Kanwaljit Soin
Singapore
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to ask the Minister to give a response to an exclusion in clause 2 (b) which amends section 10 to deem any maintenance payment received by a parent or a child under a maintenance order not to be income subject to tax.”
“Clarification, Sir. I realise that. But I would like to know what is the policy, what is the thinking, that you can allow a parent who gets maintenance not to have to pay income tax. A parent is an adult. But you do not give the same privilege or right, I would say, to a wife who gets a maintenance ordered by the court.”
“My point is no income tax is charged for maintenance payments received by parents. That is what the Minister said about clause 2. But yet when wives receive maintenance from their husbands, those maintenance payments are subject to income tax. Why is there a discrepancy?”
“So I would like to ask what is the Minister's thinking. Why is it that the maintenance of a parent is not considered income, because it is for the subsistence of the parent, while the maintenance for a wife which is for her subsistence is considered as income?”
“If the letter of authority is not stampable, then this may become a recourse of getting around the stamp duty and income tax rules affecting sub-sales. Another issue to be considered is the timing of the payment of stamp duty. With the amendment, this has to be paid at the time of the signing of the sale and purchase agreement.”
“Would the Minister have, in hand, figures to show how many Singaporeans who go abroad to study medicine come back to do their housemanship in Singapore for the last three years? Dr Aline Wong: I do not have the figures on Singaporeans who come back to do housemanship for the last three years.”
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“Sir, would the Minister agree that in the long run it will be better to build our competitiveness on grounds of safety, efficiency rather than youthful looks and that as a general rule, the Minister would advise industries that depend on youthful looks to change their strategies in the long run?”
“Would the Minister agree that RGS is not an ideal example of looking at class size because the students are very good? So would the Minister agree that in some of the neighbourhood schools, to give value added, it might be useful for the students who come from ordinary homes to have more inter-active teaching with a smaller class size?”
“May I call for a division on this motion?”
“No, I have nothing more to say. Question put, "That this House (1) asks the Government to explain its refusal to stay the execution of Flor Contemplacion, despite President Ramos' appeal and the submission of new evidence, when a stay could have prevented the present strain in Singapore-Philippine relations, and (2) reaffirms its confidence in Singapore's criminal justice system, especially the integrity of the judges in upholding the rule of law and the competence of the police in enforcing law and order, which are strong pillars supporting our stability and prosperity."”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, with your permission, may I call for a division on the motion?”
“For my part, may I make the following observation and suggestion: I believe that whilst there is no presumption against the police reinvestigating their own cases, an independent Criminal Cases Review Commission or Authority is also desirable in Singapore along similar lines as proposed in the United Kingdom, especially in view of the death penalty imposable on a number of offences. The Commission, if it thinks fit, after investigations, refers the case to the Court of Appeal for its decision forwarding to it all admissible evidence and without making any recommendation. The Commission or Authority would also act as a filter against frivolous attempts to reopen a case. In the case of Flor Contemplacion, I have no doubt whatsoever that justice was meted out and there was due process of law. However, a mechanism or avenue to correct miscarriage of justice, Mr Speaker, Sir, is essential to prevent miscarriages of justice which can never be ruled out by the discovery of some unexpected fact that comes to light. The sanctity of innocent life must be preserved. A mechanism for the correction of miscarriage of justice after the appeal procedures are exhausted will streamline the system of criminal justice and further contribute to the confidence and respect Singaporeans have for the law and the administration of justice. Justice is not a fact but a quality. Justice may be depicted symbolically as blind but I do not think any of us want to turn a blind eye to injustice. Question proposed.”
“Further, the purported fresh evidence sought to be introduced necessarily involves investigation, assessment and probably new findings. The proper forum for the reception and assessment of fresh evidence and making a finding as to guilt or innocence cannot be the existing body, that is, the Cabinet which is charged with the task of advising the President on clemency under section 8 of the Republic of Singapore Independence Act. Therefore, a new law is necessary for considering and investigating allegations of miscarriages of justice and correcting them when appeal rights have been exhausted. As to whether some existing body or new body should have the responsibility for reopening a case and investigating it is a matter I leave to the Minister for Law. In the United Kingdom, the current law is that if a convicted person has exhausted his avenues of appeal and wishes to reopen his case in the courts, the Home Secretary must be persuaded to refer it to the Court of Appeal. However, a Criminal Appeal Bill is currently seeing its possible passage through Parliament with the proposal to create a Criminal Cases Review Commission to replace the Home Office to investigate and review the case concerning the alleged miscarriage of justice. Upon completion of its investigation, if the Commission believes that the case should be reconsidered by the Court of Appeal, it would refer the case to the Court of Appeal without making any recommendations.”
“I therefore wish to focus the attention of the House to one disquieting fact, and that is, that there is no procedure after the final determination of an appeal in a criminal case for an accused, and especially an accused who is sentenced to death, to have his case reopened before the courts to correct a possible miscarriage of justice, that is, where a convicted accused's lawyers believe that they have relevant and credible fresh evidence capable of belief which was not previously available and which evidence may overturn the conviction and so avoid the miscarriage of justice. In 1994, in two cases, which I am quoting to state a principle but not in any way suggesting that there was merit in their application, Lim Choon Chye v Public Prosecutor and Abdullah bin Rahman v Public Prosecutor where fresh evidence was sought to be introduced by application in the Court of Appeal after the conclusion of the appeals, the Court of Appeal held that it was functus officio in so far as the appeals were concerned and that there was no express provision in the law which allowed it jurisdiction to hear fresh evidence, thereby reopening the case after the appeal had been heard and finally disposed of. In Lim Choon Chye's case, the Court of Appeal further said that, in any case, the unsuccessful appellant is not without recourse or remedy because the petition of clemency lies to the President of the Republic. Mr Speaker, Sir, whilst the President can obviously pardon a convicted person who is subsequently shown to be innocent, I believe, as I think most of the legal fraternity does, that a general recourse to a Petition of Clemency in circumstances where an accused claims innocence to the charges convicted on is perhaps an inadequate and inappropriate recourse to fall back on.”
