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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Every one of 931 lines we hold for Irene Ng Phek Hoong, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 9 of 19.
“The Minister has not answered my question on whether the military agreement that we have with Indonesia is similar in spirit and in terms of some the clauses with other countries that we have around the world. The second question is this. The Minister has given us some updates on the status of the service level in the implementing agreements. Can I ask the Minister: is it not quite uncharacteristic of our MINDEF to sign a DCA, and leaving some loose details still not tied up at the point of signing? Can I ask the Minister why did we go ahead to do that and now being faced with the problem of having to discuss further some possible review of agreements that we have reached before?”
“May I ask the Minister for an update of the status of the three service level agreements that have not been signed and whether this would impede the ability for us to move forward on closer cooperation with TNI under the DCA? My second question is this. Some critics in Indonesia have made out the DCA to be an agreement which could compromise its sovereignty and they took issue in particular with the clause which allows Singapore to include a third party in its military training in Indonesia. Can I ask the Minister whether we have similar training agreements with other countries? Because I know that MINDEF has very close relations with countries all over the world.”
“Sir, the Senior Minister of State did not answer the question of why the rush to sign the ET, especially coming at a time when there was pressure over the land issue and sand ban, which might give some the impression that we are bowing to pressure, especially since the DCA has not been signed, sealed and delivered at the same time. Why the rush?”
“Sir, the Senior Minister of State said that the Extradition Treaty was negotiated in parallel with the Defence Cooperation Agreement and concluded as a package. But we have since learned that the DCA has hit some snags, there are several agreements which have not been signed, and there are problems arising from that. Can I ask the Senior Minister of State whether this means that if the DCA and its implementing agreements are not signed as mutually agreed upon earlier, then the ET will be off? The other question is, why did we rush into signing the ET when the DCA has not been all tied up with all the "i"s dotted and the "t"s crossed?”
“Finally, let me quote a saying from Confucius: "If a person does not have long-term concerns, he would have short-term worries." Sir, I support the motion.”
“Not only that, the board of directors decided that the salaries of the principal and teachers should be linked to the results of the lowest bottom 20% of the students. If they get more than 50 marks, the teachers would be paid $2,500 per month, ie, $50 for each mark. So if the students get 30 marks, the salary should be $1,500; if they get zero, their teachers should not be paid. Think about that. What would be the results? When Bee Wah Secondary School wants to recruit teachers, would they get good teachers to respond to them? Not only would they not get good teachers, even the existing teachers would spend all the resources to look after the weakest students. All the good students would go to other schools, because they had been neglected. So this resulted in the loss of talent and eventually Bee Wah Secondary School may have to close its doors. On the other hand, the board of directors of Rui Lian Secondary School *Cols. 547-552. was very far-sighted. They said, "Although we are already one of the top schools in the city, there are many schools which are competing with us. We must ensure that we maintain our strength and stay on the leading edge. How do we maintain our leading edge?" The board of directors said, "We will look for the best principal and the best teachers to join our team.” Let us consider this point. Do you think it is easier for this school to recruit teachers? Certainly. Not only that, a lot of the good students from other schools would transfer to Rui Lian Secondary School. And, possibly, Rui Lian Secondary School may even have to enlarge its premises through land reclamation! My question is, if you are thinking about a school for your children, which school would you send your children to? I think your answer would be the same as mine.”
“I remember a report in recent years, which pointed out that a neighbouring country has lost US$2 billion in two years due to corruption. This is not a small sum. If these resources, which were taken away by corrupt officials, had been well utilised, they could be used to strengthen infrastructure and raise the quality of public service. Furthermore, if a country is corrupt, its problems would get more and more deeply entangled and they would never recover. On the other hand, an honest system would attract investors to our country, because it is a stable and safe platform to allow them to inject their resources and these will reap tremendous economic benefits. According to IMF, there is an article which states that corruption is equivalent to imposing huge tax burdens on foreign investors. Next, I would like to tell you a story. In a particular city, there are many schools, some are elite schools, and some are ordinary schools while some are not as good as the others. Among them, there are two famous elite schools. And they were set up 40 years ago. Recently, these two elite schools have changed their board of directors, and they are able to do so because they are independent secondary schools. Let me talk about the first school. It is called Bee Wah Secondary School. The directors feel that since Bee Wah is already one of the top schools in Singapore, there is no need to look for the best principal and the best teachers to come to the school. Furthermore, if the teachers join the school, they should be committed and should sacrifice themselves in education. They should be the engineers of the human souls.”
“In the proposed amendment to the Building Control Act, there is a new provision. It states that for all high-rise buildings above 30 storeys, there should be a new category of geotechnical engineers to design and check the piling. Is this necessary? What is the relationship between the Nicoll Highway collapse and foundation of high-rise buildings? All along, the foundation of high-rise buildings has been designed by professional civil engineers and only when they consider it necessary would they engage a geotechnical engineer to assist. With this new amendment, whether there is a need or not, the developer must employ a geotechnical engineer. It is not only a waste of money but also a waste of precious time. What is more, time is money. Should the civil servant who introduced this amendment receive a salary increment? In this regard, I therefore recommend that we should have a system for salary increment which is linked to performance, and this system should be similar to the KPIs used by the private sector. However, please do not use the profit bottomline as a KPI, because I do not wish to see the Government departments becoming a profit centre and forget that their main role is to provide service to the people. The civil service in Singapore is recognised as one of high efficiency and honesty. Transparency International, an organisation based in Berlin, has ranked Singapore fifth, as the country with the least corruption. We must work hard to protect our position, not for the honour but for the need to maintain an efficient economy. In a corrupt system, there are many resources which are wasted. We do not have to look far for examples.”
“In contrast, the Ministers in Singapore enter Parliament with black hair and leave Parliament with a full head of white hair. Our Ministers and civil servants spend endless hours, not knowing night or day, to analyse every piece of data to arrive at a decision. The risk they face is exceptionally high because their decision would affect the lives of four million people and perhaps it would even affect the survival of the little red dot. Furthermore, surrounding the little red dot are many big brothers looking ferociously at Singapore. Under such circumstances, to make the correct decision is exceptionally difficult. But, without a single word of complaint, they proceed to do the job. For this reason, we must reward our leaders what they deserve. The purpose is really to recognise their important contributions to our country and not so much of preventing them from leaving for greener pastures in the private sector or in other countries. I believe that our Ministers have noble ideals when they enter the political arena. Next, I move on to our civil servants. Like other paid employees, they receive a salary to support their families. I believe that we must pay market rate salaries to civil servants with outstanding performance. And we should only give to those who deserve it. Those with outstanding performance should receive market-based salaries. But for those whose performance does not reach a certain level, they should have their salaries reduced or even dismissed. This is what they do in the private sector. *Cols.541-546. Let me give an example. After the collapse of Nicoll Highway, many friends in the construction industry had expected the Government to introduce more measures to strengthen safety at construction sites. But some changes are not necessary.”
