Lee Boon Yang
Singapore
“6 The other guidelines are that there must be a post office sited within 5 km of every private residential estate and within 1 km of any commercial or industrial estate. MAID LEVY CONCESSION (Applications by the disabled) 32.”
“Madam, can I quickly respond to the point on assistive technology? Certainly this is an area of interest. We cannot say that we have the capability at this juncture but we will certainly look into what is possible and work with our ICT sector.”
“Nevertheless, if the spouse of the homemaker is working, he will be eligible for WIS if he satisfies the criteria. Husbands of homemakers are further eligible for tax relief.”
“Sir, I do not think it is quite correct to say that we always expect our own artists to perform for free or do public service. There are, of course, occasions where we do seek Singapore artists and arts companies to contribute to the national causes. For instance, when we went international for Singapore Season in China.”
“Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for National Development (a) what checks does the Ministry or the National Environment Agency have in place to prevent mistaken payments to hawkers who cease operations due to upgrading works at hawker centers; (b) how did the mistaken payment of $18,000 to Mdm Lee Ah Muey come about; and (c) what will the…”
“While it was also true that initially the reaction or the response of the licensing authority was that foreigners should not participate in such an event at the Speakers' Corner - because there is already an existing prohibition against any foreigners taking part in any activities at the Speakers' Corner - subsequent assessment resulted i…”
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Every one of 2,412 lines we hold for Lee Boon Yang, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 32 of 49.
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." Sir, I have already addressed the aspect of the Bill concerning the nomenclature changes. I will now address the amendments to provide for the non-uniformed SAF scheme of service. The non-uniformed SAF scheme of service, otherwise known as NUSAF, was established for a large number of non-combat jobs in the SAF. These jobs require the incumbents to have good working knowledge of the organisation and operations of the military, but they do not need to serve in uniform. Furthermore, it is anticipated that in the long-term, Mindef would experience staffing difficulties. Mindef's ability to recruit uniformed military personnel would be affected by the shrinking labour pool resources. The NUSAF scheme of service enables Mindef to retain people in the SAF without requiring them to go through the military career path. It allows military personnel to convert to the non-uniformed scheme, thereby allowing them to serve in non-combat appointments in the SAF till the age of 60. This measure ensures that the SAF combat personnel are kept young and energetic. On the other hand, experience is maintained in the support units of Mindef and SAF. Sir, NUSAF personnel are enlisted under the Enlistment Act and governed by the SAF Act. Many provisions in the SAF Act are based on the structure of ranks and are therefore not applicable to NUSAF personnel. NUSAF personnel do not hold a rank. Thus, provisions must be included in the SAF to provide for them. Sir, the proposed amendment will, first, define a non-uniformed serviceman or NUSAF serviceman as a regular serviceman whose terms of service do not require him to wear uniform.”
“Thank you, Sir. The Bill seeks to change the terms "reservist" and "reserve service" in the Enlistment Act, the Singapore Armed Forces Act, the Civil Defence Act and the Income Tax Act. Our "operationally ready national servicemen" formerly known as "reservists" prior to 1st January 1994 form an integral part of the Singapore Armed Forces. They make up 80% of the SAF troops' strength. They are our frontline troops to be mobilised immediately in the event of an external threat. They will fight shoulder-to-shoulder with the full-time national servicemen and regulars in the defence of Singapore. The terms "operationally ready national serviceman" and "operationally ready national service" more accurately describe the contributions made by these valiant young Singaporeans. On 25th August 1994, the Deputy Prime Minister had already moved the Second Reading, and this House had agreed to the amendment to Article 128(2b)(ii), of the Constitution to change the terms "reservists" and "reserve service" to "operationally ready national servicemen" and "operationally ready national service" respectively. These terms in the Enlistment Act and the SAF Act will have to be similarly amended. Sir, I beg to move. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Dr Lee Boon Yang]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. SINGAPORE ARMED FORCES (AMENDMENT NO. 2) BILL Order for Second Reading read. 2.15 pm”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." Sir, the next Bill in the Orders of the Day on the Order Paper is the Singapore Armed Forces (Amendment No. 2) Bill. There is a considerable overlap in some aspects of these two Bills. May I have your permission to explain the rationale for these overlapping amendments in speaking on the Enlistment (Amendment) Bill.”
“Sir, I do not have the exact number of how many employment agents there are in Singapore, but I think the numbers are quite large. What I do know is that in the last three years, of those who applied, at least a third of them have got their applications approved. CERTIFICATES OF ENTITLEMENT (Exemption for vehicles used by voluntary welfare organisations) 10. Dr S. Vasoo asked the Minister for Communications whether he will consider granting exemption from Certificates of Entitlement for vehicles used by voluntary welfare organisations which are providing direct welfare services.”
