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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“[For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*.] The global economic recession resulted in financial problems among Singaporeans, especially the low income, including Malay/Muslim families. The ones affected worse are families whose main breadwinner lost his job due to retrenchments. The Government introduced the Resilience Package in the Budget for the upcoming financial year to help employers and workers retain jobs for the benefit of Singaporeans. At the same time, the Government has also taken steps to increase assistance for families, especially the poor ones. Malay/Muslim families can make use of various national schemes to enhance their employability through skills training, and various welfare support schemes like ComCare. I would like the Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs to provide information on how successful have the efforts of Mendaki and other Malay/Muslim organisations been, in helping workers in training and employability issues. Also, how do Malay/.Muslim bodies like MUIS use the welfare funds, which are accumulated from zakat and zakat fitrah collections, to help the needy that still need support even though they have received help from national schemes or programmes? What is important is the effort to ensure that their children do not stop schooling due to financial or other family problems. How does MUIS give out the zakat money and Muslims donations comprehensively? As the community's leadership try to help the needy who face additional financial problems due to the economic recession, I feel that Malay/Muslim bodies like MUIS, Mendaki and mosques, must also help and encourage the community to be self-reliant. The main way is to take every effort to increase employability through continuous skills training.”
“Four hundred and fifty GP clinics have partnered us under the Primary Care Partnership Scheme to provide subsidised care for the acute and chronic conditions of needy patients. Patients can be assured of the quality of care rendered as the GPs are required to adhere to MOH’s treatment protocols. As the GPs take on a greater role in healthcare management in the community, waiting times at polyclinics should shorten. In the meantime, Mr Ong Ah Heng will be pleased to know that our polyclinics are already adopting measures to manage waiting times, which may be 40 minutes or longer, depending on time of visit and other factors. Patients can also view, among other things, the patient load at the polyclinics online so that they know when is a good time to visit the polyclinic. For those with chronic conditions requiring regular or frequent reviews, they can choose to make appointments at the dedicated Family Physician Clinics, to see their regular doctors and save on waiting time as well. Sir, in conclusion, I have outlined the policies and systems that MOH will put in place over the coming years to strengthen the primary care sector and help Singaporeans stay healthy. I urge Singaporeans to join us as we shape the healthcare landscape – take personal responsibility for your own health and encourage your loved ones to do the same. Human Organ Transplant Act”
“To further enhance the role of family physicians in the community, MOH has augmented the training programmes for doctors to achieve the required quali- fications to be family physicians. In FY2008, we began to provide up to 50% co-funding for young doctors who want to take the post-graduate diploma training leading to Graduate Diploma for Family Medicine. At the same time, we also created more programmes for doctors to receive Masters level training. The College of Family Physicians will be the key content provider, with an MOH-appointed Joint Committee for Family Medicine Training overseeing these programmes. The Director of Medical Services also shared last month that we are amending the MRA to include a Family Physician Register. This will set the standard for future family physicians. Public consultation is underway and we look forward to presenting the finalised amendments to this House in due course. We are considering other avenues to support family care and achieve better integration within the national health system. First, we will leverage on IT to better link up polyclinics and GPs with the acute hospitals and ILTC providers to help provide patients with seamless, integrated care. Second, we will continue to experiment with various primary care models to see which best suits Singaporean’s needs. We have conducted various pilots in the past, e.g. Jurong Medical Centre for patients and GPs to access Specialist Outpatient Clinic facilities in the community. Going forward, we are considering other initiatives like supporting infrastructural development, and incentivising GPs to come together and practise in groups. Sir, we believe that all these enhancements will benefit patients.”
“The response to the various screening programmes has been good. In 2007, 61% of Singaporean women in our target age-group for breast cancer screening went for mammograms, an increase of 27% from 1998. So all in all, 317,000 women have undergone the BreastScreen Singapore screening since its inception in 2002. The challenge ahead of us is to ensure that women make breast cancer screening a regular part of their life. Our long-term target is for at least 70% of Singaporean women in the at-risk group to go for mammograms once every two years, up from the current 41%. We will ensure that screening is kept affordable for these women to facilitate that outcome. Public education and awareness is also critical in our fight against breast cancer. In 2007, 83% of Singaporean women in the target age-group for breast cancer screening knew about mammogram screening, a marked increase of 36% from 1998. We can do more. Going forward, HPB and its partners will continue their proactive outreach efforts to women through media campaigns, promotional activities at workplaces and community events, and through GPs to encourage them to go for regular breast cancer screening. On strengthening primary care, Members of the House would agree that staying healthy is about building strong relationships. Relationships with our loved ones, colleagues, neighbours, and, yes, our doctors! Every Singaporean should stick to one family physician. If you have not, I urge you to identify your family physicians and work with them to screen and manage your health. The family physician is your long-term partner in ensuring good health.”
“Thanks to the Yellow Ribbon Project, ex-offenders are gradually being reintegrated back into the community. The same can be done for recovering mentally ill patients. One way is to help patients find and keep meaningful jobs so that they are able to regain confidence and lead fulfilling lives. IMH has started a new "Job Club" initiative to provide employment readiness training and work placement services for these recovering patients. Educational talks and forums will be conducted to educate the public on mental health issues in the workplace and general community. Let me now address Ms Sylvia Lim’s question on the funding of essential programmes such as psycho-therapy. There are many types of psycho-therapy. IMH provides subsidised psycho-therapy to patients who need it, and needy patients can apply for Medifund assistance. As the Minister for Health mentioned, Medifund assistance will be increased to $80 million this year to assist more needy patients, including IMH patients who have genuine difficulty affording their bills. IMH offers another non-standard form of treatment called dynamic psycho-therapy as a pilot; it is currently not subsidised. Needy patients undergoing this treatment are assisted through donation funds received by IMH. Sir, on breast cancer. I am heartened that Dr Lily Neo is concerned about the impact of breast cancer on female Singaporeans. MOH echoes her concerns. Through the various initiatives undertaken over the years, we have made significant progress in the fight against breast cancer. In 2002, HPB introduced BreastScreen Singapore, a subsidised breast cancer screening programme to make mammogram screening affordable and accessible. We have also brought mobile screening buses to the community and workplaces.”