“Who is actually more oppressed? Not the rich and famous, but ordinary citizens and the low income group, small businessmen and retirees. (In Mandarin): [For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A *.] Mr Speaker, Sir, in Singapore, our Ministers pursue their work with pride and professionalism. They treasure their work *Cols.539-540. and win the respect of others. Also, look at our nurses, they are proud of their work. During the SARS period, they expressed passion for their work and were willing to sacrifice for our society. Why is that so? I do believe that this has to do with good leadership. The senior leadership has communicated the concept of commitment, quality and outstanding virtue, honesty and incorruptibility. I remember when I was young, sometimes I could not pay my school fees just because the policeman had come to my house and he would always have some reasons to take away the last few dollars that I had. Sometimes, it was because the dog in our house did not have a licence or that the bicycle in our house did not conform to the specifications. How terrible! My next point is: what is the amount of salary that is considered enough? Last year, the salary of the CEO of DBS Bank was $7.5 million. The CEO of CapitaLand was paid $5.1 million and the CEO of StarHub, $3.5 million. This is a widely known fact. In comparison, our Ministers were only drawing $1.2 million which was very much lower. Of course, some people said the risks faced by the Ministers cannot be compared with the risks faced by the CEOs in the private sector. Let me quote a letter published in the Straits Times dated 28th March 2007. It was mentioned in the letter that the politicians in other countries enter politics as a scarecrow, but they leave the political arena as fat cows.”
“Similarly, if all our bright civil servants are drawn away by the private sector or, worse, by other countries which would not mind paying top dollars for our top civil servants, then I am really worried for the future of our country. Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to continue my speech in Malay please. (In Malay): [For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A *.] The strength of a country does not solely depend on wealth from natural resources *Cols. 539-540. such as oil, timber, oil palm, sand or granite but, more importantly, the human capital. In Singapore, since the PAP Government started the policy of a clean and honest bureaucracy, many of us have become complacent because we have been living in a society that is transparent and free of corruption. We have received many accolades and this causes the envy of other countries. The issue is whether we want to wipe out all these simply because of comments that senior Government officers have been overpaid. Secondly, what is the amount referred to as being overpaid? I can depict it clearly when I was small, living in a society controlled by money, not merit. With money, laws could be changed such that low-cost houses allocated to the homeless were eventually owned by those already possessing a house and lands which were to be apportioned to farmers were eventually owned by landlords. Small shops had to make payouts to the gangsters who were protected by corrupt policemen and the government officers. You may have heard stories of some countries where there were incidents of changing personal data found on the identity cards or passports, requests made to the police to closely guard their homes and court decisions which could be fixed through bribery. Do we want to live in such a society?”
“However, their salaries will most probably be reflected under MNC or local manufacturing among the six professions in the benchmark, not under "Engineers". Furthermore, I believe it is not just by sheer coincidence that more than 40% of our current Ministers and many more top civil servants are engineers by training too. This shows the flexibility of someone with an engineering background. The engineering training enables them to think sequentially and logically, anticipate problems, trouble shoot, and so forth. Hence, many engineers have done well and move up the corporate ladder. They are wanted to run the companies and also to engineer Singapore into the First World. However, the present trend of the young and bright opting for more fashionable soft courses gives rise to concern that there will not be sufficient first-class minds with engineering background to continue with our progress and nation building. Perhaps, they were turned off by the remuneration of professional engineers. One way the Government could help is to assist professional engineers in showcasing their contributions through more media publicity, engage local professional engineers in all Government projects with decent fees and, more importantly, remove the jail term for professional engineers in the Building Act. I did a quick check with my parliamentary colleagues who are from other professions like lawyers and doctors, and they told me that they do not have jail term specified in the Act governing their professions. In the long run, if our younger generation does not take up engineering, our country could be heading for disaster.”
“In the end, if we are not able to attract exceptional leaders who can ensure that Singapore continues to survive and prosper, it will be the people who suffer. And by that time, even if you want to pay the highest salaries possible for good government, it may well be too late. 3.35 pm Er Lee Bee Wah (Ang Mo Kio): Mr Speaker, Sir, before I proceed to speak on the issue of revision of salaries of our Ministers and the civil service, I would like to speak on the salary of a very special group of professionals, that is, the engineers. The median salaries of the top eight earners for six professions used to compute salary benchmarks for Ministers and Administrative Officers indicated that the earnings of Engineers are a far cry from the other professions. Before our young brains flock to study law and accountancy and shun engineering in universities and polytechnics, I would like to highlight the success stories of many engineering-trained CEOs. I believe a lot of you have seen this article in the Business Times a few days ago. Out of 55 top executives, at least I know that one-third of them are engineering-trained. And on top of the list, Mr Wong Ngit Liong from Venture Corp, his earning is $16.5 million in year 2005. I know that he is an electrical engineer by training. He is not the only engineering-trained CEO who earns multi-million dollars. Further down the list, we have Mr Foo Eng Hiong, Venture Corp; Mr Liew Mun Leong, CapitaLand; Mr Tan Choon Huat, Venture Corp; Mr Tan Kwi Kin, Semb Marine; Mr Tan Pheng Hock, ST Engineering; Mr Chew Choon Seng, Singapore Airlines; Mr David Lim, NOL; Mr Lee Hsien Yang, Singapore Telecoms; and Mr Koh Boon Hwee, though the name is not inside, and the list goes on and on.”