“Sir, I do not use such strong words as to condemn people. I think it is the Member himself who tries to condemn others. But let me say once again that we are not passing such a judgment on the ability of those who have no five "O" levels. All we are saying is that if you do not have the educational qualification, show us that you have the working experience. If you do not have that, then maybe somebody else is more suitable for running this particular business. I do not see that as being an onerous requirement. We have to safeguard the interest of Singaporeans who are seeking such service. We have to safeguard the interest of foreigners who are depending on these employment agents to place them with suitable employers. Employment agents are also in discussion with foreign government authorities. If the Member had been reading the Straits Times, he would have known that in the last few days the Singapore employment agents have been in discussion with the Philippine Government authorities to negotiate certain terms and conditions for bringing in foreign domestic workers from the Philippines. If a person is not able to conduct such negotiations, I think he is not going to serve the customer well.”
“Mr Heng Chiang Meng: Sir, with your indulgence, one last question. I will take up the Minister's offer. But I would like the Minister to say whether he agrees that such a policy actually condemns a person without the necessary educational qualification, without even giving the person a chance to show whether he can do the job or not.”
“Mr Speaker, let us not deviate from the discussion at hand, ie, whether we should license employment agents, ie, people who want to get into the business of offering job placement service or assistance to Singaporeans who need to recruit foreign workers. The question is whether setting a minimum educational criterion is relevant. As I have explained, it is relevant in the sense that many of these employment agents have to operate their business to meet the requirements of the customers and they have to understand the legal framework under which they operate, and the legal framework is not something that is fixed permanently. It does change from time to time. Regulations do change from time to time. Procedures for applications do change from time to time. We are even moving into the area of computerised applications. So the people who want to run this business on a personal basis as a licensee have to have the ability to make these changes. It is only fair that we set a minimum educational criterion. I do not think this requirement, let me reiterate, is an onerous requirement. Many people who apply for these licences do in fact meet the educational criterion. In fact, there is no difficulty with those who want to set up such a business. There are many people who meet the criteria by way of education and actual working experiences. If, in fact, the Member thinks that he has a specific case and he wants to argue the case, my Ministry is prepared to meet with him to discuss the specific case that he has in mind. If that person can show us that although he cannot meet our educational criterion, he has the relevant working experience, we will be more than happy to accommodate him, as I have said earlier on in my answer.”
“The question of whether Government is going to license other businesses or not is irrelevant to this discussion.”
“What we are concerned with is that, having given the licence to the man, we are assured that the man is able to understand the terms and conditions that we attach to the licence and will operate the business in such a way as not to contravene the terms and conditions of the licence and will look after the interest of his clients, both the foreign workers and Singaporeans, who are seeking his service. Can a man who lacks the educational qualification apply for the licence and then employ others who will do the job for him? Many employment agencies are sole proprietor-type of business. We want to hold somebody responsible. From time to time, we have so many complaints about an employment agency not fulfilling its duties and responsibilities to its customers. There are constant conflicts between customers and employment agencies. So we want to ensure that the man to whom we give the licence, the man who puts the $20,000 security bond with us, is the man in full control of the business. Only then can we in fact forfeit the bond. That he is the man we have given the licence to, he is in control of the business, and he runs the business. If something goes wrong, and if he is found to have cheated a client, we forfeit the bond. But if the licence is given to Mr Tan who employs a Mr Ng who meets the educational qualification, then he may well argue that the mistake was made by Mr Ng and we should not forfeit his bond. So I think in that sense we will enter into a very complicated argument with the licensee. We have decided that all licensees should be directly in charge of the business. You run the business and we give you the licence. If you meet our criteria we give you the licence.”
“Sir, the requirement to have a basic educational qualification in order to qualify for an employment agency licence is simply to ensure that those who want to operate the business of employment agencies are able to fully understand the requirements under the Employment of Foreign Workers Act, the Employment Agencies Act and the various regulations governing the operation of such employment agencies. It is not so much a measure of who is more responsible: whether the man with five "O" levels will be more responsible than a man with less than five "O" levels? It is to ensure that, having given this man a licence to conduct a certain business, we should be reassured that the man is able to understand all that is required for him to conduct this business by way of regulations which do change from time to time. The conditions that are required before he can bring in foreign workers from Singapore change from time to time and we do send out notifications to various employers. So the requirement of five "O" levels is in no way an onerous requirement considering that the vast majority of Singaporeans today, and particularly the young Singaporeans, would have this requirement. Furthermore, there is also, as I said in my main answer, a provision to cater for those who lack the educational qualification. If they have the actual working experience in recruitment and placement work, we will consider this experience in support of their application for the employment agency licence. Is education more important than the entrepreneurial spirit or ability of the applicant? That is not for us to judge.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, employment agencies play an important role in the labour recruitment process, especially in the recruitment of foreign workers. Many employers, including employers of foreign domestic workers, depend on employment agencies to undertake the recruitment of foreign workers on their behalf. The licensing of employment agencies is to ensure that persons who provide such service understand and comply with the terms and conditions for the entry of foreigners to work in Singapore under the Work Permit Scheme. Licensing employment agencies is also a means of ensuring that agencies do not conduct their business in a manner likely to be detrimental to their clients, who may include Singaporeans seeking job placement assistance. Sir, a person wishing to operate an employment agency in Singapore can apply to my Ministry. In assessing the application, we will consider the applicant's educational background and other criteria. Prospective employment agents should have a minimum education of five "O" levels, or suitable working experience in recruitment and placement work. They should be the registered proprietor or partner, as well as the manager of the employment agency if it is a firm, or a shareholder and director if it is an incorporated company. They must also undertake to work full-time in the proposed agency. In addition, the proposed employment agency must be located in commercial premises. Successful applicants are required to furnish a security bond of $20,000 to ensure that they comply with the Employment Agencies Act, rules, and licence conditions.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, under the Minimum Sum Scheme, a CPF member who owns an HDB flat is allowed to pledge his flat in lieu of setting aside the Minimum Sum in cash. The maximum amount that the member can pledge is the value of the flat less any HDB outstanding loan at the time of the pledge. Should the CPF member subsequently take out a bank loan, the CPF Board will lodge a charge on the property to secure the Minimum Sum. In the event of a sale, the proceeds will first be used to pay HDB and the CPF Board before paying the bank, as the CPF charge ranks before the bank's charge. EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES (Licensing) 9. Mr Heng Chiang Meng asked the Minister for Labour if he will give the reasons for the licensing of employment agencies and the minimum standards required for such licences.”
