Hawazi Daipi
Singapore
“Madam, between 2001 and 2014, of the international students at secondary and junior college levels who were granted permanent residence (PR) on their own merit, around one-quarter were on scholarships, such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) scholarship, for their studies.”
“Madam, we are aware that these are secondary and pre-university students who are not likely to start working immediately after they have completed their "A" levels. So, we do not require them to work in Singapore. It is separate from the university-level scholarships. Page: 34”
“Madam, as I have said in my reply, we leave it to the schools to decide on whether a student or a staff member is fit or good enough for certain types of overseas trips. Some overseas trips can be very physically challenging, but some may not be.”
“Madam, the Member may be aware that MOE has worked with the Temasek Cares for a programme to assist families to manage the cost of treatment after the insurance coverage cap has been reached.”
“I think, generally, yes, Madam. The travel insurance coverage includes accidents and treatment of injuries as a result of accidents, as well as repatriation.”
“At the ground-breaking event, a number of non-Muslim grassroots leaders asked me how they can also support the construction of this community institution in Woodlands. I am heartened by such a supportive spirit and inter-racial and inter-religious cooperation.”
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“Caring for the very old requires more care and assistance. I have spoken at length about the various initiatives and efforts that we are putting in place to cope with the increasing health needs of our ageing population, including a reply to the Member in Parliament last month. I will not repeat the points. For the current cohort of the very old, we are mindful that they did not have the benefit of accumulating sufficient Medisave for their old-age health needs. Whenever possible, the Government tops up their Medisave accounts proportionally more. MediShield does not currently cover them but we have set aside funds under Medifund Silver as their safety net. And we will continue to top it up whenever Government budget has sufficient surplus to do so. Assoc. Prof. Paulin Tay Straughan: Sir, I am very sure the Health Minister will enjoy many more years of healthy living, way beyond 85 years. My supplementary question is this. With the increase in life expectancy and the increased trend in nuclear families, can the Minister comment on the implications on the existing infrastructure for elder care and what plans MOH has in the next few years for nursing home, retirement facilities, and so forth?”
“Sir, we take many factors into consideration in determining the cap for WICA – loss of income, medical cost and other expenses that may be borne by the family of the deceased or the person who has been injured. We may not be able to take into account an amount that has been awarded to past cases in determining WICA per se, because the amount can vary from case to case. It is best that we use what we have been using so far, ie, loss of income, cost of medical treatment, and so on. HEALTH PROFILE OF OLDER SINGAPOREANS 12. Assoc. Prof. Paulin Tay Straughan asked the Minister for Health (a) what is the health profile of Singaporeans aged 85 years and older; (b) what is the proportion of these Singaporeans in institutional care facilities; and (c) what constraints does the Ministry face in providing for the healthcare needs of this segment of the population. The Minister for Health (Mr Khaw Boon Wan): Sir, about 28,000 Singaporeans are 85 years or older. Half of them are being treated on an outpatient basis for diabetes, high blood pressure or high blood cholesterol. Sir, I suppose, in due course, I will fall into this group too if I exceed 85 years old. Other significant diseases which afflict this group of seniors are dementia, vision disorders, hearing loss and arthritis. Each year, about one-third of them would require some sort of hospitalisation. The most common reasons were injuries, especially home injuries resulting from falls, pneumonia, stroke, cancer and heart disease. About 9% of them are cared for in a nursing home. Among those living at home, two-thirds have no difficulty with basic activities of daily living and self care. But about 6% have difficulties in at least three basic activities of daily living.”
“Sir, workers who have been injured can decide on either one – the WICA way or the common law. As I said earlier, we revised the cap only in 2008. I think it is a bit too early now to revise it. However, it is a continuous process that we do at MOM to ensure that compensation is consistent with cost of living, cost of medical treatment, and so on. When the time comes for review, we will review it very seriously. I am not so sure how to describe this case. The difference between the WICA cap and the amount awarded to the injured worker was huge. But, then, that is the nature of common law. If the claimant can prove that the employer was at fault, leading to his injury, then the court will take that into consideration. I think this may be the case in this particular claim.”
“Sir, the Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA) is a "no-fault" compensation system that expedites the determination of claims and payment of compensation. However, this means that work injury compensation is payable by the employer or his insurer as long as the claimant can show that his injury arose out of and in the course of employment, regardless of whether the employer was at fault for the work injury. It is therefore necessary to limit the liability of employers under the Act. In contrast, under common law, compensation is awarded only if the claimant is able to prove that the employer is at fault. Since the two systems are based on different principles, it would be inappropriate to directly benchmark WICA’s compensation limits to awards for common law claims. Claimants may choose the appropriate avenue based on the specific circumstances of the injuries. In 2008, the caps for compensation under WICA were raised: for permanent incapacity compensation, the maximum amount payable was raised from $147,000 to $180,000, with an additional 25%, or a total of $225,000 payable for total permanent incapacity; for death compensation payable to dependants of the deceased worker, the maximum amount payable was raised from $111,000 to $140,000. I would like to assure Mr de Souza that MOM will regularly review the compensation caps to keep in step with changes in wages and medical expenses to ensure that WICA remains an effective means of support for employees suffering from work injuries.”
“Sir, we expect employers to know these because the requirements are in black and white and made known to employers. The ratio space to people or people to space is well known. For an area of a certain size, how many beds should there be, or that the cooking area must meet the requirements of SCDF are made known to the employers. I would say that employers who want to bring in foreign workers must remember they have to take care of the welfare of the foreign workers in many aspects. Accommodation is one important aspect; salary payment is another. The need for recreation is also very important. Any employer who wants to bring in foreign workers to work for them in Singapore must understand and know the requirements that they must meet. They better get good advice and get the right information from the various agencies to ensure that they comply with the requirements of the authorising agencies. WORK INJURY COMPENSATION (Raising of maximum compensation amounts) 11. Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Manpower in view of the recent award of approximately $1 million by the High Court to a worker who was paralysed from a workplace accident and that the Commissioner of Labour awarded him only $182,000, whether the Ministry will consider raising the maximum compensation amounts in the Work Injury Compensation Act so that the maximum amount in the Act is in tandem with what the Courts award.”
“Sir, employers have various avenues to house their foreign workers. There are purpose-built dormitories which meet the needs of most of the foreign workers in Singapore. They can house their foreign workers in converted factories, in housing estates and in private dwellings. Currently, the various agencies are also working together to build purpose-built dormitories, and MPs have been consulted about the construction of these dormitories. There should be sufficient supply to meet the demands of most employers.”
“I am glad to report that enforcement has been stepped up since 2009, and we have noticed that the number of complaints we received since 2009 has declined. This may reflect the fact that the errant employers have been taken to task and there are fewer cases of abuses and unacceptable accommodation for foreign workers. As to why some employers still break the rules, our job is to ensure that foreign workers in Singapore are well taken care of in terms of their accommodation needs and employers must comply with the requirements of the various agencies.”
