Irene Ng Phek Hoong
Singapore
“Mdm Speaker, elder abuse may be more common than is recognised, particularly amongst seniors with dementia or other cognitive impairments. Does the Minister agree that the barriers to recognising and reporting elder abuse should be addressed? One of them is the lack of a clear definition of elder abuse.”
“I am heartened by the Minister's reply. In my duties as a Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) Member for Defence, I have interacted with many women officers, including commanders in combat units, and they hold their own in a male-dominated workforce.”
“Madam, my condolences again to the families and friends of those who lost their lives at the Sabah Earthquake. I thank the Minister for his reply and we support the Ministry's approach to outdoor adventure learning and its continuance.”
“Thank you, Madam. It is heartening to see how readily Singapore responded to the disaster in Nepal. I would like to ask the Second Minister: now that the disaster relief phase is coming to an end, how would Singapore contribute to the long-term reconstruction phase that follows?”
“This will help to sustain the practice and tradition and increase appreciation of their artistry within the community and beyond. We should also conserve the unique tools of traditional art forms, such as the last remaining dragon kiln in Singapore, and protect it as part of our heritage.”
“I would like to ask about the stress levels on the students. I welcome the Ministry of Education's (MOE) shift to go beyond grades. But, on the ground, Page: 123 the reality is that there is increasing pressure on the students to chase good grades, given the very competitive system and also the high expectations of parents.”
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“Can the Government also consider setting up perhaps a Workfare Opportunities Fund that the MPs and grassroot leaders can draw from to create job opportunities on the ground, at the constituency level in the informal sector for housewives and retirees, just the way that we have a ComCare fund for the CCC that the grassroot leaders and MPs can draw from for programmes for the people, to make sure that they can level up, and these are for creating job opportunities at the local level, so that they can benefit from WIS, so that they can get jobs in the informal sector? To give an example, in Tampines Changkat, we have started a Sunday market for retirees and housewives to set up some stalls to just make some pocket money. It is a weekly market; it is extremely popular. It has about 100-200 people taking part in the Sunday market every week and they sell all sorts of things. It is being organised by our volunteers but with some funds, we can do more to train the housewives and retirees there to be more enterprising and to also promote the market and their wares. It has made a difference to the lives of some residents. One of them is Mdm Yap Kwee Lian. She is 43, a housewife. She has three children (aged 16, 14 and 7). She sells second-hand goods. She is, in fact, a "karang guni" woman. She collects old clothes but which looks reasonably new, able to be sold. She collects electrical appliances, toys and she sells them and she is able to make about sometimes $100 on a good day. Her husband is a taxi driver. So she needs the money to supplement the household income as the husband's job is erratic. She used to work before, when she was 16.”
“They should not be left out of our social safety net and should be helped to find their way in. As Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan said, 200,000 housewives are not covered by MediShield. My constituency, Tampines Changkat, will be piloting a programme to reach out to housewives to encourage them to get back into the workforce so that they can benefit from the WIS and the Medisave top-ups from the Government. We will be working with NTUC and Northeast CDC to find suitable jobs for them. The problem is how to encourage more companies to offer flexi-work and part-time work. Do we need to resort to legislation to give workers the right to ask for flexible work arrangements, the way some countries such as UK has done, if persuasion does not work? In Singapore, part-time work as a proportion of total employment remains low, at 6.3% last year. This is dismal compared to UK with 24%, Germany with 22%, Japan with 26% and Netherlands with 36%. In 2004, our Government committed $10 million to a fund called a Work-Life Works! Fund to promote Work-Life strategies at the workplace, especially flexible work arrangements. Can I ask the Second Minister for Finance to review if this funding is adequate and to step up the pace of progress in this area to show the Government's seriousness in creating job opportunities for all?”
“It is a question of priorities and practicalities. Some women, faced with most of the burden of taking care of families, are forced to choose jobs that pay less or, in the case of stay-at-home mothers, nothing at all. Some 10 years ago, the Government used to have a back-to-work scheme for women but it was allowed to lapse and was not revived. In fact, I am not sure whether it even took off. With the Government's push for women to have more babies, we would expect them to face mounting pressures to juggle family responsibilities and to also look at how to find work and to be forced to make difficult choices. With the WIS, it may now be worthwhile for stay-at-home mothers to return to the workforce. I would urge the Government to pay special attention to this group as every year, they feel left out from the Budget as if they are invisible. I have heard my fellow MPs ask for special bonuses to the housewives and I would add my voice to that call but, more than that, to help housewives to get back into the workforce so that they can benefit from the WIS. Mdm Deputy Speaker, a recent white paper by the Japanese Government estimated that if a woman graduated from university, worked full-time for six years and then put her career on the hold for six years to have children, the indirect opportunity costs would have cost her a total of up to S$1.53 million by the time she hit the age of 60. I am sure that our figure for Singapore women would also not be too far off. We should recognise this. Last year, I made an argument for stay-at-home mothers from the standpoint of equal treatment and opportunities. Today, I want to add another principle to that argument and, that is, of social inclusion.”
“If this practice becomes widespread, then it defeats the purpose of Workfare which is to level up the pay and savings of the lower income so as to narrow the widening income gap. We should remind employers that this Budget has already helped to reduce business costs by cutting the corporate income tax as well as by reducing the employer's CPF contributions for low-wage workers. The WIS belongs to the worker and the NTUC will keep a close eye on this to make sure that it is the workers who benefit from the WIS. Mdm Deputy Speaker, besides the income supplements to the lower-income, another effective way to reduce the Gini coefficient is to get as many members of the household to work as possible and this will raise the income per household member. There is an army of housewives out there who are looking for work but cannot find suitable jobs. Not enough is being done to help them find jobs to supplement their household income. They have family responsibilities. They are looking for flexible work hours, they are looking for arrangements that would allow them to also take care of their children but increasingly, the trend at the work place is towards longer and longer shift work. 12-hour shift work is beginning to be the norm and there is little or no flexibility. Part-time and flexible work arrangements are still scarce and many women have come to see me at my MPS to look for jobs. They lament how difficult it is to juggle their family responsibilities with long shift work or how unpredictable work schedules make it hard for them to plan childcare and transport arrangements. For many, the low pay and poor prospects do not make it worth their while. It is no good telling them not to be choosy about jobs. It is not a question of being choosy.”
“This budget signals clearly the recognition that the rising tide of economic growth does not lift all boats but, in fact, can sink the sampans in this vast turbulent ocean. In the past budgets, we used to throw our low-skilled and low-wage workers the occasional rescue package, a life jacket here, a life buoy there, maybe train them with better boating skills, patch up some leaks in their sampans and hope that they would stay afloat and stay the course. This year, for the first time, I think we are adding an entirely new structure to their sampan and I think that is the sail and the sail is the WIS. This will enable them to catch the wind of progress and hopefully keep it in the right direction. A worry is that the employers may try to whittle down that sail into a handkerchief. Why do I say this? Some employers, always looking for ways to cut costs, may use the WIS as an excuse to lower their wage costs further, especially for contract workers with little bargaining power. They can tell the contract worker, "Look, to me, your job is worth only $800. I don't pay you CPF now but you want me to pay the CPF so that you qualify for Workfare. Fine, I will pay the CPF, but I will calibrate your base pay, lower it so that in all, I am still paying $800 plus CPF." In other words, for the worker, his real wages have gone down but the employer will tell the worker, "You should go for it because with the WIS, you are not worse off. In fact, you might be a little better off." I would urge the Government to take note of this and to monitor this closely and to caution employers who use the WIS to drive down real wages in a bid to cut costs.”
