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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“I encourage more SMEs to sign up for the scheme. Money alone cannot fully address the situation. SMEs often lack dedicated manpower and protected time to implement workplace health programmes well. To help them, HPB will introduce a workplace health package this month where pre-selected vendors will deliver the packaged health screening and interventions, covering four key areas of healthy lifestyle – physical activity, healthy eating, mental well-being and smoking control. Companies simply have to choose their preferred activities from among the health interventions in these four areas. Some Members have raised the concern over mental well-being programmes that can be introduced for employees at company level. This is one example in which HPB is trying to reach out to employees, to help the workers manage their health issues through activities, including for mental well-being. We also know that the work demands of each sector are different. Some sectors, like hospitality, wholesale and retail, and transport and logistics, face greater challenges in implementing workplace health initiatives. For example, in the hospitality sector, it is hard to get service staff who work different shifts to get together to exercise, especially those who work the night shift. To address this, HPB and its partners will be adopting a more customised approach, by tailoring outreach activities and capacity building sessions tailored for specific industries. Industry workgroups, comprising representatives from trade associations, unions and private companies, will be set up to provide feedback on the needs and challenges of their respective industries. Within Government, HPB has already started working with other agencies to align and streamline our promotional efforts.”
“Let me talk about support for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), something which some Members have spoken on. Some SMEs may want to roll out similar measures like NatSteel, but they lack the scale, resources and infrastructural support to do so. MOH and HPB recognise the constraints faced by our SMEs and will do more in the coming year to help them. Today, several industrial and commercial landlords, such as Ascendas Services, CapitaLand Commercial, JTC Corporation, HDB and Mapletree Investments, participate in HPB’s WHP@SMEs’ Doorstep programme. A simple but popular programme, it conducts health screening and health programmes for SME employees at the doorstep of industrial parks and commercial buildings where the SMEs are located. This is how HPB brings the programme to the doorstep of the companies. It has been well received and we intend to roll this out to more locations over time. I agree with Mr Ong Ah Heng and Mr Yeo Guat Kwang that more can be done. The National Tripartite Committee on Workplace Health, co-chaired by Mr Lucas Chow and Mr Yeo himself, has recommended to MOH a slew of measures to better support our SMEs in workplace health promotion. Let me mention a few that we have implemented or are considering in the coming year. To help SMEs who face budgetary constraints in starting workplace health programmes, the TriComm and HPB have introduced an enhanced SME Grant since May 2009. The grant now funds up to 90% of the cost of such programmes, capped at $10,000 per application. HPB also recently relaxed the grant guidelines to allow funding for off-site health programmes, such as basic health screening at CDMP-GP clinics and chronic disease intervention programmes. HPB has committed up to $180,000 to 22 SMEs under this enhanced scheme.”
“They have wisely banned the sale of cigarettes within their premises and extended the lunch-time break to encourage participation in on-site health programmes. I was told by some workers there that they actively take part in the lunch-time programmes to promote good health of their workers. Employees are also given subsidies and other incentives to participate in healthy lifestyle activities. There have been tangible results – the average days of medical leave taken has fallen from 3.4 days in 2005 to 2.3 days in 2009. With more motivated and healthier staff, the monthly average resignation rate has also fallen from 0.9% in 2005 to 0.7% last year. For comparison, the monthly average for the manufacturing industry is double that, at about 1.6%. One employee’s effort in keeping himself healthy left a lasting impression on me. Mr Arumugam Kerisnasamy, a security guard, has a family history of chronic diseases. Determined to keep these diseases at bay, he put himself through the Health Promotion Board's "Lose to Win Challenge" and NatSteel’s own "Weight Optimisation Challenge" late last year, losing about eight kilogrammes over a four-month period. Mr Arumugam continues to exercise and watch his diet. He now weighs 96 kilogrammes – about 11 kilogrammes less than when he first started the programme. His fitness level has also improved considerably. During my visit, he shared how grateful he was to NatSteel for their support and encouragement in his weight loss journey. He also told me that he was driven by the strong desire to take charge of his own health so that he can better his work performance and also provide for his loved ones. I think we all have much to learn from Mr Arumugam.”
“I think many Members have alluded to the silver tsunami that is coming and asked how we are going to manage it. It is a tall order which requires hard work from all of us, but it is worth doing. Unfortunately, when we need to prioritise our time, a healthy lifestyle is often the first to go. Many Singaporeans, stressed from work, often do not eat healthily or exercise regularly. Worse still, they succumb to high-risk habits, such as smoking or heavy drinking, mistakenly viewing all these as a pressure-reliever or a lifestyle choice. They do not realise or may even ignore the fact that it could cause them greater pressure, both financially and emotionally, when health conditions develop down the road. This is why there is a strong case for healthy lifestyles to be advocated at the workplace. The outreach strategy is sound as two out of three Singaporeans aged 15 years and above are working. I spoke briefly about workplace health in last year’s Budget, and I will spend more time outlining our plans for workplace health promotion this year. The business case for improving workplace health is simple. Healthier workers mean less absenteeism and lower medical costs for the company. This is the first step to boosting productivity and the bottomlines. Healthy, active employees are also good "walking advertisements" for a company’s work ethos and culture, which helps them in talent recruitment and retention. Healthy and alert employees also contribute to a safer work environment. Indeed, more local companies are recognising the value of good workplace health programmes and have taken steps to implement these. NatSteel is a good example. I visited NatSteel last month and was impressed by the fruits of their employees' wellness programme.”
“Sir, I will try to cover all grounds before the stipulated guillotine time. I thank Members for speaking on, among other issues, special needs and health promotion. Speaking of health promotion last month, two UK researchers revealed preliminary findings suggesting that it was possible to be bored to death. Before Members get worried about their own health since all of us get bored from time to time, let me qualify that statement. What the study found was that people who regularly feel bored are more prone to becoming unhappy and unmotivated. This, in turn, can lead them to adopt unhealthy habits, such as smoking, taking drugs or drinking, which increase their chances of dying from conditions such as stroke and heart diseases. Most Singaporeans I know have the opposite problem – they are so busy they hardly have time to feel bored! We are a time-starved people. We work deadlines, manage family commitments, and run countless errands. Small wonder that we often hear people grumble, "I wish I had more time for the things that matter in life." Good health is one such thing that matters to all age groups, as Dr Fatimah Lateef has rightly pointed out. The Ministry of Health (MOH) invests heavily in health promotion precisely because it is the crucial first step to good health. It is much better to keep healthy rather than seek treatment when conditions develop. This is why our preventive healthcare budget has increased by 67% over the past decade to $112 million in FY2010. Our aim is to help Singaporeans of all ages – children, adolescents, adults and the elderly – to have the means and ability to lead healthier lifestyles. We want to nip chronic health problems in the bud and reduce the disease burden on our ageing population.”
