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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“Madam, it has been about five years since the Allied Educators or AED scheme was introduced. From around 600 AEDs in 2009, this number has grown to about 2,400 today. There are about seven AEDs in each primary and secondary school. We must recognise the important role that our AEDs play in the classroom to assist our teachers and help ensure none of the students is left behind despite their different learning styles and abilities. While I am heartened that MOE has stated that they have met their staffing needs for AEDs in each primary and secondary school in an earlier Parliamentary Question or PQ reply, I still feel that even more AEDs may be required in our schools. The reasons are two-fold. First, the developmental support programme that has been rolled out by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) that will help about 2,000 preschoolers across Singapore will mean that students can be diagnosed with mild developmental needs much earlier. This is a good thing so that appropriate intervention can be extended to them through our preschool in their primary school years. Inadvertently, this would mean more AEDs may be required to seed the continuity of appropriate intervention and assistance throughout the student's school years. Second, the recent announcement by MOE on the school-based Dyslexia Remediation Programme for all primary schools by 2016 would also mean that more AEDs or learning Page: 68 support educators are needed in our classrooms, again, to ensure continuity and appropriate intervention and assistance to students with dyslexia. It is a challenge for MOE to employ sufficiently trained and qualified AEDs who are passionate about and committed to their cause.”
“Madam, our NSmen take their role in serving the nation and in remaining operationally-ready seriously and with pride. They have done well and contributed with all their hearts and minds. These include our Malay soldiers who have achieved honours and recognition in the SAF based on their own merits and abilities. They have been deployed to various vocations and units within the SAF and have done well. The extensive deployment of our Malay soldiers in the SAF is, in part, due to the continuous effort of the Malay PAP Members of Parliament in engaging the community and the Government. I am glad the Government and the SAF have taken much of the feedback from the Malay PAP Members of Parliament and made positive changes over the years. I am confident that we will continue to forge ahead and progress in this regard as our NSmen and soldiers ready themselves operationally to defend Singapore. [The Deputy Speaker (Charles Chong) in the Chair] The implementation of the new three-station Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT) has generated interest in the physical fitness of our NSmen which remain critical for the SAF's operational readiness and effectiveness. Would MINDEF be able to update how it is helping in ensuring our NSmen remain physically fit and operationally ready? In addition, the safety of our NSmen remains a concern, especially among parents, even though MINDEF has taken steps to improve SAF's safety systems and make them more robust. Can MINDEF provide an update on its efforts to strengthen training and operational safety? SAF Volunteer Corps”
“Madam, Singapore and India have traditionally had good bilateral ties and fostered partnerships in trade, defence and scientific research. Recent developments and collaboration between Singapore and India have been positive and show promise of greater things to come. One example is the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding in December 2014 to prepare the master plan for and develop the new capital city in South India's Andhra Pradesh. Would MFA provide an update on Singapore-India relations and what are some future plans that Singaporeans can look forward to, specifically in terms of business, employment and skills training opportunities?”
“Perhaps, they can speak and present better! Last but not least, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Mr Tharman has shared that development expenditures will grow to $30 billion by 2020. Investing in infrastructure is the right thing to do. Not every government can afford to do so without borrowing money, without printing money. Only a prudent and caring government like ours is capable of doing it. We have read of countries which are struggling with their budgets and their deficits. Here, we are fortunate to have taken a balanced approach over the years in managing the economy. Because of this, today, we are able to give a good spread on the Budget menu to provide for the people. It is a Government that will not fall prey to populist rhetoric and yet it is not insensitive to sensible feedback from the people to build a fair and inclusive society. We must give credit to our Government. Mdm Speaker, if every Singaporean is constantly learning new things to improve ourselves, if every company gives their employees the recognition and opportunity, I see a lot of hope in the future. I support this Budget, a future-ready Budget. 1.10 pm”
“SkillsFuture Credit is a good concept and the financial commitment from the Government is a clear indication that being less well-off should not stop one from improving your skills to seek a better future and contribute to our economic success. However, more must be done to instil a mindset change in Singaporeans, from employees to employers, to respect craftsmen and all workers, regardless of whether they are white collar or blue collar workers. We should not be biased towards academic grades. Currently, almost everybody wants to be managers, CEOs. How many of us are willing to dirty our hands? Indeed, we need more skilled craftsmen, artisans, welders, builders, technicians, electricians, plumbers and so on. We should pursue lifelong learning because of our own interest, because of our job requirements, that is, we can do our work more effectively and efficiently, not just for that Page: 32 piece of paper qualification. Besides the MOE and WDA, ITE, Polytechnics and Universities should have more modular courses to meet the needs of the workforce. We need to offer a greater variety of courses so that we can reinforce the notion that education is for everybody at any level, not just those who are academically-inclined. Learning how to fish to be self-sufficient is an important rule of life that should be ingrained in every Singaporean. We learn continuously to become the masters of our future. As employees are making the effort to upgrade themselves, similarly, employers must open up. They, too, must set aside resources to groom employees and give them the opportunity to move up the ladder and, eventually, perhaps, to lead the company. Why must we always look outside when companies are looking for CEOs? Are foreigners necessarily better than Singaporeans?”
“But we should not put them on a boat with Page: 31 some rations and then expect them to sail the high seas. I believe there would be government-to-government projects we can offer great opportunities for SMEs to participate in and to gain international exposure. Opportunities for such projects should be open to SMEs and not just GLCs like Jurong Consultants and Surbana. I believe SMEs, if given the chance and guidance, will be able to perform just as well. Give our local contractors opportunities to do local projects so that they can build up their capability. These days, many big Government projects are still awarded to foreign contractors. I am not asking for a protectionist policy, but we should promote buy-Singapore products and services first. If our local companies can do it, we do not need to give it to foreign contractors. The Government should lead by example. If our companies cannot win local projects, how would they stand a chance to venture overseas? I urge the Government to give them the boost they need. Our local construction industry, if properly developed, has great potential to venture overseas because there are lots of infrastructure projects overseas. Additionally, many SMEs require transport to run their businesses, but they cannot compete with the big businesses in bidding for COEs, for example. I hope the enhanced Early Turnover Scheme can help them to continue to be able to afford a vehicle. I am eagerly awaiting details for improvements to the scheme. Regardless of the sector, continuous education and training are always necessary to promote growth, be it at the individual or company level.”