“My Ministry does not compile the information requested by the Member. ADDITIONAL REGISTRATION FEE 11. Mr Cheo Chai Chen asked the Minister for Communications whether he will consider reducing the Additional Registration Fee on cars.”
“Employers need to obtain Work Permits and Visit Passes for their foreign trainees before they can work and stay in Singapore. The requirement that employers must furnish security bonds for their non-Malaysian foreign trainees before they are allowed to enter Singapore is a condition for the granting of Visit Pass. The issue of Visit Pass and the acceptance of security bond are both under the ambit of the Immigration Act. The Ministry of Labour currently performs these functions on behalf of the Ministry of Home Affairs to provide one-stop service to employers. The security bond serves a deterrent purpose to ensure that every employer repatriates his non-Malaysian foreign trainee after the Visit Pass is cancelled. The Controller of Immigration requires the name of the foreign trainee to be stated in the security bond because the bond is tied to a Visit Pass issued to a particular foreign trainee. The bond will be discharged once the particular foreign trainee is repatriated. Employers can furnish the security bonds in the form of bankers' guarantee, insurance guarantee or cash. To reduce cost, employers can compare the service offered by different financial institutions and choose the most economical option. LOST MAN-HOURS IN LABOUR FORCE 10. Dr Kanwaljit Soin asked the Minister for Labour, from 1991 to 1993 yearly, what was the loss of man-hours of productive work in the labour force, when compared to the total number of man-hours worked, because of (i) sickness; (ii) injury; (iii) pregnancy and maternity leave; and (iv) reservist training.”
“Mr Chia Shi Teck asked the Minister for Labour whether the banker's guarantee required to be furnished for foreign workers brought in by companies for approved training purpose will be modified as the present requirement of $5,000 per person matched to each name is both costly and cumbersome, as well as a financial strain on the smaller local companies.”
“In April this year, I announced that the Advisory Council on Community Relations in Defence (ACCORD) had recommended letting NSmen keep more of their personal equipment to give greater recognition to the operational status of NSmen. NSmen had earlier expressed their desire to retain and maintain their own personal equipment such as their helmets and equipment pouches. After careful consideration, MINDEF decided to let NSmen keep the full complement of their personal equipment upon completing full-time national service, including the 5 pairs of No. 4 uniform that had been issued to them. Such a move enhances the operational readiness of the SAF by enabling faster mobilisation and equipping of NSmen, who form the bulk of the SAF's fighting strength. Therefore, from now on, NSmen will be equipped with all the necessary personal equipment when they respond to a call-up. They will only have to collect their weapons to be ready for deployment, regardless of whether it is for a peace-time training mission or for an actual emergency. This significantly reduces the time and effort spent in transforming civilians into highly trained and fully equipped operationally ready NSmen. The reduction in time spent on sorting and issuing personal equipment to NSmen is critical in an emergency when it is vital to get fully-equipped and combat-ready NSmen to the frontline at short notice. Letting soldiers fresh out of full-time national service keep as much of their personal equipment as possible also gives NSmen a sense of ownership and responsibility for their own equipment. It is a clear signal to them that they have come of age and are operationally ready at any time. BANKER'S GUARANTEE FOR FOREIGN WORKERS 9.”
“Sir, the SAF has put in place an extensive network of counselling services and help-lines to assist servicemen who are in trouble. But this network of assistance can only work if the serviceman who is in trouble comes forward to seek assistance. From time to time, despite all the good intention and all the care and concern that we have towards our servicemen, there will be some who have certain difficulties and who may not be prepared to seek assistance and the problem is aggravated over time and he may therefore commit some act which could get him into trouble or lead to perhaps even a suicide. The measures that we have put in place are there to help those who come forward to seek assistance or for us to reach out to those who are showing symptoms of such a problem. But it can never be a fail-safe mechanism. It can never be a 100% successful mechanism because from time to time there will be some people who will slip through. 1.30 pm”
“Sir, the SAF does not reveal statistics on its servicemen.”
