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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“I hope that our community will seize the opportunities that are available through the initiatives and programmes under SkillsFuture. I would like to urge them, regardless of age or formal educational level, to pick up the courage to change their careers if the new career can provide the opportunity for a more stable job. SkillsFuture can help those who wish to change their careers receive training and obtain skills that will be relevant to their new careers. I would also like to urge our community to understand that the opportunities presented through SkillsFuture are not limited to enhancing the knowledge and skills that are relevant to their careers. SkillsFuture also provides opportunities for us to pursue lifelong learning so that we can continue to be active even as we get older. I believe that SkillsFuture will be useful in the active ageing process of our community. (In English): Mdm Speaker, notwithstanding those few areas of concern that I have expressed earlier, I fully support the SkillsFuture Singapore Agency Bill. May the establishment of SSG provide more and better opportunities for our people in terms of education, training, retraining and skills upgrading and, thereafter, better employability and employment prospects.”
“Hence, it is equally important for SSG to work closely with these institutions and providers to ensure that the programmes or courses provided are relevant to the requirements of the global and local markets. It is a shame if even after undergoing further training, skills training or upgrading programmes, one is not able to have better job prospects or progress in one's career. In addition, there are also smaller private companies or organisations that conduct non-academic programmes, such as culinary or coaching courses, which are also useful in helping us upgrade and further hone our skills that may be useful for career progression or even to take up a distinctly different second career. I hope that SSG will also consider working with such companies or organisations, provided that they are able to prove their track records and the content and credibility of their training courses. For clauses 9 and 10, I urge the Ministry to appoint members of SSG who are of a good mix. They should not just be academically qualified, but also have substantial industry experience, including that from the private sector, and of having worked overseas. I believe that one of the Page: 68 objectives of SSG is to train and help our people be future- and global-ready. Hence, it is imperative that the members and advisors of SSG be those with relevant and adequate global experience and skills which are dynamic and current. Mdm Speaker, please allow me to say a few words in Malay. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] SkillsFuture will provide a wider platform for our community to continue upgrading their skills and obtain certifications that will provide various job opportunities.”
“Mdm Speaker, this SkillsFuture Singapore Agency Bill is a significant one. The functions and powers of SSG complement that of WSG, where SSG will focus on the facilitation of skills acquisition and lifelong learning, as well as the accreditation and assurance of training providers, and the regulation of the private education sector. I strongly support the establishment and the functions and powers of SSG. There are, however, a few suggestions that I have which I hope MOE will consider in finalising the functions and powers of SSG. In clause 5(1)(d), I urge the Ministry to consider including, as part of SkillsFuture initiatives and training, PEIs that are more well-established and have proven track records of accredited programmes and qualifications, as well as high employment success rates of their graduates. There are programmes and certification courses in these PEIs which are attractive to skills upgraders and which add diversity to the post-secondary and tertiary education landscape. It is important to ensure the quality of programmes and include only PEIs that are well-accredited and have high employment or career progression rates for their graduates. And I trust that SSG will continue the work of CPE in monitoring the quality of programmes and courses provided by these PEIs. We must recognise that when our people go for further training or upgrading courses with such post-secondary institutions and other providers of adult or further education, the expectation is that the new qualification or certification of skills that they obtain, can help them progress in their careers or have better job prospects.”
“In addition, retired seniors and stay-at-home mothers or fathers can also be trained to become community caregivers for the elderly or for young children. They can be the ones to provide some caregiving relief to full-time caregivers and support them in their work. Similarly, they may not necessarily get a fixed monthly salary but instead allowances for transport, expenses and time spent. As our society ages and as our total fertility rate continue to remain low, we need a lot more social and community support from one another and we need to look at how such support can complement employment and employability for our people. For clause 10, I am encouraged that more will be done to help our job seekers. This is especially so in the current challenging employment market. I hope that such employment assistance will not be confined to just blue-collar workers or para-professionals and that PMEs will also be provided help, including PMEs who are in their 40s or 50s. For the past six months or so, through house visits and Meet-the-People Sessions (MPS), I have met increasingly more PMEs, especially those in their 40s and 50s who have lost their jobs, been retrenched and could not find employment thereafter, even though they have taken up upgrading courses. They need help, largely because they still need to support young school-going children and elderly parents. I hope WSG can help this group learn new skills and embrace the use of new and smart technologies that can help them in their jobs and careers. Page: 38 Mdm Speaker, notwithstanding this few suggestions that I have, I fully support the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (Amendment) Bill.”
“Mdm Speaker, the functions and powers of the WSG are significant and impactful, specifically in helping our people remain employable and employed. I support the renaming as well as the revised and enhanced functions and powers of the WSG which complement those of the proposed SSG. There are, however, a few suggestions that I have which I hope MOM will consider in finalising the functions and powers of WSG. For clause 9, I am particularly heartened that among the objectives of WSG is to help Singapore Citizens and residents be employable through services and facilities to help them find and keep jobs, and also by working closely with employers and other relevant commerce or public sector agencies to identify and promote the enhancement of industry-specific skills. While I strongly support this, I would also urge the Ministry to focus not just on employment, reemployment and employability matters, but to consider including doing meaningful work post-retirement as part of WSG's initiatives. For instance, retired seniors can be trained and assisted to take up positions as healthcare case managers for other seniors who have chronic illnesses or other health conditions. These senior case managers are the ones to regularly and consistently visit the other seniors with chronic illnesses or health conditions to monitor their overall health, vital statistics, check on their diets and medications and whether they are following up with their doctors or healthcare providers. These senior case managers may not necessarily get a fixed monthly salary but may instead get allowances for transport, meals and time spent, very similar to our existing Pioneer Generation Ambassadors. This, certainly, helps in active ageing.”