“Is there a Gini coefficient number or a range that we should aim for or work towards from the scale of zero to one: is there a golden mean? It is important for us to come to a consensus on this because if we want to commit funds to WIS to make sure that the income gap is narrowed, we must have a certain goal as to what level of inequality we want to diminish. If we want to commit additional funds every year, it means that more and more revenue would have to be sought for it as the gap will widen every year as globalisation picks up pace. It has to be a sustained effort to keep looking for funds to sustain our WIS which will increase over the years as the income gap increases. Another trend that needs to be studied is that the ranks of those earning below $1,000 a month has grown larger over the years while those earning $1,000 to $4,000 a month has shrunk. For example, the latest labour force report shows that the percentage of workers earning less than $1,000 a month has expanded from 16.6% in 2001 to 18.5% last year. Over the corresponding period, the percentage of workers earning $1,000 to $4,000 a month fell from 64.7% to 60.1%. As for those earning above $4,000, the percentage rose from 18.8% in 2001 to 21.3% last year. This would indicate that we are becoming less and less of a broad middle-class society and with more moving downwards, forming a larger pool of lower income workers below a thousand dollars and the top is also getting bigger and the middle is shrinking. We have long tolerated income disparities in the belief that if people are motivated and worked hard enough, they are able to lift themselves up in our vibrant economy.”
“Sir, in my speech, I would like to focus on how the latest Budget moves will impact on Singapore's cohesion as a society over the longer run, and whether Singaporeans can look forward confidently to a better future with sustained growth. In this regard, I would like to highlight three "givens" and raise some issues which I hope the Second Finance Minister would address. The first given is the widening income gap. It will intensify over the years. It will grow even wider, especially as globalisation picks up pace. We know that the higher-skilled will earn even more and the lower-skilled will see their wages spiral downwards or stagnate. This is a world-wide trend. [Mdm Deputy Speaker (Ms Indranee Rajah) in the Chair] 4.32 pm Madam, a good measure of income inequality is the Gini coefficient, which takes values from zero to one. The larger the coefficient, the more unequal the income distribution. In Singapore, the Gini coefficient rose from 0.442 in 2000 to 0.472 last year. This is based on income from work per household member. It is sobering to note that we have a higher Gini coefficient than the US figure of 0.469 in 2005. This would give us a rough idea of where we stand in terms of income inequality on the global scale. If we factored in the Progress Package last year which was skewed towards the lower-income, our Gini coefficient was lowered to 0.439. In other words, it narrowed the income gap. I would expect our Gini coefficient this year to also be moderated because of our Workfare and the GST offset package but the question that we have to ask ourselves is, what would be an acceptable income gap in this society. What degree of income inequality can we tolerate?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, this is a "breakthrough Budget" for our workers. It represents an unprecedented new commitment to help our workers meet the challenges of living in a fast-changing, globalised economy. Our workers, especially the lower-income and older workers, are very encouraged by the generous Workfare Income Supplement and the GST offsets. In this regard, I am quite puzzled by the NCMP who criticised the GST rise without any regard to the generous GST offset that is given to the people, especially the lower income. It is incredibly generous. I talked to the residents on the ground. They could not believe the figures. It is 19 years' worth of offset for one-roomers, 16 years for 2-roomers and 10 years' worth of offset for 3-roomers. This is incredibly generous and does not fall into any election cycle, as I see it. Those who criticise the Government for giving a generous budget during the election should rethink their view. This is not an election year, as far as I know. But the Budget has gone down so well with the public that some are saying that this is even better than the election budget last year. Indeed, it is very generous and I would like to thank the Second Finance Minister for this. I would think that the NCMP from the Workers' Party would be more focused on the state of the working poor, on their prospects for the future, on their need to level up their income and the way that we can fund our WIS to make sure that it is a sustained help to them. Instead, she focused quite singularly on our revenue with little thought about how we can help our working poor, how we can get better jobs for them, how we can level up their incomes.”
“Sir, some elderly cannot rent a flat in the open market. They cannot afford to stay in their own flat and they have to sell their flat. But HDB will come back to them to say that they cannot, because they have to go through a 30-month debarment period. Not only that, some of them have purchased two flats before. But these elderly, with medical bills to pay, have no choice but to sell their flat to settle the many bills that they have. I want to ask the Minister of State whether there is flexibility given for those who have bought two flats before and those who have sold their flats and have to move on to a smaller flat, to give them this rental option. The other question is that the Minister of State has been stressing that there is a limited number of flats. Can I ask the Minister of State whether there is any possibility of increasing the number of rental flats to meet this increasing demand for rental flats?”
“Sir, it is clear that the Singapore's import of sand has no effect on the environmental damage of Indonesia or the maritime boundaries. Given that case, can I ask the Minister what is his interpretation of this sudden ban on land sand to Singapore? There are some quarters in Indonesia that have linked it to the negotiations on the extradition treaty that they are trying to get us to sign. Can I ask the Minister whether he thinks this is a pressure point that Indonesia is trying to use on Singapore? I find it difficult to agree with the hon. Member, Mdm Ho Geok Choo, that we should slow down our development to be at pace with our neighbours, because we answer to Singaporeans. Can I ask the Minister whether he thinks that Singapore has been doing its part as a very responsible member of ASEAN to help our neighbours to level up?”
“Sir, several years ago, there was a SIJORI scheme, where the Singapore, Johor and Riau cooperated together to try to create an economic cooperation among the three partners to achieve a win-win-win situation for all. I wonder whether it is possible to revive that sort of spirit amongst the three countries and whether we can have greater cooperation to achieve better progress for our people.”
“Can I ask the Parliamentary Secretary what are the options for older residents, especially those without jobs or with low pay, who do not have an option for rental flat? My second supplementary question is on the reverse mortgage scheme. Can the Ministry work closely with banks to offer this option so that residents need not be kicked out of their homes but can stay in their homes and receive a viable sum of money that makes sense to them?”
“Two supplementary questions, Sir. There are many residents, especially older residents, who cannot find jobs or they have jobs but their pay is low. But at the point when they apply for a flat, they could afford it because they have jobs. But circumstances change. Therefore, it is not so much an issue of financial planning as the fact that Singapore's economy is very volatile now. So when they sell their flats, the problem is that they have negative equity, they have medical bills to pay, especially if they are old, and the debarment period of 30 months kicks in and they do not get a rental flat. So in fact, we are giving them no option.”