“It is prudent that the Government, working closely with the trade associations of each sector, study how best to increase productivity and also their manpower needs. Many sectors will need more hand-holding if the Government can point them to the right direction and more productive work processes and practices which are proven in other countries, I am sure many of our companies would like to embrace the call for productivity. A one-size-fits-all solution will not work across the board, as every sector has different challenges and the nature of the jobs is varied. For example, companies that produce goods or services for export, can we give them more foreign workers as they bring in foreign revenues? And for those companies in, for example, ship-repairing, ship-building, they are saying that without manpower how are they going to compete with companies overseas? But let us not only think of foreign workforce in the field of manual work. There are some skilled personnel that we are in great need of, such as healthcare professionals and trained pre-school educators. There are insufficient teachers to meet the demand and grooming local educators takes time. In the meantime, a short-term solution to this crucial problem is hiring capable, qualified teachers from abroad. In Taiwan, the pre-school teachers are bilingual and place great emphasis on environment cleanliness in their teachings, a valuable concept that should be imparted to children at a young age. We should, therefore, carefully take in more of such foreign workers who can add value to our society. I am glad to note that the Government will be giving greater support and funding for SMEs to try out new ideas and venture abroad.”
“They are afraid that once the petrol tax is increased, the petrol companies will take the opportunity to increase the petrol prices and this may further cause other prices to rise, too. And as expected, as soon as the petrol tax is raised, the petrol companies raised the price of various grades of petrol. Who says that Singapore companies have low efficiency? The petrol price hike is higher than the petrol tax increase. One company even increased the diesel price whose tax is not even raised! When interviewed, their spokesman said, "The petrol price depends on many factors, such as the storage cost, land cost and international fuel price." These are just excuses. Did their earlier price not include all these factors already? What is more, the international oil price has been declining all this while. The petrol companies must have made a lot of money. Page: 30 We all know that what these petrol companies are doing is what we call "looting during a fire"; as my residents put it, "They just increase the price, willy nilly". Next, I would like to talk about our SMEs. (In English): Mdm Speaker, our businesses are disappointed with this Budget because they are facing a lot of challenges on the tightening of manpower. They thought that they can get some help from this Budget. The only consolation they have is the levy deferment. Because our country is not big, we need to have foreign workforce supplementing where we are short of, if we are to help our economy keep pace with the changing global economy. They are necessary in sectors that often experience shortages of manpower, either because locals do not want to do the jobs or they lack the skills.”
“I hope this scheme will benefit not just the operators; the most important thing is for the parents to benefit directly. In the past, whenever the Government increased the subsidies, the operators will increase the school fees in tandem and the parents did not receive any benefits. I hope this time round, the parents' burden can be lessened by reduced school fees. In addition, the Government will also do away with the examination fees. For poor families, this will greatly relieve their burdens. Talking about examination fees, I remember when I was in Secondary school, I needed to pay examination fees for taking national examinations. My father had no money and had to borrow from our relatives. Our relatives not only did not lend to him, but said, "Daughters don't need to go to school, because daughters will be married out of the family in the future, like water thrown out". Many years have passed and I still remember that incident. I really appreciate our education system, because better education can narrow the gap between the rich and the poor. In the area of housing for the sandwiched class, I hope the Government can raise the family income ceilings so that more middle-income families will have the opportunity to buy HDB flats or ECs. Because of family income ceilings, some young couples are forced to buy private properties. Besides their own children, some young couples also need to look after their aged parents or grandparents; the mortgage to buy a private property has created a heavier financial burden on them. Next, I am going to talk about petrol tax. Many residents have asked me why the Government is raising the petrol tax at this time.”
“] I would like to thank the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Mr Tharman, for crafting a Budget that is comprehensive and full of compassion. I am heartened to see that this year's Budget gives priority and emphasis on helping the less fortunate, as well as supporting and reducing the burden on the middle-income group. The funds for education and learning are one way to provide assurance that the Government is very concerned and that it believes that lifelong learning is a rewarding investment because our people are the most important resource to Singapore. I applaud this year's Budget because it focuses on the welfare of the elderly and demonstrates the Government's commitment to take care of them in their twilight years. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] The interest rate for the first $30,000 in CPF will be increased to 6%. This news is very inspiring. I would like to ask the Government how the CPF Board is going to pay for this higher interest rate. Where will the money come from? Now that we have such a high interest rate, surely my residents are very happy about it. If the economic situation allows, the housewives should take this opportunity to encourage their spouse or children to top up their Special and Retirement CPF accounts and Page: 29 save for the future. I hope the Government can provide more rebates to Singaporeans to encourage them to top up the CPF accounts of their family members who have no jobs. In the area of preschool education, the Government is going to introduce a new Partner Operator Scheme. We are all looking forward to it. I hope this scheme can ensure that the school fees are kept at affordable levels. The details are yet to be announced.”
“One role model is Mr Mustafa Lambak, who, I believe, many of us have already known through advertisements about Skills Upgrading and Lifelong Learning. Just like Mr Mustafa, we can also become good role models for our children so that we can inculcate in them the spirit of hard work, never giving up and to continue to pursue our dreams to improve our abilities and skills, regardless of age or background, as the saying goes, "Like father, like son". At the same time, I would also suggest that the Government provide full waiver of fees for all Singaporean students who are studying full-time in mainstream schools or in private schools in Singapore and those who are sitting for the GCE "O", "N" and "A" level examinations, at least for the first time. One particular example will be our students who are in the full-time madrasahs. This is one of the concerns of the Malay Members of Parliament from the People's Action Party as Page: 28 well as our Malay/Muslim community. This suggestion is similar to the provision of the Edusave fund for all Singaporean students. I believe that no Singaporean student should be left behind in pursuing their dreams through educational opportunities. (In English): To conclude, Mdm Speaker, I am very heartened by this year's Budget, which complements the incentives, assistance schemes and provisions of the preceding years' Budgets. Nonetheless, I hope the Government would consider the few proposals that I have made today, as we implement the schemes and programmes announced. With that, Mdm Speaker, I support the Budget. 12.54 pm Er Dr Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon): Mdm Speaker, in Malay, please. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.”
