Ho Geok Choo
Singapore
“I thank the Minister of State for the comprehensive response. Just one question: the public had indeed been expressing reservations about eating seafood and I think we are also seeing Singaporeans shunning Japanese restaurants for fear of contaminated seafood. How safe is seafood imported from elsewhere and in Singapore now?”
“Thank you, Senior Minister of State. I have two supplementary questions. First question: short of sounding ageist, would the Ministry consider introducing an age quotient into the qualification criteria of this grant as such a move would encourage young couples to own a home and start a family of their own?”
“Sir, I would like to ask the Minister for his comments on how the political crisis in the Middle East and the nuclear crisis in Japan will have an impact on our energy needs. In view of these developments, what are Singapore's plans to go nuclear and what are our alternative sources of energy?”
“This is an example of mismatch. First, it highlights the need for course counselling for the individual to ensure that the training to be pursued is relevant. Second, it shows that employers in certain sectors are not ready or willing to accept PMETs who have formal management training.”
“Chairman, Singapore serves as a global and regional hub for several international companies. In the borderless global economy, accounting practices are being outsourced.”
“Mr Chairman, Singapore's 1961 Water Agreement with Malaysia expires on 31st August. As the date fast approaches, can the Minister update on Singapore's water situation and plans for self sufficiency? Mr Chairman, I would also like to find out what other plans does the Ministry have to strengthen the habit of saving water.”
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“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to ask the Minister, as a step towards better customer service management of these prospective sellers of HDB flats and as a refinement to the policy on EIP, whether HDB would consider managing perhaps a database of prospective buyers of this minority group, so that whenever there are prospective sellers, they could actually refer to this database, and that might just give them better information and knowledge of what is available.”
“Sorry, I am asking my question now. Could the Minister please comment whether MICA would indeed be making an effort towards this direction and, also, whether there would be any intention to conduct a study on the social implications of too much time spent by students on such gaming activities?”
“--- in Korea and China having a very negative impact? Therefore, would the Minister care to comment?”
“Thank you, Minister, for the comprehensive response. Sir, it would appear that the initiative has actually so far to-date been taken by the industry players. With the possibility of the cyber wave industry growing, is it not time for MICA to actually coordinate these efforts with players like PNA and even the Parents Advisory Group for the Internet to publish data for the awareness of the public so as to better monitor the developing trends and therefore enable us to better address any concerns before issues get blown up, especially after we have read so much about the long hours and habits ---”
“I would like to ask the Minister, in preparing for a more ready population going forward, if he would consider incorporating maybe a modified version of the MoneySENSE programme into schools, as part of the moral education for students, knowing that children can actually be a very positive influence on their illiterate parents.”
“Sir, I would like to ask the Minister of State three sets of supplementary questions. The first set actually pertains to the training invested on older employees. I would like to know, to date, what is the dollar spent per older employee and what is the drop-out rate amongst these older employees who were sent for training. What is the number of so-called untrainable older employees and what assistance programmes are there to help these untrainable older employees? How many older employees have actually shifted from the manufacturing sector to the service sector and how does the Ministry rate the effectiveness of training for these older employees to date? The second set of questions pertains to the jobs for older employees. Of the newly created jobs, how many of such jobs have gone to these older employees? We know that the unemployment rate for the older employees has actually gone down from 5.4% in 2003 to 3.3% in 2004. What are these types of jobs that these older employees are engaged in? The third set of questions pertains to the multi-generation workforce that will come about as a result of our promoting the employment of these older employees. In what ways can the Ministry help to expedite and facilitate such co-existence in the workforce granted the fact that much has already been done by way of trying to promote the employment of the elderly employees?”
“I suppose existing MRT employees, existing bus employees. Like my colleague Mr Ong Kian Min before me has feared, I am concerned that the Government will incur extra and unnecessary expenditure on such appointments. New section 24C(1) states that anyone who has made use of a bus service or rapid transit system service without paying the appropriate fare for the distance may be required to pay a penalty fee. Sir, what is going to happen to the penalty fee collected? Take an example, a commuter pays $1.00 where the appropriate fare should have been $2.00 and is required to pay a penalty fee of $5.00. What is going to happen to the $3.00 of the penalty fee? I am of the view that it should go into the Fuel Equalisation Fund if the purposes of the fund are validly established. Finally, extending new section 24D: "Any person who, having made use of a taxi service and without reasonable excuse, fails or refuses to pay the fare as indicated on the taximeter shall be guilty of an offence." Sir, in criminal law, one must act dishonestly in order to attract criminal liability. Dishonesty requires the intention to cause wrongful gain or wrongful loss. Dishonesty is one of the ingredients forming the offence of theft, criminal breach of trust or criminal misappropriation. Should the element of dishonesty not be worded into the proposed section 24D? Or is it so plain that to do so is unnecessary? I would have liked to spell out matters clearly by adding the word 'dishonesty' into the said section and deleting the words 'without reasonable excuse'. Can the Minister comment on this? On this note, Sir, I support the Bill.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, as many before me have raised the pertinent points, I would just like to ask a few questions seeking further clarifications pertaining to Part IVC on the Fuel Equalisation Fund, and Part VA on public transport officials. On Part IVC on the Fuel Equalisation Fund, a point is made that any person who has been granted a bus operator's licence is required to establish and maintain such a fund for the purpose of mitigating the effects of any increase in fuel price or electricity tariff. My questions are: (1) For what other purposes will the monies in the Fund be applied? (2) To whom will the same be applied? (3) Given the rationale for the Fuel Equalisation Fund, can the Minister elaborate on how the Fund works? It would indeed be interesting to know more details about the workings of this Fund. New section 22A(1)(b) states that the exact amount of annual contribution is to be determined by the Council. My questions are: (1) Are the criteria used to determine the amount of annual contribution relevant today and will there be a review of these criteria? (2) What has been the amount of contribution to-date to this Fund? (3) Will the public ultimately be the ones to bear the burden of such contributions, given that the majority of commuters are the lower income Singaporeans? (4) Is there any safeguard to ensure that transport operators will not pass the burden on to the consumers, ie, the public? On Part VA on public transport officials, new section 24A(1) states that the Council may appoint any person or class of persons to be public transport officials. My concerns are: (1) is there going to be a new body to whom these public transport officials shall belong? (2) Who are the likely candidates for such appointments?”