“According to press reports, Ms Elizabeth Buensacesco, First Secretary and Consul General of the Philippines Embassy was reported to have said in the Manila Chronicle that she saw Contemplacion soon after her arrest and during the time when she was being interrogated and before she had signed any document. According to Ms Buensacesco, Contemplacion after receiving advice from her to deny everything she said to the Police was nevertheless adamant that she committed the crime. The point I wish to make, Mr Speaker, Sir, is that it is normal police procedure not to allow visitors to see a potential accused immediately after arrest whilst active investigations and questioning are in progress so that investigations are not hampered or adversely affected. It is therefore to the credit of the Police that Ms Buensacesco was given access to Contemplacion although the stage of the investigations was a sensitive one. I also wish to draw the attention of the House to the findings of the World Economic Forum which conducts a very authoritative annual assessment of world governments and life in their countries. In its 1994 report, having assessed the quality of justice in 12 Asian countries, amongst which was the Philippines, Singapore was placed No. 1. Correction of Miscarriage of Justice Mr Speaker, Sir, I now turn to a connected matter. Although our system of justice has been adjudged to be the best, I would like to make a call to this House and the Minister for Law at some time in the near future to fine-tune it.”
“A private psychiatrist was allowed to interview her and psychiatric evidence was called on her behalf in respect of these interviews despite the fact that she had earlier been assessed by another private psychiatrist who was not called to testify on her behalf. At this continued trial she testified and admitted to the killing and described why she did, what she did. The trial judge, having heard all the evidence, was not persuaded into making a finding on a reduced charge that Contemplacion suffered from diminished responsibility and she was once again convicted of the murders. The Court of Appeal upheld the convictions of murder on 19th October 1994. In its judgment the highest court in the land categorically stated that the material facts relating to the killing of the deceased had not been in dispute - I emphasise had not been in dispute - which facts it said had been adequately set out in the grounds of the trial judge and which facts the Court of Appeal adopted. I may add that Contemplacion did not retract her confession throughout the trial, appeal or in her petition for presidential clemency. In remand and in prison after her conviction, she had also been visited by Philippine Embassy officials, her various Counsel, psychiatrists and also by a religious sister some 68 times. She did not give anyone of them an indication of her innocence. Even the letters that Flor Contemplacion received from her daughter in prison mention the mother's steadfast insistence that she was guilty of the murder.”
“These experts announced that the Singapore autopsy was professionally performed and correct in its findings and conclusions, namely, that: (a) Maga died as a result of asphyxia due to ligature strangulation; (b) There were no fractures of the skull, shoulder bone or ribs and that there was no evidence of anti-mortem traumatic fractures of the ribs as claimed by the Philippine side. (c) There was no basis whatsoever for concluding that Maga was killed by a man or a woman skilled in martial arts. The three experts also praised the work of the Singapore pathologists stating: `The post-mortem protocol prepared by the Institute of Science and Forensic Medicine was a thoroughly documented, complete and accurate presentation of all the pathological findings relating to Della Maga's murder.' I would like now to briefly acquaint the House with a few salient facts in connection with the trial of Contemplacion and her remand and detention. Some three and a half years elapsed after Contemplacion's arrest and the final rejection of her appeal by the Court of Appeal in October 1994. During those years she was defended by two sets of lawyers, both at the Court of first instance and on appeal. At the High Court trial, Contemplacion was originally represented by one set of two lawyers. She remained silent when her defence was called. She was convicted of the double murder. On appeal, she was represented by a set of two new lawyers. On submissions of her Counsel, the Court of Appeal remitted the case to the trial judge to hear evidence that she may not have been guilty of murder by reason of diminished responsibility. She was thereafter represented by the same two new lawyers at the continued trial in the High Court.”
“Wantonly repeated and unjustified attacks on these institutions can erode the confidence of our society and the international community in us which as a tiny nation we can ill afford. Our prosperity must ultimately depend to a great extent on the vitality and viability of those two institutions. Therefore it is necessary to guard and perpetuate their integrity. A Feedback Unit survey was done in April 1995 to assess the reaction of the public to the handling of the Flor Contemplacion case. Referring to the results of this survey, Dr Ow Chin Hock said, "They also have confidence in the judiciary of Singapore and believe the investigations by our Police to have been thorough and proper." The professional competence and integrity of the Singapore pathologists from the Institute of Forensic Science and Medicine who conducted the autopsy on Maga and which was questioned by the Philippine authorities has already been re-established at home and internationally. The Singapore pathologist's findings were unanimously confirmed by three internationally recognised consultant pathologists, a Distinguished Service Professor of Anthropology from the University of Florida, the Director, Forensic Sciences Unit, New York Police and the Director, Department of Pathology of St. Francis Central Hospital Pittsburg who travelled with the Singapore team to Manila to conduct a joint autopsy on the remains of Contemplacion.”
“Our Government's rejection of these findings have been vindicated not only by President Ramos when he subsequently described the work of the Gancayco Commission embarrassing to him but also by former Foreign Secretary Roberto Romulo last week when he tellingly said in a farewell speech sponsored by the business community: I quote part of his speech from the Straits Times: "The Gancayco Commission is an egregious example of a creature of Government that is unable to understand measures and standards, that is quick to come to judgments, conclusions and decisions on the basis of unproven assumptions, that is incapable of distinguishing between truth and falsehood and between the honest and the charlatan ..." "fact-finding became fault finding that was not supported by fact" and the members (of the Commission) "did not have any framework within which to work, and thus made it up along the way." "Once they heard what they wanted to hear, they accepted it as incontrovertible fact. The Gancayco Commission arrived at its conclusions and recommendations not with facts but with opinions fuelled by public and personal emotion ..." The Asian Wall Street Journal, not an uncritical admirer of Singapore, had about a month earlier in an editorial on 13th April independently looked at the findings of the Gancayco Commission and the way the Commission conducted itself and had concluded that the Commission had given Singapore a "bum rap". Only the distant New York Times and its columnist William Safire remain unrepentant. Mr Speaker, Sir, the judiciary and the Police are pivotal pillars of any society in ensuring the maintenance of law, order and good government. So are the supporting agencies like the Institute of Forensic Science and Medicine.”