“I thank Mr Low for his clarification that the Workers' Party does not restrict its members from putting their views on the Internet, but I got this impression from the media. Perhaps the Workers' Party should clarify, not so much with the House but the two Workers' Party members who gave those quotes to the media and gave that impression.”
“There may be a mother who needs some work, perhaps in a social enterprise. By having a database in which all the stakeholders can share information, I believe we can make that social safety net more closely meshed, and make sure people do not fall through the cracks. But having said all this, let me come back to politics. I checked the Workers' Party's website today. Their manifesto is still there, and it says, "an unconditional permanent needs-based welfare safety net". That is the big difference between the Workers' Party and us. We do not believe in an unconditional permanent needs-based social safety net. We do not believe in that because I believe that, firstly, it is unsustainable - we will be bankrupt sooner or later; secondly, we are not doing the people we are trying to help any favours; and, thirdly, we erode the work ethic that is at the heart of the success and the identity of Singapore. But I am very glad to know that both in Mr Low's speech which he made two days ago and the speech by the NCMP today, none of them talked about permanent unconditional needs-based social safety net. Perhaps they have changed their position. And if they have, I welcome them to the club and we will certainly work with them to improve our social safety net. At the end of the day, I believe it is possible to create a society which is both competitive and compassionate, but we need all hearts, all minds and all hands on board. 4.40 pm”
“We have to make improvements, but do not slay this sacred cow, because remember the milk of human kindness is what this sector needs more than anything else. I want to end by talking about some ideas on how we can improve communication and sharing in this sector. We realise that there are many stakeholders. If we look at any constituency or district, we have got the CDC, the grassroots organisations, the Family Service Centres, voluntary welfare organisations, churches, religious organisations, self-help groups, a whole gamut of them. What the CDCs will roll out in the next few months is what we call the ComCare local networks. This will be a system in which all the stakeholders in an area can come together, share information, collaborate on joint projects and help look after the people who are under their fold. Basically, what we want to ensure is that there will be no wrong door, no wrong hand and nobody slips between hands. It is very easy to say. I would say, however, that it is difficult to work in practice, because we have to overcome ego, boundaries and all those other things. But I think if we can get everybody on board, we can improve communication. The second thing, which we have already done but we want to roll out further, is the ComCare database, ie, every household that receives help from any of the stakeholders in the social service sector will be recorded, with proper protection, of course, for their privacy, so that we have early warning signs. I will give Members an example. If one child has dropped out of school, the chances are that there is another sibling who may be in a similar risk. Probably there is a family that is dysfunctional behind that. There may be a breadwinner who has lost his job.”
“In fact, NCSS is meant to be a membership organisation. Its members consist of VWOs. I do not need NCSS to be a watchdog. I have got the Commissioner of Charities to do that. NCSS is meant to be an umbrella organisation representing the interests and ideals of the VWOs. It is meant to help the VWOs build critical mass, as she said, give advice when advice is needed, give guidance, give mentorship and give leadership. That is why half the board of NCSS is elected by VWOs. And for the other half, if you make enough noise, I will be happy to appoint Members to it and it then becomes their problem, and they fix it. But the point I am trying to make is that we need all hands on board. We need the hands to be connected to hearts and minds which think systematically, and as she said, a system integrator role. What will the Ministry do? What we will do is that we will confine ourselves to the big picture - to identify needs and sharing those needs with the community. We will ask VWOs, what is it you care about? What is it you want to do? What help do you need? Do you need help with building infrastructure? Do you need help with training? Do you need help with funds? We can help, but it is a co-funding and co-helping model. Because once I do that, then I do not need to have a whole big bureaucracy to check on what they are doing. If every dollar that they spend, 50 cents of it is money which they themselves have raised, I can then assume, most of the time, that they will be spending the money honestly, and they will be spending the money in a directed way. So, Ms Denise Phua, I want to say to you and to all the others in the social service sector that I hear you.”
“I will have lots and lots of staff. But I am not convinced that the money will necessarily be better spent or, more important, that money will come with the mind and the heart that truly cares for people receiving them. So I do not believe a total Government delivery of social services is the way to go. The second alternative is to privatise the social services - let the private sector do it. But then I always remember this advice which my previous Parliamentary Secretary, Dr Mohamad Maliki, gave me. He said that the problem with social services is that the people who need help do not know that they need help, may not know where to go and may not want the help that is being given. If we leave it to the private sector, yes, people will make money, but we may not really achieve the outcome that we want. So we end up with the many-helping-hands model. I want to make the point that we are not having the many-helping-hands model because we are trying to save money for the Government. That is not the reason why we have the many-helping-hands model. The reason why we are having the many-helping-hands model is that we want commitment, we want passion, we want dedication. We want people whose hearts and minds are truly resonating and in sync with the people they are trying to help. Hearts and minds like that cannot be bought, cannot be employed. Ms Denise Phua would never work for my Ministry, I suspect, but she can be made to volunteer for a cause she believes in passionately. What we need then is to get the right model and to get the relationships right. There was one point in her speech when she said that NCSS is the overseer of VWOs, and I think that is the wrong model. Let me explain why. NCSS is not part of the civil service. NCSS is not a statutory board.”
“I think it is an idea which we can consider. That means, you raise funds, we will also try to put in our share out of ComCare. But really, the issue is not money. The more relevant suggestion that Mr Ang had yesterday was the fact that having raised those funds, what we want are local committees, to be able to reach out, to investigate to see who needs help and then decide on the disbursement of funds. Because really the point is that it is all about people. Talking about money, I also want to add that what you see here is just the tip of the iceberg because the Community Chest, on average, raises $43 million a year. But that is not where the real biggie is. Are you all aware that Singaporeans donate between $475-$644 million a year to Institutions of Public Character - half a billion dollars? And this excludes money donated to religious organisations - money that goes on altars and offering bags is not included. The point I am trying to make is that we have a compassionate and generous society. Yes, money is important but even more important than money is the involvement of volunteers and grassroots and people with the heart so that the system works better, which leads me on to my second point on the many-helping-hands. I agree with many parts of Ms Denise Phua's speech. Yes, there are problems with implementation. Yes, there are gaps. Yes, there are duplications. But I ask her to be very careful about slaying that sacred cow of many-helping-hands, because we might actually slay the cow which is producing the milk of human kindness. Let me explain what I mean. When we think of delivering social services, there are three different models. One is we can nationalise the whole social service. Let my Ministry develop a big bureaucracy. It will bloat.”
