Leon Perera
Singapore
“I thank the Nominated Member, Mr Mark Chay, for his clarification. I did, in my speech, allude to my awareness of the existence of sports scholarships and I mentioned a few, nor in my speech did I claim that there is no Government support for these less well-known sports.”
“Sorry, again. I acknowledge that, of course, no system is perfect. I think we all acknowledge that. My colleague Assoc Prof Jamus Lim presented data on the performance of different countries in sporting excellence, government spending relative to gross domestic product (GDP) per capita.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I would like to ask one short supplementary question. I am wondering if the Government will consider requiring or mandating private companies to provide an elderly or parent care leave to some extent, or flexible work arrangements that will allow for time for eldercare and parent care duties?”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. Just one supplementary question for the Senior Minister of State. He referred to the service quality framework that the Government uses vis-à-vis SingPost because SingPost is a Government licencee.”
“I was suggesting that the determination of consistency of the Ministerial Code of Conduct be done by an independent organisation. It could be the AGO, it could be a judge or retired judge or someone else to put that imprimatur of independence. I was not suggesting either or. You may disagree with that.”
“At the end of the day, healthcare is, and will remain, must remain, a profoundly human endeavour. There is no more important goal in healthcare than attracting, retaining and bringing out the best from our great healthcare workers.”
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“In past debates in this House, the issue of the role of the state agencies − JTC and HDB − versus private developers in the market for industrial and commercial space has been discussed. I would like to return to this fundamental issue to seek some clarifications and pose some suggestions. JTC holds a far smaller share of industrial and commercial space than it did in the past. In the Committee of Supply (COS) debates in 2016 and 2017, this was highlighted by various Members of this House, such as Mr Dennis Tan and Mr Chen Show Mao. This has, over the years, led to a situation where the rental and property-related costs faced by our small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are very high, relative to most other countries. Rental costs are not always the highest single component of the total cost structure facing SMEs and startups, though, in most cases, it is highly significant. But equally importantly, they are the one element of the cost structure that we can control and change to perhaps a larger extent than any other. In Singapore, the state owns most of the available land, something that is more or less unique among developed countries. I would like to ask: can we do more to make low-cost industrial and office space available to our SMEs? SMEs employ two-thirds of workers. We need the SME sector to step up and do more of the heavy lifting in our economy in future to grow jobs and productivity and to become a thriving third pillar alongside multinational corporations (MNCs) and Government Linked Companies (GLCs). At the COS debate this year, my colleague Mr Dennis Tan highlighted how rental costs were "found to be the second factor with the greatest impact on profitability, coming in after manpower costs".”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the JTC (Amendment) Bill provides for the transfer of HDB's industrial properties to JTC. With this transfer, all public sector industrial properties will be consolidated under one agency. I do not object to the thrust of this Bill, and I support its enablement of the state to undertake more holistic master-planning of industrial estates across Singapore. However, I do have a few clarifications and suggestions. Firstly, in terms of mitigation of the impact of the transfers, it is noted that both agencies involved − JTC and HDB − have said they will engage tenants and lessees, as well as relevant business associations, on any concerns they have about the transfer. This was referred to in a speech by Minister Lim Hng Kiang on 19 October 2016. I would like to ask if there will be any impact on ongoing negotiations on renewal of leases or will these negotiations continue along more or less the same trajectory as prior to the announcement. Secondly, on the confirmation of undertakings transferred, clause 41 refers to the joint specifications of assets and liabilities by the two Ministers involved. If there are any disputes, will the Minister for Finance step in to determine the matter? Thirdly, on offences conducted under the Act, currently, section 64 requires that the consent of the Public Prosecutor is needed before any proceedings can be carried out against any person. The reason for the repeal of this provision is not given. I assume that, in this case, JTC lawyers can start proceedings on their own accord without the consent of the Public Prosecutor. Can the Minister confirm that and explain the rationale for that change? Lastly, Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to talk about the role of JTC in our economy in more broader terms.”
“Thank you, Madam. Just one supplementary question for the Minister of State. To what extent are there safeguards in place against the directors of a company that may be under some form of blacklisting, be it under BUS or some other regime, from incorporating a new company and bidding for Government projects and, thereby, potentially evading their previous negative safety records? If there are no safeguards against them now, will the Ministry look into that and introduce some safeguards against them?”
“Instead, seeing compensation for them as coming from the existing deposit insurance scheme. No less than FSB suggested that, and I quote, "The treatment of creditors and ranking in insolvency should be transparent" to depositors, so, this should be made clear. Next, on transparency. I would like to ask if MAS will make public the banks that are required to comply with the new provisions of the Bill. The new RRP requirements, for example, apply to domestic systemically important banks (D-SIBs) as well as "other banks that are assessed to have systemic impact or that maintain critical functions". Will the wider public be informed about the identity of these other banks? The public may have a legitimate interest in knowing this. Next, this Bill confers greater powers of intervention on MAS. I would like to ask the Minister to comment about how the resources and expertise of the MAS and its officers to exercise these powers are going to be developed. And, lastly, a technical query. Is the expectation for banks to maintain IT systems which can produce data in a timely manner basically met if a bank complies with the Basel Committee's Principles for Effective Risk Data Aggregation and Risk Reporting (BCBS 239)? This approach is currently applicable to all D-SIBs. The answer to this question was not entirely clear from MAS' response in the feedback paper released in May. 4.45 pm”
“Mdm Speaker, the MAS (Amendment) Bill seeks to strengthen MAS' powers to resolve distressed FIs, taking reference from the Financial Stability Board's (FSB) key attributes of effective resolution regimes. I do not object to the Bill or any of these provisions. In particular, the new provision that subordinates MAS' developmental objectives to its supervision objectives, a recommendation emerging from the 2013 IMF financial sector assessment programme, is welcome. However, I would like to pose a few questions and suggestions. Firstly, giving the central bank the authority to remove an FI's management and appoint an administrator was suggested by FSB but has not been taken up by MAS. This was expressed in section 3.2 of FSB's key attributes for effective resolution regimes document. I would like to ask why this was not included in the legislation as this would give MAS more resolution powers, including the power to compel a recalcitrant or a problematic FI to implement MAS' directives in a way that is in line with what MAS needs in order to avoid financial contagion in Singapore. Of course, such an outcome is never something anyone would wish to see happen. But having this power as a weapon of last resort may also help nudge FIs to avoid the kind of decisions that may provoke that outcome. Often, when an FI fails, it is the management that is at fault. And it may not always be possible to implement corrective actions through the existing management, as it were. Next, on depositors and insurance policyholders. Part of the Bill relates to creditors and their rights. But it is not entirely clear to me if depositors and policyholders are included in this category. The proposed legislation appears not to make any special reference and special provision for depositors.”