“Criminal Justice System Institutions and Contemplacion's Case Members of this House will recollect that the Gancayco Commission in the Philippines had concluded in its findings that Contemplacion could not have committed the murders of Della Maga and Nicholas Huang and that Contemplacion was apparently a victim of grave injustice and recommended that the Singapore Government reopen investigations of the killing of Maga. These findings have been rightly rejected by our Government as being based on uncorroborated and, worse, hearsay testimonies and totally ignoring the records of the trial and other information supplied by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Commission had also without any justification described Singapore as a police state which tolerates, if not, allows the use of torture, meaning that Contemplacion's confession, like so many others, was extracted from her by the Investigating Officer by torture so as to found her subsequent conviction on. Mr Speaker, Sir, in view of the large attendant publicity raised nationally and internationally by the Contemplacion case, our judiciary and criminal justice system, together with the other law enforcement and evidence gathering agencies like the Police and the Institute of Science and Forensic Medicine, particularly its pathologists, have unnecessarily been maligned by the Gancayco Commission which was palpably wrong in making its findings.”
“(1) Did our Foreign Ministry and our intelligence officers gauge the extent of the feelings of the Filipino people towards the impending execution of Flor Contemplacion? (2) How much significance was attributed by our own experts to the pre-execution rallies and newspaper reports in the Philippines? Was the Flor Contemplacion case already a cause celebre in the Philippines before the execution? (3) Was it possible to have been aware that the Philippine pre-election fever of 8th May 1995 could have used the hanging of Flor Contemplacion as their burning issue? If we had been aware of this, then we could have prudently stayed the execution till after the Philippine elections. (4) Could we possibly have acceded to the requests of President Ramos to delay the execution and not felt threatened that by doing so, we were in any way abdicating our role as a sovereign nation? (5) Besides efficiency, non-corruptibility, the ability to direct Singapore's economic growth in a spectacular way and other positive qualities, is it time for our Government to also reveal its latent empathy with non-economic issues like the stay of execution of Flor Contemplacion, without feeling that the Government is becoming soft? By delaying the execution, it would have shown that it is possible to carry out the force of law and yet temper it with compassion, humanitarian grounds and diplomatic savvy. (6) Why did the prison authorities not give permission for Flor Contemplacion to embrace her children before her death as was reported in the media? I am sure that other Members of this House have these and other similar concerns to which they would like an answer from the Government. Mr Speaker, Sir, I now move to the second aspect of my motion.”
“It was turned down by President Ong on 15th March 1995 and the hanging of Flor Contemplacion took place on 17th March 1995. Whilst the "new evidence" must have been considered carefully by the Singapore authorities, the time lapse of only four to five days between request and refusal can give the unfortunate impression that due and proper consideration was not given to the new material furnished by the Philippine authorities. This could have been one aggravating factor in the strain in Singapore-Philippine relations. To put it another way, whilst justice was done, it was not seen to be done. In the light of this chronology of events, why did the Government not grant a stay of execution of Flor Contemplacion? What would have been lost in granting the stay? We did delay the execution of Macau-born Angel Mou to spend Christmas with her family. She was hanged for trafficking in heroin. The Philippines is an ASEAN neighbour and so why were we seemingly insensitive to the requests of its Head of State? On 21st March 1995, President Ramos in a speech to the Federation of Philippine Broadcasters said he "felt bad" about President Ong Teng Cheong's rejection of two personal appeals from him to defer the execution of Flor Contemplacion. Could we have committed a miscalculation in not allowing a stay in the execution of Flor Contemplacion? Could it have been a hasty decision? Should we have acceded to the request of Mr Ramos in the interest of foreign relations? Of course, it is easier to speak after the event and with the benefit of hindsight but, as Parliamentarians, it is our duty to ask questions and question Government policies that adversely affect our country and people. These related questions therefore need also to be answered by the Government.”
“"Since Mrs Frenilla is willing to come forward with her testimony, and as we are dealing with a human life, I request your Excellency for a stay of execution to allow this new evidence proper consideration," he said. Mr Ramos had asked for a postponement based on a sworn statement by another maid, Mrs Emilia Frenilla. 13th March 1995 - Another protest outside the Singapore Embassy. 14th March 1995 - Up to 5,000 people rallied peacefully outside the Singapore Embassy in Manila to demand a retrial for Flor Contemplacion. 15th March 1995 - In a statement dated 15th March 1995, the Government said it had taken the appeal by President Ramos seriously and had studied the evidence carefully but turned down the appeal to stay the execution of Flor Contemplacion. This was because the "new evidence" that was given and was supposed to exonerate her was found to be untrue. The new evidence was a statement by Contemplacion's friend, Mrs Emillia Frenilla, who once worked in Singapore. She claimed, among other things, that Mrs Maga's employer had killed her. Mrs Della Maga was the murdered maid. President Ong replied to Mr Ramos on 15th March 1995, saying there was no basis to justify a stay of execution. He also provided Mr Ramos with copies of Contemplacion's statements to the police, and her petition for clemency. She had admitted to both murders to the police and in the High Court and the Court of Appeal hearings. Some 1,500 demonstrators gathered at the Singapore Embassy to protest Singapore's rejection of clemency appeals. Also, an all-night vigil was held by many people in a car park across the Singapore Embassy in Manila. 17th March 1995 - The hanging of Flor Contemplacion was carried out early in the morning. The second appeal by President Ramos was made on 11th March 1995.”