“He will look at our system and say, "Oh, well, your income tax rate is so low." Their rate is about 50% to 60%, if you take the combined top marginal income tax rate. Besides the individual income tax rate, they also have a municipal tax rate. So their combined top marginal income tax rate is about 60%. And their VAT (which is equivalent to our GST) is 22%. So if you want to compare the salaries of our Prime Minister and the Presidents of other countries as if they are equal, as if they are interchangeable, then bring along their system and tell our voters, "Okay, we have got the Finland PM and is willing to be paid so much, very low. But I am sorry he wants to raise our income tax to about 60% and our GST will go up by 22%." I think our voters, hopefully, will be wise and know where their national interests are. Sir, listening to this debate, I often wonder what the top people in the private sector, those who have Ministerial potential and also a sense of duty, make of this public debate, their reaction to the salary revision. I will not be surprised if they draw this conclusion: They can keep their money. Life is too short. I will stick to the private sector and draw my better pay, my more luxurious life and not have my worth being haggled out in public. I think sometimes we under-estimate how difficult this debate is for our frontbench and for this Parliament. It is not easy for us to come before the people, but we know it is the right thing to do. And we hope that our electorate is wise. Sir, I started my speech by saying that we should not lose sight of the human dimension in this debate. By this, I do not mean only the leaders, but also the people.”
“Some people make out the debate to be between realism and idealism, as if to pay our Ministers fairly is to give up the ideals of sacrifice and duty. In a related vein, some believe that the salary revisions will cause people to be cynical about politics. Does it follow then that, in countries where they pay their leaders low, and we have many in our neighbourhood, their leaders have high ideals and that their voters hold them in high regard, are idealistic and fan high hopes about their political system? Even in First World countries, with very active democracies, strong two-party systems, many analysts and journalists observe how voters have become increasingly cynical, to the extent that many are not turning up to vote, despite having many political parties to vote for. A reason for the voter cynicism is that they believe that their political leaders are not delivering and that things will not change. Sir, Sylvia Lim also mentioned that we should benchmark the pay of our Ministers to the pay of the top leaders in other countries. Let us say it is interchangeable. Let us say George Bush is paid so much, and we think that that is a fair wage for a Prime Minister. Let us say we can hire George Bush. I think it will be fair for George Bush when he comes, to ask that his perks be matched as well - like, can there be an Air Force I jet for him? And I hope that the Opposition will lay aside a budget for that. And if you say that, "Oh! There are so many countries that have done very well. They have done very well on the World Competitive Report like Finland and they are paid so much lower than Singapore. Let us see we can hire the Finland PM to come. His experience is in running a welfare state with high taxes.”
“I am sure that the question that must be keeping the PM awake at nights is: will he be able to field a top-quality Cabinet for the next generation or two, and can he find one able and willing to be groomed to succeed him as PM? Events in the region have shown how political succession which has gone awry can wreak havoc and instability. Political feuding and infighting can become the order of the day. The Singapore leadership, on the other hand, from the Old Guard days, has distinguished itself in this region by its determined and meticulous approach to the problem of political succession. The smooth passing of the torch from the Old Guard to the second-generation team, and then the third, was the result of decades of careful planning and hard work. Our problem, if we can call it that, is that we have a pragmatic and unsentimental approach to politics. This can be a strength but also a weakness. A strength because it keeps the people focused on national issues and challenges, which are perennial, and not on political personalities which come and go. This ensures a continuity and a resilience that go beyond personalities in government. But it can also be a weakness because it breeds in people a detachment from the political leaders and politics in general. They get only heated up if it affects their pocket in any way. They also tend to take for granted the work of the political leaders and dismiss their sacrifices. Sir, it seems to me that this debate is not only a test of the quality and worth of the political leaders but also the quality of our electorate. Without a sound and wise electorate able to see the big picture and discern the true national interest at stake, there will be a steady erosion of people willing to take on the rigours of public office.”
“Typical responses of cancer survivors are that they would want to go on adventures, climb a certain mountain, visit Great Wall of China, explore the world or live a more “balanced” life with less stress, spend more time with the family, be more religious, spend more time with the church or the temple. But, here, we have a man in the front row who, after surviving cancer, decided to continue to put first the priorities of Singapore and Singaporeans by taking on the most stressful job in Singapore, being its Prime Minister. I think few would disagree that the PM’s job is extremely important to the country, if not the most important. His decisions affect our lives. He is the country’s Number One CEO, the chief strategist, the chief visionary, the chief spokesman for the country. But, in the real world, he is ranked presently 164th among income earners. After the revision, he will rank 102nd. Now, Sylvia Lim said that we are signalling that we are measuring people according to their wealth with this salary revision, that we destroying the notion of sacrifice. But I would say that to rank your PM, the most important job in Singapore, at 102, to me, that is sacrifice. If you go by job worth, by the impact on people's lives, I think the PM's job will easily be in the top 10. Sir, I cannot comprehend the argument that once you pay a person fairly, with a big discount, the person loses moral leadership to serve Singapore. I have no doubt that the PM is not asking for a salary increase for himself or for his Ministers to give them that carrot to serve. Our Ministers live simple lifestyles. It is to lay the right foundation for Singapore’s future. And to survive and prosper, we need extraordinary leaders.”
“He was also taking along with him Singapore businessmen to help open doors for them to do business with the Japanese. This was just after he was diagnosed, before his chemotherapy treatment. I think if you ask anyone suffering from cancer, you would know that this is not regular work behaviour. This is extraordinary commitment. The stock market was jittery at the news of his cancer. To give people confidence and to protect Singapore’s interests, Mr Lee spoke to the media about his illness and how he was coping. He consented to be photographed. And I remember that vividly because I was there. He was bald, his face was puffy from the drugs, the tubes were sticking out from a dressing over his chest - the entry point for the drugs to be pumped into his veins. I do not think he allowed the media to interview him for his own sake or because he likes publicity. For sure, it is not. It is for public interest. It was to assure the public and investor that life and business in Singapore were going on as usual. I think if you talk to any cancer patient who is going through chemotherapy, his instinct is to "Please, let me recover quietly. Let me focus on my health." But PM was thinking of Singapore even in his time of need. When the cancer went into remission five years later, he did not take time off to smell the roses. Instead, he took on the extra roles of Finance Minister and central bank chairman. And then, later, he took on what must be the most demanding and life-consuming job in Singapore, that of Prime Minister! Sir, I have friends who are cancer survivors. Many said that surviving cancer forced them to rethink their worldview and their priorities in life.”
