Intan Azura Mokhtar
Singapore
“Chairman, in Malay, please. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Minister or Minister of State Zaqy, what are the plans for MENDAKI's Tuition Scheme to ensure that our children are ready for a more dynamic environment and also to seize opportunities to excel in various areas apart from academic excellence?”
“For instance, they can work a few days a week in the office and a few days from home so that they can still work full-time, fulfill their work obligations but can reduce commuting time and yet have the opportunity to meet with colleagues and interact with them face-to-face in the office for that much needed social interaction.”
“I thank the Senior Minister of State for the answers. It is heartening to know that the numbers have dropped over the years, from 2009 to 2019, over a period of 10 years. However, 2,800 is still quite a large number every year for enforcement acts to catch recalcitrants.”
“I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the answer. So, 19,000 diabetes cases each year. Does the Ministry of Health (MOH) have the numbers as to what are the causes of the diabetes cases, whether it is through direct sugar intake or is it through other foods, such as high starch content?”
“Mr Speaker, the first question I have is for the Minister for Health. Do we have enough healthcare workers and professionals to help manage patient cases in NCID and the hospitals in this period of heightened healthcare alert seeing to the increased demand and work stresses on them?”
“It is related to schools. Are there any specific or additional measures in schools, particularly for preschoolers and primary school children who may not always be aware or practise proper personal hygiene as we try to educate Singaporeans in this?”
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“However, I beseech the Ministry of National Development (MND) to consider if we can shelve the plans to build this road. I would instead propose making the strip of land as a linear nature park, with proper footpaths to connect Fernvale HDB estate and Gerald-Mugliston estate, and to put in place cycling tracks, while retaining the flora that is growing there naturally. I hope MND can consider this favourably. Mr Speaker, our green spaces and places of heritage are precious. Once gone, they are almost impossible to replace. We can, I suppose, create artificial green spaces or traditional setups to showcase our heritage, but they lack the character and soul of what has grown organically for many years. Once again, I iterate that I understand the need for urban development. But it is not a zero-sum game. Urban development and the preservation of green spaces and our places of heritage cannot be mutually exclusive. There are ways in which we can harmoniously integrate the two.”
“In addition, our own school children can have school leadership or training camps at Kampong Lorong Buangkok, too, for them to learn, to live with basic necessities, working and living with nature, and what the kampung spirit is all about. The second part of my speech is on the strip of green land parcel parallel to Gerald Drive, next to Seletar Springs condominium, that has been planned to be converted to a three-lane highway, which is known as Buangkok Drive extension. Many residents living along Gerald Drive and in Seletar Springs Condominium do not want this strip of land to be converted to a highway, citing a loss of natural flora and fauna. This is the actual strip of land that you can see from a height where the planned expressway or highway is supposed to be. As Members can see, this is really a green belt for both HDB and private estate residents living here. The strip of green is quite narrow and I can imagine that if URA were to proceed with the road construction here, the roads will come up close, very close to the HDB blocks and the private estates. I have had several dialogues with my Gerald-Mugliston residents to listen to their concerns and to assure them I will work closely with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to ensure that only if the road is needed will it be built. The need to build this road must be contingent on the use of other surrounding roads – Buangkok Drive, Buangkok Crescent, Buangkok Link, Buangkok Green and Yio Chu Kang Road – in terms of traffic volume that these other roads are not able to support. I have requested LTA to carry out a study of the usage of the roads mentioned above to justify the need to build the Buangkok Drive extension highway.”
“The kampong and its residents should be allowed to carry on their lives, but it can play the additional role of a community living lab for our students to learn about our shared history, culture and traditions, race relations, and experience for themselves values-in-action, such as communal living, the spirit of neighbourliness and community activism. In addition, our students can embark on community nature programmes to learn from and work with the residents on how they can grow plants and vegetables, or take care of animals, such as chickens, cats and dogs, in a more natural environment. On top of that, our kampong residents are exemplary in re-using and repurposing items in their farming and gardening methods. This is useful in helping our young ones be more environmentally friendly and increase their environmental awareness. I hope that the Ministry of Education can consider this, particularly in creating an authentic learning experience for values-in-action and for heritage and history education for our students. I understand there may be concerns regarding the maintenance and upkeep of the kampong. I would like to propose that once the current generation of residents have passed on, and their children are not keen to continue living there, then maybe the People's Association (PA) or the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth can consider taking ownership of this kampong. Singaporeans who are keen to experience what it is like to live in a kampung can do so here, as part of a resilience or community leadership training programme. So, instead of having overnight camps at PA or the Outward Bound campsites, this can be done at Kampong Lorong Buangkok in future.”
“The kampong is owned by a Chinese lady, but the majority of the residents are Malay, living harmoniously with their Chinese neighbours. There is a Muslim surau, a small mosque, within the kampong, and there are altars that adorn the homes of the Chinese residents. Many of our Jalan Kayu residents have expressed their support to preserve the kampong, and one of them, a resident artist, Mr Vincent Seet, has held numerous exhibitions showing his numerous paintings of the kampong. These are some of the paintings by Mr Vincent Seet, a resident living in Buangkok HDB estate. I am also embarking on a community documentation and preservation project with my colleagues from the Singapore Institute of Technology to compile a photo-journal and oral history accounts of the residents living in the kampong, in a bid to preserve the experiences and memories of our residents who have lived there for many years, from before our Independence, to this day. The changes they have observed and experienced over the years make for good case studies and rich learning for us and, for me, it is useful for the Change Management module I teach my students, which includes topics on urbanisation and gentrification and managing societal change. I would like to propose for the following to be considered for Kampong Lorong Buangkok. We should retain the kampong as a conservation or heritage education site, where we can educate our younger generations about how kampung living was like and, more importantly, what the kampung spirit is about. The kampong can be integrated within the two schools that are planned under the URA masterplan.”