“Sir, the employers will have to comply with the requirements of the various agencies – MOM, HDB, URA, JTC, BCA, SCDF, NEA and PUB. They are told and should know what they need to do to meet the requirements of the various agencies. On the second question, it depends on the severity of the offence. The employers may be barred for a period of time from employing and applying for a new work permit and renewing the work permits of their existing workers. Mr Yeo Guat Kwang: Mr Speaker, Sir, since the law is in place and the penalty is serious, why are there still so many workers found in inappropriate accommodation? Could the Senior Parliamentary Secretary share whether MOM should step up enforcement? Why is it that with enforcement, we still have this problem?”
“Sir, I do not have the information here. For injured workers making claims under the Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA), we allow them about one year to stabilise their injury. This is to check whether the injury is permanent or not, and whether they can claim compensation under WICA. But I do not have specific data here on the length of time taken to conclude investigation on claim for injury compensation. ENERGY CONSUMPTION OF STREET LAMPS 8. Mr Baey Yam Keng asked the Minister for Transport (a) what is the annual energy consumption cost of street lamps for the last three years; (b) what are the measures to reduce their energy consumption; and (c) whether the Ministry will consider switching off alternate lights along certain stretches of roads, without compromising road safety, after midnight.”
“Sir, from 2007 to 2009, the number of workplace fatalities stood at 63, 67 and 70 respectively. Meanwhile, the number of non-fatal workplace injuries stood at 10,000, 11,000 and 10,800 respectively. Information on the breakdown by nationality of workers involved in workplace accidents is not available. Given that the construction and marine sectors account for the majority of workplace fatalities and the predominantly foreign workforce in these two sectors, the majority of workplace fatalities consequently involve foreign workers. We are working closely with industry to address the safety challenges in these two sectors. Some of the specific initiatives underway include sectoral plans to improve the safety performance of these two sectors. Industry taskforces on Work at Heights (WAH) and crane operations, which target risky work activities common in both sectors (construction and marine) have also made recommendations to enhance safety management.”
“Sir, we do understand that there are some foreign workers, who want to assist MOM with the investigations or to report their wrongful deployment by their employers, worry about the potential reprisal by the employers. We assure the foreign workers in Singapore that we can help them on such things. We will help them find alternative employment while they are assisting us with the investigation. On repatriation, it is one of the best ways to manage the number of foreign workers, who may not have a job in Singapore, having had problem with the employers. It is very difficult for us to manage the debt for them because much of this is owed in their home country. But for those who are assisting us with investigations – because we understand that some of them may still need to repay their debts – we allow them to work with another employer and we provide the accommodation, if necessary and if they so desire. We have put in place measures to ensure that the problem of non-availability of jobs for workers brought in to Singapore is much minimised. For example, construction and marine companies need to show documentary proof that they have ongoing projects before work permits are issued to them. For sub-contractors, they also need to show us an endorsement letter from the main contractor before they are allowed to bring in foreign workers. These are measures that have helped reduce the problem of foreign workers brought in without proper jobs. NATIONALITY OF WORKERS IN ACCIDENTS 7. Ms Audrey Wong Wai Yen asked the Minister for Manpower whether he will provide a breakdown by nationality of workers who have been injured or killed in workplace accidents in the past three years.”
“Sir, it is a good suggestion to publicise companies that have employed good work-life and enlightened practices. Assoc. Prof. Straughan may know that MOM has given out awards to such employers annually. We will continue to give them some publicity to encourage others to come on-board. On FDW employers, it is something that they have to work out with the employment agencies. If they have problems, they can refer their problems to the accreditation bodies. We will leave it to them to settle their problems.”
“Sir, one of the concerns of employers is whether they can continue to employ the good foreign workers. Under the new levy system, they will be assisted to do just that, because if they upgrade the skills of their good foreign workers, they will be charged lower levy. This is one way to help raise productivity. So there is no conflict between productivity and higher levy. My reply to Mr Chong earlier in my speech on enforcement indicates that it has worked. I would like to assure Mdm Halimah Yacob that we will continue to enhance our intelligence gathering capabilities, continue to conduct enforcement to ensure that we can detect errant employers and malpractices in various aspects that can help enhance the welfare and interest of our workers.”
“Mr Sam Tan commented on the change of employer policy for FDWs. Currently, FDWs are allowed to change employers with their employers' consent. In most cases where the FDW wishes to change employer, her current employer will consent, as it is in neither party's interest to carry on an employment relationship that has soured. FDWs are also allowed to change employers if their employers have ill-treated them. To facilitate FDWs reporting employer malpractices, MOM operates a dedicated helpline for FDWs, informs FDWs of their rights and avenues for help during the Safety Awareness Course and conducts random interviews with first-time FDWs within the first few months of their arrival in Singapore. We currently do not see the need to relax the policy on changing employers. Sir, in conclusion, our efforts to promote safe and progressive workplaces will enable us to maximise the potential of our workers. While we ensure that workers are provided with the basic standards of employment, such as safety and health, we must also put in place fair and progressive employment practices for all members of our workforce, from casual and contract workers to foreign workers. This will help nurture a competitive workforce and make Singapore a great work place to work for both foreign workers as well as locals. 1.45 pm”
“These courses will be held on weekends at selected community centres, and will run from this May onwards. All FDW employers who are interested in signing up their FDWs for the courses may visit FAST's website at www.fast.org.sg from April onwards for more information. Sir, at this point, may I seek your permission to take about one or two minutes more than the allocated time.”
“These problems lead to the employers hiring FDWs who do not meet the employers' expectations. The accreditation bodies have therefore proposed to create a standard bio-data template for the industry. The standard template could help distinguish more responsible employment agencies by requiring agencies to indicate if and how they had attempted to verify the information provided. A standard template will also help employers compare bio-data received from different agencies, and ensure they have enough information to select the best FDW for their family. We support the accreditation bodies' efforts and will be working with them to develop this standardised bio-data template. We aim to have it ready by June this year. Working and living in a foreign country as a domestic worker can be challenging for new FDWs who have to adapt to a vastly different environment and culture. Mr Seng Han Tong asked if MOM has plans to help FDWs better manage their transition to working in Singapore. Currently, all first-time FDWs are required to attend a Safety Awareness Course, which provides them an introduction to working in Singapore households, with an emphasis on domestic safety and safe practices in high-rise residences. First-time employers are required to attend an Employer's Orientation Programme, which helps them understand what to expect from their new FDWs, given that their FDWs may be unfamiliar with Singapore and the demands of domestic work here. To further help FDW employers ensure their FDWs are well-adjusted to working here, MOM will be engaging the Foreign Domestic Worker Association for Skills Training (FAST), to introduce a Settling-in Programme that includes lessons on Singapore's culture and norms, financial management and stress management.”