“And we have increased the budget for children from $4 million to $18 million over the same period. That is more than a four-time increase. We look at the HOPE scheme - and I believe Seah Kian Peng talked about HOPE yesterday - we have increased our spending on HOPE from $1.9 million to $8.1 million. And because HOPE has a very long tail, the amount of money that we will spend on it will go up. But let me clarify for Mr Seah that the HOPE scheme is not just an assistance scheme. It really is an incentive scheme. It is an incentive to encourage people who have difficulty making ends meet, who are less educated and have difficulty getting on to the job ladder, to have no more than two kids so that they can focus their attention, time and resources on these two kids. Once you understand that it is an incentive scheme, rather than just an assistance scheme, then you will understand that this scheme must therefore be more generous than the assistance schemes that we provide for other families who, for their own reasons, have chosen not to restrict the size of their family despite their social constraints. I want to turn on next to Mr Ang Mong Seng's excellent suggestion yesterday. He suggested raising funds at the community level and he was not just interested in big donors. But he said that he wants lots of small donors. Putting aside money, this money would be eligible for a double tax deduction which frankly today, anyone who donates money to the CDC or the CCC Welfare Fund, can claim a double tax deduction anyway. He went on further to ask for matching funds from the Government. I have looked at it and I realise that actually today, we have already given $4 million in the CCC ComCare Fund and I did not even ask him to raise funds to match it.”
“And I can tell you, as the CEO, if a poor patient came in and chose to be admitted to C class ward, I would never worry about that patient being a bad debt because the combination of his Medisave, MediShield and finally, Medifund, was more than adequate to cover all his medical fees. The angst and anger which we are hearing on healthcare - I do not want to speak too much on it because I am not the Minister for Health - come a lot from the fact that people do not want to go to C class. They want to go to a higher class, they want to choose their own doctor, they want to choose the latest "in fashion" medicine and then, want it all to be covered. But the truth is, if you go to the United Kingdom - if any of you have ever been admitted to a UK hospital in the NHS - the standard of physical care you get there is that of a C class ward. And I will tell you that the timeliness of our service, the quality of our medical care, is far superior to that which you get in NHS. So even in healthcare, we have got a system that works. Having got all these pillars of the social compact, then we talk about the social safety net. I want to turn your attention to the handout which I believe you would have received by now. The first point I want to make is that in one term of office, between the year 2001-2005, social assistance spending has gone up by 300%. It should make you pause and to start asking what would it be like in 15 years' time when the number of people over 65 is doubled. I put this down so that you understand that when I say we have done more and we will do more for people who need help, we are putting our money where our mouth is. The second thing you will notice in the chart is that the biggest increase is in that of additional support for children for needy families.”
“Let me now move on to reflect on the many speeches that have been made by Members of this House on the social safety net. I only want to make three points. First, I want to say, and I want to state categorically, that we have and will do more to help Singaporeans who need help. The second point I want to make is that the "many helping hands" model may not be perfect and we may have problems with implementation. But I believe it is still the most viable working model that we should work on and we need to improve on. The third point I want to make later on is to share some ideas on how we can improve the coordination and communication between all the stakeholders in the social service arena so that we can deliver services where they are needed. Before going further, it is worth us reiterating the Singapore social compact. Before we talk about the net, let us talk about the Singapore social compact. The Singapore social compact goes something like this. First, all of us must work for a living. Second, save some money - that is why we have CPF. Third, build assets for a rainy day, build assets for your old age. That is why we have the world's highest home ownership rate. That is why we subsidise home ownership because we are trying to make everybody, including those who are least well-off, build assets. Third, get an education. Fourth, even after being educated, because of globalisation and a short half life of knowledge, get retraining. That is why we spent $100,000 on average per child in education. That is why we are going to spend more money in the future on retraining our workers. The fifth aspect is healthcare and we have got the 3Ms. Let me tell Members about healthcare from the point of view of a provider. I used to run the Singapore General Hospital.”
“And if Members of this House have got other ideas, I will be happy to take them on and to see how we can make them work. Which then leave us with immigration. The Non-Constituency MP asked what is our rationale. The rationale is very simple - the future viability of Singapore. She asked what is the target. Well, the target is something which is not easy to specify because circumstances change. Let me give you an example. Before NEWater came about, and water was a major constraint, that would have been a limiting factor on the size of the population that could be sustained on this island. But with new technology, with the possibility of recycling water, water no longer becomes the limiting factor. The truth is, it is a moving target because it has to vary according to circumstances and according to the opportunities. What we are trying to do is not to aim for some magical number. What we are trying to do is to shape a population profile, a pyramid that works, a pyramid that is viable and self-sustaining. In our particular case, at this point in time, what we need most of are young people. We need young people to do work and young people who can do even more work for the future. So the profile of the people we are looking for are people who will be assets, not liabilities, not people who are going to depend on MCYS in the future, but people who will make a good living, pay good taxes, bring jobs here, bring companies here and keep Singapore afloat. That is really what it is about and that is our approach to marriage, procreation and immigration. It will change with time but what does not change is the fact that it is about the future viability of Singapore, our nation, Singapore, the idea of Singapore.”
“It is the system of Singapore in which people have a fair deal, can make the best of their lives, have children and can build a better future for their families. So really, the point I am trying to make is that the most critical ingredient behind the idea of Singapore is people, it is talent. And when you understand that it is all about people, then you also understand that in the case of Singapore, there are only two sources of people - the wombs of our women and immigration. Let us talk about local native born Singaporeans. These are the facts. Our total fertility rate in 2005 and 2004 was 1.24. It has not increased. We have managed to stabilise it. 17% of men between the age of 40-44 are single; 15% of women between the age of 40-44 are single. You do not need to be a doctor to know that at that age, your biological clock is running against you. And even if they were to get married, the chances of producing Singaporeans of the next generation are very low. Hence, we need to understand that we need to apply leverage on both channels. Do we encourage our own Singaporeans to get married and have children? The answer clearly is yes, and we have been doing for the past two decades. Yes, we are swimming upstream but not for lack of effort, not for lack of investment. Several hundred million dollars of my Ministry's budget is spent on the marriage and procreation package which we passed two years ago. It is too early to say whether it will be successful, too early to judge whether we need to do more, but do not let anybody accuse us of not being prepared to put our money where our mouth is. Having local born Singaporeans is important. We will encourage, and we will do everything possible.”
“Sir, it can be argued that immigrant dual citizenship facilitates integration into our community by encouraging them to naturalise. By doing so, they share in the cause of Singapore, and feel a psychological and emotional stake in Singapore's progress, beyond the material benefits. Sir, given today's different context and new imperatives, I would like to propose that the Government set up a Committee to examine contemporary issues in Singapore citizenship policy to be addressed as we move into the new millennium, including dual citizenship. We should also look into how to promote greater awareness of the significance of Singapore citizenship for all Singaporeans, resident and overseas. Sir, we have every reason to be proud of being Singaporeans and to be confident of our place in the world. Sir, on that note, I support the motion. 3.31 pm The Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports and Second Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts (Dr Vivian Balakrishnan): Mr Speaker, I would like to ask the Workers' Party to clearly state its stand on immigration. The Non-Constituency Member of Parliament has asked for clarity. Let me state for the record, the Government's position on immigration. What is the difference between the fishing village of Temasek and Singapore that we have today? What is the difference? The difference between the two, Temasek, a fishing village, maybe 400 fishermen, and the modern metropolis of Singapore today is the fact that we were and must continue to be a beacon that attracts talent, that means, people, because there are no natural resources, there is not even enough fish or water here. It is all about people. But people alone do not constitute Singapore.”