“Mr Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister at what price are the banks actually forced selling these flats and whether these prices are far below the market rate. If so, would there be an impact on the HDB property market, although the number at this point in time is actually very negligible to cause any stir? But, going forward, what really would be the impact and, also, the impact on the banks who are giving out such loans and the implications on the borrowers?”
“I would like to ask the Parliamentary Secretary whether any studies have been made on the extent of latch-key children in Singapore and what kind of assistance programmes are we rendering to them.”
“I would like to ask the Senior Parliamentary Secretary, in the event of a direct employer actually bringing in these foreign workers through an agent - it could be a situation where this employer has various types of businesses in different industry sectors and, for some reason, the workers taken in for a particular sector were redeployed to a service sector - in such a situation, how does the Ministry actually view the practice that was committed.”
“I would like to ask the Minister whether there would be any drill exercises for MRT commuters, like we would do for fire drills, so as to prepare citizens on how to actually react in response to a crisis situation.”
“I thank the Minister for the comprehensive reply. I would like to ask the Minister how regular are audit checks carried out, especially at access points, in the monitoring of NSmen, military personnel or even reservists, and vendors in and out of the premises.”
“Sir, I would like to ask whether this whole experience of the staging of the IOC meeting has actually thrown up any learning lessons for Singapore in terms of our service delivery and the areas of lapses. If so, how can we go about improving ourselves?”
“Sir, I just want to raise a social implication here. With regard to the joint purchase of a flat by unrelated singles, I am just wondering how this easier access for non-related singles to come together to purchase a flat will really promote homogeneous or heterogeneous gender to come together, which is actually against our pro-family policy. How do we intend to go about minimising some of the negative consequences that may arise? Mr Mah Bow Tan: Sir, I offered my colleague, Dr Ng Eng Hen, to answer this question but he very kindly arrowed it back to me. It is very difficult for us to make any judgment on the people who are going to buy these flats. We already have in place a HDB policy that allows two singles to purchase a flat. We do not check their gender. We do not check anything else. So long as they are two singles, they can purchase a flat. This is simply a rationalisation of a rule in the private property market that is currently available in the HDB market - nothing more, nothing less.”
“How can a divorced mother, who was a housewife and a co-lessee in the matrimonial home before the divorce, go about applying for a subsidised flat and a concessionary loan in the event of a divorce so that she can continue to maintain a family nucleus because she has the custody of the children? In this instance, how can she go about getting the new flat immediately without having to wait for 30 months?”
“In view of the group of Singaproeans who have travelled to Pakistan and studied in a madrasah, and DPM had indicated earlier on that indeed there is a tracking on this group of people, I am just wondering whether there has been any detection of abnormal behaviour in this group of people and, since this group of people is in the midst of our community, whether there is any effort made to engage employers or people who actually do come into contact with these people so that this group of people who are in close contact can be made aware of the behaviour and movement of these people.”
“Sir, I would like to check with the Minister how often do the industries actually come together with the relevant Ministries to conduct such an exercise and how often is the national training needs analysis carried out. Secondly, how are our schools actually preparing our female students with the mindset for technical jobs, for example, as aerospace technicians and engineers, given that more than half of our population are females?”
“I would like to ask the Minister whether the 20% that we are talking about includes the long-term unemployed PMEs. And if it does, what is the number and what kind of assistance are we rendering to this group?”
“Sir, may I ask, that being the case, how do we ensure that sufficient funds are allocated for such needs in the schools?”
“I would like to ask whether, from the MOE's experience, there is a difference in how the funds are allocated to Government schools and independent schools.”
“Sir, in the event that there should be a fare hike and there has been talk that consideration will be given to low-income earners in the form of a concession to help them, I would like to ask the Minister whether there would be some checks made to ensure that the concession given will be offset equally against the increase in the fare hike.”
“At the grassroots level, it is such a paradigm shift that has made line dancing so popular amongst the senior citizens in community centres today and has given the senior citizens a rejuvenation of not only their hopes and their dreams, but their physical and mental well-being. Surely, Sir, Singapore must choose the second choice. On this note, I urge that we move on and give our support to the Prime Minister who will have to shoulder this responsibility of remaking Singapore with a blast in having two IRs.”
