Koh Lam Son
Singapore
“(7) To provide more theatrettes or curtains in the classrooms with the increased use of audio-visual equipment such as overhead projectors and slide projectors. These would help prevent unnecessary strain on the eyesight of the students.”
“Sir, this debate can go on, but I would withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $521,224,880 for Head P ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $466,063,100 for Head P ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head R -”
“He should not, in my view, be a civil servant or ex-civil servant, but someone who has an understanding of the civil service, in tune with the hopes and expectations of the public and a grasp of the needs of the business community and financial institutions.”
“Sir, I believe that upgrading the facilities should be the first step, and a better way for the stallholders and for the community at large. 12.45 pm I also wish to state that complaints that customers are shortchanged with poor quality food and badly prepared food is a fact, but it is a separate issue.”
“No one else would do it for us. We have to do it all ourselves. So unless litterbugs clean up the act, we must make sure that they do not dirty our environment. I would like to ask the Minister whether he would consider increasing its own manpower to keep our city clean and green.”
“Mr Speaker, I do not think the Minister has answered the question whether unleaded petrol has any adverse effect on car engines. I believe that if unleaded petrol is of a certain grade - I think they use the term "RON" - if it is below 92, there can be an adverse effect on the valves of the engines.”
The complete record
Every one of 302 lines we hold for Koh Lam Son, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 5 of 7.
“Mr Chairman, can I just clarify? We can keep the cats away by killing them. That is one way of getting rid of them. And the campaign is not to talk to cats but to make sure that stray cats do not come around with their infected bacteria to places where high hygiene is important. That is the point I am trying to make. Mr Eugene Yap Giau Cheng: I think we will end ourselves up with a lot of problems trying to kill all the cats that walk along the streets because the moment they leave somebody's compound, theoretically they become stray cats. So I do not think that this idea can work. Nevertheless, I will have a chat with him over lunch or something to find out how we can talk about how to keep the cats away from the streets. On organizing health education programmes and so on to educate our hawkers, I support the idea. We will get our officers to look into how we can further educate our hawkers on the proper way to handle food and the proper way to keep their hawker stalls clean and so on, so that the public can enjoy better public health when they patronize these hawker centres. Dr Tan Cheng Bock rose.”
“If he and his Ang Mo Kio East Town Councillors say that they can get a higher level of service elsewhere and perhaps cheaper than what is being provided for by the Government through the Ministry of the Environment, so be it. Please proceed.”
“I would like to suggest to the Ministry that perhaps during the annual medical check-up of the hawkers they should enforce a health education programme to ensure that better hygienic habits are kept and perhaps fines should be imposed on those who lapse in good hygienic habits. The Minister for the Environment (Dr Ahmad Mattar): Mr Chairman, Sir, I shall first deal with the Member for Chong Boon. Whilst I agree with the Member that my Ministry is not too enthusiastic about privatizing refuse collection, I certainly cannot accept his statement, if not allegation, that my staff have resorted to scare tactics in order to discourage the Ang Mo Kio East Town Councillors from proceeding with it. To be fair to them, Sir, they are being cautious about the new concept which the Ang Mo Kio East Town Councillors are about to embark on. It is only proper, Sir, for them to share their wealth of experience in this field, and gratis, with people who are about to get into it. Mr Chairman, Sir, they are not worried about handing over refuse collection service to Ang Mo Kio East Town Council. On the scale it is operating, it cannot but succeed; and even if it does not, the refuse collection service of the Ministry will still be available to pick up the bits and pieces. But if refuse collection for the whole of Singapore is privatized, they are not so optimistic. In fact, they are fearful of the possible consequences. I shall elaborate on it later. But for the time being, Sir, I think the Member for Chong Boon may be happy to know that as a flexible person I have a piece of good news for him.”
“I also welcome and support the intention of the Ministry to implement the use of disposable crockery. However, this scheme would not have served its useful purpose if the disposable crockery is still left on tables or not disposed of in an orderly manner. I would suggest that in addition to implementing disposable crockery, the hawkers should also be instructed to perhaps employ cleaners to collect the crockery, clean the tables properly and place the disposable crockery in properly designed disposable receptacles. Sir, I would like to say a few words on the cleanliness of our hawker centres. Generally speaking, our hawkers are quite clean. But if one looks closely there are still a few unhygienic habits and practices to be seen. Sometimes, I notice stray cats and dogs loitering about in the hawker centre. They climb on chairs and tables and carry with them infected bacteria. Sir, as an obstetrician I have to very often warn pregnant mothers and to avoid stray cats because of the disease called toxoplasmosis which stray cats may transmit to the pregnant mother and to the unborn child and cause foetal damage. Perhaps the Ministry may want to organize a national campaign to turn in all the stray cats that are found in the hawker centres. Those of us who eat at hawker centres are often perturbed by the unhygienic handling of food. For example, seeing glasses being held by unclean hands with a thumb or finger pressed on the inside of the glass, handling of food with unclean hands, the use of soiled towels to clean crockery or tables repeatedly, washing dishes in the same pail of unclean water and handling ice-cubes with unclean hands.”