“Sir, the answer is never a no-no. We can consider all proposals in the future as the population changes. But for the moment, I think it is not necessary to further reduce the levy because the current system works. As I mentioned earlier, 38,000 households are already benefiting from the reduced levy for foreign domestic workers. Let me remind the House again that foreign domestic worker levy is meant to manage the number and the flow of domestic workers into Singapore. Already we have more than 100,000 foreign domestic workers in Singapore and we will have to learn to manage the number, while we acknowledge the needs of families who may have elderly or young children. I would also like to remind the House that employing foreign domestic workers is not the only option available. And I mentioned earlier, MCYS has a scheme to help train care givers, and there are a lot of subsidies and support given by the Government to help families manage their elderly at home, including meal delivery. On handicapped children – generally, we have reduced levy for families with children below 12. If the handicapped child is below 12 years old, the family can benefit if the family wants to employ a foreign domestic worker. PROBLEM OF HOMELESSNESS IN SINGAPORE 5. Mdm Halimah Yacob asked the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (a) how serious is the problem of homelessness in Singapore; (b) what measures are being taken to provide shelter to the homeless; (c) what are the primary causes of homelessness; and (d) whether there is any coordination among the various Government agencies to assist the homeless as their problems are usually multi-faceted.”
“This is significantly less than the regular levy of $265. Today, close to 38,000 families who have elderly household members and employ foreign domestic workers pay the concessionary levy. We do not see the need to further reduce the concessionary levy for now. Foreign domestic workers are not the only care option available to seniors and family caregivers. For example, there is a network of 22 day care centres island wide, providing care for the elderly when family care givers are at work. Besides trained care staff, day care centres also provide opportunities for social interaction and group activities which can enhance the quality of life for the elderly. Day care centres run by the voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) charge fees starting from $300 a month. Means-tested subsidies are available to help low-income families. Elderly who prefer to stay at home can also choose to tap on home-help services, such as meal delivery, personal hygiene care and housekeeping. For example, daily meal delivery costs about $200 a month. Similar means-tested subsidies are available to help low-income families. In addition, the Government supports training in basic care giving skills for informal caregivers, including family members and foreign domestic workers. Families can tap on MCYS' care giver training grant which is administered by the Centre for Enable Living to offset the cost of such training.”
“I thank the Member for the questions. On the 7.1% take-up rate of implementation by companies, I think it is a fairly good result so far. But, of course, we want to encourage more companies to implement work-life policies so that their workers benefit from it and they themselves, as organisations, can grow better with more engaged employees who can satisfy their customers better. A number of initiatives have been implemented. As I mentioned earlier, there are already two funds available for companies which want to consider implementing work-life arrangements. One is the WoW! Fund, from which the employers can benefit $10,000 when they implement specific work-life arrangements for their employees. The second is the Flexi-Works! Fund, which is an initiative of the Singapore National Employers Federation and the NTUC to encourage companies to consider devising systems that can help them to employ employees on a part-time flexible basis. We are working on this. The Tripartite Committee will continue to engage the private sector organisations to do this. On the second question about what incentives can be given to companies which may want to consider implementing work-life initiatives, I think this is a question that MCYS may be able to respond to. WAIVER OF MAID LEVY (Families looking after the elderly) 4. Mr Laurence Wee Yoke Thong asked the Minister for Manpower whether the Government will consider reducing or waiving the maid levy for families looking after the frail elderly so that more families can afford maids in the care of the elderly. Mr Hawazi Daipi (for the Minister for Manpower): Mr Speaker, Sir, since August 2004, families with members aged 65 and above have enjoyed a concessionary foreign domestic worker levy, which is currently $170 a month.”
“Where warranted, HDB will undertake compulsory acquisition of a flat if a resident is convicted under the Penal Code for killer litter offences. The high-rise littering incident in Sengkang last month resulting in a serious injury is a reminder to us that such irresponsible behaviour can have grave consequences. It is simply not possible for agencies to have 'eyes on the ground' round the clock. To combat high-rise littering effectively, it is critical that residents play an active part in the battle against litterbugs. First, do not be a litterbug. Second, spread the message to your family and those around you not to litter. Third, alert NEA and TCs if you are aware of litterbugs in your community. We agree with the Member that we need to find more effective means to deal with the problem of high-rise littering and falling objects. HDB will work with other Government agencies and the TCs towards this end.”
“Yes, Sir, HSA is the right agency to report this kind of offences to, and so are the Police. HIGH-RISE LITTERING (Measures to tackle problem) 11. Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether his Ministry will come up with more effective inter-agency measures to tackle the problem of high-rise littering in HDB estates; (b) whether there is the need to step up surveillance measures to identify serial high-rise litterbugs; and (c) how many serial high-rise litterbugs have been taken to task in the last three years. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for National Development (Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman) (for the Minister for National Development): Mr Speaker, Sir, HDB works closely with NEA and the town councils (TCs) to tackle the problem of high-rise littering in HDB estates on two fronts. First, education. Last year, with the help of agencies such as NEA, SPF (the Singapore Police Force) and the Community Mediation Centre, HDB compiled a handbook on the "do's" and "don't's" of HDB living for all households. The handbook aims to remind residents against anti-social behaviour such as littering and disturbance to others. Recently, HDB and the TCs also embarked on a public education exercise against killer litter. This is in addition to NEA's ongoing effort to raise public awareness about the importance of keeping the living environment in HDB estates clean and litter-free. Second, enforcement. To minimise the incidence of high-rise littering, NEA and TCs conduct joint surveillance operations to catch high-rise litterbugs. In the past three years, NEA has taken 14 cases of high-rise littering to task through fines and/or corrective work orders. HDB has also served warning letters to 12 residents for the throwing of killer litter.”
“Yes, we are stepping up on our enforcement. We will always work with other agencies, like MHA, to make sure that we can screen, detect and take action against any offenders.”
