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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“It cannot be physical fitness because, for both, the criteria would be that they must qualify and excel in the Officer Cadet School and, for both scholarships, they must have a strong interest in a military career. But the SAF Overseas Scholarship is not open for women.”
“For the clip titled "Woman Officer", it shows a sexy woman strutting in very short shorts in a halter top with an exposed midriff, with a silky tune playing in the background. She gives sultry looks to a man - I think a male officer - and as she walks away, these words appear: "A whole world of possibilities - Women in the Army". I am not sure what it meant but, watching the clip, one of the possibilities that came readily to mind was of a high-class karaoke hostess. And, sometimes, looking at it, it looks more like an advertisement to recruit men than to recruit women. But when we contrast this with the clip for men, it is studded with purposeful images of men scanning maps, looking vigilant, serious, courageous, protecting Singapore, and the word "Leadership" appeared, and the clip ends with the words "Army 21, the decisive force". Sir, I think the clip for women regulars, which I would say is quite sexist, demeans their serious contribution to the SAF in securing the interest of Singapore. The image portrayed also will not help them in their aspiration to compete with men as equals in the SAF on the basis of their abilities. I would urge the Ministry to be more discerning in its recruitment advertisements. I also scanned the MINDEF recruitment advertisements in the Sunday Times of 9th March 2003, and I was very happy to see the range of scholarships on offer. But I find it curious that the SAF Overseas Scholarship, the most prestigious of the lot, is open only to men, unlike the SAF Merit Scholarship, which is open to both sexes. Can I ask the Minister what is the reason for this?”
“Although their numbers are relatively small, women have made their mark as regulars in the SAF. In the last five years, we have at least two female naval officers who commanded ships in the Navy, a woman commanding officer in the artillery, and several women who command RSAF squadrons. Whenever I meet such women officers, I can feel their sense of pride in, first, serving their country and, second, in rising to their positions in a male-dominated field. They take their professions and their cause of protecting the country very seriously. But they did not make much of their achievements as women because, as far as they are concerned, they are there on their own merits, and they want to be judged by their male counterparts and the country on the basis of their own abilities, leadership qualities and contributions to SAF. They work very hard to prove themselves on this basis. Their attitude is commendable. But I also know that it has been a challenge for the women regulars to overcome some biases and mindsets towards them, especially given this patriarchal society and their male-dominated working environment. They take this in their stride, but we need not make it harder for them. Sir, fewer than one in 10 SAF regulars are women. But whatever their numbers - as is made clear with the recent tragedy of RSS Courageous which took the lives of four Navy servicewomen - women face the same dangers as men while on professional duty. Hence, they deserve equal recognition and respect as the men in the SAF. However, if we look at the MINDEF website, we will find a video clip of the Army's recruitment advertisements, one for men and one for women, and the contrast between them cannot be greater.”
“At the same time, we need to keep explaining the security imperatives and the changing landscape to Singaporeans, so that they will support this push for an even stronger SAF. In this world, where the threats from rogue states and international terrorists are at least as dangerous as rivalry among major powers, I would like to ask the Minister for his assessment on the security outlook for the region and how we are gearing up to meet the challenges.”
“Such an event could prompt Japan to follow North Korea's lead in going nuclear, dragging China into the arms race, with devastating consequences for peace and prosperity in the region. Third, if there is a war against Iraq, with or without UN sanction, there is likely to be a wave of anti-American protests in the Southeast Asian region, which is predominantly Muslim. The situation is expected to be most unpredictable in Indonesia, since its transition towards pluralism and democracy has meant that it is less able to control mass protests. And with the looming elections, it is expected that different politicians might seek to make some political mileage with the Muslim ground. So far, however, it is good to note that protests in the region against the war on Iraq have been peaceful, and we hope that this will continue to be the case. But the risk for Singapore is that with its close ties with the US, Singapore may become the target of radical Islamic terrorists angry at the US. The Jemaah Islamiyah plot to blow up western targets in Singapore shows how real this danger is. The terrorist bombing in Bali in October 2002 and the recent bombing of the Davao Airport in the southern Philippines made clear that terrorism continues to be a threat in Southeast Asia. Given Singapore's geo-strategic importance and the fluid situation in the region, we need to upgrade the capabilities of the SAF to defend Singapore against potential conventional threats, as well as build a comprehensive infrastructure to protect it from terrorism. We also need to beef up our capabilities to deal with the threat of chemical and biological warfare. We need to commit the financial resources needed. This is not the time to stinge on defence but to increase it.”
“Sir, the world today finds itself in a new strategic environment marked by great uncertainty and complexity. I would like to quickly highlight three developments which have implications for regional security. First, the US' push for war against Iraq and its unabashed willingness to go it alone without the sanction of the United States. The emergence of the US as the sole superpower willing and able to act outside the UN has grave implications on our notion of balance of power as the foundation for regional and global stability. The US has emerged as the sole superpower with unilateralist instincts which can breed resentment in some parts of the world. Some powers are clearly wary of a US war against Iraq. For these powers, such as China and France, the war on Iraq could signal enhanced US primacy, with increased control over Iraqi oil, and continued unilateral behaviour in the international security environment. Even now, we can see the different powers jockeying for influence in the UN Security Council. The international environment appears unsettled and anarchic, and states have to take care of their own security as best as they can, and have to be nimble to respond to the changing power balance. Second, the situation in North Korea seems to be approaching a dangerous new level. According to the Kyodo News Agency, Tokyo might deploy Aegis-equipped warships with missile-tracking technology near the Korean Peninsula. The Pentagon has meanwhile put 24 long-range bombers on alert for possible despatch to the region. Some analysts believe that once Washington commits to military action in Iraq, North Korea will seize the moment to realise its nuclear ambitions and to exploit the uncertainty.”
“Second, does the Government not want to also encourage single women with family responsibilities to continue working? The tax relief would help them to do so, the way it helps married and divorced women with family responsibilities to continue working. I urge the Minister to review this inconsistent policy.”