“If the workforce does not have leaders who go all out to woo foreign investors and give them the confidence to pour billions into Singapore, would our workers have the jobs and high quality of life they have today? Let us take any country in this neighbourhood, say, Vietnam. Its workers are very hardworking, very hungry. I have visited the Vietnam-Singapore industrial park some years back. Some foreign investors tell me that the Vietnamese are more hardworking and more hungry than the Singaporean workers. They learn very quickly. To be fair, I do not think that man to man, the Vietnamese worker is inferior to the Singapore worker. Yet, as a whole, they are not enjoying anywhere near the standard of living that Singaporeans are enjoying here. We need to ask ourselves, why is that so? Some detractors couch this debate in terms of moral leadership. But what is immoral about paying people what they are worth - fairly? We are not talking about rewarding layabouts who have shown little passion for Singapore or produced lacklustre results. On the contrary, we have enjoyed the fruits of their labour, and, yes, also of their personal sacrifice. Let me tell another story. It is about the Prime Minister, and I hope he will not mind this. In my previous life - before I joined politics - as a senior political correspondent, I had interviewed PM Lee Hsien Loong, then DPM, when he was diagnosed with cancer. This was in 1992. Then, he was undergoing his 18-week course of chemotherapy. Before he started his treatment, he had led an investment promotion mission to Japan after the doctors had finished with their tests. He was also Trade and Industry Minister, and wanted to meet leading Japanese businessmen to persuade them to invest here.”
“Then, yes, the widening income gap will be a lesser problem because many of us will be wallowing in unemployment and many of our top people would have left the country for better shores. We have an exceptional leadership which led Singapore into the rarefied league of the richest countries, with the fifth highest per capita income in the world. We are Asia's second richest country after Japan. It is easy to forget that Singapore is an exceptional state, but it is. In his book, “Singapore’s Foreign Policy”, the late Michael Leifer from the London School of Economics, my former lecturer, noted how exceptional Singapore was in its achievements. As he sought to pigeonhole the small country in a category of states, he concluded that Singapore is best represented as sui generis - one of its kind, irrespective of its size. It does not fit the broad categories of small states and micro-states, or of "weak states" which has come to be the common label for small, vulnerable states. He noted that Singapore's exceptional standing and influence come mainly from its economic achievements, with its reputation for excellence. This reputation for excellence was set by its leaders. Some have argued that, yes, the leaders played an important role in building up Singapore to what it is today, but so did the workers. Of course, the role of workers is also pivotal. They united behind the Government and we overcame challenges together. But let us look at it another way. If the workforce does not have leaders who put in place skills training programmes and provide high quality education, with various productivity campaigns, will it transform to become the most productive in the world?”
“Among democracies, we are unique in that we do not see politicians jostling for positions or fighting for the spoils of office. We do not see Ministers undermining each other or feeding any leaks to the media about conspiracies or rifts in the political ranks, which is the normal state of affairs in countries such as the UK and US and also in this region. There are no political backroom dealings here. We do not see a long queue of people banging on the door to become Ministers or manoeuvring their way in. We do not see any Minister hankering to become the Prime Minister, however much he may be paid. This is a clear sign that our Ministers are not there for the positions per se or the monetary rewards that may come with it. They are there out of a sense of duty and mission. But that is no reason for us to begrudge the office-holders their due reward, as a matter of principle. Far from it. Rather than quibble emotionally over their salaries and haggle as if we are at a pasar malam, we should rationally reward the Ministers appropriately, knowing that their job is very complex, demanding and often thankless. We should do so with peace of mind, knowing that if Singapore suffers from any crisis or calamity, when other countries are suffering, we are in good hands because we have got the best to steer the ship to a safe harbour. Detractors such as the Opposition tend to argue as if they are standing on higher moral ground. But a closer examination would reveal that, in fact, they are on a very slippery slope that would propel us all back into the Third World swamp that we were just a generation ago.”
“But for many years in the labour movement, he has been worrying about jobs, low-wage workers, redesigning jobs, and flexible wage system so that workers can have jobs in difficult times. And we know that he leads by moral suasion which many people talked about. He leads by personal example. He lives a simple lifestyle. And I would say that if he succeeds in this task of taking care of our ageing population, we can all grow old a little more peacefully. But his pay today? A small fraction of Lim Chee Onn’s. I tell this tale of the two Lims to highlight the rigorous demands of political office, especially as a leader in the labour movement, the risks involved, and the stark contrast between the reward systems for high-calibre people who remain in politics and for those who leave it. I do not believe Mr Lim Boon Heng or any of our Ministers would work less hard or be less committed or passionate about Singapore if their salaries remain as they are. But if we apply the principle that we in the labour movement and we in our own private sector lives have been fighting for - for ourselves and on behalf of our workers - pay our workers according to their abilities and performance, why should we adopt an opposing standard when it comes to those who make it possible for us to enjoy a better standard of living year by year? If we have a rigorous selection process to put the right high-calibre people in place, they will not be there for the money. They will be there for the right reasons – out of a sense of duty, public spiritedness. The opportunists and the greedy have no place and will have no place in this Government. We have that selection system right now under the PAP.”
“In his years in NTUC, he helped to modernise the trade union movement, emphasising the need for workers to upgrade skills and increase productivity. Among other initiatives, he also inducted scholars and professionals into NTUC to provide planning and research back-up. But his style led to problems with old-guard unionists and it was not an easy time for Mr Lim. He resigned from NTUC and the Cabinet in 1983 and joined the Backbench. In 1992, suffering from high blood pressure, which he told the PM about, Mr Lim left politics altogether to focus on his corporate work. Since then, he has been making news in the corporate sector, especially in his position as the CEO of Keppel Corporation. Among the latest is the news that Keppel Corporation paid him between $5.5 million and $5.75 million in 2005. This is an amount that not even the Prime Minister will earn. The other Lim - in this tale of two "Lims" - is Lim Boon Heng. He left a high-flying career in Neptune Orient Lines to join politics in 1980. A year later in , he joined NTUC, and rose to become its Secretary-General in 1993. He occupied the hottest seat in town during the recessions in 1998 and 2001 when he persuaded workers to take a CPF cut and wage cuts to turn the country around. It carried not inconsiderable political risk. It was a very unpopular move. He faced anger from unionists and abuse from workers. But the bitter medicine worked and the economy recovered quickly. The unemployment rate fell. In good times, he pushed the tripartite partners for the CPF cut to be restored and for wage increases. Now, he is in charge of another difficult issue, which is our ageing population.”