“Mdm Speaker, I thank the Acting Minister for the replies and the assurance. I have three supplementary questions, just to follow up on the initial question that I filed. Did the excess funding of about $8.38 million given to NYPi cause any disruptions to programmes or operations of NYP itself? My second question is whether sufficient steps have been taken to ensure that current and future members of the BOG are adequately informed and reminded of the need to be above-board and ensure proper financial controls and governance? Third, are any actions taken against NYP BOG members who had so-called vested interests, as well as NYP's staff involved and whose lack of oversight may have caused these lapses to occur?”
“Will the Ministry be open to include non-CET Centres, such as private companies or organisations that provide skills training in areas, such as sports or the arts? For example, you can have a company that deals with football but they have certification courses in football refereeing that may provide opportunities for those who are seeking a second career to be referees in that sport, for instance. Can they be included under SkillsFuture? Page: 45”
“I thank the Minister of State. It is very heartening to know that TAFEP and MOM take a very serious approach to this. However, we still hear of some feedback of discriminatory practices when it comes to hiring. I did not quite catch the answer to my Parliamentary Question about the percentages of companies that are inclusive or diverse in their racial make-up. My second question is whether TAFEP will do a detailed study on the racial make-up and overall inclusivity of companies as well as Statutory Boards, mainly to focus on good practices that Page: 24 these companies or Statutory Boards may have. Third, are there plans to enhance recognition or award schemes that positively affirm employers, companies or Statutory Boards that are inclusive and racially diverse in their employment?”
“I have two clarifications for the Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs. Minister, MOE has recently made announcements about the changes to the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) scoring system. How will this affect our full-time madrasah students and asatizahs? And how can they be better prepared for it? My second clarification is about the Future Ready Mentoring by MENDAKI that reaches out to the polytechnic, ITE and secondary school students. Will there be similar initiatives for those who are rank-and-file workers, lower-wage workers or those without proper qualifications? And who Page: 45 will be doing that? Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Madam, to the second question, this is something which MENDAKI SENSE will pay attention to. We have our trade fairs and we are trying to encourage as many of the low-wage workers as possible to attend so that we can explain to them the SkillsFuture movement and how they can take advantage of it. We will also step up our outreach effort. To the first question, these are changes which have just been announced. We are glad to hear that MOE is moving away from grades and looking at different types of scoring. What impact it will have on how we prepare madrasah kids and our teachers is something which we will study closely with MOE. We will take guidance from MOE but, certainly, we will make sure that our system is ready to accommodate and adapt to the new system that MOE will put in place.”
“In Malay, please, Mr Chairman. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] The Joint Madrasah System (JMS) that was implemented in 2009 has come a long way in levelling up our full-time Madrasah education system and developing it into a world-class education system. Many changes have been made to strengthen our Madrasah education, including the revamp of secondary education for Madrasah Al Arabiah, where from 2015, the students are able to choose between a four-year direct GCE "O" Level route; or a five-year GCE "N" Level route, followed by the GCE 'O' Level examinations. In the light of abundant opportunities in the information technology and other growth sectors, I would like to know how our Madrasah curriculum will be modified and strengthened to better prepare our full-time Madrasah students, so that they can seize the available opportunities when they join the workforce. I would also like to ask the Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs if he can provide an update on the progress of the JMS and what else can be done to make our full-time Madrasah system more holistic. My two other concerns are: firstly, students in our mainstream schools who come from lower-income families can tap on the Ministry of Education (MOE) Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS). However, for full-time Madrasah students who may come from less privileged or lower-income families, are there similar financial assistance schemes provided by MUIS or the madrasahs? Secondly, I understand that the land lease for Madrasah Al Arabiah will be expiring soon. There are concerns in the community about where the Madrasah will be relocated and whether a longer term lease can be obtained, so that proper facilities can be built and implemented for the students and asatizahs of Madrasah Al Arabiah.”
“I would like to urge partner institutions, such as the polytechnics, to consider prior work experience on par with formal educational qualifications, such as the GCE "O" or "N" Levels, so that more mid-career individuals can qualify for courses to upgrade themselves or be certified to embark on a new career. Yet another group of Singaporeans that serves as a valuable manpower resource is our retirees and stay-at-home mothers (SAHMs). With the current shortage of childcare educarers and caregivers for the elderly, I am sure we can develop and pilot a training programme for our retirees and SAHMs to be trained as babysitters, child minders, educarers or caregivers for the elderly. We should seriously explore this and find effective ways in bringing back to the workforce our retirees Page: 83 and SAHMs. Issues of Workers' Interests”
“I would like to urge the Ministry to work with the Ministry of Communications and Information and the Ministry of Education and with our post-secondary institutions, such as the polytechnics and ITEs, to train, reskill and upskill retrenched or displaced Singaporeans to fill as many vacancies out of the 15,000 that we have been informed about. This is something we must do. For a start, we can enhance and expand our PCP so that we can prepare Singaporeans for the IT industry and the other growth sectors that I mentioned earlier. I would also propose that our PCP be extended to help reskill and upskill Singaporeans to join or return to the engineering profession. In a recent job fair in Ang Mo Kio Group Representation Constituency, I was talking to the HR manager of a local company that specialises in roadworks and construction. The company was looking for project engineers for their roadwork projects. He lamented that it was difficult to employ Singaporeans even though the company offered a salary of $7,000 a month for these project engineers. Well-paying jobs are there for Singaporeans but there may be a substantial mismatch of skills and experience in order to qualify for such jobs. PCP can help to plug this gap and bring back some engineers who have switched careers. At this juncture, I would also like to urge the Ministry to look into how eligibility requirements for training programmes, under SkillsFuture or otherwise, can be reviewed to move away from requiring formal educational qualifications as a prerequisite.”