“Sir, the findings of the Mindef Committee of Inquiry are meant for Mindef's internal use and not generally released. The reason is that such investigation, in some cases, may touch on areas with military security implications. Nevertheless, as I said, the Police will conduct a completely independent and equally thorough investigation into any cases of unnatural death in Singapore, including those taking place among SAF servicemen. The Police will release its findings to the State Coroner.”
“Sir, servicemen who call up the Counselling Centre for assistance are not charged for by-passing the normal military disciplinary procedure because these are not deliberate attempts to by-pass military disciplinary procedure. These are soldiers who have difficulties and who need assistance. We will listen to their request and we will see how we can help them overcome their problems.”
“Sir, I take the Member's Question seriously and therefore I expect him to listen to the answer that I give. I have said in my answer that the scope and terms of reference of each Committee of Inquiry are comprehensive and seek to cover all possible aspects that could shed light on the incident and that should be the answer to his supplementary question. We would investigate and get to the bottom of each and every incident of unnatural death.”
“Sir, the Member is recalcitrant. I just told him that the Committee has not completed its findings. Therefore, it is premature for me to speculate and it is also premature for him to try to speculate on the possible causes of the incident. So he should refrain from this line of questioning.”
“Sir, the incident in this case took place in early July. The Committee of Inquiry has not completed its findings. That is why I said it was premature for him to speculate and to try to cast aspersions on senior SAF officers.”
“Sir, as I have said in my answer, Mindef is very concerned with the well-being of each and every serviceman in the SAF. Therefore, Mindef has put in place various measures to try to identify and help servicemen who have problems. We recognise that, because of our universal conscription system, the SAF takes in people from all walks of life and from different backgrounds, some of whom will bring with them into national service their own personal and family problems. Because of this situation, we have an extensive mechanism to help SAF servicemen who have difficulties. We have a 24-hour hotline manned by professional counsellors at the SAF Counselling Centre. Servicemen can always call this 24-hour hotline for advice or assistance if they have any difficulty, including emotional problems. We have also appointed para-counsellors for the SAF Unit. The para-counsellors are there to help servicemen in the unit who may have difficulties in adjusting to military life. We have also appointed Orientation Officers in all the basic military training units. This is precisely to give assistance to those national servicemen in full time service who have just been enlisted and are undergoing their BMT and may need some assistance in adjusting to the rigour and discipline of military life. The units also have a mechanism whereby the immediate superiors conduct interviews with their servicemen to find out from time to time how they are coping with the training. This will help to identify those who may have difficulty making adjustment and to spot potentially troublesome cases early.”
“I would also like to say that the unit that Private Khor was attached to did not have any complaint or incidence of excessive punishments being meted out to national servicemen. So it is therefore premature for Mr Low to speculate on the cause of the suicide of Private Khor and to cast aspersions on the attitudes of senior SAF officers. By doing so, he may be causing unnecessary alarm among national servicemen and their parents.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, before I proceed to answer the question, may I urge the Member for Hougang to familiarise himself with parliamentary procedures concerning Questions for Oral Answers. His untimely interjection yesterday was unnecessary and a mark of impatience. Sir, we value the life of every SAF serviceman. Whenever an SAF serviceman loses his life, regardless of the circumstances, we consider the loss one too many. Therefore, it is the practice for Mindef to conduct an independent and comprehensive investigation into all deaths from unnatural causes which include suicide cases. For those involving national servicemen, the investigation is normally conducted by a Committee of Inquiry (COI) headed by a senior public official from outside Mindef. The scope and terms of reference for each Committee of Inquiry are comprehensive and seek to cover all possible aspects that could shed light on the incident. The Committee will look into the circumstances and events which led to the incident, including the serviceman's family background, medical and psychiatric history, disciplinary records and personal problems. The findings and recommendations of the Committee of Inquiry into the death of Private Khor, like other Committees of Inquiry, will be submitted to the Armed Forces Council which is chaired by the Minister for Defence and includes the Permanent Secretaries, the Chief of Defence Force and the Service Chiefs. Appropriate follow-up actions will be taken after the deliberation by the Armed Forces Council on the Report from the Committee of Inquiry. The Member for Hougang must also know that under our laws, the Police conduct their own independent investigation of all unnatural deaths in Singapore and present their findings to the State Coroner.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I pass no judgement on the productivity of the older workers. All I am saying is that, under the seniority-based wage scale, the older workers invariably will cost employers more. Although the CPF contribution for the employers has been reduced by 5%, there is no provision or requirement to stop the employer from rewarding his older workers for their experience or their high level of productivity by other means. And I think wise and prudent employers would do so to encourage or motivate their older workers. There are many other mechanisms which will more than offset the reduction in CPF on the part of the employers' contribution. They can always pay them a bonus, like other workers, and they can receive other kinds of incentive payments to give recognition to the older workers in order to get them to maintain their productivity and to make use of the experience for the organisation. POST OFFICES (Extension of closing hours) 9. Encik Harun bin A Ghani asked the Minister for Communications whether the closing hour of post offices will be extended to 10 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, that is a matter of judgment. We felt that a 5% reduction for the employer was necessary to ensure that there is no temptation nor preference to retrench older workers. If I were to take the Member's suggestion, it would in effect mean only a 2.5% reduction for the employers of the older workers. This may still be inadequate to address the concern and may, in fact, still encourage some employers to find ways and means of either retrenching or terminating the services of their older workers.