“Sir, we have been talking largely in terms of digits and formulas in this debate on salaries. People read the headlines screaming that Ministers' salaries will go up by 33% and they go, "wahh", and they read about how the Prime Minister's pay will go up to $3.1 million, and they go with an even bigger, "wahhh". They cannot grasp these mind-boggling figures. But there is a human dimension involved in this debate and we must not lose sight of that. Behind these numbers are human beings with not only exceptional abilities but with exceptional life stories, which speak much of their character and the sacrifices they make to serve our people. Indeed, there are sacrifices made to join politics even after the proposed adjustment to salaries. People may forget but Cabinet Ministers take personal risk as well as pay a price as they toil to improve the lives of Singaporeans. To illustrate this, I would like to tell a tale of two Lims. These two Lims, who were trained to be naval architects, had promising careers before being called upon to join politics in their prime. They later became Cabinet Ministers. Both served in the labour movement as its Secretary-General. I would say that this is one of the most demanding jobs around, one of the most unglamorous but one of the most important. Ultimately, it is about jobs and securing a better life for our workers. The first Lim is Lim Chee Onn. He left the civil service in 1977 to join politics and was assessed highly by the then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew for his high calibre. Two years later, he became Secretary-General of NTUC. In 1980, he was appointed Minister without portfolio when he was just 36 - a high flyer.”
“Sir, a point of clarification for Mr Low. Mr Low seems to have a very rosy view of the system in Denmark, Finland and Switzerland. I wonder whether he is aware that in Finland, the unemployment rate is 17% compared to our unemployment rate. And at their recent election, the Prime Minister of Finland won the election only by a very narrow margin and is now forced to negotiate a four-party coalition, and might change his policies. Is this the type of Singapore that he wants - with a high unemployment rate?”
“Sir, it seems that presently the balance is towards phone-booking. Can I ask the Minister of State whether she can make sure that the taxi companies would improve their service so that they do not only respond to phone-booking but also to customers in the queue?”
“Can I ask the Minister of State, rather than hike up the price three times from its original price of $20 per tonne of sand to $60 per tonne, whether we can just bring down the price so that we do not have to think of cost-sharing? In other words, rather than you hike up the price and then you give back in terms of subsidies, why not just bring down the price to the level that we can afford so that construction can go on, and there will be stability in prices in the market and there will be a steady supply of sand that contractors can be assured of?”
“VWOs reported a sore lack of such medical social workers despite an ageing population that needs more such services. I would also urge hospitals to work more closely with the family and the community in preventing elderly suicides. I had often wondered, if the doctor treating that elderly man with gangrene, had sent him for counselling, would he have coped with his situation better? If the medical social worker had spotted his depression and helped his family to care for him, would he have woken up one night, looked out the window, and jumped? Sir last night, I attended another funeral of a resident. He died at age 74 of lung cancer. In the last three months of his life, he suffered great pain and his children took turns to keep an eye on him throughout the night as he could not sleep. During the day, he had the support of the community. For many years, he had been active as a grassroots leader. And right till the day before he died, he still insisted on going down to the RC Centre. So last night, his family made a request, "Can we allow his body to be taken around to the RC Centre as part of the funeral rites, to give him one last look at the place?" This was arranged. As all of us - wife, nine children, 17 grandchildren, grassroots leaders and residents - paid our respects to him. I thought this was a touching tribute to a life well lived. It was also a graceful way to leave this world. Our elderly, especially those with chronic and terminal illnesses, need our help to go gently into the night. And their family, hospitals, community, all of us, must do our part. Support for the Disabled”
“Madam, last year, I attended a funeral wake of a resident who committed suicide. He was 92. He suffered from gangrene caused by diabetes. His doctor told him that his leg had to be amputated. He could not take the news. He woke up one night, looked out the window and jumped out of his flat. He was depressed. His family was devastated. Madam, every year, about 65 elderly residents commit suicide. Singapore has one of the highest elderly suicide rates in the world with about 25 in every 100,000 of our elderly killed themselves each year. While the family is the first line of care, medical staff in hospitals are better-placed as gate-keepers to spot depression in our elderly sick and to identify potential suicide victims. Medical staff should be trained specifically to recognise such symptoms and to intervene quickly. Sir, in Hong Kong, which also has higher elderly suicide rates, its Kwai Chung Hospital has a Elderly Suicide Prevention Team. Last year, it started a support group to help elderly patients face their illness and to persuade them to receive treatment. The hospital recognised that many elderly refused to seek help, due to a lack of awareness about depression. So, it roped in nurses and also former patients, in their 60s and 70s, to motivate them to stick to treatment. With our elderly living longer, we need such proactive suicide prevention measures in our hospitals as part of a holistic approach to address this problem. As the elderly is the fastest growing group, we can anticipate more late life suicides in absolute numbers if we just keep to the status quo. I would urge the Minister to urgently invest more in services for geriatrics support and mental health. There is also an urgent need for more medical social workers trained in caring for the elderly.”
“Sir, the SAF did the heavy lifting when it comes to humanitarian missions to countries like Indonesia and Thailand. I wonder whether the Minister had heard feedback from the ground about our NSmen and regulars risking their life and limb in going to all these places, and they also had peacekeeping missions in Aceh, which was a dangerous place. Our residents had been asking why we had been going out of the way to help countries which have short memories and unfriendly when it comes to such important things like sand and granite. Can the Minister comment on this?”
“Every year, the Defence Ministry gets a lion's share of the Government budget. This year is no different and with a further increase over last year's budget. I do not question the need to build and maintain a strong SAF. I also fully support the approach of consistent investment, rather than a feast-and-famine approach. I am only too aware that we live in an unpredictable neighbourhood with bigger neighbours which show a predilection for picking on Singapore because of its small size. Indeed, witnessing the recent bully tactics and bizarre antics of Indonesia and Thailand towards Singapore, I am tempted to ask if the defence budget is sufficient. Sir, we need to have the wherewithal to withstand the pressures that come our way. Some Singaporeans however have expressed concern if our defence spending is prudent and if the budget allocated is spent wisely. It is difficult to ask for KPIs, given the nature of deterrence. But can I ask the Minister on the priorities for defence and how he ensures that it is spent prudently? Several analysts have also warned that, with the current pace of military modernisation programme in this region, the arms acquisition can quickly become competitive and may lead to conflict if the relatively benign climate of political relations deteriorates. There have also been fears of an arms race being started in the region, leading countries to spend more on defence than necessary rather than on the social and economic development of their own countries. Can I ask the Minister to comment on this? Training and Safety”
“I would like to ask the Minister for his update on ASEAN’s commitment to combat the haze, especially since it is expected to get worse due to the El Nino effect. It is worth mentioning that the biggest victims are the Indonesian people themselves. But suffering with them are also people in this region, including Singaporeans. Can I ask the Minister whether ASEAN has done enough to combat the haze as a regional grouping? Or does it need international help to make sure that the problem is solved once and for all?”