“Thank you, Madam. I have a clarification for Deputy Prime Minister Teo. I just have one clarification to put to the Deputy Prime Minister regarding his Statement and it is in relation to the Ministerial Committee. The hon Deputy Prime Minister has clarified that the Ministerial Committee operated independently. But would the Deputy Prime Minister acknowledge that there might be a perception that it is not independent by virtue of the structure of the Committee, that the individuals who make up the Committee ultimately do report to an individual with personal ties to the matter at hand even though that is in his individual capacity? And given that, the risk of that perception seems to have materialised in this case. And given that fact, would a better alternative have been, instead of a Ministerial Committee to look at this, an independent committee outside of the Cabinet where all the members do not report to the Prime Minister to assess it, make a recommendation to the Cabinet, perhaps a public recommendation, and then the Cabinet could still decide and the Cabinet could still own that outcome? Would that not have avoided some of the perceptions associated with the Ministerial Committee?”
“I thank the Senior Minister of State for her reply. Just a supplementary question on the roundtables that the Senior Minister of State alluded to. Are these roundtables organised specifically around particular multilateral or bilateral agreements that are being negotiated; or are they organised around a country theme like doing business in Korea so you have a roundtable of companies interested in doing business in Korea, for example; or are they organised on an industry theme? Or are they organised on all three?”
“Just a question to the Senior Minister of State: will the Ministry consider tracking and publishing retail sales and e-commerce sales data regularly – as the Senior Minister of State has alluded to, it is being done in the US and China – in the future since this may be very important for stakeholders to understand?”
“" Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, let us have a Parliamentary Select Committee process with televised hearings on the issues of abuse of power, or some other form of public, interrogative fact-finding with the accusers present, to finally put this matter to bed.”
“The Committee's independence would be underscored by the presence of non-PAP MPs on the Committee. In fact, in his message on 19 June, the Prime Minister specifically highlighted that non-PAP MPs would be able to question him in Parliament today. A Parliamentary Select Committee merely builds on that institutional recipe of multi-partisanship that the Prime Minister himself positively alluded to but extends it to include a process of fact-finding involving public hearings and cross-examination of the individuals who have laid these issues before the nation, together with other persons of interest. The truth would out. If the claims are baseless, the accusers will lose credibility in a very public way. If there is a basis to their claims, that can be acknowledged and followed up. I would note on this point that several Members of the House today have posed questions quite literally to Mr Lee Hsien Yang. How do we envisage Mr Lee Hsien Yang is meant to properly and in an institutional form respond to these questions that have been posed and asked today and he is not here to respond to them? In conclusion, Mr Deputy Speaker, Singapore is strengthened, not weakened when we follow a rigorous, independent process to deal with such allegations. Singapore is strengthened, not weakened when we not only do the right thing but we are seen to be doing the right thing by giving the accusers a right to make their case, be cross-examined and rebut replies. At the dinner table two days ago, when we discussed this issue in my family, my daughter asked me, "Daddy, why are they ensnaring us in their family quarrel?" My answer to her was, "I'm not sure. But there seem to be some serious national issues that need to be addressed. We will have to hear all sides out.”
“In fact, other than revisiting the issue of what the late Mr Lee wanted, there would appear to be little evidence available to date of any other work done by the Ministerial Committee in respect of work streams, such as heritage impact assessment, public opinion sensing and so on. Why did the Ministerial Committee and other PAP politicians focus so much on the issue of what the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew wanted? Why was the machinery of Government applied to take up a position on a private family matter of a will which had never been litigated in Court? Is opening questions about the late Mr Lee's will without going to the Courts the legitimate business for the Government of Singapore as opposed to being merely a legitimate concern for one individual member of that Government in his individual capacity? In the past, the process of independent fact-finding favoured by members of the PAP was suing for defamation in Court and that is certainly one way to resolve this matter definitively. My colleague MP Pritam Singh has eloquently argued for an additional method which is a Parliamentary Select Committee, a call to which I agree and a call to which I think several other Members have also expressed some degree of support today. Such a Committee would have the advantage of leading a process that could determine the facts and recommend follow-up action to Parliament. The follow-up action could relate to the incidents at hand and it could also relate to systemic changes the Committee may propose to curtail the ability of future officeholders to abuse their powers or to clarify any grey areas in the current rules that may have enabled this unfortunate series of events to occur, to prevent their recurrence.”