“At our last Parliament Sitting, we learnt that the ICT sector will have about 30,000 vacancies to be filled. While it is understood that not all of these positions can be filled by Singaporeans, I find it too convenient to ask Singaporeans to accept that Page: 82 we would need foreigners to fill these positions because we do not have enough babies born annually or there are just not enough Singaporeans who join the workforce each year. I believe we can do more. There are more than enough Singaporeans who are retrenched from their jobs in industries that have been negatively impacted by the slowing domestic market and global economy, or those who have been displaced because of increased mechanisation, "technologisation" and "informatisation" of industries, for instance, those in the marine and process or manufacturing sectors and even those in administrative or management positions. Many of them are in their 40s or 50s, while some are in their 60s but who are still keen to be employed. Once retrenched and displaced, they settle for unskilled or lower-skilled jobs, such as cleaning tables or the streets or taking food orders, and accepting salaries which are a fraction of what they used to earn. Let me state that there is nothing wrong in taking up such jobs, but it is a pity if we were to allow this group of Singaporeans to be underemployed, just like that. They end up in arrears for their monthly bills and financial commitments and developing low self-esteem. We must help these fellow Singaporeans to reskill, specifically in terms of IT-related skills and other skills needed in growth sectors, such as medical healthcare and technology, gerontology and eldercare, the creative industries and even education and training that also require current IT skills.”
“With regard to the arts education and graduates meeting the industry's need, you realise that when you engage someone who has those capabilities and that education journey, they are actually equipped with a multitude of skills. For example, these skills can be transferred and applied to the various industries. They are able to think critically on certain issues and they also have this sense of aesthetics where they are able to innovate and create products, which I think is very useful. I gave the example of Ms Sasha earlier. She found that what she learned in her polytechnic became very useful in marketing. That has somehow given her an edge and her employer, Singapore Grand Prix, found it very useful. Another area is the user-experience design where, today, we see more and more companies, like OCBC Bank, the Airport SilverKris Lounge, as well as offices like HDB in Punggol, where they use such skills to innovate to enhance the user's experience. Our Arts graduates would be able to meet such a need in the demand for the industry. All these are happening and you see the changing landscape not only in terms of what they can do but in terms of employment and job scope. And of course, at the local arts institutions, we have enhanced internships for the students who can learn from companies and transit to working life better.”
“Madam, I would like to ask Parliamentary Secretary Muhammad Faishal with regard to the enhancements to the Creative Arts. How do the skills of Arts graduates from our polytechnics, NAFA or LASALLE meet industry requirements? And I understand that four more secondary schools will have the Enhanced Arts Programme. Are there plans to extend or eventually introduce this to all secondary schools? My second clarification, Madam, is to Acting Minister Ng Chee Meng. I note that the Minister has not touched on reviewing academic streams in his response. But I would like to urge the Ministry to review academic streams in tandem with the PSLE review. I recognise that it is not easy because having the academic streams have made Secondary 1 posting and teaching a lot more expedient and targeted, but I think the timing is right. With five years or six years before the PSLE review kicks in, we should attempt to move away from this self-limiting sorting. Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: I thank Dr Intan for the questions. With regard to the second question, what we have now is we have three more centres which are already hosting Art or Music Elective Programme (AEP), whereby students who are interested can also be routed to these centres. Page: 67 Interestingly, I have the case of a student which I had no time earlier to mention during my COS speech. It is this student from Kent Ridge Secondary School, Leonard Chia. He did not get a place in a school which offered AEP but because of the three centres that we have, they enabled students like him to be able to have opportunities to take on the courses. We will monitor the situation. Nevertheless, we can see the value of art education to our people.”
“For this group of children, they start Primary 1 without much preschool preparation and with what, I believe, to be insufficient optimum cognitive and socio-emotional development. MOE has already embarked on providing preschool education and has established MOE Kindergartens which now number about 15 centres around the island. Accessibility and affordability to preschool education would not be a prohibitive factor for parents not to send their children to preschool. I would propose that MOE look into bringing forward compulsory education to before Primary 1. It would be ideal to start compulsory education at the Kindergarten 1 (K1) level, but it would be good enough, for now, to begin compulsory education at the K2 level. The intent is not to make it difficult for parents or to enforce the Compulsory Education Act on them. The intent is really to ensure that our children have an earlier start at developing cognitive, social and communication skills, and to give a boost to children from less privileged families to help them have a better start at primary school. Early Childhood Education”
“The Compulsory Education Act implemented since 2003 has been instrumental in ensuring that our children have at least six years of primary education. Although Page: 22 the Act is in force and there are penalties under the Act to act as a deterrent, the responsibility of sending children to school for primary education and ensuring they remain in school during those six years still remains with the parents. I support compulsory education as I believe our children need a solid educational foundation that is not just about gaining knowledge, but also includes social interaction and developing communication skills. However, I would like to propose that the Ministry consider extending compulsory education even earlier, to the preschool level. Substantial research has shown that a child's learning ability is at its peak between the ages of two and five years. Their language ability increases manifold, moving from knowing about 50 words at the age of two, to at least 1,000 words by the age of five, when they learn to think, reason, read, count and identity colours, their body parts, the planets, the solar system, the different dinosaurs and just about every other category of objects. They also develop their social and emotional intelligence during these crucial years and, by age five, they would have learnt how to make friends and remember their friends' names and birthdays. Based on an earlier reply from MSF, the number of children of ages five to six who do not attend any form of preschool has declined from about 5% in 2006 to 0.8% in 2012 and, in 2015, this figure remains below 1%. This is encouraging as efforts to reach out to their families have shown success. However, there is still the 1% or so, or around 250 children each year.”