“Last month, HSA took part in an international effort by INTERPOL and WHO codenamed Operations Pangea II, where medicines regulatory authorities in 24 countries conducted a coordinated sweep of Internet sites selling dangerous and illegal medicines. Fourth, HSA works closely with the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority to screen and stop contraband shipments of unregistered medicines entering Singapore, including those sent through parcel post. For medicines for personal use and for which there is valid documentation, up to three months of a person’s own consumption is allowed. Parcels with medicines containing controlled drugs without any supporting documentation are referred to the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) for further investigation. It is an offence for anyone to traffic, manu facture, import, export, possess or consume any controlled drug, without authorisation. A person engaged in any unauthorised transaction of a controlled drug is committing an offence. So far, the Internet purchase of medicines in Singapore remains under control. However, with increasing use of the Internet, there will inevitably be a rise in Internet purchases of medicines. We will continue to explore other measures to tackle illegal Internet sales of medicine. If necessary, we will not hesitate to raise the penalties on offenders selling adulterated and counterfeit medicines. But ultimately, demand drives supply. Consumers must play their part in the fight against Internet sales of medicines. We will step up consumer awareness and education and remind Singaporeans that all medicines should be bought through legal channels and from trusted sources.”
“The sale of medicines through the Internet is a growing global problem. Enforcement agencies around the world cannot tackle this problem alone. As Internet sites are often located overseas outside the immediate control of national authorities, tackling this problem requires the active participation of the consuming public. Consumers need to be aware of the dangers and risks of online purchase of medicines, and should learn to make responsible choices. Their participation will significantly augment the trans-border coordination efforts of national regulatory and enforcement agencies. In Singapore, our control strategy comprises several elements. First, there must be legislative clarity. We subject local Internet websites selling medicines and those who operate these sites to the same types of control as physical local 'brick-and-mortar' companies. Local websites are only allowed to offer over-the-counter health products that can be freely sold or supplied in general retail outlets. These are medicines or health products that do not require a pharmacist's advice or a doctor's prescription. Second, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) routinely monitors these sites to detect any illegal sale of medicines and will not hesitate to prosecute offenders. In 2009, 13 people were prosecuted or fined, and 14 issued warnings to remove or change their web postings. This is an increase over 2008 and is due to the intensified surveillance activities by HSA. Third, we have active cross-border cooperation with our foreign counterparts. For example, if a fraudulent website originates from a foreign site, HSA will alert its overseas counterparts.”
“Sir, for local workers, we require employers to purchase insurance coverage under the Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA) that covers the workers in case they meets with injuries during work. We do not have that for the foreign domestic workers. That is why, as a result of the removal of the subsidy for foreign domestic workers and foreign workers, we would require employers of foreign workers to buy insurance coverage first, initially, for $5,000 and from January next year, we will require them to buy insurance coverage for a minimum of $15,000. This is to explain to the Member that we actually require employers of local workers to buy insurance coverage under WICA for their local workers. We think that we should leave it to the employers to decide on the maximum limit of insurance coverage for medical purposes for their foreign workers. HAWKER STALLS UNDER TENDER SCHEME 13. Mdm Cynthia Phua asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (a) for the past five years, what is (i) the number of hawker stalls let out under the Tender Scheme and Walk-in Scheme; (ii) the average percentage above the reserve price that were bidded for stalls under the Tender Scheme; and (iii) the number of tenancy assignments; (b) whether his Ministry keeps track of the assignment fee paid for such stalls; (c) what is the number of vacant hawker stalls, average period of vacancy and reasons for the vacancies; (d) whether some vacant stalls in each market can be set aside for deserving hardship cases at subsidised rental.”
“Sir, I thank the Member for his suggestion. We will require all employers of foreign workers, including foreign domestic workers, to take care of the medical needs and the upkeep of their foreign workers. This means that they have to buy the medical insurance beyond which coverage they will have to bear on their own. But in case any employer has difficulties, then they can approach the hospital concerned directly to work out the payment plan or to seek assistance from the hospital. That, I think, the employers can try to work out with the hospital. We will leave it to the employers to decide on their own whether or not to have higher coverage of insurance for their foreign domestic workers or foreign workers. We will not set the limit to any insurance coverage but we will leave it to the employers to decide.”
“As with other taxes and levies collected, revenue arising from the foreign worker levy is channelled to the Consolidated Fund and forms part of the Government’s revenue to finance Government expenditures in general. The Government does not earmark specific levies for specific expenditure purposes.”
“Employers have all along been responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of their foreign domestic workers, including their medical treatment, under the work permit conditions. When healthcare subsidies for foreigners were removed from 1st January 2008, we mandated employers to purchase and maintain medical insurance for S Pass holders, Work Permit holders, and foreign domestic workers. This was to help employers mitigate and manage their exposure to the cost of medical care for their foreign workers and foreign domestic workers. We have received feedback on some cases of medical bills that have far exceeded the minimum coverage of $5,000 set initially. Last year, about one out of every 10 hospital bills for foreign workers and foreign domestic workers was in excess of $5,000. To help reduce employer’s exposure to potentially large hospital bills, MOM announced last month that the Government will increase the minimum insurance coverage to $15,000 a year with effect from 1st January 2010. However, employers may choose to obtain higher coverage on their own accord if they wish to have greater protection. For cases where the medical bills exceeded the coverage, the employers will have to pay the difference. Employers who face difficulties in paying medical bills beyond the insured amount may approach the hospital directly to discuss various options, such as instalment payments. We should not cap the maximum medical liability on an employer. Employers, who make the decision to bring foreign workers into Singapore, should bear the cost of their care. Otherwise, hospitals will run deficits, which are ultimately paid for by the taxpayer. The purpose of the foreign worker levy is to regulate the demand for foreign manpower.”
