Hazel Poa
Singapore
“Alright. I would like to seek confirmation that the latest round of tariff is a violation of the FTA between Singapore and the US, and if so, are we contemplating any action on that front? Given that we are a small country, are we exploring joint negotiations with other countries?”
“I urge the Government to set higher outpatient withdrawal limits for older Singaporeans and adjust them annually to keep up with healthcare cost inflation. Chair, in Mandarin, please.”
“I think the Senior Minister of State for her reply. Is the Senior Minister of State able to share what steps NCS has taken to prevent a recurrence? And has there been any impact on the execution of this policy due to the implementation being earlier than planned?”
“First of all, let me clarify that PSP is not displeased with the vouchers, because we believe that they will help Singaporeans in the short term, but not over the long term. The Prime Minister has said that he has concrete plans for the future.”
“I wish to make another pitch to the Prime Minister to consider measures to lower cost of living. Does he not agree that if we lower cost of living, it will benefit all Singaporeans, whereas if we take the approach of investing in education and training, to raise wages, then, not everybody can benefit from that, especially older Singaporea…”
“Can the Minister explain the logic behind this position that it is okay to impose or to specify to EBRC that the average size of GRCs and the proportion of SMCs should be maintained at current levels, but it is overimposing on EBRC to ask them to explain the reasons for their changes?”
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“Thank you, Deputy Speaker. I thank the Ministers for their Statements. I am asking this question on behalf of some seniors who have conveyed to me their frustration that while they are being urged to get vaccinated, they are unable to get an appointment for a Sinovac vaccination. I think we do have a group of individuals who prefer vaccinations using the traditional approach and have reservations about newer technologies. So, given that we are especially concerned about vaccination for our seniors, what avenues are there available for these seniors who prefer the traditional approach? Are there plans to further expand the Sinovac vaccination?”
“5, clause 2, under the heading of "Professionals", states that "each party shall grant temporary entry and stay for up to a year" and it goes on to list several conditions. So, my question here is, because it says "shall grant temporary entry and stay for up to a year", if an applicant meets the criteria that are listed in this clause, namely, proof of nationality, letter of contract or similar documentation, educational certificates or similar documentation, as well as the minimum salary requirements for EPs, for anybody who satisfies these conditions, are we obliged to approve their application? Fourthly, under this clause, temporary entry and stay is up to one year. I would like to seek a clarification: can this entry and stay be further extended or renewed or re-applied?”
“I thank the two Ministers for their Ministerial Statements, providing a wide range of information and explanation, and for this additional opportunity for us to seek clarifications on an issue that is of great concern to many Singaporeans. An open debate based on the right information can only be beneficial to all parties involved, whether in or out of this House. I would like to seek a few clarifications. The first one relates to Minister Ong's claim that PSP has made false allegations that CECA is allowing a free flow of Indian PMEs. Can I ask the Minister to provide the specifics of these false allegations that he mentioned, including details like when and where and who? He gave partial quotes, but partial quotes can be taken out of context and if he can provide the specifics, we can look into it further. Secondly, Minister Ong said at the beginning of his Statement that he would be happy to provide all information that we request for in order to have a more robust debate on the Motion subsequently. But at the end of the two Ministerial Statements, unfortunately, the bulk of the information that we have requested for in our nine Parliamentary Questions is not released. So, will there be any more data forthcoming in the form of Written Answers? Thirdly, we agree that FTAs are important to Singapore's economy and we are not calling for the abolition of FTAs. Our concern is over specific provisions in FTAs relating to the movement of natural persons. In CECA, just now Minister Ong mentioned that the listing of the 127 professions does not mean that anybody who applies under this will be approved, but it can be rejected even if they apply. Article 9.”
“Further to the issue of safe transportation of workers, Progress Singapore Party would like to highlight that this would be a good time for a holistic review of all the areas related to the protection of migrant workers, for example, dormitory conditions, recruitment costs, job mobility and strengthening enforcement of breaches by employers.”