“There is an established process for gazetting a building as a national monument or some equivalent of that. Why were the established channels not used in this case? I believe other MPs have spoken about this as well. Now, it might be argued that perhaps this case is not like others, because deference needs to be shown to the wishes of the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew. However, if that is the stance of the Government, why was a non-transparent Ministerial Committee chosen as the right organisational form for resolving this? Why not some kind of independent panel with the expertise and resources to perform expert heritage analysis and public opinion sensing? A panel that would not be seen by anyone as potentially compromised by the fact that its members directly report to an individual who has personal ties to the matter at hand. Even more importantly, the Ministerial Committee seems to have focused primarily on revisiting the issue of the wishes of the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew as expressed in his last will. I believe several Members have spoken about this already. The Committee wrote to Mr Lee Hsien Yang and Dr Lee Wei Ling on this question and asked if they would file statutory declarations on the same. The Cabinet Secretary made a statement on this. The Prime Minister released portions of his statutory declaration relating to this. Senior Minister of State for Law Ms Indranee Rajah released several Facebook posts on this. Surely, the proper platform to challenge the late Mr Lee's will would have been in Court.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I fear that today, in an attempt to be made to close the issue and move on, without that proper process of fact-finding that gives the accusers a chance to state their case and be cross-examined, if we do that today or tomorrow, the accusations will continue. The Facebook posts may continue. The erosion of public and international confidence may continue. In fact, in his Facebook post of Thursday, 29 June, Mr Lee Hsien Yang stated, "We have begun to show evidence of his misuse of his position and so on. Note the choice of the word "begun." Can anyone seriously maintain that we can properly and finally put these allegations to rest once and for all simply by debating amongst ourselves in this House today? Nor should we settle for a debate today that ends on the question: do you have confidence in the Government or not, are you calling for the resignation of key figures or not? If not, then let us move on. It is my view that this should not be the way to deal with these allegations. No one should be asked, "Do you want the Prime Minister to resign, do you have confidence in the current Government, yes or no?" without the benefit of a fact-finding process that allows the accusers to testify and be cross-examined, together with other persons of interest. This is not a time for calls of "are you for me or against me." To those who might think to make such a call today or tomorrow, I ask you: why are you afraid of a proper, public fact-finding process that allows the accusers to testify and be cross-examined? What are you afraid of? I will now speak about some issues related to the allegations of abuse of power. Deputy Prime Minister Teo said that the Ministerial Committee on 38 Oxley Road was convened to explore options.”
“The allegations of abuse of power that have been made include, among other things: the abuse of a Ministerial Committee to pursue a personal agenda; the improper use of a document obtained in a public capacity in private capacity; allegations of intermeddling and appropriation of items without the permission of the estate by the Prime Minister's wife; allegations of the influence of the Prime Minister's wife on governmental functions; allegations of the Government surveilling and harassing the accusers, turning their lives into "an Orwellian nightmare." The Prime Minister has acknowledged that this controversy has damaged the reputation of Singapore for institutional probity and Singaporeans' confidence in the Government. If allowed to fester, these allegations will damage Singapore even more in the weeks and months ahead. They must be decisively addressed, the truth established and appropriate follow-up actions taken in respect of the events and incidence themselves as well as any systemic issues that need to be attended to, to prevent a recurrence of similar incidences in future. Whatever happens today and tomorrow in Parliament − whatever attacks are levelled against the accusers, whatever compromises are suggested, whatever admissions of error or wrongdoing are made − we cannot dismiss such allegations without allowing to the accusers a public platform to defend and expand on their views, share their evidence and be cross-examined, a public platform where all can see justice being done. Otherwise the matter may never be put to bed. The conclusions made in this House in the wrapping-up speeches after this debate may simply be rebutted on Facebook the next day with reference to fresh information.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, imagine, if you will, a public-listed company where two ex-employees have made allegations on Facebook of abuse of power by the CEO. The Board of Directors meets. It decides to convene an extraordinary general meeting (EOGM) of shareholders to debate the allegations. While waiting for this EOGM, individual directors rebut the whistleblowers' claims or the purported whistleblowers' claims on Facebook. However, no one − no independent director, no special auditor, no consultant, no member of management, no Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) or law enforcement officer − has met and interviewed the two self-styled whistleblowers to ask them for proof, to interrogate their claims and investigate their veracity. Instead, at the EOGM, the CEO rebuts the Facebook posts. He then asks for a vote of shareholders to decide if he should step down. No independent investigation of the claims made, just settled by debate after hearing one side of the story. Would such a company be deemed to have met best practices of corporate governance? Would such a company be seen to be beyond reproach? Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, this analogy, while imperfect, does illustrate some of the dilemmas this House faces in discussing this matter. It is the process we follow to resolve this issue that I will focus on in my speech. I shall not speak on the issue of what should be done to the house at 38 Oxley Road or what the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew wanted for his house, questions on which the WP does not adopt a Party position, as my colleagues have explained. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, abuse of power and the integrity of our public institutions are serious issues and they are the crux of the matter today − not the house, not the will, not the affairs of the family.”
“Thirdly, my understanding is that at the time when the JC mergers were announced, MOE was in the process of implementing a new curriculum in JCs and this was the curriculum that MOE invested in, bringing teachers in to train the JC teachers on this new curriculum. There was a period when the teachers would have to review the curriculum, revise and test their teaching materials, get feedback from the teaching process and so on. My question is just on the timing of the announcement. Would the timing not have been better if it had been either before or after the implementation of this new curriculum, which, it is my understanding, is currently in process? Lastly, on the fate of administrative non-teaching staff and vendors in the JCs, I would like to ask about vendors, such as canteen operators, shop operators, lab technicians and so on, what measures are being taken to assist them in the transition.”