“Thank you, Sir. Generally, the response is quite good. Among the 28% of companies that have implemented some form of flexi-work arrangement, we notice that organisations in the services sector have adopted the flexi-work arrangements more than other sectors. The take-up rate varies according to the industry. But what we would like to do is to encourage more to come on board. To give Members an example, Sir, in the services sector, 34.2% of companies have adopted some form of flexible work arrangements. In some of the sectors which have done well, hotels and restaurants, 49%; information and communication, 34% or 35%; and financial services, 36%. This compares with the manufacturing sector in which about 20% of companies have adopted the different forms of flexible work arrangements. So on the approach taken, we thought that it is best that the Tripartite Committee tries to encourage the adoption of flexible work arrangements through persuasive means. We do not think that legislation or requiring companies to offer on the contract of employment for the workers is the best way forward. We think that by approaching CEOs and HR managers, we will be able to get more companies to buy in to the idea. We would like to help companies to understand how to go about implementing different forms of flexible work arrangements. 3.00 pm”
“I believe that this teaching must be practiced and propagated, and I hope that the low-income group, with all the assistance rendered by the Government and self-help bodies, will also help themselves out of their own problems. *Cols. 785-786”
“This needs coordination among the "Many Helping Hands" including support from the Government, society and families. This effort will help low-income families improve their chances of climbing the ladder of progress, and at least achieve self-sufficiency for a brighter future for their children and themselves. However, the low-income and less-educated families, just like everyone else, must want to build up their capabilities, have the will and effort to solve their own problems, and possess the desire to succeed. In Singapore, everyone has the chance to succeed. Many Singaporeans, who generally had a hard life when our country began self-governance 50 years ago, now have achieved a comfortable life, due to hard work and because they took advantage of self-improvement opportunities provided by the Government. You also have the opportunity to improve yourselves and escape the vicious cycle of problems, by using the Government’s many assistance schemes. In fact, there are now many charity organisations that help the needy. Take actions to help yourselves – which include supporting your children’s education and monitoring the company they keep, finding a job as well as increasing your effort and abilities to enhance your employability; looking after your health by not smoking or at least by controlling your weight; and do not have too many children for those who cannot afford it. Mr Speaker, this afternoon’s Friday prayer sermon emphasised the need for employment and the fact that working is a religious obligation. This demonstrates that in Islam itself, the emphasis on work and being self-sufficient is a much admired practice and action.”
“I would, therefore, like to ask the Government to ensure that adequate checks and assessment are in place in processing applications for rental flats, so that those families with genuine needs will be helped in getting a place to live in. Sir, I am pleased that Minister for MCYS has announced additional measures to support Family Service Centres (FSCs) to help vulnerable families by providing more resources to them and looking into professionalising the social work sector. Besides Government support and assistance, community support and the work of social workers are critical in identifying at-risk low-income families and in helping them cope with their difficulties. I would like to see FSCs build up more capabilities and resources, so that they can be more accessible and provide a wider range of services to needy families. More support and recognition can also be given to the social workers as they, too, face pressures in their work, perhaps, through adopting work-life strategies to help them achieve a better balance in their work and life. This would also help to reduce staff turnover in the social work sector. Sir, let me conclude by speaking in Malay. (In Malay): [For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A *. ] Mr Speaker, we must pay attention to the low-income and less-educated families, and find ways to help them, especially during the economic recession. For the Government, and for those who wants to be helped out of their problems, there are no short cuts or short term solutions. For the Government, what we need is to continue helping them overcome their problems from several angles – employment, housing and children’s education – as much as possible, in a comprehensive and consistent manner.”
“Sir, next, I would like to suggest that the Government closely monitor and look further and deeper into the housing needs of the more vulnerable low-income families, so that the truly needy will not be left without proper and stable shelter. With this basic need taken care of, they will be better able to seek and keep employment. Their children will also have a stable environment to focus on their studies. Currently, the options for homeless families include living with relatives or friends, staying at temporary homes and applying for Housing Development Board (HDB) rental flats. But for a family with several children, it can be difficult to impose on relatives and friends, especially for the longer term and if space is limited. Temporary shelter run by Volunteer Welfare Organisations (VWOs) can only be a temporary solution and may not be able to cater to the needs of children. As for HDB rental flats, the queue is long. HDB has also recently tightened eligibility rules for rental flats to differentiate between deserving cases from those who have alternative housing options. I agree that this would encourage families to be more self-reliant in finding their own solutions first and only turn to HDB rental flats as a last resort, so as to not deprive others who are more in need. However, I am concerned that those who have tried their best to look for alternative housing but failed, or they could not make the alternative housing work out for them for good reasons, these families may be left behind and may be left out in the cold, without having even HDB rental flats as their last resort.”
“An employee aged 60 earning, say, $800 per month this year who receives CPF contributions from his employer, would receive a total of $2,720 in WIS and WIS Special Payment, of which almost half will be in cash, while the rest goes to the CPF for his retirement, housing and medical needs. This is a substantial sum. The self-employed and informal workers can also qualify for Workfare. A self-employed aged 60 earning $800 per month this year only needs to contribute $271 into his Medisave account or less than $1 a day to receive Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) and WIS Special Payment amounting to $1,814, of which $454 is in cash. The total Workfare he gets is more than what he would have to contribute in Medisave. I would, thus, like to encourage low wage workers to stay employed and the self-employed to contribute to their Medisave, so as to benefit from WIS and WIS Special Payment. I suggest the Government study the costs and benefits of WIS Special Payment closely and consider extending it for at least a few more years, if it is proven to be useful in encouraging low wage workers, including casual workers, to remain employed. Let me now turn to focus on education and children's education. Children are the hope for the future. However, low-income families are often saddled with multiple challenges, which may make it more difficult for their children to complete their education. MCYS and MOE have done a lot in helping needy children to remain in school and learn employable skills. I hope that these efforts will continue and that more assistance can be given to parents of low-income households to be more involved in their children's education and in motivating the children to maximise their potential for a better future.”
“Work remains the key means which can enable the low-income group to take care of their families and achieve self-sufficiency. Therefore, we have to continue to help and encourage low-income Singaporeans to find work if they are unemployed, and stay employed if they are already working, and up-skill themselves for better job opportunities and prospects. In this regard, the Jobs Credit Scheme and the Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience (SPUR) have helped to encourage employers to retain jobs for Singaporeans and upgrade their skills in this downturn. I would also like to urge employers not to take advantage of these low-income workers, especially in this downturn, or give them a raw deal, and to comply with the employment laws by contributing to their CPF and providing them with statutory employment benefits such as annual leave, sick leave and rest days. Employers must not take the easy option by employing foreign workers first if they can find suitable local workers. They must also employ based on merit, and not practise any form of discrimination based on gender, age, language, race or religion. For this year, employers would benefit from Jobs Credit Scheme if they employ locals with CPF contribution. Employers should also be encouraged to help these workers up-skill and redesign the work so that these workers have the opportunity to increase their earning capacity. By contributing to CPF, low-income workers will benefit from receiving WIS payments. I welcome the WIS Special Payment introduced earlier this year to further supplement the pay of the low-wage workers and to encourage them to stay employed in the downturn.”