“Can I also ask the Minister whether he thinks that the haze problem would be considered a major ASEAN problem that all ASEAN countries should solve together, especially with the help of our biggest neighbour, Indonesia? It would seem that if we want to strive towards an integrated community of peace and prosperity, we should have a clear ASEAN, a clear-minded ASEAN with fresh air that would draw in investments, rather than one that is clouded in smoke and haze and will cause investments to go away.”
“But Singaporeans witnessing the unfriendly actions of Indonesia and Thailand would be forgiven for asking if all these efforts to build a strong ASEAN community and to help our neighbours are a worthwhile effort. Singaporeans do not expect gratitude from our neighbours and we certainly do not expect also to be constantly made the scapegoat for their own domestic troubles or the butt of bully-boy tactics. In Singapore, we do not forget countries which have helped us in times of need. We also resist populist pressures to play the nationalist card against our friends just to win votes. In our early years of struggle for survival after independence, it cannot be said that Indonesia was helpful to us. On the contrary, Indonesia was engaging in konfrantasi against us. To become a viable state, we were forced to leapfrog the region. Our economic success today is the result of our hard work, resilience and ingenuity, and not because of any sand that we might have imported from any country or the oxygen that they might have provided. Sir, we have put the past behind us and we have been working hard towards a strong ASEAN. We want a peaceful and prosperous neighbourhood. And we know that this region needs a strong ASEAN to face up to the challenges of a rising China, India and the shifting geostrategic landscape. But until the bigger countries in ASEAN get their act together and treat other countries in ASEAN with mutual respect, it would seem that this would remain only a hazy dream. Can I ask the Minister what are the prospects for an integrated ASEAN given this state of affairs?”
“Through the Singapore Cooperation Programme, we have helped our ASEAN neighbours by giving technical assistance. We have also helped our ASEAN neighbours in their times of need as much as we can within our capabilities. An example is our tsunami relief effort. Singapore was among the first to rush to Indonesia's aid. We sent emergency relief and pledged $15 million for its reconstruction efforts. Singaporeans from all walks of life also donated a total of $88 million for tsunami victims. More than half the projects are in Indonesia. Just to name some: we built 1,500 houses in Aceh, built and upgraded hospitals, training centres and schools, and also built a pier in Meulaboh. Hundreds of ordinary Singaporeans, from retirees to students, also pitched in, serving as volunteers. And this was not a one-off effort. After the earthquake in Central Java last May, Singapore was also among the first to help with emergency relief. Singapore has also sought to spur growth in our neighbouring countries through economic cooperation. One of the most recent was the framework agreement to develop the Special Economic Zones in Batam, Bintan and Karimun. In Thailand, we have also worked hard with the various Thai governments over the years to build a constructive relationship based on mutual help and mutual benefit. In particular, we have encouraged our companies, including our Government-linked companies, to seriously consider Thailand as a key investment option. Hence, Temasek's investment in Shin Corp. These are major expenditures and investments, both tangible and intangible.”
“I would urge HDB to spur the reverse mortgage scheme by performing a market risk balancer role, by perhaps taking an underwriting role. Another scheme worth looking at is the home reversion scheme which is gaining popularity, I read, in Australia. It involves a portion of the property being sold at a discounted price that is usually 36%-60% of its value. By providing the discount, sellers will not only receive cash upfront but also have their right to continue living in their homes until they sell it or pass away. The loan provider will be entitled to place a caveat on the property and enter into a forward sale that will put off settlement until sale or death. Can the Minister look into that?”
“Those who have sold their flats in the open market cannot rent a flat from the HDB for 30 months. Can they rent a flat from the open market? They cannot because the prices of rental flats have gone up in the open market. I did a check on the rent for a 3-room flat in Tampines in the open market. A whole unit would cost about $1,000-$1,200 a month. That is a whole lot of money. So, do we then tell them, "Okay. Just rent a room." If they rent a room, the master bedroom will cost about $400-$450 a month. I think it will be quite sad if we ask them to do such a drastic downgrade from a 3-room to a 1-room in a stranger's flat because they cannot liquidate their assets in a viable way. If they cannot buy another flat or rent a flat from HDB in the open market, can they stay put in their flat and apply for a reverse mortgage? It is not a viable option either. Only NTUC Income offers a reverse mortgage scheme and the typical payout is $141 a month for a 3-room flat; $208 a month for a 4-room flat; and $274 a month for a 5-room flat, and this is based on a 28-year tenure from the age of 62 to 90. Madam, this sum from $141 to $274 for a 5-room flat is barely enough to buy food for a month, much less to rely on. And if you want to pay your medical bills, this is the not the way to go. I would like to ask the Minister to make it easier for the elderly to downsize, to rent a flat and also to improve the attractiveness of the reverse mortgage scheme. The reverse mortgage scheme has proved popular in Australia, the US and also, recently, catching on in South Korea. In South Korea, the reverse mortgage scheme incorporates the provision of Government guarantees to boost its value.”
“Madam, we need to provide more housing options for our cash-poor and asset-rich elderly. Many of them with medical and household bills and worries for their future financial security have seen me at my MPS to ask for more options. But each option that the HDB has provided has created more problems. If they sell, say, their 4-room HDB flat, they may have a little profit but not enough to buy another resale flat after paying for all their bills. No bank would give them a loan. They are often jobless or lowly-paid and their prospects of better jobs are scarce. Some who have approached the HDB get this reply. They can get a concessionary loan from the HDB if they upgrade to a 5-room flat, but not if they downgrade to a 3-room flat. I do not see how that will solve their financial problems. If they want to downgrade, then they have to get a bank loan. That is what the HDB tells them. Madam, this is a no-go for the elderly. So option number two: can they buy a studio apartment for the elderly? I am assured to hear the Minister say that there will be more apartments built in the future. But the reply that came from HDB to my request is often that HDB has earlier announced that there would be no more studio apartments for sale in the future. If there are any studio apartments available for sale, HDB will announce the details of the sale in the mass media or the HDB's InfoWeb. This would not give any confidence to our elderly who are caught in a bind and who plan for how they are going to liquidate their assets so that they can catch up. In other words, they are just stuck. If they cannot buy an HDB flat from the HDB, can they then rent from the HDB? And that is where they get bumped up with another problem, which is when the 30-month debarment period kicks in.”