“I thank the Senior Minister of State for his detailed answers. I just have four supplementary questions. Firstly, I think the Senior Minister of State has acknowledged the emotional cost that this has created. My question would be in terms of the longer-term planning protocols and processes within MOE. Are there any learnings that have been drawn from this? Clearly, falling birth rates would have been foreseeable a very long time ago because these are patterns that do not tend to fluctuate too much year by year. Nevertheless, capacity did increase over the last decade. So, have there been any lessons drawn about how we can improve the forward planning in terms of establishing new JCs, establishing more capacity for JC places? Secondly, it is in relation to JCs that cater to students who score 10 points and above, or students who score less well academically. It would appear that the number of JC choices available to such students would now be diminished and that would mean that there would be longer travel time for such students. For example, 14 to 16 pointers in the east would have fewer JC options, and students in the west with 10 to 12 points would have fewer options as well. I think the Senior Minister of State did acknowledge that in the context of discussing CCA clustering, increasing travel times does diminish the quality of the student experience. Would the Senior Minister of State acknowledge that this is in some sense penalising those students who opt for the JC path but perform less well academically, and what measures are going to be taken to manage that?”
“Just a brief supplementary question. Thank you, Madam. Does the Minister have any data on how well Singapore is doing compared to other developed countries in terms of frequency and extent of Internet disruption? And if there is no metric that is currently being tracked, would the Minister consider tracking and publishing that in future? Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: I thank the Member. I do not have the answers. I am not too sure whether there is such a global metric. But by all accounts, in terms of connectivity, we are doing quite alright. In terms of availability, that is something we have to look at. At this point in time, there is a demand for faster and better connectivity for the Internet. I will take the Member's point and see what we can do. 12.30 pm”
“Just a few supplementary questions for the Senior Minister of State. Can I clarify the expected inflation rates of 0.5% to 1.5% that the Senior Minister of State indicated? Is that overall inflation or core inflation? And if it is overall, could he share the outlook for core inflation? Next, on the analysis for the causes of the inflation and the contribution of the Government administrative charges, will that be the same for overall inflation, as opposed to core inflation and, as such, is playing a greater role for core inflation?”
“Madam, just a few supplementary questions for the Senior Minister of State. In relation to this EIA, is it the case that, henceforth, all EIA or EIS studies will be made public if there are done, unless there are specific national security considerations that prohibit public release and, if that is not the case, then why is that not the case?”
“So, even after the MRO has been appointed, we realise that ex-couples or the parties involved are able to reach a common understanding, a common platform to see how maintenance can be paid or can be effected. In essence, I want to assure the Member that we want to ensure that the connectivity is still there. We will try our best to get MRO available and work with other organisations to see how we can find the persons who do not pay maintenance. As I have mentioned in my answer, it is still early days into the pilot programme. We will continue to review this to refine it in such a way that we will be able to have a positive effect on maintenance-related issues.”
“I thank the hon Parliamentary Secretary for his helpful reply. Just a few supplementary questions. Firstly, just to clarify: is it the case that the MRO will only investigate a case if ordered to do so by the Court? I believe that is what you said, but just to confirm that that is the case. Secondly, would the Ministry consider providing some avenue or mechanism for spouses to request for an investigation of the MRO without having to go through a Court process to get the Court to make that instruction in cases where they suspect that their ex-spouse may be able, but are unwilling to pay? Thirdly, in cases where spouses are unable to locate their ex-spouse who is supposed to pay maintenance to them, what avenues or recourse do spouses who are owed maintenance, have in such cases, if the person is just not contactable? Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: I thank the Member for the supplementary questions. The answer to the first question is yes; it is only after the judge directs it and then the MRO will be activated. With regard to the second and third questions, I think we need to look at a case, whether any divorce or even relationship issues, as a case where we want to see how we can facilitate relationships to still be connected for the sake of the children. It is important for us not to jump to conclusions too early. We want to give the opportunity for both parties to come to terms about how the maintenance can be agreed upon. At the same time, it is also important for us to ensure that sufficient avenue is given and we want to see how we can facilitate this.”
“To make Singapore a home where all women have these choices, we need institutional equality of opportunity. Here, the state and private sector can and should do more. We need men to step up and play a greater role in the home. And most of all, we need to continually reinforce that glue that binds men and women together in families, in the community and as a nation, and that glue is, quite simply, respect.”
“By the same token, National Service can be a powerful platform to reinforce positive ideas. Can the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) organise talks and programmes to educate National Servicemen about the evils of domestic violence and sexual harassment? Lastly, if women hold up more than half the sky, a single parent, man or woman, is holding together the entire world for their family. More still can be done to enhance benefits and, in particular, access to housing for single parents, including unwed mothers, as WP Members have long argued for. It is time for us to stop brushing aside this idea with the broom of the moral hazard argument. Hardly anyone chooses to become a single parent as a lifestyle choice. Granting equal benefits will not provoke a rash of people wanting to become single parents, with all the financial and emotional challenges that that entails. Once we recognise just how outrageous this idea is, we start to see that there are no sound objections to equalising benefits to single parents and thus not punishing their children. In conclusion, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, when more is done on all these fronts, what is the end game? What are the aspirations of Singapore women that we will be affirming and advancing? As a man, I am in no position to speak for women. I can only share my view, which is that Singapore women should have what all human beings should have − choices, the choice to strike the balance they want to in the workplace and in the home; the choice to strive and achieve their dreams in any line of work they apply themselves to; the choice to be an amazing homemaker who enables her family to fulfil their deep potential and, in so doing, enables herself to do the same.”