“Beyond this, the Government is pumping an additional $35 million over the next three years, on top of the $88 million committed in 2007, to identify and treat potential mental health problems early in the community. For Mdm Halimah Yacob, Mr Zainudin Nordin and Mdm Cynthia Phua’s benefit, let me outline some of the initiatives we will be undertaking. Other than IMH, all our restructured and some private hospitals also provide specialised psychiatric services. In the community, there are currently three psychiatric rehabilitation homes and six psychiatric day care/day rehabilitation centres. These provide rehabilitation and vocational training to help stabilised patients re-integrate into society. We will monitor the adequacy of such facilities and build more if required. We heard you yesterday and we will look into this in the future. We will also invest in community support services. Today, the multi-disciplinary Community Mental Health Teams (CMHT), which is made up of healthcare professionals, follow up with patients discharged from IMH. The teams also render psycho-social support to patients and their families. IMH also has a crisis hotline and crisis teams conduct home visits if needed. The CMHT will achieve national coverage by 2011. Annually, about 700 more staff from our community partners such as GPs, schools, CDCs, grassroots organisations and VWOs will be trained to detect, counsel and care for individuals in need within the community. Family members can also receive caregiver training and support under a Specialised Caregiver Support Service that MOH, NCSS and the Alzheimer’s Disease Association are enhancing. Aside from this project, we are open to supporting viable programmes offered by VWOs upon application.”
“It will supplement this with targeted messaging via print and online media. HPB will also be rolling out a pilot skills equipping programme to help Singaporeans at high risk of developing diabetes reduce their risk. HPB will commit an additional budget of $4.2 million over the next three years for these public education activities. Let us not stop here. We should take a step back and spot and address problems early. Singaporeans must take charge of their own health. That is why I want to encourage more Singaporeans to go for regular health screening. MOH has already made evidence-based screening more affordable for Singaporeans through the Integrated Screening Programme introduced last June. Most Singaporeans need only to pay $8 for blood test for glucose and cholesterol. This is free for low-income Singaporeans. People's Association and its grassroots organisations promote the screening services through their pilot Wellness Programme. We have some initial success that we should build upon: about 70% of Singaporeans go for regular screening. Going forward, we need to encourage Singaporeans to go for the appropriate follow-up after screening, so that they can manage the detected conditions well. Again, this is another comprehensive approach to help Singaporeans, not only to understand their body conditions and whether or not they have chronic illnesses, but also to take measures to ensure their conditions do not worsen. 12.15 pm Sir, let me now move to mental health. The Minister for Health announced yesterday that the Chronic Disease Management Programme (CDMP) would be extended to cover outpatient psy chiatric treatment.”
“The Chronic Disease Management Programme (CDMP) guides our GPs to do this, using evidence-based treatment protocols. Patients are also tested regularly to detect the onset of kidney problems early, so that we can intervene and slow any deterioration of the kidneys. HPB has made headway in facilitating lifestyle change among the Malay and Indian communities, to prevent the development of chronic diseases. It will continue to build on this good work in the year ahead. For example, "Kebayarobics" and "Aarrokia Attam " workout routines have been started for Malay/Muslim women and the Indian community respectively. Healthy cooking classes tailored for the Malay/Muslim community have also been conducted at mosques and community clubs since 2006. This programme will be extended to Malay caterers and restaurants this year. To encourage Malay smokers to quit smoking, HPB has been collaborating with mosques, family service centres and sports associations like the Singapore Silat Federation and Singapore Sepak Takraw Federation, to organise smoking cessation intervention programmes. In 2009, HPB will introduce a programme of talks and cessation measures to be held around Ramandan (the fasting month). Smoking cessation counselling will also be included in the marriage preparatory course for couples that smoke. As you can see, this is going to be a very comprehensive approach in helping the community to kick their smoking habit. On the public education front, HPB has been tasked to coach the public on how to better manage their chronic diseases. As part of this effort, HPB will reach out to the Malay and Indian communities through Suria and Vasantham television channels respectively, beyond efforts on Channels 5 and 8.”
“HPB and its partner agencies will ensure that our children have access to healthier food and drinks in schools. More commercial dining outlets should join in the fight by developing healthy children's menus with guidance from HPB. Youngsters can do their part too by adopting an active and healthy lifestyle through regular exercise. Let me now move to chronic disease management. I would like to respond to Dr Muhammad Faishal's question about the state of health of the different ethnic communities. The prevalence of chronic diseases varies among different communities, due in part to genes and environmental factors. In 2004, diabetes was most prevalent amongst Indians, affecting 15% of the Indian community, followed by Malays at 11% and Chinese at 7%. The prevalence of high cholesterol was highest amongst Malays at 23% followed by Chinese (18%) and Indians (17%). However, the Malay and Indian communities had a lower prevalence of high blood pressure at 23% and 22% respectively compared to the Chinese community at 26%. Regardless of race, however, the treatment is the same. Patients should go for regular follow-ups with their doctor, take their medication on time, and make appropriate lifestyle changes, eg, in their diet. This will ensure that they enjoy a high quality of life despite their medical condition. I share Dr Faishal's concerns regarding Malay kidney patients. There was a 17% increase in the number of Malay kidney patients from 2005 to 2007. Part of the solution lies in helping diabetic patients manage their condition better. From 1997 to 2006, the proportion of end-stage renal disease due to diabetes increased from 39% to about 60%. Certainly, we need to do better.”
“We have successfully contained the smoking problem over the past 25 years, through the efforts of HPB, NEA and their partners. The incidence of lung cancer today has dropped by 20% since 1984. Similarly, the premature death rate from heart disease has dropped dramatically, by two-thirds from 25 years ago. We have one of the lowest smoking rates in the developed world, at 13.6%. We will press on in our anti-smoking efforts this year through targeted measures. This includes enhanced regulatory measures. HSA will also continue to take action against retailers who persist in selling tobacco to minors, such as the recalcitrant Cheers outlet whose retail licence was suspended last week. Smoking cessation programmes and campaigns will also be enhanced, particularly for under-aged smokers. Partnership with MOE, schools and the community will be key in reaching out to the youths. An opt-out smoking cessation programme for expectant mothers will also be introduced. NEA will complement our efforts by stepping up enforcement against smoking in public places. I am confident we can control obesity too. Obesity is the second important cause of global mortality and morbidity after smoking. And both of them are preventable. This year's National Healthy Lifestyle Campaign will focus on obesity prevention and control, by emphasising the importance of maintaining a healthy body weight. We will encourage supermarkets and eateries to increase the availability of healthier food choices. The Singapore Sports Council, NParks, People's Association and its grassroots organisations will also contribute by promoting physical activity amongst Singaporeans. We will also tackle childhood obesity.”