“More than 90% of the cases involving foreign workers were heard and concluded within two months from the commencement of the first hearing. We employ targeted measures to ensure the well-being of foreign domestic workers (FDWs). At last count, there were 196,000 FDWs in Singapore. That means about one in every five households in Singapore relies on a FDW to help out in the home. We agree with Mr Sam Tan that more can be done to facilitate better matching between employers and FDWs. Among employers who engaged a new FDW last year, 28% of them terminated their employment contracts with their FDW within three months. It is likely that many of these terminations happened because employers thought the FDWs were not a good match for their family. Most employers go through an employment agency to engage their FDWs, but in 2009, the employment agency accreditation bodies, the Association of Employment Agencies (Singapore) and CaseTrust, received 154 complaints against employment agencies for poor job matching or inaccurate bio-data. The accreditation bodies have identified the uneven quality of bio-data used by employment agencies as one of the root causes of this problem. For example, the level of detail of bio-data varies across agencies, making it difficult for potential employers to compare FDWs' bio-data across agencies. The bio-data may not contain all the necessary information that employers need before deciding on the FDWs that they want. It is often unclear from the bio-data whether agencies have independently verified claims about the FDWs' skills and experience. They may have extensively interviewed the candidate, or merely relied on declarations from the home country agents.”
“Mdm Halimah Yacob and Mr Yeo Guat Kwang commented that errant employers of foreign workers must be held responsible for employment malpractices. Ms Jessica Tan asked about the measures to ensure foreign workers are properly managed by sub-contractors. As I mentioned earlier, MOM has stepped up enforcement of the Employment Act which requires employers, including subcontractors, to provide their workers with minimum employment standards, such as timely payment of salaries, overtime payment and rest days. In addition, all employers of foreign workers, including subcontractors, are subject to the work permit conditions under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (EFMA). For example, they are required to pay their foreign workers' salaries promptly, ensure their foreign workers have acceptable accommodation, and bear the costs of their medical treatment. Employers who fail to do so may be fined up to $5,000 or jailed up to six months, or both. They will also be barred from hiring foreign workers. Last year, the Ministry stepped up inspections to ensure compliance with the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (EFMA) and took action against employers who did not comply. This stepped up enforcement accounts for Mr Chong's observation that the number of foreign worker and foreign domestic worker management problems per 1,000 foreign workers had increased in 2009. To expedite the settlement of employment disputes, MOM also offers mediation services to help parties resolve their disputes as quickly and as amicably as possible, to reach a settlement that is reasonable and fair to all parties involved. If an agreement cannot be reached, workers may refer their claims to the Labour Court for adjudication.”
“We are also seeing companies improve their work conditions by adjusting their working arrangements, eg, shortening shifts from 12 hours to eight hours, to recruit and retain security personnel. Mr Wee Siew Kim and Ms Denise Phua have asked about training programmes for the disabled. The courses provided by the CET centres and other WDA-approved Training Organisations are open to all individuals who are willing and able to undergo training, whether able-bodied or disabled. Our CET infrastructure does not exclude any group of people. However, persons with disabilities (PWDs) have specific needs depending on the nature of their disability. We should tap on the expertise of the various voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) to provide customised assistance for them. In fact, in my reply to a parliamentary question by Ms Denise Phua, I elaborated on this. We need to develop the capabilities of our VWOs in assisting PWDs with their training and employment needs. We are prepared to do our part. WDA is working with the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) and the National Council of Social Services (NCSS) to equip NCSS with sufficient knowledge and skills to develop an employment facilitation function for the disabled. VWOs can also leverage on the Advanced Certificate in Training and Assessment (ACTA) under the WSQ framework for essential skills and knowledge to design and deliver competency based training programmes and assessments for the disabled. Ultimately, helping PWDs requires efforts from all parties, including the Government, VWOs and employers. I will now talk about the management and protection of foreign workers.”
“Workers will benefit when companies adopt the BSI and compete on quality instead of cost, as they will then look at improving workers' productivity by up-skilling, multi-skilling and re-skilling them. BSI therefore allows our workers, including the contract and casual workers, to be more productive through better job performance. Lastly, MOM focuses on industries with sizable numbers of low-wage workers, such as the security and cleaning industries. For the security sector, MOM works with the Security Industry Regulatory Department (SIRD) and the Union of Security Employees to encourage security guard agencies to raise the basic salary and improve the employment terms of security officers. MOM also encourages the agencies to include employment and training-related criteria in SIRD's compulsory annual grading of security guard agencies. Similarly, for the cleaning sector, MOM and WDA are working with the National Environment Agency (NEA) to include employment and training-related considerations in the voluntary accreditation framework for the cleaning industry. This was announced by the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources during this COS debate. Our joint efforts have led to an improvement in the employment terms of these workers. For instance, the median gross monthly salary of security guards in full-time employment has increased from $1,278 to $1,379 from 2007 to 2008. The conditions and professionalism in the security and cleaning industries have also improved over the years. This was also alluded to by Minister Lim Swee Say and Mdm Halimah Yacob earlier in the Budget debate.”
“To encourage employers to send these workers for training, the Minister for Manpower announced that MOM is rolling out the Workfare Training Scheme in July 2010. The Minister has also explained how self-sponsored, self-employed and casual and contract workers can benefit from WTS. Third, we aim to enhance the employment conditions of these workers by ensuring compliance with our employment laws and working with employers to improve working conditions, such as work patterns and wage levels. 1.30 pm MOM has stepped up enforcement efforts against errant employers who do not provide employment terms and benefits to their workers according to the law. In 2009, MOM prosecuted 29 employers for various Employment Act offences. The CPF Board also prosecuted a total of 312 errant employers for CPF-related offences. The number of Employment Act-related claims by contract and casual workers has remained low despite the economic downturn, accounting for about 2.1% of claims in 2009. As Mr Heng has highlighted, MOM and the CPF Board also work closely with NTUC's Unit for Contract and Casual Workers, led by Mr Zainudin Nordin, to reach out to low-wage workers and inform them of their employment rights and avenues of recourse. We also reach out to service buyers, managing agents and employers to encourage them to adopt recommendations in the Tripartite Advisory for Responsible Outsourcing Practices. Between April 2009 and February 2010, MOM has conducted regular briefings or workshops for more than 100 employers, mainly from the cleaning, security and F&B sectors. We will continue to reach out to employers who engage these low-wage workers. WDA and NTUC also launched the Best Sourcing Initiative (BSI) Early Adopters Scheme in July 2009.”
“With the strong support of the tripartite partners and other stakeholders, we can achieve our objective of bringing about a cohesive workforce and social integration. Let me now turn to the issue of vulnerable workers. The number of casual and contract workers has been rising. By June last year, the number of resident employees on term contracts rose by 4.3% over the year to 197,200. This includes workers on fixed-term contracts and casual employment. Fifty-three percent of these workers have secondary or below qualifications and about 40% of them have a gross monthly income of less than $1,000. Many of them are employed in services, in occupations such as cleaners and security guards. Mr Heng Chee How, Mr Zainudin Nordin, Mr Low Thia Khiang and Assoc. Prof. Paulin Tay Straughan have expressed concerns about the situation of part-time, casual and contract workers, especially the low-wage workers. MOM pays particular attention to this group of workers. The Tripartite Committee on CPF and Work Related Benefits for Low Wage Workers, which I chair, adopts a multi-pronged approach to raise their incomes, productivity, employability and employment standards. First, we seek to improve the income security of low-wage workers. We do this through the Workfare Income Supplement (WIS), which encourages low-wage workers to work, helps supplement their incomes and builds up their Central Provident Fund (CPF) savings. As announced by the Minister for Manpower yesterday, we will further refine and strengthen WIS. Second, we aim to ensure that there are sufficient opportunities for low-wage workers to upgrade to better, more productive jobs and remain employable.”