“My colleague Mr Faisal Manap last year called for a voluntary Fair Employment Contribution Fund to be created to promote fair employment practices as a precursor to possibly legislating anti-discrimination laws under a broader National Employment Framework. I repeat this call here. The time has come to regularly survey and publish perceptions of discrimination and seek to find patterns that can be addressed by MOM and TAFEP to ensure a fair workplace. As a society, we are mature enough to have these conversations. One area that needs to be addressed is whether women are being paid less for doing the same work as men. The published data is inconclusive and a further study should be done. The state can do more to facilitate women re-entering the workforce. I would like to suggest a programme that enables homemakers to stay in touch with the industry they have left. MOM could work with the Trade Associations and Chambers (TACs) in various industries to allow homemakers to keep abreast of industry developments and attend ad hoc events and training, through email, newsletters and other online resources. This would better prepare women who choose to re-enter the workforce at some point. The state should also catalyse mentorship programmes for women in large companies, as I referred to earlier. A good place to start would be the Civil Service. Would the Ministry of Education (MOE) consider a structured system for inviting women from different professions to give talks at our schools about what they have accomplished? Role models make a huge difference in life. Female students need more tangible examples that whatever obstacles they face in their future workplace can be overcome. Sexist attitudes can be formed and hardened during National Service.”
“More can be done in these professions to attract men and create male role models so that these industries, too, will gain the benefits of gender diversity. And finally, the state plays a huge role and a much bigger role in Singapore than in most developed countries relative to civil society and the private sector. The role of the state in Singapore is crucial in fostering the kind of gender equality of opportunity, choice and respect that should characterise Singapore. Is there more that the state can do? Yes. While progress has undoubtedly been made, the state can do more to promote greater flexibility in part-time work, job sharing and re-entry into the workforce for women who have taken a break for childcare. In this regard, I note the reply to my Parliamentary Question a few months ago on job sharing and part-time work in the Civil Service that those on such arrangements increased from about 1,500 in 2011 to about 2,000 in 2015. But this is still a small number and I suspect that even more civil servants would take this option if there was better assurance that career prospects would not be set back from a spell of part-time work and that it is easy to transition back to full-time work. Singapore's Civil Service is not only Singapore's biggest employer but an employer that often sets labour market norms by the power of its example. Having more civil servants on part-time and job sharing would set a powerful example to the private sector. This could, in turn, enable more women to join the workforce and also exit and re-enter more easily. The state should also step up efforts to root out discrimination based on gender, alongside any other kind of unworthy discrimination on anything other than performance.”
“Domestic helpers play their part, but they can only do so much and they are another category of women who need to be treated with respect. And most Singaporeans do not employ domestic helpers. Machines like the "irobot" floor cleaner can only do so much. Whatever work that is left over needs to be shared more equally. Yes, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, men can and should do more. I myself can and should do more. And the cornerstone of men doing more is to respect women as equal human beings. When that respect is practised beyond lip service and words but in day-to-day actions and thoughts, that respect will inevitably spill over to all social institutions. That respect will help eliminate the vestiges of inequality that women still face inside and outside our homes. Social norms are created every single day by our behaviour as individuals. We need to reflect on those behaviours which include our speech and our habits. No one should refer to a grown woman as a "girl" any more than we refer to grown men as "boys." More can be done by our companies. From corporate boardrooms to the cockpits of airlines, companies should take concrete steps to advance greater gender diversity in all roles, including management roles. There is a growing body of research that shows that gender diversity is not only correlated with better business performance but that there may be an actual causal connection between the two. Companies can, for example, promote mentorship programmes for older and more senior female employees to coach and counsel younger female employees. Gender diversity cuts both ways. Some professions tend to be dominated by women, like teaching, social work and nursing.”
“The norm of long working hours, which does not equate with high impact if productivity is low, places many women in the hardest of positions: stay longer at work and have to work at housekeeping and coaching children till late into the night, sacrificing sleep and health, or leave the workplace early and risk their promotion. Again, Singapore women are at the frontlines, this time of the issues of productivity and long working hours that Singapore is grappling with. Can men do more in the home? Yes, they can. In saying that, I do not downplay the contributions of the small number of stay-at-home fathers in Singapore. Nor do I want to downplay the role of the many, many husbands and fathers who play their part, a meaningful part in raising the children and keeping the home clean. But on the whole, Singapore men are no different from men all over the world. They can and they should do more in the home. Men can do more to be with their children. They can do more to guide their children's academic and character development. They can do more to form strong, close, trusting relationships with their children, relationships that will last till the end of our lives. For our children are among our most important companions in life's journey. Those relationships should be an immensely important part of what make a meaningful life. And those relationships are the touchstones of emotional stability, self-mastery and character, for both parents and children. For me, being a part of my children's lives as they are growing up has been not only emotionally rewarding but has been a huge source of wisdom and learning. Men can do more to keep the home clean.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, my Party Chairman, the hon Ms Sylvia Lim, is away on a Parliamentary trip in Bangladesh. But, like Sylvia, the eight male members of the Workers' Party (WP) in the Chamber today wish to affirm our strong support for the aspirations of Singapore women. Sir, it is said that women hold up half the sky. But I think, at present, they hold up even more than half. Men need to step up and hold their fair share. Women bear the lion's share of homemaking and childcare in our families. They are, for the most part, the most critical role models for our children during their precious formative years. Their care and their example shape the quality of the next generation of Singaporeans, thus setting the tone and the course for the future of this country. But all too often, Singapore women become the stressed tuition teacher-in-chief, fielding incessant almost day-to-day communications with their children's school administrators and teachers, coaching the kids in the evening, managing tuition classes, ferrying children to and from these classes. Singapore mothers are at the frontlines of an academic system that places a huge burden of academic content mastery on our children while layering ever more non-academic demands on top. Women also still bear the brunt of keeping the home clean − our homes. Women who work very often have to cook and clean after they return home from work. Singaporeans put in among the longest working hours in the world.”
