Ho Tat Kin
Singapore
“The only other stadium with a retractable roof in Europe is the Amsterdam Arena, which has a capacity of 50,000. The stadium has an adjoining retail, leisure and pleasure development, including shops, restaurants, pubs and hotels. There is a full year-round programme of international and local activities.”
“For example, NAC did not fund the musical Rent as it presented homosexuality and alternative lifestyles as an accepted way of life. I would like to reiterate that MITA has clear guidelines and criteria for the support of art productions. They include artistic merits and track records of applicants.”
“Preparing for retirement with sufficient money is only one important aspect. There are many other variables to take care in ageing. Sir, the Ministry has over the years spawned a whole new industry in childcare centres. These childcare centres provide good care for children with working parents.”
“What is the Ministry's plan on this? To give our sports a boost and lift it to higher levels, foreign talents would have to be imported. While they can play a supporting and aspiring role with local athletes, challenging and motivating them to excel, they should not replace our local talents.”
“Sir, MCD reviews the public assistance given to the poor and needy once every two years. I believe, this year, public assistance will be up for review also. I would like to ask what adjustments will be made to increase the amount given out under the Public Assistance Scheme.”
“May I ask what progress has been made by this Inter-Ministry Committee? Sir, in dealing with juvenile crimes, we should focus on the child and to see how best to reintegrate the kids back into society.”
The complete record
Every one of 230 lines we hold for Ho Tat Kin, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 3 of 5.
“We should therefore retain the security deposit requirement. However, the Member would be pleased to know that for tourists from the PRC, we have reduced the amount required for group tourists. The amount was reduced from $5,000 per person to $3,000 per person in 1993. It was further reduced to $2,000 recently.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head Q of the Main Estimates be reduced by $10 in respect of Code QH 1500. Sir, in 1993, Singapore received 6.4 million visitors. The number of Chinese travellers coming to Singapore has increased tremendously. In the first 10 months of 1993, there was a 225% increase compared to the same period in 1992. Currently, the Chinese visitors coming to Singapore stay less than 36 hours where visas are not required. However, if they wish to stay longer, they have to post a $3,000 bond. In Hong Kong, the Chinese do not need to apply for visas. Malaysia has plans to waive visa requirements for stays up to 72 hours as part of Visit Malaysia Year promotion. This is expected to lead to one million visitors from China visiting Malaysia in 1994. I just want to ask the Minister if he will consider waiver of the visa requirement so that we can tap on this huge market potential for tourists. Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee: Sir, PRC nationals, other than businessmen, are required to furnish a security deposit before they are issued a visa to visit Singapore. This requirement is also imposed on certain categories of nationals of other Asian countries such as Vietnam and India. The purpose of the security deposit is to deter such visitors from remaining illegally in Singapore to work and sink their roots here. Being ethnically similar to our local population, such visitors could easily remain illegally in Singapore without being detected. Sir, the security deposit has proven to be an effective deterrent against overstaying. Although we had 45,246 non-business visitors from PRC in 1993, only 37 persons had their security deposits forfeited. In contrast, some countries are having difficulty coping with the waves of illegal immigrants.”
“I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head K of the Main Estimates be reduced by $10 in respect of Code KA 1500. Sir, before the recruits in the SAF can accept rigorous combat training, they have to be physically fit. If not, there will be many training casualties resulting in manpower wastage. In Singapore where we have a limited number of youth available for military duties, manpower wastage is something we can ill-afford. In 1976, the number of 18-year olds eligible for national service recruitment was 32,000. By 1994, this figure dropped to 20,000 as a result of declining birth rates. It is therefore all the more important for the SAF to save on medical attrition and reduce training injuries to the minimum. At present, the Basic Military Training (BMT) can be segregated into either three, four, or five months depending on the physical fitness of recruits. Sir, I would like to ask the Minister to update the House on the effectiveness of the segregated BMT. 2.15 pm Having completed their full-time National Service, the men are operationally ready for combat duties. They will leave full-time service to be NSmen. The name "Operationally Ready" signifies that our NSmen have a moral obligation, if not a legal one, to maintain their physical fitness. The NSmen's physical fitness is monitored by the IPPT. Since April last year, the SAF introduced new IPPT standards and incentives to motivate the men. I would like to ask the Minister what these new IPPT standards and incentives are and how effective they have been to motivate the NSmen to keep fit.”
“The experience and exposure in this programme would generate confidence in the SAF among the teachers and enable them to convey the essential values and concept to our students. After the Total Defence plans were formalised in 1984, Mindef carried out an extensive public information campaign on the Total Defence concept. To regenerate awareness of Total Defence as Singapore's strategy for security, in July this year Mindef will once again launch a mass information campaign to educate younger Singaporeans who have not been exposed to this concept or are not totally familiar with Singapore's approach to security. Mindef together with the other Total Defence Ministries will continue with efforts to generate and give greater awareness of the Total Defence programme so that every Singaporean understands his or her role in the defence of Singapore.”
“And the population, so well prepared, that they will not panic when disaster strikes. Military Defence is the ability to have credible defence strategy against threats to Singapore's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Military Defence is bolstered with a strong defence technological capability and an efficient defence industry. Sir, the Ministries of Community Development, Trade and Industry, Home Affairs, Information and the Arts and Mindef are responsible for the various aspects of Total Defence. A Total Defence working committee chaired by the Head of Civil Service was formed in July 1985 to oversee the efforts of the various Ministries. This committee's main role is to mould attitudes towards Total Defence so that it becomes a conscious element in policy formulation by the Ministries and their statutory boards. Over the years, Mindef has worked with the other Total Defence Ministries to bring home to Singaporeans the importance of Total Defence. This has been carried out through various activities, campaigns and national education programmes run by the respective Ministries. Exercises have also been held, such as the Food and Fuel and Civil Defence Shelter exercises. Other preparatory measures have also been implemented such as the use of computers to monitor stocks of essential food items and construction of air-raid shelters. On Mindef's part, we have organised mass information campaigns and national education programmes to highlight the importance of Total Defence to Singaporeans. Last year, we launched a programme for national awareness for trainee teachers together with the Institute of Education. Teachers play a vital role in emphasising the importance of defence to young Singaporeans.”