“Sir, we have also not been entirely consistent in how we address this question of loyalty in times of war. We have a rising number of the children of Permanent Residents who serve National Service. They are, by definition, dual citizens. We train them up to take up arms to defend Singapore even though they are dual citizens. We do not question their allegiance or loyalty. We do not allow them to relinquish their Singapore citizenship until they have served their National Service. Sir, as for immigrants, as we woo top global talent, we should recognise and accept that not all want to give up their country of birth, even as they want to stay here and contribute to our growth. Some of our colleagues, such as Mr Christopher de Souza, are rightly concerned if some just want to use Singapore as a springboard. I am sure there are many Singaporeans out there, as expressed by some of our hon. Members here, who worry that foreign talent will only take their place in terms of jobs or who will threaten their sense of identity. But I suppose that, while these are populist views and you find them in every country - even in America and Australia the debate is raging - it is for us to decide for ourselves where we see Singapore going down the road. We have done our sums and looked at the statistics, and our Government is one that thinks long term, many years ahead. And when we look at our fertility rate, that we are not replacing ourselves, we have to have an option of getting more immigrants in, and it is not to take away the jobs of Singaporeans but to grow the Singapore pie, to make sure that the Singapore family is strong and that it will continue to make a mark on the global stage even as the world becomes more competitive and globalised.”
“Some countries confer on their overseas citizens limited rights and duties, and they do not enjoy the same privileges as resident citizens. Several countries do not allow certain categories of citizens to take up dual citizenship. For example, Members of Parliament or high public office-holders are not allowed to become dual citizens of certain countries. Yet others specify where dual citizenship should be required to be relinquished, eg, in time of war. My point is that we need not reject the idea of dual citizenship outright just because we hold certain reservations over some aspects of it. We can fashion our own definition of dual citizenship with some creative policy-making, which has always been our hallmark. Sir, for a long time, I have also held reservations about the idea of dual citizenship. The key concern has always been whether Singapore, as a relatively young nation, has a strong enough identity to evoke the loyalty and sacrifice of our citizens, especially in times of war, if they hold two passports. I must confess that this concern has not completely gone away, but I would think that one way to address this is to work harder at strengthening our identity and to promote a sense of belonging, rather than preventing Singaporeans from holding two passports. You can hold a Singapore passport and still not feel a sense of belonging or loyalty. Sir, we should be more confident in our ability to retain the loyalties of our people, wherever they are, or no matter how many passports they hold. It is not so much a function of history, ie, how long the country has been in existence, as much as a function of how well we inculcate in our people a pride in being Singaporean, that they want to be identified as Singaporeans, wherever they go.”
“Sir, finally, I want to touch on the idea of dual citizenship, as the world environment changes and Singapore becomes more globalised. We have more than 140,000 Singaporeans living overseas. This number is likely to grow as more Singaporeans join the internationally mobile workforce. The biggest group of Singaporeans is in the UK, with about 38,000 Singaporeans there, followed by Australia with about 36,000 Singaporeans. They are often required to acquire citizenship overseas, eg, to obtain employment or to reside with non-Singaporean citizen spouses. There is no evidence to suggest that they are disloyal to Singapore or that they want to renounce citizenship. But because of our laws, which require them to renounce, they have to. But we should not shut the door on them by insisting that they renounce Singaporean citizenship. Benefits of the overseas experience of such people will be lost to Singapore if they are discouraged from returning through loss of citizenship. Sir, there is an international trend towards dual citizenship. More than 150 nations - and that number is rising - allow their citizens to hold passports of more than one country. It is important to underscore, however, that the specific rights and responsibilities that accrue to such citizens vary from country to country. There are no firm or comprehensive rules concerning dual citizenship, and each country works out its own definition, according to their needs and their own comfort level. Some countries allow their citizens to become dual citizens but baulk at immigrants to their country doing so. Some countries specify which countries their citizens are allowed to take dual citizenship. For example, India has a list of 16 countries of which Indian citizens can hold dual nationality and no more.”
“But more significant than the economic part of the equation is the effect on the Scottish cultural life and on the spirit of the city. I was also struck by the overwhelming support that the entire cross-section of the Scottish media gives to the gamut of arts activities, with thick sections, thicker than The Straits Times' Life Section, devoted to thoughtful reviews and artistes' profiles. In this respect, perhaps our local media can play a more pro-active role in supporting our Singapore artistes and their work and the various festivals held here. The media plays a powerful role in promoting the development of the arts and artistic talents in Singapore. When I was in Edinburgh, I was scratching my head and wondering how this small city, almost medieval looking, of 1.5 million people, can sustain all these mega arts festivals with hundreds of events together. In Singapore, we worry all the time about half-filled halls, about concerts not being taken up, tickets not being sold. Hence, our shows rarely run for more than a few days and we try not to have too many things going on at the same time. So, how does Edinburgh do it? It is by developing a people across all classes and ages. It does not matter if you a cleaner, housewife, retiree or scientist. People from all classes of life regard the arts as an integral part of life and as a celebration of the creative spirit in each one of us, and by promoting its arts festivals to the world and establishing a global brand name for the arts that few other cities can rival. Sir, if we can create this cultural buzz in Singapore, then we can say that we have arrived as a global arts city and, indeed, will become one of the best places not only in Asia, but in the world, to live, work and play.”
“This outcome was indicated by people "feeling better or healthier" or "feeling happier". Sir, we should be bold and aim for at least 80% of Singaporeans to attend at least one arts event by the year 2011, ie, in five years. This is not beyond our capability. We have invested so much in our arts infrastructure, such as the newly-renovated National Museum, the new National Arts Gallery and the Esplanade. But they cannot be sustained without a growing audience. We should do more to create an environment in which the more creative among us not only survive but also thrive. Such an environment has reaped handsome rewards for Edinburgh. It has only a population of five million and it is dense. If Ms Sylvia Lim were to visit it, she could see how a dense city can thrive and build on its excitement to make life for everybody, including residents and foreigners, such an experience. Two years ago, Edinburgh was named by Unesco as the world's first official City of Literature. The idea for such a title was the brainchild of Scotland's literary world and was funded by the Scottish Arts Council. This recognition is estimated to be worth about 2.2 million pounds or about S$6 million a year to Edinburgh, and another 2.1 million pounds to the rest of Scotland. The cash would come from staging major new festivals, events and conferences in the city, as well as attracting extra visitors and book sales. They hope to lure the Whitbread and Booker Prize award ceremonies, as well as the Nobel Prize for Literature, to Edinburgh. It has its annual Edinburgh International festival, its attendant Fringe, Book, Film and Jazz festivals, all jamming together at the same time in August and September. All of that is worth about 100 million pounds a year bringing that all to Edinburgh.”