“It is clear that the current measures for transporting workers as passengers on goods vehicles is not enough and must be improved. The Government has taken strong action in the past in reaction to deaths that could have been prevented. After a fatal school bus accident in 2008, seat belts for small school buses were made compulsory in 2009. To cope with the increased cost, the Government gave out $22 million in financial assistance for small buses to be retrofitted with seat belts. We should now similarly prioritise human lives over increased costs. Financial assistance for businesses with difficulties complying can be explored. We can also explore whether there is spare capacity in the form of tour buses now under-utilised that will make this a good time to implement new measures. The workers affected are primarily migrant workers, who form one of the most vulnerable groups in our society. The neglect of their protection and welfare has long been a bone of contention in our society. Reactive responses only when death occurs in traffic accidents, domestic helper abuse or dormitory infections are not enough. The pandemic has shown us how choosing the easier or cheaper path can come back and bite us eventually. It was announced yesterday that MOT will review this issue, taking into account all views and suggestions. Can MOT let us know how much time is needed for this review? Lives are at stake here and we hope for speedy action to be taken.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, section 126(1) of the Road Traffic Act prevents goods vehicles from being used to transport passengers, but subsection (a) allows an exception for workers to be carried on a goods vehicle owned or rented by their employer if they meet the rules prescribed under section 77(6). I propose to add a provision to the Bill to repeal section 126(1)(a) of the Act and to mandate that workers can only be transported in vehicles with passenger seats. In July 2010, a Parliamentary Question was asked of the Minister for Transport to consider legislating that employers must transport their workers in buses. The Minister replied that we should allow the measures to improve workers’ safety on lorries to take effect and study their effectiveness before concluding that they are insufficient and going for a ban. These measures – fitting lorries with canopies and side railings, increasing the deck space per seated worker – have been in place for 10 years. Despite these vehicle-related safety measures, driver-related measures, enforcement and penalties and public education, we are continuing to see fatalities and injuries from workers being transported on lorries. The Workplace Safety and Health Act imposes a duty on employers to take reasonably practicable measures to ensure the safety and health of persons at work. Employers facing environments, such as working at heights, lifting operations and operating heavy machinery, must put in place safety measures, and these have prevented needless injuries. WSH 2028 vision works towards reducing Singapore’s workplace fatality rate to less than one per 100,000 workers by 2028, and a pervasive adoption of the Vision Zero culture where stakeholders are committed to preventing all forms of injury and ill-health at work.”
“Mr Chairman, the issue of portable health insurance was raised by Health Correspondent Salma Khalik in December last year. Currently, many Singaporeans have integrated plans. As a person gets older, it becomes difficult to move from one insurer to another. This is because people develop medical problems as they grow older. When they tried to switch insurers, they generally face the prospect of these pre-existing conditions being excluded from cover. As a result, beyond a certain age, it becomes practically impossible for people to switch to another insurer even if there is a big difference in premiums paid. Theoretically, insurers can entice younger people with much lower premiums and later hike the premiums significantly when they are older and unable to switch insurers due to their pre-existing conditions. Will the Minister consider ensuring that IPs are fully portable by making it a condition for IP providers to allow policy holders to switch providers without imposing additional conditions? 2.45 pm Integrated Shield Plan Providers”
“Mr Chairman, MediSave limits are a major concern for the elderly and it is the issue I have been asked most frequently to raise. Many feel that the annual limits of $200 or $500 are inadequate for their needs, given current healthcare costs. In November last year, Senior Minister of State said that MediSave limits are being reviewed. Can the Minister provide an update on the status of the review? At the moment, MediSave can be used mainly for hospitalisation and in-patient treatment with limited outpatient treatments allowed. Limiting MediSave to mainly in-patient treatment skews demand towards hospitalisation. Outpatient treatment is cheaper and can manage disease before they worsen and become more costly to treat. If we can allow MediSave to be used more widely on out-patient treatments, we can shift demand towards the lower cost outpatient treatments and help control healthcare costs. Can the Minister consider expanding the range of outpatient treatments allowed to use MediSave? MediSave Use for Outpatient Treatment”
“The range of sentencing will be actually specified in the law. And within that, the Courts then mete out individual sentences for each case. But so how does this Sentencing Advisory Panel add on to what is in the law? How does it further restrict? I need further clarification on how it will work.”
“I am afraid that I will not be able to answer that question because I need clarifications on how this sentencing panel will influence the Judiciary. My concern is actually about whether it would compromise their independence.”
“Mr Speaker, we welcome the Government taking a tougher stand on sexual and hurt offences, and we also support the position that the offenders' academic achievements should not be a factor in sentencing. But I do have a clarification though, on the Sentencing Advisory Panel. While it says that this panel's decisions will not be binding on the Court, it does create a situation, if the Courts were to deviate from the guidelines issued by this panel, it does create a situation that requires an explanation and therefore could create some pressure. So, my question is, how does the Minister address the concern that this could be viewed as the Executive arm going into an area that has traditionally been under the Judiciary, and could this potentially compromise the independence of the Judiciary in the area of sentencing?”