“HPB will help empower parents to be positive role models so that they can inculcate a smoke-free lifestyle in their children, and take time to talk to them about many health issues, such as sexuality issues. Our youths will eventually graduate and enter the workforce. Our health promotion must therefore be extended to the workplaces. Apart from improving the health of employees, these efforts would also bring down healthcare cost for both employers and employees. For example, Jurong Shipyard, an active advocate of workplace health activities saw its average medical cost per employee fall by 33% over the period 2000-2007. This is why MOH and HPB have embarked on a multi-year tripartite effort to roll out health screening, health promotion activities and chronic disease management programmes in workplaces. I am grateful to HPB Chairman, Mr Lucas Chow and Mr Yeo Guat Kwang, our Member here from NTUC, for spearheading the work of the Tripartite Committee. One focal area for the committee is our SMEs, as they employ more than 60% of our workforce. In these difficult times, we are exploring how we can better support SMEs to do workplace health promotion. For example, we are looking at enhancing the Workplace Health Grant so that SMEs receive more funding to implement our recommended package of health screening, follow-up services and healthy lifestyle activities. At the same time, we cannot neglect the mental and emotional well-being of our workers. HPB will expand its workplace mental well-being programme to help workers better manage stress, as well as strengthen their resilience to cope with change positively. We must tackle the twin dangers of smoking and obesity head-on.”
“Schools and community youth organisations can also tap on HPB's two grants for their programmes, namely, School Health Promotion Grant and Community Youth Health Promotion Grant. A similar grant has been extended to pre-schools from 2008. Exemplary schools are recognised with the Championing Efforts Resulting in Improved School Health (CHERISH) Award, which is part of MOE's Masterplan of Awards. For Dr Fatimah Lateef's information, 80% of our mainstream schools have already achieved this standard, and more will join in the ranks with these initiatives. The CHERISH conference is another platform for engaging schools. The inaugural Conference last year gave Award winners the chance to share their success strategies and learn about international best practices in Hong Kong and Australia. For example, Princess Elizabeth Primary School shared how canteen vendors are taught to serve healthier food. The school even encourages students to play health-related games in the canteen to reinforce the health promotion messages. At the other end of the education spectrum, the Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) can help the seed of health promotion sown in the earlier years grow as our youths pursue higher education. More customised health promotion programmes on various pertinent health issues, such as smoking and drinking, will be developed and extended to these IHLs. To effectively reach out and engage our youths, HPB will continue to use the new media and organise activities that young people like, such as music, dance and sports. Parents also play a vital role in shaping the lifestyles of their children.”
“Sir, when we are hungry, we buy food to eat; if we are looking for entertainment, we watch a movie; and when we fall ill, we go to see the doctor. However, unlike food and movies, no one really enjoys being sick. There is wisdom in the old saying, "Prevention is better than cure." Sir, let me touch on how Singaporeans can play their part to stay healthy, detect and treat diseases early. Our children spend up to eight hours a day in school. Besides the home, the school also lends itself as a natural setting through which we can help keep them healthy. Over the years, working closely with the Ministry of Education, we have developed a very successful and very comprehensive school health programme, comprising immunisation, regular medical check-ups, dental services and health promotion. The result? Our school children are among the healthiest in the region, if not globally. They receive essential immunisations against conditions like polio, mumps and measles. Pre-schoolers receive vision screening annually at their kindergartens and childcare centres. In school, all students are provided with regular screening to ensure healthy growth and development. All this points to the hard work and dedication of our school healthcare professionals. We should build on this strong foundation. Our vision is for Singapore to have the healthiest young population in the world. To this end, the Health Promotion Board (HPB) will actively engage more schools on health promotion initiatives, such as the provision of healthy canteen food and active participation in physical education lessons and co-curricular activities. It will also focus on enhancing the mental wellness promotion programme to build the mental resilience of our youths to help them weather challenges in life.”
“Sir, I would like to ask the Minister a couple of questions. First, whether he can give an update on the state of bilateral relations with Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, three of our closest neighbours, with which we have had very strong relationship but we also have some bilateral issues with them. Are we managing the issues or are we all resolving some of the issues in the coming year? Second, I would like the Minister's assessment on our relationship with two of the emerging powers in the region in Asia – China and India. With all the five countries, how are we managing bilateral issues amidst the political and leadership changes in these countries?”
“Sir, ASEAN is one of the cornerstones of Singapore's foreign policy. As a founder member, we have played a significant role in the development of regional cooperation within ASEAN and between ASEAN and the wider world. When Singapore was Chairman of ASEAN last year, we helped paved the way for the 10 member countries to adopt the ASEAN Charter, which has been individually ratified by all members. Can the Minister give the House an update on the progress of ASEAN integration, which is one of the core purposes of the Charter? At this moment, when the world is in economic turmoil, I cannot help but feel that ASEAN may not be strong enough to collectively manage the problems. It seems that the world has changed faster than ASEAN can cope with or respond to. The ASEAN Summit could not be held as scheduled at the end of last year, delaying any joint efforts to respond to the global recession. Sir, may I ask the Minister what is Singapore's assessment of the state of ASEAN integration now, and what should be the strategy to achieve integration and a higher level of cooperation? On a related matter, I would like the Minister to give his assessment on whether ASEAN is cohesive enough to be a key player in the regional political and security architecture. ASEAN”
“The most important lesson that every individual and family could take from this is the fact that if we have sufficient and intact savings, we will be able to face many challenges affecting our families. Our savings at the national level, which we have built up for many decades, have enabled us to make use of almost $5 billion to help Singaporeans go through this recession, particularly in order to save their jobs. Imagine the problems we have to face within our families, whether it is loss of income or jobs, health problems and so on, and we are able to make use of our savings that we have built up over the years. So I hope that the CPF Board and the Ministry of Finance will enhance efforts to assist Singaporeans to gain better knowledge in financial literacy and education. This is very important because some Singaporeans, who are now facing financial problems in their families, are actually those who were unable to properly manage their spending or finances. I hope the Ministry will enhance this effort. Finally, I hope Singaporeans of all races will learn lessons from the problems that we are facing now, and help themselves as well as their families, by adjusting their mindset in order to enhance their abilities to find new jobs. *Cols. 2067-2068. 12.15 pm”
“As the Finance Minister has explained in his Statement, this year's Budget comprises extraordinary measures to meet the challenges posed by the exceptional global economic crisis that we are in. Prudent and timely use of past reserves to fund the Jobs Credit and the Special Risk-Sharing Initiative will help minimise the economic and social fallout in Singapore from the global economic crisis, and prevent further problems from developing. This year's Budget should not create expectations that past reserves will be used for future economic downturns, and I would strongly urge the Government not to succumb to pressure to use the reserves as soon as we face another downturn. We should always remember the moral of the story of the goose that laid the golden eggs, and not kill the goose that lays the eggs. The "goose" in this case refers to our reserves which have come about through our hard work and savings over the past few decades. When this crisis is over, we must ensure that we do not overlook the need to continue growing our reserves, to provide us with the resources to deal with future challenges. To do so, the tripartite partners will have to continue to work closely to create the conditions conducive for economic growth. Sir, let me continue in Malay. (In Malay): [For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A *.] Sir, I feel that all Singaporeans, regardless of race or ethnic group, must draw lessons from the problems that we are facing now. This is a global problem that is experienced by every country. Nevertheless, Singapore is probably one of the countries that is affected even more by this problem, because we have an economy that is vulnerable to the turbulent changes and challenges around the world.”