“In spite of the land and air space constraint, the SAF must train hard to maintain operational readiness. Sir, I would like to ask the Minister what alternatives have been provided to the SAF for training and how effective are these alternatives. The Second Minister for Defence (Dr Lee Boon Yang): Sir, I shall reply to the Chairman of the GPC for Defence and Foreign Affairs. Sir, in 1984, Mindef introduced the concept of Total Defence as Singapore's strategy for security. Total Defence comprises five aspects, as the Chairman of the GPC has mentioned, namely, Psychological Defence, Social Defence, Economic Defence, Civil Defence and Military Defence. Let me highlight the key principles of each of these elements. Sir, Psychological Defence is the foremost aspect of Total Defence. Psychological Defence is about the collective will to stand up for our right, to protect what is ours, and to prosper and progress in our own way as a nation. Social Defence is about our people living and working together in harmony. Social Defence strengthens Singapore's community spirit and ensures that the social cohesion we now enjoy will never disintegrate. Economic Defence is Government, business and industry, organising themselves in a manner such that our economy will never collapse when faced with adversity. If we slip behind economically, we also slip behind militarily. Economic Defence will ensure that we remain nimble, resilient and robust, able to deal with all forms of threats without allowing our economy to come to a standstill. Civil Defence is preparing and educating our people to respond to emergency situation and to ensure that life goes on as normally as possible. Civil Defence readiness means having adequate supplies of food, water, fuel, medicine, blood and so on.”
“Sir, over the years, increasing competing demands for land use as industrial, residential and national development projects have reduced the land available for military training. Many areas previously used by the SAF are no longer available. Tampines is now developed into a residential area. JTC has taken back Woodlands and Loyang for industrial development. Parts of Lim Chu Kang and Yio Chu Kang are now used for high-tech farming. Only about 15% of the total land area is available for SAF training purposes. Yet providing realistic training is the cornerstone of a credible and modern fighting army. Sir, space constraint is not limited to land but also air space. Local air space available for air force flight training is minimal. Singapore's air space is already very small and yet a significant proportion of the air space is being crowded by complex and block systems of flight paths and air corridors serving civilian airline flights. This is expected to increase in the coming years. The air space for training can therefore be expected to be reduced even further. At the same time, access to certain hazardous zones such as flying over army live firing areas must continue to be restricted for safety reasons. Sir, traditionally in the 60s and 70s, Singapore had limited access to training space over peninsular Malaya. In 1983, Singapore and Malaya had an official agreement defining boundaries of what is known as the low flying area. But I understand that in February 1991, Malaysia has drastically reduced this by 85%. Our air force could of course conduct their training over the South China Sea, but this space is also used by other air forces for training. I understand that to fly to the training area, two-thirds of the flying time is used.”
“Will there come a day when the Government cannot deliver the goodies to the people? If that day comes, would not the country be in an awkward position? The country will not only be unable to ask its people what they can do for the country, in the same breath, the people will be disappointed with what the country cannot do for them. Something needs to be done. One is, of course, better explanation of policies and aims, something which was eloquently discussed in this House on Friday by Mr Bernard Chen. Sir, we can recall the initial uproar when time-based telephone charges were announced. But this uproar stopped when the time-based system was in place and everyone gets a bill which is much lower than before. So explanation of new policies must be able to convey the right message, and explanations must be simple enough for all to understand. In conclusion, Sir, I believe there is also a strong need for an on-going education programme to remind the people of their responsibilities that they need to contribute to the nation's economy in order to continue enjoying a share of the nation's wealth.”
“If the feedback to the listing of Singapore Telecom shares is any indication, at best, the Government is thought to be performing its rightful duty. At worse, there was some mistrust over the intentions of privatising Singapore Telecom. Sir, what caused this numbness and what caused the ungrateful response to this overt princely effort on the part of the Goh Chok Tong Government? I am afraid that the Government in its effort to share wealth has unwittingly inflated people's expectations. The end result has been an insatiable appetite to want more from the Government. When the Prime Minister launched "Invest Singapore", the Government's intention was to allow people to be shareholders of Singapore's wealth. The main intention was and still is on investments. But it contributed to a super bull run because people went in with a gambler's attitude. Now, shares are in the lips of everyone in Singapore. It permeates all levels of Singapore. The Chinese paper revealed the pork seller with SBCText at his stall. But this example was not unique. I have seen other hawkers now putting up SBCText at their stalls as well. Maybe they are just following the cue from the pork seller. But all this shows the ridiculous extreme the whole situation has become. The President, in his Address to this House, promised more shares to be offered at a discount to the people. Sir, in future efforts to share wealth with Singaporeans, perhaps there are better ways of ensuring that people invest, and not speculate or gamble. My concern is that now that the Government has whetted the people's appetite in sharing the nation's wealth, can the Government go on meeting this unquenchable thirst for wealth? Can the role of Santa Claus be played indefinitely?”
“In a more tangible form of wealth sharing, shares of the lucrative statutory board, Singapore Telecom, were not only sold to Singaporeans at a discount, the Government actually gave each Singaporean $200 to buy the shares. There was a broad-base windfall for Singaporeans. What more can we ask for? The sale of shophouses at a discount rate also created a windfall, although for a small group of shopkeepers. But there has been some resentment on two fronts. For some taxpayers who are obviously not shopkeepers, they are asking why is such good fortune available only to these few. The first batch of buyers bought their shophouses at a discount rate while the later batches are buying theirs closer to prevailing market rates. These later batches of shopkeepers are unhappy at having to pay what they consider to be more than what their contemporaries have paid earlier. With the President confirming that hawkers stalls will be sold, hawkers are now expecting similar windfalls when the stalls are up for sale. Sir, the talk of 1993 must surely be the privatisation of Singapore Telecom. The Government was generous in more ways than one. First, there was the mad rush to be entitled to the $200 gift from the Government. Then there was the near riot to be eligible to apply for Singapore Telecom shares which illustrated the popularity of the Government's generosity. So, Mr Speaker, Sir, indeed the Goh Chok Tong Government has been Santa Claus for the last two years. Goodies after goodies were dished out to the people. Having received so much for the last two years, it would have been natural to expect some form of appreciation, if not gratitude from Singaporeans for the good work of the Government.”