“There are many singles, especially women, who have to take care of their elderly parents. One single I know works very long hours as an Executive Secretary. She is afraid of losing her job as she is above 45. So she works very hard to earn her keep so that she can support herself and her elderly mother who lives with her. As her mother gets more and more frail, she has no choice but to hire a maid. If she does not, she fears she may lose her job. There are many singles like her. They use up their Medisave and savings to care for their frail parents, leaving less for themselves in their own old age. They have to take on this care giver role to relieve their siblings who are married with their own families. At the same time, they have to work very hard to support themselves and their parents. During my block visits, I have met single women who have no choice but to quit their jobs to care for their frail parents. I am worried for them because I am not sure whether they will find it easy to get back to the workforce later. Sir, it is hard to understand why singles are not allowed to claim the foreign maid levy tax relief, while other working women can. The Second Minister for Finance, Mr Lim Hng Kiang, has explained to the House earlier that the objective of the relief is to encourage married women to continue working. Hence, the relief is not available to singles. I have two points to make against this reasoning. First, a divorced woman can already claim maid relief, and a divorced woman is certainly not married, or it would be a contradiction in terms. If a divorced woman can claim tax relief for a foreign maid so that she can continue working, why not a single woman who also has family responsibilities, in this case, caring for her parents?”
“The 1960s, in fact, had been the most revolutionary for Singapore. Few other countries have undergone so many significant changes in so short a period. The 1960s saw the transition of Singapore from a colony to an internally self-governing state from 1959 to 1963, to becoming a part of the Federation of Malaysia from 1963 to 1965, and then to an independent republic. Furthermore, the challenges that threaten Singapore's economic viability as a state was sprung on it in quick succession. This includes Sukarno's Confrontation and Britain's decision to withdraw its military bases in 1975 which left Singapore with the task of absorbing 40,000 employees, making up for the loss of 20% of the GNP and creating a credible defence force within four years. It was Singapore's leadership, together with the support of the people, that effectively overcame all these severe problems. Sir, in 1986, when I was wondering what the future held, there was a team looking at how to pull Singapore out of the recession. It was called the Economic Committee and was led by Mr Lee Hsien Loong, then Minister of State for Trade and Industry. Today we have another committee, the Economic Review Committee, led also by Mr Lee. Sir, I would say that our leaders have had a good track record so far. This should give our people confidence. I, for one, am confident that, with the people united behind the Government, determined to achieve a better Singapore, happy days would indeed be here again. On that note, I support the motion.”
“The more entrepreneurial among us should strike out and follow their passion. What is the worst that could happen? We fail, so what? Try again, better than staring at the wall and griping. And with the Minister of State in charge of entrepreneurship, the outlook should be more promising now. The more creative among us should write plays, poems, songs, make movies that can give us a different view of things and, in the process, help lift us from this gloom. In this respect, I am pleased that the Government is not stinging on its investment in the arts scene. I am not sure how many of you remember but there is this song titled "Happy Days are Here Again". It was written in 1929 in the US for a movie called "Chasing Rainbows" and the chorus goes: Happy days are here again. The skies above are clear again. So let us sing a song of cheer again. Happy days are here again. Sir, this song was written and sung in the midst of the Great Depression in the US. Yet the lyrics are one of hope and cheer. You have to hear the Barbara Streisand version to hear how exhilarating the song can be. What we are going through is by no means a great depression, but where we are heading towards is indeed a great destination. The Budget is a step towards realising the vision of a leading global city, a hub of talent, enterprise and innovation and one of the best places to work and live in Asia. It is a place where, young or old, all of us can enjoy an interesting and fulfilling life. This is something that we should look forward to and work towards. Sir, in conclusion, we have many strengths, not least a team of good leaders who have brought us this far. It must be recalled that, though some of the changes in recent years have been swift and drastic, such shifts are not new in Singapore.”
“But it is useful to remember that this is not the first time that we have been through such a difficult time. Indeed, when I graduated in 1986, it was a recession year and I too found it hard to find a job. After my final examinations, jobs were so scarce that I had to take a part-time job, telling children stories at the Robinson's toy department. I was hired by a young entrepreneur who was bringing in teddy bears from Australia, and for each bear, there was a character in the story. So I gained from the efforts of a young entrepreneur. My pay was $100 a week as my job was only over the weekends in the afternoons in the toy department. That was about $400 a month. But the money managed to tide me over for about two months until I got a full-time job at $800 a month. So that was double - what joy! And that was as an editor-cum-writer-cum-sales-cum-marketing person-cum-ad-copywriter-cum many other small jobs for a small time publication company. It was an insecure job because the company's finances were shaky. But despite the poor prospects, I thought having a job was much better than having none. And frankly, I had a great time because I felt stretched and I also learnt to stretch the dollar. And one of the greatest pleasures for me in those days was to save up enough to have breakfast at McDonald's. But about five months later in August 1986, I got a job in the Straits Times which was the start of a more stable career until I joined politics in 2001. I tell this story to remind ourselves that this gloomy situation for our young graduates is only temporary. The crucial thing I learn is to keep our chins up and to seize every opportunity that comes. I see this tough time as an opportunity for our young Singaporeans to show their mettle.”
“This means more jobs would be created in these sectors. Are we projecting for this? Sir, many of our older workers today feel that their future in Singapore looks like a bleak one because what they hear and see is this: their pay needs to be cut year after year by the CPF to make them more employable and then jobs are still hard to come by even with the CPF cuts. Cost will keep rising as public services become more market-oriented. Medical and social services will be means-tested. They are a burden to society. The emphasis is on nurturing the young, and not the old. Sir, we need to get through to them a better vision of their future - or else why should they buy into it? That is why one of the brightest spots in this year's Budget to me is the setting up of a new statutory board for Continuing Education and Training. It should tailor programmes specifically for our mature workers which can then place them into decent jobs. If the pay is too low with reduced CPF and the job is too onerous, older workers may not see it as worth their while to carry on working. One way to encourage them to continue working is to provide financial incentives. Sir, under one proposal in Australia, people who work for five years beyond their pension age could become eligible for a tax-free payment of A$25,000 when they retire. We need not be so generous. But the option to me seems stark - unemployed and pessimistic older workers clamouring for more handouts and subsidies or older workers with decent jobs which make them feel useful and wanted, and a decent quality of life to make them glad that they are Singaporeans. Turning to young Singaporeans, Sir, their mood today is one of frustration and despondency. Many of our fresh graduates have found it hard to get the jobs they want.”