“We are proud to be Singaporeans and we want to preserve the Singaporean identity. In my view, the British are more individualistic and forceful people, whereas we Singaporeans are more gentle. What about the educational systems in the East? I understand that the Minister had visited Japan to study the educational system in Japan. Surely, a successful society like the Japanese must have something to offer us. Sir, I would like the Minister to comment on what I have said. Finally, I would like to make a suggestion to the Minister. Since the matter of independent school is of great concern for all parents in Singapore, can I suggest that the Report by the school principals be translated into the other three languages?”
“Mr Chairman, may I join the debate at this stage. Sir, one of the four areas of concern mentioned by the Hon. Minister yesterday was for us to work towards a more effective teaching environment. In fact, the other goals that we hope to achieve, the single-session school and the reduction in the student/teacher ratio, are measures to help to achieve a more effective teaching environment. So far the Hon. Minister or the Hon. Minister of State has not enlightened us on what he meant by "a more effective teaching environment." I am interested to know whether there will be a radical change in the present methodology of teaching or will we continue with the present pressurized exam-orientated system of teaching. Sir, I would also like to find out from the Minister how he would define excellence in education? I know he would not say that it means to have higher standard of academic achievement because, if that is excellence in education, I think there is no necessity for us to change the present system which is well geared for that. However, if we mean more than that, if excellence in education means an all-round education to our children so that they would develop into confident, matured, cultivated and responsible citizens of tomorrow, then I believe that our teaching methodology has to change. And for a start, our teachers must move away from the rigid force-feeding method which some people say are producing intellectual robots. Sir, if the aim of the present exercise in education is to develop a more rounded and cultivated Singaporean, which is part of our vision for 1999, then I would like to ask the Minister why he thinks that the Western model of education is the better one? Why follow the British or the American? We are Singaporeans.”
“Sir, in asking Question 11, I declare my pecuniary interest. MEDISAVE (Abuse) 11. Dr Koh Lam Son asked the Acting Minister for Health whether there is any evidence of abuse or misuse of the Medisave scheme in both public and private hospitals. The Acting Minister for Health (Mr Yeo Cheow Tong): Sir, there has been no evidence of general abuse and misuse of the Scheme since its implementation on 1st April 1984. My Ministry will continue to monitor the use of Medisave in both public and private hospitals and safeguards will be implemented if found necessary. VACANT SITE BESIDE KAMPONG UBI COMMUNITY CENTRE (Conversion into playground) 12. Encik Wan Hussin bin Hj Zoohri asked the Minister for National Development if he will consider converting the vacant site beside Kampong Ubi Community Centre into a children's playground.”
“Sir, may I ask the Minister whether he would assist us to level the present ground which at the moment is very uneven and not suitable for playing football. Since there is a time lag of maybe three or more years, is it possible to level this ground so that the young people in Telok Blangah can use it for playing football?”
“Sir, it is not a rumour. It is a case that was reported to me. And I think the Minister has missed the point on virility. The point is the association of virility and Taiwan.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, may I seek a point of clarification? I know that the Acting Minister is not a medical person. But I have heard, for example, that a young virile person's blood was rejected because he had just been to Taiwan within the last six months. On that ground alone he was rejected.”
“Sir, out of these 6,054 who were rejected, how many of them were first-time donors? Second, is it true or not true that many of these 6,054 potential donors were rejected not because they were not fit to donate blood but because their blood was thought to be not good enough for the Blood Transfusion Service? Third, are the first-time donors who have been rejected because of minor ailments as mentioned by the Acting Minister recalled back later?”
“I thank the Minister for his action and his reply. I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Do we need that much shade on our roads today now that most of the vehicles are air-conditioned?”