“Sir, I rise to support the motion to thank the President for his Address. The President has highlighted the need to strengthen Singapore's social cohesion. And, here, I would like to focus on helping low-income Singaporeans and their families. One of the social divide that we have to manage, which the Prime Minister also mentioned in his May Day Rally speech recently, is our income gap which has widened over the years. This social issue is not unique to Singapore. In every society, there will always be a low-income group. But what is important is to ensure that this group is not neglected nor left behind, and that they have the opportunities to benefit from the economic progress and achieve a better life. While helping them, however, we must continue to emphasise and encourage the values of hard work, personal responsibility, the virtues of family network, self-reliance and self-improvement. I am pleased to see that the Government has done much to help the low-income Singaporeans, by incentivising work through Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) and helping them support their families, own their own homes and educate their children. Measures such as HDB additional housing grants, service and conservancy rebates, rental rebates, GST Credits and senior citizens’ bonus have also helped to ease the burden of this group, especially in coping with higher cost of living and the current economic downturn. Nevertheless, I believe that more can still be done to help the low-income group in increasing their opportunities for upward mobility and in assisting those who are more vulnerable to unemployment and to dropping out of the various safety nets, support and assistance in place. It is important therefore to help them find work, keep work and up-skill their work.”
“Should this exercise fail to generate feasible options for alternative sports uses, SSC will return the premises to the Singapore Land Authority (SLA).”
“Sir, in different communities, ear piercing is considered differently. In fact, in some communities, ear piercing is considered as customs or a tradition. There is no plan to do such a thing. However, as I said earlier, the Ministry will monitor the situation. If necessary, we will take additional regulatory measures to ensure that public interests are protected. CLOSURE OF PUBLIC SWIMMING COMPLEXES (Alternative plans for premises) 11. Mr Seah Kian Peng asked the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports given that there are four public swimming complexes which have been closed by the Singapore Sports Council for more than five years and there have been no alternative plans for them thus far (a) whether there is a specific date for these premises to be returned to the Singapore Land Authority for redevelopment purposes; and (b) whether the Government has also considered the opportunity costs for such long closures. The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (Mr Teo Ser Luck) (for the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports): Sir, the four public swimming pools were closed because they were severely under-utilised. The Singapore Sports Council (SSC) usually tries to find alternative uses for closed pools. SSC has successfully leased two previously closed swimming complexes to private sector operators. One is being used as a swim school, while the other for hockey. Despite multiple efforts, SSC has not received any viable proposals for the four closed swimming pools. SSC will now be initiating a final Request for Proposal (RFP) for the four swimming complexes.”
“Sir, on the first question, employees, including managers and executives, can seek assistance from MOM. As I have said earlier, our officers will help them through conciliation. They would not have access to the labour courts, but our officers will advise them on the way forward for them to get redress. Of course, they would be in a position too to seek legal advice if they would like to do that. On maximum time period for payment of severance pay, I think it is something that we can consider. MORE COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS STATIONS 10. Mdm Ho Geok Choo asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources whether the Government will further encourage the establishment of more compressed natural gas (CNG) stations beyond the current three stations and upcoming two stations this year.”
“In my speech, I reported the number of cases that have been resolved. All this points to the fact that our officers have been able to identify, detect and solve the problems. In short, we have increased the manpower for enforcement and we will work hard to make sure that foreign workers and local workers would continue to be protected. If they have problems, we will look into the issues and help them. The Member mentioned earlier that some foreign workers might have gone home with only half of their salary paid. She said that she got information from online views. Contrary to that view, as we have reported in the newspapers by way of our reply to comments in the Straits Times, all foreign workers who have salary claims will get assistance from MOM if they are sent back by the employers either directly or via an agency. If they complain to the ICA officer at the exit point, they will be referred to MOM and they will get the necessary assistance if the salary claims involve local employers. However, if the disputes involve agencies in their source countries, it would be very difficult for us to help them. In short, yes, we have been beefing up our enforcement manpower and we have been able to solve many of the problems involving foreign workers. Mr Siew Kum Hong: Sir, in my speech on the Budget Statement, I mentioned that contract workers may not be benefiting from the Jobs Credit Scheme. Contract workers are frequently employed by agencies who then farm them out to companies. So it is the agencies who are receiving the Jobs Credit and not the companies who bear the cost. I do not think the Acting Minister has addressed this point. I would like to ask if the Ministry would be looking into this.”
“Sure, we have been extending our assistance.”
“I promise I would not use the word "no". This is being looked into by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports. We have no expertise to deal with the issue of employment of the disabled. But if she wants us to comprehensively look into their interests, as far as employment is concerned, we have already been doing work amongst the agencies and Ministries and, in particular, the MCYS.”
“Should the foreign domestic worker prefer to work during her rest day, the standard contract requires employers to compensate an agreed amount in cash which must be stipulated in the employment contract. Employment agencies who do not meet the accreditation criteria, including the use of this standard contract, will not be allowed to renew their licences. MOM encourages employers to grant foreign domestic workers rest days regularly if possible. However, our current approach of not mandating a fixed number of rest days per month for foreign domestic workers recognises the unique nature of domestic work. Households that have, for example, elderly or disabled family members who require constant attention may find it difficult to release the foreign domestic worker for a prescribed period every month. Some foreign domestic workers may have other arrangements for daily rest periods or prefer to receive additional compensation over having a rest day. Therefore, allowing households to work out an employment arrangement with their foreign domestic workers is a more flexible approach. Sir, in conclusion, our efforts in building progressive workplaces will enable our labour market to be better positioned to meet the challenges of the changing economy in the long term. While we need to ensure that basic standards of employment such as safety and health are complied with, we also need to put in place fair and progressive employment practices, which continue to be important in times of uncertainty like this, as well as a well-managed foreign workforce in Singapore. If we can achieve all of these, I am confident that we will be able to make Singapore a great place to work.”
“My Ministry strongly supports the efforts of NTUC and SNEF, who have jointly set up the Migrant Workers Forum to be ready by April. The Forum aims to develop a social support infrastructure for foreign workers and promote good employment practices towards foreign workers. There will be a contact point and a hotline to ensure that foreign workers have access to advice on employment rights and how to seek help if they need it. Where MOM’s mediation is sought, the Migrant Workers Forum will refer these cases to the Ministry for help. The Forum will take an active role in providing humanitarian assistance so that workers are not left stranded with no food or shelter. They will also be organising basic training in areas like English and social activities to help foreign workers live in this country in harmony with our citizens. The Forum will also seek feedback from employers about foreign worker management issues. Sir, on foreign domestic workers, Mr Siew Kum Hong has asked about passing regulations to mandate that Foreign Domestic Workers (FDWs) be given at least one day off per month. My Ministry is committed to safeguarding the well-being of Foreign Domestic Workers in Singapore. As part of the Work Permit conditions, employers are responsible for the well-being of their domestic workers, including the provision of adequate rest and day or days off in accordance with the employment contract. Since 2006, all accredited employment agencies have been required to use a standard employment contract for their foreign domestic workers, stipulating a minimum of one rest day per month.”