“For instance, a tripartite conference will be held in April on fair and inclusive employment practices. The NIWG will also set up a database of best practices for managing workplace diversity and provide additional materials addressing common misconceptions about workplace harmony. This includes information on different cultural norms at the workplace. NIWG's initiatives augment ongoing efforts by the Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices (TAFEP) to raise the capability of employers in responding effectively to the increasing diversity of Singapore's workforce. TAFEP's workshops, seminars and other educational materials are highly-subsidised and often free of charge. TAFEP also has a programme where employers appoint fair employment advocates who will help promote the adoption of fair and inclusive employment practices. We agree with Mrs Tan that human resource (HR) practitioners and individual employees may need training on how to adapt to a diverse workplace. There are courses which are subsidised for Singaporeans and PRs. For example, HR practitioners may take the elective module titled, "Develop a strategy for managing diversity" in the WSQ Specialist Diploma in Human Capital Management. Employees may also enrol in the Employability Skills module on Learning and Personal Development offered by four CET centres. The module covers, among other areas, effective approaches to working within a diverse workforce and facilitating staff to work in a diverse team. The Government and our tripartite partners will continue to facilitate greater harmony in workplaces through funding promotional efforts and training. We encourage employers to do their part and drive change within their organisations.”
“Sir, Mr Yeo suggested that MOM take the lead to generate greater awareness and encourage employers to shift their current Group Hospitalisation and Surgical (H&S) company-based plans to the Shield-based Portable Medical Benefits Scheme (PMBS) for their employees. I would like to clarify that the CPF MediShield is already a portable scheme. It covers employees' inpatient medical expenses during their employment, while they are in between jobs and after retirement. About 93% of our resident working population between the ages of 21-65 is covered either by MediShield or a private integrated Shield plan. Hence, the vast majority of Singapore employees are able to meet their medical expenses when they change employers or when they retire. To ensure that employees have adequate Medisave savings to pay for Medishield premiums, the tripartite partners have been encouraging employers to enhance their employees' Medisave savings. Employers can make additional Medisave contributions in place of company-based medical benefits. In 2009, 302 private sector companies made additional contributions to their employees' Medisave accounts, totalling about $6.5 million. This decision is best left to the employers in consultation with unions and employees as they need to take into account their employees' needs and the companies' financial resources. Next, on cultural diversity at work. Mrs Mildred Tan has made several suggestions on promoting social integration at the workplace. A National Integration Working Group for Workplaces (NIWG) was set up in April 2009 under the auspices of the National Integration Council. The NIWG is pursuing measures to help employers understand the benefits of an integrated workplace and build capabilities to manage diversity.”
“I am pleased to give some examples, as requested by Assoc. Prof. Straughan, of companies and organisations that have implemented flexible work arrangements for their employees. WDA, for example, gives eldercare leave of five days per parent or parent-in-law per year. The Health Promotion Board (HPB), under the Ministry of Health, gives two days of full-pay, unrecorded leave to attend to the medical visits of his or her aged parents or parents-in-law. The private sector, in IBM Singapore, the Work-Life Leave Programme is made available to employees where employees can take time away from work to meet personal needs. In social organisations like Yayasan MENDAKI, employees have this benefit – first day of school leave for parents who support their children on the first day of pre-school or primary school. These are some examples of flexible work arrangements which companies and organisations, including those in the public sector, have implemented for the benefit of their employees. We would like to encourage more companies to come onboard because by doing so they are able to take better care of workers and the workers will be more engaged and loyal. The Civil Service places importance on promoting work-life harmony. Statutory boards, such as WDA, Health Sciences Authority (HSA) and HPB, have provided eldercare leave for its officers – as I have mentioned earlier as examples. We have also implemented various flexible work arrangements to cater to civil servants at different life-stages, such as telecommuting, flexi-time and part-time employment schemes.”
“The workgroup is chaired by Mrs Mildred Tan and comprises representatives from MOM, iDA, NTUC and SNEF. It will identify jobs that leverage on Singapore's increased infocomm capacity and recommend measures to encourage companies to "homeshore" these jobs. Separately, Assoc. Prof. Paulin Straughan has suggested tracking paid and unpaid overtime work and studying work-life patterns in Singapore. The Ministry regularly collects data on hours worked and publishes them in the quarterly Labour Market Report and the annual Report on Labour Force in Singapore. In addition, data on work-week patterns are also publicly available in the biennial Conditions of Employment survey. However, we currently do not have statistics on unpaid overtime work as it would be difficult and onerous for employers to keep track of unpaid overtime hours. Sir, on eldercare and childcare support. I would like to address the views of Assoc. Prof. Straughan who has suggested instituting eldercare leave and extending childcare leave to parents with children below 12 years old. The Government recognises the importance of providing eldercare and childcare support for families. However, enhancing statutory benefits affects business costs and must be carefully considered. Currently, our employees' leave entitlements are comparable to those in developed countries. Given that the Government had recently increased the leave entitlements for employees as part of the enhanced Marriage and Procreation Package in 2008, it would be untimely to impose additional requirements on businesses at this stage. Instead, we will continue to encourage companies to implement flexible work arrangements. Employers should work closely with their employees to work out appropriate work arrangements to achieve win-win outcomes.”
“In fact, most of SingPost's neighbourhood postmen are actually "post-women", as the job gives them the flexibility to collect mail from the mail transit room near their homes and deliver them in their neighbourhoods. Given the encouraging results, we are pleased to announce that we will extend "Flexi-Works!" for another three years, from April 2010 to December 2012 at a cost of $10.5 million, and target to help another 4,500 individuals. Employers in Singapore increasingly recognise the value of flexible work arrangements in attracting and retaining employees. Last year's Influenza A (H1N1) episode also encouraged many companies to implement tele-working. According to MOM's Conditions of Employment 2008 survey, 28% of private-sector employers in Singapore offered flexible work arrangements, such as part-time and telework, compared to 21% in 2002. Among private-sector employees, 7.4% opted for flexible work arrangements in 2008, compared with 3.8% in 2002. Many companies also provide informal arrangements for their employees to work flexibly. MOM will continue to study the ways which flexi-work has been implemented successfully in other countries and apply the learning points to businesses in Singapore. With the ultra high-speed national broadband network coming onboard in 2012, companies will find it increasingly viable to have their employees work from home. Employers should take the opportunity to redesign jobs to allow more jobs to be done from home – in other words, "homeshore" these jobs. Homeshoring allows workers to achieve greater work-life harmony and enables businesses to better manage their manpower resources and reduce overhead costs such as office rental. The Tripartite Committee on Work-Life Strategy has formed a workgroup on homeshoring.”