“Although we have AED(LBS) in all our primary schools, it is not quite so for our secondary schools. I would like to see all of our mainstream schools having AED(LBS) so that students with special needs can enrol in any of our mainstream schools. To mitigate the challenge of not being able to employ enough AED(LBS), I hope the Ministry would consider my earlier suggestion to train suitable parent volunteers to take on this role. I envision our schools to be a lot more inclusive, being a microcosm of our society, where various abilities and disabilities exist together, and where our students learn to work together and help one another with compassion and magnanimity. Review of PSLE”
“45 am As schools strive to create greater diversity among students and provide multiple pathways of excellence for them to pursue their interests and abilities in, there must also be efforts to ensure that our schools are a lot more inclusive. I have two suggestions. One, as the PSLE grading system will be tweaked, I call on the Ministry, once again, to consider abolishing the academic streams. Sorting our students according to academic streams has served its purpose during our efficiency-driven education era. But now, as we try to move away from putting too much emphasis on scores and instead allow students to learn different subjects at different levels of difficulty, according to their abilities, let us go one step further and remove these self-limiting but no longer necessary labelling which we call Gifted, Special, Express, Normal (Academic) or Normal (Technical) streams. Let us recognise that students develop differently and at different rates. We have already allowed subject-based banding and allowed students in the current Normal (Academic) stream to take some Express stream subjects because they are able, for instance. Let us now be bold enough to remove the labels entirely and yet continue allowing our students to learn different subjects at different levels of difficulty according to their abilities and progress. Second, in our bid to make our schools more inclusive, I would urge the Ministry to include more students with special needs in our mainstream schools, as long as they are able to cope with the rigour and expectations of the curriculum. There are Allied Educators for Learning and Page: 11 Behavioural Support, or AED(LBS), who can help students with special needs in the classroom.”
“This chase, in turn, affects admission to secondary schools, particularly those that are more popular than others and where the school cut-off points can be rather high. As a result of such keen competition to gain admission to these popular schools, many students depend on the DSA to leverage their other talents, such as in sports, music, dance or specific academic subjects. There are students who may not have met these popular schools' cut-off points for PSLE but have talents in other areas. There have been some concerns that popular schools which admit students through DSA in non-academic areas may end up having these students under-performing or doing poorly in national examinations, hence, affecting the schools' overall performance. I can understand that some popular schools are proud of their traditions and would like to retain a certain standard of excellence among their students. However, excellence cannot just mean achievement in academics. Excellence must be holistic and include those in sports, the arts, music and community work and volunteerism. I would like to urge the Ministry to continue to allow popular schools to admit students who have talents that are non-academic in nature. The diversity in student population created would then be more representative of the larger community where different abilities exist and where the environment is not so exclusive. Similarly, I would also like to urge the Ministry to help the less popular schools attract a more diverse student population, such as those who have talents in both the non-academic and academic arenas, by allowing these schools greater flexibility and autonomy to admit more students through DSA. 11.”
“For example, a school can have a Tier 1 netball team to compete in national schools' competitions and a Tier 2 netball team to train students in the sport or even have friendly matches with other schools' Tier 2 teams. In addition, the integration of outdoor learning and creative arts in our main school curriculum will strengthen learning and personal development of our students in schools. Schools in countries, such as Finland, have incorporated outdoor learning in their curriculum where students learn map reading and trekking and put the knowledge learnt in Mathematics, Geography and Physics into practice; while schools in Australia have incorporated creative arts in their curriculum where students learn to appreciate music, visual arts, drama and dance and apply the knowledge learnt in English, Literature and Physical Education. I would even propose that appreciation of music, dance and culture of the different ethnicities in Singapore be included in our creative arts curriculum. Being involved in the community through projects and outreach programmes helps foster values, such as empathy, caring for others and magnanimity. I hope the Ministry will continue to build on our Values in Action programme and grant sufficient space for our students to design and implement their own community outreach projects so that they are able to learn and internalise these values in a more authentic manner. Page: 10 Inclusivity On inclusivity, the new PSLE scoring system that was first announced by the Prime Minister at the National Day Rally in 2013 is a strong signal to parents, teachers and students of our move away from chasing the last point for the PSLE aggregate score.”
“Madam, over the years, our education system has evolved from survival to efficiency, to being ability-driven in terms of strategies, approaches and expected outcomes. We are now promulgating multiple pathways to diverse peaks of excellence in our education system. In our bid to make our education system more diverse and holistic, we have to include more co-curricular activities (CCAs), outdoor learning, the creative arts and community involvement in our school curriculum. I laud the move to recognise students' involvement in clubs, societies, sports, music and drama as part of the formal school curriculum, hence, placing such involvement as CCAs, rather than what was previously known as extracurricular activities. This is good because values, such as resilience, sportsmanship, having the spirit of teamwork and developing one's leadership skills, can be honed. However, currently, students' involvement in CCAs depends a lot on their ability in a particular interest group. For instance, before a student is able to join the school's netball or football team, the student has to undergo trials to see if they are good enough to be part of the school team. The purpose of CCAs is to allow more of our students to have a more balanced and holistic education in schools. But having trials to see how good they are before they are allowed to be part of a particular sport or ensemble unnecessarily restricts participation and does not allow late bloomers the space to blossom. I would propose that our schools expand their CCA intakes to take in different tiers of student abilities.”