“In conclusion, Sir, the debate on the casino in the IRs over these last few months has provided Singapore with a mirror to reflect on what it must do in going forward. It is just like an ageing individual or, if you like, a maturing individual looking into the mirror and realising, "I am not looking fresh and attractive anymore." Here, these two individuals have two choices. One is to let it be and age graciously and fade away. I remember my maternal grandmother who, according to my mother, started to don black trousers and blue samfoo and bundled her hair when she turned 40, because that was the right thing to do for somebody who was brought up in a very closed and traditional family. When she was 70, she would tell her visitors that she was waiting to die, even though she was in the pink of health. Finally, she died at the age of 90. She was an old grand lady who refused to change with time, and took pride in that. And for a good 50 years, she bowed prematurely to the twilight years of life and without much excitement. The second choice is to change the hairstyle, colour the lips and cheeks a little bit, so that the individual continues to look fresh and re-energised and send a signal that life is still young and exciting. But that does not mean that we have loose moral values. Sir, the point is that being seasoned does not mean becoming obsolete. Being seasoned can mean growing and venturing. Author T S Eliot said, "Old man [and I qualify, it includes women too] ought to be explorers." Sir, in going forward, Singapore should have a blast in remaking itself.”
“In this, Sentosa Tourism Academy should reach out to the training providers in Singapore and provide the "Train-a-Trainer" kits, so that we will at the same time ensure that there will be sufficient well-equipped and competent training providers in Singapore to train service providers in people skills and managing human resources skills for this sector. I can envisage a vibrant training industry in this sector evolving. Sir, at the same time, we must also face the challenge of changing the paradigm of Singaporeans with respect to employment within the IR and casino, especially among those who strongly object to the casino. Here, mindset training is crucial, and we should tap on the established training providers on mindset training to partner Sentosa Training Academy on this aspect of training. My worry is that we can bring the horse to the water, but the horse may not drink it and, if this were so, from structural unemployment, we may now be faced with "mindset unemployment" arising from religious and moral objections to working in the IRs with casinos. In the light of the thousands of jobs that will be created, either directly or indirectly, the issue, as far as many Singaporeans are concerned, is how many unemployed Singaporeans, including retirees, would be able to find employment in this industry. I hope that, at some point, more information will be shared on how the unemployed, including retirees, can be retrained for some of the jobs in the IRs. One segment of the retail line that would be suitable for retirees would be souvenir shops in the IRs. I propose that a task force be formed to explore further how we can engage retirees who are still strong and healthy for vocations in the retail line in the IRs.”
“The monies would be better utilised for public education on the ills of gambling and for establishing safeguards for monitoring and auditing of operational practices and processes so as to ensure that we close all the loopholes. At this point, I would also like to ask the Government whether there has been any survey carried out to determine the average amount spent per person on legalised bets, jackpot machines, Big Sweep, Toto, 4-D and football bets. It is important that we develop and maintain key economic and social statistics so as to monitor the economic benefits and social costs of gambling in Singapore. This will enable us to better address our future strategies in managing the IR industry. Sir, the IR would be a boost to job creation and our GDP. Indeed, there will be many types of primary jobs that would be created by the development of the IRs. These jobs will range from security guards and croupiers to executives and managers and other professionals. The spin-off jobs would likely be generated in the SMEs because of the economic multiplier effect. This is largely because IRs source many of their services from SME firms. An issue that has been raised by many Singaporeans is whether there will be sufficient high-end jobs for Singaporeans. Sir, the high-end jobs are likely to be filled by foreigners in view of the fact that Singapore lacks expertise within the areas of IR and gaming management. However, these skills are transferable and should be taught to Singaporeans sooner. Will the Singapore Government be setting any timeline for these skills to be transferred to Singaporeans? It is important that the selected IR operators will partner the Singapore Government and other training providers in Singapore to train Singaporeans for these jobs.”
“Other countries, including US and Australia, have gaming commissions to regulate the gaming industry. They also have the power to impose penalties if the casino contravenes those regulations. Have we given sufficient thought as to how we will impose and enforce similar controls in Singapore? As hon. Member Mr Tan Soo Khoon observed, the $100 levy may not be sufficient to deter the hardened gamblers. This is why I think we need to distinguish between two categories of casino users. Firstly, those people who have the occasional flutter but could otherwise conceivably develop an addiction and, secondly, the hardened gamblers. As far as the latter is concerned, disincentives are not necessarily going to wean them away from their addiction. But, then again, nor is the presence or the absence of a casino in Singapore. We need to have in place different strategies to deal with each of these types of casino users. The revenue from the levies and other forms of funds that may be invested to develop the national framework for public education, as well as to help with gambling addicts, must be put to good use. What NMP Mr Steve Chia has suggested with regard to supporting the families of the gambling addicts is a sure way of breeding more gambling addicts. Sir, we must ensure that these monies would not be utilised to support a crutch mentality amongst the indulgents and cause them to be irresponsible to their family members. Whilst we need to provide support to the family members of gambling addicts, we must never end up dishing easy money or else it would only fuel their irresponsibility towards their family members.”