“Also, it is placed too near the worksite so that the approaching motorist does not have enough distance and time, especially when travelling at high speeds on the expressway, to change course. I would like to suggest to the Minister that perhaps on the expressway the first warning sign should be placed at least 500 metres from the worksite and the signs thereafter should be placed in such a manner as to allow the motorist to make a gradual change of course over the 500-metre distance. I have raised this point once before during a Question for Oral Answer session but the Minister did not assure me at that time that action will be taken. Sir, I too, like the Member for Bukit Timah, welcome the proposed plans to install sophisticated electronic monitors on the expressway and I would like to suggest to the Minister that perhaps he should include on those electronic boards, which they are going to put across the expressway road, safety messages and the daily updated death toll on our roads. Finally, I would like to say a few words about our roadside trees. The trees on our roads provide shade and scenery and it is part of our grand design to turn Singapore into a garden city. However, trees, pretty as they are, are also a source of danger. Cars can smash into trees. Falling branches and falling trees can kill. Trees, branches and shrubs can obstruct the view of the motorist and cause traffic accident, and trees, like our population, are getting older and can cause more trouble. I would like to find out from the Minister what the present measures are being taken to ensure that the trees along the roadside are safe both for the motorist and the pedestrians. Should we not plant less trees and perhaps select trees for their beauty rather than just for the shade?”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head T be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead TC-02-1210 of the Main Estimates. Sir, our road system is probably one of the best in the world. Our roads are spacious, clean, well-maintained and beautified by shrubs and trees. On the whole, it is very pleasant to drive in Singapore. However, although efficient, our roads are far from being the safest. Last year 241 persons were killed on our roads. The number has been falling over the years, thanks to the good work of the Traffic Police. But the number of persons killed is still high. We know that there are various causes of traffic accidents. But under this amendment, I would like to make a few comments on the dangers posed by the obstacles on the roads. Road works form the most common obstacles to traffic flow. Almost every major road in Singapore is subjected to dig-and-cover activities carried out by the various Government departments, namely, PWD, PUB, Telecoms, MRT, MOE. The question that is often asked is, why is it not possible to coordinate all these work activities? After all plans have to be submitted long before these activities are carried out. Surely it is not impossible to form a committee or a department to coordinate all these plans before their implementation. We have just been talking about road warning signs. This is another obstacle on the road. On the whole, the sign stand is poorly designed and sometimes placed very precariously on the side of the road. Moreover, the first warning sign is usually poorly positioned. It is not placed in a prominent position to enable the approaching motorist to see at a good distance.”
“Sir, has there been any emergency case that has been misdiagnosed by a nurse and as a result led to delayed treatment by the doctor?”
“Sir, would the Acting Minister not agree that, in fact, the screening of an emergency case from a non-emergency case can sometimes require great diagnostic skills? And what the nurse is doing is a spot diagnosis. If it leads to a case that is missed out, would it not be difficult for the Minister to defend his statement that the doctor was not present to sort out the problem?”
“Would the Senior Parliamentary Secretary agree that one should not risk life even if it is to facilitate the transportation of employees on their way to work?”
“Two supplementary questions, Sir. First, what are the reasons for the increase in the number of offenders from 1984 to 1986? Second, if it is deemed unsafe to carry passengers in these light goods vehicles, why does the Ministry permit the transportation of employees on their way to work?”
“Sir, is the Minister happy with the present state of cleanliness of most of the toilets, public toilets as well as toilets in buildings, and what does all these figures mean? You have a decreased number of cases where you issued warning letters. Does this mean that there are less cases of persons defaulting? Or does it mean that your enforcement varies according to complaints or reports that you have of defaulting cases?”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, I thought I caught your eye before the Member for Potong Pasir did when he rushed to the mike. I would like to ask the Minister on those bus routes which run parallel with the MRT. If those bus routes are taken off, is that not depriving bus commuters from using the bus and forcing them to use the MRT and therefore incurring extra cost?”
“Sir, with regard to noise disturbance from neighbours in the HDB estates, what further action is being taken by the HDB in those cases where the recalcitrant residents refuse to cooperate and take heed of friendly advice or warning letters from the HDB?”