“On 21st January 1995, it was reported that President Ramos asked President Ong Teng Cheong to grant clemency on humanitarian grounds to Flor Contemplacion. This appeal was turned down on the absence of mitigating factors. In early March, three demonstrations in four days against the death sentence of Flor Contemplacion were held outside the Singapore Embassy in Manila. 10th March 1995 - Philippine Solicitor-General (Raul Goco) sent a letter to Singapore's Attorney-General (Chan Sek Keong) seeking deferment of execution of Flor Contemplacion. Mr Goco in the letter, a copy of which was released to the media, wrote, and I quote: "Without meaning to interfere in your judicial processes, I would like to request your assistance in seeking a deferment of the execution." The letter also said that "this present request is promoted by the desire of my Government, in its ministrant capacity, to put all doubts to rest before the case of Mrs Contemplacion comes to a final conclusion." The request followed what the Government said was new evidence from another Filipina maid who claimed that she had overheard a conversation between two men which led her to believe that Contemplacion was not the killer. 11th March 1995 - President Ramos made yet another appeal to President Ong, in which he expressed his and the Filipino people's "great sadness" over a Singapore court's decision condemning Flor Contemplacion to death. In his letter, President Ramos cited the "close and friendly relations that bind our two peoples together" and asked President Ong to allow a review of the condemned woman's case.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That this House (1) asks the Government to explain its refusal to stay the execution of Flor Contemplacion, despite President Ramos' appeal and the submission of new evidence, when a stay could have prevented the present strain in Singapore-Philippine relations, and (2) reaffirms its confidence in Singapore's criminal justice system, especially the integrity of the judges in upholding the rule of law and the competence of the police in enforcing law and order, which are strong pillars supporting our stability and prosperity. On 17th March 1995, early in the morning, a Filipina woman named Flor Contemplacion was hanged in Singapore for the 1991 double murder of another Filipina maid and the 4-year-old son of the murdered maid's employer. The hanging itself might have passed relatively unnoticed as we have had other foreigners who have been hanged in Singapore for committing capital offences. However, the hanging of Flor Contemplacion started a chain of events that has placed a strain in Singapore-Philippine relations and caused other reverberations affecting Singapore's regional and international image. It behoves us to learn from this experience. Many Singaporeans are asking whether a stay, ie, a delay or deferment in the execution of Flor Contemplacion could have prevented this unfortunate state of affairs. A Feedback Unit survey conducted in April revealed that one-third of the respondents felt that with hindsight, the Government could have acceded to the request of Philippine President Fidel Ramos to delay the 17th March execution. To refresh our memories about this unfortunate case of Flor Contemplacion, let us look at some of the events in a chronological order. The information is from reports in the Straits Times and other media.”
“The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for National Development (Mr Matthias Yao Chih) (for the Minister for National Development): Mr Speaker, Sir, the three blocks are being upgraded under the Interim Upgrading Programme (IUP). They meet the age criterion, which is that flats for the IUP must be between 10 and 17 years old. SIMEI STREET 3 (Installation of pedestrian crossing) 17. Mr Teo Chong Tee asked the Minister for National Development whether the Public Works Department will install a push-button pedestrian crossing light in front of or near the Changi Neighbourhood Police Post along Simei Street 3.”
“Sir, would the Deputy Prime Minister agree that to boost our international image, it would be proper for us to give some money as a soft loan because the other Tiger economies are also doing so, like Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea? BG Lee Hsien Loong: Mr Speaker, Sir, in every country, the amount of aid and the disposition of the aid is a question. Is it being spent well? Does it achieve its objective in the target country? Does it further the interest of the donor country? So when we give assistance, I think we also have to ask similar questions. When we train somebody, we are helping him to acquire the skills, ability and the knowledge which will enable him to go back to his country and do something which should be of lasting importance to his country. His experience here, if it has been a happy one, and I think in many cases it has been, will make him, if not our ambassador, a friend of Singapore who will leave with his countrymen a good impression of Singapore and what Singaporeans can do to help. We assist within our abilities. We may be not as undeveloped as we used to be, but we are not a country with resources to give away. So when we commit aid, it must be with a view to specific development outcomes and we believe that the scheme which we have is really the most effective one. Other countries have chosen to do it differently. Well, it is their choice. We do not argue that they should do it our way and I think they should not argue that we should do it their way. FLATS AT BUKIT BATOK CENTRAL (Rationale for upgrading) 16. Mr Chiam See Tong asked the Minister for National Development what is the rationale for upgrading three blocks of flats at Bukit Batok Central when they are only about ten years old.”
“Would the Deputy Prime Minister agree that if you teach a man how to fish, he will still have to buy the fishing net? BG Lee Hsien Loong: The best fishermen have very bankable propositions and have no difficulty raising money.”
“Would the Minister explain his rationale why a full-time course is not consumption but investment and a part-time course is consumption but not investment?”
“Would the Minister then consider some recognised special courses which the Ministry thinks will lead to asset enhancement in future and allow the member to use the money for these particular courses and not a blanket approval?”
“I have three supplementary questions, Sir. (1) Would the Minister reconsider if the worker does not have enough savings for his part-time course? Would he then make an exception in that case? (2) For part-time courses, the worker continues to work and therefore can continue to build up the CPF. So if some CPF is taken out for education, it does not deplete the account as for a full-time course. (3) It seems to me that we are more willing to let people take their money for investment purposes and buying shares than we are for education purposes. Do we have the right priority?”
“(5) MCD and NCSS should help to top-up the salaries of social workers who are employed by affiliates so that the pay of social workers is more reflective of the importance of their work to society. There should be more opportunities for promotion, especially in Family Service Centres and other social agencies. (6) There should be a formal registration of trained social workers so that there is more professionalism. At this time, many well-meaning people who help in charitable causes are said to be doing social work. Thus, there is a confusion between the roles of these worthy individuals and the professionally-trained social workers. We cannot fudge the two categories of people. Finally, Sir, I appeal to the Minister to look into this important matter, otherwise the progress of tackling social issues may be held back due to a lack of social workers. Maybe one of the reasons why not enough emphasis has been laid on the importance of social workers is that they are considered to be dealing with welfare issues and this is associated with handouts. Social workers are not just patchers up of social conditions requiring welfare. They do not just act as a band aid. What they do has long term consequences on the integrity and stability of families. In this light, would the Minister please give this matter his considered attention?”