“Sir, I support the motion standing in the name of Mr Loh Meng See. During Mr Lee Kuan Yew's prime ministership, the Government was faced with the formidable task of building up Singapore. Hence, the Government adopted a single-minded policy of nation building. There was no national wealth to talk of then. By the time political leadership was smoothly handed over to Mr Goh Chok Tong, some of the nation's foundation pillars have been laid. We now have some national wealth which we should be thankful for and can be proud of. The PAP Government under PM Goh switched gear and moved into building up the assets of Singapore. In terms of national assets, the people must matter most. Hence, wealth accumulated in the past has slowly been shared with Singaporeans in various forms. A stronger and more tenacious bond to the nation must be built with the people having a greater share of the country. First, there is the on-going upgrading scheme of HDB flats. Though 90% of Singaporeans own their own flats, the Government took it upon themselves to upgrade these HDB flats with the owners contributing only a small proportion. The people welcome this scheme. Following the launch of the pilot projects, others are now asking that their housing estates be accorded priority to be upgraded. In their minds, they need only pay 10% and the Government will foot the rest. As if the Government's promise of 10 years of heavily subsidised education is not enough, a sum of money in Edusave is now set aside to ensure that every Singaporean school pupil gets an enriched education. While Medisave is the safety valve to ensure everyone's basic health care, the Government now brings in Medifund to further ensure that no one is denied basic health care just because they are poor.”
“In a recent report dealing with computer misuse, prepared for the UK Department of Trade and Industry, it was reported that the lack of awareness of the Computer Misuse Act and difficulties in identifying reliable expert advice are the major barriers for firms seeking to bring cases forward. The question I would like to ask is: how well prepared are our police officers in carrying out this aspect of their duty? Computer virus is a very technical subject which even computer users themselves are not quite clear. I would suggest the Police set up a Special Task Force to enforce this law. Finally, Sir, how will this Bill deal with offenders who are minors? Many hackers today are in their teens. They may lack the maturity and experience to fully appreciate the consequences of their action or the reasons why people are concerned about protecting information. For many, it could be just testing their own skills to see how good they are in breaking into systems, more for the thrill rather than do damage.”
“Sir, going into the Bill itself, I would like to seek some clarifications from the Minister. Under clause 3, subclause (2), there is no mention of the definition or the computation of "damage". People in the computer industry are asking: how will the damage be measured? Is it the cost of re-constructing data files destroyed? Or is it the market value of files that were destroyed? Sir, regarding clause 7(1), I would assume the Bill considers acts such as trading in passwords as preparatory acts. But there are many computer security literatures which openly discussed methods of password breaking. Some even disclosed actual codes of breaking into computer systems. Will such literatures be considered undesirable once the Bill is passed? Will the sale of such technical literatures be controlled? Sir, many people in the computer community are concerned with clause 15 of the Bill which allows any police officer to arrest without warrant any person reasonably suspected of committing an offence under the Act. Their concern is that the introduction of this Bill may lead to Police misuse of power. The concern here is whether police officers, any police officer, would have the knowledge or expertise to notice a computer crime being committed. Even in the United States, not many of the local police agencies are adequately prepared to investigate instances of computer crime, especially where they are of a trans-border nature. With the exception of the FBI and the US Secret Service, only a handful of other local US police agencies have the requisite training and resources to investigate instances of computer crime.”
“Research carried out in the United States indicated that of the 35.5% of mainframe sites in 1992 that had reported disasters, 60% had been caused by virus. This compares with 44% in 1991 and 23% in 1990. Sir, this Bill before this House today will allow computer virus offenders to be prosecuted. The Bill also seeks to give legal redress and compensation to victims of virus attacks. Sir, both developed nations and developing nations are tightening their Acts on computer abuse. The United States Department of Justice had recently circulated a proposal to expand the reach of the 1984 Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. This will give Federal agents broad authority to investigate computer crimes, allowing them to intercede in any situation involving a computer linked to a network. Creating a computer worm or virus could become a felony act with no questions asked. Over in Britain, in spite of the presence of the Computer Misuse Act 1990, the UK Public Accounts Committee noted that security problems occurred in the main areas of fraud and virus and had called for tougher measures to ensure the security of Government information systems. Sir, the US congressional testimony had also shown that Dutch teenage hackers were responsible for breaking into US military systems during the Gulf War. Yet the lack of legislation in the Netherlands means that they cannot be prosecuted for hacking. As a result, the Dutch Parliament is currently working on legislation to forbid unauthorised entry to computers. Sir, developing nations in Africa, notably Egypt, Ghana, Tanzania, are taking concrete steps to secure the computer systems by implementing similar computer crime legislations. The Bill is therefore appropriate and timely. I support this Bill.”
“Sir, I support this Bill. With the strong Government's drive for computerisation, more and more organisations in Singapore are storing their information in computer systems. According to the latest National Computer Board's survey, the percentage of firms, with more than 10 employees, which are computerised hit a new high of 84% in 1992, compared to 68% in 1989. The NCB expects the level of computerisation to reach 95% by the end of this decade when the Singapore IT 2000 Plan is fully implemented and Singapore becomes an "intelligent" island. Sir, not only are more companies using computers, but more computers are also being used. There is now one personal computer or computer terminal for every 3.8 employees, compared to one for every five in 1989. With so widespread use of computers and so much information stored in computerised database, the information assets need to be protected from computer-related abuse. But current laws, as the Minister says, are still inadequate to specifically deal with computer-related crimes. Sir, in the last few years, we saw a new twist to computer abuse - the computer virus. Businesses today market globally. There is international electronic mail which allows anyone to send and receive orders by electronic data interchange (or EDI) within minutes. With world business moving to instant global communications controlled by computers, computer viruses have become more than the letter bomb of the late eighties. They are in fact a global threat. Computer virus attacks are not limited to individual personal computers or personal computer networks. Larger networks are also vulnerable. Mainframe users in Europe and in the United States have reported a considerable increase in the frequency of virus attacks.”
“Sir, the important question here is whether any of the bordering states of the Straits of Malacca have the right to unilaterally impose a levy and, if so, can they also deny transit passage to ships which refuse to pay the levy. 3.45 pm Sir, while we ourselves are a peaceful nation, we are nevertheless a small country vulnerable to all regional conflicts, big or small. Can the Minister update the House on this issue and explain what role Singapore can play in resolving such regional disputes?”
“Sir, Singapore is strategically located in the region which is also the major sea route of the world. Our economy is plugged to the world and our prosperity depends very much on our national as well as regional political stability. However, the region itself is not free from problems. The Spratlys and the Paracels in the South China Sea are being claimed by no less than six different countries with some countries maintaining an armed presence in some of the islets. The Spratlys issue remains a possible flash point. Any armed conflict in the Spratlys will affect the sea lanes on our east. In Cambodia, the Khmer Rouge are still heavily armed and are uncooperative with the United Nations. UNTAC does not seem to be very effective. The solution to the Cambodian situation has not been found. The Straits of Malacca has been very much in the news lately. For centuries, the Straits of Malacca is a major sea route linking the Pacific and Indian Oceans for commerce and communications. Several recent accidents have highlighted the dangers to ships using the waterway. The collision of two ships in September 1992 which resulted in a massive oil spill had prompted the Malaysian Prime Minister to propose that shipping lines pay levy to transit the Straits of Malacca. Following another collision of two ships on 22nd January 1993, Dr Mahathir renewed calls for a toll to be paid by ships using the Straits to pay for better navigation aids and oil spill clean-ups. Sir, any toll fees introduced to ships passing through the Straits of Malacca will increase the cost to ships calling at Singapore. It will also increase the cost of goods being shipped to us.”