“Mdm Chair, flash flooding has steadily become more frequent in the last 10 years. With climate change, we can expect such extreme weather events to become more common. As we continue to convert more of our forests into developments, we lose the many protective benefits of forests in moderating the impacts of extreme weather. For example, forests help slow the flow of water into our drainage system, reducing flooding risks. Therefore, when floods happen, we cannot point the finger solely at climate change, when we ourselves have been partly to blame. As we cut down more forests, we will have to spend more on ensuring that our physical drainage infrastructure and flood response systems can keep up. While the Ministry has an established monitoring and response system for flooding, what are the plans to address the root causes of flooding in vulnerable areas? Does the Ministry's flood protection plans adequately account for possible future increases in extreme rainfall? Improve Flood Resilience”
“To this end, I am suggesting that the MOE, perhaps, consider capping class sizes at 23 which incidentally is the OECD average and, in particular, for the most tutored subjects such as mathematics as well as languages. Reviewing Teachers' Appraisal”
“Around 70% of students in these aforementioned countries attend after-school lessons in mathematics, for instance – unsurprisingly, I was one of them – compared to less than 20% in countries such as Austria, Canada, Finland and New Zealand. Even so, the disparities between what we devote to public education expenditure is clearly indirectly, if imperfectly, made of four by private supplemental financing. Even setting our "kiasu" mindset aside, most parents do not have any burning to send their kids onto additional tuition if there are otherwise able to cope with the subjects. Consider how our tuition dollars are predominately spent on subjects where students struggle such as math or languages, and less on humanities such as history or geography. Smaller class sizes can go a long way toward helping the average Singaporean household reduce their perceived need to engage additional private tuition. Perhaps, more importantly, smaller class sizes can also help level the playing field. While the evidence in favour of small class sizes for overall student achievement is weak albeit still positive, it is undeniable that individual students can benefit from smaller classrooms. A small number of students release the load on our teachers, thereby freeing them up to pay more attention to students that are falling behind and since lower income households are less likely to be able to allocate additional finances towards tuition just so that their children may stay up to speed, this obviates the need for supplemental private tuition which can prevent students from such households from falling even further behind.”
“Even in East Asian economies such as Korea and Japan, student numbers in the Primary school classroom only push a little past 25. To be clear, the trend in Singapore has improved over time. The pupil-teacher ratio at the Primary level was around 26 at the turn of the millennium compared to 15 today. But this is hardly satisfactory in light of the fact that these numbers still pale in comparison to countries such as Denmark at 12, Australia at 11 and Luxemburg at nine. While certain banded classrooms are indeed smaller, this does not cover students who are not currently struggling, who arrived there on the basis of supplementary educational support. Indeed, some may question, why, in spite of these unflattering resource ratios, our students appear to be able to producing some of the best test scores worldwide. Part of the reason is likely to be our heavy reliance on supplementary education, sometimes pejoratively called the shadow education system, supplied by families directly. Private tuition and other supplementary education expenses come up to $112 out of the household's monthly educational expenditures, a little more than 2%. This is more than what the average household spends on clothing and air travel and about a quarter of what they spend to be able to put a roof over their heads. At the national level, we spent $1.4 billion on such additional private tuition. This is around 10% of the total that the Government spends officially on public education and, to the extent that we believe public education should be largely self-contained, represents an additional and implicit tax on Singaporeans. 2.30 pm To be clear, other East Asian societies, including China, Indonesia, Japan and Korea tend to engage more private tutors than other advanced countries.”
“Mr Chairman, MOE has been closing schools and reducing its headcount of teachers due to declining birth rates and school enrolments. From 2011 to 2020, the number of teachers declined by 16% from 39,412 to 33,001. Allied Educators, who provide extra support to teachers and schools, also declined by 32% from 1,772 to 1,205. However, the number of management executives increased by 260% from 851 to 3,066 and management support increased by 147% from 519 to 1,282. Can the Minister clarify why so many more management staff are needed to manage a declining number of teachers and students? What are the targeted number of teachers in the next few years? To introduce greater diversity and differentiated learning into our education system, we need smaller class sizes. I mentioned this last October and I feel the need to bring it up again. With declining enrolment, it would have been the perfect opportunity to reduce class sizes had we not decreased the number of teachers and NIE intake. Not only would smaller class sizes provide better outcomes for students, it would be beneficial for teachers as well. We ought to care for teachers' emotional and mental loads as well, in addition to their work loads. Will the Minister consider resuming the recruitment of teachers to previous levels, especially at a time when job opportunities are greatly reduced due to the pandemic? Smaller Class Sizes Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim (Sengkang): Mr Chairman, Singapore currently has one of the highest average class sizes among advanced countries in Primary and Secondary schools. In 2019, it amounted to 33 students per class. In contrast, the average among industrialised economies is a little more than 20.”