“In fact, convention organisers have been lamenting that they often are at a blank as to what else to offer to the top-notch business leaders visiting Singapore. We do not just need to remake Singapore; we need a complete makeover for Singapore! At these crossroads, we have to look for new engines of growth for the economy. Whilst China is now becoming the "factory of the world" and India, the "world's back office", Singapore should remake itself into a global service entertainment hub. I am of the view that the IRs will not make gambling any more or less prevalent, provided proper regulations and safeguards are put in place. I am comforted by the announcements by MCYS, MHA and MOH of the frameworks that will be put in place to mitigate the social ills and possible abuses that will be posed by the IRs. Drawing on research from overseas, experience shows that legalising casinos can actually minimise gambling-related problems, because the methods for controlling and treating gambling addictions are developed and well enforced. Often, gambling related problems arise in societies where gambling is prohibited because it is only too easy to assume that the problem does not exist. What is important is that we have to continuously ensure that the industry will be transparent and strictly regulated by the Government. The IRs will be a clean and well-run business. Singapore's strong governance will ensure that any IR is run like a corporation, hence minimising potential social ills. Also, with our infrastructure and fine-tuned regulatory system, we are likely to attract tenders from only the most professional of IR operations. One question that arises is how will the Government balance the interests of investors with those of the public.”
“Sir, Singapore has proven time and time again that it can survive against the odds. Surely we cannot be saying that the social and moral fabric of our nation is so flimsy that the introduction of the IRs is going to cause it to disintegrate. I think not. We are made of stronger stuff. It can be a heart-rending decision for many religious individuals when it comes to having to make a choice on matters of the secular world. But we have to look at the big picture and take a discerning and practical step to do what is best for the future viability of our country. The fundamental point really is for us to be able to continue to upkeep our moral values and exercise self-responsibility and vigilance. Yet at the same time, we must be realistic and understand the need to do what is right for the viability of the country. We will continue to have problems, but we must seek and evolve solutions on our own over time. Opposition MP Chiam See Tong has said that once we officially plant the seed of gambling in our soil, it is a question of time that it will grow and spread in our land. My rejoinder is that unless we neglect the regular pruning, our growers will ensure that these plants will be properly cropped and contained and will be the pride of our garden. I am sure that the IR will have to evolve to an icon that we can be proud of. Often, I meet people and when I tell them that I am from Singapore, they say, "Oh, yes, Singapore, nice airport." Because they do not get beyond Changi Airport. Too often, Singapore is seen as a 24-hour stopover enroute to other cities. We need to change that. We need to cultivate, as the Prime Minister referred to, the X factor. But we also need to cultivate the "wow factor" and the "zap factor".”
“This reminds me of a remark my parliamentary colleague Gan Kim Yong made to me during the recent Budget debate. He asked me how I would feel and face the family members whose breadwinner had jumped down due to gambling debts and also if this family happened to be my constituents. Extending Gan Kim Yong's question further, this question should also be posed to the decision-makers who made the decision to build high-rise flats in the 60s in Singapore. In this analogy, high-rise flats have made it easy for suicidal individuals to end their life! Sir, there will be no end as to who is to be blamed for one's final fate. The casino debate is also being debated among my three children. My 12-year-old daughter, in her pure innocence, uttered, "So bad! How can we allow for gambling in Singapore?" Her two elder brothers responded, "There may be gambling in Singapore but you are in control of yourself and you have a choice not to join in." Sir, all indulgences can lead to positive or negative outcomes, depending on our purposes and on how we balance ourselves at the end of the day. This requires self-responsibility and discipline which we owe to ourselves to cultivate. The story that my grassroots leader related is very similar to the transition that we are going through today with the decision to go ahead with the IR. In the early days, it was resettlement that caused uprooting of livelihood, followed by industrialisation, that led to outcries against pollution. Singapore then had to remake itself in order to survive. The outcry todate is that we should remove all undesirable activities from our people and insulate them. Just like in the 60s, Singaporeans were not too sure then, whether we would make it, in the remaking. But we did.”
“Whilst I still have my own personal convictions about the ills of gambling, I have shifted my paradigm to accept the economic rationale for the set up of an IR. It is not about the casino in the IR. But in wanting to remake Singapore into a global city, we simply cannot remain as a cultural and economic backwater. As spoken by many of my parliamentary colleagues, neither do we have a good reason to reject the potential 35,000 jobs that can fill the 35,000 empty stomachs. I had an interesting conversation two evenings ago with an old grassroots leader on this recent debate. This gentleman, who is about 70 years old, grew up in a farm and plantation in old Jurong with his extended two-generation family members. He told me that the re-making of Singapore and the change that we are going through now is very similar to what he experienced in the early 1960s. He related the strong kampong opposition in old Jurong in the early 60s when the Government started its re-settlement programme to re-house kampong dwellers to high-rise flats. These farmers felt dislodged from the comforts of their kampong life and resented being pigeon-holed in the high-rise public housing. There were outcries that big families were being separated by this resettlement programme which would lead to erosion of extended family ties, "gotong-royong" spirit and, instead, nurturing of self-centredness and selfishness because the family nucleus was now much smaller and the pigeon-holed dwelling encouraged each to keep to his own. There was also a need to retrain themselves for other vocations as they could no longer do farming. Other laments included the ills of living in high-rise flats as they provided convenient suicide platforms for people to jump down.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, many Singaporeans, who feel strongly against the casino, have voiced the view that the IR is a camouflage for the casino. Like many of these Singaporeans, I too had my initial objections to the idea of a casino in Singapore because of my religious convictions. I may not have direct experience with the negative impact of gambling. I grew up observing the bonding effects that mahjong games and "si sek" (the 4-colour cards) have on family members and relatives of a close friend. I remember vividly how my close friend's family look forward to every weekend, where her mother would be doing major cooking and baking for her children, in-laws, grandchildren and close friends who would gather at her home for mahjong gaming first thing in the morning on weekends. Whoever was the winner at the end of the day would pay for the food. There was monetary transaction in all these games, although the stakes were small. Sir, from this perspective, the game of mahjong was a vehicle in bringing the family members to spend time together. Nonetheless, if gambling arises out of greed to enrich oneself and the whole mind is consumed by this indulgence then we are in trouble! In one feedback session with professionals, housewives and retirees who voiced strongly on the social ills of casino gambling, I was awakened by the stories of how gambling has caused so much agony to families. I can empathise with those who feel strongly against gambling of sorts and I respect their viewpoints. However, taking a more in-depth approach into the subject matter, I began to develop a better understanding of the rationale for the IR in Singapore.”