“Empty nesters are those aged 40 to 59, with their youngest nearing financial independence. We will also have more aging singles with considerable purchasing power. The number of empty nesters is forecast to grow by 50% to 10.9 million during the next decade in economies like Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan. At the same time, the youth market will shrink by 10% during the same decade. In Japan, some companies are already reorienting their marketing to appeal to the senior citizens. As the Asian Wall Street Journal reported on February 28th, Yamaha Corp had two years ago created an easy to play electronic guitar for older people who grew up on the Beatles and Japanese folk rock and who had always wanted to play the guitar. So they produced an easier version of the electronic guitar. The guitar was a hit with those above 50 and they were all snapped up. There is another reason why the Government should nurture the Silver Sector as one of our new growth industries. It would also help with the employment situation of our older workers. Studies in other countries show that companies with customers aged over 45 are more likely to employ a mature worker. These companies know that if they are to appeal to mature customers, they need to improve the level of service they offer this group. Older workers will become increasingly important in developing relationships with customers. Our growing population would also influence employment trends. In Australia, the second biggest employer group was hospitals and nursing homes with about 330,000 workers. As its population gets older and begins to require even more medical attention, employment categories such as medical and dental services are expected to continue to grow.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to focus on two groups, the older Singaporeans and young Singaporeans: what do they have to look forward to? First, older Singaporeans. In this debate, much has been said about the problems posed by our aging workforce, such as increased social spending in the future. The answer to this problem, as stated in the Budget Statement, is: we must find new sources of growth or else stagnate and decline. Put this way, the aging population is cast as a burden on society and the cause of possible stagnation. Why not view them instead as a potential engine for economic growth? The greying population can be a big opportunity for business and can spur the Silver Sector, the industry for senior citizens. This would involve not only medical and nursing care, but also creating, producing and marketing products and services to meet their changing needs and interests. This would include anti-aging healthcare and beauty products, health supplements like Viagra, cheaper and better alternatives to that, as well as leisure activities. The Silver Sector may also boost the pension and insurance industries. Just look at the phenomenon of line dancing which took our older Singaporeans by storm. Imagine how much money some entrepreneurs made by selling cowboy boots, cowboy hats and chequered shirts. Mind you, these are not cheap stuff. As I understand it, the cowboy boots are brought in from Australia and they cost from $100 to $1,000 a pair and they are being snapped up by our not-so-young residents and during an economic downturn. Sir, we should not keep painting all older Singaporeans as people without spending power and who would only drain our resources. Sir, in 10 years, we will have more empty nesters than young people.”
“Sir, when Singapore warned the naval vessels from Malaysia that intruded, did they leave immediately? RAdm Teo Chee Hean: The Malaysian vessels have not always complied with instructions immediately. But, of course, they do leave eventually. CITIZENS CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE ASSISTANCE SCHEME (Number of applications received) 9. Mr Charles Chong asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance what is the number of applications received under the Citizens Consultative Committee (CCC) Assistance Scheme and what is the number actually qualified to receive assistance. The Second Minister for Finance (Mr Lim Hng Kiang) (for the Minister for Finance): Mr Speaker, Sir, 14,161 applications were received under the CCC Assistance Scheme in January 2003. Of these, two were successful. The high number of applications is probably because many members of the public thought that it was a general unconditional handout from the Government which they might have a chance of getting. But the CCC Assistance Scheme was specifically to offer additional help only to those households, with a monthly income of $3,600 or less, whose extra GST expenditure is not adequately offset by the GST offset package. The People's Association and MOF held a press briefing on 25th January 2003 to clarify the rationale of the Scheme. Recent feedback from the CCCs indicates that the number of applications has tapered off. The GST Offset Package was designed with a 5% GST rate in mind. Although the transition to a 5% GST rate is now phased in over two years, the Government kept the offset package intact. This is an additional reason why the vast majority of Singaporeans are receiving offsets worth more than 100% of the additional GST they have to bear.”
“Sir, can I ask the Minister whether these intrusions pose any danger, in terms of shipping traffic, because the Straits is known to be a very congested area and whether the patterns of the intrusions are quite reckless and haphazard? RAdm Teo Chee Hean: Sir, we have had occasions in the last month or so where the Maritime Port Authority has received complaints by passing merchant vessels that Malaysians state vessels in the Pedra Branca area have been causing interference with navigation. There had also been occasions, particularly in May last year, where Malaysian vessels have behaved in an unseaman-like manner, coming very close to our vessels on patrol there, and such actions could lead to unintended consequences. Assoc. Prof. Ngiam Tee Liang (Nominated Member): Sir, in view of the situation of the Malaysian vessels coming in despite this international understanding that such action will have no basis for enhancing their claim, is this an issue that the Malaysians understand or is there a dispute as to this kind of procedure? If so, what kind of understanding should we have? Otherwise, we will continue to have situations like this, where one side agrees and the other side disagrees with the protocol as to what should now form the basis of future action. RAdm Teo Chee Hean: Mr Speaker, Sir, the Malaysians should be well aware of this because this is exactly the same position that they adopted in their dispute with Indonesia over Sipadan and Ligitan. The Malaysians should also be well aware of this because we have informed them so, both in person as well as through our Third Party Notes that we have sent them.”
“Sir, as we will be relying more and more on NEWater, can the Minister assure the House that there will be no long-term health effects on consumers? Can he assure us that PUB is fully satisfied?”
“The Minister said that our common bilateral interests exceed our bilateral differences. Can I ask the Minister how does he see the two countries cooperating and increasing their cooperation, especially given the present atmosphere?”
“Just to follow up on that point. Can we not insist that the more proper forum would be the PCA? It is a more neutral body. If we go according to the laws of Johor, it might not be as neutral as we would like it to be. And I would think that if Malaysia is confident of its case, as it has said it is, it would be prepared to take it to the PCA. My second question is also on water. Given that it is no longer realistic to hope for future water from Malaysia, can the Minister assure all Singaporeans that we are well prepared to be self-sufficient for all our water needs, present and future?”
“But we must avoid any generalisation so that the justified fear of specific threats does not turn into an undefined fear which makes an enemy of anyone who is overtly religious. The majority of Singapore Muslims have shown, in their words and their actions, that Islam is a religion of peace, openness and moderation. They are well-placed to show the world that Islam can be a modernising factor, and can make a positive contribution to the peaceful development of this country and the region. Now is the moment for us to proceed against terrorism with all possible determination and toughness so as to weaken it and to deter sympathisers. And to make clear that, we, the citizens of Singapore, stand together as one united people, regardless of race or religion, against terrorism. Sir, I support the motion.”