“The more local workers employers keep on their payroll, the more Jobs Credit employers stand to receive. This motivates employers to keep more workers on their payroll and explore other means to reduce wage and other operational costs. I was heartened to hear Nominated Member Dr Loo Choon Yong spoke yesterday about how the Jobs Credit that the Raffles Medical Group, which he chairs, would receive from the Government will enable it to employ a hundred more employees, if needed. I hope the Raffles Medical Group and other forward-thinking employers will consider employing more workers, or at least retain as many workers as their operation can possibly allow and need. There are suggestions that the Government should give the money directly to Singaporeans instead. Would this be more effective? I do not think so. I think it is more effective to use the money to save jobs. Let us consider the case of a Singaporean worker who earns $2,500 a month. Giving his employer 12% of his wages, which comes up to $300 per month, could help the employer to retain him. By keeping his job, he will continue to receive $2,500 monthly from his employer plus his employer's monthly contribution to his CPF account. This compares much more favourably to the scenario where he loses his job and the Government gives him the $300 a month directly. Nonetheless, I would like to urge the Government to monitor the situation closely and extend more assistance to the unemployed should the job market worsen. There have also been concerns raised that drawing from past reserves to fund some of the initiatives in this Budget will create a precedent and pressure for the Government to tap on more of our reserves in future.”
“As a contrast, just last Thursday, unions in France organised a collective strike across the country to protest against the French government's handling of the economic crisis. Their main grouse was that the French government had spent billions to bail out the banking and auto industries but had not done enough to protect wages and jobs. In Singapore, we have built up a strong partnership and trust among employers, unions and the Government. This has enabled us to collaborate in a productive manner to deal with past recessions, and we had emerged from these crises much stronger. We should take this opportunity to strengthen this partnership, to overcome the challenges posed by this recession, and emerge from the recession stronger and more united. I would like to encourage employers to be open about the business situation with their unions and workers, and consult them on measures to better manage operational and wage costs to survive the downturn. Retrenchments should only be adopted as a last resort. While the Budget has generally been well received by the public, some concerns have been raised. I would like to speak on some of these concerns. There is a view that this Budget, and the Jobs Credit Scheme in particular, help businesses, but do not offer enough help to Singaporeans. I would like to challenge this view. This Budget doubles from last year the GST credit that households will receive. On top of that, for the low-wage workers, the Budget provides for a special WIS payment to supplement their income. I think these two measures alone are very helpful to low-wage workers. The Jobs Credit Scheme is an innovative scheme which helps workers by saving jobs. Employers receive 12% of the first $2,500 of the wages of each employee who is on the CPF payroll.”
“Here, I would like to urge employers not to shed their workforce too quickly especially with all the measures that have been put in place to help them manage their costs of operation. Having said that, I think it would be wrong to prohibit or strongly discourage employers from retrenching at all, because it will certainly result in possible more job losses if the companies are no more viable. I remember some 10 years ago when South Korean unions fought the government when the latter attempted to do away with a legislation that prohibited retrenchments. The unions were trying to protect the rights of workers to jobs, but the outcome was vastly the opposite as companies were not able to downsize when needed. We must not be tempted to take a similar path. Workers, on their part, may have to accept short-term sacrifices, such as pay-cuts where necessary, to keep their jobs. They should also adopt a positive attitude towards training to enhance their employability and adjust their expectations. The network of career centres run by NTUC, the e2i, the CDCs and combined self-help groups are doing their utmost to help train and place Singaporeans in available jobs. Those who are earnestly looking and training for work are assisted, if they qualify, through the Work Support Scheme run by the CDCs. I would resist giving automatic financial assistance to job-seekers in the form proposed by Ms Sylvia Lim. Businesses, unions, workers and the Government will have to work closely to save jobs and to get through this economic crisis together. I must say that this is a source of our pride as much as it is a source of our social strength – this tripartite network that we have established over the years. But this does not happen naturally.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I speak in support of the Budget. This is a bold and forward-looking Budget which seeks to address key challenges faced by businesses and Singaporeans in these trying times and also prepare us to seize opportunities when the economy recovers. Key concerns of businesses at the moment are managing cash flow and costs, and excess manpower as a result of over capacity. Workers are concerned about losing their jobs – about losing their income to support their families. The Special Risk-Sharing Initiative in the Budget will help companies secure loans to fund their operations and thus save jobs for workers. But from the feedback that I have received and comments by Members in the last two days, there is still much to be done by the Government to encourage and to facilitate banks to lend to viable companies. The Jobs Credit Scheme, SPUR, as well as measures recommended in the recently released Tripartite Guidelines on Managing Excess Manpower, such as shorter work weeks and temporary lay-off, will help companies manage their wage costs and retain their workers. One of the key aims of this Budget is to minimise retrenchments. This benefits both businesses as well as workers. Businesses that keep their workers with them through the downturn are better equipped to respond to pick-up in demand. There will be savings in terms of time and cost, from not having to hire new workers and train them to get them up to speed. It will also help to keep up the morale of their workers, which could prove to be invaluable in both good times and bad. Businesses can enhance their competitiveness further by taking advantage of SPUR and the downtime to send their workers for training and skills upgrading to improve their productivity and service standards.”