“Can the Minister give the House an update on the progress made on this scheme?”
“Sir, this is an extension of the early enlistment scheme. May I have your permission to finish it?”
“Sir, the Early Enlistment Scheme has been in place for about two years now. Today, there are about 600 such enlistees. This scheme was implemented to allow for youths who have dropped out of school but have not reached the age of 18 years to serve the national service liability earlier. This is done on a voluntary basis. But based on the current population census, there are about 112,000 youths between the age of 15 and 19 and I understand that about 6% to 7% of our youths drop out of school. They could not attend ten years of education. Therefore, risking over simplification, there could be about 7,000 youths who would qualify for this Early Enlistment Scheme. Sir, I am not sure if the low recruitment rate is due to a lack of information on the scheme. So will the Ministry of Defence publicise this Early Enlistment Scheme so as to tap the rest of the potential recruits? Sir, I would also like to touch on recruit training. In June 1991, MINDEF fine-tuned its basic military training by separating NS recruits into two different groups. Those who are fit and pass the NAPFA Silver Test do a three-month improved BMT and those who are less fit do a four-month BMT. The slower pace allows recruits to gear up more gradually in their physical fitness. On my visits to army camps and talking to recruits, I find NS men expressing satisfaction with the new BMT system. 1.45 pm”
“We spare no effort to preserve our security. Security and economic growth have a symbiotic relationship. One cannot do without the other. Hence, to ensure that there is continuous prosperity in Singapore, we need to maintain the comparative strategic edge in our defence. While others are expanding their defence budget, our Defence Ministry's allocation has been maintained. Sir, I would like the Minister to reassure this House that we are spending enough to maintain our high standard of defence and that there will be no compromise on our defence capability.”
“I was told that the MiG-29 could carry what is known as "beyond visual range" missiles, making it better than the lower-end F-16s. Thailand, because of the series of growth in its economy, is turning from friendship-price purchases from China to state-of-the art weapons. The Thais are, by far, the biggest spenders on arms in South-East Asia. Their 1992 budget had an increase of US$400 million over its 1991 defence budget of US$2.4 billion. Several reports in August 1992 reported the Indonesian armed forces as evaluating whether to buy Scud missiles made in the former Soviet Union. Scuds are offensive weapons by nature. Their acquisition by any country in the region could cause serious regional concern and instability. Sir, I think you will recall during the Gulf war, the Scuds were used as weapons of terror as they were not accurate enough to hit strategic targets. But the psychological impact on civilians was really great. The Chinese are reported to be developing their own aircraft carriers with the aim of building up a blue-water naval force while the Taiwanese are reported to be buying mirage fighters. The Chinese have also been reported to threaten, on two occasions, to use military forces, if necessary, to settle disputes in the Spratly Islands and to invade Taiwan, if the latter declared independence. Sir, this state of affairs has serious implications for the security of small states like Singapore. We have no quarrels with anyone nor is our defence system directed at anyone in particular. We have, however, based our defence on the prudent policy of deterrence. The strategy of deterrence hinges greatly on having an edge over potential foes, be it apparent or real. We have an advantageous edge because we take our defence seriously.”
“Sir, the Minister for Defence, Dr Yeo, once said, and I quote: "In spite of the end of the Cold War, none of the other ASEAN countries has cut its defence budget. In fact, the contrary is true." [The Straits Times, 27th November, 1991] Sir, the Defence Minister's perceptive observations still hold true today, almost two years later. In fact, not only was there not much of the anticipated peace dividend, there is instead an escalating arms race in Asia, in general, and, in particular, in the region around us. The uncertainty in the security environment in South-East Asia was made worse by a weakening American economy. The United States was forced to cash in at the end of the Cold War and concentrate on building its economy. The United States' withdrawal from the Philippines aggravated the security uncertainties in East Asia. In the Asia-Pacific, the arms trade has the perfect market of both willing buyers and sellers. Global economic recession has led to a mad rush for hard currencies in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Just last month, at the Ukrainian-Siberian universal exchange at Kharkov of Ukraine, more than US$2 billion worth of weapons were up for sale. Others ,such as the US, UK, France and China, are trying to boost their economies through the sales of arms. While the rest of the world wallow in economic recession, East and South-East Asia are the only remaining places to see real economic growth. This new-found wealth has led many Asian countries boosting their armouries with sophisticated state-of-the-art weapons. Malaysia is considering submarines, tanks, Rapier missiles and Javelin portable SAMs. The Russians were reported trying to sell MiG-29s to Malaysia at prices 20% or 30% cheaper than F-16s.”
“Sir, I just want to make one point on the reservists. The system of allowing reservists to do the physical fitness test at a time and place convenient to them is laudable. However, I think there is still room for improvement. Currently, there are only three camps - Khatib Camp, Ang Mo Kio Camp and Maju Camp. These three centres serve about 200,000 reservists spread all over Singapore. But these centres are situated in the west and north of Singapore. Reservists from elsewhere of Singapore, particularly those from the east, have to travel quite a distance. Sir, the reservists will appreciate very much if more such centres could be located in other parts of the country, for example, institutes of higher learning, such as NTU and NUS. Of course, these centres can also be open to people working in the vicinity. 3.00 pm Sir, can I go on to my next amendment.”
“On the question of the scholarships to be given to the top 25% of independent school students, I concur with the views expressed by my colleague from Tanglin that those who can afford it should be encouraged to donate their scholarship money to help others more in need. This is in line with our humanitarian principle of the "haves" helping the "have-nots". Perhaps the Ministry of Education could look into this proposal. On the subject of health care, presently there is a great deal of anxiety on the part of the lower and middle income Singaporeans on the issue of affordability versus rising health cost. I have been informed of incidents where counter staff insisted that the requisite payments be made first before a patient could be attended to, without due regard to the patient's condition. Besides causing unnecessary stress on members of the patient's family, my concern here is that such attitude will reinforce the perception, rightly or wrongly, that our health service is increasingly being run along commercial lines. I trust such situations will be a thing of the past, and I am relieved to note in the Addendum by the Minister for Health that, I quote: " . . the Ministry will make a thorough evaluation of current health care policies . . and keep basic health care accessible and affordable to all Singaporeans." I sincerely hope that, when the evaluation is conducted, attention will be given to training and equipping frontline staff with human relations skills, so that they could be more sensitive and tactful when dealing with members of the public. Mr Speaker, Sir, once again I support the motion.”