“During the course of my work, I came across students who dropped out of Secondary schools but, after working for a few years, decided that they needed to go back to school. Aiming to enrol in a Polytechnic, they set out to take the "O" Levels in private schools. However, private education does not come cheap. It is sad to see some give up because they cannot afford it. Homeschooled students also do not get access to core curricular activities (CCAs). Taiwan's schools embrace homeschooling and schooling kids learning together. Countries like Israel have a second-chance programme to help students complete their Secondary and diploma education. As long as our young have the desire to learn, let us give them the necessary support. I therefore have two questions. Will the Minister consider granting financial support for those studying outside of mainstream schools? Will the Minister allow these students to be attached to mainstream schools for CCAs? Multiple Pathways and Opportunities”
“Mr Chairman, the Budget Statement described extensive plans for an innovation-driven economy. To thrive in an innovation-driven economy requires more than the acquisition of technical skills and scientific or professional knowledge, but also a mindset that is ready and able to challenge established norms or widely accepted thinking, not afraid to fail and ever ready to try again, and an eagerness to navigate the unknown. Can the Minister share with us what are the plans to prepare our students for an innovation-driven economy? KPI Over the years, efforts have been made to move away from a grade-centric education system. This is reflected in the "Desired Outcomes" section under MOE's budget. However, this is not totally reflected in the key performance indicators (KPIs) that are measured. Firstly, a number of the desired outcomes are not measured in its KPI. For example, there are no measurable indicators for adaptability, ability to work in teams and across cultures, critical thinking, and so on. Will the Ministry be looking into additional KPIs to measure these desired outcomes? Secondly, with reference to the KPI relating to engaged citizenry, is such community work compulsory for students? If so, it would not be a true indicator of engagement. Measuring the engagement rate of grown citizens would be a more accurate indicator. Finally, whilst this is not included in the desired outcomes, would the Minister consider additional KPIs to measure equity outcomes, for example, the percentage of students from the bottom quintile that are top performers? Students Outside Mainstream Schools Here, I declare my interest as an operator of a private school.”
“Permission to take my three cuts together.”
“Also, instances of discriminatory hiring practices and violations of the FCF have been highlighted by the public. Given our large and growing foreign workforce, does the MOM have sufficient manpower and resources dedicated towards enforcing the relevant laws and regulations? Is it able to assure Singaporeans that its resources have been put to good use, and that its enforcement has been effective? Moving forward, how will MOM manage the balance between local and foreign workforce to ensure they complement one another, not replace? With reference to the recent discovery of work pass holders declaring qualifications from an Indian University selling fake degrees in their applications, how will MOM ensure the integrity of its list of accepted Universities and qualifications for work pass applicants? What is the plan to prevent a recurrence of severe outbreak of contagious diseases in foreign workers' dormitories? Can the Minister update us on the improved standards for new dormitories and is the Ministry working on this in conjunction with NGOs? How much has been spent on rehousing foreign workers during this pandemic? To protect our foreign domestic workers from abuse, will the Minister consider adding an item in the six-monthly medical examination report asking doctors to indicate if they noticed any signs of abuse?”
“Mr Chairman, it was disappointing to note that despite the pandemic exposing our vulnerabilities arising from our over-reliance on foreign labour, the Budget did not present new measures to fundamentally move our economy away from that over-reliance, apart from a tightening of the S Pass quota for the manufacturing sector. It would have been a golden opportunity to commence the needed restructuring, at a time when the size of our foreign workforce is down significantly, due to the pandemic, when businesses are looking for new ways to rebuild economic activities, a time for a "Reset", as Institute of Policy Studies, or IPS, calls it. With only minor tweaks to our work pass and work permit requirements, it is to be expected that the presence of foreign workforce in our economy will remain as large as ever. Despite our objection to the continued over-reliance on foreign workforce, that is a matter of disagreement over what is the best policy for Singapore, and does not translate into disrespect for the foreign nationals working in Singapore. The contribution of foreign workforce to Singapore's development has been significant and they deserve to be protected as well, just like our local workforce. Our laws, such as the Fair Consideration Framework (FCF), the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, and the Foreign Employee Dormitories Act, are meant to prevent discriminatory practices and protect both local and foreign employees. According to the MOM, a rising number of employers have been penalised for illegally underpaying foreign employees. The severity of the COVID-19 pandemic's spread in dormitories has also exposed the harsh conditions many foreign workers live in, and exposed many inadequacies in the way we manage their welfare.”