“Mr Chairman, Singapore continues to enjoy long-standing, close and multi-faceted relations with India. For instance, in 2014, a government-to-government agreement was reached between Singapore and Andhra Pradesh where Singapore undertook the task of planning the layout of Amaravati, the new capital city of the State of Andhra Pradesh. In addition, we marked the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations with India in 2015 with a string of high-level visits which culminated in the official visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November 2015. During the landmark visit, Singapore and India further elevated bilateral relations with the signing of the Strategic Partnership by both Prime Ministers. I would like to ask the Minister: how do we intend to leverage on the Strategic Partnership to further enhance bilateral cooperation? And what other new areas of cooperation are we pursuing? Relations with Key Partners – Australia”
“I thank the Parliamentary Secretary for the answers. Can I just find out, on average, how many AED(LBS) are there in each primary school for a start? Are there plans for AED(LBS) to be present in every primary and secondary school? I know that it is probably not easy to recruit AEDs at the moment, but could MOE look into recruiting and training, for example, through the Professional Conversion Programme (PCP), the parent volunteers to become AEDs in the schools? Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: Madam, I thank Dr Intan for the question. Currently, all primary schools have AED(LBS) and about 80 of the secondary schools have AED(LBS). So, we are continually looking at this area to see how we can facilitate the whole process. However, like what I said earlier, it is not only about having AED(LBS). We have a system in place to make sure we care for one another. And I will take back to MOE the suggestion in the Member's second question.”
“When the school counsellor or the school staff member called up Benjamin's mother to ask whether he wanted to continue with the school camp the following day, could it not have been better communicated; could they not have met in person?”
“Thank you, Mdm Speaker, for the indulgence. Was Benjamin taken for questioning by the Police during school hours? If so, from what I understand, during school hours, permission is required from the parents or legal guardian before students can leave the school. My second question is: should the school counsellor or a school staff member not have met Benjamin and the mother or the father in person to find out whether Benjamin would want to continue with the school camp, rather than doing that through a phone call?”
“Madam, as a parent of two teenagers, I deeply empathise with the families of both the deceased and the victim. For the Minister for Home Affairs, I understand the urgency the Police had in interviewing the deceased, but could the Police not have waited another half an hour or one hour until Benjamin's father or mother came to the Police station or the school before starting to interview him? Like what the Minister mentioned earlier, this is his first offence. He did not have any prior record, and as a 14-year-old whom I still regard as a child, he must have felt quite frightened to be there being interviewed by the Police without a significant adult present. The other question: there are many speculations, accusations and unverified accounts on social media sites. In future, will the Ministry be more responsive and open to sharing more information in both print and online news media so as to make verifications or to dispel the accusations that are floating around?”
“Mdm Speaker, I thank the Minister of State. I understand he has answered my question and said that MND has no plans to carry out a pilot scheme for smaller rental flats where tenants can live alone. However, I am sure for most of us here, we have met residents who just cannot get along with their co-tenant, to the extent that they suffer from depression and it affects their mental and health well-being, even after attempts to mediate. I am interested in the scheme that the Minister of State mentioned, the new 1-room rental flats with partitions. How many of such flats have been introduced, what are the areas where such flats have been introduced and are there plans to introduce such flats with partitions to more areas in our housing estates?”
“To me, this will be a significant move towards greater inclusivity in our schools and among our children as current strategies for social cohesion in SAP schools are, at best, intermittent and simulated. In conclusion, there are still areas of sensitivities in our society that we need to address sensibly and tactfully. But we cannot continue to just be cautious or careful about these sensitivities at the expense of not making progress. The President's address reminded us of the opportunities and potential we have ahead of us, amidst existing vulnerabilities and sensitivities. Let us work harder and together to minimise our vulnerabilities and at the same time, strengthen the social fabric that binds us as we move ahead to many more years of nation-building. With that, Mdm Speaker, I support the Motion. 6.07 pm”
“The rationale for teaching CCE in Mother Tongue classes may be to address racial issues or values more sensitively, but I believe that after 50 years of nation-building, our society is mature enough and sensible enough to discuss sensitive issues pertaining to character or citizenship openly and honestly, starting with our children who are even more race-blind. Let us be sensible and honest enough to discuss issues of discrimination, stereotypes, perceptions and social cohesion openly with our children. Second, I would like to once again propose that our Special Assistance Plan (SAP) schools be opened up to admit students who do not take Chinese as a Mother Tongue language but who meet the school's cut-off point for the PSLE. I would propose that as a requirement of admission, these students will have to take Chinese as a third language from Secondary 1 to Secondary 4. This will enrich the racial make-up of students in the SAP schools and create more opportunities for multi-racial interactions and learning, making it more authentic and representative of society at large. As a parent and educator, I believe that taking Chinese as a third language and exposure to the Chinese culture for more of our children will help to prepare them to venture into a big market in China and other Chinese-speaking economies for employment and entrepreneurial opportunities in future. I am not asking for the SAP schools to be abolished. Far from it. I am asking for the SAP schools to be enhanced and for its social environment to be enriched. I am asking for MOE to pilot this in one or two SAP schools to see how it works out. If it does not, then at least we have tried. There are no sacred cows in so far as enhancing our education system to benefit as many of our children as possible.”
“In addition, I have met Indian and Malay Singaporeans who have expressed their worry that a slowing economy would mean either opportunities for employment or job promotion for members of our minority races, would be even more difficult. This may simply be a perception, but the perception that is observed or heard often enough becomes entrenched as a reality. Although I have reassured them that our Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices (TAFEP) will not allow such race-based discrimination from happening in the workplace, their worry still exists. There is always the worry that because of how different you look, you can be denied of opportunities. It is important for us to see beyond our physical differences and see the person within. We need to recognise that our abilities and potential come from what is in our hearts and minds, and are not determined by our physical appearance, by the colour of our skin or by what is covering our heads. I have spoken about this before, but it is important enough for me to say it again. I hope that those in positions of influence or power can show that these worries and concerns will remain unfounded. It is necessary for us to continue our efforts to enhance social cohesion and inclusivity in our common spaces, such as in the community, at our workplaces, and particularly in our education institutions and schools. In this, I have two suggestions. First, in teaching Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) in schools, I propose that this be changed from being taught in Mother Tongue classes to common lessons or in the form classes at the primary school level.”