“The National Council of Social Service has adopted a salary which is comparable to what the civil service now pays its social workers but considering the type and load of work undertaken by social workers, this is not enough. Furthermore, many of the affiliates of NCSS cannot even afford to pay what the civil service and NCSS pay to social workers. Non-funded affiliates have a hard time trying to raise money for their operations and thus poor social workers have to continue to serve for the love of the cause while their peers, who are not necessarily more deserving, make much more money in other fields of endeavour. Where is the justice and sense of reward for social workers for a job well done? To address this, Sir, I have six suggestions. (1) MCD should have a campaign to elevate the status of social workers and highlight the importance of their work and also try to attract more men into the profession. (2) The pay of social workers should be raised. Civil defence officers get 10% higher pay than market rates. Why can we not apply this to social workers? (3) There should be more collaboration by MCD, NCSS and NUS so that satisfactory placement is done of social work graduates so that there is a lower rate of attrition. (4) Professional social workers need continual upgrading and training as social work graduates upon leaving the university do not have enough life experiences to be able to deal with the many challenging and changing conditions of society. In this respect, the MCD has taken the right step in starting the marriage and family counselling course run by the Family Resource and Training Centre, but more needs to be done in this area of continual upgrading.”
“Sir, I would like to commend the Minister for his Ministry's work in raising the status of social workers but I think we still have some way to go yet. Social workers are as important to society as engineers and doctors, but this is seldom acknowledged. Social workers deal with problems in society that, if left unattended to, would lead to a tear in our social fabric. I am referring to problems caused by marital conflict, juvenile delinquency, drug addiction and poverty. However, all this work often goes unrecognised and social workers are overburdened, underpaid and suffer from burnout. It is the creators of material wealth that get the kudos in our country while those who help social cohesion are often forgotten. It is no wonder, therefore, Sir, that according to a study done in 1992 by the Singapore Association of Social Workers, the following findings were revealed: Since 1974, the National University of Singapore has trained 830 social workers. Over the years, only half of the social work graduate took up social work related jobs. Subsequently, of this half that took up social work related jobs, only one-third of the cohort remained in social work related jobs. We need to ask ourselves why two-thirds of those trained as social workers quit their field or never ventured into it and yet we have the perennial complaint of the shortage of social workers. Why is it that the law of demand and supply is not working here? Why is there market failure and how do we explain that in spite of the acute shortage of social workers, their salaries have not gone up significantly? In the civil service, social work graduates are paid the same salary as other graduates on similar grades.”
“Instead of having selective child care centres catering to the low-income families, I am suggesting that 5-10% of all child care centres reserve places for subsidised low cost child care. MCD could have this instituted. Finally, Sir, I would like to appeal to the Minister to peg child care subsidies to the parents' income so that children of poorer families will get much larger subsidies. It is more important for children from low-income and disadvantaged families to attend whole day child care than it is for their peers from better-off families. I am sure that the Minister is aware of this crying need for this levelling up of society and should therefore earnestly consider this appeal for the less fortunate children in our society.”
“The present child care subsidy of $130 per child is not enough for these poor families, especially if they have two children needing child care facilities. Even with the subsidy, poor families cannot afford child care. Sir, I am aware that besides the child care subsidy of $130 for working mothers, in 1993, a new scheme was introduced called the centre-based financial assistance scheme. And this is targeted at low-income families. With this scheme, there is a two-tier subsidy scale of $50 or $100, depending on the net income of the family. However, there are not enough places for low cost child care in Singapore, and this is what the Ministry has to look into. We could try to emulate a model child care system that has emerged from Japan. Parents pay according to a sliding scale, depending on their income, with the poorest family getting free whole day child care and the wealthiest paying $570 per month. The system is subsidised, but this is justified as an investment in the future of the children themselves. At first, the purpose was to help the working mothers, but Japan has realised that the main function of the child care centres is to help the children themselves. If we, in Singapore, can also come to the same realisation, then we will have to make changes in our policies regarding subsidy towards child care. Providing an adequate number of places in child care centres will not make child care accessible to economically deprived families. Adequate financial subsidies that will contribute to making child care affordable for all families is really the key. What I am asking for is not for more child care places in general but, specifically, for more low cost child care places.”
“Sir, I would like to urge the Minister to make child care facilities more accessible and affordable for children from poor and disadvantaged homes. According to the 1990 Census statistics, about one in 10 households in Singapore was either in poverty or vulnerable to poverty. These households have a monthly income of less than $200 per person in the household. I am sure the Minister is well aware of these statistics. Children of low-income families, economically and socially deprived, often do not have an equal start as their better-off counterparts. The latter are often exposed to intellectually stimulating play early in their lives compared to children of low-income families. Kindergarten classes only provide two hours of school and this is not enough to provide adequate early childhood education for the poor and disadvantaged children. A report on "The Importance of Early Education" identifies reasons why it is crucial to be provided an early start: (1) Good and early education leads to later educational success. Among the three ethnic groups, Malay children followed by Indian children have the lowest rate of enrolment in child care centres. This could be one factor that has led to Malay and Indian children being under-achievers in school. (2) Early child care provides socialisation experiences, as Dr Vasoo has just said, which according to the study, reduces the risk of later juvenile delinquency. Also, by providing child care facilities, mothers are provided an opportunity to go back into the workforce, thereby allowing an increase in household income. Statistics from DOS show that for 43% of low-income dual career couples, the wife provides 50% of the family income.”