“Over the past three years, the Tripartite Work Group on Enhancing Employment Choices for Women, chaired by Mdm Halimah, has also successfully placed more than 5,600 women in jobs through job fairs, recruitment drives and job matching services. Flexibility is an important factor that economically inactive individuals look for when they transit back into the workplace. 1.15 pm Mdm Halimah Yacob, Mr Wee Siew Kim, Ms Joscelin Yeo and Assoc. Prof. Paulin Straughan have also raised concerns about promoting flexible work arrangements and enabling employees to achieve work-life balance. MOM has put in place initiatives that promote flexible working arrangements. We have set up the Work Life Works! ("WOW!") Fund and "Flexi-Works!" to help employers kickstart their implementation of flexible work arrangements such as part-time and other work-life initiatives. The "WoW! Fund" and the "Flexi-Works!" provide grants of up to $20,000 and $100,000 per company respectively. We are pleased to share that $10 million of the "WoW! Fund" has been disbursed as at January this year. In addition, more than 180 companies have come onboard the "Flexi-Works!" scheme and 1,900 workers have been recruited, as at February 2010, on flexible-work arrangements since the inception of the scheme. I have circulated a fact sheet on the "Flexi-Works!" scheme to Members. Let me give Members an example. SingPost is a company that has successfully tapped on the "Flexi-Works!" to reduce its costs of recruitment, training and equipment purchase. SingPost provides its employees with various flexible work options. They include teleworking, part-time and job-sharing. These have benefited many of its female employees.”
“We will work with our tripartite partners to explore how we can improve stakeholders' access to WSH resources. We will keep this idea open. But I would like to draw Mr Yeo's attention to the fact that we already have the organisation and institutions to carry out the work. Besides ensuring the safety of our workers, we will also focus our efforts on promoting progressive workplaces. Given our ageing workforce and declining birth rates, economically inactive residents constitute a sizeable pool that companies can tap on to meet their manpower needs. Mdm Halimah Yacob, Mr Wee Siew Kim and Assoc. Prof. Paulin Straughan asked about the training schemes for homemakers and recent retirees. To encourage economically inactive women to re-enter the workforce, the Workface Development Agency (WDA), supported by the Tripartite Workgroup on Enhancing Employment Choices for Women and the Community Development Centres (CDCs), rolled out the Step-Out For Change Programme in July 2008. This induction programme involves a series of workshops to help participants overcome their inertia or fear of entering or re-entering the workplace. Career consultants at the CDC Career Centres will advise the participants on training opportunities, based on their interests and skills development needs. Interested candidates will be enrolled for training offered by Continuing Education and Training (CET) Centres. They range from generic skills courses on literacy and numeracy to vocational skills training for entry into growth sectors. The CET Centres and CDC Career Centres will also refer the trainees to the network of hiring employers for job placements. In 2009, 520 women benefited from this programme, of which about 160 have been placed into jobs.”
“Businesses can be assured that MOM will be working closely with the WSH Council to engage the stakeholders to educate them on their responsibilities under the WSHA and what they need to do to meet these obligations. Mr Yeo would be pleased to know that we have set aside close to $70 million to help companies achieve the objectives of WSH 2018. The initiatives will cover four broad areas. First, the WSH 2018 Fund will be used to help companies develop the safety culture within their organisations. Second, we will use the Fund to help companies tackle safety challenges within their industries, by developing programmes that take into account their distinct WSH and operating landscape. The construction and marine sectoral plans are one example. Third, given the challenges SMEs face in managing WSH, we will also allocate funds to support SMEs in capability-building efforts. This will include educating SMEs that will be brought under the ambit of WSHA when it is extended to all workplaces in 2011. Last but not least, we will provide funding to establish new drivers to bring our WSH performance to the next level. This includes the WSH Institute, which will conduct research into emerging WSH issues and provide top-class WSH education to WSH practitioners, business leaders and executives. We will announce more details on the WSH 2018 Fund and its initiatives at a later date. As Mr Yeo had said, the collaboration of tripartite partners has been effective in bringing down our fatality rates over the years. MOM will continue to work with our tripartite partners on the various initiatives under the WSH 2018. I would like to thank Mr Yeo for his suggestions on the establishment of a tripartite resource centre.”
“Thirteen trade-specific WSQ courses had been developed for the marine sector. For the construction sector, we are developing six new courses. The courses on electrical works and plumbing and piping will be launched this year. Going forward, we will look into developing WSQ courses for other sectors. In the course of MOM's work, we have seen cases where stakeholders failed to engage their SME sub-contractors to ensure that work was carried out safely. We would like to stress that while work can be outsourced, the duties of the principals to ensure that work is done safely cannot be outsourced. Being the person who engages the contractor, the principal has the responsibility to hire the right sub-contractor for the job and ensure that they are able to carry out their work, not only competently but also safely. We will thus be amending the Workplace Safety and Health Act (WSHA) later this year, to ensure that principals remain accountable for the safety and health of the employees of the contractors and sub-contractors, whether or not they direct the work. Sir, during the second reading of the WSH Bill in January 2006, then Minister for Manpower announced our intention to progressively extend the coverage of the Act to all workplaces by 2011, based, of course, on the philosophy that all workers have the right to a safe and healthy workplace. With effect from September 2011, the WSHA will be extended to all workplaces. An estimated 1.4 million workers across 16 industry sectors, accounting for close to half of the workforce will be brought under the ambit of the Act.”
“For example, the WSH Council had developed a new Code of Practice for Working Safely at Height. This new Code or Practice and the revised Code of Practice for the safe use of mobile cranes have been legislated as Approved Codes of Practice under the Workplace Safety and Health Act. The task forces will be providing a detailed update on the progress later this month. Mr Chong also asked for an update on the new WSH (Confined Spaces) Regulations. The Regulations came into force on the 1st November 2009. To assist the industry in meeting the requirements under the Regulations, we have released the Confined Space Kit. It included materials such as a safety guide book for supervisors and workers. The WSH Council has also developed a Technical Advisory on Work in Confined Spaces in consultation with the industry. We will continue to work with industry to ensure that they can carry out work in confined spaces safely. We agree with Mr Yeo that in most workplace accidents, the learning points may not be new. But we can do more to reach out to every worker to ensure that they understand the workplace risks and the measures they can take to mitigate and remove such risks. We will ensure that our safety training framework is updated regularly to remain relevant to our workers. General WSH training is provided to all workers through one of the Employability Skills (ES) modules. For WSH professionals, we developed a competency framework under the Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ) system in 2008, to equip them with the relevant technical competencies. We are expanding the competencies framework to provide workers in the construction and marine sectors with the technical skills to carry out specific tasks relevant to their industries safety.”