“Mr Chairman, recently, the Straits Times reported on the findings of the State Coroner regarding the death of National Serviceman Dave Lee due to heatstroke, which was partially caused by delayed evacuation. I cannot profess to know the pain of parents and families who have lost their loved ones. I can only guess. To quote the mother of Dave Lee, she said “Parents who have lost a child will never have any closure. There will only be sadness...That is all I can say.” We know it is for an important cause. The cost of our national defence has, however, fallen unevenly, with some families paying a higher price than others. We should not take our people’s support for National Service for granted. Apart from ongoing efforts to improve training safety, I would like to put forth two proposals for the Minister’s consideration. Firstly, the best way to secure commitment to national defence is to ensure that the families of our fallen Servicemen are taken care of. While I hate to put a price tag on the sacrifices made, ex-gratia payments based on WICA is, in my view, inadequate. In peacetime situations, I urge the Government to benchmark compensation according to a reasonable projection of lifetime income based on actual civilian wages of NSmen multiplied by their remaining work life, and $1 million for NSF. Secondly, I am proposing that a special day be designated when we commemorate and remember those amongst us who paid the ultimate price for our national defence and honour their families, and remind ourselves annually of the importance of training safety. On this day, let the whole nation say to these families – we remember and we are grateful. Care for Soldiers”
“Have these regulations impacted Israel's competitiveness to a degree that it can no longer compete globally? Few would think so. The Progress Singapore Party or PSP urges the Government to consider similar preferential treatment for local businesses in Government procurements. In his Budget Statement, Deputy Prime Minister stressed that the focus on growing the economy is to benefit the people. To this end, PSP would like to suggest that the Government set a target for the wage component of our GDP to ensure that the fruits of economic development are enjoyed by its people. According to SingStats, in 2020, wages formed about 43.6% of GDP while operating surplus of corporates and other organisations formed about 56.2% of GDP. The operating surplus was 29% higher than wages. In comparison, according to OECD Statistics, the German wage component of GDP was 54% while operating surplus was 37%. Their wage component was 45% higher than the operating surplus component. Similarly, in the UK, the wage component was 53% of GDP and the operating surplus, 39%. In the US and Switzerland, the numbers also compare favourably. If we want to ensure that our people enjoy the benefits of this economic growth, we should set an initial target of having the wage component form at least 50% of GDP. This should be an important KPI for the Government moving forward. Only with the focus on an equitable solution to the current crisis will Singapore emerge stronger. Sir, I support the Budget. 3.55 pm”
“So, we ask not for a perfect solution, but an honest and transparent assessment and review. Measuring the effectiveness of each measure will help us make better allocations in future – like should more transfers go to companies or to families and individuals in need? I believe that the latest $900 million allocated to help Singapore households ride out the COVID-19 crisis is inadequate. With more business closures and unemployment expected to increase after March when many of the support measures start to taper off, more households will likely suffer financial stress. I hope the Government will consider increasing its support for the many who are likely to need it. Singapore has a small domestic market so our SMEs need help to grow and develop into a size that will enable them to compete globally. While the Budget has addressed the capital needs for Singapore businesses, the Government can do more. Let me quote the example of Israel. In 1995, Israel approved the "Preference for Israeli Products" regulation that stipulated that a 15% price-differential preference be awarded to Israeli manufacturers for certain items and for products with 35% Israeli content and with a value not exceeding $500,000. Israeli manufacturers in "National Priority Zones" even received an additional 5%-15% advantage. A "Mandatory Industrial Cooperation" regulation also required foreign suppliers that had won government or public tenders to engage in an offset procurement in Israel to the extent of 20%-50% of the contract value by local subcontracting, procurement of Israeli goods and services, cooperation in R&D and investment or assistance for an Israeli industrialist or exporter abroad.”