“In Singapore, the discussion of Islam in modernity should not be restricted only to religious and intellectual circles. It is worth noting that in neighbouring countries, there is an active discussion among different Muslim groups on human rights and the women's role in Islam. They include groups such as Malaysia's Sisters of Islam, a group of Muslim professional women committed to promoting the rights of women within the framework of Islam, and also the women's wing of the biggest moderate Muslim group in Indonesia, Nahdlatul Ulama. The women's wing, called Muslimat Nahdlatul Ulama, seeks to empower Muslim women. Sir, I have heard women leaders from these groups speak. Their underlying argument is that not only the ulamas have the right to codify the text of the Quran, and that interpretations should not be isolated from historical and socio-cultural context, especially regarding women and contemporary society. They argue against the use of religion to justify cultural practices and values that regard women as inferior and subordinate to men. They believe that this has been made possible because men have had exclusive control over the interpretation of the text of the Quran. This is what these Muslim women in these countries have been saying. In Singapore, it is imperative that the progressive voices of Muslim women be also heard in the ongoing debate on the interpretation of Islam. Battling militant Islam is not the only responsibility of the State but also of the civil society, both Islamic and non-Islamic, involving both men and women. Sir, in conclusion, we are under threat from terrorism, and we must combat it; there is no denying that.”
“International law and the legitimacy of the UN are important to Singapore, especially since it is a small state. But even as we discuss the merits or demerits, or the rightness or wrongness of a possible war against Iraq, Singaporeans, as individuals and groups, must guard against anti-US feelings taking hold. The Government's decision must be made on the basis of Singapore's national interest, and that means the collective interest of all Singaporeans. If a war does indeed take place against Iraq, there will be repercussions in the Southeast Asian region, which is predominantly Muslim, and we should prepare for the various scenarios. Finally, Singaporeans face a challenge from two perspectives. For Muslims, the ongoing debate is what interpretation of Islam will dominate, how to reconcile it with modernity and a secular multi-racial state. For non-Muslims, it is how to negotiate a common space and how to accommodate the concerns of Muslims in building a national way of life, in which all are equal. We need to show that our pluralistic and tolerant way of life is superior to the one offered by extreme Islamic groups. That our way of life is not about reducing everything to economic growth but is a humane one, based on justice and equality. That our way of life makes room for a diversity of religions, but rejects the religion of oppression and violence. Sir, it is a positive thing that progressive debates about Islam are taking place in Singapore. Such debates are also ongoing in neighbouring countries. It is helpful to observe the regional debate so as to be able to counter over-simplified arguments of many Muslims and critics of Islam, maintaining that the Quran prescribes this or that.”
“If we are regarded by the international community as a region that is plagued by disputes and instability, and one that breeds Islamic radicals, this would undermine investor confidence and affect our future development as individual countries and as a region. Such an outcome will make it all the harder for leaders in this region to win the support of their people against the more extreme Islamic political groups offering an alternative vision of a spiritual society, withdrawn from the secular modern world. The growing popularity of Islamic parties around the world, such as in Turkey and Pakistan, in the face of the US-led war on terrorism - a war often painted by Islamic political opportunists as anti-Islam - points to the challenge that this region faces. Secondly, there is another complication that we in Singapore have to watch out for, and that is the latent anti-American sentiment in some quarters in the region. It can be easily whipped up and exploited by those who want to play to their domestic Muslim gallery. Add to this the tensions created by a possible war on Iraq and the picture for the region looks even more uncertain. America has become the big issue in the war against terrorism, when the issue should be rooting out the terrorists and halting the rise of militant Islam. The growing anti-Americanism, if not checked, will only make it easier to recruit young men for suicide missions against US and Western targets around the world, including in this region. In Singapore, we have to make sure our own society knows where its national interests lie and protect it. We may not always agree with the US and, indeed, we have disagreed with the superpower on several occasions in international forums.”
“Sir, we are not oblivious to the vagaries of the election season in neighbouring countries, but I would urge the politicians from across the Causeway to bear in mind the major challenge facing us together, and that is the threat of terrorism. While it may seem easy and almost cost-free to score political points at home by whipping up anti-Singapore sentiments, it is a high-risk game, especially given these volatile times. It is like two next-door neighbours quarrelling about who owns the spot outside the doorway, when there are ruthless murderers lurking along the corridors with bombs that will not only blow up the contested spot outside the door but all that they have built within their homes as well. We must remember that our fates are intertwined. It is important that the countries in this region work together to present a united front in curbing the influence of extremist groups in this region. Towards this effort, people-to-people relations between the two countries should be strengthened and greater understanding fostered. Such a civil society project cannot move forward if the poisonous and fractious atmosphere between the two countries remain and is allowed to escalate, stoked by one-sided media reports which demonise Singapore. Once hatred is sowed in the heart of the peoples, it can take on a dynamic of its own and be beyond the control of their political masterminds. Bilateral disputes, however vexing, should be seen against the bigger strategic picture. We face a common challenge. We share a common destiny, whether we like it or not.”
“Now, just reading the newspapers, especially the Malaysian ones, over the last few months or so, would give one the impression that it does not need a Hambali to provoke distrust and animosity between the two countries. It would seem that some politicians and commentators are quite capable of doing that already - whipping up anti-Singapore sentiments over any possible issue, from the ownership of Pedra Branca, to land reclamation and the supply of water. What is particularly disturbing is that the discourse in Malaysia is not above evoking anti-Muslim images. For instance, the Malaysian Berita Harian published an editorial in December titled "Singapore Behaving Like The Jews In Claiming Batu Putih Island". The Malay-language daily said that Singapore was behaving like the Jews who stole land belonging to the Palestinians. I quote, "So just like Israel that is surrounded by Arab countries, Singapore is like a Jewish state surrounded by Malay states." Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, now, we know that Israel and the Palestine issues are explosive issues which provoke deep resentment in most parts of the Muslim world. Such rhetoric to cast Singapore in such light is dangerous. It is dangerous not only because it may give radical Muslims around the world another reason to look at Singapore as a target for militant jihad. It is dangerous also because it can create a tinderbox atmosphere in which the racial and religious cleavages between the two countries can be easily exploited by militant Muslims with just a strike of the match, at the right, or rather, the wrong time. Such rhetoric is also grossly irresponsible. Singapore is a multi-racial state, with a significant Muslim minority.”