“It is also expedient to ask the Government to extend more Special Employment Credit to employ older workers. However, the onus is not just on the Government to give or provide more. Employers also need to re-look their Page: 27 hiring policies, specifically in retaining older workers beyond 50 years old. It used to be that when someone tells you they are 50 years old, you may think the person is considered "old". But now, a 50-year-old is considered still young, with about 30 more years to live on average and can be economically active for at least another 15 years! I hope that, in time, employers would be able to make that adjustment to retain older workers and eventually fully embrace the extended full 37% CPF contribution to beyond 50 years old for their workers. At this juncture, Mdm Speaker, please allow me to speak in Malay. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] I truly applaud the 2015 Budget because it presents the medium-term and long-term planning for Singaporeans of all backgrounds and capabilities. The ultimate focus of this Budget is to provide support for skills and human capital upgrading, as well as lifelong learning. In my view, this is the main path for us as a nation with limited natural resources so that we can maintain our global competitiveness. I am excited with the SkillsFuture scheme because I believe that many among our Malay/Muslim community can benefit from the schemes and incentives provided. I hope that we will not miss the opportunity to hone our skills and continue our education while enriching our work experience in an ever-changing world. The SkillsFuture scheme also emphasises that a University degree is not the only path to success, to upgrade our skills and to find a better life for ourselves and for our families.”
“Here, I would also like to propose that the SkillsFuture Earn and Learn Programme be extended to stay-at-home-mothers who are returning to the workforce and who would like to equip themselves with current skills, experience and industry qualifications and that this programme can be extended to our stay-at-home-mothers on a part-time basis so that they can gradually return to the workforce. For many stay-at-home-mothers, their CPF accounts do not receive any contributions during the time they are not working. Husbands who are gainfully employed and older children who are working can be encouraged to make voluntary top-ups or transfers to the CPF accounts of their wives or mothers. These top-ups should be made flexible and can be made from the husband's or children's CPF Ordinary Accounts and into the wife's or mother's CPF Ordinary or Medisave Accounts. The flexibility to transfer or top-up to one's Medisave Account will certainly help when MediShield Life premium payments kick in. Third, on older Singaporeans and CPF contributions. I support the increased CPF contribution rates for older workers announced in this Budget. The 1% increase for each employer and employee contribution will be useful in helping Singaporeans to continue to save for retirement. While I recognise that increasing CPF contribution rates for older workers may also create the adverse effect of making it less attractive for employers to continue to employ older Singaporeans, the reality is that our society is ageing. We will be working over more years as we are expected to live longer. It is expedient to ask the Government to extend the 37% total CPF contribution to those aged 50 to 55, from up to age 50 only currently.”
“I urge the Government to create as wide a coverage as possible by including both the SMEs and MNCs. I look forward to the details of the SkillsFuture Leadership Development Initiative. Second, stay-at-home-mothers (SAHMs), SkillsFuture and CPF. SAHMs is another group of Singaporeans I would like to make a pitch for under the SkillsFuture scheme. Based on 2014 data, the proportion of female Singaporeans and PRs who are employed seems to be on the uptrend from 2011 through to 2013, from the age group 25 years old and above. For the age group of 25 to 39 years old, more than 80% of our women are employed. This is encouraging. However, the numbers fall to below 80% for the age group 40 years old and above. As our women become more highly-educated, have higher earning power, and marry and have children later, taking time off from work to be a stay-at-home-mother is increasingly an option. However, we recognise that the employment sector is a very dynamic Page: 26 one and work skills evolve rapidly. Hence, the SkillsFuture Credit will be useful for stay-at-home mothers to finance their work skills-related courses while they are still stay-at-home mothers and before they return to the workforce. May I confirm that this will certainly be so for our stay-at-home-mothers? In addition, may I propose that the SkillsFuture Credit be made transferable between spouses and among family members? Hence, stay-at-home-mothers who need to undergo more intensive training can do so by utilising their husbands' SkillsFuture Credit, while stay-at-home-mothers who do not need the SkillsFuture Credit at that point in time, can transfer their credit to their husbands or other family members who can then utilise them.”
“Particularly, I would like to propose that Singaporean University students from general degree or less-specialised programmes, such as Science or Arts in our local Government-funded universities, as well as locally-based private universities, be included in this programme. I have met University graduates from general degree programmes or less-specialised programmes who face difficulty in being employed as they may not always be seen to have the relevant or required industry skills or qualifications. If the SkillsFuture Earn and Learn Programme can be extended to such Singaporean University students, even while they are still undergraduates, it will certainly prepare them better in terms of employability. The SkillsFuture Leadership Development Initiative is another scheme that I applaud. This initiative will help to identify and groom Singaporeans with the capabilities and potential to develop the right skills and experience and hone their leadership proficiencies. However, may I ask, is this initiative meant only for our local SMEs? Will MNCs also be able and encouraged to implement this initiative? The reason I ask is because although largely anecdotal, I am sure we have heard from Singaporeans working in some MNCs that they have observed instances where those who are promoted or given leadership opportunities tend to be of the same race or ethnic backgrounds as the reporting or senior officers who usually tend to be foreigners and who are in positions of influence or power in these MNCs. Despite provisions by the Government to ensure equal opportunities and fairness in hiring and promotion, such as through TAFEP, MOM's Fair Consideration Framework and non-discriminatory hiring policies, these instances are still observed and felt by some Singaporeans.”
“Thank you, Mdm Speaker, for this opportunity to speak on the Budget delivered by Deputy Prime Minister Tharman on 23 February 2015. Like many who have spoken before me, I applaud this year's Budget. Together with Budget 2013 and Budget 2014, this year's Budget completes the holistic coverage of assistance, incentives and provisions for Singaporeans of all ages – from the young and young adults who are studying or starting their careers, through to the middle-aged employees who are thinking of changing their careers or starting their own businesses, as well as Singaporeans who are in their golden years. For this year's Budget, I am particularly heartened by the greater focus on income redistribution, assistance and recognition for alternative pathways in education and careers, as well as lifelong opportunities and provisions for learning, training and upgrading of skills. These signal the Government's commitment to greater equitability to ensure equal opportunities remain for all Singaporeans. While I appreciate the extent of coverage and assistance of this year's Budget, I wish to surface three proposals for consideration by the Government when implementing the programmes and schemes presented in the Budget. First, SkillsFuture. The full suite of SkillsFuture scheme is a welcome move for Singaporeans as it lays a clear pathway of learning, training and employment opportunities throughout one's career. The SkillsFuture Earn and Learn Programme is useful for our Polytechnic and ITE graduates to gain relevant work experience and training that will lead to industry qualifications. However, may I propose that university graduates or even undergraduates, Page: 25 also be included in this programme?”