“Sir, since the launch of the new Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) framework in 2005, we have made good progress in promoting the culture of safety in the workplace. Today, there is greater awareness and ownership by the industry on workplace safety. These efforts have contributed to a significant reduction in workplace fatality rate from 4.9 deaths per 100,000 workers in 2004 to 2.9 in 2007. MOM and the newly formed WSH Council will continue in its efforts to further strengthen workplace safety culture. We want to nurture a culture where individuals recognise their responsibility in protecting not only their own health and safety, but that of others working with them. We also want safety and health to become a way of life such that every worker naturally and routinely thinks about safety as they go about their work. We have set a new target to lower our workplace fatality rate to below 1.8 fatalities per 100,000 workers by 2018 and bring our safety record on par with the best in the world. To achieve this, we have revised our national WSH strategy, known as WSH 2018. Mr Ong has also expressed concerns over the training of foreign workers in workplace safety. All new workers working in any high-risk sector such as the construction, marine, metal working, oil and petrochemical industry must attend their respective mandatory Safety – .00 pm”
“Mr Ong Ah Heng asked the Acting Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Ministry's objective of developing a culture of workplace safety has been achieved so far; (b) how will the Ministry ensure that the large number of transient workers in Singapore are properly and duly trained in safety measures; and (c) what extra measures have been taken to address the high number of fatalities in the marine and construction industries.”
“Sir, we have to go by the number of complaints received. We cannot base on hearsay. Based on the number of complaints that we received, we have been able to deal with the cases quite effectively. Number two, as I said earlier, the Ministry together with the CPF Board has stepped up enforcement and worked with the specific industries to ensure that the workers are better protected under the laws, and employers conform to the requirements of the laws. CPF Board, for example, have worked with specific industries, cleaning industry, security industry, for example, in educating, explaining to the employers about their responsibilities. And as a result, more companies have come onboard to offer better terms and conditions and to comply with the requirements of the laws. I think these are evidence of how measures taken by CPF Board and MOM, in particular, have been quite effective. There would be some abuses by employers but when we come to know about it, we will take action, investigate and take the necessary action against such employers. Sir, I would like to reiterate that despite the perception, the proportion of complaints received from part-time, casual and temporary, or term contract employees, is relatively low. The figure I gave Mdm Halimah earlier was for part-time workers only; they are less than 3%, but together with casual and temporary workers, in 2006, they formed about 4%. In 2007, they formed about 8%. And up to November last year, the number of complaints dealt with was about 5.3%. I think they are relatively small but, of course, we want to protect all workers; part-time, full-time, contract workers, casual workers and help casual workers go into full-time or formal employment, so that they can enjoy CPF. WORKPLACE SAFETY (Update on progress) 17.”
“Sir, on complaints received, very quickly, in 2006, employment-related claims by permanent and contract workers, the total was 6,600; in 2007 – 6,100; and last year up to November, about 4,900. Of these, the proportion of claims from part-time or temporary or casual workers formed no more than 3%. Second question on protection, Sir, the Employment Act and other laws pertaining to employment provide sufficient and strong protection to our workers. What MOM and CPF Board are doing now is to make sure that we educate members of the public of their rights, and the employers, enlighten them of their responsibilities and ensuring that they comply. We also have increased enforcement by both MOM as well as the CPF Board. As a result, the number of errant employers that have been taken to task has been quite effectively dealt with. And I hope this can deter employers from abusing their foreign workers by not paying their salaries including CPF, as well as infringing employment laws. Mdm Halimah's third question is about effective mechanism. I think there is already effective mechanism in place - the laws, enforcement measures taken by MOM as well as education approach measures done together with tripartite partners, particularly by MOM and the CPF Board. We are reaching out to more companies educating them about their responsibilities including complying to the guidelines issued by the Committee.”
“The employment terms in the sector have also improved and the majority of security officers are now provided with employment benefits stipulated in the Employment Act such as rest days, annual leave, medical benefit and public holidays. Some agencies have also gone beyond the legal requirements to implement good employment practices such as providing written contracts instead of verbal contracts, and issue pay slips to its security officers. To raise awareness amongst workers of their employment rights and to promote the adoption of good employment practices by employers, the Tripartite Committee on CPF and Work Related Benefits for Low Wage Workers, which I chair, released a Tripartite Advisory on Responsible Outsourcing Practices in March last year. The Advisory encourages end-user companies to take a more proactive role in ensuring that their service suppliers provide basic employment terms and conditions to their contract workers and comply with employment laws. The public sector has since taken the lead to adopt the Advisory. The tripartite partners have also worked together to reach out to employers, service buyers, managing agents and service providers to adopt the Advisory and implement best sourcing practices. MOM and CPF Board will continue to engage employers regularly through briefings, dialogue sessions and publications on their obligations to comply with the employment laws, and employees on their rights, regarding CPF contributions, and statutory employment rights and benefits. This includes newsletters published in major newspapers to inform the public of rules under the Employment Act governing the payment of salaries, leave and overtime.”
“Sir, like their regular and full-time counterparts, contract and part-time employees are covered under the CPF Act, Employment Act and other employment laws. MOM adopts a two-pronged strategy of enforcement and education, to ensure that employers comply with employment laws and that workers are aware of their rights and could seek advice and assistance when necessary. As most of the compliance cases involve low-wage workers, this is where MOM has placed greater emphasis. MOM and CPF Board have stepped up enforcement efforts against errant employers who fail to comply with the basic employment standards or fail to contribute CPF for their employees. In 2008, CPF Board detected a total of 603 employers who defaulted on CPF payments affecting 5,222 employees and prosecuted 218 errant employers. MOM has also prosecuted 24 employers for Employment Act violations in 2008. MOM and CPF Board have identified certain industries as being more prone to non-compliance of employment laws, and have proactively mounted audit inspections on these industries. Such inspections have been effective in helping workers receive employment benefits and CPF due to them under the relevant Acts. For example, between January 2007 and August 2008, CPF Board's audit efforts led to 46,200 informal workers being converted to formal employment which enabled them to receive CPF contributions. In the security industry, for example, MOM has worked closely with the industry leaders and the Police, to improve the employment conditions in the sector. As a result, the number of salary disputes in the sector has dropped steadily over the past three years from over 300 salary disputes in 2005 to about 140 salary disputes last year.”
“On mindset change, yes, our CDCs, as well as e2i, run by NTUC, provide soft skills for workers to help prepare themselves for the employment that may be available to them, apart from training them in specific skills, so that will be useful to help workers prepare mentally for the different jobs that they may undertake after completing the job. On profile of retrenched workers, this is ongoing. We are bracing for more difficult times. We will collect the necessary information and see how we can address the issues later on. EMPLOYMENT OF FOREIGN WORKERS 4. Er Lee Bee Wah asked the Acting Minister for Manpower (a) what number of foreign workers were not paid their wages during the past six months; (b) what steps are being taken to check on employers to prevent the situation of unpaid labour from getting out of hand; (c) at what stage will the Ministry step in to protect the workers from being abandoned by their employers. 5. Er Lee Bee Wah asked the Acting Minister for Manpower if the Ministry will impose stricter conditions on employers who intend to bring foreign workers to Singapore. The Acting Minister for Manpower (Mr Gan Kim Yong): Sir, with your permission, can I take Question Nos. 4 and 5 together?”