“The neighbours all know one another very well, and each time I join my grassroots volunteers and residents there, the children visiting the kampung would have lots of fun chasing the kampung chickens, learning about the different fruit trees – rambutan, banana, noni, cocoa, you name it – and marveling at the homes that look like they are frozen in time in the 1960s. Our Jalan Kayu grassroots have done several community projects with the Kampong residents, one of which is the drain redevelopment project. Another one is where we gravelled the main entrance of the kampung and we put up signages for the kampung, because back then in the past, the only signage we could see was one that was handwritten in paint. This was me with Ms Sng, the landlady, and Members can see this is the new signage we put up a few months back. And the old name of the kampong was Kampong Selak Kain. "Selak kain" in Malay means you fold up your sarong or your kain – because in the past, the kampong always used to flood, that is why we did the drainage project; so, you selak your kain. These are some of the houses in the kampong; quite grand. I think this is the biggest house in the kampong out of the 26 available. It is two-storey, all made of wood, and this is what you can see in the kampong now. Members can see in the background that there are Build-To-Order (BTO) flats sprouting all over. This is another look at the kampong. The neighbours all know one another very well, and each time I join them, they will always be talking about how they want to continue living in the kampong and, even though some of the children may not want to live there, they want to retain the kampong for as long as possible. It is fascinating to see this kampong, which exemplifies racial and religious harmony.”
“Thank you. Members can see from the URA Masterplan that Kampong Lorong Buangkok is the small little purple square that is now sitting on what is planned to be a highway and two schools. Mr Speaker, while I understand the need for urban redevelopment, surely, we can still find space in our urban areas to preserve part of our heritage, not simply for sentimental value but for the purpose of heritage, historical and environmental education. I would like to propose for the preservation of Kampong Lorong Buangkok as a Conservation site or Heritage Education site. Under the URA Masterplan, the land where the kampung is, will be made into two schools – like I said earlier, presumably one primary and one secondary school, and another highway. Is there really a need to displace the kampung residents, tear down the kampung in the name of urban redevelopment? Surely, we can explore ways where the kampung can co-exist and, in fact, enhance and bring value to urban life. This is the last kampung we have left on our mainland, situated on a land of about 1.22 hectares. There are 26 families or households living in Kampong Lorong Buangkok, each paying a monthly rent of between $6 to $30 to the landlady, a 65-year-old lady named Ms Sng Mui Hong. Some have lived here for more than 50 years and would not live elsewhere even though their children are living in HDB estates and HDB flats and can house them comfortably in their flats.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker, for this opportunity to speak on Preserving Green Spaces and Heritage in Jalan Kayu constituency, which is the area I help take care of. Jalan Kayu constituency is a misnomer, really. It is not just made up of Jalan Kayu private estate, which is the only area in Singapore with the name Jalan Kayu. In fact, the constituency comprises three Housing and Development Board (HDB) estates – Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 and Avenue 10, Serangoon North Avenue 3 and Avenue 4, Buangkok Crescent, Buangkok Link and Buangkok Green. It is also made up of four private estates, one of which is Jalan Kayu private estate, the other three are Gerald-Mugliston, Luxus Hills and Seletar Aerospace Park. Jalan Kayu may be known for its prata and its eateries, but what not all of us may know about the constituency is that this is where you can find the last kampung on Singapore mainland, that is, Kampong Lorong Buangkok. The only other kampung left in Singapore is on Pulau Ubin. Under the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) Masterplan 2014 (Revised), Kampong Lorong Buangkok will make way for a three-lane expressway and the construction of two schools, presumably a primary and a secondary school. With your permission Mr Speaker, may I display some slides and photos on the light-emitting diodes (LED) screens?”
“I would also hope that through such family support programme, the parents who are seeking divorce will reconsider their decision and are able to see the effect their divorce may have on their child. If divorce is inevitable, I hope the parents seeking divorce will be able to part amicably and provide adequate support and time towards their child, post-divorce. I agree to empowering the Syariah Court to, I quote, "appoint, in any proceedings involving the custody or welfare of a child, a registered medical practitioner, psychologist, counsellor, social worker, or mental health professional to examine and assess the child for the purposes of preparing expert evidence for use" in Court proceedings. I feel that it is also useful to consider including the child's teachers or edu-carers who see and observe the child's social interactions and personal growth on a regular basis, among this group of professionals tasked to assess the child's mental, emotional and social well-being. All in all, I support the amendments proposed to AMLA. 4.14 pm”
“This will complicate processes like, first, getting an HDB flat for the mother and her child; second, registering the birth of that child and receiving related benefits like the Baby Bonus; third, matters relating to inheritance in the future; and fourth, when the child eventually gets married after he/she is old enough. I hope that with the amendments to section 95 and with the requirement for the presence of a Naib Kadi or Kadi in the solemnisation of the marriage, proper consideration will be made by the woman who wishes to get married as the second, third or fourth wife. With that, Mdm Speaker, please allow me to continue my speech in English. (In English): Madam, I support the addition of section 46B, where the intent is to provide another layer of possible intervention in the application for a divorce. I agree that the application for divorce should not be made too easy or be allowed to be done frivolously. In a marriage, there are bound to be disagreements or arguments and, sometimes, decisions can be made irrationally during such disagreements and in the heat of anger. There are too many instances where a married couple seeks divorce in the heat of anger and, because of egotism, they refuse to swallow their pride and retract that application for divorce, without sufficiently thinking through the effect of their break-up on their future and, more importantly, on their children, if they have any. The addition of sections 43A and 43B is also timely. More than anything, the well-being of the child involved and affected by the divorce should be paramount. Requiring the parents and child to attend the family support programme is important, so that the child is able to understand what is happening and what will happen upon the divorce of the parents.”