“If this is introduced, it should be revenue-neutral with additional surcharges for mileage offset against other cost borne by motorists. Next, I would like to query the provisions relating to conducting an EEOA, so as to obtain a clearance certificate for a new venture, which is contained in a newly inserted section 26A. Existing businesses are also required to conduct such assessments for prescribed activities and premises under the new section 27(B). In the new section 27(B), an is defined as a systematic procedure by which adequate knowledge of energy consumption profile of any business activities or premises and cost-effective EE opportunities are identified and quantified. Madam, I would like to ask if the Ministry or NEA will be prescribing the format for such reports and also to recommend the standard, or perhaps several standards, of accreditation for organisations to provide such assessments, since some organisations would opt to work with third party consultants to generate such a report. Since this new legal requirement may trigger a growth in third party consultants producing such assessments, efforts should be undertaken in concert with industry bodies to ensure that consultants offering their services in this field to generate these reports are suitably qualified. The Ministry should also provide more guidance to those producing such assessments, whether they are done in-house or by third parties, to ensure that these assessments can be done in a focused and, hence, cost-effective way that meets the requirements of the law. Minimising the risk of over-reporting, and hence of consultancies over-charging, or of internal resources being wasted.”
“Mdm Speaker, the EC Bill seeks to update and improve the law that governs energy use among energy-intensive companies, so as to better position us to meet our greenhouse gas emission targets under the Paris Climate Change accord. Meeting these obligations is a matter of being responsible global citizens. But this is also about serving the national interest of Singapore, since we have the interest in managing sea level, ensuring clean air for our citizens and so on and so forth. I do not object to the thrust of the Bill, but I do have some queries and suggestions. The Bill moves us from CEVS to a VES that takes other harmful pollutant emissions into consideration, in addition to carbon dioxide. I agree that this is generally a good move, as it means that adopting a broader and more relevant definition of pollutant emissions, now in encompassing hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide and particulate matter. It is good that it will be a requirement to label the vehicular emissions instead of just the fuel economy of vehicles, given that we are not meeting our 2020 target for PM10, PM2.5 and ozone. However, under both CEVS and the new VES, rebates and surcharges are not given based on actual carbon or pollutant emissions. Rather, the rebates and surcharges are based on the vehicles' capacity to emit carbon or pollutants. Hence, the system incentives purchase of more energy-efficient vehicles, which is a good thing, but it does not incentive less mileage and, hence, less actual emission. I suggest that in future, we consider shifting towards an incentive system that incentivises the reduction of actual emissions, in addition to the purchase of less pollutive vehicles. Can this be considered post-2020, with the introduction of the ERP2.0 system?”
“I thank the Minister for his very comprehensive reply. Just two supplementary questions. Firstly, a clarification or confirmation, if you like. Am I correct to say the Minister has said that this data on freelancers, the proportion of freelancers who would prefer to have permanent appointment, would be collected and published from next year onwards? I just wanted to confirm that. My second question is on the fixed term contract workers. Will the Ministry consider collecting data on how many of them are currently on fixed term contracts but would prefer or are seeking to move to permanent employment? Would the Ministry consider collecting and publishing that data on a regular basis? That may be helpful to assess our effectiveness in generating permanent employment for the economy as a whole. I believe for part-time employment, there is a similar metric that is currently collected and published on part-time workers who would like to work more hours or would like to work full-time.”
“The then Finance Minister referred to a longer-term pipeline of future CEO candidates within Temasek on 24 March 2009. He said, "The current candidates for future CEO succession within Temasek mostly in their late 30s or 40s include Singaporeans as well as foreigners." This was after Mr Goodyear had been announced already. So, there would appear to have been a longer-term pipeline of candidates then in 2009. If the answer is the inability to find suitable candidates, I would like to ask why some of those candidates that had been identified then were not considered and have not been already put in place. The third and last supplementary question is: does the Ministry recommend any retirement age for senior management positions for Temasek and the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation. I ask that because I know that some private equity companies do have strict retirement age policies.”
“Madam, I thank the Senior Minister of State for her detailed answer. Just a few supplementary questions. Would the Senior Minister of State be in a position to share why the CEO succession was deemed necessary and timely in 2009 when one attempt was made but, subsequent to that, there has not been a succession event that has occurred? Is it in the view of the Board that it has become less necessary or is it because of the inability to find a suitable candidate? Secondly, if it is in relation to finding a suitable candidate, with your permission, Mdm Speaker, may I quote very briefly from the Hansard?”
“I would like to urge the Government to remove political conditions attached to arts funding, with exceptions solely for artworks that promote criminality, racial or religious tensions. Co-curating our Arts and Heritage”
“Madam, according to one recent survey of a thousand Singaporeans by Ipsos SSI, 42% would emigrate if given the chance. This is alarming. I have two suggestions. Firstly, would the Government consider a scheme to incentivise Singaporeans living abroad to return home? For example, New Zealand offers a one-off temporary tax exemption for certain types of foreign income for returning New Zealanders who did not reside in the country for 10 years prior. Malaysia has a similar Returning Expert Programme. My second point is on the management of the arts sector. I think a free and vibrant arts scene is probably not the number one consideration for most people's migration decision but neither is it completely irrelevant. Here, I would like to return to a theme I spoke about twice last year, which is, the conditions for Government support for the arts. The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye is a wonderful Singapore graphic novel that has won many, many local and international awards over the past one-and-a-half years and, yet, the National Arts Council (NAC) withdrew its publishing grant, citing that, "…it's re-telling of Singapore's history potentially undermines the authority or legitimacy of the Government and its public institutions". Managing the arts sector in this way risks creating a climate of self-censorship and politicisation of the arts. In so doing, it reduces one liveability factor and makes Singapore that much less attractive as a home for all its people, regardless of political viewpoint. 4.15 pm The same survey that I cited showed 59% of Singaporeans valuing "being just and fair to all" and 52% valuing "being progressive".”