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, as I have explained in my main answer, the adjustment of the CPF contribution rate for the older workers is to take into account the concern about the higher cost that comes about with employing more of the older workers. And, again, I must reiterate that this has come about because of the seniority-based wage scale. So if you reduce the employees' CPF contribution rate, it has no impact on the cost reduction objective. Therefore, you should reduce the employers' contribution in order to reduce the cost to the employer for employing the older workers.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to inform the Member that those aged between 60 and 65 contribute a total of 15%, ie, the employer contributes 7.5% and the employee contributes 7.5%. Those above 65 contribute a total of 10%, ie, 5% each from employer and employee. So, in effect, there is a gradual reduction in the rate of CPF contribution as the worker gets older. Below the age of 55, the total contribution is 40%, ie, 20% each. For 55 to 60, it is 20%; 60 to 65, 15%; and above 65, 10%. So there is a gradual reduction in the rate of contribution.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I do not think the revision to the CPF contribution rate for those aged between 55 and 60 is contrary to the objective of raising the retirement age. I think we have to recognise that in the Singapore context where our wage scale is still, by and large, seniority-based, we have to note the concerns of the employers in particular that, by raising the retirement age, we are unwittingly contributing to a higher cost for the employers, especially if they have to retain more of their older workers. The intention here is to ensure that older workers will remain in employment and not be retrenched by their employers because it may cost the employers more to employ them because of the seniority-based wage scale. So by adjusting the CPF contribution rate for those aged between 55 and 60, we are in fact supporting the objective of the higher retirement age. We are ensuring that fewer employers will feel the necessity or be compelled to retrench their older workers because there is now a slight reduction in the cost to the employers by way of a lower CPF contribution rate. So more of the older workers will remain in employment, more of them will be able to have a regular monthly income, at a slightly lower CPF contribution. But I think, on balance, it is in their long-term interest to have this adjustment and to remain in the workforce.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, as a first step, we have decided to impose this requirement on those who employ domestic workers with effect from 1st September 1994. My Ministry will review whether there is a need to also extend this to all the other employers, in other words, the commercial employers of foreign workers. This is a matter that we will study and we will make a decision at a later stage. HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD BALLOTING EXERCISE (Number of applicants and flats) 7. Mr Chng Hee Kok asked the Acting Minister for National Development, in the latest Housing and Development Board balloting exercise, if he will state the number of (i) first-time applicants; (ii) applicants upgrading to larger flats; and (iii) flats available. The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for National Development (Mr Matthias Yao Chih) (for the Acting Minister for National Development): I have the numbers for the second quarter for this year. The third quarter's numbers are still being processed. In the second quarter 1994 booking exercise held in April this year, HDB received a total of 91,939 requests for a total of 8,422 flats located in both mature and non-mature estates. Of the total requests, 41,646, or 45%, were from first-time applicants and the remaining 50,293, or 55%, were from those who have bought a flat from HDB directly before.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I think the Member is grossly exaggerating the situation. What we have done is to require those who apply for a work permit to employ a domestic worker, as part of the condition for the approval of such a permit, to make payment of the levy through GIRO. This is for the employer's convenience and also to improve productivity and reduce unnecessary work on the part of the processing department and the collecting agency. We are not saying that by doing so, the Singapore currency is no longer recognised as a medium of monetary transaction. Nothing of that sort. All I am saying is that if you want to employ a foreign domestic worker, you have to comply with certain conditions. There are conditions attached to every approval for a work permit. Among the many conditions that are attached is the one that requires you, as the employer, to pay the levy by GIRO deduction.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, currently, about one-third of employers of foreign domestic workers pay the foreign worker levy of $300 a month by GIRO. The remaining two-thirds pay the monthly levy by cash or cheque. Paying the foreign worker levy by cash or cheque is not only more inconvenient than GIRO but can also lead to problems if employers forget to pay the levy or fail to pay the levy on time. This is because failure to pay the foreign worker levy will result in the cancellation of the work permit for the worker involved. The employer will then have to apply for reinstatement of the work permit which requires time and effort. Such situations not only inconvenience employers but also create unproductive work for the staff of the Work Permit and Employment Department as each case has to be reviewed individually. Hence, the implementation of compulsory GIRO payment of the foreign worker levy is to reduce the inconvenience to employers as well as to enhance the productivity of the Department. Adopting the GIRO mode of payment is also in line with the national effort to reduce the need for regular cash or cheque payments. My Ministry has therefore decided that approval for all new work permit applications or renewals for foreign domestic workers submitted on or after 1st September this year will be on condition that the employer pays the foreign worker levy through GIRO. Employers who are currently employing foreign domestic workers will be required to switch to GIRO only when renewing their workers' work permit. Hence, no work permit will be revoked.”