“At the same time, I would also like to suggest that the funds for the MENDAKI component also be provisioned to organise and run job skills courses for, firstly, women, in order to help them return to work; secondly, those who are looking for jobs, and also, thirdly, those who are seeking a second chance, like ex-inmates and ex-drug offenders. I believe that MENDAKI has already been proven successful in helping to improve the educational levels and academic achievements among our children in Primary, Secondary and post-Secondary schools. Now, with the national movement SkillsFuture, I think MENDAKI should play a larger role to help our community prepare itself to navigate an economy that is more challenging and volatile. I also support the enactment of section 94, whereby those under the age of 21 must participate in a marriage preparation course and must also obtain consent from their mother, father or an appropriate and legal guardian or wali, before they can register their marriage with a Naib Kadi or Kadi. The amendments to section 95 are apt. I have previously interacted with women who married their husbands as the second, third or fourth wife without registering their marriage with ROMM and the marriage was solemnised by their own father or relative. This is because their husband's first wife did not agree for the husband to marry again. Hence, this marriage is unregistered and there is no marriage certificate. The choice to become a second or third wife is a personal matter that is permissible in Islam. But I am concerned with the subsequent impact on the children who are born of this second or third wife. Without any marriage registration and without a birth certificate, the child who is born will be similar to an illegitimate child, without a father.”
“Thank you, Mdm Speaker, for this opportunity to speak on the AMLA amendment Bill. It is very timely for AMLA to be amended as it was last amended almost nine years ago. It is also very timely that in this rather historic Parliament sitting, probably Mdm Speaker's last as the Speaker of Parliament, that we are debating AMLA − a Bill that Mdm Speaker has spoken on before in this House as a parliamentarian during the last debate on the AMLA amendments in November 2008. In Mdm Speaker's speech then, Madam spoke passionately about her support for the expanded use of the MBMF and the need to use part of the funds in helping dysfunctional or complex families in the community, beyond the traditional use of the funds in financing religious-related infrastructural developments for the community. Thank you, Madam, for your passion and commitment to helping our community through this House. You have been an inspiration. For this round of amendments to AMLA, I would like to speak on three areas: the use of the Mosque Building and MENDAKI Fund, or MBMF, Muslim marriages and the welfare of the child. Madam, please allow me to continue in Malay. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] I support the amendments to AMLA. I also support the provision to use MBMF, as stated in clause 19 to amend section 77. I agree with this provision which enables MBMF monies to be used for mosque maintenance works and educational facilities in these mosques, as well as in full-time madrasahs. However, I would also like to ask the Minister whether MBMF can also be used to procure land to build mosques and, if so, is there a prescribed limit, in percentage terms, to use the MBMF monies for this purpose.”
“Clause 11, amendment to section 15(2), stated that demerit points may be awarded on the basis of charges against the licensee during the sentencing for offences, and not just on the basis of conviction or composition of offences. I support this. However, I have one clarification. Is there a maximum number of demerit points that a licensee can accumulate before having the licence suspended or revoked? Would this be similar to our driving licence demerit points system? Notwithstanding these clarifications, Mdm Speaker, I support the amendments in the Bill.”
“Madam, the amendments to PEMA serve to allow a more holistic enforcement of the law and a more comprehensive set of laws on establishments that provide such PE. My concern is largely with those establishments which may create disamenities or inconveniences within their immediate community. There are establishments within my constituency, located close to residences, which provide PE, such as karaoke singing or telecast of sports matches. While most of these establishments adhere to existing laws on PE, I have received feedback from residents about a couple of these establishments. One feedback is on noise, especially into the late night. Another feedback is illegal parking along the roads and driveways to houses, especially those in the private landed estates. Another feedback is on activities that may create feelings of discomfort among residents living nearby, or feedback on establishments that are suspected of allowing illicit activities to take place within and around their premises. I have a few clarifications with regard to the proposed amendments. Clause 5, amendment to section 4, mentioned that the appropriate licensing officer may appoint an individual, who need not be a public officer, but who is suitably trained as an authorised person to carry out certain functions of the Act. For this clause, I have two clarifications. First, what is the extent of functions of the Bill that this appointed individual will be able to execute? Second, what are the criteria in appointing the individual to carry out these functions? Would these be our APOs only?”
“What is equally worrying is the callous claims by some pro-cannabis and pro-marijuana proponents that small amounts of cannabis use is perfectly alright, or that there are medical conditions, such as glaucoma or Parkinson's disease, that can be managed through daily doses of cannabis or marijuana or ganga, whatever name it is known as. We would also need the help of medical professionals and research experts to verify such claims and, more importantly, to curb the incorrect perception that small doses of drug use on a daily basis are perfectly fine. Sir, the drug situation is far from rosy and the fight against drug use and abuse is far from over. We would need all parties to come together to do this to help ourselves and our future generations − parents, schools, the Government, popular personalities − all have important roles to play. We need to do this together. Getting rid of an addiction is certainly not easy. It takes a lot of courage, discipline and inner strength and, of course, support from our loved ones. But it is not impossible. When it comes to addiction: "I can choose to let it define me; confine me; outshine me; or I can choose to move on and leave it behind me." Thank you, Sir. I support the Motion.”
“And this is not the first time he had been in prison because of drugs. They have three children − two studying in primary school and one who is three years old. Throughout the time Ms Lydia is married to her husband, she did not work and depended on him for financial support. With her husband's recent incarceration, Ms Lydia finds herself with no source of income. We tried our best to help her by providing her with temporary financial assistance. At the same time, we also helped Ms Lydia find part-time work and get a place for her youngest child in a childcare centre so that Ms Lydia can work. Although Ms Lydia is a strong woman who remains undaunted, the social and emotional impact on her and her children, who are now unable to see their father, is quite deep and cannot be easily forgotten. Their family relationship has definitely been affected. Support from the family is much needed, not just when our children or family member have succumbed to drug addiction or smoking, but even before they become a slave to addiction. Developing positive habits and a healthy lifestyle − such as doing sports as a family, spending time on a common hobby with family members and close friends, or by volunteering and doing meaningful work for our community − will help each and every one of us to keep addiction at bay. (In English): I must admit that the drug scourge in Singapore is not isolated or that only our local agencies have to step up in terms of outreach, education and enforcement. The drug scourge is certainly a global one.”