“In few other urban cities can you find a Buddhist temple, mosque, Hindu temple and synagogue, all clustered around one street, with the devotees of all faiths worshipping their own Gods almost cheek by jowl and at peace and at ease with one another. I must confess that I would have no occasion to enter the Sri Krishnan Temple, the Kwan Im Thong Temple, the Sultan Mosque or the Church of St Peter and Paul, had it not been for the Biennale. The choice of the diverse religious venues for the arts installations was inspiring, and projected creatively our multi-religious facets which make Singapore unique. These arts projects offered a safe space for exploration, a place where individuals from different backgrounds could meet and learn about one another. Sir, the Biennale made me look at Singapore with fresh eyes and to fall in love with the city all over again. It renewed my confidence in its ability to reinvent itself to take its place as a globalised city that can truly inspire. May I say that the National Arts Council did an excellent job in this and should take a bow. Singapore is making good progress in developing its arts scene, but we should be bolder in our aims. The population survey of the arts in 2005 showed that more Singaporeans are embracing the arts in their lives. Thirty-three percent of Singaporeans have attended an arts event in the past year, compared to 11% 10 years ago. From all accounts, people derived great pleasure from being involved in arts activities, and it added greatly to their quality of life. Indeed, studies in various countries on the impact of the arts on communities have shown that improved health and well-being was one of the outcomes of arts participation.”
“It is in this spirit that I ask that we put renewed efforts to develop in our people a sense of belonging and identity even as we open our doors wide for more immigrants to join us. If we do not have a strong and stable cultural core that we call our own, immigrants will find it harder to assimilate into our whole, even if they wished to do so. In such a circumstance, they are more likely to maintain their former national or cultural attachments and not identify with Singapore as their country. Compared to a decade ago, Singaporeans today are also better travelled and are able to compare their life here with the life that they live in other choice cities in the world. Sir, we want to build a confident Singapore where the richness and vitality of our cultural life draw our people to contribute to it and to be proud of it, and draw people from around the world to experience it and to talk about it. We have been making great strides as a global city. Recently, the Global Country Brand Index listed Singapore as the second most exciting place to be in, just behind Italy. We have a bustling night life, with hip clubs and excellent dining. Singapore also came in No. 2 as a shopping paradise in the world. But in the areas of arts and culture, we fell off the radar screen. We were ranked poorly. This is a pity, as we have much to showcase. This was clear from the Singapore Biennale. It is our first. I was impressed by the imagination that went into it. The Biennale highlights how Singapore embraces people of diverse ethnicity, religions and languages. It provides new platforms for our people to be exposed to different art forms and to think about our beliefs and our way of life in Singapore.”
“And the story does not end there. The leader of the group is Muhammad Riduan. He is 23. He used to work in Cisco as an auxiliary policeman, and then for a short while as a shop assistant. Life for him was dreary, no challenge, and he would have gone stark raving mad, I presume. He enjoyed dancing. So, last month, he decided to give up his job to become a full-time instructor in dance even though he has no formal dance training. So we helped him to get registered with the People's Association as an instructor. He is giving his first workshop in my CC on 19th November 2006 for hip-hop. So, P65 MPs, you know where to go, if you need to have any further training to improve your vast talent in hip-hop. Sir, we have many talented Singaporeans. We just need to give them the connections and the opportunities and, yes, the funding as well, to make a mark on the Singapore and the global stage. Sir, on a deeper level, arts and culture underpin identity and what makes a people or a city special. This is worth reiterating as Singapore becomes increasingly cosmopolitan with more immigrants from diverse countries. Ms Sylvia Lim, and to a smaller extent, Mr Chiam, were concerned with foreign workers, with immigrants coming in and giving the impression that it might dilute the value of being Singaporean. I would have thought that, if more Singaporeans embrace immigrants and the fact that more immigrants want to take up citizenship, the cachet of a Singapore passport, that to be Singaporean is something to be proud of, that you would want to be part of the Singapore family, to contribute to it, to make sure Singapore progresses for many more years to come.”
“Too often in Singapore, we tend to equate the arts with the elite, or something that you do only after basic material needs are met. But in fact, the arts have the power to transform ordinary lives in many different and unexpected ways, and are an essential component in shared humanity. If I may give an example. There was once a group of youths in my constituency that enjoy breakdancing and they made a lot of racket because they were practising in an open space to loud hip-hop music and residents were complaining. They made several calls to the police. The police came down, warned the group, "Please do not make so much noise." They were a group of dancers who were very enthusiastic. And the Residents' Committee, when I met them, also complained about this group of youth dancing in the open space and making so much noise that they could not take it. I told my grassroots leaders, "Look, they would like to dance, they need space. Let us give them a dedicated space in our community centre where they can practise and be better at what they do." So they took a room in our CC and we invited them to perform at our functions. They became so popular with my residents that my grassroots leaders suddenly opened their eyes and realised that this is a talented group of performers. They dazzled the crowd with their head-spinning, back flips and daredevilry. Not only that. Today, they are making waves even on the national stage. A few months ago, they represented Singapore in a regional competition and came in third. I think, with community support, we can indeed transform the lives of ordinary people who want to do more and achieve their dreams even in the arts. This is what embracing the arts can do for us with community support - from public nuisance to public stars.”
“As she said of her adopted home: "It's impossible to live in Edinburgh without sensing its literary heritage everywhere." Sir, I was in Edinburgh recently on a fellowship with the Edinburgh University and know precisely what she meant. The city has statues dedicated to its great writers, like Sir Walter Scott and Rabbie Burns. It places literature at the very heart of its community and makes it accessible to every citizen. It invests in writers and writing and takes risks with them. Indeed, it is home to the largest International Book Festival in the world and uses it as a platform not only to engage the Scottish public in conversations about books and ideas but also to launch new books and to introduce its exciting new writers to the world. I am not sure, but chances are, if Rowling were to live in Singapore, we would have sent her to a CDC for public assistance for being a divorced single mother, encourage her to get a job and say, do not be choosy, maybe a secretary or something might do the trick. The point of this story is to highlight that, while we should rightly do more to help our lower income group with more safety nets, we should recognise that what some need more is a springboard to pursue their dreams and to achieve what they think they can achieve in life. They may be down and out now, but they should not be made to feel like losers or a burden on society. Even if we process their cases and we ask questions, we should be careful to preserve their self-esteem and self-respect. Sir, one powerful way that we can transform the lives of the disadvantaged, create new opportunities for people and to increase their quality of life is through the arts.”
“Sir, related to this, my speech will focus on two issues. First, what it means to be the "best" place and the crucial role of the arts and culture in achieving this vision of being "special". Second, whether we should consider anew with fresh eyes the usefulness of dual citizenship for overseas Singaporeans and immigrants, as more Singaporeans fly overseas and more immigrants flock here. First, on the role of arts and culture. Sir, if I may relate a true story. Once, there was a divorced, single mother who had an infant daughter to take care of, stayed in a tiny flat in public housing, could not afford to pay her bill, but there was one thing that she could do and that was to write. So she wrote. While her baby slept, she began to write her book. But she could not get by, so she applied for a writer's bursary from the Arts Council where she stayed and although she was not a published author, no track record to speak of in writing, she received financial support to write her book, and that gave her the encouragement to carry on. So she completed her book several years later. But today, she is an international phenomenon, her books have been translated into many languages. Indeed, she is a millionaire. She is J.K. Rowling, the author who wrote the Harry Potter series. Rowling was born in London, wrote all her books in Edinburgh where she moved to in 1994, and the Council that awarded her the writer's bursary was the Scottish Arts Council. Sir, in one interview, Rowling said: "Without the challenge, I would have gone stark raving mad." I suppose she would then have qualified for Dr Fatimah Lateef's POT scheme for psychological disorders. But Rowling was fortunate to stay in Edinburgh.”