“Madam, I thank the Minister for the reply. May I just find out from the Minister who mentioned in an earlier Parliamentary Question (PQ) in a different parliamentary Sitting that the attrition rate of trained preschool teachers is quite high, at about 50%. Have we managed to bring this number down? My second question is: I do hear from some preschool operators' principals that it is not easy to get teachers to join the sector even though there are programmes in place. What is the progress of, for example, the traineeship programme for the early childhood sector? Are we able to attract stay-at-home mothers, retirees or mid-career entrants to join the sector in order to make up for the shortage of teachers in this sector?”
“Thank you, Madam, and I thank the Senior Minister of State for the answer. If I heard correctly, there are about one million Singaporeans who are eligible for the CHAS scheme, but only about 300,000 have signed up for the scheme. Can I get a clarification from the Senior Minister of State? If so, what can be done to ensure that the other 700,000 or so Singaporeans who are eligible will eventually sign up for the scheme? My second supplementary question is: can signing up for CHAS be made easier for Singaporeans? And the last question is whether CHAS will eventually be extended to include all GPs because, currently, I think some GP clinics are still not under CHAS.”
“I thank the Parliamentary Secretary. There are those who purchase shisha during overseas travel and bring them back for personal consumption, not me. How will this be affected with the implementation of the prohibition? Page: 19 The other question is what can MOH do to educate our public, especially our young, about the harmful effects of shisha smoking? We increasingly see a lot of our young smoking shisha, especially around the Kampong Glam area. Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: I thank the hon Member for the question. Essentially, the simple answer is no. You cannot import or bring in any amount of shisha in Singapore. At the end of the day, like what I said earlier, we want to protect everyone from the health risks associated with shisha smoking. The Member's second question relates to what MOH will do. Through HPB and its partners, we will continue to share and engage the public on the harmful effects of shisha and its addictive nature. For example, we have engaged community organisations as well as schools, ITE, Polytechnics, Universities and we have shared with them online materials as well as printed resources on the harmful effects of shisha. In fact, these few months, we are ramping up our effort to reach out to the people, especially targeting the young, with clear messages about the harmful effects of shisha for this current period of the campaign.”
“These specially-qualified and experienced public officers would be in a better position to engage with and counsel trafficked child victims and ought not be in uniform, so as to better provide assurance to the young trafficked victims that they have nothing to fear, especially if they have to give testimonies for Court proceedings. Other than these three areas in which I hope the proposed refinements can be considered, I am contented that the Bill has been carefully discussed, considered and crafted. Mr Deputy Speaker, I stand in support of this Prevention of Human Trafficking Bill. 6.06 pm”
“Where the trafficked victim is a child, as defined in this Bill, the sentence ought to be harsher than that proposed in clause 4. A child who is trafficked is much more vulnerable and likely to have trusted a significant adult in their life, only to have that trust betrayed and they end up as a trafficked victim. The perpetrator, once caught, must be dealt with much Page: 95 more severely for taking advantage of the trust and innocence of a child. As adults, we have a responsibility to protect and love our children – regardless of whether they are our own biological children or otherwise. If a child learns little but betrayal, distrust, exploitation, fear and anger from the adults around them, those adults ought to be dealt with as severely as possible. Second, under clause 19(1)(a), it is stated that temporary shelter will be provided. Like the hon Member Mr Alex Yam, I hope that more shelters can be set up to help trafficked persons who are rescued, preferably shelters that are established and funded by the Government. Third, I agree that necessary and sufficient assistance ought to be rendered to trafficked victims, in particular, if they are children, as stated in clause 19 of this Bill. However, for clause 19(2)(a), I would like to propose that the Director of Social Welfare not just appoint any public officer to render assistance to a trafficked victim. Rather, if the trafficked victims are children as defined in this Bill, may I suggest that only public officers who have had sufficient experience working and interacting with children below 18 years of age – such as school teacher-counsellors; children, youth and family social workers; or certified child or school psychologists or counsellors – be appointed.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, for this opportunity to speak on this Prevention of Human Trafficking Bill tabled by the hon Member Mr Christopher de Souza. I support this Bill, which is needed and timely. It is needed and timely because of many on-going cases of individuals – more often than not, women and children – who have been victims of human trafficking and where the perpetrators are not just mere opportunistic individuals but syndicates operating across borders globally. Even in Singapore where our current laws have been judicious and just in ensuring human trafficking does not get out of hand, a dedicated set of laws, such as the one we are debating on today, is still needed. For instance, we have read about young women from several countries in the region who have given accounts of how they were tricked into prostitution through promises of good jobs and what they initially thought were a way out of poverty for their families back home. The hon Members Mr Christopher de Souza and Mr Alex Yam have shared a few of such unfortunate situations. They were taken advantage of and forced into the flesh trade either in Singapore or elsewhere. With what we have within our ability and legal system, we must intervene and help them once this happens within our borders. While I support the Bill we are debating on today, there are three areas in which I wish to propose some refinements. First, I am quite contented with the punishment proposed for trafficking in persons as stated in clause 4 of the Bill. Although clause 4(2)(c) does indicate that the appropriate sentence will be determined should the trafficked victim be a child, I wish to propose that a harsher sentence be meted out in this case.”
“The changes are inclusive and progressive, and I am confident many of our children and future generation will benefit from these amendments.”