“Sir, I am heartened that WDA, EDB and the Association of Aerospace Industries (Singapore) have formed a partnership to drive local workforce development in the aerospace industry in April last year. However, given the long lead time to train skilled workers and until we find a solution locally, there is need for foreign talents for this particular industry. So the decision to increase the foreign worker levy from $50 to $80, eventually rising to $100, as well as the higher levy of $500 for companies that exceed the dependency quota, will have an impact on the business cost of these companies. These industries contribute to Singapore's GDP. The imposed levy hikes will undermine their profit margins. For these reasons, I would like to propose that the levy should not be imposed across the board. Instead, I would urge the Government to consider a fencing-out approach as an alternative to raising the foreign worker levy across as a blanket policy. This would mean that for such companies: (a) the total increase in the levy hike could be spread out over 3-5 years so as to enable these companies to better cope with the increase and to identify locals to be trained up; and (b) the 'exceed quota' dependency levy of $500 to be waived for these companies. In summary, I strongly urge that the Government will consider alternative options for some specific industries, as in the MRO. No company, or indeed society, that seeks to be globally competitive can afford not to seek a competitive option to meet its business growth. Can MOM review its foreign worker levy accordingly for these specific industries? 1.45 pm”
“Following this, they will have to undergo at least six months OJT before they are fully competent. Hence, for companies that have rapid expansion plans, the reliance on immediate foreign specialists is extremely acute. MRO companies are looking into various innovative ways of churning out skilled personnel. In this instance, it takes the form of wooing polytechnic and ITE graduates to apply for these positions with the promise of putting them through inhouse programmes to train them up for the necessary skills. Another way is to tie up with ITE and polytechnics for tailor-made syllabus that would train interested students for a career in the MRO industry. Some companies even go to the extent of providing scholarship for their final year programme. Attempts are also made to convince CAAS on the need to waive certain requirements for additional examination type courses that CAAS typically administers before issuance of any certification or licence to these personnel. Sir, there is a whole host of options that MRO companies have tried to beef up our local talents for these jobs in the MRO industry. But to-date, we have seen little success because of the tough environment that these jobs reside in. Here, I would like to call on the agencies to do more in terms of financial support for the conversion training of local personnel. Although there are various programmes in place, unfortunately, they come with various conditions that make it difficult for the MRO companies to tap them. For example, schemes are targeted at building up skills in cutting-edge technology, rather than in training new entrants on the specific skills set required by the MRO companies.”
“Sir, here, I would like to declare that I work in the MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) industry. Sir, foreign workers have either unique skills that are not readily available or they take on jobs that Singaporeans shun. Nonetheless, given a choice, companies would prefer to hire locals, because they do not have to comply with complex and time-consuming immigration procedures. I note that the underlying purposes of the foreign worker levy are really to control the number of foreigners in Singapore and to prevent the foreign workers from depressing wages of Singaporeans. However, there are many companies, more specifically in the aviation industry, that are highly dependent upon specialists from overseas. These might include aircraft technicians and engineers. In the MRO industry, the skilled aviation personnel from overseas will help the booming aerospace companies to meet their increased manpower needs and grow their business. At the same time, such an interim measure will allow MRO companies to hire the locals who meet the criteria and train them to be aircraft technicians or engineers. Therefore, for an exclusive sector like the MRO with its special requirements, there is a void at the moment with regard to local talent and where wages are not low for skilled talents. I hope MOM will review its policy on the foreign worker levy for this group differently. Sir, to ensure that there is no abuse, the MRO companies can be monitored to ensure that efforts are made to train up locals to fill the vacancies. The problem is that the gestation for training up a competent aviation skilled talent takes a long time. It takes about 1-3 years to train technicians and engineers to become skilled aircraft technicians and engineers respectively.”
“One of the stipulations by MOM for Workmen's Compensation claims is that all injuries incurred by employees whilst at work resulting in four or more days of medical leave will be classified as industrial accidents. Sir, there are reported cases of small index finger cut or fracture that have resulted in medical leave ranging from three days to 30 days prescribed by doctors. One wonders on what basis did the doctors involved prescribe that range of medical leave. Obviously, there are differing standards of integrity and vigilance from doctor to doctor. Every day of absence from the workplace results in double cost to the organisation, in that the absent employee is still being paid a salary and somebody else has to take over his job. So, I would like to check whether MOM will indeed be involving the Medical Council in this aspect.”