“Last year, the Government committed nearly $100 billion through various packages to support Singaporeans and the economy through the COVID-19 crisis. In a report released by MOF on the impact of the COVID-19 Budget measures, it was stated that MAS estimated that the five Budgets in 2020 supported GDP growth by 5.5% in 2020, representing only about $28 billion. Did Singapore get a bang for its buck? MAS also estimated that the measures saved or created 155,000 jobs. To put the numbers in perspective, if we were to pay 155,000 people $4,000 per month, it would cost us $7.4 billion per year. One hundred billion dollars is sufficient for 13.4 years of payment. Can MOF give a fuller accounting of the benefits of the Budget measures and an assessment of whether those resources have been used effectively and efficiently? Each transfer ended up somewhere. For example, the Job Support Scheme, or JSS, payments either saved jobs, or were paid as additional wages, or stayed in the employers' bank accounts. The wages paid out either ended up in consumption, which would contribute to GDP, or stayed in the pockets of employees. How much of the JSS went to benefit companies that were unaffected by the COVID-19 problem, with the same or more profits? In the MOF report mentioned earlier, it was stated that the transfers did not result in such a high spend on consumption because of safe distancing. More benefits would come later when demand returns. What is the forecast deferred impact from the transfers not spent on consumption or investment in 2020? One hundred billion dollars is not a small amount. We ask for a cost benefit analysis of each scheme put in place. We recognise that it is not easy coming up with measures within a short timeframe to deal with a pandemic.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Deputy Prime Minister has pointed out in his Budget Statement that Singapore can expect a Budget deficit of $11 billion, representing about 2.2% of GDP. This can be attributed to the COVID-19 Resilience Package. As it stands, why $11 billion, and not, say, $22 billion is the prudent Budget deficit figure, can only be answered by a select few. Because the national reserves remain a national secret, we must take the Deputy Prime Minister's word for it. But in the interest of the nation, especially during these tough economic times, I must raise the question again, as many others before me have done so, and ask if it is time to make our national reserves part of our national conversation. Our Elected President carries the responsibility of safeguarding our reserves. But we still remember President Ong Teng Cheong's unsuccessful attempt to know the size of the reserve he was supposed to protect. I would like to seek a clarification from the Deputy Prime Minister. Is the current President aware of the exact size of our reserves when she made decisions on its drawdown? While I do not yet know the answer to that question, I do know that Members of Parliament are being asked to vote on a Budget that would require a drawdown on our reserves without knowing its size. Without knowing our nation's financial position, it would be difficult to make sound and prudent decisions, and certainly not informed ones. So, again, I ask that more transparency with regard to the national reserves be made, if not only that Singaporeans better understand the rationale for difficult decisions like the need to raise the GST to 9% in the future.”
“I also had a question about a second independent test for serious illnesses.”
“I thank the Senior Minister of State for his reply. I have a few supplementary questions. Firstly, while these errors were actually discovered in a review process, since the error actually started in 2012, why did it take so long to discover the errors? Is it a standard timeframe for enough statistics to flag up a possible error? Secondly, would the Ministry consider a second independent test for serious illnesses? The last supplementary question is about compensation to the victims. What sort of compensation is being considered and is a lifetime of free healthcare on the cards?”
“In Australia and UK, full fee-paying foreign students are an important source of revenue. In UK, these students contributed 11.9 billion pounds to the UK economy in 2016. In Australia, they contributed $37.6 billion to the Australian economy in 2019. With good global rankings, our Universities should similarly be able to attract full fee-paying foreign students. We can adopt a similar model, develop this industry and use the revenues to further subsidise the education of local students. Foreign student enrolment, however, should not be at the expense of the enrolment of local students. In conclusion, I wish to reiterate that we are not embracing customised learning to the detriment of our children. When we personalise education, we will be able to look at everything we do in life as an education in itself. No longer bound to a classroom, children will be free to learn from life, learning to think creatively, take risk and adapt quickly in youth. Children will become more resilient in adulthood and better able to handle any crisis that comes their way. Sir, I support the Ministerial Statement.”
“With so much depending on the results of examinations like the PSLE, it is not surprising that Singapore students have a high fear of failure compared to students in other countries. In an OECD survey, it was found that three in four Singapore students fear failure as compared to a global average of 55%. I believe high-stakes examinations contribute to the building of such fears by making the price of failing too high to pay. Such fears can inhibit risk-taking entrepreneurship and the willingness to venture into the unfamiliar. Assessments should take into account the learning value of failing by giving them multiple opportunities to try again. A single failure should not mark you for life. For example, in the UK, national examinations like GCSE are conducted twice in May and November. I hope MOE can give our students similar chances. To introduce greater diversity and differentiated learning into our education system, we need smaller class sizes. With Singapore's total fertility rate dropping, the number of school-going children is decreasing. This would have been a good opportunity to decrease class sizes, but MOE has instead closed schools and reduced teacher recruitment. The number of education officers dropped from 36,400 in 2016 to 33,700 in 2018. The NIE intake dropped from 1,256 in 2016 to 556 in 2018. Not only is this a missed opportunity to reduce class sizes, it also reduces meaningful job opportunities for Singaporeans. I urged MOE to reconsider its approach. In our local Universities, the tuition grants given to foreign students are already a recurring bugbear for many Singaporeans, and is a popular theme in media reports. Many Singaporeans are perplexed at why foreigners are given Government subsidies and question this use of taxpayers' money.”