“These conflicts in the region not only served to give concrete meaning to the concept of militant jihad, a key element of JI's ideology, but also provided easily accessible places where recruits from Singapore could gain practical combat experience. While the Singaporeans joined in the fight in what may seem to be local disputes in the region, they also believed in the ultimate aim of their struggle - for an Islamic state empire in the region. Several were even willing to be suicide bombers, if they were instructed to do so by the JI leaders - the ultimate sacrifice. Sir, against this backdrop, I would like to highlight three points. First, this is a regional problem which requires regional cooperation and regional political will. And at all levels, not just at the level of intelligence and security agencies, and not just exchanging information and acting on them. Let me explain. Take one of the plans by Hambali, the JI point-main with Al-Qaeda, who wanted to attack key Singapore installations, and to represent them as acts of aggression by the Malaysian government. According to the White Paper, Hambali's aim was to create a situation in Malaysia and Singapore, which would be conducive to overthrowing the Malaysian government and provoking a revolution that would turn Malaysia into an Islamic state. Hambali wanted to provoke distrust and animosity between a "Muslim" Malaysia and a "Chinese Singapore" and cause ethnic strife in both countries. Hambali's hope, the White Paper added, was that Muslims in both countries would then respond to calls for jihad and turn Malaysia and Singapore into another Ambon.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, when I read the White Paper on the Jemaah Islamiyah Arrests and The Threat of Terrorism, I was sobered by the realisation that we are in for a long-term battle with terrorism, and that it is a difficult battle. It is a difficult battle for at least two reasons. First, it is tied up with the shadowy force of radical and militant Islam in the world and in the region. And, second, the outcome of the battle is not totally in our hands. The JI branch in Singapore is part of a larger JI network with cells in the region, such as in Malaysia and Indonesia. It is part of the same network that has carried out dozens of other deadly bombings in Indonesia and the Philippines in the past few years. It is a multi-national organisation, operating across borders. This means that the problems cannot be wiped out, no matter how effective our security and intelligence agencies are, because the key operatives are outside the country and beyond our control. It is instructive to note that the Singapore JI branch reported to the Malaysian JI leadership. This means that Singapore will always have to be on guard against its citizens not being recruited by foreign radical Muslim leaders or their extreme interpretations of the faith, and that they are not swayed by their militant causes and visions. From the White Paper, one can glean that the Singaporeans arrested for their JI activities harbour a strong anti-US sentiment, coupled with a belief that they should wage militant jihad against the oppressors of Muslims in the world, such as against Christians in the Malukus in Indonesia. Indeed, while some of the Singaporeans arrested have had combat experience in Afghanistan, many have had training nearby, in the Malukus and Batam in Indonesia, as well as in the Philippines.”
“Can I ask the Minister of State why did he not answer Mr Chong's question about the four self-help groups, because it is useful to know how effective they are in job placements?”
“We have been working on class-size reduction, higher standards and greater accountability. We have begun to address the importance of preparing more and better-qualified school administrators. To complete the job, we need to be sure we have enough qualified counsellors. Teachers already complain of being overloaded with work. With enough counsellors on hand, teachers and administrators can better focus on their primary responsibilities. The provision of high quality, readily accessible counselling must be at the heart of a culture that is committed to enabling each individual to realise his or her full potential. With adequate counselling, we will reap the full benefits of this education reform. On that note, Sir, I support the motion.”
“' She added that it was passion that they look for. We have a high tendency to admit students, she said, who pursue their activities at a very high level of distinction but these activities can be anything. "It is the passion that counts." Sir, it is the passion that counts indeed. And it is no wonder that you do not hear many MIT students complaining endlessly of stress. Mr Speaker, Sir, the White Paper offers an exciting vision of the future. There are so many opportunities for the students to maximise their potential. That said, however, the dazzling array of choices can also be quite confusing. How are the students going to know which subject to take and which combinations of those subjects, which route to take and which school to opt for to give the courses and the route that they choose, whether they can afford to go to a particular school, private or public and, if not, what financial aid is available, and so on? Students from low income families, in particular, will be disadvantaged as their home environments may not provide them the support and guidance that they need. Sir, we cannot presume that somewhere along the way, a teacher, administrator, or coach will take a special interest in each student or help the young person to recognise his or her strengths and abilities, and encourage that student to plan for the future. I would urge the Minister to place more emphasis on providing schools with good qualified counsellors. Without adequate counselling, students have no choice but to revert to self-selection and, too often, that is the base where their friends are. Low-income families must be assisted if you are to substantially increase the number of students of different races, cultures and backgrounds in higher education.”
“Sir, there is a need to align our universities to the changes as part of this education reform and, at the same time, to broaden the choices for our students with at least one privately-funded university. I do not believe that this greater differentiation will necessarily lead to a more elitist system where only the rich and powerful would benefit. In Harvard in the US for instance, those who can pay full fees are charged full fees. The middle class and poor get financial aid of a sliding scale. All financial aid at Harvard is based on need, and almost half of its students get direct grants which come up to just under half the tuition bill. Or take the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It also offers an array of financial assistance schemes for deserving students. Each admission criterion is based not on the ability to pay but on a complex evaluation of the applicants' aptitude as well as their attitudes. As the Dean of MIT Admissions, Marilee Jones was quoted as saying in one article, one way they sort applicants, other than the academic qualification, is to rate them on three specific dimensions of the student's life - initiatives in co-curricular activities; initiatives in inter-personal skills; initiatives in extra-curricular activities. The applicants may vary greatly, but that is what the MIT wants. As Ms Jones explained, and I quote, 'The key word, as you can see, is initiative because this is the most important characteristic we select for. We try to admit people who take initiative in their lives, who take responsibility for their education. Many students study hard, get good grades and good scores. But many of those do it because it is a family expectation or community pressure or a myriad of other reasons.”
“With the green light for a few private schools to be set up, perhaps we should consider setting up an independent body in Singapore, equivalent to the UK's Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. Its core business is to review the quality and standards of UK's higher education. Such an agency in Singapore should audit the way in which each JC and secondary school manages the overall quality and standards of its provision and review academic standards and the quality of teaching and learning in each subject area, and also give points to CCA in the ranking of schools. This will also help the public to be better equipped to make informed decisions on which school to select for their children. The fourth proposal I want to highlight is that allowing a few privately-run and privately-funded secondary schools or JCs. This is a good move, despite the allegations of elitism, as this will allow those who could not fit into the regular system a menu of other choices. But why not go all the way and also allow at least one private university, privately-run, privately-funded, to complete the track and to compete with our universities for the good students in each cohort? Or else our good students produced up to JC level, then already used to a more rigorous intellectual climate, would have little option here but to go to Ivy League universities in the US, such as Harvard and Princeton, if our own universities do not also revamp their teaching methods or their curriculum. This would not help us to achieve our vision of being the Harvard of the East. The American system offers the choice of both a public and a private system. At the university level, private institutions outnumber public institutions by a factor of three to one.”