“What is the rationale for only covering these three categories of factories and limiting to only 100 or more persons for factories engaged in the manufacture of metal products? In fact, I urge MOM to consider instituting a parallel OSH framework for non-factory type of workplaces, such as shopping malls, hawker centres and the markets. Next, I note that section 72 of the existing Factories Act is silent on the participation of unions in safety committees. Section 72 merely states that: "The occupier of a factory, in which 50 or more persons are for the time being employed, shall establish a safety committee on which both employees and management are represented for the purpose of keeping under review, circumstances in the factory which affect or may affect the safety or health of the persons employed therein." This means that in unionised environments, both the unions and management can reserve the right to decline the unions' membership in the Safety Committee. Sir, the success of the OSH framework in an unionised environment will hinge on the equal participation of unions in Safety Committees so that unions can partner management to ensure compliance of safety measures and outcomes and to jointly manage cases of non-compliance. Can the Ministry clarify the intention of section 72 in keeping silent on union participation for unionised environment? Sir, I had mentioned earlier about the greater costs that would be incurred as a result of driving a safety culture movement. One important constituent that we must not leave out in this whole exercise of inculcating this safety movement are the doctors.”
“To evolve a safety culture, we need to tackle the source, identify the key owners and establish a performance management framework where we must instil disciplinary actions as well as freely dispense incentives for rewards of exemplary behaviours. Sir, the Government, in reviewing its legislative framework, should establish working committees with industry stakeholders for constant feedback and sharing on safety issues. In fact, the copy-cat approach is a very powerful approach for people to learn. Very often, being aware of what others are doing will spur us to emulate. As such, it will be good if we can learn more of how other countries go about managing their safety culture. Without doubt, embarking on a safety culture movement in Singapore will mean investing efforts, time and resources. How can we ensure that companies will do this? Will MOM provide financial incentives to encourage companies to embark on this safety culture movement? What will MOM do for those companies that do not comply? What process would be put in place for auditing the safety procedures so as to sustain the safety culture movement in Singapore? How can MOM involve stakeholders in reinforcing the education of stakeholders on safety awareness? Is there a timeframe and a standard that will be set for stakeholders to achieve? How will MOM go about attaining these KPIs? Sir, I would like to ask whether MOM would be reviewing the Factory (Safety Management System) Order (SMS), which is an important prerequisite for a successful establishment of the OSH Framework. I note that the current SMS is not all encompassing, as not all the factories are covered.”
“Sir, we are just into the third month of 2005, and there are already a total of eight industrial accidents, mainly from negligence, non-compliance and/or a lack of understanding and knowledge of safety procedures. It seems to me that we have yet to evolve a culture on industrial safety and health. To inculcate such a culture, all stakeholders, from Government to employers, unions, employees as well as Singaporeans in general, must take self-ownership and responsibility for the safety of their living environment. I applaud MOM for its timely announcement of kicking in a safety culture movement in Singapore. Sir, despite calls by the authorities for greater safety compliance and educational programmes to promote safety awareness, especially in the last one year, we are still bombarded by frequent outbreaks of industrial accidents. There seems to be a lack of discipline and self-will by stakeholders. This is often contributed by our "bo chap" attitude, eg, "It would not happen to me. It is too 'ley chey' to follow the procedures. Rules are meant to be broken. It is about working smart, not hard, or else how to achieve the KPIs that management has set for us?" Sir, stakeholders must be responsible for minimising and eliminating risks. To complement our educational approach towards inculcating a safety culture, we need to move towards an enforcement approach where the "carrot and the stick" may be necessary. It is timely for us to make a determined effort to break through our lethargic safety culture mindset and embark on a pro-active effort in managing safety in Singapore. A culture does not evolve instantly, although I know in Singapore we have a knack for instant solutions.”
“In the eyes of his project team mates, he had become responsible for slowing down the work of his class because of his slowness. This child undergoes the Learning Support programme in school. His classmates have creatively changed the label of Learning Support to "Lousy and Stupid" and he is called lousy and stupid by them. This has affected him much, such that he has developed eating disorders. Sir, I am not against integrating children with disabilities in the main school. But I would like to know what are MOE and the schools doing about situations like this. Streaming”
“In this instance, student B would be allocated points for "Representation" and "Achievement" even if he did not win the competition, whereas student A who excelled in the outside activity would have gotten a zero for both "Representation" and "Achievement". Sir, many students have been affected negatively by the PEARLS framework, especially if their scores are at the border of an upper and lower grade, eg, between an A and B because of failure to fulfill the "Representation" and "Achievement" descriptors. Sir, on the recognition of CCA and CIP for scholarship awards, I would like to ask whether the PEARLS framework would be the only evaluation tool to be used. I would request that, as a supplement to verify the true involvement of a student in an activity, perhaps a testimonial written by the mentor or coach of the activity and verified by the school could be used. Next, on CIP assessment, I understand that under this scheme, students had also learnt to "outbeat" the system simply by going round to chalk up hours but not actually getting involved in a meaningful way. Sir, I would like to know what is MOE's proposed implementation process to ensure the continuous involvement and feedback of all stakeholders on matters that impact them. On my second issue, I would like to raise about teachers in school. It has been reported that teachers have left the profession because they could not cope with the additional administrative demands imposed on them. How does MOE intend to go about helping these teachers to cope? Thirdly, I would like to touch on students with disabilities in learning. I would like to relate the experience of one particular Primary 2 student who has a learning disability.”