“We will continue to push the boundaries to further improve our workplace safety and health performance and stay the course to reach our long-term goal of bringing our workplace fatality rate to below 1.8 by 2018. This will put us on par with leading-edge countries such as Sweden and the United Kingdom. Mr Chong has suggested the target of zero fatality, this is something we should always strive for. In fact, we have reached out to CEOs of major firms in the construction and marine industry in pursuit of this objective. Indeed, one death is one death too many. Implementing WSH 2018, our national strategy for workplace safety and health, will remain a priority in 2010. I will now elaborate on our key initiatives this year. As Mr Chong has highlighted, the construction and marine sectors accounted for 63% of the workplace fatalities last year. We will continue to address the challenges in these two risky sectors in 2010. MOM and WSH council have developed sectoral plans to guide the construction and marine sectors in the implementation of the WSH 2018. The plans have set a target of reducing the fatality rates in these two sectors by 50% by 2013. And eventually bring them below 1.8 by 2018. The finalised plans will be released later this month. Besides addressing sector-specific risks, we will also work with industry to tackle riskier work activities conducted across several sectors. Last year, the industry took the helm and formed two task forces to improve the safety of work at height and crane operations. The task forces identified gaps in safety manage ment and made recommendations ranging from capability building, promotion and outreach to regulatory issues. We have been working closely with the industry to implement these recommendations.”
“Sir, even as we upgrade our workers, we need to ensure our high labour and workplace standards that support a productive workforce. I shall now elaborate on the efforts to promote safe and progressive workplaces for both local and foreign workers. I agree with Mr Yeo Guat Kwang that we must not overlook safety in our pursuit of productivity. In fact, I would emphasise that a safe working environment can contribute to the productivity of employees. The DGUV, an association of the German Accident Insurance Institutions, shared its pilot study on "Return on Prevention" with me at the end of last year. The study showed that accident prevention measures improved productivity. They reduce production shortages, remove the needs to replace and retrain injured staff and resulted in better staff satisfaction. In fact the study estimated that every one Euro invested in workplace safety and health (WSH) prevention measures, produced economic returns of 1.60 Euros. Mr Yeo Guat Kwang and Mr Charles Chong have pointed out that we have made steady progress in improving our safety and health outcomes, bringing down our workplace fatality rate, from 4.9 per 100,000 employers in 2004 to 2.8 in 2008. While our workplace fatality rate is one of the lowest in the Asian region, we share Mr Chong's concern on the stagnation of the pace of our progress in recent years. Sir, however, at this outset, I would like to clarify that the workplace fatality rate increased marginally, from 2.8 in 2008 to 2.9 in 2009. The absolute number of fatalities increased from 67 in 2008 to 70 last year, not the numbers extrapolated by Mr Chong. Our journey to improve WSH standards is a continuous one and we will face many challenges along the way.”
“Sir, at Ministry of Health, we do not receive complaints on language or communication problems. There may very well be such problems at the hospital level but they have not been escalated to MOH. But that probably indicates that the problem is not so acute. We understand that because of the multi-racial composition of our nursing staff, the hospitals will have to organise the shifts very carefully to ensure that there is a good spread of nurses with different language capabilities on duty at any one time. This is a challenge that the hospitals are taking very well. As I said, at the moment, there is no problem that Ministry of Health has received from patients or their families on this matter. On intake of students, yes, we have been increasing the number of students in our courses, whether is it at ITE, Nanyang Polytechnic or Ngee Ann Polytechnic as well in NUS for the degree course. Over the years, the number has increased, from about 940 in 2003 to slightly more than 1,500 in 2006. For this year, our target is to take about 2,000 students. STAMP DUTIES (AMENDMENT) BILL First Reading The Second Minister for Finance (Mrs Lim Hwee Hua): Mr Speaker, Sir, I have the President’s recommendation for the introduction of this Bill. I beg to introduce a Bill intituled 'An Act to amend the Stamp Duties Act (Chapter 312 of the 2006 Revised Edition)'. Bill read the First time. Second Reading”
“As one of the Members of Parliament serving the Marsiling district in Sembawang GRC, I know that the local residents appreciate the decision to upgrade the facilities in An-Nur Mosque. However, due to the large number of Malay/Muslims in Woodlands, added with the high number of Muslim foreign workers in the north, the An-Nur Mosque is often congested each Friday and during festivities like Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Hari Raya Haji and the Prophet's Birthday celebrations. In fact, the mosque is also very crowded during the weekends. At times, the congregation spills onto the roads. This is not only an eyesore but also unsafe for the congregation and other road users. I do not encourage the congregation to repeat the situation. However at the same time, MUIS must take into account long-term measures to meet this demand by constructing new mosques in some estates, even though these areas like Woodlands and Jurong already have modern mosques. Touching on the plans to upgrade our modern mosques, may I seek the Minister's elaboration on the implementation detail? *Cols. 3939-3940.”
“[For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*.] Mr Chairman, for the past 35 years, the Malay/Muslim community can take pride in having built 24 modern mosques in housing estates here by using their own funds. More than $135 million have been collected through monthly salary deductions among Malay/Muslim workers in order to fund the construction of those mosques. Our mosques are well managed through the combined effort of community leaders and volunteers as well as professional staff under MUIS' supervision. The Administration of Muslim Law Act (AMLA) that was amended in 2008 enables the Mosque Building and Mendaki Fund (MBMF) to be used to repair or restore those mosques. During the debates to amend AMLA, the Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs announced that MUIS was not planning to build new mosques, after the completion of the Al-Mawaddah Mosque in Sengkang and another one in Punggol under the final phase of mosque development plan. I concur that, after the mosques have been constructed in each housing estate, we must give priority to the improvement of some of our modern mosques that are now showing signs of dilapidation, for the benefit of the community, including the elderly who are increasing in number. However, I hope that the Minister will not close the door to the possibility of building new mosques in estates with a high number of Malay/Muslim residents and Muslim foreign workers, even though there is already a mosque in the area. For example, in Woodlands New Town, there is the An-Nur Mosque that was officially opened in 1980. This 30-year old mosque will be restored, with part of its costs borne by the MBMF.”
“We do not wish to see that the assistance being given to the family did not help them comprehensively, because their children dropped out of school. With the presence of a staff member who can monitor certain cases – not all cases, but specific cases which require close attention from the FSC – we may be able to reduce the family’s burden and ensure that we avoid undesirable outcomes, for instance, when the children dropped out of school or became involved in anti-social activities like drug abuse. I hope that the Ministry will consider this need for case management in order to ensure that those whom we help will receive proper, effective and comprehensive support so that the FSC can perform its duty as best as it can with the support of a case manager. *Cols. 3921-3922. Holistic assistance for the needy”
“[For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*.] I rise in agreement with Dr Teo Ho Pin and Ms Denise Phua with regard to the Many Helping Hands approach which I think is a very effective approach. It not only helps those we want to support but also galvanises the compassionate spirit within the community, which will further enhance ties among the various members of our society. Whether the welfare organisations, which operate within the community, are helping the disabled, the poor or needy families, they need support. Based on my observation, the continuous and consistent support from the Government will help them carry out their duties effectively in helping the people who need help. The Government’s support can come in the form of funds or resources. In this matter, I would like to focus on the Family Service Centres (FSCs) which are operating at the local community level. So far, there are 36 FSCs around Singapore that provide services to the poor and needy families. One proposal, which I think should be considered, is to ensure the presence of one or two officers in each FSC who can focus on needy families requiring continuous support. They can be called case managers. I am concerned that some of the families that we want to help may drop out from our welfare radar because they no longer approach the FSC or the bodies that are helping them. I feel that with the presence of a case manager who can focus on specific cases – that is, those who need a more comprehensive assistance – the help that we extend to such families will be more meaningful. For example, a family that needs all kinds of support, in terms of finance, housing and their children’s education, may be given specific assistance for certain areas.”