“As has been pointed out by previous speakers, the setting up of self-help organisations in the Indian and Chinese community, in addition to MENDAKI, is a positive step. Although some quarters have expressed concern that such a development might lead to heightened ethnic consciousness, it should not be viewed as such. Bearing in mind the complementary role of these community-based organisations, we should see it more as a move to promote greater public awareness of the plight of the disadvantaged, cutting across ethnic lines, so that we can provide them the opportunity for full participation and integration in the society at large. In this connection, I am encouraged to note that in the Addendum to the Presidential Address, the Minister for Community Development stated that more opportunities will be opened for people to take part in community and voluntary work. Next, Sir, I would like to turn to the subject of education. Whilst our education system is geared towards giving our children the education best tailored to their individual needs, the underlying factor parents must remember is the ability and intellect of their children. Hence, parents should be heartened by the reiteration that admission to independent schools shall be based on merit, not on ability to pay. The relevant question to ask is whether any child has been denied admission to independent schools because of his family's financial circumstances. As far as I know, there is none. Hence, the fear of being discriminated is more perceived than real.”
“Sir, I also propose that more measures be introduced to encourage more people to use public transport like the MRT. For example, more car parks around MRT stations could be built during the Next Lap. This is to encourage more car owners to park their cars and take the MRT to work instead. Presently, MRT stations near major housing estates, like Bedok or Clementi, do not have adequate car parks in their immediate surroundings. Along this line, multi-storey car parks, with shopping facilities, would be ideal. Sir, there are many merits in this proposal. For a start, it cuts costs for the man-in-the-street as well as alleviates traffic congestion in the city areas. I believe it will go a long way to polish the image of the Government too. On that note, Sir, I support the motion standing in the name of Dr John Chen. Mr Zulkifli bin Mohammed (Jalan Besar GRC)( In Malay): Mr Deputy Speaker, I rise in support of the motion moved by the Member for Hong Kah to express our thanks to the President. I am greatly comforted by the President's opening remarks, in which he reminded Singaporeans to be united as a nation, to work together as a group, to strengthen their bonds with one another and to be mindful of the need for the more able to show concern for those lagging behind. To me, these are crucial points that need to be harped upon at appropriate occasions because we know that when society becomes better off, people would tend to become individualistic and selfish. Sir, looking at the past year or two, we can be proud that conscious and concerted efforts are being made to address the problems of the bottom segment of society.”
“When that happens, the nation as a whole suffers because the Government's leadership role in nation building is also threatened. Thus, I think the Government should make an attempt to eradicate such negative feelings or prevent them from proliferating. Sir, action speaks louder than words. While I applaud the President's assurance that the poor will not be neglected, I believe more can be done. I am not talking of an increase in Government spending either. I believe the Ministry of Communications can put the unplanned for revenue collected from the COEs to better use. For example, the monies can be used to enhance our public transportation system. The MRT, though efficient, is like an unpolished diamond. It plies all major areas in Singapore, but is not well connected to the housing areas. Almost all commuters have to take a feeder bus to their nearest train station. This adds to their daily expenditure. In some places, there is not even a feeder service. For instance, commuters in housing areas along Paya Lebar have to take a main service costing 60 cents to any nearby MRT station. Sir, I therefore propose that the monies collected from the sale of COEs could be used to subsidize bus and MRT fares. This is not asking for more subsidies from the Government or cutting into the national coffer. Rather, the subsidy is conditional on the amount collected from COEs. For this purpose, maybe the Public Transport Council could be commissioned to take charge of this apportionment. The money can be used to reduce the cost of public transport so as not to necessitate periodic fare hikes. The money can also be used to encourage a greater and more refined network of feeder services to connect residential areas to MRT stations.”
“However, some of the Government policies seem to lend credence to their allegations. Please bear with me while I illustrate. The quality of HDB flats has certainly gone up in the last few years. Simultaneously, the price of a HDB flat has also risen and will continue to rise. One of the reasons, as I understand it, stems from the fact that the cost of building a flat has appreciated substantially in the last few years. And the cost of land contributes a huge portion. Sir, HDB buys land from the Government at current market price. That same piece of land which had been acquired by the Government at market rate of the past was very much lower. The Government is therefore seen to be making a substantial profit from the sale of State land meant for public housing. Next, the COE, which is part and parcel of the car quota system, was not designed to generate revenue. The then Minister for Communications has assured this House twice on 26th February 1990. But, Sir, it is obvious to the man-in-the-street that a lot of unestimated revenue has been generated. In addition, the COE has proven to be an effective control of car population in Singapore. Then the question naturally arises as to why the Government still retains the high Additional Registration Fee (ARF). The argument is that ARF should gradually be reduced. This issue has been brought up before in this House during the last Parliament. One cannot deny that in summation a lot of these Government policies do help to create the impression that the Government is basically out to make money from the people. Sir, I think all this negative thinking about the Government is not good for the country as a whole. The social contract between the people and the Government is being questioned.”
“Whether transferable or non-transferable, since its debut, it has continued to hit new heights in almost all categories of vehicles. The prices are decided by the bidders - would-be car owners are also known as consumers themselves. The price of COE is indicative of what consumers think and are willing to pay for. In that sense, the COE prices are reasonable. Prices of COE will definitely drop drastically if demand decreases. The relationship between price and demand is therefore quite obvious. In this regard, Sir, if the cost of owning a car is sky-high, obviously the main bulk of the blame lies with the consumers themselves. The same argument may be made for many other goods and services. This problem is compounded by the fact that ours is a free market economy. One pays for what one consumes. But because one pays for what one consumes, prices of goods and services are influenced by people who can afford them at the expense of those who cannot. For this reason, I am glad and applaud our Prime Minister and his Cabinet colleagues for the assurance that the poor in Singapore will not be neglected. Recently, there has been a lot of debate, and I suspect it will be around for some time, that the Government is one that is out to make money from the people. They point to the fact that some of our statutory boards are amassing huge amounts of reserves and concomitantly increasing their charges. Telecom is a good example. People also accuse the Government of devising policies with the view of making the Government financially robust at the expense of the people. Sir, I think more often than not, most of the people's grouses are emotional and sometimes irrational. This is understandable as their pockets and ours are hurt.”