“Sir, let me answer the first two questions first. MOM, together with our tripartite partners, NTUC and SNEF, released the tripartite guidelines for managing excess manpower on 19th November 2008 to encourage companies to adopt flexible work arrangements to help contain cost as well as to avoid retrenchments. We would like companies to delay retrenchments, if possible, and the strategy is really to help companies manage the cost and also to enhance their competitiveness through training of their workers, among others. The response has been very encouraging with over 90 companies already implementing the recommendations in the guidelines. Other companies have also indicated that they will consider various alternatives to retrenchments. Our focus is on enhancing employability of our workers and to inform workers of the areas and the sectors with good growth prospects. For the retrenched and unemployed, MOM and WDA, as well as the unions, have been working closely with companies to help them find suitable jobs. We have enhanced the job matching capabilities of career-linked centres or career centres by building a comprehensive job bank with jobs sourced from industries, as well as economic agencies such as EDB. Locals who are retrenched or unemployed may also be eligible for a training allowance when they enrol for training under SPUR. We will continue to monitor the labour market situation to see how best to help workers who may be adversely affected by the economic downturn. As an additional point, our career centres have worked quite hard to help retrenched workers find alternative jobs. In October 2008, eg, close to 1,100 workers were placed in jobs. And in November, more than 1,100 workers found jobs through our career centres.”
“It is good that the Mosque Building and Mendaki Fund can be used to upgrade the mosque facilities because many of our modern mosques are beginning to show signs of ageing. However, I hope MUIS will consider building one or two more new mosques in the estates where there is a high Malay/Muslim population, for example, in Woodlands New Town, where I am the Member of Parliament. I received a lot of feedback from the residents who said that there is still a need for another mosque to be built. I hope MUIS will study and consider this proposal or feedback. Although we will use a larger part of the MBMF for the renovation of the mosques and the use of the mosques, I also hope that MUIS will evaluate whether there is a need to build of one or two mosques in the housing estates that need new mosques. With that, Mr. Speaker, I support this Bill. *Cols. 853-854. 4.13 pm”
“In addition, the Bill empowers MUIS to collect fines of up to $2,000, instead of having to commence court proceedings. The new powers of MUIS to collect fines reflect the unique role of MUIS in a multi-racial, multi-religious society. It is significant that while Singapore Muslims are a minority of the Singapore population comprising of approximately 14% of the population, the Bill envisages MUIS, a body regulating Muslim affairs, having the authority to fine anyone or any corporation who disrespects Muslims by misrepresenting halal certification or breaching other matters. To me, this reflects the Singapore Government's commitment to fostering respect for important religious practices and safeguarding the interests of minorities in Singapore. Sir, I would like to speak on the fourth area of the Bill in Malay. (In Malay): [For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*.] Mr Speaker, this is regarding the expansion of the Mosque Building and Mendaki Fund (MBMF) to encompass the expenses of madrasah education and the rebuilding and upgrading of the mosques which are getting old. The Malay/Muslim community must support this effort because our community does not have many philanthropists who can give continuous support towards the various efforts to improve the progress and solve the problems of the community, including the institutions within the Muslim community. Mosques and madrasahs are important institutions in the Muslim community and by contributing more to MBMF and widening its distribution, we will be able to enhance the performance of the madrasahs and its students, and the network for informal religious education in an informal way, and will also produce more religious teachers, leaders and administrators for the religious institutions in Singapore.”
“It is worthwhile to fix a deadline for the delivery of Syariah Court's written judgments to MUIS. In this way, a litigant (or potential litigant) would have a better sense of how long the appeal process would take. Third, ensuring that the Syariah Court is adequately staffed. As I mentioned earlier, it is important for the Syariah Court to seek ways to improve its administrative processes. To do this, the court needs to be adequately staffed. The appointment of a deputy registrar of the Syariah Court is to be welcomed, as it would lighten the existing administrative burden of the Syariah Court. However, it may not be enough to stop there. I would like to suggest that we investigate the workload of Syariah Court judges and consider whether there is a need to employ law clerks to assist the court with research and administrative matters. In addition, it is also important to plan for leadership renewal of the Syariah Court. I note that the key officers of the Syariah Court consist of officers who are retirees recalled for service or are close to retirement. It is imperative that we attract well-trained legal officers to serve the Syariah Court. As we all know, talent does not come cheap these days. In view of that, I think it is time we reviewed the compensation package of Syariah Court judges and other officers to ensure that we can attract promising young graduates to serve the Syariah Court. The third area that I want to talk about is the liability of officers of corporate bodies for breaching regulations relating to halal and haj matters. This is another amendment that is a long time coming. This amendment corrects an anomaly in the current law, which makes only offending individuals (and not individuals responsible for corporate bodies) liable to a jail term.”
“The enhanced power of the Syariah Court and the resulting costs and time savings of registering a Syariah Court order are not only welcomed for its ability to raise the standing of the Syariah Court as a court of law, but for its ability to improve access to justice. Nonetheless, power generally entails responsibility and this should be no exception. The Syariah Court has to operate at the highest level of efficiency and transparency on par with the District Court. For the Syariah Court to be viewed on par as the other components of Singapore’s judicial system, it is important for the Syariah Court to seek ways to improve its administrative processes and the quality of the legal services it dispenses. I will highlight three areas to consider. First, the publication of the written grounds of decisions of the Syariah Court and the Appeal Board. The written grounds of decisions of the Syariah Court and the Appeal Board are not easily available to the public. I understand that the Syariah Court keeps a file of its written judgments as well as the Appeal Board’s in hard copies in its premises. However, these judgments are not published in a book form, and are not available to the public online, or on the MUIS/Appeal Board or Syariah Court websites. I suggest that the written grounds of Syariah Court and Appeal Board decisions be easily made available to the public so as to enhance the transparency of the court and facilitate teaching and research. One way to do this is to upload the judgments on the MUIS/Appeal Board or Syariah Court websites. Second, the time-line of the appeal processes. Currently, there is no deadline set for the delivery of a Syariah Court's written judgment to the Secretary of MUIS. This may potentially hold up the appeal process.”