“Most of us want to achieve that but there is always a big question of whether we take that first big step to make sure that our health is well maintained and improved regularly. This is something that no amount of money can buy. I urge all Singaporeans to take the simple first step of taking control of their diets and start exercising so that by 2020 we will be a healthier and wealthier nation.”
“30 pm Before I conclude, let me address Ms Ellen Lee's and Assoc. Prof. Paulin Straughan's questions on raising the quality and standard of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in Singapore. Today, MOH does this through raising the standards of TCM training courses and continuing professional education of TCM practitioners. Since 2006, MOH has worked with two main local TCM colleges to replace certificates and diploma courses with higher requirement Bachelor courses, jointly conducted with top TCM universities in China. NTU's School of Biological Sciences has also started a double degree biomedical science and Chinese medicine course with the Beijing University of Chinese medicine. Its first batch of 59 students will graduate this year. Taken together, these measures have augmented the pool of TCM practitioners with degree level training from 101 in 2006 to 164 last year. In addition, TCM Practitioners' Board has set up a new sub-committee to look into continued professional education for TCM practitioners. We will continue to encourage all registered TCM practitioners to take part in such courses. In 2006, the TCM Practitioners' Board also published an ethical code to guide TCM practitioners in maintaining the quality and standard of their practice. Sir, let me conclude by saying that there is this saying that "health is wealth". It becomes a mantra to many of us, but this is more true in more ways than one. By staying healthy, one need not spend so much on medical bills, so that he can spend on his other pursuits. But besides that, keeping healthy will enable an individual to have a higher quality of life.”
“But I would like to inform Members that this is not just a problem in Singapore but it is also faced by many countries in other parts of the world. This is why we are injecting $46 million into the Child Development Programme, to help us expand capacity and bring down waiting times for these early childhood developmental services. It will cover our needs over the next four years and it is on top of the $16 million already committed from 2007 to 2009. Most of these monies will go towards the training and recruitment of child development manpower, especially psychologists and speech language and physiotherapists. At steady state, we hope to serve more than 6,000 cases yearly and further bring down waiting time for key services. But let me add that the holistic management of children with special needs is a very complex issue. Multi-agency efforts across the social, educational and healthcare sectors are required for the child to reach his or her full potential, as I am sure Mr Ong Ah Heng is aware. In the majority of children with special needs, such as those with severe mental retardation, autism and cerebral palsy, medical intervention plays only a limited and supportive role compared to the provision of social and educational support measures. These children require early placement in special schools where they can receive appropriate training and education. The child development programme which I have just outlined caters to those with mild to moderate problems. The most appropriate developmental setting for this group is in the mainstream – integrated and inclusive schools where they can receive educational, social and community support as well as therapeutic intervention from healthcare professionals. 2.”
“Dr Lam Pin Min and Dr Amy Khor have raised some good questions about our plans to support this group of children. Since 1991, the Child Development Programme has helped identify and treat children with developmental problems in their early childhood. Under this programme, child development experts from KKH, NUH and three community-based clinics work together to provide diagnostic and early intervention services for special needs children aged 0 to 6, complementing MCYS and MOE's efforts under the wider Enabling Masterplan on Disability. Through these efforts, and the determination of patients and their families, many have risen above their developmental difficulties. Some ex-patients have since secured places in our tertiary institutions and even participated actively in National Service. I have seen our healthcare professionals in action. They are doing good work and coping relatively well despite the huge caseload of some 5,200 patients, including 2,000 new cases annually. However, certain support services, like psychological counselling and speech therapy, are stretched as we have only catered for a projected total caseload of 3,200, with 1,200 or so new cases per year. This was the global norm as recently as three years ago. This rising trend in workload, which experts attribute to increased awareness and better diagnostics, is not unique to Singapore. The situation is exacerbated by a global shortage of trained manpower, which had led to a resultant increase in waiting times worldwide. We acknowledge that parents have to wait before sending their children for screening, but we are managing this by trying to increase the manpower.”
“Vision screening for pre-school to secondary school students is also provided through the Programme. We must collectively press on our efforts to delay the onset and reduce the progression of myopia in children on these fronts. But we acknowledge that it is challenging. As these recent cohorts of children age, myopia will inevitably become more prevalent among adults. The concern is that myopia may predispose older adults to other eye problems. HPB will encourage seniors to go for vision screening as part of a broader suite of elderly functional assessments which it will roll out soon. They are also augmenting optometry and optician services nationwide to deal with problems as they emerge. Fortunately, myopia is a problem easily correctable by spectacles or contact lenses. With affluence, many adults have also gone for the more costly option of laser surgery or LASIK. The technology is evolving. Surgeons are now able to make more precise, three-dimensional measurements of the eye that better guide the reshaping of the cornea. However, as with any surgical procedure, patients have to be carefully assessed for suitability, and LASIK itself carries risk that patients should be aware of. At our public hospitals, the success rate of improving vision in adults via LASIK is more than 98%, though not all will achieve perfect vision. This is comparable to results overseas. Rates of serious complications are low, but side effects such as dry eyes are common, occurring in up to half of all patients. Let me now talk about special needs children. Besides mainstream school children, I want to highlight another group that we are devoting more resources to – the special needs children.”
“This is in line with the practice of developed countries which have implemented trans fat reduction measures. For other food products besides fats and oils, HPB will continue its approach of engaging the food industry and encouraging all of them to voluntarily reduce the trans fat content in their products. Response has been encouraging, especially from larger players in the market. Some companies have voluntarily reduced trans fat in their products, eg, Gardenia, Sunshine, FairPrice, Lam Soon and Nestle. SMEs, like Al Dente Food Pte Ltd, have also come forward to partner us in this effort. I look forward to the support of other industry players on this and other healthy eating initiatives like HPB's Healthier Choice certification. Mr Low Thia Khiang asked about the state of myopia in Singapore. Myopia develops mainly in childhood, but stabilises as we get older. Many of us will recall that one generation ago, fewer children wore spectacles. The proportion of school children in Singapore with myopia is indeed high but has also stabilised over the past five years. Today, about 30% of Primary One school children and two-thirds, or 66%, of Primary Six children have myopia. The causes of myopia are not well-defined, although studies have identified risk factors like near work mentioned by Mr Low, and protective factors like regular outdoor activity. Local research is ongoing to gain more insights into risk factors and causes of myopia. Our schools have taken the necessary measures to manage the problem but a large part of the solution depends on habits at home. Through the National Myopia Prevention Programme, MOH and HPB help tackle both sides of the equation by educating parents, educators and children themselves on good eye care.”