“(In English): My second concern is that in clause 9, it is stated that a pupil can withdraw from his Edusave account to "defray the whole or part of his expenses as may be necessary to enable him to take part in any enrichment programme approved by the prescribed school or junior college he is schooling at". Page: 74 For students who are homeschooled or who may not be able to attend formal schooling for various reasons, will this mean that they may not be able to use their Edusave funds for any enrichment programme or activity that they so choose? If they can do so, do they need to submit the proposed programme or activity for approval before they can withdraw from their Edusave account? I hope the Ministry can clarify this. Finally, in clause 16, it is stated that monies in a member's PSEA can be donated to a prescribed charity of choice. However, the prescribed charity must be a "charity whose objects are exclusively or primarily for the advancement of education". I would like to propose for this clause to be reviewed. In my opinion, the decision to donate to charity from one's PSEA should be left to the account holder and that the account holder be given flexibility to do so freely. Some of us may be inclined to help the destitute, the disabled or the elderly, while others may feel inclined to contribute to religious or environmental causes or animal welfare. May I propose for this clause to be more encompassing and allow donations to be made to any charity or Institute of Public Character that is registered with the Commissioner of Charities instead? I hope the Ministry will be able to address this. In conclusion, Mdm Speaker, I am heartened by the changes to the EESSA Bill.”
“Thank you, Mdm Speaker, for this opportunity to speak on the EESSA Bill. Mdm Speaker, please allow me to continue in Malay. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mdm Speaker, when it was announced in August 2013 that there will be a change to our Edusave scheme to allow all of our Singaporean children to receive and use the Edusave fund, many Members of Parliament in this House, including myself, were moved and delighted with the changes that will be implemented. This change will benefit about 20,000 more of our children. And I believe that our children will be able to participate and enhance their knowledge and skills in a variety of programmes and activities without feeling too worried about the expense. However, I want to surface some of my questions and concerns, and I hope the Education Ministry will be able to address them later. First, in clause 7, the Bill states that the Minister can set the allocated amount for certain groups of students. I hope this does not mean that there will be differences in the allocation of funds for students in the mainstream schools, compared to the students in the full-time madrasahs, private schools or our homeschooled children. I believe that our children studying in mainstream schools and full-time madrasahs, private schools or at home can also cooperate and collaborate to participate in programmes and activities together, so that they can interact with and learn from one another. With such involvement, the cost of this expenditure can be supported by their Edusave funds. On this note, Mdm Speaker, please allow me to continue in English.”
“Just to pick up on the point on the DSP. I understand that the DSP is rolled out only in certain preschools for K1 and K2 students. Are there plans to expand it to all preschools? And are there also plans to extend the EIPIC programme to more centres?”
“Thank you, Madam. I have a couple of supplementary questions. May I know what is the percentage of those who are undergoing training as preschool teachers who will eventually end up as preschool teachers? Is there a high attrition rate for those who undergo the training programme but did not end up as preschool teachers? My second question is about the traineeship programme for the early childhood sector. I think the Minister probably touched on this a little bit earlier, but I am wondering if a part-time scheme or flexi-adjunct scheme for stay-at-home mothers can be introduced under this traineeship programme, to encourage more stay-at-home mothers to come out and join the preschool sectors as educarers or teachers.”
“Parents who are able to inculcate, deep in the hearts of their children, respect and humility towards anyone – regardless of their jobs or society’s perception of their social status – will produce a generation that is generous, kind and sincere, and this type of identity will ensure the success of the recommendations in the ASPIRE report. 6.31 pm”
“" At this juncture, Mr Deputy Speaker, please allow me to speak in Malay. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.]: The world is increasingly globalised and opportunities for education, upskilling and employment are not only available in Singapore, Page: 106 but also in almost all corners of the world. Our students now have the opportunity to study and train, to sharpen their skills across many platforms including overseas, through student exchange programmes or training programmes. Hence, our students should seize the chance to participate in these programmes, even though it may take place during school holidays or it may last several months in another country. However, it will be very beneficial – not only in terms of knowledge or skills enhancement, but also in terms of developing and strengthening the network of contacts and later in the future, job prospects and entrepreneurship opportunities. With that, I strongly support the recommendations in the recent ASPIRE report. The close cooperation between educational institutes, employers, unions and the Government is essential to strengthen our polytechnic and ITE education in order to stay relevant. At the same time, parents also play an important role in shaping minds and positive perceptions about polytechnic and ITE education. We should not place education in the polytechnics, ITEs or universities in a hierarchy. Instead, education in these institutions are simply different pathway choices to fulfil different skill requirements and knowledge. What is important is that our values and identity must be instilled early and properly.”
“Changing global demands mean that relevant experience, skills and training are essential and, like the hon Member, Ms Denise Phua mentioned, I hope that the university pathway will also be included as part of the recommendations for review under ASPIRE. Beyond the tangible, parents and the community at large have an important role to play in changing mindsets. For a start, we have to emphasise to our young that there must be respect for every person and the job that they do. Those who do well should not act as if they are superior to others or that others owe them a living. In fact, I am sure many of us here in this House know of successful people who are anything, but arrogant or self-centred. Many of them are kind, humble and generous and give back to society in many different ways. Conversely, those who do not climb the corporate ladder or lead a simple life, or who have deliberately made these choices, should not be deemed less successful, nor should they look at those who are wealthy or in high social or corporate positions with envy or disdain. It is never binary – that those who are wealthy or drive big cars are pompous or those who lead simple lives are always victims of circumstances. These are just perceptions and likely our own biases. At the heart of it all, there must always be respect – for self and for others – and there must be humility. If I may quote the late Nelson Mandela: "If you are humble, you are no threat to anybody. Some behave in a way that dominates others. That is a mistake. If you want the cooperation of humans around you, you must make them feel they are important – and you do that by being genuine and humble. You know that other people have qualities that may be better than your own.”
“Other than the Government and employers, parents and the community at large also play a vital role, particularly in helping to change mindsets and in shaping the values of our future generation. There are many ways to attain success. Nevertheless, I have met parents who still feel that the only way they deem their children to have attained success in life is when they become a university graduate. Once a university graduate, these parents believe their children will have good jobs that will provide for them for life. Well, life is not always so predictable. A resident I met recently has a university degree in Computer Science from one of our local universities. He landed a cushy IT job with a multinational company that deals with computers. After about 15 years of working with the MNC, his department closed down because of changing global demands and he found himself out of a job. For about a decade thereafter, he was between jobs working as a housing agent at times and a sales promoter Page: 105 at other times, and never got back into the same IT profession. Another person I knew did her Bachelor, Master's and doctoral degree back-to-back without having had any experience of being employed. Although she got her doctorate before the age of 30, she took almost two years before landing a full-time job. She had difficulty finding employment because she had no prior work experience at the age of 30. Hence, my point is that, even with a university degree, it does not necessarily mean that one will land a job or be able to keep a job.”