“4% in 2005, and we cannot argue that there will be more if there were no HDB pro-family policy as there is no evidence to that effect. Sir, I do not believe there will be a sudden spike in the percentage of singles if HDB allows them to buy new flats. There are many reasons why singles are not married - long working hours, high expectations and so on - but not being able to buy a new HDB flat is not one of them. HDB Bank Loans”
“Sir, the opening of new HDB flats to singles above 35 was for two reasons. First, it is always stressed that all Singapore citizens should have access to affordable housing and medical care. Why should we withhold subsidised housing for singles? It is like telling singles that they cannot go to subsidised wards in hospitals but to Class A and private hospitals only. Second, working singles, like married couples, pay taxes which are used to subsidise HDB flats. If HDB wants to give priority to families for new flats, then can we do this through a differentiated subsidy? For instance, a higher subsidy for families and lower one for singles, rather than completely blocking out singles from buying any subsidised HDB flats. Third, social inclusion. Singles, especially the knowledge workers, are a very mobile lot and can move to any other country which welcomes them. Socially, we also want to make sure that they have a stake in Singapore and to enhance their efforts, the way we do for families through their new subsidised HDB flats. Sir, it has often been remarked that Singapore men propose marriage to their girlfriends by asking, "Want to buy a HDB flat?" And when they divorce, and we know that an increasing number of couples do as the divorce rate is rising, they say to each other, "Okay, sell our HDB flat, split up." 4.00 pm Sir, my point is that the HDB's so-called pro-family policy does not necessarily reduce the number of singles. In fact, I wonder whether it has any effect at all beyond forcing singles to live unhappily with their married siblings and parents in cramped HDB flats. In fact, in 1990, 14.1% of those aged 35-44 were singles. Despite HDB's pro-family policy, the figure rose to 19.”
“Can I ask the Minister whether he could consider including a heritage trail in the underpasses as well?”
“Sir, the City Hall is a building of huge historical significance. It was where Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten accepted the surrender of the Japanese Forces in 1945 and it was where our first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew was sworn in in 1959. Can I ask the Minister, given that they are going to convert the City Hall into our new National Gallery with the international architecture competition, for his assurance that it will maintain its historical significance and preserve nooks and corners which may reflect the richness of our history? Another question is that I also want to thank the Minister for considering underpasses to link the important buildings in the precincts which include Empress Place and City Hall -”
“Sir, the Esplanade-Empress Place arts and heritage precinct can well qualify as a world heritage site under UNESCO. This destination is known to be an important driver not only for conservation but for tourism too. I would like to ask the Minister: Singapore left UNESCO in 1985 following the US and the UK which had also left the UN organisation. But following reforms in UNESCO, UK and the US had since rejoined UNESCO, but Singapore has yet to do so. Can I ask the Minister whether Singapore plans to rejoin as part of Singapore's strategy to promote Singapore to the world stage as a global arts city with a unique heritage? In relation to this, I just want to highlight that the WEF travel and tourism competitiveness report used the number of world heritage sites as a criterion in its ranking. Singapore has none. Singapore has not ratified the World Heritage Convention under UNESCO when 183 states have done so. Can I ask the Minister whether there are plans to ratify that Convention? 2.30 pm”
“Then, you can take a bumboat ride from Raffles' Landing Point at Empress Place, the spot where Raffles landed in 1819, to the Esplanade to catch a late-night jazz concert, as part of the Jazz Festival which jams till the early hours of the morning. Or you can take a bumboat ride down to Clarke Quay or Robertson Quay where venues, which involve pubs and open squares, can be converted into performance spaces for buskers and stand-up comedians from all over the world - maybe as part of the Fringe Festival. Or you can catch a late-night film at the Arts House at Old Parliament as part of the Film Festival. If the weather is too hot for bumboat rides, then use the underpass, which is air-conditioned, linking the Esplanade to the City Hall MRT, and even maybe to the National Museum. Sir, we need to think big and I know the Ministry has big plans ahead, and I would ask the Minister to share it with us. Sir, we need to make an impact on the world, and to do that, we need to ratchet up our festivals and package them and coordinate them to make a big impact. The WEF Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report ranked Singapore among the top 10 travel destinations in the world, but said that it was dragged down because it lacked cultural attractions. This is a pity when we have so much to offer. Can I ask the Minister for his vision for these precincts and his plans to market these precincts as a cultural jewel to the world?”
“The plans to convert City Hall into the National Arts Gallery and the redevelopment of Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall underscore the Government's seriousness in turning Singapore into a global city of the arts. These are monuments of great historic and symbolic significance. To maximise our huge investments, we need big-bang ideas and blockbuster events which pull together all the arts venues in these precincts, from the Esplanade, the ACM, the City Hall to the National Museum. We can link all these venues together by bumboat rides along the Singapore River as well as an underpass which is air-conditioned. The new National Arts Gallery opens in five years, in 2012. We should start planning now for a world-class mega month-long festival involving all the arts venues around that area and link them up. We should bring together our festivals, which are the Arts Festival, the Jazz Festival, the Book Festival, the Drama Festival, the Film Festival, the Fringe Festival, during a designated month and market them aggressively to Singaporeans and to the world. A major Book Festival could be held on our historic Padang, in the light of the International Book Festival in Edinburgh which takes place in a historic Charlotte Square Gardens. Sir, by 2012, for example, you can visit the National Gallery at City Hall to view a collection on the whole history of Asian paintings. Then, walk across to the Padang for the Book Festival to listen to our best thinkers and writers. Then, stroll to the Victoria Theatre to catch a world-class concert, synthesising the best of East and West. Or pop into the ACM to catch a blockbuster exhibition of rare artefacts of the great civilisations of the East.”