“In Singapore, although we have nine core subjects, only four of them are assessed in the PSLE. This unequal treatment skews time and effort towards the four subjects, effectively further narrowing the range. Secondly, diversity in student mix. The practice of streaming students with similar abilities and aptitudes into groups reduces opportunities for our students to interact with others who are different. This has already been highlighted in a CNA documentary "Regardless of Race". While MOE is moving away from streaming towards subject-based banding which removes the labelling, it does not change the fact that students are still grouped based on similar results in each subject. Students with different skill sets and interest will have few opportunities to share and discuss diverse thoughts and ideas. It also stymies broader social interaction and the development of people management skills. Thirdly, diversity in pathways. Over the years, additional pathways have been created for older students. At the Primary school level, children are still on a single track with all Primary students taking the PSLE route. But as any parent knows, the PSLE is a stressful exam for students and parents alike because the outcome has very important implications on a child's future education and development. While some feel the PSLE is necessary for Secondary school posting, there are others, like myself, who believe it is premature to assess students at the age of 12 to determine their educational paths. I therefore urge MOE to consider a pilot project of through-train schools from Primary to Secondary levels without going through the PSLE, to give parents the option to choose an education path that may be better suited for their children's future.”
“Now, with digitalisation accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, there is even greater urgency to hasten the pace of education reform as old methods of teaching and learning become obsolete. We had been facing growing uncertainty even before the pandemic struck. The key to thriving in uncertain environments is adaptability. To help build the ability to adapt to different or changing circumstances, we need to provide a learning environment that is non-standardised and non-prescriptive, one that constantly contains elements of unfamiliarity. In other words, diversity. Diversity is also an important factor in the fostering of creativity and innovation. The modern innovations of today have always required inter-disciplinary approaches to reach fruition, a point also brought up by the hon Member Cheryl Chan earlier. So, similarly, I believe that our educational system not only needs to be diverse in terms of curriculum, but in student mix as well. First, diversity in curriculum. We need to offer a wider range of subjects to students and greater flexibility in choices and combinations. In other words, an a la carte approach rather than set menus. Here, I would like to quote the American psychologist Abraham Harold Maslow, who said, "It is no more necessary to study animals before one can study men than it is to study mathematics before one can study geology or psychology or biology." Take the range of Primary school subjects, for example. In UK, their primary schools have 11 core subjects including design and technology, history, geography and computing, plus three optionals. In Finland, they have 13 core subjects including environmental studies, religion, history, social studies and guidance counselling, plus optionals in art and skill subjects.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, first of all, I would like to declare that I own an education company as I will be talking about education in the rest of my speech. The Deputy Prime Minister spoke extensively about the economic plans to address the post-COVID-19 situation in Singapore, but not enough on how to prepare our people for the future. Upskilling and re-skilling our workforce is part of the solution but it is a reactive approach. If upskilling and re-skilling were our only recourse, Singaporeans will always find ourselves one step behind. Instead of focusing only on giving working adults new skills to survive the new economy, we should also look into preparing our youths to thrive in the future. Instead of preparing for jobs that we cannot foresee, we need to focus on building resilient growth mindsets in our young people today. Why are Singaporeans losing out in the job market in our own country? Employers repeatedly cite the lack of creativity and risk-taking, not to mention poor communication skills as reasons for this. Our grade-centric education system was also cited as a contributory factor. In addition to facing competition for jobs from foreigners, we are increasingly facing competition from machines as well. Currently, standardised written examinations often reward behaviours like memorising and regurgitating facts and standard answers but encouraging such behaviours make our people most vulnerable to being replaced by machines. What is not easily replaced by a machine, however, is the ability to think creatively, take risk and communicating and social skills. These are the same skills that employers find Singaporeans lack.”
“Whether it is addressing issues of job security, saving jobs, creating new jobs, job discrimination, existential threats, strengthening social safety nets, national identity or retirement adequacy, everyone needs to recognise the bias of one’s echo chamber, that we view everything through filters. And the only way we can mitigate this myopia is to acknowledge that these filters exist. Like any investments, past performance is not a promise of future returns. Dwelling on past successes does not help us chart the path to the future. This pandemic is like a tide rolling out, exposing our vulnerabilities previously under the surface. We need to muster the courage to have an honest evaluation of where we are in the work-in-progress we call "The Singapore Story". We need to keep an open mind and be prepared to tackle sacred cows. Singaporeans are intelligent, believe in the core principles of justice, equality and the concept of sacrifice for the common good. These are pillars of the Singapore identity that we should continue to uphold. I am confident that we can all find the courage to step out of our echo chambers, listen to all sides without prejudice, and act without pre-set agenda, so we can collectively build the next chapter of The Singapore Story. Sir, I support the Motion.”