“Both existing and ex-Work Permit holders are required to seek the approval of the Controller of Work Permits before they go through any form of marriage with Singapore citizens or permanent residents. This is a condition for the grant of their Work Permits. This condition applies even after the foreign workers cease to work in Singapore to ensure that voluntary termination of Work Permits does not become an easy way to get around the Work Permit condition. Any existing or ex-Work Permit holders who marry Singapore citizens or permanent residents without the approval of the Controller of Work Permits will have their Work Permits revoked and will be prohibited from re-entering Singapore. This is necessary to prevent unskilled or lowly-educated foreign workers from sinking roots in Singapore. DEATH FROM FALLS FROM HDB FLATS WHILE HANGING CLOTHES 22. Mr Chiam See Tong asked the Acting Minister for National Development how many persons fell to their deaths while hanging out their washing to dry in Housing and Development Board flats each year from 1983 to 1993 and what measures have been taken to prevent such accidents.”
“(a) Daily-rated Singaporean workers in Government Ministries and Departments contribute to CPF in accordance with the rates prescribed in the CPF (Government Employees) Regulations, just as in the case of monthly-rated Government employees. b) While the CPF Board keeps data by gender for the total membership, it does not keep such data on the basis of whether the member is a monthly-rated or daily-rated employee. This is because, like monthly-rated employees, the CPF contributions in respect of daily-rated employees are based on the total wages received for the month. As the rates of contribution and the method of CPF computation are the same for daily-rated and monthly-rated employees, the CPF Board makes no distinction between these two categories of employees in their data base. MARRIAGE PERMISSION FOR EX-WORK PERMIT HOLDERS 21. Dr Kanwaljit Soin asked the Minister for Labour (a) whether ex-Work Permit holders who have stopped working in Singapore need to seek permission from his Ministry if they wish to marry Singaporeans and (b) what will be the consequences if permission is not obtained.”
“As at 30th June 1994, there were 363,690 male and 407,922 female Singaporean CPF members whose accounts are inactive. The CPF Board does not keep data on CPF members by occupation. DAILY RATED SINGAPOREAN WORKERS IN GOVERNMENT MINISTRIES/DEPARTMENTS (Contribution to CPF) 20. Dr Kanwaljit Soin asked the Minister for Labour (a) whether the 5,000 or so daily rated Singaporean workers in the ministries and departments are contributing to Central Provident Fund and b) if he will give a gender breakdown of these workers.”
“With their military background and experience, they can help provide a more rounded education to our students, particularly in physical fitness training and in inculcating a spirit of adventure by serving as male role models. Similar schemes will be established with other suitable organisations to make good use of the experience and training of ex-SAF servicemen. LOCAL WORKFORCE WITHOUT CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND ACCOUNTS 19. Dr Kanwaljit Soin asked the Minister for Labour if he will give the breakdown by gender and occupation of the 28% of the local workforce who have no active Central Provident Fund accounts, excluding those who are self-employed.”
“Only a small percentage of full-time personnel retire yearly at the age of 45. For security reasons, MINDEF is unable to disclose the exact figures requested. The turnover allows the SAF to maintain its combat readiness, and maintain a good balance between experience and youth among regular servicemen. SAF servicemen generally do not face difficulty in obtaining jobs in the private sector when they leave the SAF. SAF servicemen are good organisers, work well in teams and possess discipline, diligence, perseverance and good work attitudes. These qualities coupled with strong demand in the job market make it very unlikely that they would fall out of the job market. Notwithstanding this, the SAF is committed to help retiring servicemen phase into their second career. Servicemen interested in venturing into business are provided specially packaged courses on setting up businesses, and on specific topics such as import and export procedures, life insurance and real estate. Servicemen can also opt for external courses at subsidized rates and will be eligible for half pay for up to 6 months if these courses are conducted during office hours. Alternatively under a pre-release employment programme, servicemen can go on half pay leave for up to 6 months during which time they can take up full-time paid employment in a private company. The SAF also provides information to servicemen on employment opportunities collated from civilian employers in the market. A monthly bulletin incorporating the latest inputs are sent to all SAF units for dissemination to servicemen who are due for release. Under a new scheme announced recently, SAF servicemen are also encouraged to take up teaching as a second career.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, while there may not be an immediate disadvantage, I think we should be careful about imposing such a rigid requirement on all CPF members. It may be advantageous from the Nominated Member's point of view. But we should not jump to the conclusion that that is something that ought to be done immediately. As I said, there is nothing existing in law to stop CPF members, particularly older CPF members, from nominating their spouse as recipient of the CPF savings or the Minimum Sum amount. There is nothing to stop it and the CPF Board constantly reminds members about their obligations to update their nomination of beneficiaries. So we should leave it at that at this juncture. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Dr Lee Boon Yang]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. MERCHANT SHIPPING (OIL POLLUTION) (AMENDMENT) BILL Order for Second Reading read.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, under that scenario, I think, in most cases, elderly CPF members would have nominated their non-working spouses to be the beneficiary of whatever residual CPF savings that they have. I do not think there is a need at this juncture to make this a compulsory requirement. What we can do, as I have said earlier on, is to continue to remind CPF members that if there has been a change in marital status, they must always update their nomination forms. Because, in fact, many people, before they were married, do nominate their parents or siblings as beneficiaries of their CPF savings. But once they are married, we constantly remind them that this is the time for them to amend their nomination and to register that they now want to nominate the wife. And if it is the case, then, for most CPF members, they will have no difficulty in ensuring that the residual amount of CPF savings in their Minimum Sum account goes to the surviving spouse. I do not think there is a need to make this a requirement in legislation.”