“" As for Indonesia, the same PERC report on Nationalism Risks said that many of those using nationalistic arguments are "really simply trying to protect their own personal interests." The report also noted that the problem is that this discourages foreign investment from flowing into Indonesia. It said that "Foreign companies now do not know where they really stand or if they are really wanted." Indeed, this is what Singapore companies are wondering, and they are making their own assessments. I note from newspaper reports that Singapore investments in Thailand fell by 88% last month compared to the same period last year. I would not be surprised if Singapore's investments in Indonesia also reflected the same pattern. Sir, Singapore wants to prosper its neighbours by encouraging its investments to its shores, but the actions of our neighbours raise the question on whether we should reprioritise and re-allocate our limited resources. If I may quote that PERC report again, it commented that such nationalistic fervour from our neighbours, such as Thailand and Indonesia, could hurt the ability of our government-linked companies to invest abroad, which is a central part of their growth strategy. Given this, I would like to ask the Second Finance Minister if it is timely now for us to review our globalisation strategy and the way we invest in the region. In conclusion, this Budget is a very forward-looking one and it shows that this Government is one that sincerely cares for the people at all levels and has put in place the measures that will ensure our sustained growth over many years. With that, I support the Budget. 4.49 pm”
“" It went on to comment that Thai opinion poll showed that the scare campaign against Singapore is popular because it is also regarded as a heightening of the campaign against Thaksin. Sir, commercial deals and business investments can be held hostage to the drama of domestic political intrigues, what confidence can Singapore investors have, not to mention international investors, have in Thailand, and how can investors take a long-term view of the country's economic prospects? When Temasek invested in Thailand, it was with a view of showing confidence in the country's growth and to prosper our neighbours. We also wanted to grow with them. It was this same long-term view that we invested in Indonesia. Temasek now holds significant stakes in Indonesia's biggest mobile telecommunication operators, PT Telkomsel and PT Indosat. There are also calls in Indonesia urging the Indonesian government to buy back Temasek's Indosat shares. Amidst the rising tide of economic nationalism, Indonesia has also slapped a sand ban on Singapore. It is useful to highlight, at this point, that Singapore is among the top investors in both Thailand and Indonesia. We have been very restrained, rational and measured in our responses. In that same rational frame of mind, we should take stock and rethink our aggressive regional investment strategy, given the rise of nationalistic fervour in these countries. Sir, the PERC report on Nationalism Risks, which I quoted, warned about Thailand that, "Under the current military-controlled government, nationalism may have a freer rein than usual because xenophobia is most pronounced among the military and senior bureaucrats. And they are the groups now in charge.”
“I have seen several residents in their 70s who come to me at MPS literally begging for work because they have many household bills and medical bills to pay. To their credit, they do not want to be on welfare. They are willing to take any job, even as a cleaner, but the brutal fact is that it will be hard for them to compete for jobs with a young foreign worker. The problem is more acute for older women, as a recent MOM's report shows. I would urge the Government to consider giving a more generous WIS for those above 62, and to be even more generous for those working above 65, while reducing their CPF further so that more employers will be encouraged to hire them. In other words, increase our WIS for those above 62, cut the CPF even more, and even more for 65. The NTUC is working very hard to ensure that those above 62 are re-employed. We need our tripartite partners to work hand in hand with us to make this a reality on the ground. Sir, the third given is that we live in an unpredictable region where anti-Singapore sentiments simmer and bubble beneath the surface and sometimes boil over. We see this in the chaotic storm over Temasek's investment in Shin Corp. The latest twist in the saga is the threat by Thai authorities to take over Shin's assets, such as the Shin Satellite, by voiding the contracts and not paying the market rate for its assets. Sir, I want to quote a PERC report on this which was published recently. It is an Asian Intelligence Report on Nationalism Risk. It commented on the anti-Singaporean rhetoric in Thailand, and it noted, "some of the official statements condemning the island state have been bizarrely extreme.”
“This is helpful but a more meaningful gesture, for the singles, is to extend the foreign maid levy relief to singles who hire maids to take care of their elderly parents. I know that the Government's explanation made ad nauseum is that the foreign maid levy relief presently is to encourage married women to continue working as they raise their families. That is well and good and I support that, but do we not also want to encourage single women to continue working so that they can look after their elderly parents? I would accept the Government's argument, perhaps 10 years ago, when we did not have so many ageing parents with us, but the household structure has been changing and so has our demographics with more elderly and more singles among us. I would urge the Government to review its stance for the foreign maid levy relief to be made available to the singles so that we can be relevant to today's realities. The second given is an ageing population with longer life expectancies. Retiree households form part of the lowest rung of society, drawing no income. I think more than any other group, these retirees need the WIS for working after 62. They need incentive to continue working. But instead, what happens on the ground is that their pay is cut and so is their CPF. If they manage to find an employer to re-employ them after 65, their pay and CPF is cut even further. And according to the latest MOM's report on older workers, published this month, older workers on full-time jobs tend to work longer hours compared to those younger, even though their pay is lower. It is sad that our elderly have found themselves in such a situation.”
“She has worked her way up from a cashier, promoter, accounts clerk earning about $800 a month at her peak, but she stopped work in her 20s to look after her children. So the Sunday market gives her hope that she could at least earn some income, help to raise the family, make sure some bills are paid. She told us once a nice story. She felt so lucky that she won an electrical flask in a lucky draw and she sold it at the Sunday market for $12, enough to pay some of her bills. This is such an enterprising effort that we should reward on the ground and if they could qualify for WIS, and I worry that they may not understand how they can qualify for WIS. That would be a problem if the Government had such a good programme but they are not able to avail themselves to it. So I would urge the Government to help us to make it simpler to apply for WIS on behalf of these enterprising housewives who do have informal work through CDC activities and through the initiatives of the grassroots. We will be mobilising grassroots leaders to explain to them that they can qualify for Workfare if they put some money into their Medisave and that will help housewives to have some Medisave savings as well as to be covered by MediShield. Another group which we should encourage back to the workforce is singles who look after their elderly parents. I have come across single women who are unable to go to work because they have to take over the responsibility of supporting and looking after their elderly parents as their married siblings have their own family responsibilities. Some who can afford to hire a maid will do so, so that they can work but many find this a struggle. It would be remiss of me not to thank the Second Minister for Finance for reducing the foreign domestic worker levy by $30.”