“I am only recommending the lowering of the downpayment to 10% for first-time purchasers of HDB flats and not for upgraders. For first-timers who want to buy executive flats, we could leave the downpayment to 20% and only allow the 10% for those first-timers who wish to purchase 4- or 5-room flats. We would thus not be enticing young people to purchase flats beyond their means and we would really be helping those young people who genuinely find it difficult in the first few years of their working life to have enough CPF savings for downpayment for their first home. Needless to say, these same young people would hardly have any savings to top up their CPF balances and each year the target of 20% downpayment for their flat always seems to be out of their reach. By reducing the downpayment to 10% for first-timers wishing to buy 4- or 5-room flats, we would be helping young people to acquire their homes more quickly and settle down to a married life of bliss and, hopefully, the children will come soon after. With this national objective in mind, how can the Minister say "No" to this request.”
“Taking the years 1988-1992, the price increase for HDB flats averaged 12% a year. During the same period, average yearly earnings rose by 9%. To make the comparison simpler, I have discounted the wage increase of 9% per year and the HDB flat price increase of 12% per year. Thus, we can see that for a single wage earner between the ages of 20-29 years earning an average income of $1,250, it takes about four years to build up the CPF ordinary balance for the downpayment for a 4-room flat at the 1992 prices. After that, there is an estimated wait of 2-3 years before the flat is ready. Thus, it will take nearly seven years before a young couple can move into their own flat. Is it any wonder then why young people delay their marriage until the late 20s? If we change the scenario to a dual income couple applying for a flat and in the same income band but wishing to apply for a 5-room improved flat which in 1992 was $143,000, the downpayment works out to be $28,000. For a couple earning the same amount, ie, about $1,250 per month, it will take about three years to build up their combined CPF balances to pay for the downpayment, and then they also have to wait 2-3 years. Therefore, their total wait will be about 5-6 years. Not only do young people have to wait a few years for the HDB flat, but the other difficulty is that as the prices of HDB flats go up quite substantially each year, it becomes harder and harder to reach the 20% downpayment target. It is like chasing your own tail. Thus, if we want to help our young people to get married early and to move into their own home, then we will have to reduce the downpayment to 10% of the purchase price of the flat instead of the present 20%.”
“Sir, upon allocation of an HDB flat, an applicant has to pay 20% of the purchase price as downpayment. If there is not enough money in the CPF ordinary balance, then the applicant will have to make the difference in cash and this is usually very difficult for young people who have just embarked on their careers. I would like to submit to the Minister that this requirement of 20% downpayment upon allocation of an HDB flat poses a substantial problem to an average young couple who are planning to get married and applying for their first HDB flat. And I would like to urge the Minister to reduce this downpayment to 10% for first-time applicants. Let me explain this, Sir. According to the 1990 Census, 132,500 single people earned between $1,000- $1,499 per month. If we look at the table by age group, then 125,900 people between the ages of 20 and 29 years earned between $1,000-$1,499 per month, and this youthful group constitutes nearly half of the people in this income band, ie, between $1,000-$1,499. Although the two groups are not necessarily synonymous, the single people and the young people between 20 and 29 years are likely to come from the same income band. The average income of this group earning between $1,000 and $1,499 is $1,250 per month. The CPF contribution to the ordinary account will be $374 per month and if we multiply this by 13, then the CPF balance for one year will be $4,800. According to the Cost Review Committee, the average price of a 4-room Model A flat in 1992 was $103,000. To buy this flat, the downpayment has to be 20% which works out to be about $20,000. To be able to reach $20,000 in the ordinary account, it will take our hypothetical applicant about four years as the yearly amount adds up to less than $5,000.”
“Point of clarification, Sir. I was wondering whether the Minister would make public the environmental impact studies which are being carried out. It was one of my questions to the Minister.”
“I enquired from the Minister and ascertained that the authority had no record of any complaint, and the Hougang Constituency Committee has all along been working in conformity with the Government's rules and regulations. Yet, our application is now rejected. This is indeed very puzzling! I am afraid I can only interpret this as an effort by the PAP Government to take advantage of its administrative power to discriminate against the grassroots organisations of the Opposition party by deliberately depriving them of their sources of income. The political motive is like "Sima Zhao's ill intent that is known to all" - the villain's design is obvious. This is yet another example of the PAP abusing its political power to deal with the Opposition.”
“Mr Low Thia Khiang( In Mandarin): Sir, with effect from 1st July 1994, any organisation intending to organise a mini-trade fair will have to apply to the Ministry of the Environment for a permit. The Government has claimed that the reason for controlling mini-trade fairs was that many people had complained of the inconvenience caused by the trade fairs, the traffic congestion it has caused, and the unfair competition to the shops nearby. In the beginning, the rule was such that each organisation could only organise a certain number of days of trade fairs in each constituency per year, and the consent of the shop-owners nearby must be sought. Originally, such a method of control could be said to be fair and reasonable. However, when the Hougang Constituency Committee applied to the Ministry of the Environment for a permit, it was rejected. The reason given was that the Ministry would grant permit only to schools, religious bodies and grassroots organisations to hold such mini-trade fairs. Prior to the implementation of this new regulation, the Hougang Constituency Committee could organize mini-trade fairs to raise funds for its activities. The Hougang Constituency Committee is responsible for the community activities of Hougang. It organizes social and recreational programmes to foster better relationship among the residents. It also organizes relevant cultural activities during the festivals of the various races, as well as preserving the traditional cultures of the various races. By disallowing the Hougang Constituency Committee to hold such trade fairs, the Ministry of the Environment is depriving the Committee of its source of income.”
“Sir, it is to the credit of the Ministry of the Environment that its mission statement says that it aims to develop Singapore into a model green city. It further states that it intends to cultivate an environmentally conscious, responsible and proactive population in order to make Singapore into a modern green city. I applaud the objective and I have a suggestion for the Minister. For large-scale projects like the airport, MRT system, petrochemical plants, large housing estates and new towns, etc, environmental impact assessments have not been mandatory. I understand that investigations are made on possible environmental impact only in so far as public health may be affected. This is important. But equally important is the possible ecological damage of these projects and this is not being studied systematically. 5.00 pm I would urge the Minister that total environmental impact assessments be done so that we have environmental base line studies that are made public so that we can begin to nurture an environmentally conscious, responsible and proactive population as outlined in the mission statement. I do appreciate that our land resources are limited and that sometimes ecological considerations have to take a lower priority in comparison to the importance of development. But we must still try to work towards sustainable development. We have a duty and responsibility to answer to future generations and therefore we have to educate ourselves to be ecologically aware. I would therefore like to urge the Minister to implement environmental impact assessment studies for the bigger projects and to make these studies public.”