“Sir, we know that there is really no need for our statutory boards to accumulate vast reserves and I have often wondered whether this contradicts its basic policy. The transfer of this $1.5 billion from the statutory boards to the Consolidated Fund should not be seen as an excuse for the statutory boards to continue to accumulate large reserves as revenues for the Government. The Minister himself has pointed out in his statement, and I quote: 'The accumulation of funds well in excess of justifiable needs is to be discouraged.' Should the Minister not perhaps fix a maximum ceiling of the excess that the statutory boards should be allowed to keep so that we can be sure that the statutory boards will not accumulate huge reserves again. As we now know, this has caused loss of competitiveness because of higher charges implemented by the statutory boards in the past. I think statutory boards should confine their roles to provide their services efficiently and not to make profits. 5.11 pm”
“But at the time when the economy was achieving a high growth rate and the Government wanted to allow the ordinary workers to have a bigger share of the economic pie, I think that is not necessarily a bad move. By doing so a lot of ordinary people have benefitted. We have raised their savings, raised their standards of living, and I am sure the Member for Potong Pasir is not against that. The other point that he raised was that we made the wrong policy by telling our families to stop at two. In fact, that policy was the correct policy at that moment in time. That was the time when we were faced with a very high birth rate. We were faced with widespread poverty, unemployment, severe problems in our basic needs, like education, health and so on. Under those circumstances, the policy to reduce the birth rate was the correct policy. And it was because of policies like that that we were able to make the progress that we have made and achieved the standard of living that we have achieved today. The Member also referred to a famous local obstetrician and gynaecologist who he reported as saying that we should tackle the present falling birth rate problem by allowing nature to take its course. I think that would be a disastrous policy. Although I do not question his source of quote, I think he has quoted the wrong source. The gynaecologist deals with child birth, but he does not deal with population problems. The demographers deal with population problems. So he is not an expert on this particular issue. Sir, perhaps I would now like to move to the last subject in my speech and this is on the statutory boards' surpluses.”
“Abortion should be discouraged and made less accessible to married women who have no children or who have less than three children and the last child is more than five years old. Sterilization should be discouraged and the unrecorded one week leave should be removed. Finally, Sir, on this issue of the incentive of the third child, I would like to seek clarifications on the announcements made. In the Straits Times yesterday, on further explanation by the Ministry of Finance, I quote, "all individual taxpayers resident in Singapore can take advantage of these incentives." Does that mean that the permanent residents and employment pass holders are also entitled to these incentives? If so, I would like the explanation as to why we are encouraging the procreation of non-citizens. There is also an explanation on why the Government is not allowing the tax incentive for an adopted third child. I do not really see the rationale of this, especially when the adopted child comes from outside Singapore. The third child would help to increase our population. Maybe the incentive can be allowed for an adopted child from another country. Of course, there is the question about plural pregnancies. How does the Minister assess the birth order when the first, second or third pregnancy are twins. I think that needs a bit of sorting out. Sir, now I would like to touch on a few points which were raised by the Member for Potong Pasir. He is not here now but I think the points that he raised were not quite correct. First, he said that he was against the high wage increase between 1979 and 1984. Of course, with the wisdom of hindsight, we could say that that was not affordable.”
“In this respect, I welcome the move by the civil service to allow more leave, part-time leave, maternity leave, and so on, for mothers to have time with their children. Women should also be encouraged to get married early and have children early. If it is possible their career structure should be so designed that they will not miss out much in their career during their child-bearing years. In addition to this, we must emphasize on family life, educational programmes through TV, press, schools, hospitals, registry of marriages, community centres and SDU's activities must be carried out to instill the joys and the fulfillment of family life. Sir, I would like to suggest a few measures for the Government to consider in addition to what has been offered. First, to allow Medisave to be used for the delivery of the fourth and subsequent child. As Medisave is based on affordability, I think it is not unreasonable to make this request. To allow similar tax incentives for the birth of the second child. I am a bit unclear as to why this is not put forward because we have heard that the fertility norm, especially for those better educated mothers, is less than two. This group is, I think, more susceptible to be persuaded by this type of incentive to have the second child. I think that if we can get the majority of couples to have two children we are at least half way to the goal of meeting our 15,000 deficit of babies per year. Female civil servants should have medical benefits extended to their children, just as the Government allow medical benefits to be extended to the children of the male counterparts.”
“This is quite understandable because I think there are other considerations apart from financial considerations, and these were elaborated by the Member for Whampoa. In Singapore today our young couple face innumerable problems when they have to decide whether to have one child, two children or three children. I think the main problem is the lack of time that mothers have for their children to enable them to have a fulfilling family life. I think that is the main problem. You can either be a full-time mother or a full-time worker, but you cannot be both at the same time. To reach a compromise of the two roles, it is difficult. Our working mother is constantly harassed by the lack of time to attend to the needs of the children and to play and to spend time with them. There is no proper family life and putting children under the care of maids, relatives, baby-sitters or child-care centres are not the best options for them. And to have another child also would mean to the working mother more burden, inconvenience and having much less time for themselves. Our women are educated. They are now fully aware of the psychology of mother-child relationship. So having less time with the children is a big worry to them. It makes them feel unfulfilled as mothers or even feel guilty about not fulfilling this role to the children. So having time-off to bring children to and from school or from nursery, kindergartens, look after them when they are sick, to be with them when they are on their school vacation are all important matters for our working mother. I would therefore like to encourage that a solution should be found in the work area of the mothers.”