“Mdm Chairman, at the last COS, I spoke about how Social Impact Bonds (SIBs) could help drive outcomes-based social policies in Singapore, such as reducing recidivism among ex-offenders. Pay for Success contracting (PFS) and Social Impact Bonds (SIBs) have been growing worldwide since 2010. One estimate has identified over 40 SIB and PFS projects worldwide in 2015, spanning subject areas like early childhood education, healthcare and recidivism. In Israel, an SIB is underway to help prevent pre-diabetics from contracting diabetes. The National University of Singapore (NUS) School of Public Health estimates that diabetes could cause Singapore $2.5 billion a year by 2050, not to mention the cost of human suffering. In Singapore, MOH could explore launching an SIB to raise funds for reliable non-government organisation (NGO) partners who can then work with pre-diabetics and diabetics to improve health indicators like blood sugar levels and emergency hospitalisation events. Philanthropic donors, foundations and so on could buy the bond. Such NGOs could then use the bond proceeds to fund programmes to help at-risk individuals manage their diets, for example. The state would redeem the bond and pay the donors only if outcomes are achieved, which makes for better use of state monies. 12.15 pm NGOs may be better placed than state entities to dream up and execute creative ideas that can nudge behavioural change in the face of entrenched habits, thus solving tricky social problems. I hope that MOH will look into the possibility of launching an SIB or PFS initiative to work with NGOs over the social challenge of diabetes. War on Diabetes”
“Just one clarification to the Parliamentary Secretary regarding the Maintenance Records Officer that he mentioned which the Minister announced last year. I would like to ask if this MRO has been appointed and started work and, if so, what sort of actions is the MRO currently taking to help the Courts take firmer action against those recalcitrant defaulters that the Parliamentary Secretary referred to. What sort of actions are underway? Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: Sir, the MRO's task is help us to identify those who can pay but do not want to pay. So, this will help the whole process on focusing on which among the spouses can pay and do not want to pay. There are cases whereby they really cannot pay. So, we have the SSOs to help. We believe this will help to somehow close the gap and to improve the processes and the system.”
“Mr Chairman, last year, my colleague, Assoc Prof Daniel Goh suggested establishing a Commissioner for the maintenance of families, empowered to recover maintenance on behalf of families and provide means-tested support where needed during the process. Today, coincidentally, is International Women's Day. I would like to repeat this call. The Department of Human Services Child Support in Australia can collect child support payments on behalf of the parent, investigate cases of non-payment and issue overseas travel bans, amongst other actions. The UK, too, has a child maintenance service that is empowered to take action against the defaulting party if maintenance is not paid. In our system, the onus still lies mainly on the claimant to make trips to Court to enforce the maintenance order. This can take a toll on the emotional well-being of spouses who are affected and may even affect their earning power if they have to repeatedly take leave from work to make visits to the Court. The current enforcement process is one that punishes claimants with unrepentant or spiteful ex-spouses. A central agency would help relieve this unjust burden. I would like to ask the Minister if the situation in this regard has improved since new measures were introduced in 2011 to strengthen maintenance enforcement. Lastly, the Minister also said last year that a maintenance records officer would be appointed to facilitate firm Court action against incorrigible defaulters. Has this officer been appointed? Can the Minister share more details on this office, including the staff and number of investigations that have commenced and concluded, as well as an assessment of the initial impact? Support for Unwed Mothers”
“I thank the Minister for his response. Just one supplementary question. Would the Minister be able to share if the PCMR in the past, at anytime in the course of its deliberations, has requested to interview any public servants or experts, or requested any data from the Government in order to assess the economic, social or other impact of any legislation?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Just a few supplementary questions. Firstly, is the Ministry monitoring the progress of drone port projects that appear to have started elsewhere, I believe in Rwanda and Nevada, USA, to see if there is something that we can learn from that? Secondly, is the Ministry considering any kind of central infrastructure in the future, when the technology is more mature, that could enable us to harness the economic benefits from the forthcoming drone industry for instance, maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), charging and other functions of that nature? Thirdly, could the Minister share an update on the regulatory framework, whether the Ministry is forward planning the regulatory framework for a future where, maybe a few years down the road, drones may be widely used in the logistics industry?”
“Mdm Chairperson, there are many prominent examples of former civil servants and military officers who have taken up senior appointments in GLCs. Often, such transitions happen when the individual is in his 40s. There are many examples of such appointments in the past, and some are also still currently serving. Madam, I have no doubt that the possibility of senior civil servants and military officers moving to GLCs when they reach a certain age helps us attract good talent to the Civil Service and Armed Forces, and that is not a negligible benefit. Young people contemplating a career in the Civil Service and Armed Forces would know that there is a pathway to enable them to move into the private sector should they choose to do so. However, has MOF considered if this benefit outweighs the potential downside, which is that our GLCs' senior posts may be filled by individuals who lack experience in their respective industries? Has MOF analysed the performance of GLCs during periods when they are headed by a former civil servant or army officer versus periods when they are headed by an industry veteran or a private sector veteran to see if there are any differences in business performance and organisational effectiveness? If so, what have been the findings? If not, would the Ministry consider doing such an analysis? Reviewing Corporate Regulations”
“Madam, just one brief clarification point to the Minister for Education (Schools). I thank him for his comments on the issue of class size, which is different from student-teacher ratio. I would like to ask the Minister: would he consider the class sizes that we have right now as optimal and, if not, what would be the optimal class size that MOE would want to move towards in the future years?”