“In addition, I hope CNB and Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) can find ways to curb online peddling of drugs more effectively and take tougher enforcement actions on those who are buying drugs online. Never mind that the amount of drugs is small, and never mind that the perpetrators are committing it for the first time, but that they are young. The message must be clear. We do not tolerate drug trafficking and use. At this point, Deputy Speaker, Sir, please allow me to continue in Malay. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] The war on drugs is a joint effort by all of us. We need pervasive approaches so as to reach out to and educate our young on the damaging and irreversible effects of both smoking and drug use. Support and assistance from influential personalities and positive role models that our young look up to, strengthen this approach. I understand that local personalities, such as Taufik Batisah and Irfan Fandi, have joined in this fight against drug abuse by offering their time and energy. I look forward to more support from such personalities and positive role models for our young. At the same time, support from home is also important in shaping positive mindsets among our youths in this fight against drug abuse. We need parents to be positive role models for their children − not just by advising them to stay drug-free or smoke-free − but to also role model positive behaviour and healthy lifestyles, free from addiction of any sort. This reminds me of one of my residents. Ms Lydia is still relatively young, barely 40 years old. But each time I met her, she looked haggard and worried, as though she was over 50 years old. Her husband is incarcerated because of drug abuse even though he is already in his 50s.”
“While CNB may have stepped up its youth outreach efforts through the use of technology and social media, a more targeted approach framework needs to be found to specifically reach out to Primary and Secondary school students and students studying in our post-Secondary institutions, starting with those who are in their early to mid-teens. My 18-year-old son, who is studying in a local polytechnic, shares with me about two of his friends who are not just smoking cigarettes, but also taking drugs. They are quite nonchalant about it and seem to think it is no big deal. They even offered my son to smoke weed or join them in taking a puff to get high, to which he sensibly and thankfully declined. One of his friends, also a polytechnic student, smokes weed or marijuana in the polytechnic itself. Another of his friends is an ITE student who was caught for smoking weed. While he is undergoing follow-up checks through routine urine tests, he continues to take synthetic weed, which he claims cannot be detected through the urine tests. While I must state that these are only two of his many friends who otherwise lead drug-free and healthy lifestyles, I am calling for CNB, the Police, the Health Promotion Board and our Institutes of Higher Learning to go all out to stop such drug use and abuse in our educational institutions, even if the numbers are small and seemingly insignificant. 6.35 pm [Deputy Speaker (Mr Charles Chong) in the Chair] This outreach, engagement and targeted public education against drug use and abuse should also be done concurrently with the fight against smoking. To me, the addiction to smoking and drug use is one and the same, and should be done in tandem, since the smoking habit seems to create a propensity towards smoking or taking drugs as well.”
“Mdm Speaker, I stand in support of this Motion. The drug scourge in Singapore, while numbers are relatively low compared to many developed countries, still remains a cause for concern. According to our Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) 2016 report on the drug situation in Singapore, there are two trends that merit serious concerns. First, the number of new drug abusers arrested in 2016 increased by 3% compared to the year before. In 2015, there were 1,309 new drug abusers arrested. This number increased to 1,347 in 2016. Almost two-thirds of these new abusers are below 30 years old. In addition, out of the total of 3,245 drug abusers arrested in 2016, slightly over 40% of them are below 30 years old. Second, CNB has also seen an increase in online drug peddling last year. The number of people arrested for buying drugs and drug-related items through online means increased significantly from 30 in 2015 to 201 in 2016. This is a five-and-a-half time increase in numbers. The majority of them are between the ages of 20 and 39. These numbers are worrying, especially when a survey conducted by the National Council Against Drug Abuse (NCADA) in 2016 found that young people below the age of 30 were more open-minded towards drugs, compared to similar findings in 2013. Such liberal attitudes towards drug use cannot be tolerated. The harmful effects of drugs may not be fully understood by the young people who are using drugs, who may believe that recreational use of drugs is well within their control and that they will not be addicted to it, or that there will not be any damaging long-term effects on their physical or mental well-being.”
“Mdm Speaker, I support the Motion. 4.01 pm”
“In the six years I have served as a Member of Parliament, I have often encountered our Malay women residents who are quite elderly, that is, more than 65 years, who have no income or savings of their own, no spouse because their husbands have either died or they have divorced and may have also been abandoned by their children. They have no family support, alone and helpless, and are dependent on public sympathy and compassion. I feel heartbroken whenever I meet them and I hope I will never see such a situation becoming widespread among our Malay women. With due respect to our men, I urge and make this appeal to our women that they should not be too dependent on their husbands financially and for retirement adequacy in old age. Regardless of whether our women choose to be full-time homemakers or to work part-time or work full-time, I hope they have clear plans that ensure their own financial independence and retirement adequacy. At this point, Mdm Speaker, I would like to close my speech in English. (In English): Over the years, more provisions and support have been given to help women manage our multiple roles and responsibilities − in the family, at work and in the community. While such provisions and support have been encouraging, certainly, more can still be done to ensure that our women can continue to be the best daughters, best wives, best mothers, best employees, best leaders and important members of our community for now and the future. Sometimes, we can ask for changes to be made. But sometimes, we need to make those changes ourselves. It has been said, "There is no force more powerful than a woman determined to rise". So, rise, mothers, daughters, sisters and let us be the change we want to see in our community and in the world.”
“Compared to our grandparents' time, women today are more highly educated, possess 21st century competencies and skills and have more opportunities to work, to acquire knowledge and global experience and also to pursue their interests further. Having said that, however, the proportion of Malay women who are not working is higher, compared to the other communities in Singapore. While the decision to be a homemaker is a personal one, I am, nonetheless, concerned about the ability of our women to, firstly, plan for their long-term financial needs and capacity; and, secondly, ensure their retirement adequacy in old age. I respect the decision of Malay women when they want to be full-time homemakers or to work part-time while their primary responsibility is raising children and taking care of the household. But at the same time, I do hope our women will plan more carefully for their long-term financial needs and capacity. For example, they should plan to save from a young age for their children's education − whether through a savings account in the bank or through an education insurance scheme for their children − as well as engage in financial planning for themselves. Our women should have personal savings for their own needs, too. Furthermore, women should plan for retirement adequacy for the future when they grow old. We have to recognise that, in general, women have longer life expectancies than men and a greater likelihood of having to support themselves and be financially independent even in their silver years.”