“These are the industries that are helping us overcome the recession. It is very difficult for employers to depend less on foreign workers if our own workers refuse to do the jobs that foreign workers do. I think this is a very serious problem. I remember that at the end of last year, at the peak of our unemployment, the Minister for Labour had to issue work permits for foreign workers in certain sectors because there were no Singaporean takers. And the fact that the Minister for Finance spoke of the need to have this revolving pool of foreign workers beyond 1992 also indicates our dependence on foreign workers for some time to come. Sir, I would now like to touch on the tax incentives for the birth of the third child. But before I do so, I think it is important for me to explain that, as an obstetrician and gynaecologist in the private sector, my practice will benefit indirectly from this new policy. So I would like to declare my pecuniary interest, although I assure this House that my discussion is based only on national considerations. Sir, the $750 tax relief, the $20,000 special tax rebate and the 15% wife's income tax rebate are indeed very generous offers. The question is: how many more babies will this policy produce? Certainly, it will have an impact on those couples who are considering a third child but who were held back from doing so because of the disincentives of the previous system. But how many such families are there? I do not think there are many. I think the majority of couples who already have two children are people who are against having the third child. And with this group, I think it will be difficult to persuade them even with these generous fiscal incentives to induce them to have that one more child.”
“Sir, I note that three major issues mentioned in the budget have been touched on by other Members of Parliament who spoke before me and which have not been finally decided, the issue of the future CPF contribution rate, the consumption tax and the privatization of Government-owned companies. These are important issues which will affect our economy and the livelihood of our people and I hope the Government will in the usual manner seek feedback and consultation with the man in the street before final decisions are made. Sir, I am concerned about the CPF issue. I think the CPF issue should be re-examined and its basic objectives redefined and re-established. The Minister for Labour mentioned in the last Parliament sitting of the danger of further liberalizing the use of CPF. The CPF should now be viewed as a limited source rather than a limitless source of funds. We now know that the high CPF contribution rate was partly responsible for the loss of our competitive edge. We should therefore avoid repeating this same mistake and should look at the CPF contribution rate in relation to the cost of providing basic needs for our people, old-age pension, housing and Medisave. Sir, I note that the flexible wage scheme which is now implemented by some companies has not included the CPF element and I wonder whether it is the Government's intention to peg the CPF contribution rate to the flexible wage system. Sir, I would now like to touch on the conversion from the CPF to the levy scheme for Malaysian workers. I think this is contrary to the wage restraint policy. I understand that the conversion will result in an increase in the wage cost for companies that are labour-intensive and are dependent on Malaysian workers, such as the electronic and textile industries.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, during the Budget debate last year, this House was filled with an atmosphere of great concern because we were plunged in a recession. Today, the mood has changed into one of quiet confidence as we now see the economy recovering. This year's budget has, to a large extent, met expectations. It has also allayed some anxiety and produced some pleasant surprises. 1987 has been aptly described by the Minister for Finance as a year for consolidation. This means another year for us to push on with the anti-recession policy announced in this House by the Minister for Finance on 7th March 1986. Those cynics who criticized the cost cutting measures as too little and too late will now have to eat their words. Looking back, the Government had in fact acted swiftly. And the recommendations of the Economic Committee must now be seen as historic in bringing about a dramatic change in the recession in less than 12 months. 1987 will be a difficult year because there are temptations in our path. There is the temptation of the Government to reduce the cost-cutting measures and to increase general taxes because it is now running a deficit budget. But the Budget statement has shown that the Government has avoided this temptation in the interest of the economy. For the workers, the temptation is to give up wage restraint, now that they realize the economy is recovering and not to accept the flexible wage system recommended by the National Wages Council. The workers can only give in to this temptation at the peril of our economy.”
“Sir, would the Minister not agree that the social visits for weekends and public holidays normally start on Saturday evenings and on the evenings of the eve of public holidays? I would like to inform him that the free parking scheme is very successful in Telok Blangah and I have received no complaints about parking on the eve of public holidays and on Saturday evenings.”
“If he does say yes, will he have it with the consent of the Member of Parliament in that constituency?”