“Since we are already allowing lateral transfers and greater flexibility for students to take subjects at different levels of intensity or difficulty based on their abilities, we should extend that to remove the labelling of students altogether, according to academic streams. My concern is that pigeon-holing students into Express or Normal (Academic) or Normal (Technical) streams will create and entrench the self-limiting belief in each student that they are only as good as the academic stream they are in. Yes, it will be a lot messier not to have academic streams, but neatness or expedience cannot be the reason for creating a less than optimal environment – for abilities to flourish and full potential to be achieved without imposing artificial limits. While the Government has taken the lead in recognising different peaks of excellence, as a society, we still have some way to go in accepting, recognising and rewarding different talents. Yet, sometimes, opportunities come not so much because of abilities or prior experience, but because of inherent factors – be it age, sex, or even race. Age, sex, or race are characteristics that we cannot quite change, but which, to a certain extent, have influence on employment opportunities or job promotion. There are older Singaporeans who are worried about being retrenched because of their age or because of competition from younger co-workers. A resident I know, Joseph, was retrenched from his job as a C-suite executive as a result of budget cuts and job restructuring in the company. However, he was convinced it was because of his age. He was 58 years old when he lost his job. In light of a slowing economy, these concerns are very real.”
“(In English): With this, Mdm Speaker, please allow me to continue in English. The main focus of SkillsFuture is to help Singaporeans obtain relevant skills and experience that will prepare them for the future workforce and economy. I laud this move to look beyond paper qualifications and consider skills, experience and abilities other than the academics. However, at the same time, I am also concerned about one specific group of Singaporeans – our university undergraduates, particularly those in general degree programmes, who may not have industry-relevant training or skills. I would urge the MOE to look at how students in such programmes can benefit from cross-discipline attachments or internships, and opportunities for multi-skilling or second-skilling during the course of their undergraduate studies, so that they are more employable in future. There are increasingly many opportunities to recognise and reward diverse abilities. In our education system, there are multiple pathways that our children can explore and venture forth in. This is good but it will still take time before we are able to look beyond academic achievements and paper qualifications. Here, I echo the Acting Minister Ong Ye Kung when he cautioned against excessively viewing ourselves in numerical terms – whether in scores or ranking. I would like to add on to Acting Minister Ong's words and urge us to not simply reduce individuals to numbers but also to mere categories – you are either young, middle-aged or old; you are either a university graduate or not; you are either in the Express or Normal stream in school. Specifically, I would urge MOE to review the way we categorise our students in schools into academic streams – Express or Normal (Academic) or Normal (Technical).”
“Presently, there are many assistance schemes for entrepreneurs by the Government, like the Productivity and Innovation Credit (PIC), iSTART Accelerate and Catalyse Entrepreneurship (iSTART: ACE), and Capability Development Grant (CDG), among others. I hope that our community can seize this opportunity to know more about these schemes, and how their businesses and companies can be strengthened through these schemes. At the same time, the SkillsFuture initiatve – for instance, the SkillsFuture Credit and the SkillsFuture Earn and Learn – can help to improve and sharpen our skills in entrepreneurship as well as in other careers, with the aim of enhancing the income and employment opportunities for Singaporeans. Here, I would like to urge mothers, especially homemakers, to use their SkillsFuture Credits to gain new knowledge or skills, or to deepen them. These knowledge and skills may come in useful if our homemakers would like to go back to work, or in their efforts to enhance their family income. Further details about SkillsFuture Credit can be found in this brochure, which is being sent to every Singaporean aged 25 years and above. At the same time, I would like to suggest that organisations like Mendaki Sense and the Singapore Muslim Women's Association (PPIS) to lead a combined effort where skills upgrading programmes and courses using SkillsFuture Credit can be planned and implemented to help mothers, especially homemakers or single mothers, gain new or deeper knowledge and skills. With this, our mothers will not feel that they are alone in their efforts to enhance their knowledge and skills. When we empower our mothers, we will secure the future of our community through our children. The hand that rocks the cradle can change the world.”
“Mdm Speaker, I rise in support of the Motion of Thanks to the President for his address at the Opening of this 13th Parliament. The President reminded us of the need to continue our hard work and commitment in making this nation succeed – be it in safety and security, renewing our economy, nurturing a caring and magnanimous society, rejuvenating our urban landscape, or strengthening our Government-and-people relations in nation-building. In my speech, I would like to address two related areas – that of opportunities and that of inclusivity and social cohesion. I am deeply heartened and grateful for the opportunities available to Singaporeans, particularly through the SkillsFuture initiatives. SkillsFuture will help to prepare us for the future economy through various skills, be it re-skilling, up-skilling, second-skilling, deep-skilling and even multi-skilling. Mdm Speaker, please allow me to deliver this part of my speech in Malay. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] I am pleased to see more and more of our Malays who are now becoming entrepreneurs. This shows courage – in seeking opportunities and exploring uncharted territories. Many are also displaying the "never say die" spirit. Although faced with failures, they kept trying, and improving themselves and their skills. I hope that many amongst us will draw lessons from the experiences of these entrepreneurs, not just from their courage in becoming entrepreneurs, but also their bravery and their willingness to never give up. I would like to encourage our entrepreneurs to share their experiences and knowledge, so that, together, we can enhance the abilities and potential of our community.”
“I thank the Senior Minister of State for the answer. While there is enforcement carried out, we still see foreign vehicles coming into Singapore that have, for example, very dark tinted screens or exhaust pipes which are really huge and make a lot of noise. On top of that, there are foreign vehicles that have been seen by our residents that are parked illegally at the void decks or on the pathways. Even though they have been issued summonses, there is no way to track them here as they do not have a local address and it is difficult to get them to pay. While there are checks at the immigration checkpoints, would the Ministry consider stepping up enforcement to ensure payment of fines at the immigration checkpoints or even impose a re-entry ban on such vehicles that continue to flout our local traffic or parking laws?”