“When this is not possible, we expect others to take care of them − this can be in the form of the Government, nursing homes, or even domestic helpers − to fulfil such responsibilities. This also needs to change. Taking care of our elderly parents is a shared responsibility for everyone in the family − daughters or sons, married or otherwise. The Government, geriatric professionals or domestic helpers can be there to lend support and assistance, but not to assume the entire role of caregiving to the elderly. We would need employers to make provisions not just for maternity or paternity leave, but also for eldercare leave. Providing for flexi-work or work-teams or shared work in the workplace, would help us fulfil our caregiving responsibilities. I look forward to greater support from our employers, including from the public sector, in this. My third point is on financial planning and retirement adequacy. More of our women are now working − whether full-time, part-time or doing freelancing work to supplement the family income. I am heartened by this, where our women are increasingly more financially independent and are able to earn their keep, without having to depend on their husbands or children or on others. However, with our labour participation rate for women at around 60%, there are many opportunities for our women to be even more economically active. At this point, Mdm Speaker, please allow me to continue in Malay. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] More and more of our women are now working and are able to provide for the family.”
“Such provisions allow for greater flexibility for couples to decide on child or elderly caregiving arrangements depending on the needs of their families and for them to share such responsibilities, which brings me to my next point on shared responsibilities. Changes to maternity leave provisions, where mothers have 16 weeks of maternity leave, and the introduction of the two-week paternity leave from 1 January this year have been significant in helping young couples share the joy and responsibilities of parenthood. While I hope for greater provision of both maternity and paternity leave in future, as well as eldercare sick leave to be the norm, too, I recognise that shared responsibilities towards parenthood and the family are not just up to the Government to provide. Our societal norms and traditions also need to evolve. For instance, we have to change our perceptions of mothers being the main caregiver for children or the home − for mothers to be the one to cook, clean, wash, teach and take care of our children. Fathers have an equally important role to play in caring for our children and in keeping house that extends beyond just putting the children to bed. When our children see their fathers doing housework, lending a hand in changing diapers, or cooking meals at home, we shape our children's perceptions of societal norms and responsibilities and traditions. We broaden their minds and we help them see that both boys and girls have a part to play in keeping the family together and in taking care of the household. Similarly, we also need to change how we perceive elderly caregiving. Traditionally, we expect daughters or grown-up children who are not married to be the ones to take care of our elderly parents.”
“To elaborate, under the SkillsFuture initiatives, specific course packages can be designed to help women in areas, such as information technology skills, effective use of social media, issues on cybersecurity, or even an overview of financial or social assistance schemes and policies that they need to know and can leverage on to help our women manage their multiple roles and responsibilities. I would like to see more employers, including the public sector, design a returnship programme for women to ease back to work after taking some time off for child or elderly caregiving. This returnship programme can provide our back-to-work women with a flexi-work or part-time work arrangement in the first instance for a period of three to six months, before they decide to resume full-time work. The returnship programme can also include a work placement support and internship programme for our back-to-work women to have enough time to learn about the company they are joining and the work they will be doing. I hope that our unions also will be able to support such a returnship programme for our back-to-work women. In addition, I would also urge our public sector and private sector employers to make greater provisions for flexi- or part-time work for both mothers and fathers as well. For instance, flexi-work in the form of allowing several weeks of working from home when family exigencies come up, with no disruption to salaries or performance appraisals, would be ideal. Allowing working mothers and working fathers to work as a work-team will make it easier for flexi-work to be implemented and taken up, as teammates can cover office duties when a working mother or father needs to do flexi-work and work from home.”
“Thank you, Madam. Mdm Speaker, I stand in support of this Motion. Policies and initiatives to support working women and women in general have been encouraging and have helped women better manage their multiple roles in the home, at work and in the community. However, there is still more that needs to be done. In my speech, I would like to touch on three areas, that of (a) work support for women; (b) shared responsibilities; and (c) financial planning and retirement adequacy, all of which have also been put forward in the PAP Women's Wing position paper published in July last year. Work support. For many women, the desire to work or stay at home is shaped by different reasons − personal goals, family responsibilities or the family's economic situation, among others. The choice is really up to each woman and in consultation with their significant others. However, for women who have decided to stay at home to take care of their children or elderly parents or even family members with special needs, and who, thereafter, decide to return to work, they would need the necessary conditions and provisions to (a) choose between returning to full-time or part-time or flexi-work; (b) have adequate support for their caregiving responsibilities; and (c) learn and re-learn relevant knowledge and skills needed for the work they are returning to. I am glad to see greater support for women for childcare and elderly caregiving, be it in terms of financial, social or emotional support. It is not yet ideal, but we are headed in the right direction. I hope to see more provisions given to our women to have easier access to learn and re-learn relevant knowledge and skills that are needed for the work they are returning to.”
“] Madam, last year, the Minister announced that the Mandatory Asatizah Recognition Scheme (ARS) will be implemented from January this year. This scheme can help to ensure that those who offer religious guidance and training are qualified to do so. Many Singaporeans I have met are supportive of this initiative. Can the Minister update the House on the progress of the scheme's implementation? Support for Madrasahs”
“Mdm Chairman, in Malay, please. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Our Malay/Muslim community has become increasingly more diverse and varied as our larger Singapore society becomes more globalised and complex. Other than matters related to faith, beliefs and practices, our Malay/Muslim community also needs to be prepared and to receive sufficient guidance in addressing global issues, such as xenophobia, racial and religious discrimination, threats of terrorism and misguided beliefs. We are increasingly seeing more xenophobic and discriminatory acts and speeches taking place in the developed world, such as in the US, France, the Netherlands and Australia, against Muslims and people of colour and minority faiths, which have caused much concern. Our Malay/Muslim community in Singapore needs to be ready when faced with such situations fueled by hate so that we are able to counter them with intelligence, conviction, love and patience. In addition, there are numerous opportunities globally for us to learn new skills, develop our entrepreneurial spirit and get employment opportunities. Our mainstream school students are being prepared to be globally-ready and future-ready. Our full-time madrasah students would also need to expand their skillsets and knowledge base, beyond just being trained to be asatizahs. Can the Minister share how the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) can help our asatizahs to be better equipped to address such global issues and also help our madrasah students to be globally-ready and future-ready? Asatizah Recognition Scheme Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim (Nee Soon) (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.”
