NIEs. And they discovered that when you havea highratio of young people to older people and, with the right policies of education, healthcare and development programmes, the country will grow. They have termed this opportunity or this trend the demographic bonus. By all accounts, we are now experiencing our demographic bonus. It would appear that this bonus is only a one-time thing.”
“Mdm Halimah Yacob would be interested to know that from our study trips, we learnt that some developed countries with very high rates of female employment now also have high birth rates. This was not the case some 30 years ago when high female employment correlated with low birth rates. Sir, this is indeed encouraging. If you look at handout 2, it shows that labour market and social adjustments can take place to address work-life concerns. The result is that women can both have career and family, and need not choose. However, different countries achieve the balance in different ways. In the Netherlands, about 60% of females and 15% of males work part-time. As opposed to the dual income or single breadwinner model, the one-and-a-half income model is fairly popular there, despite the costs of living there. Young couples are also moving towards the "combination scenario" of three-quarters work and incomes for both mothers and fathers. Sir, on the other hand, if you look out at handout3, Norway, France and Sweden provide strong childcare support to parents who work full-time. Furthermore, in all three countries, for parents who prefer more time with their children, they have both part-time and flexi-time schemes. Thus, a variety of options are available for couples to choose how they wish to achieve their work-life balance. Sir, in terms of maternity leave, and this is handout4, Netherlands has 16 weeks of paid leave while France also has the same length of leave for the first two children, but this shoots up to 26 weeks for the third. Both Norway and Sweden have wage-compensated, job-protected parental leave which can be for up to 18 months or so, of which specific periods are separately reserved for the women and men.”
“Sir, as you know, DPM Lee has stated in the Budget Statement that many of the suggestions on marriage and procreation, which Members have raised last week, will be referred to the Working Committee on Population for consideration. I thought I should share with Members the background work that my Ministry has been doing in the past one year. Sir, my Ministry has spearheaded two study trips to five countries. We have also obtained the views of more than 10,000 people through two national surveys, 10 focus group discussions, and various topics posted on the Feedback Unit's Consultation Portal. In addition, we have received more than 300 phone calls and 1,200 emails from members of the public. I would like to thank all of them for their kind contribution and the time they spent on a very important issue. Let me share some of our key findings. From our survey of 3,000 married persons on the underlying motivations for marriage and procreation, nearly four out of five felt that the three-child family norm was "just nice". However, at the individual level, the overall intended and actual family size was two children, on average, largely because of constraints. These were lack of time and energy for children, as well as concerns about financial support. This means that families can and should be helped to achieve the ideal family size they desire. Financial measures alone might not work,but they should remain as part of our package of measures. Sir, may I just alert Members to the handouts that I have given to them on the various findings that were made on the study trips. I would like now to share withMembers onsome of the findings. Sir, handout 1 is on female labour force and TFR for 1975 and 2001.”
“Sir, I wish to raise two issues pertaining to the before-and-after-school care services. The first one is the lack of before-and-after-school care facilities to cater to the needs of working parents with primary school going children. The other issue which parents have raised is insufficient funding for such services which makes it costly for parents to put their children in the before-and-after-school care services. 45 pm Sir, currently, MCDS only subsidises before-and-after-school care services run by VWOs and for low income families. However, the subsidy does not apply to non-VWO-run centres and the fees can be quite costly for parents. This is quite limited and restrictive, considering that there are only a few VWOs operating before-and-after-school care centres. Sir, we do not want to see more latch-key children left to their own devices, watching TV programmes the whole day or, worse still, undesirable VCDs, or falling into bad company. Before-and-after-school care services, if properly run, serve an important need by filling thevoid with meaningful activities for primary school children when parents are not around. Hence, Sir, I would like to ask the Minister whether he will consider extending the subsidy to commercial before-and-after-school care centres as well so that more parents can have access to them. Secondly, what more can be done to help expand the establishment of more before-and-after-school care services? Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Sir, I would like to thank Members who have spoken on the issue of procreation and balancing worklife.”