“Sir, all around the world, as each state industrialises and moves into an urban setting, the cost of living will inadvertently increase. This is true for Tokyo, London, Bangkok and our immediate northern neighbour, Malaysia. Singapore is no different either. As standards of living escalate, so will the cost of living. Here in Singapore there is a pervasive complaint that the cost of living in Singapore has risen significantly. Sir, I have heard similar complaints from my constituents. I share the same opinion that living in Singapore has become more expensive, but we are lucky to have single-digit inflation rates so far. However, Sir, in a free market economy that our Government ardently pursues, prices are decided by demand and supply. Producers will charge a high price if the consumers are willing to pay more, and less if otherwise. The consumer, therefore, is empowered to an extent to have an influence on prices specifically, and cost of living generally. I recall fondly, not too long ago, when a bowl of noodles cost only $1.50. Now in a lot of hawker centres a bowl of noodles is going at $2.00, and sometimes $2.50. Still people are willing to pay for it. In Newton Circus, it costs from $3 to $5, yet people still flock back. Though consumers complain that prices are too high, they are willing to succumb. Consumers just simply do not want to exercise what I call "consumer power". Basic economic principles tell us that if there is no demand for a particular good, over a period of time the price of that item will fall. Although this may be simplifying economic principles somewhat, it is true in many regards. Consumers, if united, can make a difference. Sir, take the case of the astronomically escalating Certificates of Entitlement (COE) prices.”
“Sir, I withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head U be reduced by $10 in respect of Code UD 1500 of the Main Estimates. Sir, I am referring to the Tree Planting campaign, which has been going on for many years. It has good objectives and I support it. But today, with a very efficient Parks and Recreation Department, we have very little space left for tree planting, especially in the older estates. Last year, in my constituency, we have around 50 to 60 community leaders coming down and we only have space to plant 10 trees. So this becomes very unproductive. Sir, I would like to suggest to the Ministry to maybe reorganise the annual Tree Planting Day. Instead of doing it at constituency level, concentrate it in a few areas where it can be done on a massive manner, and this will be more productive.”
“Those living in the private housing estates and shophouses along Geylang Road and Sims Avenue do not come under the management of the town council or any management corporation which represents them. In other words, if they have any grievances about dirty and choked drains, mosquito breeding, uncivic acts of burning of incense and joss papers along the roads, illegal and indiscriminate parking, they have nowhere to take up the problem. Residents would have to take up their complaints to the various authorities concerned like the Traffic Police for illegal parking, the Ministry of the Environment for mosquito breeding and burning of incense and joss papers, and the Public Works Department on faulty street lightings. On most occasions, the residents are unsure of the right department to approach. This has caused some residents to remark that "it's better and luckier to live in public housing estates than in private housing estates." During my Meet-the-People sessions I have handled a case known as the "coconut tree crisis". There was a coconut tree on state land outside the compound of a private estate. Sometimes the coconuts fall from the tree and pose a danger to passers-by. When complaints were made to the relevant authorities, URA referred them to PWD and PWD in turn referred them to the Ministry of the Environment. It took more than two months before the tree could be cut down. Based on these cases, I would like to urge the Ministry of National Development to look into the possibility of setting up a private housing estate's complaints bureau to handle their grievances.”
“Sir, I notice that the unit cost of road construction increased from $1.07 million per lane kilometre of road in FY 90 to $9.62 million per lane kilometre of road in FY 91. And this nine times increase is attributed mainly to the high construction cost of the CTE tunnels. Sir, I would like to ask the Minister when will the CTE project be completed and usable? Was the tunnel the most cost-effective method for the CTE? And did the PWD consider the alternative of two-level roads and more flyovers? Sir, I also notice that $4.9 million has been budgeted for a central computer control system for traffic signals. What I want to know is when will the entire traffic control system be fully operational, and how much improvements will road users be able to experience? Sir, just now my GPC Chairman spoke about road digging and the Minister gave some explanation. What I want to suggest to the Ministry is to ask PWD to consider, when building new roads, implementing some form of conduit system underneath the roads so that when new wirings or new pipings need to be done, they can be done through the conduits, and you do not have to dig up the entire road from the surface. Mr Peh Chin Hua (Jalan Besar GRC)( In Mandarin): Sir, I would like to urge the Ministry of National Development to look into the possibility of setting up a private housing estates' complaints bureau. Many residents of such private housing estates feel that they are a group of neglected children because they do not have the town council or the management corporation to look after their interest, unlike those who live in HDB estates and private condominiums. Their maintenance and other complaints are not taken care of. Take, for example, my constituency, Geylang West.”
“Sir, serious consideration must be given to private sector employers to help them strike a correct balance between the will to support Total Defence and the harsh realities of managing an on-going concern that determines their survival and well-being. Striking the right balance will go a long way to promote "real" support for Total Defence and reservist training, and not just "lip service".”
“Non-citizen heads of departments will also have to be educated on the importance of National Service and the responsibilities of reservist duties. Sir, National Service is a national issue and has a great impact on our domestic economy and the health of the private sector. When a reservist in the private sector is called up for reservist duties, sometimes it may last as long as 40 days in a stretch. Such disruption can cause expensive loss of opportunity and operational difficulties to the employer, particularly to employers with a small number of staff. Private sector employers are therefore happier to employ permanent residents (PRs) and non-citizens because they do not have reservist duties. Many of our reservists therefore feel that PRs and non-citizens residing in Singapore are more privileged and have a competitive edge over them. We therefore need a mechanism to help the reservists in the private sector and also help their employers to offset some of the losses due to absenteeism caused by reservist duties. Sir, let me go back to the points system I have suggested earlier. Every reservist going for duty can be given points. But this time the private sector reservists collect the points of behalf of their employers. Employers can then use the accumulated points to exchange for a tax relief. The relief will not be able to offset the loss incurred by the company, but will serve as a small token by the Government to acknowledge the employer's contribution. It will help to remove some disadvantage from having reservists in employment.”