“But apart from that, I think it will be extremely difficult to argue that we should insist that they set aside all their CPF savings for the needs of the surviving spouse. Because, as I said earlier on, there may well be cases where CPF members do want to leave behind part of their CPF savings for their parents or for their siblings. So it is very difficult for us to interfere in such a situation.”
“In most cases, they may even get the 1 1/2 times. In exceptional circumstances, they would still be protected by having access to the full Minimum Sum. That is the purpose of this amendment: to ensure that every surviving spouse will have at least the full Minimum Sum and not be left without anything or less than the full Minimum Sum. In arguing for the spouses to be automatically legislated as being the beneficiary of the spouse's CPF savings, Dr Soin mentioned about the legislation for children to maintain their parents and, therefore, we should also make it a law to require the spouse to maintain their surviving member. Here, there is a slight difference in that although the legislation, which will be discussed in this Chamber later, argues for a principle that the children will be required to maintain their parents, it is not so clear-cut because the issue still has to be settled in a court of law. The proposal by the Nominated Member is an enabling provision. It should be settled in a court of law. Whether the child should be required to pay maintenance, and how much and how often should the maintenance be given, all these have to be settled in court. The proposition is that there should be a legal basis on which the parents can make the claim. In the case of CPF, I think it will be very difficult for us to make an exclusive legislation to say that all the deceased CPF member's savings should automatically go to the spouse. We would have to leave it to the CPF member to make the nomination for his beneficiary. We can protect the spouse, in this case, through the Minimum Sum Scheme, to ensure that there is an irrevocable nomination if they choose to benefit by setting aside less than the normal amount of the Minimum Sum.”
“She is suggesting that we go beyond just making those who set aside 1 1/2 times the Minimum Sum amount in a joint account to make it automatic that the CPF member must nominate as beneficiary his or her surviving spouse, including those without CPF accounts. We have not done so because there are many circumstances under which this may be contrary to the wishes of the CPF member himself or herself because some CPF members may still want to leave part of their CPF savings to their parents, some may want to leave part of it to their siblings, brothers and sisters. I think it is very difficult for us to envisage all these situations and make it compulsory that as soon as you are married, all your CPF savings automatically go in full to your spouse. We would prefer to encourage CPF members, once they are married, to immediately review their nomination for beneficiary and this is what CPF routinely does in its statement of account to members by asking: Have you updated your nomination? Many people do, in fact, become CPF members before they are married. So for those who are recently married, they should take note of this advice from the CPF Board and take the necessary step, which is a very simple step, of nominating their spouse as beneficiary by just submitting another nomination form to the Board. The other suggestion is to ensure that the Minimum Sum will go to the spouse after 55 years of age. If they are both working, then they would have to set aside 1 1/2 times of the Minimum Sum which is required by law. Of course, they could set aside separately, each one a full Minimum Sum, but, in most cases, people will opt to set aside 1 1/2 times. With this amendment, it would result in the surviving spouse receiving a minimum of the full Minimum Sum.”
“On the Home Protection Insurance Scheme, Encik Othman has asked whether we will consider enabling private property owners to also seek insurance coverage under the Home Protection Insurance Scheme and he suggests that maybe we set a limit to the coverage of, say, $300,000. Sir, the intention is not to allow private property owners to come under the coverage of the Home Protection Insurance Scheme. The reason is that mortgages for private property can be very high. In today's real estate market, the mortgages for private property could easily exceed a million dollars or more. And if you provide coverage even for a fixed limit, whether it is $200,000 or $300,000, you would still not satisfy the needs of the CPF members who have bought private property. You will only be partially meeting the needs of these members. On the other hand, if you allow a full coverage under the Home Protection Insurance Scheme, you expose the scheme to risks of very hefty claim, many times more than the claims that would be made for HDB flats. This could result in the need to raise the insurance premium in order to ensure that the scheme itself is viable and can be continued to be funded in the long term. If you do that, it would be a disadvantage to many lower income owners of HDB flats. Generally, those who own private properties are professionals and others who are in the middle or upper income group and they can well afford to insure their properties with private insurance companies if they wish to. Sir, I next turn to Dr Soin's comments.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, first, I would like to thank Encik Othman Haron Eusofe, Chairman of the GPC for Labour, for his support. He raised the question of whether I would continue to pursue this idea of making cash top-up under the Minimum Sum Scheme by CPF members to their parents' or spouses' CPF accounts to be tax exempt. I think this is a matter that really has got to be pursued further with the Ministry of Finance and I would urge the Member to also take it up directly with the Minister for Finance. He also asked whether there is a limit on the amount of top-up that would be allowed by a CPF member who wants to top up his spouse's Minimum Sum account. The way we allow this top-up is to ensure first that the CPF member who is proposing to make such top-up has at least twice the Minimum Sum requirement in his account that allows him to set aside his own Minimum Sum requirement and then have another half of his CPF cash balance available. He can then use his excess CPF savings to top up the Minimum Sum account for his parents or his spouse. The maximum topping up that is allowed is the difference between the prevailing Minimum Sum amount and the recipient's CPF balance at the age of 55 before any lump sum withdrawal has been made. That is the limit. In other words, you can only top up your parent's or your spouse's account to the Minimum Sum requirement. He has also asked, under clause 9, which concerns the Dependants' Protection Insurance Scheme, whether the upper age limit for coverage under the Dependants' Protection Insurance Scheme will be raised when the retirement age is revised in the future. The answer is yes, the upper age limit for the Dependants' Protection Insurance Scheme will be raised whenever the retirement age is revised.”