“Madam, just two questions. The first is, I am very heartened that MOE and the schools have a lot of initiatives to develop character and values amongst students. But we must recognise that it is not the sole responsibility of schools. Parents have an equally important, if not more important, role in this. Are there plans to increase parental involvement, for example, in outdoor learning, or even in community work, so that they are involved together with their children? The second question is on the technical diploma. Would the technical diploma programme consider taking in working adults who do not have formal certification and who may have probably not completed their secondary school education so they do not have GCE "O" or "N" Levels, but now they want to upgrade themselves so that they have better job prospects?”
“Mr Chairman, school affiliation remains a bugbear for many parents and students. Parents whose children are not in primary schools affiliated to popular schools are worried that their children will have little chance of gaining admission to these popular schools. Parents whose children are still in preschools are also getting very worried because they want to ensure their children can enrol in a primary school affiliated to a popular school. Their worries go back to preschool admission and the planning goes on for more than 10 years ahead. This is very stressful parenting, indeed. While we recognise the purpose of affiliation and its role in developing values and culture that are aligned to the religious or clan association that the affiliated schools come under, we must also strive to ensure fairness and accessibility to popular schools for all our students. What assurance can the Ministry provide to parents whose children are not in affiliated schools that their children will not in any way be deprived of equal opportunities to enrol in a popular school of their choice? How can the Ministry review the school admission process based on affiliation to make it fairer and equally accessible for students who do not come from affiliated schools to gain admission into popular schools that have affiliated feeder schools? Educating People with Special Needs”
“For prospective employers and the general public, their perception of individuals and their potential for success in life is largely shaped by the academic stream they were in. Is now not the time to do away with streaming and instead provide only subject-based banding which has already been implemented in different grade levels across our schools, and which has allowed our students to realise their potential in different subjects at their own pace? Are we still not ready to cull this sacred cow? With our emphasis on different educational pathways and different peaks of excellence in education, as well as subject-based banding and discretionary admission to schools, I believe it is time we take this leap of faith to abolish academic streaming in our schools and instead continue with just subject-based banding. Class Size”
“Mr Chairman, streaming has served its purpose in our education system for many years. Most of us have lived through and probably even benefited from academic streaming during our own educational journey. However, with an education landscape that supports different educational pathways, greater diversity in the pursuit of excellence and in fulfilling varied aspirations, many would question the continued purpose and need for academic streaming. As an educator, I recognise the purpose of academic streaming. It helps teachers in being more focused in their teaching so that they are able to pitch their teaching content and pedagogy that are suitable for the students they teach. This, in turn, helps students to optimise their learning and realise their full potential. However, this can be done just as well through subject-based banding, without exposing students to the self-limiting structure of academic streaming. Academic streaming tends to pigeonhole students and inadvertently place expectations about their intelligence or abilities according to the stream they are in. For students, they ought to be given a wide enough berth to discover their abilities and potential in different subjects and not feel limited by the academic stream they are in. For parents, academic streaming fuels their worry for their children taking the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE), to the extent that the tuition industry and proliferation of assessment books and enrichment courses for personal development have boomed because of the belief by parents that, with these interventions, the academic stream their children are eligible for and, hence, their children's future, can be assured.”
“One way of doing this is for our children to be actively involved in community work where they help others, or in outdoor learning where they learn to engender trust and to care for the environment and for others or participating in team games where they learn about teamwork, cooperating with others and looking beyond self. That, I believe, is the intent of Values in Action in our schools. Now, with the announcement of NurtureSG, our children also need to learn about taking personal responsibility for their health and extending peer support to their friends to do so. However, the reality is that many students and even parents still see Civics and Moral Education, Character and Citizenship Education and now, Values in Action and NurtureSG as just another subject or programme to sit through, complete and get a passing grade in. How can such important programmes be enhanced and intertwined with one another so that the nurturing of values and development of good character are part of a more holistic education for our children in schools? How can parents play a greater role in creating this holistic educational environment for our children? Sports in Schools”
“Mr Chairman, the development of values and good character has always been a cornerstone of our education system. We have initiatives, such as Civics and Moral Education, Character and Citizenship Education, and now, Values in Action, in our school curricula. While we cannot deny that values and moral education are usually caught rather than taught, we cannot overlook the need to instil, nurture and exemplify good values at every opportunity we have, beginning with our schools and educators. Children learn values and develop character through three ways: understanding, observing and doing. For instance, when children are told to be kind, they need to understand what being kind means. This has to be explained through examples. In addition, children need to see kindness in action − role-modelled by the teacher or the parents, so that the understanding of kindness is entrenched. In order to internalise it, children need to demonstrate kindness to others around them, be it their friends, family members, towards animals and to perfect strangers. Behavioural psychologists have found that role modelling is the most effective way of helping children internalise values and develop character. Children learn this by observing significant adults in their lives, be it teachers, parents or adult caregivers. Hence, for our children to learn and develop values and good character, they need to have good role models and be actively involved in demonstrating those values which will shape their character.”
“Mdm Chairman, the Minister earlier mentioned about the enhanced work trial for rank-and-file, the blue-collar workers. That is good news. Can I clarify with the Minister whether this scheme is open to any rank-and-file worker looking to switch industries or must he be unemployed for a certain period of time first? Is it across all industries or only specific industries?”