“This is a sad state of affairs, as we know that CCA/CIP should throw up desired attributes, such as leadership, passion, commitment and time involvement, which are less quantifiable than the descriptors of "Participation", "Achievement" and "Representation" under the PEARLS system. In fact, the emphasis on the points to be attained had driven students to the point that some students had learned to "outbeat" the system by taking advantage of the score descriptors. The score descriptors "Representation" and "Achievement" under the PEARLS system are not an accurate reflection of the bigger purpose of what the CCA/CIP should be inculcating in a character. For example, two students A and B could both be engaged in a school approved-initiated outside club activity. Student A displayed top ratings in all attributes of leadership, commitment, passion, time and effort devoted to the activity. Unfortunately, under the PEARLS framework, he failed to fulfill the descriptor of "Representation", as points given under "Representation" are only for competitions. Moreover, more points are given to MOE-organised competitions. Being in an outside club activity, even if it was possible to organise competitions, the fact remains that the scoring will be at a lower rating because they are not MOE-organised. Student B may be less involved in the outside activity, so that some time could be spent in the school activity, such as the chess club. He would have fulfilled the descriptors of "Representation" and "Achievement". All that student B needed to do was to attend a few chess games, then sign up for a competition.”
“Sir, the education system has been going through a strict diet regime. When it is deemed to be too full, it gets trimmed, as in the latest "Study Less and Learn More", and when it is deemed to be too lean, it gets loaded, as in the past when the curriculum was beefed up to ensure that our students stay all-rounded. All these measures were so targeted to keep our education system in good shape. But, just like any dieting programme, the best results are obtained from a combination of a regular exercise regime and an accurate diet prescription. I am glad to note that MOE is slowly evolving to that desirable state of outcomes. For this, we need to engage all stakeholders. To date, we have been engaging academic staff, parents and students in some of the policy matters. I say some only because it is only in recent times that the MOE has made the conscious effort of holding dialogue sessions to hear out the views of students on matters pertaining to their education or to the society in which they live in. I have three issues to raise. On the first issue, I would like to comment on the CCA/CIP for JCs and the schools in general. Sir, I understand that the PEARLS system framework has been provoking the outcries of students for many years since its implementation in 2000. I note in several of the tea sessions that I conducted with the ITE, polytechnic, JC and university students in 2003 and 2004, under the Feedback Unit, students did not hesitate to share the downside of a system that served to inculcate and perpetuate a paper chase mentality, except that this time they literally chased points.”
“One issue that I would like to address, however, is that of job creation. Approximately what percentage of new jobs created either directly or indirectly will go to Singaporeans and what percentage would be outsourced?Likewise, at a time when Government is trying to reduce structural unemployment among older employees, how much scope could we envisage the IR offering in terms of creating new employment opportunities for such people? Sir, the re-allocation of the goodies and the eight enablers that I amrequestingfor constitute only a small percentage of the aggregate goodies Budget. Sir, Budget 2005 will benefit the lower income group with all the top-ups, and the higher income group with the 2% reduction in personal income tax. The sandwich group has nothing. Therefore, the re-allocation of goodies willfill the empty pockets of the sandwich class, whilst the Enablers will further propel us to create the land of opportunity for all Singaporeans. On this note, I rise in support of the Budget.”
“At a time when we are revaluating the role of Government, should we not first consider our stance upon the implications of imposing moral directives? In other words, a casino ban panders to this presumption that we have nurtured over the years that Governmentknows best. Remaking Singapore is essentially about self-determination and encouraging people to make decisions for themselves. It is a bit likea parent encouraging their offsprings to leave home anddo their own thing when they reach a certain age. We must credit our fellow Singaporeans as having the maturity, wisdom and self-reliance to make choices for themselves. They do not need us to make those choices for them.”
“To quote the Today newspaper: "It is a good thing that we never allowed them to gamble on football, 4D, Singapore Sweep or take a 45 minute ferry ride to Batam." There's your answer. The important thing is to look at the big picture. What about the economic benefits? These have already been spelt out. More jobs, more tourism, money that would otherwise be spent in neighbouring countries will be spent in Singapore, and there are the potential spin-offs for other industries that an IR would generate. As a nation, we must continue to synergise with the global economic environment.Perhaps the real question we should be asking ourselves is: why we are having this debate? The casino issue in an IR is not just about the potential social implications. It runs deeper than this. It isto do with our cultural mindset. Travel anywhere in the world and when you tell people that you are Singaporean, typically their response is: "Oh, yes, no litter, no crime,no chewing gum." We have created a brand image out of efficiency and law and order that is respected throughout the worldand we should be proud of this.But at the same time, people still cling on to their stereotype of Singaporeans as a conformist people who are happy to be told what to do. We need to change this perception. The time has come to move on. And this is what remaking Singapore isreally about. By saying no to a casino in an IR,we are sending out the wrong message to the rest of the world: Singapore bans something else. Is that what we want? We would be reinforcing the popular stereotype that others already have of us. Other countries prohibit casinos for religious reasons. Yet, we consider it necessary to impose a ban for moral reasons.”