“MOM currently revokes the licences of local employment agencies who flout the licence conditions, for example, by offering kickbacks to employers for the employment of a foreign worker. Such employment agencies will also lose their security deposits or up to $20,000. The Employment Agencies Act also dictates caps on the amount that workers and employers can be charged for a placement. Many Singapore employers or employment agencies also use the services of foreign agents to conduct their recruitment in source countries. However, it is difficult for MOM to determine that a particular overseas employment agency has been involved in a particular work permit application or to control their actions since the recruitment process takes place outside our jurisdiction. Ms Denise Phua rightly pointed out earlier that the root cause of foreign workers' woes often lies in the countries of origin. My Ministry will continue to engage embassies of labour source countries to resolve problems faced by their nationals working in Singapore and to safeguard their well being. We share with these embassies relevant information obtained during the course of investigations, including information on employment agencies in source countries who may be exploiting workers. The embassies can disseminate this information to the relevant authorities back home so that action can be taken against the errant parties in the source countries and that their nationals can be educated on how to avoid falling victim to scams. However, the House must be aware that there are limits to what MOM can realistically achieve in a foreign jurisdiction. The third area I want to talk about is social support for foreign workers.”
“If the case is more complex and cannot be resolved within seven days after permit cancellation, the worker is allowed to stay in Singapore under a Special Pass to resolve his claim. Ms Eunice Olsen has enquired about the regulation of repatriation companies. MOM has an arrangement with the Immigration and Checkpoint Authority (ICA), such that, should the employer attempt to send the foreign worker with outstanding employment issues home, usually through a repatriation company, the foreign worker can inform the immigration officer. The worker will not be sent home and will be referred to MOM for assistance and our officers will help them. My Ministry will investigate and take action against errant Singapore employment agencies and employers who flout our laws and regulations. To illustrate a recent case, MOM will be pursuing charges against marine company, Tipper Corp., for the illegal deployment of their workers as well as for failure to pay salaries to the workers. Dr Ahmad Magad has queried whether we can consider increasing the penalties for employers. The House may recall that the penalty for non-payment of salaries under the Employment Act has been increased to $5,000 per charge for first-time offenders since January this year for greater deterrence. The penalties for offences under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act were also recently raised in 2007. MOM can also debar errant employers from hiring foreign workers. This debarment will also apply to any company in which the employer is involved. So it is just not the company but also the employers. Ms Eunice Olsen and Ms Denise Phua have asked whether the Government can do more to regulate the agents used to bringing in foreign workers.”
“Sir, these are the kind of booklets that we issue to foreign workers [indicating] who have just arrived in Singapore, and their basic rights are listed out here with illustrations in their own native language. Workers from the construction and marine sectors are also educated on their rights at orientation courses upon arrival in Singapore. Second, enforcement. To prevent exploitation of workers, MOM imposes measures in the work pass approval process to minimise the possibility of workers being brought in without jobs. For instance, construction and marine companies, including sub-contractors, need to show documentary proof that they have ongoing projects before work permits are issued. If employers face an unexpected project cancellation or delay, they should terminate the workers’ contracts and facilitate their repatriation after ensuring that all outstanding employment issues have been resolved. To prevent employers from reneging on their salary obligations, my Ministry has put in place early intervention measures to detect non-payment of salaries. For example, MOM monitors employers who default on levy payments, and works with housing operators to gather information on employers who default on their rental payments. MOM is also stepping up inspections at foreign workers’ dormitories to ensure that acceptable accommodation and the needs of foreign workers are being taken care of, and to check if they face salary arrears problems. MOM checked some 800 premises for unacceptable accommodation last year. 4.00 pm If a worker makes a valid salary claim, MOM will step in to help them recover their outstanding salaries. I wish to assure Mr Yeo that the Government does not send foreign workers home before their cases are resolved.”
“I think, in a way, this responds to Ms Sylvia Lim's concern over how we help contract workers and casual workers to be better protected in terms of salary and wage benefits. Ms Lim has asked whether contract workers will be able to benefit from the various employment assistance programmes offered by the Government. I would like to assure Ms Lim that contract workers are not disadvantaged in this regard. As mentioned by the Acting Minister for Manpower, we have in fact made it easier for workers, including contract workers, to qualify for the Special Payment under the Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) scheme, on top of the regular WIS payments they will receive. Contract workers are also eligible for training opportunities offered by the Workforce Development Agency (WDA), including SPUR courses. I will now turn to the management of foreign workers. Both Ms Eunice Olsen and Mr Yeo Guat Kwang have raised the issue of basic labour rights and recourse for foreign workers. Dr Ahmad Magad and Mr Yeo have also raised concerns on the need to help foreign workers who have been unfairly treated by employers. My Ministry is tackling this issue on several fronts: education, enforcement and social support. First, education. Like local workers, foreign workers working in Singapore, except those in domestic work, are also protected under the Employment Act. The Employment of Foreign Manpower Act also requires employers to provide acceptable accommodation and medical care for their workers. We have increased awareness on basic labour rights and sources of help through several levels, such as distributing a handbook to new workers in their native languages and organising regular dormitory roadshows to educate workers beyond workplace safety and health issues.”
“Since the employment standards of some low-wage contract workers are tied to outsourcing contracts, the Tripartite Committee on CPF and Work Related Benefits for Low-wage Workers released a "Tripartite Advisory on Responsible Outsourcing Practices" in March last year to enhance these standards. Since its launch, MOM, NTUC and SNEF have been actively promoting the adoption of the Advisory to over 1,000 employers, service buyers, managing agents and labour suppliers. The process is going on, and the Tripartite Committee will reach out to even more employers. MOM has also been helping Town Councils and other public sector agencies to implement responsible outsourcing practices. Moving ahead, we will extend our outreach to other private sector companies. MOM and CPF Board regularly remind employers and employees on their obligations to comply with rules on CPF contributions and statutory employment rights and benefits. This includes newsletters published in major newspapers to inform the public of rules under the CPF and Employment Act governing the payment of salaries, CPF contributions, leave and overtime. MOM and CPF Board take a serious view of the late payment of salaries and non-payment of CPF contributions, and non-compliance with statutory employment benefits, and have stepped up enforcement efforts. In 2008, MOM prosecuted 24 employers for Employment Act violations, while CPF Board prosecuted 218 errant employers and officers of companies. Between January 2007 and September 2008, CPF Board’s audit efforts led to close to 48,000 informal workers being converted to formal employment, which enabled them to receive CPF contributions.”