“I would urge the Education Ministry to relook the ranking system, a point I will come to shortly. There also needs to be a comprehensive drive to address the serious shortage of qualified literature, arts and sports teachers. The third proposal I found exciting about the White Paper is the added emphasis on non-academic curriculum with more weight given to co-curricular activities. I commend the move to introduce a holistic certification whereby the CCA achievements and academic grades of students are reflected in a single "A" level certificate and the proposal to give CCA additional weights in the university admission criteria. Frankly, when we look back on our school days, we do not think "Oh yes, I had a great time solving that mathematics problem." No, more often than not, the memories that stay with us for the rest of our lives are times singing around the campfire as a Girl Guide or staging a school play, or running around in the netball field. Our memories intuitively give more weight to CCA. Sir, we should review how we rank schools, now mainly based on academic results. Ranking criteria also have to be broad based, in tandem with the broad based education we want to introduce, and the school ranking should give due recognition to schools that do well in literature, the arts, sports and CCA. I know that all schools in Singapore use the School Excellence Model for self-appraisal for their performance. The School Excellence Model recognises achievement and effort beyond academic results, in the arts, physical fitness, sports and uniformed group activities, and so on. But as I understand it, this model does not contribute to the ranking of schools.”
“Hence, I would like to urge the relevant Government agencies, such as MITA and MCDS, at the same time to actively develop the cultural and sports industries also. If not, then all this effort and investment will go down the drain as parents and students realise very quickly that the arts and sports in Singapore do not offer viable career options. We must also cultivate an appreciative audience for the arts and an interest in the humanities, such as literature. This brings me to the second proposed change I want to highlight and that is the proposal to integrate an arts and humanities component into the core education curriculum in regular schools. This is to be welcomed. As we know, more and more schools have been dropping literature as a subject for their students because it is difficult to score high marks for the subject, and the poor scores were pulling down the school's ranking and the school's average. Sir, literature is important not only from the perspective of promoting the arts and to help them to speak better English, but it is also important for the personal development of an individual, to help them express themselves better and to see the world through different lenses. Literature has elements of history, geography, philosophy, sociology and psychology. It deals with the intellectual and emotional realm. In short, life itself, in all its richness and complexity. Literature is not known as the "Queen of Humanities" for nothing. But given the emphasis on school ranking, I am not hopeful if this proposed change would see more schools offering literature or more students taking up literature again. They will more likely go for other subjects which are easier to score, such as geography.”
“It promotes a more balanced view of success and self-worth, beyond just academic results. I would like to highlight in particular four proposals in the White Paper for discussion. First, the proposal to set up new Specialised Schools that cater to students with talents in specific fields, such as the arts, sports, mathematics and science. This would contribute towards broadening the range of career paths and opportunities for Singaporeans. Indeed, the promotion of arts, through the proposed arts school, cannot come at a better time, especially for the arts scene when Singapore is gearing up to be the art hub for the region, and with the building of the Esplanade. If this bold experiment succeeds, it will contribute to a higher quality of life for all Singaporeans. Sir, the pursuit of excellence in any field requires substantial effort and investment. Many young Singaporeans I spoke to have felt that, for a long time, they have not been able to develop the artistic interests because of societal pressures to pursue the 5Cs via the tried and tested traditional academic route. There seems to be no room for the creative, the offbeat, the dreamer. With the specialised schools, they will have the flexibility to pursue their interests and passions in arts or sports without having to opt out of the system. They can combine academic study and the arts or with sports. The signal to society is profound: the softer side of life matters. It redefines the conventional definition of success in Singapore. But these specialised schools in arts and sports would not succeed or take root if there are not enough jobs waiting for their graduates at the end of the day.”
“We should put our efforts into nurturing those who are more gifted and intelligent among us, so that they can add to the country's progress and wealth, which can be shared more equitably with all citizens. As the Education Minister said yesterday, and I quote: 'Those students who will benefit from the greater educational options being introduced, must not forget that the opportunities that they enjoy are ultimately justified only by the quality of their commitment and service to our nation and the general social good. If our JC students leave the system very bright, very creative and innovative, having benefited from the best that our system has to offer, but without a sense of commitment to country and obligation to his fellow citizens, then all these efforts would have come to nothing.' I agree fully with the Minister. Sir, I do not particularly care if this reform would produce Nobel prize winners at the end of the day, although it would be good if it did. The fundamental thing is to give every citizen, every student, an opportunity to reach a place in which he or she can and will make the greatest possible contribution to the public good. What we need to focus on is to continue to strengthen meritocracy and to remove all barriers to social mobility and create a level playing field so that all citizens can truly partake of equality of opportunity. In this respect, Sir, I find the proposed education reform very exciting. It is exciting because it embraces enlightened and forward-looking values as its starting point. It believes that each person is unique, possessing diverse abilities and talents. It affirms that diversity is valuable and enriches the community. It signals that society values individuals who excel in different fields, be it sports or arts.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, much of the debate yesterday focused on whether the proposed changes in the White Paper will ring in more stress and a more elitist system. Like others in this House, I too am concerned whether the increased subject - from five to seven at the JC level - will mean more stress for our children, especially those at the borderline. More likely, greater stress will be faced not so much by the top 10% of students, but the Mr and Ms Average and the Slightly-Above-Average in the JCs. But how stressed they will end up depends very much on how the subjects are taught, and how the students approach the subjects and their own expectations and that of their parents'. We know from our own experience, that if you enjoy a subject, it will cease to be stressful. But even if the broader based education curriculum does prove to be more stressful for some students, we have to ask ourselves which would be more stressful in the final analysis. To be stretched a few years in school with a broad based education that prepares them well for the future, or to come out to the workforce ill-equipped for the lifetime of challenges ahead? The other concern - whether this would make for a more elitist system - is to my mind the wrong question. The question to ask is: with this education reform, will the masses in Singapore have a better future? We have a society that is mainly middle class. Over the years, however, the income gap has widened between the top earners and those at the bottom. It would be much simpler to look for ways to distribute our country's wealth more equitably, than it would be to try to distribute one group's intelligence more equitably.”