“But, unfortunately, their relatively long reservist duties tend to erode their competitive advantage. While it is impossible to compensate them fully for their heavy responsibilities and sacrifices, we must recognise their contributions and try to make sure that their financial losses are kept to a minimum. Sir, I therefore fully support the recommendations of the RECORD Committee (Recognition of Contribution of Reservists to Total Defence). The RECORD Report is a historical document that sets out, for the first time, a systematic way to help the National Service reservists. I congratulate the RECORD Committee on a job well done. The RECORD Committee called on employers to give National Service reservists greater support, with public sector organisation taking the lead. The RECORD Report gave an interesting example of reservist academicians in tertiary institutions who have the same teaching workload as non-reservists, many of whom are non-citizens. Reservist duties take away time for research. Without sufficient research, reservist academicians cannot produce enough good papers for publication and hence lose out in promotion. I was told by some young academics that some of their non-citizen heads of departments are not supportive when they have to go for reservist duties. I feel that the Government should take the lead in helping reservists in the public sector and statutory bodies. Maybe a points system can be used. All reservists on completion of their reservist duties can be given a certain number of points based on the duration of duty and nature of duty. These points will then be taken into consideration for promotions.”
“Sir, I strongly support the Edusave scheme, but I believe the Government should not be the only contributor to the scheme. Parents and close relatives who are interested to contribute should be encouraged. This will help to reinforce the concept of the family as a unit and the unity of a family. Maybe the Government can encourage this by allowing some form of tax relief for contributions made. But, however, Sir, care must be taken to ensure that this scheme is not exploited as a tax escape route. So the Government should allow any amount of contribution to a child's Edusave, but put a ceiling on the amount of tax relief allowed, maybe based on a percentage of the contributor's tax bracket. Employers with good staff welfare are nowadays providing scholarships and bursaries to assist school-going children of their employees. Maybe the Edusave scheme can be extended to employers who want to contribute a share, as part of a wider staff welfare scheme. Sir, while the Edusave scheme will do much to help the school children between the age of six and 16, I believe there is another big group of people who will need help from the Government. This is the group of National Service reservists who in the past 25 years have contributed much to our defence. The lessons of Kuwait strengthened our support for national defence. Singaporeans as a whole are now committed to National Service. National Service reservists make a vital contribution to our security. National Servicemen are well trained and disciplined. The organisational skills and leadership ability learned during National Service can be adapted to their civilian life. They therefore have a competitive edge over those who did not go through National Service.”
“Sir, I support the motion standing in the name of my colleague, Mr Davinder Singh. Sir, for the first time in the President's Address, the addendum is published in a very comprehensive document "The Next Lap". This book maps out the long term plans which will bring Singapore into the 21st century. But, Sir, unfortunately, for such an important document, accessibility is limited to an English edition. The different newspapers tried to give a comprehensive summary of this book, but even this effort could only reach out to those who are literate. I would like to suggest to the Government to commission the SBC to produce a special feature explaining the direction and the goals of "The Next Lap" in the four major languages. In this way, the entire nation, irrespective of language and education level, will get to know the roles each will have to play in the next lap. The President's Address to this House on 22nd February emphasised on measures to make Singaporeans feel and care for Singaporeans. The Address gave us much food for thought. Over the last 25 years we have proved that with proper education, training and proper deployment of our scarce man- power, a prosperous and secure nation can be created. It is therefore necessary to continue investment on the next generation so that we can build upon the foundations laid in the last 25 years. The Prime Minister, about two months ago, announced the establishment of the Edusave scheme. It generated much interest, excitement and discussion among the people. But a small number of people initially misunderstood Edusave as a welfare scheme. However, following the Prime Minister's dialogue session with the community leaders, the aims of Edusave became better understood.”
“Accommodating differences of views and opinions is an essential feature of a mature society. In the past, it was the great fortune of Singaporeans to have been steered by a group of very able leaders out of poverty. But the world does not stand still. If we have the will and determination to succeed, we can do so. With a group of outstanding leaders with vision and energy and a population which is well-educated and believes in the values of hard work and co-operation, the 1990s will be an exciting decade, promising new and great opportunities for Singapore.”
“Teachers should show their students how to treat others with respect and tact. With economic progress comes the materialistic approach. If a person is a mere money-making machine, then life will be empty and meaningless. This is why it is important to use the leisure hours well. How we encourage our people to be creative and artistic, give due recognition to community service and religious beliefs; these are basic questions we should address in seeking the real meaning in life. President Bush said that the true worth of a person is not the sum total of his assets and that the definition of success must include caring for and service to others. Mr Speaker, Sir, the new generation leaders have always stressed the importance of obtaining feedback and reaching consensus before important policies are changed. Consensus building is not easy in a multi-racial and multi-religious society. We must look for common ground and achieve unity in diversity. In regard to policies or measures which are controversial, efforts must be made to explain and clarify repeatedly so that the people will understand the objectives and rationale for the policies. This will facilitate the implementation of such policies. When we discuss the pros and cons of certain policies, it is inevitable that some will insist on their stands. Heated arguments will take place. However, as long as the views are brought up in all sincerity and the criticisms are constructive, the civil service should pay attention to them. Of course, people outside the Ministries would not have all the relevant information. But they come from all walks of life and have first-hand knowledge of the practical effects of certain policies. Some of their views are indeed commendable.”
“But the cost of living and tuition fees in foreign universities is high. Apart from the loss in foreign exchange, some Singaporean students may decide to remain abroad after graduation. This is a loss of talents. Whilst we improve the education system, we should look after the educational needs of the working population. The NTUC has conducted BEST courses and some commercial schools offer courses such as computer programming and book-keeping. In addition, we should have courses in History, natural sciences and the arts. In USA, there is emphasis on life-long learning and education. One out of three college students is over the age of 30. Of course, with our limited resources, we cannot reach this level. But we should provide shorter courses so as to provide greater understanding of history, natural sciences and the arts. This will lead to a more enriched life and a higher quality of life. Singapore is a very competitive society. With an ever conscious need to do as much as possible, some suffer from chronic tension and anxiety. Inter-personal relations have suffered. It was reported recently that some drivers even resorted to physical violence over minor traffic accidents. Is this evidence of poor upbringing? Or is there a shortcoming in our education system? We hope to build not only an affluent society but also one which is civilised. But if we depend entirely on the Government to promote courtesy campaigns, it will not be effective. Parents should practise what they preach and set good examples for their children. Teachers should monitor closely the pattern of behaviour and language used by the students. A real education does not consist of scoring straight A's in examinations. Character building is even more important.”