“The Administration of Muslim Law (Amendment) Bill (the "Bill"), read for the Second time today, essentially seeks to strengthen Muslim families and institutions. I rise to support the Bill and would like to give my comments on some key areas of the Bill. The first area is expanding the powers of the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore ("MUIS"). The expanded powers of MUIS contemplated by the Bill benefit Singapore and its Muslim community as it serves as a funding source for more and better quality services and programmes by MUIS. The provision for MUIS to receive compensation for its products and services is a timely amendment, and allows MUIS to leverage on the know-how in selected key areas, for example, halal certification, wakaf property management and possibly also expert knowledge in Islamic banking and finance matters. These are areas in which MUIS can offer meaningful services to similar organisation in other Muslim communities in other countries. The provision of products and services by MUIS would facilitate the generation of funds that can be channelled to finance the development of community programmes and activities, for example, the offering of more scholarships to develop expertise in areas such as legal, finance and the sciences. The second area is recognising Syariah Court orders as District Court orders. This amendment is a long time coming. Currently, the Syariah Court order on its own does not stand as an enforceable court order and has to be registered at a District Court to be enforced. With the amendments introduced by the Bill, parties wanting to enforce a Syariah Court order would no longer have to go through a registration process at the District Court.”
“Sir, I do remember the Minister for Law saying that, but I also remember him saying that those who are not charged or have not been found guilty may not necessarily be innocent. Generally, Sir, the Ministry looks into all cases of FDW's complaints and where the complaints suggest there are breaches of the work permit conditions by the employer, a thorough investigation would be undertaken. All complaints by FDWs are dealt with objectively and when a prima facie case has been established for serious breaches, such as physical abuses, ill treatment, non payment of salaries or illegal deployment of foreign domestic worker, the employer will not be allowed to employ a new foreign domestic worker pending the outcome of MOM's investigations. This is a precautionary measure to prevent another FDW from being subject to the same abuse while investigations are ongoing. Similarly, when an FDW is under investigation for complaints against her, she will not be placed with another employer while investigations are ongoing. AUDITING OF STATUTORY BOARDS BY AUDITOR-GENERAL 7. Mr Gautam Banerjee asked the Minister for Finance in view of the increased focus on corporate governance and transparency (a) whether it is sufficient for large statutory boards to be audited by the Auditor-General only once in every five years; and (b) how does this practice compare with other countries such as the UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. 8. Mr Gautam Banerjee asked the Minister for Finance which statutory boards is the Auditor-General unable to audit under the current legal framework and whether this framework will be amended to allow the Auditor-General to audit all statutory boards.”
“Sir, that depends on the nature of the complaint. If the complaint involves abuses and rather serious, we will not allow the foreign domestic worker's employer to employ another domestic worker while investigations are still ongoing. But in some cases where it involves possible misunderstanding, we may consider.”
“Sir, when a complaint is lodged by a foreign domestic worker (FDW) against her employer, MOM will first assess the case to see if an investigation is warranted. In some cases, the complaint arises from a misunderstanding between the employer and the foreign domestic worker. In these situations, MOM would assist to clarify and mediate between the two parties. There would then be no need for an investigation. In 2007, about 35% of the nearly 2,100 complaints made were resolved at this stage. Where the facts reveal that an offence may have been committed, MOM will proceed to carry out an investigation. The duration of investigation into each case depends on its complexity and the level of cooperation given by the various parties involved. It is important to ensure investigations are carried out thoroughly. For the cases investigated in 2007, about 81% were completed within 90 days or three months. If investigations reveal evidence that the employer is likely to have committed an offence, he will be blacklisted from employing another FDW. This is necessary to protect other FDWs from falling victim to errant employers.”
“I said that if they believe that this is discriminatory and they do not like it, they can come to MOM to lodge a complaint and we will give them appropriate advice. But, generally, it is really up to the employees. In the first place, they are already called for interviews. For someone who has applied for a job and called for interview, there must be a good chance to be considered for the job. Whether or not there is a law to prevent employers from picking those who are not likely to be planning to be pregnant or to have a baby, or whether or not they want to practise fair employment practices, they may not even call this prospective employee for interview. So, no laws can actually protect any potential employee, whether or not they want to plan to have a baby or not in future. INVESTIGATION INTO COMPLAINT BY FOREIGN DOMESTIC WORKER 6. Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked the Acting Minister for Manpower (a) what is the average time taken to complete an investigation into a complaint lodged by a foreign domestic worker against her employer; and (b) whether the employer under investigation can employ another foreign domestic worker in the meantime.”
“Sir, I thought I answered that question. Prospective employees who are pregnant.”
“Sir, hiring and firing is subject to agreement of both the employer and employee in general. In the case of hiring pregnant women, again, it is subject to the needs of the employers. However, if employees have reason to believe that they are not employed because they are pregnant, they can lodge a complaint to MOM so that MOM can give appropriate advice to the prospective employee on the course of action to be taken. But, what is important is to change the mindsets of employers, in general, of the importance of treating not just their workers but potential workers well. In an environment of shortage of Singaporean workers, it makes sense for the employers to be the employers of choice and to do that they must be willing to take good care of their employees, including pregnant women and potential employees who are pregnant.”
“As I mentioned in yesterday's reply, the Government has invested heavily in Continuing Education and Training (or CET) programmes to help our local workers to upgrade their skills so that they can take on better jobs. Under the CET Masterplan, we have started by investing an additional $800 million into the Lifelong Learning Endowment Fund this year to ramp up our efforts significantly by expanding the number of good-quality training places in growth sectors. In 2007, the total number of persons who received training under the Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ) system was 68,000, more than double the 31,000 persons trained in 2006. More specifically, 21,000 persons were trained in the services sector in areas such as food and beverage, tourism, retail and finance.”
“Sir, yes, together with our tripartite partners, NTUC and SNEF, we reach out to employers to employ older workers, to train their older workers and to even employ older workers and those who have not been working for six months or longer, through part-time work. All these things are meant to help the low-income and low-educated Singaporeans who may need extra assistance by both the employers as well as the Government in making sure that they can be financially independent and can look after themselves after their retirement. EASY ACCESS TO FOREIGN LABOUR IN SERVICE INDUSTRIES 2. Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Acting Minister for Manpower whether easy access to foreign labour in service industries is counterproductive to encouraging employers to upgrade the skills of Singaporeans and undermines Government retraining efforts in service industries. The Acting Minister for Manpower (Mr Gan Kim Yong): Sir, Singapore has limited local manpower. Foreign manpower has helped to augment our local workforce and enabled our economy to grow beyond our own indigenous workforce alone can support. Nevertheless, access to foreign labour is regulated. This is done through the dependency ratio as well as through the foreign worker levy. In services, for example, the dependency ratio is 50% with the foreign worker levy up to $450 for unskilled workers. The presence of foreign workers does not hamper the training of our workers. Based on a survey released by MOM last year, the level of employer-supported training has been rising from 2002 to 2006, a period when foreign employment also grew. In 2006, 72% of private sector establishments provided structured training to their employees, a substantial increase from the 52% in 2002.”