“They are really the lowest paid workers - cleaners, gardeners - and they used to get paid about $600 or $700 a month. But with JRP, with the NTUC working closely with the tripartite partners, we managed to raise their salaries to about $1,000 to $1,200 by recreating their jobs. I think it gives them a certain pride. They are doing a better job, more productive, better value. It is better than giving them a minimum wage, in terms of 'you are worth $600, this is the lowest you can go. This is the value of your job.' Instead, what we are doing is the harder route to improving the life of our workers, which is recreating jobs, training them, and making sure that there is more to look forward to than just the minimum wage. Sir, when I heard the President sketching out the Government's plans for the next five years, I felt a frisson of pride and excitement in being Singaporean. There is so much to look forward to. We will be a kinder and more compassionate society, with the Government and the better-off doing even more to help those who need help. We will be a more vibrant society with Singapore transformed into a dynamic global city that hums with great people and great ideas that will improve life for all of us. Sir, Singaporeans, whatever their social and economic backgrounds, have so much going for them, and we should not lose sight of this even as we grapple with the issues of the day. I was particularly inspired by the Government's promise that "Singapore will become the best place in Asia to live, work and play". That arts and culture will add a creative buzz to Singapore, and that Marina Bay and the business district will be transformed to create something special that will attract visitors and create a sense of pride and belonging in our people.”
“Sir, to take off from hon. Member Zainul's point, I suppose when we talk about loosening up and not restricting people who are expressing themselves, we should also be more relaxed, in terms of how our party members post blogs or Internet views. As PAP MPs, we do not restrict our activists from posting whatever they want to say on the Internet. And we seem to be a more liberal party than perhaps another Opposition party. Sir, I just want to take up two points from the Opposition's point of view. One is from Mr Chiam. He asked for an office, saying that the PAP MPs have an office but he does not have one. Perhaps, he might want to know that, for PAP MPs, we do not have an office in our constituency and we do not ask for one. All our MPSs are held in PCF centres. During the day, we run PCF kindergarten and childcare. During the evening on Monday, or on specific days for different MPs, we hold our MPS. Actually, we do not use public money for an MP's office. On the point that Ms Sylvia Lim raised, I just want to say that some of her concerns are shared, especially by the labour movement, on the low-income workers, and we work very hard - we do not just talk about it - to make sure that our lower-income workers are taken care of with their pay increases, and that their pay is not depressed. We do the Job Recreation Programme, we talk to employers, we cajole the Government for more funding for training, and 10,000 jobs have been recreated a year. We make sure that every year, the lower-income workers - the cleaners, the gardeners - can look forward to better pay, better job prospects. If I may give an example, I am the Adviser of the Amalgamated Union of Public Daily Rated Workers.”
“Sir, it is puzzling, on the one hand, we have on-going negotiations and, on the other hand, we read in the newspapers that the Malaysian government intends to carry on to build the half bridge first, and later on the full bridge, regardless of Singapore's position. Can I ask the Second Minister whether, in all the negotiations with Malaysia, Malaysia has indicated that it understands and accepts the principle of a balance of benefits and that it is prepared to hold off its decision to build the bridge until a full agreement is reached between both sides?”
“On contract workers, perhaps MOS can consider doing audit inspection to ensure that employers are paying the contract workers CPF contributions. Because, as we have mentioned, the employees themselves may feel that they are not in a good position to complain to the Ministry of Manpower and many of them are still not organised in unions, although the labour movement is now looking into how we can represent them more effectively.”
“Can the Minister give a very clear signal that if they fill their income declaration form and they claim that they are not paid CPF, that the Government would not go after them or their employer and get them into deeper trouble? Sir, on the need to address the trend of contract workers and ensuring that workers' interest are protected, from time to time, the labour movement on its part has helped contract workers where there are problems with payment of salaries, for instance, and now the NTUC is also looking at how to organise them, how to help this growing group of contract workers more effectively. But we need the tripartite efforts of all parties, and I would urge Government Ministries and statutory boards to show the way in adopting best-sourcing practices instead of cheap-sourcing so that the wages of workers are not driven down. The Ministry of Manpower should also take active enforcement measures to ensure that contract workers are provided with statutory benefits that they are entitled to under our labour laws. Sir, I also want to raise one last issue, which is the fear of losing their jobs. While I understand that from the employer's point of view the trend should be encouraged, that it encourages labour flexibility, helps them to save cost, I hope that the Ministry of Manpower would do more to assure workers that their interests are also protected. The labour movement is doing its part, but we need the Ministry of Manpower to enforce its labour laws and make sure that our contract workers are well taken care of and that there are more options beyond low-wage jobs. Outsourcing”
“Week after week, in my meet-the-people sessions, I see residents coming for financial assistance, and if you scratch the surface a bit, they are often contract workers - contract workers who are not paid regularly or contract workers who have no CPF, or contract workers who have just lost their jobs and are in the hunt for another contract, or contract workers who found another contract job later on at a lower pay. Sir, it seems to me that the trend is on the increase and I feel that more should be done to address this issue. Sir, as my hon. colleague, Mr Yeo Guat Kwang said, especially for indirect contract workers, those employed by agencies and deployed to individual employers are often not paid CPF, do not enjoy benefits such as leave entitlement and medical benefits. Sir, there is a big problem due to cheap sourcing practices, which is still currently the trend, even though we have been promoting best-sourcing. When the bidding of labour supplies drives the tender price down, what happens is that they will eventually squeeze the workers and the wages will suffer. And there is little that the workers can do. Sometimes, they worry about complaining to the Ministry of Manpower because it would mean that they would get into trouble with their employers, it would mean that they would get into trouble with CPF Board if they are not paid CPF, and this is often the case. I also want to reinforce the point made by Dr Lily Neo, and it has been raised to me just last night by my grassroots leaders, that workers are afraid to even apply for Workfare Bonus if they are not paid CPF.”
“Sir, the Minister did not reply to my question on whether there are jobs out there for older workers and to reassure that where there are jobs they will be matched to them. Also, he did not reply to my question on whether he would consider having a national centre that will cater to job matching and also to train older workers for new jobs, not SingHealth, but a national one.”
“Sometimes, I wonder, especially for higher skilled workers, say, they are 62 years today, doing the same kind of job, contributing as much as ever, then when they are 63, suddenly, their value drops, as if, overnight, they have changed. But all that has changed really is that time has passed. And I worry that, if we move in this direction without clear guidelines, employers will say, "OK, you are 63 today, half your pay, no medical benefits and no annual leave, because the Government is now moving towards re-employment of older workers and this is what employers must do. Therefore, it is acceptable to cut your pay according to a new contract." Sir, I know that the unions are working very hard to make sure that workers get fair terms. But I hope that employers will also do their part, and that the Ministry of Manpower will also make sure that when employers hire older workers beyond 62, it will be on fair terms for them.”