“Even in our earlier asset enhancement approach – the idea of owning an appreciating asset that we can then sell to fund our retirement – that involved a transfer of wealth from the younger generation to the older. I would therefore like to suggest that the Government explore a hybrid system, where individuals build up their own retirement sums as much as they can, and Government steps in after their retirement to help them cope with the effects of inflation. Lastly, with all the current anxieties about losing jobs and incomes, let our people not have to worry about losing their homes. I hope the Government will grant further deferment of mortgage payments for households with members who have lost their jobs or suffered a loss in income, for up to December 2021. Mr Speaker, the President spoke about the dangers of an echo chamber in the online space. But echo chambers exist everywhere, not just online. I remember when I first entered politics and joined an alternative political party, I immediately experienced a marked change in my environment. Many with anti-establishment views sought me out to share their perspectives. People whom I already know previously became more forthcoming in criticising Government policies. My environment became decidedly more critical of Government all of a sudden. It took great effort to maintain my perspective, to remember that the world has not really changed all that much all of a sudden, but simply that people are telling me what they think I am interested in hearing. If I experienced such being just an opposition candidate, how much more must it have been for someone who wields power?”
“The fact that these savings are being withheld for their future needs is scant comfort in the face of immediate distress. Coupled with the later withdrawal age and steadily increasing minimum sum, it is fuelling dissatisfaction or even mistrust in our CPF system. If we can allow ways for CPF members to rely on these savings in times of need, for their CPF savings to be a source of financial security at all times and not just in the distant future, it will help build trust in the system and provide a peace of mind. I would also like to suggest that the Government explore the option of indexing CPF LIFE payments to inflation, with the inflation adjustments paid by Government. To illustrate, if the monthly CPF LIFE payment is $1,000, and inflation is 2%, then the Government can top up the CPF LIFE payment by $20, which is 2% of $1,000. Based on current retirement age and life expectancy, there are approximately 20 years of retirement life that we need to plan for. Our CPF system is designed for individuals to be responsible for their own retirement needs. However, certain things are beyond our control, despite our best efforts. If the economy and wages grow rapidly over the years, then the wages earned in the early years would be too low to cope with the cost levels in later years. If inflation is rampant, then retirement funds saved up in the early years would be inadequate. Twenty years after retirement is a long time, and retirees are at the mercy of economic forces over which they have no control. So, while we do not want to purely rely on our younger generations to support the older generations, to expect every individual to fully fund their own retirement may not be a feasible nor realistic proposition for many.”
“Despite our best efforts to stem job losses, according to the economic survey, employment decreased by 131,500 in the second quarter of this year. The COVID-19 Support Grant currently provides for cash payment of up to $800 per month for three months for those who have lost their jobs or suffered a significant drop in income. The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) expects the economy to shrink by 5% to 7% this year. Further job losses are thus expected. Under such circumstances, most will take longer than three months to find new employment. An OCBC survey this year found that 70% of the respondents did not have enough savings to last more than six months. In comparison, Government Reserves, though never revealed, is widely believed to be sufficient for at least eight to 10 years of Government expenditure. If my figures are wrong, I would be happy to be corrected. There is therefore a lot of room for adjustments in the balance between Government Reserves and household reserves. We need to enhance the COVID-19 Support Grant to offer financial assistance for a longer period of time. Otherwise, there will be much anxiety and pain in many families, which will in turn slow down our recovery. Another way we can help families cope with the financial stress caused by COVID-19 is to allow CPF members who have lost their jobs to borrow from their own CPF accounts. These loans can be repaid after finding new employment. The CPF system works well for many Singaporeans. However, for those who are experiencing financial difficulties, it can be very frustrating to see their own savings trapped in an account they are unable to touch to help them ease their current situation.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I welcome the President's message that there will be permanent shifts in our approach towards social safety nets. The Progress Singapore Party (PSP) believes that progress should always be accompanied by compassion and social safety nets play a big role in that. During difficult times, they are of even greater importance. The Government has introduced temporary relief measures to help Singaporeans and businesses cope with COVID-19. While Government support is essential, we should continue to exercise financial prudence in the utilisation of our Reserves. A significant portion of our relief packages goes towards the Job Support Scheme (JSS), which gives companies wage subsidies in an effort to keep jobs. It is a blanket measure that also pays companies that do not require any wage subsidy. Most companies in certain industries, for example, the technology and financial sectors, continue to do well. Several companies have returned the JSS payments, and the Government is urging all other companies that do not require this subsidy to do likewise. I urge a review of the unconditional JSS to explore clawing back JSS from companies that are still profitable, and companies that continue to pay million-dollar executive salaries, and re-channel these resources to where they are more needed, like unemployment support. It is too late to do anything about the JSS payments that have already been made, but we can impose conditions for the additional JSS recently announced. JSS for Singapore citizens and Permanent Residents (PRs) should also be differentiated to underline the difference in the Government’s duty and obligations to these two groups. The first duty of any government is always to its own citizens.”