“It also sets 16 years as the lower age limit of the Scheme as it is not the intention of the Scheme to cover young persons who have no dependants. The changes to the Home Protection Insurance Scheme and the Dependants' Protection Insurance Scheme will require payment of additional premiums. However, the additional period of protection for the families and dependants of CPF members will be well worth the premium increases. Sir, clauses 3 and 11 of the Bill amend the Act to allow CPF members to use their Medisave to pay premiums of a medical insurance approved by the Minister for Health. One such insurance scheme will be the IncomeShield. The intention is to allow CPF members to use their Medisave to pay premiums for IncomeShield insurance cover commencing from 1st July 1994. 1st July 1994 is also the date of implementation of MediShield Plus. Hence, these clauses shall be deemed to have come into operation retrospectively from that date, as provided in clause 1 of this Bill. This will allow regulations made under the enabling provisions of these clauses to be brought into effect retrospectively from 1st July 1994. Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed.”
“Pegging the monthly withdrawal age to the prevailing retirement age is necessary in order to ensure that the Minimum Sum can last the duration of a CPF member's retirement. Also included in the clause is a provision to allow CPF members who have not attained the prevailing retirement age to begin withdrawing from their Minimum Sum if they are physically or mentally incapacitated from ever continuing in any employment. Sir, during the Budget debate in March this year, I informed the House that my Ministry will study the implications of allowing CPF members to use their CPF savings to top up their spouses' Minimum Sum. I am pleased to inform the House that the Ministry has since concluded its review and decided that this should be allowed just as we already allow CPF members to use their CPF savings to top up their parents' Minimum Sum requirement. Clauses 5 and 6 amend the Act to provide for this. The provision will help spouses with low or no CPF savings to set aside a minimum sum for their retirement. Sir, the other clauses of the Bill contain amendments that are not related to the revised Minimum Sum Scheme. I shall highlight the more significant ones. The amendments in clauses 7 and 8 have the effect of raising the upper age limit from the present 55 to 60 years for CPF members covered under the Home Protection Insurance Scheme. The upper age limit was set at 55 as it was then the common retirement age. However, as we have legislated that the retirement age should be set at 60 now, it would be logical to raise the age limit to 60. Clause 9 amends the Act to similarly raise the upper age limit of the Dependants' Protection Insurance Scheme from the present 55 to 60 years.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." In March this year, I informed the House that the CPF Minimum Sum Scheme will be revised so as to better prepare CPF members for a longer retirement period. The Bill before the House seeks, among other things, to amend the CPF Act to effect the changes to the Minimum Sum Scheme. Under the Act, CPF members who continue working after reaching 55 may make lump sum withdrawals of CPF savings, made after 55, at 3-year intervals. Clause 4 of the Bill amends the Act to require CPF members who are unable to set aside the full Minimum Sum at age 55 to top up their Minimum Sum before they are allowed to withdraw lump-sum any CPF contributions made after the age of 55. Nevertheless, such members will always be able to withdraw at least half of their cash savings accumulated during the 3-year period. In other words, every CPF member who continues working after the age of 55 will always be able to withdraw some cash amount three years after they have reached the age of 55, ie, at the age of 58, even if they are not able to meet the full Minimum Sum requirement. It also requires a CPF member and his spouse who wish to jointly set aside 1(r) times the Minimum Sum to irrevocably nominate each other to be the beneficiary of their Minimum Sum. This provision will ensure that the surviving CPF member will not end up having less than the full Minimum Sum when the spouse dies. Mr Speaker, Sir, clause 4 also allows the Minister to raise the age at which withdrawal of the monthly amount commences to correspond with the prevailing retirement age. The present retirement age is 60 introduced since July 1993. This will be gradually raised to 67 over the next 10 years.”
“Sir, I am afraid the Member's question on details of the planning rules and criteria should be directed to the Minister for National Development, because I am not in a position to answer the specifics on the planning norms. My understanding is that the Ministry of National Development is now agreeable to factory owners who have sufficient land or space on their factory site to set aside some space to erect workers' accommodation, particularly for the foreign workforce. For the details, the Member has to refer to the Ministry of National Development.”