“Early Detection of Dyslexia Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong (Non-Constituency Member): Sir, it has been reported that globally, 4% of each cohort of students suffer from dyslexia severe enough to require intervention. This would mean that there are about 1,600 children per cohort in Singapore who may have severe dyslexia. It was reported last year that the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS) has been assessing around 900 students each year, of which two-thirds are diagnosed with dyslexia. This means that there could be hundreds of children per cohort who have the condition but are not diagnosed. Currently, dyslexia assessment is done voluntarily based on pre-assessments by preschool and primary school teachers who would then make recommendations to parents. I believe it is timely for MOE to introduce mandatory and subsidised dyslexia screening at the preschool level. An assessment performed when the child is in the second half of the second year of kindergarten would give the parents more time to prepare the child for formal schooling. Studies have shown that early intervention helps the child to better catch up in reading and writing with their peers. Hiring of Persons with Disabilities in Schools”
“Mr Chairman, for many special needs students, navigating the public transport system on their own may be a daunting task. As a result, SPED schools and parents of special needs students depend on school buses. As a parent of two primary school children myself, I trudge down to the void deck of my flat to see my two kids off on their school buses on most mornings. Our school buses are a Singaporean institution and special needs students should not be excluded from that. Sir, I have encountered feedback from some VWOs running special needs schools that it is difficult for them to engage school bus contractors. This is because the bus operators for such routes may need to deploy additional manpower for special processes and equipment that may degrade commercial viability. What would the VWO do if no operator wants to take up a school bus tender? Not all VWOs have the means to buy and operate their vehicles. Will MOE consider fresh ideas to help special needs schools address this issue? 8.00 pm One suggestion is to require bus operators to support a certain number of special needs school bus routes as part of the contracting requirements under the Bus Contracting Framework. Another idea is to apply a state subsidy to bus contracts for special needs schools to make them commercially attractive. A one-off financial assistance package could also be applied to help school bus operators retrofit their buses to better cater to transporting special needs children, similar to the Land Transport Authority's (LTA's) assistance package rolled out in 2008 to help retrofit seat belts and provide booster seats on small buses. If successful, such schemes can be extended to day activity centres and sheltered workshops for persons with disabilities operated by VWOs.”
“Mr Chairman, we have debated the issue of class size in this House before. Class size is distinct from teacher-student ratio, which can be affected by many other factors. While there are different perspectives in the academic literature on the merits of smaller class sizes, some facts do stand out. Class sizes of international schools in Singapore are smaller than in local schools. Our class sizes are still significantly higher than the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average. And our typical class size has not changed very much since I was a child, and I need not remind Members that was a very long time ago. Our large class sizes are supplemented by remedial classes which can provide weaker students with more focused teaching and engagement. However, remedial classes have their downsides. Students who are required to attend remedial classes may feel stigmatised and become demoralised. Morale and self-esteem can have an effect on academic performance. Moreover, remedial classes extend hours for students and crimp time for other kinds of academic or character development. I would like to ask whether MOE has conducted any studies or if it has any data that assess the relative merits of smaller class sizes as opposed to maintaining the current system of larger class sizes plus remedial classes. Problems with Word Problems”
“Mr Chairman, just a quick point of clarification to Minister of State Chee regarding the issue of "live" Parliamentary broadcasts. The Minister of State alluded to the fact that someone looking at a "live" broadcast may not know what exactly he or she is looking at, whereas if you look at the video clips that have been uploaded, then those can be clearly labelled and so on. Does the Minister of State not recognise that that issue can be addressed by placing a single crawler on the screen to state who is speaking and what they are speaking about and what is the context. That is what we see on C-SPAN, for example, in the US. Would the Minister of State also not recognise that such "live" broadcasts could be done via a web platform rather than through the TV, and that could be very cost-effective?”
“Mdm Chairperson, IMDA offers various grants for media works. I would like to ask what IMDA is doing to promote private investment in Singapore films. Globally, new film financing models are emerging. These include loans, private equity and crowdfunding, with film production completion bonds being used to help independent filmmakers secure funding from these kinds of sources. What measure is IMDA taking to incentivise and promote private sector funding for the film industry, including novel funding sources? For example, are there tax incentives for private investors who fund movie productions? Would IMDA consider a co-investment scheme whereby the state can match private investors dollar-for-dollar, so as to kickstart the growth of movie private funding? Is IMDA supporting the development of a crowdfunding industry for films? 5.45 pm Such efforts may not only help commercially oriented funding but also encourage private funders to step forward to finance films for which they have a passion. A better financial ecosystem for film production in Singapore would place the industry on a more sustainable footing. Unleashing private funding will also help the cause of artistically or nationally important films that may be less commercially viable. I would also like to know how IMDA is supporting local filmmakers to offer content online, as this is a fastest growing platform for film consumption. All these are important for the quest to create more Singapore movies that can inspire us and help bring the light of Singapore to the world. Interdependence − the Key for Growth”
“Sir, just a brief clarification to the Minister regarding my third cut about secondment of private sector personnel to MTI. Are there any schemes or programmes right now which allow private sector personnel to be on secondment for short stints to MTI, or even another way around? If not, is this something that MTI may consider for the future?”
“Britain is also seeking private sector secondees to help prepare for the upcoming Brexit negotiations, which will be technically very complex. Japan similarly has private sector secondees working in its ministries to quite a significant extent. In Singapore, there could be good demand for secondments in both directions, as business executives and civil servants may see the benefits of a stint on the other side. Of course, there are some potential pitfalls of secondment − ensuring that the stints are not too long or too short, enabling secondees to adapt to a new work culture and so on − but these can be addressed through good human resource (HR) frameworks. Given the challenges of a 21st century economy and the predominance of lifelong civil servants in the upper echelons of public organisations and political officeholders, secondments from the private sector could better enable us to form and execute our economic policies. Government Adapting to Changes”