“Page: 104 However, while we give greater recognition to experience, skills and progress above and beyond paper qualifications, there are valid concerns brewing among our youth with regard to foreign talents. Some have expressed concern that should they decide to take the less academic path, they will lose out to their foreign counterparts who come armed with university degrees and other postgraduate qualifications. The worry is that our youths may end up in para-professional positions or support roles only. As it is, some of my younger residents have shared how in the companies that they work in, their employers get around the foreign employee dependency ratio by hiring as many foreigners as possible as their Professional, Management and Executive (PMEs) staff and making up the local employee quota by hiring all Singaporeans as the support staff. For instance, one of my residents who works as a lawyer in a foreign law firm based here, out of 10 lawyers in the firm, she is the only Singaporean, she says. The firm fulfils the requirements of the Dependency Ratio Ceiling (DRC) by employing all Singaporeans as the support staff or as non-lawyers. So, may I propose that the Government re-look the foreign employee dependency ratio or DRC, to require that a certain percentage of local employees is to be met for the PME and E Pass holder category and a separate quota to be met for the Technician, support staff and S Pass holder category? Let us make it a more level playing field for our tertiary graduates to be hired as PMEs in the workplace, especially where these are foreign companies based locally.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, for the opportunity to speak on the Motion to endorse the ASPIRE report. Like the hon Members who have spoken before me, I am heartened by and fully support the move to strengthen our polytechnic and ITE education through closer collaboration among the educational institutions, potential employers, employees and the Government, bearing testament to the often heard saying, "it takes a village to raise a child". While I agree with the broad directions of the ASPIRE report, there are two areas in which I think that we, as a society, still need to work on. First and foremost, the Government has a crucial role to play in setting the right tone and expectations. The ASPIRE report fundamentally sends the message that employers should look beyond paper qualifications alone. While paper or academic qualifications may be an indicator of a person's capability, there are those who are examination smart and are able to excel in tests and examinations, and there are those who are late bloomers and will realise their true potential only much later after they have left school. There are other qualities that employers should look at – performance, values, experience and skills – before deciding to hire or promote. It does not necessarily mean that when one does well academically, they will work well with others, be able to lead, or do well in their careers. The converse is also true. Hence, it is heartening to note that there will be changes to the civil service hiring policies and salary scales that will give greater recognition to non-university graduates who have performed well and have the relevant experience and skills. I hope this will be emulated by the private sector as well.”
“I thank the Minister for the reply. I note that, so far, 326 households have joined the enhanced Lease Buyback Scheme. It is still early days yet because the scheme is relatively new. But may I propose that the enhanced Lease Buyback Scheme be extended to flats that are larger than just 3-room flats – for a start, a 4-room flat. This is because we note that about 44% of 367,000 households have elderly who are aged 55 years old and above. For the Ministry to consider.”
“I thank the Senior Minister of State for the reply. Even though the age of the borrowers may not be available, I understand that the minimum age at the moment is 18 years old. Would the Ministry consider putting in the requirement that the minimum age to borrow from moneylenders is 21, in line with financial institutions, to deter younger borrowers from thinking that they can get easier loans from moneylenders rather than from the banks? My second question is whether the Ministry would consider putting in the requirement to cap the interest rates for both secured and unsecured loans for borrowers whose annual income is above $30,000 because, currently, it is not capped.”
“I thank the Senior Minister of State for her reply. I have just a couple of questions. First, would the Ministry consider producing videos similar to the one that Brian Richmond did during this World Cup season, but slowing down the pace in which the information is conveyed, because for even older Singaporeans, it is probably a bit too fast for them. My second question, I am not sure whether this was covered in your Mandarin reply earlier, but would the Ministry consider using paid media advertising, for example, transit TVs on buses or advertising on TV screens in high traffic areas, which are shopping malls or supermarkets to convey such videos as well? Page: 30”
“These efforts can help to correct negative perceptions that Malays are being discriminated against or are less trusted, especially if the belief that there are opportunities available for all Malays to be promoted, appointed to leadership positions or positions of trust, or achieve success, can be established and strengthened through the role models among us. These role models can reinforce such beliefs more effectively, rather than merely sharing statistics. At the same time, although we want to correct this negative perception, we must also concur that many of our Malays have achieved success through the opportunities available, by their own capabilities, and based on the principle of meritocracy that is upheld by our Government. Page: 97 Mr Pritam Singh had earlier agreed that this is also true for our military service, that there is a lot of progress achieved that involved our Malays, and they are given better positions and more responsibilities. In building a nation where opportunities to succeed are available, we also must not diminish the importance of the Hope or Belief – that Opportunities to succeed are for everyone – regardless of race, background or financial capacity – and it is not only for certain groups. This belief can be inculcated through what is seen, heard, experienced and identified, before one can accept and believe that equal opportunities exist for everyone in our country to achieve success and continue to progress, and I believe that, with this Government, this belief will be reinforced. (In English) With that, Mdm Speaker, I support the Motion. 6.24 pm”
“] Last Monday's debate between Mr Faisal Manap and Mr Zainal Sapari touched on the issue of loyalty and the perception of discrimination among our Malay community, as reported earlier in the Suara Musyawarah Report. Statistics from various governmental sources have shown that Malay individuals are represented in leadership positions within the Public Service, the armed forces or uniformed services and have increased over the last 50 years. These statistics should not be doubted, because it is true. However, the perception that there are lesser opportunities to Malays to be promoted or appointed to leadership positions still exists. We have to admit that such perceptions, even if they come from one source or one example only, can eclipse all other statistics that show otherwise. For instance, in the Singapore Navy, although there are many naval officers who are Malays, as long as there are no Malay crew members in certain types of vessels, the perception that there is discrimination towards Malay in the armed forces will perpetuate, regardless of the reasons or the presence of proof showing the contrary. Although I do not agree with Mr Faisal Manap's suggestion to establish a special committee to study, understand and analyse this situation or the issue of Malay loyalty in our nation, I feel that we can take certain steps to correct the negative perceptions that Malays are being discriminated against or are less trusted. For example, Malay public service officers or Malay workers in our private sector who are capable and show good potential, should be groomed, featured as role models and be given the opportunity to be better known, especially among our Malay community.”