“I thank the Senior Minister of State for the answer. I am heartened to know that the ratio of caregivers to patients has increased over the years. The reason I am asking this question is, based on a couple of visits to IMH, some of the healthcare professionals shared with me that they have to turn away some patients because of a lack of space and they do not have enough manpower to help patients. Other than that, may I also ask a follow-up supplementary question? From what I understand, currently, only the main caregivers of elderly persons aged 65 and above and persons with disabilities are entitled to the caregiver training grant of $200. Would MOH consider: (a) including mental illness under the caregiver training grant for caregivers of patients with mental illness; and (b) increasing the caregiver training grant and allowing more than one main caregiver to be trained for each patient with mental illness and understanding the challenges that come with giving care to patients with mental illness?”
“Although everything comes and goes, let us not forget the values and identity of those who gave us a society and a nation that is strong and one that we can be proud of. We have inherited something really special, that is, this country that we love. Let us continue this effort and carry out our responsibility to build and develop this nation, with an indomitable spirit that can never be extinguished. As the saying goes – we must always uphold the traditions in the place where we live. I support the Bill. 4.18 pm”
“As an athlete in school and then a journalist and, subsequently, as the Head of State, he consistently showed the highest level of discipline and an unparalled dedication towards self-improvement. Regardless of age or period of time, he had always given his best when performing his obligations – whether in education, career or family. His eldest son, Dr Imran Yusof, previously shared that Encik Yusof Ishak gave his full focus and energy towards fulfilling his duties and obligations as the Head of State, yet, at the same time, he never neglected his responsibilities towards his family. His identity – as a defender of the community and also as a champion of a strong multiracial society – is something that we should emulate. Just like him, as we continue to Page: 69 build and develop the Malay community, we should also champion the development and cohesiveness of a plural society in Singapore. I hope that with the renaming of the Institute as the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, we can continue his legacy – which is our commitment to achieve excellence for self and community, racial harmony and cohesion and also the development of the nation. As the saying goes: a tiger dies and leaves behind its skin, a man departs and leaves behind his reputation. And may the name Yusof Ishak continue to inspire us, especially our youths. For me, the move to change the name of this regional educational institute to the ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute bears an implicit reminder that we should not ignore. This move reminds us to never forget the struggles, deeds and contributions of the Pioneer Generation and those who are older and more experienced than us, in building this society and nation.”
“Thank you, Mdm Speaker, for this opportunity to speak on the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (Amendment) Bill. I wholeheartedly welcome this amendment to rename the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies as the "ISEAS- Page: 68 Yusof Ishak Institute". This change will bring the ISEAS Act into closer alignment with the legislation for other Statutory Boards under the purview of MOE. In our golden jubilee year, it is apt and timely to give this recognition to our first President, the late Encik Yusof Ishak. The late President Yusof Ishak was an exemplary leader. Although he was a stout champion of Malay issues and interests, he was equally a strong advocate of multiracialism and racial harmony. In his 1968 New Year message to Singaporeans, he said: "No man need feel that to belong to a particular religion puts him at a disadvantage or gives him an advantage.This is how things are in Singapore and this is how things must always be in our country. Only in this way can a multiracial society like Singapore live in peace and prosperity." Right after the 1964 racial riots, he went to great lengths to interact with people of all races to help restore trust and confidence among the different ethnic communities. The late Encik Yusof Ishak's commitment to multiracialism and racial harmony reminds us Singaporeans that while we are encouraged to further the progress of our own ethnic communities, we must rise above sectarian thinking, stand united as one people and look to further our broader national interests together. At this juncture, Mdm Speaker, please allow me to continue in Malay. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] The late President Yusof Ishak is a great role model for our youths.”
“I thank the Minister for the reply. Would the Ministry consider allowing rental tenants the option to use maybe post office box addresses or their next-of-kin's home address, with prior agreement, on their NRIC instead?”
“I am heartened by the Minister's reply to my earlier PQ that the traineeship programme for early childhood will be broadened to consider recruiting stay-at-home mothers, mid-career entrants and retirees. I hope that the SkillsFuture credit and SkillsFuture Earn and Learn programme can be twinned with the traineeship programme so that even more can be attracted to this profession, be sufficiently trained and gain sufficient experience to stay on as preschool teachers and educarers. 6.45 pm Page: 156 I hope MSF, through ECDA, would be about able to encourage more preschool operations to come on board and provide opportunities for prospective preschool teachers and educarers to be trained. However, beyond the remuneration and professional development opportunities, there is also a need for us, as a society, to give due respect to our preschool teachers and educarers and see them as professionals in their own right. As parents, we must see our preschool teachers and educarers as our partners and work closely with them. As a society, I hope we are able to recognise that for our preschool teachers and educarers, they are in the profession out of choice because they have the interest and passion to teach and care for our children. Childcare Fees”
“Sir, about 200 preschool and childcare centres are being rolled out by the Ministry to meet demand for preschool and childcare places. However, the challenge is not in making space for or funding the setting up of the centres. Rather, it is in identifying and training qualified preschool teachers and educarers with the right qualities to helm the centres and care for the children. In an earlier Parliamentary Question (PQ), Minister for Social and Family Development confirmed that the attrition rate of preschool qualified teachers is rather high, at about half of those who are trained. Raising the salaries of preschool teachers and educarers is one way to attract more to join and stay in the profession. While the salaries of preschool teachers have generally increased, many leave the anchor operator centres because they are lured by higher salaries offered by certain high-end preschools or other industries that pay better. To retain preschool teachers and educarers, there must be clear professional development pathways for them, such as training opportunities, professional-sharing sessions and recognition for doing so, as well as opportunities and funding support to present at international conferences or publish papers in journal space on their classroom experience. I see that, increasingly, preschool teachers in our anchor operator preschools undergo professional development training on a regular basis. However, would MSF consider setting aside a research or practitioner fund for our preschool teachers to embark on practitioner research to strengthen classroom practice and be given time and resources to pursue this? Thereafter, the research carried out by them can be recognised for job promotion or advanced preschool skills certification.”