“Sir, the Minister has not answered the question which I have put to him. In view of what he knows so far, would he say that there is a likelihood of Telok Blangah being included in the Town Council scheme?”
“It is not quite satisfactory. I would like to ask whether the number of applicants who have taken advantage of the concession scheme represents a substantial percentage of the number of people whom the Government wants to persuade to purchase flats. This is in keeping with the Government's objective of having as high a home-ownership population as possible. What I want to know is whether the concession scheme, in his view, is successful.”
“Sir, this figure just quoted by the Minister, what is it in terms of percentage of the total number of tenants in the rental flats or applications for tenant flats? Would the Minister say, if he cannot give me the percentage, whether it is a very small percentage of the total number?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, it is just that I cannot believe that there were only 81 cases of spitting in the whole year of 1986. I think I personally can count more than 81 for myself.”
“Sir, does that mean that these cases reflect more on the Ministry's campaigns and the effectiveness of its enforcement rather than on the control of the problems?”
“Sir, may I ask the Senior Parliamentary Secretary the explanation for some of these figures here? In the case of littering, for the total number of cases, there appears to be a sharp rise from 1983 to 1984, ie, from 11,560 cases to 28,026 cases, followed by a sharp fall from that figure to 10,536 cases in 1985. In the case of spitting, from 1985 to 1986, there was a drop from 139 to 81 cases.”
“I would just like to ask the Minister whether he would consider, perhaps in the case of expressways, requiring contractors to place their warning signs at a distance of perhaps 300 to 400 metres from the worksite and that these signs be placed in such a way that traffic is diverted gradually from the affected lane. Mr Dhanabalan: Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, there are, in fact, existing guidelines for safety signs to be placed at specified distances from the particular work that is being carried out. I am aware, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, that quite often on expressways there are inadequate signs or signs that are not placed far enough, away from the worksite. I have already asked the PWD to pay greater attention to this. There is, in fact, a Roads Opening Coordination Committee which is chaired by the PWD and on which we have representatives from all the other statutory bodies that have to work on roads, like the TAS, the PUB and so on. They deal with these matters. I personally have been very dissatisfied with the way in which some of the contractors have flouted the safety guidelines. Safety consciousness does not seem to rank high not only with our contractors but even, I would say, with some of our supervising engineers who are more concerned with the work as such rather than with the road safety aspects. So as I mentioned in my answer, I have asked the PWD to be more stringent in its implementation of the road safety guidelines.”
“What is the incidence of contractors flouting the rules?”
“Sir, is the Minister aware that there are, in fact, other HDB car parks in non-residential areas, such as industrial estates and hospital car parks, which are enjoying the free car parking scheme? I also do not agree with the Minister and would like to ask him whether he would agree with my view that, in fact, quite a number of people who make use of the HDB car parks at the World Trade Centre are people who go to Sentosa Island during the week-ends and this involves family members and friends. Dr Yeo Ning Hong: Mr Speaker, Sir, the Member would have noted that in Singapore there is no rush among the shop owners and hawkers close to car parks asking the HDB to allow free parking on Sundays. The reason is very obvious. People who patronize the shops, the hawker centres, etc. do not park there for long periods of time. If there were to be large numbers of people parking their cars free for a long period of time in such car parks, it is not improbable that the livelihood of shopowners and hawkers may be affected. ANSON PEOPLE'S ASSEMBLY (Delay in registration) 6. Mr J.B. Jeyaretnam asked the Minister for Home Affairs whether there is any reason why the Registrar of Societies should delay the registration of the proposed Anson People's Assembly.”
“Supplementary question, Sir. Would the Minister like to consider the following: (1) In general, to further relax rules and regulations so that HDB flats can become more competitive. (2) In those HUDC estates which are at the moment over-priced, such as the Gillman Heights Estate in the Telok Blangah constituency, would the Minister like to consider adding common facilities, such as squash courts, tennis courts, to enhance the value of the estate? (3) In those cases where there is genuine financial hardship, would the Minister consider buying back those flats to help out flat-owners who have a problem selling their flat at short notice because of rules and regulations of the HUDC? Mr Teh Cheang Wan: Mr Speaker, Sir, HDB's rules governing HUDC flats, in fact, have been substantially relaxed to allow the HUDC flat-owners to sell their flats within five years of their purchase, and HDB has also waived the levy of 30%. The relaxation of rules has been very substantial, and if the Member for Telok Blangah has any suggestion to further relax the rules, I suggest that he write to me and I will consider it very carefully and sympathetically. On this question of additional common facilities when HDB built the HUDC flats, it has provided a set of facilities for each and every HUDC estate, and HDB is prepared to consider reasonable suggestions by the flat-owners to improve the facilities. On the question of buying back the flats, it is quite obvious that after the relaxation of the rules, HUDC flat-owners are able to sell their flats in the open market. There is really no compelling need for HDB to buy back the flats.”