“She said that only one of her five children gives her a monthly allowance for daily expenses, while her other children do not support her nor visit her. Fortunately, for Mdm Hazmah, proactive community action from the Residents' Committee (RC) and the Family Service Centre help to ensure that she receives financial assistance and meal vouchers for her daily needs, and that she knows whom to approach should further assistance be needed. Beyond financial assistance, it is disheartening to see that there are quite a number of our senior residents who live alone and whose grown-up children do not visit them or check on them regularly. Even in a senior nursing home that I visited recently, I was told by the staff that more than half of the senior residents have not had visits from their children or families in over a year. It is very disheartening and disappointing to see our elderly being seemingly abandoned by their children – whether in the rental flats or in the nursing homes. Yet, there are calls for the Government to do more to take care of our elderly. Taking care of our elderly cannot be done by the Government alone. Families and children have an equally important role to play – even if not financially, then at least visit them regularly and spend time with them. The Government may help address the financial aspect of elderly care, but each and every one of us must be able to provide the emotional and social aspects of elderly care. Collaborative community action – from the Government, the families and children, and the community – is needed to ensure that a happier and caring society exists for our elderly. At this juncture, Mdm Speaker, please allow me to continue in Malay. Page: 96 (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.”
“While for lower-income earners, the Minimum Sum can be a fraction of that amount – possibly two-thirds. For many lower-income earners, tiered Minimum Sums would make the goal more achievable for them. Currently, many feel that they are working towards a moving goal-post that seems to get further out of reach as they get older. Many look forward to receiving some small payout from their CPF accounts when they reach 55 years old, to taste the fruits of their labour, after toiling hard at work for many years. In addition, there are many seniors, including lower-income earners, who want to work and continue to work even after the age of 62, because many recognise that the monthly CPF payouts alone is not enough for daily expenses. What is needed is to ensure that our seniors can stay active and healthy and can continue to be gainfully employed even in their 60s. Page: 95 Nonetheless, I must admit that the Government has extended generous assistance schemes to our elderly and Pioneer Generation. Despite calling for further enhancements, I would also urge the families to play a greater role in taking care of them. During recent visits to rental flats in Ang Mo Kio, I noticed that there are substantially many senior residents who either live alone or with another senior who is a non-relative. As I chit-chatted with them, I found that these seniors actually do have families and several grown-up children. However, even during the weekends when I visited them, most of these senior residents are alone and are not visited or financially supported by their grown-up children. One of them, Mdm Hazmah, lives with a friend in a rental flat but she has five grown-up children who live with their respective families.”
“So, Mdm Lim has to take the bus to her granddaughter's school and fetch her home in the afternoons. Page: 94 Another resident, Mdm Jacinta, lives alone in a rental flat and has no children or family members to support her. At 73 years old, she works part-time at a restaurant and starts work around 11 in the morning. Both Mdm Lim and Mdm Jacinta belong to our Pioneer Generation and keep active either by keeping busy or by working. They take the buses and usually do so during off-peak hours. Hence, free bus rides during off-peak hours will certainly lower their monthly expenses and help them continue to be mobile and stay active. In addition, free bus rides for our Pioneer Generation would help address possible feelings of social exclusion that they may experience, especially when they move out of their old estates as they go on to live with their children, yet wish to still keep in touch and meet up with old friends in their old neighbourhoods. Second, the recent announcement of the increased quantum for the CPF Minimum Sum scheme has been met with a fair amount of grumbles. The sum of $155,000 by July this year is not a small amount to have in one's CPF account, especially if one has been a low-income earner for a large part of one's life. No matter how many hours or years one works, reaching that amount, or even half of that amount, remains a huge challenge. May I propose that the Government consider reviewing the Minimum Sum scheme and introduce tiered quantums based on income brackets, possibly three tiers – lower-, middle- and higher-income earners? For instance, the sum of $155,000 would be the middle-tier Minimum Sum for those who are middle-income earners earning above $1,500 and possibly up to $5,000 a month.”
“Hope that – despite setbacks or failed attempts, despite having taken the less trodden path or a longer route, or not having stellar academic qualifications – opportunities are within reach for each individual to realise their full potential, be recognised for their abilities and succeed in their own ways. From the young, let me move on to the elderly. The Government has done much for our elderly, specifically for those aged 65 years old and above. The Pioneer Generation Package would put to rest the worries of the elderly with regard to healthcare needs and expenses. However, if I may, I would like to put forth two suggestions for the Government to consider with regard to the elderly. First, as an enhancement to the Pioneer Generation Package, I would like to propose that our Pioneer Generation be given free transport pass for travel on buses during off-peak hours. With the PG card that they will be receiving in September this year, they can simply flash that card when boarding buses during off-peak hours and be entitled to free travel. Out of the 450,000 Pioneer Generation seniors that we have, probably about half are still mobile and would like to travel about on their own – either for work or to keep active. I hope the Government can help them do so and save on travelling expenses. Mdm Lim, a resident, who is more than 65 years old, helps her son and daughter-in-law, who are working, to look after her granddaughter who is in Primary 3. The school that her granddaughter attends is about five bus-stops away from home, and although the granddaughter takes the school bus to and from school, there are days when there are extra classes or Co-curricular activities (CCAs) after school hours.”
“However, I hope that more of such specialised schools can be established and that more non-academic programmes can be integrated in our mainstream schools that would focus on developing technical or computing skills, entrepreneurial skills, and social and community work. For employers, we need their continued support to work closely with our schools and education institutions to ensure that our young can learn and develop skills that are relevant and current. More importantly, employers must recognise skills and talent beyond academic achievements. If I may, I would urge our Civil Service to take the lead in this. Groom potential Page: 93 beyond scholars or university graduates. There are among us individuals who are late bloomers – who may not have necessarily done well in high-stakes examinations – but who realise their true potential only later when they start working or when they are older. There are also those among us who may not have done well in high-stakes examinations because of personal, family or financial circumstances at that point in time but who may have a lot to offer in terms of ideas, commitment and skills. I hope that non-scholars and non-university graduates can be given due recognition and be promoted, on par with those who are scholars or university graduates, based on their skills, competencies and commitment, and that they need not be in a position to perceive that if they are non-scholars or non-university graduates, their prospects for promotion are low or that they are inferior or that they cannot be placed in a leadership position. In trying to create a nation of opportunities for our young, we must also be able to create a nation of hope for them.”