“How can women and economically active retirees who are going back to the workforce be helped through FWAs, where they can ease back into full-time positions over a reasonable period of time and learn relevant new skills, so that they are not left behind? In addition, how can rank-and-file or blue-collar workers learn relevant skills so that they are employable and can avail themselves of more employment opportunities and not be competing with new technologies at the workplace? Workplace and Job Redesign for Seniors”
“Mdm Chairman, with the use of technologies, mobile applications and social media, employment now is quite different from before. Going to work may not necessarily mean that one has to physically travel to an office or workplace and stay there for a prescribed number of hours in order to be seen to be working. The use of technologies, mobile applications and social media has allowed individuals to offer their products and services and manage their clients or buyers at their own time and according to their own targets. If employers are not quick enough to leverage technology and offer FWAs for their employees, they risk losing these employees to freelance work, which also allows these employees to fulfil personal or family responsibilities, such as caregiving or raising their families. On top of that, there is a largely untapped pool of human resource among our stay-at-home mothers and retirees who are able to be a part of our workforce. What they need is a buffer period to transit back to work and learn relevant work skills. My fellow Members of Parliament, Mr Patrick Tay and Mr Desmond Choo, have spoken about this before and I have proposed a returnship programme. I am happy to learn from the Minister in his speech earlier that this will be supported by the Ministry and I look forward to hearing the details. How can our Ministry help employers implement progressive work practices or FWAs to help different segments of Singaporeans remain economically active and yet fulfil personal responsibilities, such as caregiving or raising their families?”
“With the current state of the economy and employment market, I am sure there are many more in the same predicament as these residents. How can MOM assist Singaporeans, such as Daniel and Saiful, who seem to have exhausted all means to gain longer term employment, despite having post-secondary educational qualifications and substantial work experience? How do we address job redundancies, particularly for employees aged 40 and above, and those who are PMEs? Is the PCP well taken up? What is its impact for this group of employees? Under PCP, how do we ensure that those who undergo PCP will not always start at the bottom of the rung in the new industry in which they have joined because they do not have the relevant experience or simply because they are quite desperate to just find employment? Professional Conversion Programme”
“Mdm Chairman, many of us may think that a post-secondary educational qualification or relevant work experience or the development of relevant work skills are requisites for getting employment and staying employed. Or that those who face unemployment are individuals with little formal education, low skills or little work experience. However, increasingly, this is no longer the case. A resident I know, Daniel, has a degree in computer science from one of our local autonomous universities (AUs), which he obtained about 20 years ago. He held a stable and well-paying job in an MNC dealing with computers and information technology (IT) for about 15 years before he was retrenched from the position due to internal restructuring and the dissolution of the department he was in. In other words, he found himself facing job redundancy. Since then, he has been looking for employment and only managed to get short-term contract work, now and then, if he is lucky. Daniel is tertiary-educated, has about 15 years of work experience in the IT sector and is now in his early 40s. Yet, he has difficulty getting a job even though his expectation for a monthly salary is lower than that for a new university graduate. I feel extremely sorry for him and have also tried to personally help him gain employment to no avail, as yet. Another resident, Saiful, a polytechnic graduate in the marine and offshore sector, worked for three years in the industry. He left his job to look for a better paying one but after months of futile job-searching, resorted to working as a security guard. He has worked as a security guard for the past two years as he could not find a job in the marine and offshore sector. He is in his late 20s and is already facing employment difficulty.”
“Or could it be due to a mismatch of expectations between them and prospective employers with regard to salaries, work responsibilities or work hours? Helping the Long-term Unemployed”
“Mdm Chairman, while our unemployment numbers remain among the lowest in the world, there is a group of Singaporeans who face long-term unemployment. This number, while still low, has risen to 0.8% in September last year, up 0.2% from September 2015. For some of these Singaporeans who face long-term unemployment, they are individuals with little formal education, low skills and little relevant experience who have difficulty looking for employment. Some of them are seniors or above 50 years old. Some of them are displaced because of disruptive technologies or are unwilling to accept jobs that pay lower salaries. However, some of them are in their 20s or 30s and are tertiary-educated but still are not able to gain longer-term employment. I have met residents who are either university or polytechnic graduates but who have difficulty finding employment after leaving or being retrenched from their first job. One of them graduated with a first degree in Engineering. However, when the company he was working with closed down because of poor business, he found himself unemployed. With a young son just born, he tried applying for another job as an engineer. Six months into his job search, he was still not able to secure an engineering job. In the end, he took up a part-time position doing administrative work just so he can earn an income to support his young family. What more can be done to help the long-term unemployed to ensure they are able to find employment within six months of their last job, and stay employed for at least six months in their new job? Could this be attributed to a lack of skills on the part of the jobseekers, or a lack of awareness about available jobs or new skills that they do not know about?”
“Given the current interest and emphasis on building new and strategic capabilities in areas, such as cybersecurity and intelligence, data analytics, and digital and software engineering, I would like to ask PMO how are our Public Service and public officers being prepared to stay ahead of the curve? Building New Capabilities in Public Service”
“Mdm Chairman, the Public Service is an important cornerstone of our society's functions and governance. Recent events that threaten the functions, privacy and security of our public sector are a cause for concern. For example, earlier this week, it was reported that MINDEF's I-Net System was breached. The personal data of more than 850 National Servicemen and employees were stolen, which included their NRIC numbers, telephone numbers and dates of birth. MINDEF's Deputy Secretary said that the attack and breach were targeted and well-planned, and that they could not have been the work of casual hackers or criminal gangs. That is worrying. If a syndicate or an organised group has managed to breach one of our most well-equipped systems, by MINDEF no less, it leaves little to wonder how well-guarded our public sector systems are and how well-equipped our public servants are in ensuring the functions, privacy and security of our public sector systems. A study done by Accenture which surveyed 150 federal, state and local government executives in the US, found that almost 90% of respondents agreed with the statement that "cyberattacks are a bit of a black box; we don't quite know how or when they will affect our organisation". Another similar survey was done with 2,000 executives from large enterprises. It is interesting to note that 78% of commercial organisation respondents are confident that its cybersecurity strategy will demonstrate valuable results, while 53% of government agency respondents are confident this is so. Even though these findings are from the US, it is worth learning from their responses regarding new public sector capabilities.”