“However, Sir, the proposed amendment has not taken cognizance of this problem, and I would like to ask the Minister for Law to explain this. Sir, I do understand the predicament of some members in the Law Society and in other non-political organizations who may feel that they have a political cause to expound, but they are not prepared to stand up and be counted. We cannot, however, allow these people to exploit non-political organizations and put them in disrepute. The present Amendment Bill seeks to preclude those members who have committed offences from joining the Council of the Law Society. Some lawyers, including the Member for Potong Pasir, have said in the press that such high moral standards as spelt out in the Amendment Bill are not necessary. And they argued that if a member has paid his penalty and has been allowed to practise law, he should be fit to stand for election in the Council. I find that this argument is more motional rather than rational. Surely, Sir, there is a difference between the way we judge erring lawyers and the way we appraise outstanding lawyers aspiring for leadership roles. The Amendment Bill, in fact, does not seek to elevate the moral standard of Council members but it seeks to preserve standards. And the question is, if members of the Law Society choose to relax standards, would this not affect the high standing of the Law Society in the eyes of the public? Sir, had this moral requirement of Council members been incorporated in the original Professional Bill, nobody is likely to query it but because the timing of the Bill may affect the office or the term of office of the incumbent President of the Law Society, some members, obviously his supporters, find themselves arguing against it. Sir, I support the Amendment Bill. 12.06 pm”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to support the Amendment Bill and also to take the opportunity to say a few words. Mr Speaker, Sir, it is a fact that the amendment to the Legal Profession Bill has come about following certain action of the present Council of the Law Soceity. Through their own doings, the Council members have placed themselves in disrepute. Do they act as leaders of the legal profession, or do they have political motives in issues they recently raised with the Government? I think it is clear to many of us that there was political posturing, both in manner and tone, of the public attack on the Government on the recently amended Newspaper and Printing Presses (Amendment) Act, and in the publicity they gave to their Sub-Committee's work on the question of the need to change the Legal Service Commission and on the constitutional implications of an elected President. Sir, the legal profession plays a vital role in carrying out justice and protecting the rights of the people, and the Law Society represents the legal profession. Membership is compulsory for all practising lawyers. The Society handles all the affairs of the lawyers and speak on their behalf. Their leaders are therefore expected to be men of irreproachable character. The Society, Sir, is not a private club. It is a body passed by an Act of Parliament. Parliament sets out the objectives and requirements, and therefore Parliament is ultimately responsible for the Law Society. Sir, with regard to this Bill, I had thought that the cause for public concern was the question as to whether we should allow people who are politically motivated from using a non-political body such as the Law Society as a political-shooting station. This was, in fact, the attempt made by the present Council of the Law Society.”
“And it is better to have some income than to have no income at all. There was a report in the Sunday Times on 23rd March of a local hotel which organized a visit to 11 schools to recruit for 400 vacancies as room attendants, engineering trainees and trainee waiters. Only 40 responded. This is indeed a waste. I think our teachers should be in a position to advise and motivate our students to lower their expectations in times of recession and to take up jobs which are offered. Sir, I also feel that the Employment Service should enlarge its role. During the full-employment situation, the assistance of the Employment Service is only sought when the unemployed are unable to find jobs themselves and the number was small. I am sure with the recession, the situation has changed. I am also concerned about the manpower, the staffing at the Employment Service, as pointed out by the Member for Chong Boon. Perhaps the Minister would like to confirm for us if there is an acute increase in the number of inquiries at his Ministry and whether the Employment Service is coping well with the demand for its service. From what I gather, the Employment Service acts only as a job matching agency. It does not actively and systematically search for jobs for all those who approach the Service. In fact, I think it should also give career guidance and motivate those people who approach the service and motivate them to accept jobs that are offered. So can the Employment Service be enlarged to serve this function? To do that, I think it should be better manned and be more active in looking after the unemployed.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Acting Minister for Labour has assured this House not long ago that the unemployment situation is not serious and he cited examples of many jobs which are still waiting for workers. These are, of course, the unpopular jobs. But the fact that these jobs are not taken does not mean that there are jobs for everybody. The question I want to ask the Acting Minister is that if the people can be encouraged not to be choosy, can we assure them that there will be jobs for everyone? Sir, it is true that there are many among the unemployed who are still choosy and they think they can still afford to wait. I think they may live to regret the day that this so-called unpopular jobs may not be there any more. My advice to them is to take on this job now. It is better to have an unpopular job than to have to beg for a job later.”