“Sir, the WIS is a new scheme to replace the old Workfare Bonus Scheme. We said that we will review it in a few years and when it comes, we will take in feedback from MPs and grassroots organisations on what more that can be done, if necessary, to help older low-income workers.”
“And that is why we would like workers to come to work, encourage them to contribute to their Medisave and have some savings in their CPF and Medisave to see through their retirement. We will do whatever is necessary to reach out to more workers in future.”
“Sir, the Re-employment Act will require companies to offer jobs to their workers by 2012, once the workers have reached their retirement age. This is promotional effort to encourage companies to do it now. In fact, through the Tripartite partners, we are trying to encourage companies to start doing it now, even before the Act kicks in. This is a long-term view in helping older workers but, in the meantime, there are schemes that are encouraging companies to employ older workers, including those who may not be employed for a long period of time of, say, six months or longer. How to encourage older workers to be embraced by companies? Again, this is done through promotional efforts but, apart from that, we are also encouraging companies through programme like Flexi-Work, to employ older workers and those who have not been employed for some time, through part-time work. Through this scheme, employers stand to get support of up to $100,000 if they employ workers above 35 and keep them in the job for some time. How do we communicate to older workers? There are various means through the mass media, in particular, and through self-help organisations and grassroots organisations. One big way in encouraging older workers to remain employed and to keep their job, is through the Workfare Income Supplement (WIS). $300 million dollars has been disbursed to about 300,000 workers. Information has been passed, through grassroots organisations, to encourage those self-employed who have not signed up for WIS to come onboard. Our long-term view is to encourage workers to work, to have a source of income to support their family and at the same time to protect their long-term interest into their retirement.”
“Recently, Berita Harian revealed some families who are homeless and live by the beach. One of them had 10 children, of whom two are school dropouts. As a compassionate community, we would like to help this group so that their children have an opportunity to change their family’s fate. The important thing is that we prevent this problem from spreading. The solution is to help young couples in this group not to marry early, not to have many children, not to be divorced, but to give more focus to their children’s education as well as to stay employable in order to increase their income, and then enjoy handouts from national schemes like the Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) Scheme, home ownership, funding for their children's education, and so on. These efforts need the support of the whole community, including the religious leaders, to stress that having more children beyond their ability to raise and educate them, is not considered a good thing. This is something hard to say, but the community must have a clear and firm stand on it, so that we can prevent these issues from spreading. Madam, in conclusion, I would like to return to my earlier focus: how much has the programme directed towards these dysfunctional families been useful and effective? *Cols. 2297-2300. Help to Low Income Malay/Muslim Families”
“Secondly, there has been an increase of single parent families, from 47 per 1,000 Singaporean families in 1990 to 70 per 1,000 Singaporean families in 2005. Thirdly, there is an increase in births registered by single mothers. My interest in these issues is focused on two aspects. First, I would like to ask the Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs on the progress made by the various organisations to help dysfunctional families. These programmes include efforts to help young families on the verge of divorce in order to prevent families breaking up. I would also like to know how many young couples have been assisted under the Home Ownership Plus Education (HOPE) scheme which, among others, aims to help young couples with low education not to have more than two children, so that they can focus their attention towards family development through their children’s education, and increasing their income through skills training. This is related to my second focus, that is, for such families to bear a bigger responsibility for their own and their children’s well-being, in other words, to reduce their own problems. If not, their children’s future will be uncertain and their problem will worsen. Even worse if the problems they face now and in the future are inherited by their children. Any help they enjoy from the Government or Malay-Muslim organisations’ schemes will not solve all their problems, if they themselves do not overcome it. The vicious cycle will continue and will be carried on by their children. A young mother, who I first met 10 years ago while she was 25 years old and had one child, now has five children. She lives in a HDB rental flat, is still jobless, and the husband is in and out of prison until now.”
“(In Malay): [For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A *. ] Madam, the Malay community in Singapore has achieved much progress in many fields – education, employment, income and quality of life. In education, with better O-level results, more Malay students now, about 80%, continue their education to post-secondary – to the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), polytechnics and universities. Those entering polytechnics and universities have increased to 34% in 2005 compared to only 1.3% in 1980. The cohort of Malay students entering local universities increased to 5%, a 10-fold increase between 1980 and 2005. All this gives satisfaction and increases the pride of the Malay community. This progress is achieved due to the many opportunities that are open to all the races and Singaporeans at the national level, and also the desire of the Malay community to move forward. No less important is the fact that it was achieved due to the spirit of progressiveness and competition that blossoms in the Malay families, as well as a determined self-help network in the community. The community and the political leadership join forces to improve this progress and overcome the social problems that affect some in the community. Financial sources are consolidated through charity bodies like the Hari Raya Charity Fund to help the poor and the destitute. The self-help Malay-Muslim bodies increase their cooperation through the Community Leaders' Forum that is coordinated by Mendaki. However, this has been stemmed by social problems that need to be solved. Firstly, the rate of divorce among the Malays has been increasing – from 6.9 per 1,000 Singaporean females who are married to 16 in 2005.”
“MOM need not necessarily be the first place workers turn to, but we will definitely look into complaints and reports made by workers. We now have the TAFEP Centre which can look into the concerns of individual workers or feedback on the bigger picture. Yes, there is already the Penal Code to protect women at workplaces. If they have serious concern about sexual harassment, they can report to the Police if they feel very seriously about it. And if they want it rectified at the workplaces, they can also work with the union, which will work with the management, if they are union members. Very often, it is something that has to be dealt with at the personal level. But where a complaint is lodged, we will investigate it and, if action is needed, we will take action.”
“Sir, duration of hours of work and pay are matters for the worker and employer to decide. We will provide the guidelines on fair employment. I think this is a journey. TAFEP and the various agencies – Government, unions and employer federation – will continue to work closely. We will get companies to buy in. There have been good signs. TAFEP has done a very good job on fair employment, and we have been encouraging companies to practise flexible work arrangements. It is working, and we will have to make refinements from time to time. In the meantime, we will try to solve some of the teething problems experienced by workers as well as employers on the ground.”