“The 1980s ended with the Eastern European people rejoicing in triumph. Credit must be given to Gorbachev of the Soviet Union for inspiring the reformists in Eastern Europe. The economic restructuring has given rise to the free market mechanism. His policies on East/West relations greatly encouraged those seeking reforms in Eastern Europe. Fundamentally, the profound changes in Eastern Europe were brought about by the failure of communism to solve the basic problems in life. Severe shortages of daily necessities, inflation, prolonged one-party or military rule gave rise to a pervasive sense of despondency and discontent. Once the call for reforms was made, the desire for change spread instantly. The communist system is undoubtedly beset with problems. But the largest capitalist economy in the world is faced with other problems. The huge budget and trade deficits, drug addiction, violent crimes and aids have made many wonder about the quality of life in the United States. Whether communist or capitalist, it is the Government's responsibility to look after the basic needs of the people, raise their standard of living and enhance the quality of life - the Government of Singapore has done precisely this. Against a backdrop of natural constraints in terms of manpower and land, the success of our future development will depend on how well we overcome various obstacles. The proposal to improve primary education and vocational training and to provide more choices in the education system will receive unanimous support. Increasing the size of intake of University students is good news indeed. In the past, some students with reasonably good results could not find a place in NUS. Those from well-to-do families could go abroad.”
“Many of the community leaders give up their time and contribute huge sums of money to support many of the activities. As community leaders, they have to explain Government policies to the people and some of the Government policies are really difficult to explain. They have to collect feedback from the people and in the last few years this role has intensified. Some have started their service in the CCCs and the CCMCs before 1965 and are still serving today. When we celebrate our nation's 25th National Day we are in fact also celebrating the contributions and achievements of the community leaders who have done a great job for the past 25 years. I strongly feel the Government should recognise their continuous contributions in some way. The Government could identify these community leaders who have served continuously for the past 25 years. Some form of commemorative certificate could be given to them; better still, a commemorative medal. This simple form of recognition will serve as a strong boost to the morale of the community leaders. It will also help to encourage younger people to come forward to join in community work. Volunteering for service in the CCCs, CCMCs, RCs, CDCCs and CSCs is a very good tradition we have developed. It is very much a Singapore institution. It is a good tradition that we should maintain. It is therefore very appropriate that this year, as we celebrate our 25th National Day, we also recognise and record the contributions of our dedicated community leaders. Mr Lau Ping Sum (Yio Chu Kang)( In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, between January 1989 when the President delivered his Address and last week, a relatively short span of over a year, the world saw a number of tremendous changes.”
“That was the highest annual growth in 15 years. The President reassured the nation that the timing for Mr Goh Chok Tong's takeover is correct when he said, and I quote: 'The circumstances are as auspicious as we could have hoped for.' Sir, while the present style of the Government in discussing issues with the people to gain consensus is a good practice, it is inevitable that too much discussions can cause confusion among the people. It is unfortunate that not all the people follow all the discussions and arguments in the newspapers. Some just read headlines which at times are misleading. Some just remember points they agreed with, while some remember only the gossips they gather at coffeeshops. When the President opens a new Session of Parliament, he makes a major policy speech which has a very great impact. His message helps to focus the nation's attention to major issues agreed upon and remind the people of issues that need to be settled and issues that are forthcoming. It also serves as a strong encouragement to the people to continue on our strive for a better life. I therefore fully support the First Deputy Prime Minister's idea to prorogue Parliament at more frequent intervals and at the end of each year to take stock of what has been done and what needs to be done in the coming year. Sir, while we are looking forward to the next phase to find new challenges to inspire our people to continue to strive for a better life, I feel it is an appropriate time that we pay tribute to a group of people who have been working quietly in the background and help to bring Singapore to where we are today. Sir, I am referring to the group of dedicated community leaders who serve in all the community organisations, particularly the CCCs and the CCMCs.”
“Sir, I support the motion standing in the name of the Member for Tanglin. Sir, since Mr Goh Chok Tong took charge of the day-to-day administration of affairs of Singapore, his style of Government has been one of open discussion of policies and consensus building. Singaporeans were since 1985 given a chance to participate and debate prospective Government policies and issues facing the nation. The nation has since debated and agreed on the National Agenda and other major issues. The Government Parliamentary Committees with their resource panels have allowed more participation from the people and allowed new policies to be discussed on the ground before they were brought before Parliament. The people will remember the GPCs as Mr Goh's innovation. Not only does Mr Goh discuss about his taking over from the Prime Minister, but he also discussed about others eventually taking over from him. I do not think we can get a more open style than that. This more open style of Government has been welcomed by the people and the majority of the nation supports his style of Government. As a result, Singaporeans in general feel they have a bigger say in important issues on national matters that affect them and their families. Mr Goh's style of Government is more compatible with the style of the younger Singaporeans who are more educated, more exposed to western practice and more vocal in their demands. The President in his Address confirmed Mr Goh taking over as Prime Minister by the end of this year. Mr Goh and his team have proved that they are capable of managing Singapore and doing a good job at that. They have brought Singapore out of the 1985-86 recession. Singapore in 1988 experienced its most broad based growth since 1983-84, posting an 11% expansion.”
“It is even more irresponsible to deny compensation to the injured party or their family for the suffering or loss caused by his negligence. Sir, clause 17 (new section 62A) provides restriction on driving different categories of heavy motor vehicles. This amendment, I understand, will affect 1,326 drivers aged 70 years and above. But I am glad that the Minister in implementing this amendment has taken into consideration the impact on their livelihood. The three-year grace period will hopefully help to minimise any hardship caused to these people. But this amendment is only limited to heavy vehicles, which means that a physically fit driver above the age of 70 years can still continue to earn a living driving other class of vehicles.”
“Drunken drivers have caused death and serious injuries to innocent road users and themselves in traffic accidents. Many drunken drivers, as explained by the Minister, do not even realise that they have caused injuries to other parties. A few weeks ago the Straits Times gave some accounts of various fatal accidents caused by drunken drivers over the years. The police has been promoting the message to drivers not to drink when they drive, and not to drive when they drink. But, unfortunately, the advertising media is not helping at all. Advertisements on TV promote an image of strength and achievement after drinking. So some stronger measures than soft-sell to prevent drunken driving is therefore necessary. It makes sense that the Traffic Police be empowered to immediately suspend the licence of a driver when he has been charged in court for causing a fatal or serious accident while driving under the influence of alcohol or drug. This Bill also provides for mandatory imprisonment for drunken driving only for second and subsequent offenders. I think this is fair punishment. But I tend to believe that if a person has a habit of causing serious damage to others while driving under the influence of alcohol or drug, maybe the police should seriously consider taking him off the road altogether after the third offence or until he has been certified cured of alcoholism or drug. Sir, the amendments contain measures to deter irresponsible driving behaviour. I support the amendment to suspend drivers driving without insurance coverage and driving while under disqualification. This will remove irresponsible drivers from the road. It is bad enough for a careless driver to inflict injury to others, particularly innocent road users.”