“Sir, a point of clarification. A single divorced woman can claim maid relief. But a divorced man is not entitled to claim maid relief. What is the reason for this?”
“To conclude, there is a need for sectoral regulation but my hope is that the more successful we are in using it, the more competition will grow and so the less need to rely on it. The challenge for the MDA is to develop an overall approach and a coherent framework in enabling greater competition in a rapidly changing environment while preserving social and cultural benefits associated with the existing policies. Madam, I support the Bill.”
“Should a media company, for instance, file a complaint to the MDA or should it file with the Competition Commission, once it is formed, to enforce the Competition Act? Who is to decide whether a dispute is more appropriately tackled under the Competition Act, which is coming, or under the MDA's Competition Code? I am not arguing that we do not need sectoral regulation now. At this stage in our development, we are working to achieve a transition from a monopoly situation to a competitive marketplace. This and the particular features of the media and the telecoms are what distinguish sectoral regulators from the Competition Commission. In the absence of a Competition Act, there is a need for a competition code for specific industries such as the media. Sectoral rules provide a quick, effective way of solving disputes and to promote competition and to protect consumers. However, as competition develops and regulatory intervention fades into the background, we should do away with the Code to allow greater use of the Competition Act. It is important that we operate both the sectoral Competition Codes, the competition code for the media and the coming generic and omnibus Competition Act within a coherent framework. The MDA's aim should be to be able to lighten sectoral regulation as competition increases, thus increasingly rely more and more on the coming generic competition law. I propose that the Competition Code should include provisions for regular reviews as well as prohibition on using sectoral powers if there is already effective competition. The Government should allow regulation of the media to move towards self-regulation.”
“Madam, if the code is to manage the competition, as I suspect it is, it is important that the media industry be consulted widely in drawing up the code and that there will be transparency in both how it is drawn up as well as how it will be enforced. Second, I want to ask the Minister how this Competition Code sits with the coming generic Competition Act which is said to be ready in 2-3 years' time which, incidentally, strikes me as being rather slow. One would have thought that it would be the other way round, to introduce an over-arching framework, an omnibus Competition Act, which will underpin competition in all industries and enable more focused and detailed industry-specific measures. I believe that this is the approach that Australia is taking. It also has a super media regulator responsible for the converging media and telecoms market, but it does not have a separate set of media competition rules. Australia has a generic competition law enforced by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, which applies to all industries. In the United Kingdom, they are also moving towards a single regulator of converging multi-media industries, the Office of Communications. It will have strong anti-competitive powers as in the Competition law that they have. In the United Kingdom, they already have an omnibus Competition law to provide an over-arching framework. In Singapore, the Government seems to be favouring a sectoral-based competition code and has come up much faster with this than with the bigger Competition Act which we are all waiting for. For instance, the IDA has already come up with the Competition Code for the telecoms and this has been effective since 2000. This poses the question of whether we have a coherent framework.”
“For example, SPH has suspended Project Eyeball and MediaCorp has shut down its City TV and consolidated its sports and Chinese programmes with some of its other TV channels. The media landscape is a challenging one right now for the media players. Against this backdrop, I would like to highlight two concerns. First, it is not clear if the MDA's role is to promote a level playing field for competition or to manage the competition in such a way as to make sure that MediaCorp and SPH do not knock each other out. It is quite different. Reading the comments of Singapore leaders in the past, it would seem to be the latter. For instance, DPM Lee Hsien Loong has once said that the Government wanted to promote constructive competition and it would be a managed process so that one does not knock out the other. But does it mean that to be fair, you have to be unfair? In the sense that, does it mean that if Today proves to be so successful, the Government has to step in to make sure that it does not become the dominant print media? Does it mean that if SPH becomes so successful with its two TV channels, that there will be some constraints to make sure that it will not take over and become the dominant broadcasting media? The Government has also expressed another concern that with competition, the media may go for scandals and sensations, instead of serious news and compete on the way down, which is happening in many other countries. I would like to ask the Minister: will managing the competition also mean controlling the kind of news that the media can report? And, if so, how will this be decided, given that the MDA has made clear that one of its roles is to issue a Competition Code to regulate competition? Will there be a transparent public interest test?”
“Madam, this Bill marks a significant change for the media industry. The Bill will create a super multimedia regulator authorised to, among other things, develop codes of practice relating to content or technical standards for media services, or relating to standards of fair market conduct in any media industry, and also to monitor compliance with such codes. More significantly, the Bill also provides for the Authority to issue a Competition Code to regulate competition. Madam, I want to point out that this Bill comes about two years after limited competition was introduced in the media sector. Since then, the two media giants in Singapore - Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) and MediaCorp - have forayed into each other's turf. In the earlier phase, the media industry saw a flurry of rapid changes. MediaCorp started publishing a daily newspaper called Today in June 2000, while MediaWorks, SPH's new broadcast arm, was licensed to run two free-to-air TV channels - Channel I and Channel U. SPH also started publishing the tabloids Streats and Project Eyeball, the first integrated print and cyberspace news publication in Singapore. In the beginning, executives of Today at MediaCorp, its major owner, have painted a painful start for Today over distribution and other matters that were once monopolised by SPH, while the executives at SPH MediaWorks also reported obstacles in a field once dominated by MediaCorp. The competition situation has now more or less stabilised. Since the economic downturn however, there have been even more changes in terms of consolidation. Consolidation has been a key feature of the media landscape.”
“As I see it, we can either bar these girls from environments which encourage smoking, such as these pubs or clubs, or clean up these environments that presently promote the image that it is cool to smoke. I will not go so far as to call for a ban on smoking in bars, pubs and discos, at least not for now. But I would call for a higher age entry requirement for the women, to be at least on par with the present requirement for the men. However, this is left pretty much to the discretion of the clubs and pubs right now. Can the Government do something about this? The Government should also, at the same time, rope in the pubs and clubs in its No Smoking Campaign. Finally, I understand that the Government is taking a multi-pronged approach to discourage youngsters from smoking - from legislation to public education and applying peer pressure to emphasising that staying smoke-free is cool, using stars as models. While I support this, I would like to caution against a heavy-handed approach, as it would probably backfire. Many youngsters smoke because of peer group pressure or to cock a snook at authority. They are biologically programmed to take risk. The more the Government tells them not to smoke or that they would die earlier if they do and die from horrible diseases, the more they find it exciting to smoke. The danger with a heavy-handed approach is that smoking will become a symbol of youthful rebellion. Hence, I would argue that if it is an uphill task getting the message across to the young, then let us put more focus about tackling the environments which influence them to smoke. Madam, I support the Bill.”