“Also, there is the natural fear that people have of change. And resistance to change is often related tothe fear of the unknown and a reluctance to challenge the status quo. One of the arguments against allowing a casino to open is that it could be seen as a Trojan horse or the thin end of the wedge, if you prefer. Yes, but only if we allow it to be. Obviously, there will have to be restrictions. This aspect has already been considered. Another counter-argument is that casinos nurture criminal elements and prostitution. Again, let usnotgetthis out of proportion. We have been extremely successful at controlling these aspects up to now. Singapore is not going to become the gambling and vice hub of South EastAsia, provided that we do not allow this to happen. After all, we have other aspirations, ie,to become a biotechnology hub,a medical healthcare hub,a tourist hub,an air transportation hub andan education hub. But a gaming and gambling hub - no! Getting back to where I started, to get this into perspective, having a casino on your doorstep does not necessarily encourage the indigenous population to gamble. To take an example, despite what people might believe, Las Vegas is not a community of addicted gamblers. The casinos are simply accepted aspart of the local infrastructure. Across the board, statistics taken from other countries show thatgambling addiction inflicts no more than 1% to2% of the population - less than alcoholism. And, at the end of the day, you can choose not to go. But what about those poor, weak-willed, easily-led, misguided individuals amongst us who are unable to resist temptation? What are we going to do about them?”
“Whether the existence of a casino in an IR, will cause the marginally vulnerable Singaporeans to turn gamblers is arguable.After all, Singaporeans are already going onboard cruises and the turf club to gamble. And if anything, the stock market is the biggest gaming den in Singapore. So, all the ills and moral issues that we have talked about are already there. The question is: how do we mitigate these ills? Some Singaporeans have advocated putting the matter to a referendum. However, as experienced in other countries, holding referendum would create a precedent and, likewise, on an issue like this, it might be easy to whip up public support irrationally. I was told that as a Parliamentarian, either position we take, we get cursed.It is a no-winner for Parliamentarians and the Government. My response to such a suggestion isaNO. Simply, because Parliamentarians are elected by the people of Singapore to represent them on issues. Singaporeans have given elected Parliamentarians the right to decide on their behalf. We have to take a practical and rational approach in reviewing the decision to go ahead. The economic aspects must be weighed against the social aspects and we must stay clear of arguments stemming from religious platforms. Those against the casino have been crying out: "People will gamble away their CPF. Children will go without their lunch money while their parents gamble away the household budget at the casino." We cannot ignore the potential negative spin-offs but, at the same time, we should not make too much of them. Also, we are talking about a casino in anIR. Sure, there is a flip side, but then again, there is a flip side to everything especially situations, such as this, that require us to re-evaluate our attitudes and behaviour.”
“of doctors available to provide quality public healthcare service. To ease MOH's "stock�? problem, and until we are able find a better solution, perhaps MOH can have a reverse arrangement under the PPP model, where private sector doctors can be seconded to the public hospitals, in exchange for exposure to new technology training which they can ill afford as GPs. The PPP model should evolve into a robust cross-deployment resourcing mechanism that will provide the best outcomes to the industry, economy and the people of Singapore, promoting a community of learning, sharing and joint ownership of problem solving. A dynamic and entrepreneurial economy - Integrated Resort Finally, Sir, onadynamic and entrepreneurial economy, PM has talked about the Integrated Resort (IR) which will expand our offerings and bring in new tourists. Sir, this subject has divided Singaporeans' opinions equally, so it would seem. Immediately after the announcement of the Budget, I was copied in an email that carried the following message: "Did you miss the news on the announcement on casino? What is your bet? On or off? Done deal?�? This email, Sir, came from someone who is dead against casino. In my mind, his very questions in the email provoke a "gambling of sorts.�? Here is a case of the kettle calling the pot black! Singaporeans are even betting on a simple announcement. So, we do not need to have a casino to make Singaporeans into gamblers! Of course, for those who are against the casino, they would be very vocal, but for those who are in favour of it, they may not see a reasonto express themselves. So, the perception that we are equally divided on this issue may not be entirely true.”
“Here, I would give the example of how a PPP between MOM and the HR department of heavily unionised environment could bring about mutual benefits for all parties concerned.Such an arrangement can take the form of a secondment of a Government officer(not the leader type but a workhorse) to the private sector for a period of six months to one year for specific projects, like focused-recruitment of skilled manpower, management of labour relations issues and collective agreement negotiations. Sir, I am not referring to the Rotation scheme of Administrative Officers in the civil service. I am referring moreto the cohort of Government officers who are executing policies. Such attachments would enable them to have a better appreciation of the real world and the difficulties faced by companies in these areas.As Singapore moves towards a knowledge-based economy, knowledge sharing and learning become of paramount importance. When employees possess the necessary requisite knowledge or information and are able to use it at the right moment, relationships with customers and suppliers will inevitably improve. This enhances overall efficiency. A good example is MOE and the schools. From the MOM website, I note that in 2002, there were 260 disputes that were referred to MOM for conciliation. Amongst these, five were eventually referred to the IAC, as these disputes failed conciliation. Following the model of cross-deployment of Government officials to the workplace in the industry, the knowledge and experiences shared could help to clarify issues, resolve stalemates and facilitate expeditious conciliation and settlement of issues. All these would definitely translate into productive outcomes for all. MOH is, today, faced with the issue of doctor retention which affects the "stock�?”