“So, when the older workers go to them with their problems - they may have medical problems and some of them may have problems finding suitable jobs - they may not receive the care and attention that they need. Given that we have an ageing workforce, and that this trend will continue far into the future, should we not invest in a centre dedicated to finding jobs for older workers, training them, placing them, giving them the necessary support that they need? Sir, this is done in other countries. In Japan, as we know, it has the Silver Jinzai Centre, a human resource centre which matches employers and job-seekers aged 60 and above. It registers about 750,000 senior workers and, according to their record, about 80% of them are placed in jobs ranging from school tutor to gardener. I am not sure whether we have achieved anywhere near their success rate for our older workers in Singapore. Sir, in Britain, they have a government programme that provides job search assistance for people aged 50 and older when they have been out of work for six months or longer, and also offers training opportunities and wage enhancement. There is a need for such a centre, and I hope that our Minister for Manpower will consider this. Increasingly, we are also moving towards the re-employment of older workers beyond the retirement age of 62. I commend all the initiatives done under ADVANTAGE! to give incentives to employers to hire older workers, and I know more will be invested in this initiative. Sir, I hope, when the contracts are being renegotiated, that MOM will make sure that older workers will not be discriminated against or even exploited.”
“Sir, I have residents coming to me looking for jobs. They used to be 40-plus or 50-plus, but, increasingly, over the last few years, 60-plus, 70-plus, and they always ask where are the jobs for them. I have referred them to the North East CDC, as all of us are now looking for jobs for older workers and they share a databank with other CDCs. And a few months, half a year or sometimes a year later, the same residents would come back and say no job-matching for them yet. Even those who have been job-matched, they say the employers tell them, "Sorry, you are too old". It is a recurring story, Sir, and I feel that there must be some truth in what they are saying. I understand that the CDCs are doing as good a job as they can. But I think the problem is deeper. One is whether there are jobs for them. The Minister said that there were 61,000 jobs created last year. I would like to ask the Minister, of these 61,000 jobs, how many have gone to older workers. I also want to support the point made by my hon. colleague, Mdm Cynthia Phua, about whether we can reserve some jobs for older workers. In other words, looking at the job landscape and these jobs that are being created, which all the investments are bringing in, can we, say, "chope" a few for our older workers, without introducing rigidity into the system or making our employers uncompetitive, ie, giving them wage enhancement and training, making sure that they are up to the job? I would also like to ask the Minister whether he would consider setting up a job-matching centre dedicated to older workers because, with the present system, we have the CDCs doing it. They have many other things to look out for. There are community programmes to do and welfare assistance to look out for.”
“Sir, I just want to ask about the deferment that is no longer allowed for university education. I am concerned whether this would increase the number of defaulters, especially Singaporean students who are doing their pre-university courses abroad. Can I ask the Minister to study and monitor the situation, especially since we have increased the penalties for defaulters and it might mean that they might not be coming back at all? It would be counter-productive because that will affect our operational readiness. My second point is on disruption when the Second Minister made a very strong point about equity and universality. May I ask the Minister: why then is an exception being made for PSC scholars? If we want to apply that principle, should it not be applied equally as well?”
“I would propose to the Minister for Defence that as the SAF celebrates its 40th anniversary next year, we consider building a memorial to recognise the sacrifice and to commemorate them, to honour all those who had died while in service, including those who had died while training. Sir, RECORD IV has proposed a slew of measures to recognise the sacrifices of NSmen who are still alive. But I think we would be remiss if we do not also think of those who have sacrificed their lives - it can be through training, it can be through other operational exercises. During MINDEF's visit to France last year, led by the Defence Minister, I noticed that its elite anti-terrorism troop commemorated their comrades who had died in training on a memorial plaque, and it did not matter how they died, under what circumstances they died, but the fact was that they died while they were in training, in service to the country. While the commander stopped to show us that plaque, I could not help noticing that he had this moment of reverence and respect, and it shows that he remembered those who had died, his comrades who had fallen while training. And it also signifies a higher value, the sacrifice for the nation. Sir, we have several war memorials in Singapore - Kranji War Memorial and the Cenotaph - and they are there to commemorate our war-time sacrifices, mainly World War II, World War I. And most of those who had died are not Singaporeans who had fought for the country, but the British troops, Australian troops and New Zealand troops, foreigners. But we have yet to have a memorial for NSmen who have died. Sir, I would hope that the Minister would consider this. It is not too late and it is not too early, and I think the 40th anniversary is a good time for us to start this ritual to do so. 4.”
“Sir, year after year, families have to send their sons for National Service, believing that a strong SAF is necessary for this country's continued survival. They do this knowing that there are inherent risks in military training and operations. Given the spate of training deaths in recent years, we need to reassure parents that adequate safety measures are being put in place even as their sons go through tough and realistic training. Sir, I am for tough and realistic training but we need to make sure that there are safety audits being put in place, being done, and that there are actions being taken when there are lapses. Can I also ask the Minister what has the progress been since two years ago, when the Minister told us that the SAF would benchmark their safety standards against those of other armed forces? Sir, we realise that no military in the world, not even the best armed forces, has a zero training death rate. Indeed, it has been documented that since the SAS British elite force was formed in 1957, it had lost more men in peace time practice manoeuvres than in combat. The tougher the training, the higher the risk, and the same goes for our SAF. In Singapore, we have NSmen who have never fought in a war, but we have men who have lost their lives in training accidents while in service. They were training for the sole purpose of defending this country. Their deaths are not a loss to their families but also to the country. We should not allow their sacrifice to be just another accident statistic.”
“Sir, the Senior Parliamentary Secretary and Deputy Chairman earlier said that content is more important in the Archives, not its image. I just wonder why this same thing is not said about museums and libraries. We aim for them to be world class, to have modern facilities and state-of-the-art buildings. It might reflect on our lack of appreciation of the role of our Archives. I also want to clarify that, for me, what was more important - of course, rich content - but not image per se as much as what I said that it was a crammed building, it lacked facilities and that we want more people to come and access the rich treasure trove that it has within its walls. The second point, if I may ask the Senior Parliamentary Secretary, is that the move to place more records online is something that all modern archives are doing. I hope he knows that we still have to go down to the Archives most times to access and read the materials as we may not know what is relevant until we plough through the whole reams of stuff. And this was what I had done at Kew. I go online. I also identify the topics that I want but I go there and access the materials. I always wonder if researchers come to our Archives what sort of impression they would have of the kind of value that we place on our historical records. When I went to Kew, I had a very good impression of the British people that do value the role of their archives, equivalent to their museums and their libraries. And they give the funds that they needed and the buildings that they needed. Sir, I hope MICA will consider upgrading the building and committing more resources to our Archives.”