“I hope the Ministry will encourage the NWC team from the Ministry of Labour to word the text such that this group of workers could get something.”
“There are no unions for these workers and therefore the Government has to play a role in ensuring the welfare of foreign workers. It cannot be just left to market forces. Here I would like to quote from the editorial of the Straits Times of 13th March 1995: `... it is to be hoped that the Government will also stipulate standards of accommodation and construction, the minimum level of recreational and other facilities, and the rules that should govern residence, so that even if the new housing is without frills, it is clean, comfortable, and a distinct improvement on present conditions. This is not philanthropy, it is enlightened self-interest.' I would like the Minister's considered opinion on this matter of accommodation and other aspects of the welfare of foreign workers. How can the Ministry help to moderate market forces so that some minimum standards of welfare for foreign workers are observed by private employers? Mr Koo Tsai Kee: Sir, the NWC season is now about to begin. Soon, managements, unions and the Government would begin the important task of reviewing the economy and recommending new wage guidelines. I hope the Government's team from the Ministry of Labour would look into the problem of wage increments for mature workers who have hit their income ceilings in the private sector. At the moment, many companies in the private sector use the qualitative NWC guidelines for negotiating wage increments. This, however, benefits workers who are still growing in their jobs, that is, they have a few more steps to climb in their income scales. But for the mature workers who have hit their income ceilings, they usually get nothing from the NWC guidelines.”
“Sir, we are living in an inter-dependent regional economic system that is unevenly developed. Therefore, foreign workers from around the region are willing to come to Singapore to do jobs that our own workers may shun. So our prosperity depends partly on the presence of these foreign workers. And from what I understand, there are 300,000 of them in Singapore and comprise nearly 20% of our labour force. Singaporeans, Sir, must shoulder their responsibility as employers towards these foreign workers. Certainly, these foreign workers are here because they need money to better themselves and to support their families back home. But they are people like us, who love like we do, and suffer pain like we suffer and therefore their welfare cannot just be left to market forces. They are more at our mercy and have less control over their lives than us and market forces when carried to an extreme are harsh on the less able, the poor and low income earners. It was therefore heartening to read in the press recently about dormitories being built for some foreign workers by the private sector. And here, Sir, I would like to quote what the Group Managing Director of L&M Group Investments said to the Straits Times on 4th March 1995: `If you take a look at some of the sites and how the workers are accommodated, you would say they are quite pathetic.' And then I have heard stories about foreign workers trying to cook their meat at the worksite over fluorescent lamps. I therefore feel, Sir, that although the private sector has a large part to play, we need to have a strong statement from our Government leaders to send the right message to the private sector about the treatment and welfare of foreign workers.”
“As for people who do not now qualify for MediShield, I do not think that it is wise of us to admit them into MediShield on cheap premiums. If we do that, we are introducing a dangerous distortion into the structure which will have fatal long-term consequences for us. I am not dismissing Dr Soin's argument in favour of more subsidies. But I think that is an argument to be made under some other cut, because the conception of MediShield is that it is a self-funding operation.”
“I think she does not understand what MediShield is. MediShield is self-funding. That was how it was conceived from the beginning. It is a way by which a group of people decide among themselves to pool their health risks. It sounds a great idea to insure someone who is in the 80s. But if you pool health risks among those in the 80s, the premiums would be very high. Not only will the premiums be very high, because it is third party payment, doctors, private hospitals, insurers would try to get at that money, and all the problems of moral hazards will ensue. It is for this reason that we have been very careful not to allow inter-generational transfer across MediShield. You say, "raise it to age 75, but keep the premiums low, please, because they can't afford it." The risks are pooled. Who pays? Younger people pay. Again, that sounds a very good idea, until we come to the time when these younger people are themselves old. Then who pays? The younger people then will pay. As I mentioned earlier, by that time, there will be far fewer younger people. So it is very important that as a long-term scheme, we structure MediShield sensibly and ensure that it is self-funding within each age cohort. We are considering extending gradually the coverage of MediShield, but we want to do it in a way which insures across generations for the same person. The idea is this. We raise premiums for those who are younger, so that by the time they become older, they get a discount on what would otherwise be the correct premium for a pooling of risks for those in the 70s. It is this idea which we are working towards. I give a general assurance that for those who are already in MediShield and below 70, we will allow them into MediShield when we raise it to above 70.”
“For example, gene therapy is creating the potential for dramatic cost reduction in the treatment of various conditions. One particular high technology that we have considered recently is the introduction of the gamma knife to Singapore and the Health Ministry has given approval to the Singapore General Hospital to co-invest in a gamma knife facility. What is a gamma knife? The gamma knife is a radio surgical instrument used for surgery of lesions in the brain. Basically, the patient wears a helmet, there is a cobalt 60 radioactive source which sends beams of gamma knife into the brain. Each beam is of too low an intensity to cause damage but when they focus on a particular region in the brain, it puts a high energy source there and it burns up the tumour. It is a little like focusing the rays of the sun with a magnifying glass on to a piece of paper. At a particular distance, it burns. That is what the gamma knife is intended to do. The idea is simple. It has revolutionised brain surgery. Patients do not feel any pain. They are treated as outpatients. No hospitalisation is required. And for certain conditions, it is well justified and completely cost effective. 3.30 pm We have decided to allow the Singapore General Hospital to co-invest in it. We do not see enough workload in Singapore to use the machine to capacity. There is enough workload to justify on economic grounds the introduction of the equipment, but there is excess capacity which we can use to market in the region. And for that reason, the facility will take in private investors who can then market the excess capacity to countries elsewhere in South East Asia. It will cost in total something like $10 million. Dr Kanwaljit Soin made an eloquent plea for increased health subsidy for the elderly.”