“On their behalf, and as someone who dons a religious headgear myself, I say, "See us for what's in here and up here" and not what is covering our heads or what you see on the outside. For those among us who are in a position of influence or power, let us not allow our personal biases or misperceptions to cloud our judgement of who to hire or promote at work or who to groom for leadership positions. Let us be fair and objective always. For each one of us who may look different, we still want to be treated the same with dignity and to be given the same opportunity as anyone else. It is not too much to ask because the very strength of our society over the past 50 years is our diversity, be it cultural, racial or religious, the fact that we can have different faith, ethnicity, background or physical appearance yet still be treated the same and given equal opportunities to excel and realise our potential. As we carry on the journey of nation building the next 50 years and more, let us continue to embrace and celebrate our diversity. This is what Singapore is founded on. Volunteerism and Philanthropy”
“Mdm Chair, perceptions on discrimination by the minority races, particularly in terms of employment opportunities and job promotion, are still rife. This is despite provisions for fair employment practices such as TAFEP, MOM's Fair Consideration Framework and non-discriminatory hiring policies as well as assurance by the Government that equal opportunities based on merit are provided for all Singaporeans regardless of ethnicity, background or religion. Short of pushing for affirmative action for the minority races or explicit policies to specifically protect the interests of the minority races, our society also needs to evolve in how we perceive and treat fellow Singaporeans of different races, faith and backgrounds. We have to be able to look beyond physical appearance or religious symbolisms to see the person inside. To be fair and clear, I wish to state that the Government does not endorse or tolerate discriminatory employment or job promotion practices and this is evident in all its laws and policies. Even here in this House, we see a good representation of Parliamentarians of different races, physical appearance and backgrounds. Nonetheless, we still hear from some of our residents about the experience of being denied a job or a job promotion and, particularly, being made to feel it is because of their race, faith, background or physical appearance. One resident who sought my help to appeal for a job lamented that after many failed appeals, he believes that his appeals have been rejected because of his skin colour and race. It was not easy for me to convince him Page: 40 otherwise. It is even more difficult for me to convince those whose physical appearance may be somewhat different from many here such as being physically disabled or wearing a religious headgear.”
“Madam, in Malay. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mdm Chair, 2014 was an important year for the pioneer cohort of students in the Joint Madrasah System (JMS) who sat for the PSLE. I am proud of the excellent performance of many of our full-time madrasah students in last year's PSLE. Once they enter the secondary school level of the full-time madrasahs, what are the support and programmes available to help them to continue their excellent performance in both secular and religious education? In addition, what are the plans to promote part-time religious education, so that as many people as possible from all ages, within the Malay/Muslim community, can enrol and take part in it? At the same time, will the Government consider a suggestion that I made in the recent Budget debate – on the waiver of the examination fees for all Singaporean students who are taking the GCE "O", "N" and "A" level examinations, at least for the first time, regardless whether they are students from mainstream schools, private schools or are home-schooled? Page: 12 Embracing Diversity and Differences”
“(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] About three years ago, we saw the blossoming of interest and a stronger emphasis on early childhood education and preschools in the Education Ministry and among parents and education experts. Everyone agreed that a robust early childhood education and preschool system can help prepare our children to enter primary schools in a more positive manner and shape a more mature character and mindset. Page: 157 For over 32 years, the MENDAKI Foundation has been playing an important role in helping our children in their education from primary school up to the post-secondary level in the Malay/Muslim community. Are there plans for MENDAKI to expand its scope and get involved in the fields of early childhood education and preschool within our community, for instance, in enrichment programmes to prepare preschool students in reading or numeracy skills or in parenthood courses to help parents who have children in pre-schools?”
“Madam, the frequently-used translated Government terms are a good start and I applaud the proposed expansion. Are there plans to have a dedicated website for such translated terms, specifically for translated local terms in all the vernacular languages? Better still, if it comes with the search function so that it makes it easier for our students and the community to use.”
“Mdm Chairman, the National Translation Committee was set up about a year ago, announced in COS 2014, to enhance the Government's translation capabilities and produce quality translation in Government communication materials. This, in turn, will shape the standards of the vernacular languages used in the community not just by the general public, but also among our local school students. What are some of the Committee's plans to improve translation standards in Singapore which, inadvertently, will shape the proper use of Mother Tongue and vernacular languages in our community?”
“Raising salaries is just one way to attract more to enter the profession but it may not be enough to retain them. Would MOE consider having a more comprehensive professional development pathway for our AEDs that may, one, help them to be more recognised for their work and see a clear career path; and, two, allow them to change career tracks to become a General Education Officer or classroom teacher once they have garnered classroom experience and content proficiency? In addition, would MOE consider implementing the SkillsFuture and Earn-and-Learn Programme to allow stay-at-home mothers, mid-career entrants or retirees to join the teaching fraternity as AEDs? This could be one way to train and deploy more AEDs to our schools. On the matter of after-school care, many have voiced the desire to see each primary school providing after-school care within their premises in the next couple of years. This is necessary for many working parents of primary school-going children as having the after-school care within the school lends a sense of security and assurance. However, providing the physical space is an easy part. The challenge is having sufficient caregivers to helm these after-school care centres. I would like to propose that MOE consider piloting a project where our tertiary students from the polytechnics and universities to sign up as youth volunteers to help run the after-school care centres as part of the community or Values In Action (VIA) projects. MOE may have to provide the funding for the infrastructure, while these youth volunteers can source for extra fundings from external sources or through crowdfunding for programmes or operating expenses of these after-school care centres. Student Care Centres in Primary Schools”