“For parents, it is a given that they want the best for their children and want to see them successful. As a parent, this is my wish too. However, we must also let our children know that success is not about achievements alone. Success is just as much about the process of learning and personal development, and what you make of what you have learnt and achieved. A mother I know, who has a son in Secondary school, was one day asked by her son where should he go after his GCE "O" Levels. She told him that while it is important for him to have goals to work towards, it does not matter if he goes on to the ITE, a polytechnic or a junior college, or even go out to work. She would still be proud of him and would support his decision to pursue a particular programme of interest that he decides on. She told him that what matters more is that wherever he decides to go, he must do his best and learn, develop and contribute as much as he can – as a son, as a student, as a friend, as a man. I hope to hear more parents telling that to their children. As parents, it is important that we recognise and support our children's interests and competencies in different areas beyond just academics. While we may worry about their job prospects in the future should they not excel in their studies, we must be encouraged by recent developments in the education circle. For instance, the ASPIRE or Applied Study in polytechnic and ITE Review Committee would look into ways of nurturing and recognising skills for employability and not just merely academic qualifications. In addition, the setting up of specialised schools in arts and sports, has paved the way for greater recognition of non-academic pursuits for our young.”
“Thank you, Mdm Speaker, for this opportunity to speak. I rise in support of the Motion to thank the President for his Address at the Opening of the Second Session of this Twelfth Parliament. In his Address, the President spoke about Singapore being a Nation of Opportunities for all, particularly for our young, and the importance of Community Action that can help ensure a Happier and Caring society, particularly for the elderly – two demographic segments in our society on whom I would like to focus my speech on today. When the President mentioned that "those who do not succeed at first should have a second chance, indeed must always have the chance to try again", I could not agree more. Our young should not have any fear of failure in the pursuit of success. Failure, in itself, is not a bad thing as it helps us learn more about ourselves – our strengths and weaknesses, as well as our potential – and, more often than not, the lessons we learn by living through a failed attempt leave a lasting imprint, build character and strengthen personal values, such Page: 92 as humility, gratitude and kindness. For our young, they need the support and encouragement from parents, the significant adults in their lives, and employers. They need the assurance that it is alright to try out new ideas and, even if their ideas do not quite work out the way they were intended, they can still be given a pat on the back. Even if they fail, they are able to fail forward – that they have gleaned useful lessons from the experience, and the next time around, they can and will do better. In other words, it is not just the outcomes that matter, but that the process and effort put in are equally recognised.”
“I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the answer. It is heartening to hear that drop-out rates have decreased over the years. I have two supplementary questions. To what extent are parents engaged, especially for these at-risk students and for those whose parents are absent and not around, who would be the guardians, who would be taking care of them, that the school engages? The second question is: for primary and secondary schools, are there sufficient allied educators who may work closely with such at-risk students to ensure that their behaviour is monitored?”
“The Nadi Khidmat officers will work with the mosque officials, not only to reach out to those who are already on assistance but other Malay/Muslim families within the constituency and help put them into either MENDAKI or MUIS programmes or national programmes. That has always been our approach. We have the wrap-around care that we piloted several years ago, and the purpose is to ride on national programmes as our first step before we tap into community resources. Page: 147 Visitorship to National Museums”
“Just two short clarifications for the Minister. I applaud the formation of Nadi Khidmat at the mosques. Will Nadi Khidmat be working closely with our social service officers and the schools, so that a holistic approach can be rendered to families who are disadvantaged? And my second clarification: the Minister mentioned that there are 14,000 students who are taking part in our aLIVE programme as of last year. What is this percentage in terms of the total number of children that we have, and are we targeting more to take part in this programme? Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: I do not have the exact figure about the percentage but the Member is absolutely right that it is a concern within our community that not many of our young students go on to take on the religious classes while they are in Secondary school. This is, in fact, a challenge for our community and that is why, in my reply, I explained that we are now trying to make it as easy as possible for Malay/Muslim families to send their kids or to have their kids receive religious education. The programme that we are now piloting is to have the aLIVE classes at home. Having said that, by making a wide availability of classes across many locations and having more flexible time schedules, perhaps, is the way to go. I have asked MUIS to study this but, certainly, having invested in the aLIVE programme by developing new curriculum, training new asatizahs to run the programme, we must ensure that we can maximise the potential as much as possible. On Nadi Khidmat, I think that is the intention – to be able to leverage on national institutions which are available locally.”
“Can we also involve our Malay/Muslim doctors and healthcare professionals in this effort, for instance, the Muslim Healthcare Professionals Association? I would like to hear the details from the Minister on this matter. Key Challenges Facing the Community”
“[Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Health issues and chronic diseases are increasingly becoming major concerns to Malay/Muslims in Singapore. The number of patients with diabetes, Page: 126 kidney problems, high cholesterol and heart problems is also increasing. During the recent Budget debates, I also spoke about these health issues which are expected to become prevalent as our community ages. In 2010, over 16% suffered from diabetes; more than 22% had high cholesterol levels while around 28% had heart disease. What is more worrying is that 24% of people in our community are extremely overweight. It was also found that the number of diabetes patients rose sharply between 2004 and 2010, especially among our Malay/Muslim community. These statistics are worrying because even though various approaches and programmes have been done all these years to increase awareness about chronic diseases, weight management and the importance of practising a healthy lifestyle and diet, the number of obese people and the number of chronic patients are still increasing. Hence, the question now is what else can we do to manage this issue? Are there ways where a more structured programme and a more effective approach can be planned and implemented? In addition, over 40% of Malay/Muslims are 40 years old and above, while over 34% are 50 years old and above. As more and more of us will become older in the near future, are we ready and have we prepared a more detailed plan to manage the issue of an ageing society? Can we involve all 69 mosques that we have currently in these engagement efforts, since many of our community members who are over 40 years old, are active in the mosques?”