“I would like to thank Mr Ong Ah Heng for his suggestions and remind companies of their obligations to their workers under existing agreements. Ms Jessica Tan also suggested covering executives earning more than $2,500 in the Employment Act. We have just amended and implemented amendments to the Employment Act from 1st January 2009, which allow executives earning up to $2,500 a month to pursue salary claims at the Labour Court at MOM. We will monitor the developments and consider at a later stage the suggestions to include executives earning more than $2,500. Notwithstanding this, executives who earn more than $2,500 a month could still make use of the MOM's conciliation services to settle their salary disputes with their employers. As the economy slows down, we will also need to do more for low-wage and vulnerable workers, who are likely to be most affected by the downturn. The pool of resident employees on term contracts has increased by 4.9% since 2007 to 189,100 in 2008. They formed 12.4% of all resident employees – Singaporeans and Permanent Residents. Both Ms Jessica Tan and Ms Sylvia Lim have called for further protection concerning employment and income security for this group. Mr Christopher de Souza has also raised the issue of ensuring CPF contributions to eligible contract workers during the Budget debate. Contract employees are covered under the CPF Act, Employment Act and other employment laws. In line with the general trend for shorter employment tenures, the Ministry amended the Employment Act to reduce the qualifying period for maternity leave and sick leave. This is one way to help our workers better safeguarded and enhance their welfare.”
“Through workshops on personal effectiveness and confidence building, this programme has already benefited 167 participants to date. As we recognise the contributions of women in the workplace, we also recognise the role of fathers at home. I thank Mr Seah Kian Peng for sharing his passionate views on granting an official period of paternity leave to fathers. I agree with Mr Seah that parenting is a shared responsibility and that fathers play an important role in raising children. Therefore, the Government has already put in place measures to allow working fathers to spend more time with their children, including raising childcare leave from two to six days, and introducing six days of unpaid infant care leave as part of the enhanced Marriage and Parenthood (M&P) package. These are generous additions to the leave entitlements of working fathers, from two days to up to 12 days of leave per year under the new package. Mr Seah has suggested that the Government also allows parents the flexibility to apportion their leave entitlements. However, this would contribute to manpower uncertainty for employers as they would not know how many days of leave each parent intends to take. This would ultimately add to business costs for employers and I would caution against imposing an additional burden on employers in this current economic climate. We believe that the recently introduced M&P measures are sufficient for now, but the Government will study the impact of the package and periodically refine our M&P policies with feedback from stakeholders. So if Mr Seah likes, he can bring up this matter again next year. On responsible employment practices in this downturn, Mr Ong Ah Heng has raised concerns that local workers should be treated fairly and responsibly.”
“, which is targeted at bringing economically inactive individuals back to the workforce by encouraging companies to offer them part-time employment and other flexible work arrangements. Employers and workers will be happy to hear that with effect from 1st March this year, we will enhance both programmes. We will double the maximum grant from WoW! Fund from $10,000 per company to $20,000. We will also extend Flexi-Works! for another year, with a budget of $3 million, and lower the qualifying age of recruited workers from 35 to 30 years of age, in order for the company to be eligible for the grant. We hope that this will encourage companies to recruit more women who may have left the workforce but seek to return before the age of 35. As both programmes help enable companies to implement flexible work arrangements, the Flexi-Works! and WoW! Fund will be streamlined as part of the enhancements in March. The two programmes will share a common first tranche funding of $10,000 for employers to provide flexible work arrangements. Subsequently, applicants can either apply for an additional $10,000 under the WoW! Fund to develop integrated Work-Life processes, or tap on Flexi-Works! for an additional $90,000 to recruit and retain economically inactive persons above the age of 30, or both. My Ministry also supports other initiatives geared towards encouraging the employment of women. The Tripartite Workgroup on Enhancing Employment Choices for Women, led by Mdm Halimah Yacob of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), has successfully placed more than 2,300 women in jobs over the past year. The "Step Out For Change" programme was launched in July last year to help women return to work.”
“Under the Workplace Safety and Health Act, employers are required to develop and implement emergency response procedures, including first-aid facilities. The WSH (First Aid) Regulations require all factories, airports, ships in harbours and laboratories to put in place first-aid facilities and measures such as the appointment and training of first-aiders. These are workplaces where first-aid assistance is more likely to be needed, and for which it makes more sense to prescribe the minimum first aid facilities and measures to be provided. First-aiders in these workplaces can range from industrial nurses to rank and file workers. They must undergo an Occupational First Aid Course approved by MOM which includes training in CPR but not in Automatic External Defibrillators (AED) skills. MOM, however, welcomes the suggestion to do so and will explore this when we next review the requirements for the first aid course. Sir, let me now move to fair and progressive workplace practices and talk about Flexi-Works! and the WoW! Fund. Mr Ong Ah Heng has raised a valid concern regarding the employment of older workers and women during the current recession. We had made good progress on this front. The improvement in employment rate in 2008 resulted mainly from more older people and females taking up employment. To help companies improve their workplaces to better meet the needs of older workers, women and other workers, we currently have two funding programmes. The first is the Work-Life Works (WoW!) Fund, which helps employers introduce work-life measures at the workplace, with a focus on flexible work arrangements. The second is Flexi-Works!”
“The WSH Council has helped to develop a national Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) Competency Framework for WSH Professionals and for certain trades in the marine industry. We are now capitalising on SPUR to increase the number of training places under the WSQ framework. We will be increasing the capacity of our training courses for WSH Representatives and Coordinators to 2,000. Not only will this allow us to help existing WSH professionals upgrade their skills and qualifications, it also provides many good career opportunities to people looking to enter the profession. Mr Ong has also spoken about the role of safety officers. Currently workplaces in riskier sectors such as the marine, construction, manufacturing and oil and petrochemicals industries must appoint a workplace safety and health officer. His role is to assist employers to identify and assess risks at the workplace and work processes, and to recommend measures to reduce these risks. However, risk management is effective insofar as the recommendations to reduce risk are properly implemented. While the safety officer does play a role in the proper implementation of risk management measures, workers and their supervisors on the ground must also do their part in ensuring safety outcomes.Therefore, one of the key thrusts of WSH 2018 is building a progressive and pervasive safety culture, by emphasising the individual’s responsibility for ensuring his own safety and those around him. This is an issue which Mr Ong Ah Heng raised in a Parliamentary Question at a last sitting before our COS debate. 3.45 pm Specifically, Dr Fatimah Lateef has also spoken about enhancing first aid training in workplace.”