“To complement these efforts, HPB is developing guidelines on food marketing to children in schools and will continue health education efforts in the school setting. HPB will also work with MOE to instil a culture of physical activity amongst our young, so as to build lifelong habits for a healthy lifestyle. Mrs Mildred Tan asked specifically if MOH will consider banning trans fat in food sold here due to the increased risk of coming down with cardiovascular diseases from consuming it. I share her concern. Today, three in 10 adult Singaporeans exceed WHO's recommended daily limit of less than two grammes of trans fat a day. Two-thirds of these people are younger adults aged 18 to 39. Our children, especially those who snack frequently, are affected as well. We clearly need to limit the intake of trans fat in Singapore before it gains a foothold in our daily life. Regulating trans fat, however, is a complex issue. We have adopted a more cautious voluntary approach so as not to create trade barriers, reduce consumer choice and bring about unintended increases in food prices. The concerns that we raised in 2006, as mentioned by Mrs Tan, are still valid, but we are looking at some ways to ensure that people are better informed about healthy choices. After carefully studying the experiences of other countries and taking into account our local situation, we are now prepared to take targeted steps to control the problem. The experts told me that a total ban is not practical. Many of the catchy headlines we read about trans fat bans in New York and California actually refer to limiting trans fat to a very low level. We will do likewise. We are considering limiting the trans fat content in fats and oils to not more than two grammes of trans fat per 100 grammes of product.”
“For example, it is only effective against 70% of cancer-causing HPV virus, and there is limited data on the long-term effectiveness. The Expert Committee on Immunisation is reviewing the evidence on HPV vaccination and will report its finding to MOH subsequently. Sir, on children's health, I would say that good health boils down to eating enough and eating right. A balanced diet is crucial to improving physical well-being and our resistance against diseases. But we must guard against too much of a good thing. Chinese New Year is just over and like during the other festivities like Hari Raya or Deepavali, some of you would have suffered from the side effects of over-eating. Imagine the ill effects on our our children of over-eating on a daily basis! Childhood obesity is fast becoming a problem in developed countries. Left unchecked, it would lead to our children developing all sorts of chronic diseases that they would have to live with the rest of their lives. The problem is becoming so severe in America that it has caught the attention of President Barack Obama. He recently set up a taskforce under the First Lady to tackle this growing problem. In Singapore, we have made obesity the focal point of our National Healthy Lifestyle campaign last year, and this will continue this year. As a lead up to the campaign proper, HPB will launch a weight loss reality TV challenge, similar to the highly popular Lose to Win Challenge in 2009. Community and workplace stakeholders will also be engaged to champion health programmes to provide supportive health promoting environments for optimum weight management. We know that food advertising to children is a problem, and are working with industry stakeholders to address this.”
“Mr Khaw earlier spoke about our considerations in making screening more affordable through the use of Medisave. I shall now update the House on clinical developments. The Integrated Screening Programme was introduced in June 2008 to facilitate appropriate health screening for Singaporeans aged 40 years and older at CDMP-registered GP clinics. Five conditions are currently covered – diabetes, high blood pressure, lipid disorders and obesity – all these are risk factors for heart attacks and stroke as well as cervical cancer. The programme has served Singaporeans well by lowering the cost of screening through bulk purchases and subsidies for lower income Singaporeans. We are looking at including colorectal cancer screening under the Integrated Screening Programme. Colorectal cancer is the most common cancer here – 1,500 Singaporeans become afflicted with this disease annually. Over the course of a lifetime, one in every 20 men and one in every 30 women will get colorectal cancer. Last November, we started a pilot in Queenstown, Tiong Bahru, Bishan and Ang Mo Kio where Singaporeans aged 50 years and older were invited to go for colorectal cancer screening at CDMP-GP clinics. To-date, 416 participants have completed the screening, and 39 participants, or 9% of them, were referred for further assessment. We also intend to step up efforts to increase awareness and uptake of colorectal cancer screening among Singaporeans. Cervical cancer is another noteworthy disease that we are tackling. Pap smear screening is key to detecting this cancer at its early and even pre-cancerous stages, where treatment is most effective. Vaccination against the human papillomavirus (HPV) is an interesting new approach, though not without limitations.”
“Nevertheless, smoking is an issue that will take years to address and we will persist in it. We already have some successes. Less contraband is being hawked on the streets, in no small part due to Customs’ vigorous enforcement efforts. Many public places are also going smoke-free, thanks to the National Environment Agency's smoking ban. Over the years, smoking rates dropped from 20% in 1980 to 12.6% in 2004, but the latest figure of 13.6% in 2007 shows a slight rebound. So we still have a lot of work to do. This is mainly due to an increase in smoking amongst certain population segments, in particular young adults. The smoking rate for young males, aged 18 to 29 years, has increased from 18% in 2004 to 25% in 2007. For young females, the increase was from 7% in 2004 to 9% in 2007. I am concerned about this trend as young adults might not fully appreciate the negative consequences of being hooked on smoking. Besides stepping up HPB’s public education efforts, we intend to augment the Health Sciences Authority's regulatory arsenal by updating the Smoking (Control of Advertisement and Sale of Tobacco) Act to current operating realities. The Act was last amended in 2003 and the latest proposed amendments are to incorporate more stringent tobacco control measures in response to an increasing trend of smoking among young adults, and the emergence of new tobacco products. After extensive public and industry consultation, we are planning to ban misleading labelling, and lower the maximum tar and nicotine limits, among other changes. I look forward to Members' support for the amendment Bill when we table it in this House later. 2.15 pm Let me now move to detection and prevention of diseases.”
“For example, HPB and the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) have been working closely to integrate workplace health promotion into the Workplace Safety and Health legislative framework, as well as the Guidelines for Re-employment of Older Workers. They will also be engaging employers, employees, healthcare providers and insurers to pilot a health management framework linking corporate and individual health to appropriate incentive systems. This will be an exciting area for development as we push for greater productivity in our workforce. Sir, I know I can count on our unions and trade associations, like NTUC and the Singapore Manufacturers’ Federation (SMa), to step forward and lend us their support. NTUC has already partnered HPB to launch a weight management programme next month to promote healthy living at the workplace. SMa will also hold a kick-off event in May 2010 where some of their SME members will pledge their commitment to implement workplace health programmes. So we have the unions and employers' association to help us in promoting weight management with their members and employees. As we intensify our engagement efforts with SME leaders and associations, I hope more will do the same and motivate their members to improve workplace health. Let me quickly update Members on smoking control legislation. Singapore is a pioneer in this area on several counts. We were the first Asian country to ban tobacco advertisements in 1971. In 2004, we again led Asia by using graphic warnings on cigarette packs to discourage smokers from lighting up. To date, we are one of the only nine countries in the world recognised by the World Health Organization (WHO) for our nation-wide network of smoking cessation services.”