“If you walk into some of our pubs and clubs, chances are that they are smoke-filled and through the haze, you would see young women dangling cigarettes in their hands. Studies in other countries have shown that girls apparently smoke in order to attract men, while boys smoke to appear mature. The club scene in Singapore, I am told, is quite colourful and exciting. And many clubs and pubs are trying to reel in the young girls with Ladies' Nights, and by having a lower age entry requirement for women than for men. The strategy is that if you get in the young girls, the men will follow. But these are environments which make smoking appear fashionable and cool. Clubs have a peer pressure effect on impressionable girls to smoke in order to belong to the in-crowd and to appear more attractive. A random survey of adult pubs and clubs in Singapore shows that many allow women as young as 18-20 in, but often impose a higher age requirement for men, usually above 23. For instance, at Madam Wong's, you need to be only 20 if you are a woman to get into the club, but you have to be 23 if you are a man. At Club Eden, the entry age requirement for women is 21; for men, it is 24. At Double O, the entry age requirement for women is 22; for men, it is 25. I am concerned about this because these 20 to 21-year-old women are more impressionable, more susceptible to peer pressure and are less mature than the older men in these clubs. Indeed, I hear that it is not uncommon to see older men lighting up the cigarettes of young girls in some clubs. So I do not think bigger packs of cigarettes will work.”
“Madam, like others in this House, I am concerned that the percentage of smokers aged between 18 and 24 has remained unchanged since 1998. It now stands at 16% of the age group and, more disturbingly, the female smokers among them has increased 2 percentage points to 8%. It is critical to discourage the youngsters from smoking. And, as the Minister noted, studies have shown that someone who starts smoking earlier and younger finds it harder to quit later. It also increases their risk of getting diseases like lung cancer earlier. And for the women smokers, it would also affect the health of their babies as well. The Government hopes to discourage smoking among the young by removing the smaller packets of cigarettes from the market. Only 20-stick packs or larger will be available and these are more expensive. I would like to raise two points. First, many young Singaporeans now get generous pocket money from parents. A few extra dollars will not make much of a difference, unlike those in other countries where a study cited shows that it worked in New Zealand. An average pack of 20 sticks now sells for $6.50. This is akin to a cup of Starbucks coffee and a slice of cake. It is easily affordable to most yuppy kids in Singapore. I suggest that if the Government is serious about discouraging them to smoke by using this method, it should raise the price of cigarettes even more. It can do this by increasing the cigarette excise duties and increasing the number of smoking cessation programmes at the same time. Second, it is widely recognised that peer pressure is one reason why youngsters smoke. In my view, much has to do also with where they tend to hang out with their peers these days, to look cool and to look fashionable.”
“The Minister has made it clear that the 12 sen figure being bandied about is not an offer put on the table by Singapore. But Malaysian leaders have said that Singapore has cut back its offer from 45 sen to 12 sen. I have two questions. First, does the Minister sense that there is a big communication gap between Malaysia and Singapore when it comes to negotiations? Second, is Singapore prepared to put an offer on the table for water if Malaysia is prepared to consider, for instance, future water?”
“During that dialogue, it struck me that those who were optimistic about Singapore's future had one view in common. They had confidence in this Government. Sir, this Government has never been afraid of change. The younger generation hopes and expects that the new MPs and others in this House would lead that change, to help develop a new culture of openness, accountability and participation, in which the people really are partners in the development of policy. Hence, I support the motion.”
“It will be to our detriment if the perception that the views of MPs do not matter or that they cannot influence policies set in the public mind. The man-in-the-street would ask: if the views of the MPs do not count, what more the ordinary citizen! I know that some of these issues that I have raised are being addressed by the Remaking Singapore Committee, of which I am a member. This Committee has been described as the social and political counterpart of the Economic Review Committee. Yet, I cannot help but notice that the Government has moved faster on the economic recommendations made by the ERC than the social and political ones made by the Remaking Singapore Committee - some findings have been floated such as on gender equality. I know the Report will be out at the end of the year, but some findings have been floated, and I cannot help but contrast the approach. We have sub-committees in the ERC. They have released their findings. Some of them are very tough recommendations like the CPF cut for older workers. Yet, we have very quickly seized them and implemented them very quickly. But for the Remaking Singapore Committee, we seem to be taking our time, and even these recommendations which have been floated in public have not been responded to. Sir, in conclusion, this debate is about our future and our sense of place in a fast-changing world. In his National Day Rally speech, PM Goh mentioned a dialogue with younger Singaporeans in May - the one where he noted that more than three-quarters of the students expressed pessimism about Singapore's future. I happened to chair that dialogue, as part of the Remaking Singapore Committee's effort to consult younger Singaporeans.”
“They reinforce the recurrent theme, that Singaporeans must now learn to take responsibility for their own destiny - and mistakes - and overcome the tendency to blame others. The strong desire for a better society and community is constantly linked with the need for greater participation and partnership in power. This leads me to my third suggestion, which is to review our National Education programme, a suggestion also made by Mr Gan. I feel that we must take urgent steps to prepare individuals to participate as active and responsible citizens in a democracy. For this, we should consider introducing citizenship education as part of our National Education curriculum. In Britain, it produced the Crick Report on Citizenship Education in 1998 and, as a result, the subject has formed part of the core curriculum from this year. The aim of the new subject in the UK is to produce active and responsible citizens, aware of their rights and responsibilities. In Singapore, I think it is a rare student who knows clearly the role of Parliament and the role of the President. Our students need to learn more about the political system in Singapore, how it works, how it has evolved over the years, how that relates to the citizens and their rights and responsibilities as citizens. They need to learn that Parliament is indeed the highest policy-making body in the land. Sometimes, when I look and see students up there (points to students in the public gallery), I wonder what they go back and tell their parents, whether they say, "Really, Parliament is where policies are made." But I fear that some people are beginning to question that. Sir, we need to restore the role of Parliament in policy making.”