“Lastly, because of Medisave there is always the possibility that charges of doctors and private hospitals will go up, and the Minister should keep a close monitor on this. I would like to ask the Minister to comment on these possible abuses and to inform us how these can be checked, and what further safeguards he intends to establish.”
“What is more important is that the other parties concerned, ie, the hospital and the doctors, realize that this is not insurance, but that this is the user's savings. The other safeguard is the letter of certification which every doctor has to sign, and this forms a record and a monitoring system on the individual doctor's charges. This will discourage overcharging. As we know, the implementation of the Medisave scheme in the private hospital has brought about a boom in business and up to now, I am glad to provide the feedback to the Minister that there has been no increase in hospital charges for patients in private hospitals. On the whole, Sir, from my own observation, there have been very few abuses or misuses of the Medisave scheme, and if there had been any, they would have been limited. However, this does not mean that the Ministry should be less vigilant over possible abuses. I can think of six possible ways which the Medisave can be abused. First, a patient may connive with a doctor to be hospitalized on a false diagnosis in order to use the Medisave fund, such as for an annual health test and investigation. Secondly, patients who are in hospital may request for a longer stay in hospital although there is no medical indication for it. Thirdly, a doctor may claim for additional operation procedures which were not actually carried out. Fourthly, because of the availability of Medisave fund, there may be a temptation to carry out unnecessary operations or to admit patients to hospitals without a medical reason. Fifthly, in-patients may also request for more tests and more investigations which are not related to the diagnosis and treatment during the hospital admission.”
“They are prepared to spend what they can afford and that includes all the money in their Medisave to restore themselves to good health. This is not really an abuse of the Medisave fund. It is more a misuse and due to a lack of foresight for the need to have a standby fund for future use. I therefore think that it is prudent and I would like to recommend for the Minister's consideration that a maximum limit be set for each hospital admission. I suggest two-thirds of the user's existing fund so that there will always be some fund left in his Medisave Account for future use. And the user is to be made personally responsible if he exceeds the maximum limit. Thus if he wants a better class ward, he must be prepared to pay the extra out of his own pocket. Sir, the subject of abuses of the Medisave scheme is of great public interest. Unlike the insurance health scheme, the Medisave scheme is not as vulnerable and exposed to exploitation and abuse. In fact, I believe there are already safeguards built into the Medisave scheme, for example, the Government has already set a maximum limit for claims for both hospital fees and doctor's fees. I understand that the maximum claims will cover the whole bill in the Government hospital but will probably cover about 70% or less in a private hospital. Contrary to what the Member for Jalan Kayu implied yesterday that people tend to look at Medisave fund as if it was not their money, I do not think this is true. It is true that users are ever ready to make use of their Medisave fund when the need arises but this does not mean that they do not realize that this fund is part of their CPF; after all 3% is deducted from their wage bill.”
“Sir, I have an amendment under the Medisave scheme and I will confine myself to the subject. Sir, as I am paid by Medisave, I think it is in order that I declare my pecuniary interest in the subject. The Medisave Scheme has been implemented in Government hospitals for two years now and in the private hospitals only recently. There have not been many teething problems, as I understand it, and I think this is mainly attributed to the well laid-out groundwork which was carried out before implementation by the First Deputy Prime Minister who was then the Minister for Health. The users of Medisave seem happy with the scheme and I think the main reasons are that they do not have to cough up money from their own pockets to pay the hospital bills and also that they now have both the choice and the means to opt for a better class ward in a Government hospital or even in a private hospital. The saving on their own spending money can be quite substantial. As an example, in the case of childbirth, it will cost about $2,000 to have a baby delivered in a private hospital but the user of Medisave Scheme needs to pay the difference of about $500. So there is a substantial saving of $1,500 from his own pocket. This unrestrained use of the Medisave fund is not what is intended by the Government. One of the basic reasons for not opting for the insurance health scheme is that the Medisave fund, being the user's own savings, will impose upon the user some responsibility on how the fund is to be disposed and will encourage him to put a premium on good health. This has not happened and I do not think it will happen. Singaporeans place a premium on health only when they are sick.”