“We have to expect that in the next century, our health spending will reach 6% to 8% of GDP, as the Minister has warned us. One of the reasons that we are accumulating budget surpluses now is precisely for these rainy days in the future, and thus we must be prepared to spend substantially more on health in the future and especially for the health of the aged. Therefore, I would like to make an appeal to the Minister to extend the MediShield cover for the aged until they leave this world and not stinge on this issue for fear of future increased medical spending. This is our present obligation to our aged. BG George Yong-Boon Yeo: Sir, Dr Wan Soon Bee warned against the indiscriminate use of high-tech medicine because that is the surest way to cause health cost to spiral in Singapore. I agree with him entirely. What we need to do is to introduce high-tech medicine discriminately, selectively and use proven technology. A lot of new technologies are being developed, particularly in the West, particularly in America, and we should assess very carefully all those technologies available which will serve us in a practical, commonsensical way and say, "Okay, those things are mature, good for us, bring them in." The approach we should avoid is to say that all high-tech is bad. That is an entirely wrong approach because, at the end of the day, it is high-tech which will reduce medical cost, not low-tech. A lot of exciting advances are now taking place in surgery, in micro-surgery, in laparoscopic surgery, in genetic medicine, in molecular medicine which can greatly reduce the cost of hospitalisation, reduce hospital stay, reduce morbidity, increase the comfort of patients and increase the health of the population in general.”
“There are some private health insurance schemes, non-profit ones, like BUPA, that continue to cover people even over the age of 80. MediShield should be able to match up to this. If necessary, Singaporeans can make adjustments to the amount of premium they have to pay. But we cannot afford to have our old people left in the lurch when they need medical insurance in their twilight years. Furthermore, it is very disheartening to say the least for an older person who has been paying the MediShield premiums to be told on his or her 70th birthday that from now on, he or she is to be left on their own. What are they supposed to be doing at that age? I feel the Minister has to look into this important matter now. This subject has been raised before and the age limit was then changed from 65 to 70 but we need to go beyond that until death intervenes and the aged person has no more need for MediShield. We keep on talking about respect for the elderly and the sacrifices they have made for the country. We must put our money where our mouth is and ensure that our aged are not mentally stressed in the last few years of their lives because of feelings of insecurity and worry as a result of the lack of MediShield cover. I would rather that we have a smaller budget surplus than to be lacking in our duty towards the elderly. I appreciate the change in the demographic profile that the Minister for Health has talked about. But we have to face the fact that as there occurs a change in our demographic profile, we must also change the pattern of Government spending on various sectors. We have been lucky that, as we have a young population, we could restrict our health spending to 3% of GDP. But that does not mean that this has to be the upper limit of our future health spending.”
“Sir, the present cut-off point for MediShield is 70 years. In Singapore, there are more than 100,000 people who are now more than 70 years of age and they comprise 4% of the population. The lifespan for those who are over 55 years now is 79 years. Therefore, for the last nine years or so of an aged person's life, the protective umbrella of the MediShield Scheme is taken away. And there are 100,000 people in Singapore, at this moment, without this medical umbrella to protect them. In the event of a prolonged catastrophic illness, the Medisave account of the aged person or his or her family members may be greatly strained and it was precisely because of this possibility that the MediShield scheme was conceived. If we are to follow the rationale for the MediShield scheme and if we remember that it is in the last few years of an aged person's life that prolonged catastrophic illness is more likely to strike, then it makes little sense to have a cut-off point for MediShield at age 70. We are literally taking away the umbrella when it begins to rain. I realise that Medifund is available as a last resort but it entails a laborious process of application by the aged person and investigation by a social worker. And it also robs the aged person of the dignity of being self-sufficient and depending on himself or herself and the immediate family. Also from the figures supplied by the Ministry of Health, only 2% of the total MediShield members were reimbursed in 1993 and no member had reached the maximum lifetime limit of $70,000. The MediShield account therefore is hardly being depleted by those under 70 years of age and should therefore be extended to beyond 70 when the aged need it most.”
“Does the Minister think that we should have a code of ethics on the depiction of women in the mass media from the point of view of minimising the negative influence on the young and from the point of view of enhancing the value of families?”
“Sir, the negative portrayal and depiction of women's role in the mass media is an important area for the Minister to consider if we wish to project positive family values. A big giant like China is willing to learn from tiny Singapore. We could do well in Singapore if we return the compliment and learn something from China in this area. According to a recent press report, China is to outlaw all advertisements that abuse women and children by portraying them in a negative light. We also ought to look at our advertisements, TV programmes, etc. to assess whether women are being depicted more as sex objects and not as ordinary citizens preoccupied with work and family responsibilities. Sir, another area that merits attention is the front covers of leading women's magazines. Some of the blurbs or captions on the front cover are quite shocking. Sir, I will now reluctantly cite some examples, but it would be appreciated if Members do not laugh at these examples: (1) Phone sex - It is safe. It is sexy and it's just a phone call away. (2) How well does he know your body? (3) Are you obsessed with your breasts? (4) Six men strip to get your nod. (5) Girls on top, sex, and the leading man. I have read some of the articles in the magazines that are written on these titles and the actual articles are fairly innocuous. But the titles that are blazoned on the front cover affront the dignity of women and indirectly the whole of society. Should we condone this, Sir? The young may not buy these magazines but just reading what is on the front cover, as the magazines are on display in the shops, will give them the wrong message. One negative message is the obsession with physical sex and another is the depiction of women as sex objects.”
“I am not satisfied with the Minister of State's reply because I think special education is an education and not a welfare liability. But because of shortage of time, I have no choice but to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $2,713,693,400 for Head L ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $993,997,200 for Head L ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head W -”