“I would like to ask the Minister of State this: if we look at Pathlight School, for example, they have a very successful model of helping children with autism and other specific special needs. Would the Ministry consider working closely with Pathlight School to set up more schools, where the Ministry would put in a lot more support in terms of funding and manpower resource?”
“I fully appreciate the intent of the EIP and I support it. But would it be possible, looking at the property market at this moment, to consider reviewing the EIP, not just to look at EIP for each individual block but reviewing the EIP to look at it as EIP for that cluster of blocks? Because if we are talking about integration, it is not just integration of races within a block, but the neighbourhood.”
“Madam, I certainly agree with the Minister that in reaching out to our elderly, all of us have a part to play. Even here, in this House, all of us, as Members of Parliament, elected or otherwise, can do something about it. We can visit them regularly at home with our volunteers and not just wait for grassroots events or the Government to do something about it. Would the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) consider working with the Ministry of Health (MOH) to look at how our Pioneer Generation (PG) Ambassadors can also be that first line of befrienders to visit our elderly, because they are already out there and are already trained?”
“Although Mr Sarkasi is now 76 years old, he is still actively practising the art of batik making. I am reminded of the saying "Life Begins at 40". Maybe it is also because I am now 40, too. But as long as we breathe, we should continue working and serving our nation, society and family. (In English): We need to showcase more older employees who are contributing extensively to their employers and companies and value-adding to their work despite their age. Such open-minded and inclusive employers who employ them should also be showcased and commended for retaining, retraining and re-employing older workers. With that, I support the Bill.”
“(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] The amendments to the Retirement and Re-employment Act are a welcome move, especially the move to repeal section 5 of the principal Act. The repeal of section 5 will give more assurance to workers and employers that one's age should not be used as a yardstick to measure whether someone is capable, is still able to work or is still competent for the job. Therefore, employers are no longer able to reduce an employee's salary just because he or she has reached the age of 60. Personally, I have met those who are in their 20s but cannot endure hard work and cannot accept criticism at the workplace. At the same time, I have acquaintances who are above 60 but are still working actively, even though they have heavy work responsibilities and have to endure long working hours. For so long, our community has become comfortable with the notion that 55 is the retirement age. But in reality, with higher standards of living and life expectancy now reaching age 80 to 85, the age of 55 is still relatively young. A person who is 55 can still work and be active for 10, 15 or 20 years more. Here, I would like to urge our Malay community to avoid planning their retirement too early. Employment is meaningless if we are unable to spend time with our family or pursue personal interests or perform our religious obligations. I believe we have heard of celebrities like creator of Marvel Comics Stan Lee, fashion designer Vera Wang and founder of GAP fashion retailer Donald Fisher. They became famous and embarked on new careers at the age of 40. Our own countryman, Mr Sarkasi Said, a batik master whom I respect deeply, also began to enjoy success in his field at the age of 40.”
“Clause 4, section 7(3) states that, I quote, "Where an employer does not intend to re-employ an employee because the employee does not meet the criteria in subsection (1)(b), then as far as it is reasonably practicable, the employer must give the employee a written notice of that intention within a reasonable period before terminating the employee's employment." What is a "reasonable period"? One month's notice, which is standard practice, may seem like a reasonable period. But for those who are older, say, 50 and above, one month may not be enough to find another job. I have met older residents who have lost their jobs and are unable to find another job even after many months of searching, sending out job applications, attending interviews, and even after undergoing skills training in new areas of specialisation. Some have even resorted to settling for lower-paying jobs or taking up jobs that do not fully utilise their skills or allow them to tap on their past work experience, because they are quite desperate to find another job, any job, just so that they can continue to pay their bills and support the family. This is an area in which I hope we can work closely with employers in providing more opportunities for older workers to undergo proper work redesign to ensure job relevance or provide them with more time to gain alternative employment. In addition, while I support clause 7 that makes amendments to section 7C to provide EAP, there is the question of how much payment is sufficient and fair and what constitutes reasonable attempts made by the employer in accordance with the tripartite guidelines. Will the Ministry elaborate on what reasonable attempts may be and what these tripartite guidelines are? Mr Deputy Speaker, please allow me to continue in Malay.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, the amendments to the Retirement and Re-employment Act serve to protect the employment interests of our employees, specifically those aged 63 to 64 and above. I am particularly heartened that an employer can no longer make indiscriminate downward revisions of the salaries of employees once they are nearing retirement age. As our population ages, we can expect to live longer and work until much older. Now, 60s are the new 50s. During my house visits and at my Meet-the-People Sessions (MPS), I have come across middle-aged residents who have expressed their worry at imminent job restructuring, salary reduction or employment retrenchment. For some of them, even though they are in their 50s, they are still supporting young school-going children as well as elderly parents. On top of that, they are still paying off their home loan. Yet another group of middle-aged residents are the sole breadwinners for their families, and job insecurity as well as salary reduction weigh heavily on their minds and shoulders. I particularly support clause 11(2), (3) and (4) to repeal section 5 of the principal Act. This is good news and is very fair to our senior employees. I believe that once someone reaches the age of 60, it does not mean that that person is less competent or less able to work. Competency and the ability to work really depends on the individual, regardless of age. Besides, with life expectancy now expected to be between 80 to 85, being 60 is still considered relatively young. A 60-year-old would still have a good 10-15 years to work and be economically active. There is, however, Mr Deputy Speaker, one part of the amendment that I am concerned about.”
“I was in the teaching service for about five years. I contributed to that 2%-3%. Even though my ex-colleagues and I would frequently complain about workload, about students, but that really was not the impetus for any one of us to leave the teaching service. Most of my colleagues who complain a lot are still there teaching. Nonetheless, I would like to ask if the Ministry would look into the employment and deployment of more teaching assistants, teacher aides or allied educators to assist our full-time classroom teachers to help them better manage the demands of teaching, particularly in terms of carrying out administrative duties, providing student learning support and even in classroom management.”