“8 per 100,000 workers in 2008 is a testament to these improved standards and initiatives. But we can definitely do better. In April 2008, the Prime Minister announced a new national target to bring our workplace fatalities to less than 1.8 per 100,000 workers by 2018. I think Mr Ong Ah Heng would like to take note of this. To achieve this target, my Ministry, together with the WSH Council, is drafting a new national plan for WSH, known as WSH 2018. We have consulted industry stakeholders on the specific proposals and initiatives under the plan. WSH 2018 will be unveiled in April at this year’s National Workplace Safety and Health Campaign. Let me give the House a flavour of what can be expected under WSH 2018. We will be developing and refining roadmaps for key sectors which have seen a relatively high number of accidents. This includes the marine and construction sectors, which have had several high-profile accidents recently as pointed out by Mr Ong Ah Heng and Mr Yeo Guat Kwang. These roadmaps will outline strategies and initiatives tailored to address specific WSH challenges facing each sector. They will also include sectoral targets to help us track our progress. We also plan to raise safety standards in other less risky sectors. As MOM prepares to extend the Workplace Safety and Health Act to cover all workplaces, I welcome Mr Yeo Guat Kwang's suggestion to activate the tripartite network to help us in our outreach and other consultations. Growing the pool of WSH professionals is key to achieving our new WSH target. Our aim is to increase the number of WSH professionals, such as WSH Coordinators, Officers and Auditors, by 3,000 annually. This will give us a pool of some 19,000 WSH professionals by 2018.”
“Sir, the Acting Minister for Manpower has spoken comprehensively about our manpower strategies to deal with the current economic downturn as well as to address our long-term challenges. I shall elaborate on our efforts to enhance workplace standards and build progressive workplaces, both of which will help maximise the potential of our workforce. Let me first deal with the issue of workplace safety and health (WSH). Mr Ong Ah Heng and Mr Yeo Guat Kwang have enquired on efforts to improve safety and health at work. Over the past few years, my Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has made significant progress in raising WSH standards in Singapore, in collaboration with industry partners such as the WSH Council and the various industry associations. The industry-led WSH Council has launched many efforts to improve safety outcomes since its formation in April 2008. The Council has led the way to establish appropriate WSH standards for the industry through publishing resources like technical advisories, compliance assistance checklists as well as guidelines. It administers two key initiatives targeted at SMEs: first, the Risk Management Assistance Fund helps SMEs defray the cost of consultancy projects to build in-house capabilities in risk assessment. Here, some $4.6 million has been disbursed to companies to date. Meanwhile, bizSAFE is a five-step approach to raise SME’s capabilities in managing WSH and has garnered some 2,000 participants to date. The Council has also launched numerous outreach initiatives to raise awareness of safety and health issues, targeting the general workforce as well as the public, WSH professionals and top management. The decline in the workplace fatality rate from 4.9 per 100,000 workers in 2004 to 2.”
“Sir, our defence security and safety must be intertwined and interlinked to that of other countries in the region. In these uncertain times and with the continued threat of terrorism and the positive increase in piracy in the region, how do we, together with our neigbouring countries and partners, ensure peace and stability in our region? Are countries in the region cooperating more or competing more, military-wise? Thirdly, in that context, what is the status of our bilateral relations with our neighbouring countries in Southeast Asia and the big emerging powers around the region? My fourth and last question is: are our military personnel ready for the restructuring that SAF is undergoing now? The Chairman: Ms Indranee Rajah, you may take your two cuts together. 3rd Generation SAF”
“Sir, a strong defence force is critical for a small nation like Singapore. We must be grateful that for more than 40 years, the Singapore Armed Forces had served us well. It has provided us with the protection against military interference. It has deterred military pressures against Singapore. That is why, even when we are facing a recession now, we must continue to give defence the necessary financial support and muscle to ensure that Singapore's security continues to be safeguarded. While I support generally the Government's stated policy of spending up to % of GDP on defence, generally, MINDEF spends between 4.5% and 5% of the GDP annually. I think the key principle that we can abide by or hold on to is value-for-money. May I ask the Minister about MINDEF's thinking on defence expenditure for the next five-10 years? Is the current allocation sufficient to ensure the continued operational readiness of the SAF, considering the military decision of countries around the region? 12.15 pm Terrorism”
“I returned with a happy heart, as I met undergraduates who are confident and positive thinking, and they reject militant and terrorist ideologies. Most of them can speak English effectively, in addition to being fluent in Malay. I am happy to know that some of them take up additional courses in English-Arabic language interpretation outside their universities. I was glad to see that the Singapore Embassy in Cairo led by Ambassador Wong Kwok Pun, often meet them and enabled the undergraduates to follow the latest developments in their homeland. Their question to me is what type of help can they receive from MUIS to get jobs, be it in the religious field or others, after they complete their studies? Hence, I like to direct this same question to the Minister. Can MUIS work with government agencies like the WDA to help them get suitable jobs? Madrasah Support”
“[For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*.] The current economic downturn shows the importance of knowledge, information and skills that are relevant for everyone, so that we can obtain and retain jobs that are suitable with our respective abilities and interests. That is why I welcome the Ministry of Education's move, which was agreed by the local madrasahs a few years ago, to set the PSLE benchmark for madrasahs. It is important for madrasah students at the primary level, to be taught Mathematics, Science and English language subjects, so that they have a basic exposure to knowledge that will be important when they study at the next level and enter working life. Students who can follow those subjects well, and get good results, will have a wider choice of courses at the secondary level and above. Unfortunately, two madrasahs failed to meet the PSLE benchmark for the 2008 examinations. If the same madrasahs cannot meet the PSLE benchmark for three years running, they will not be allowed to register Primary One students. While this matter is important for the madrasah itself, what is also essential is the effort to ensure that all madrasah students have a chance to pass, and even better, obtain good scores in secular subjects. I would like to ask the Minister, what is being done to help all madrasahs offering primary level education, to go beyond the PSLE benchmark for 2009. What is also the progress achieved through the Joint Madrasah System? Madam, I joined the Speaker of Parliament in his visit to Egypt late last year. Over there, we had the chance to meet and talk to Singapore undergraduates who are studying at the Al-Azhar University in Cairo and the University of Alexandria.”
“I would also like to ask what is the outcome of the Malay/Muslim bodies' efforts to increase the empowerment of Malay families to solve their financial and family relationship problems, which definitely can affect the families' unity? Muslim Community”