Liang Eng Hwa
Singapore
“Sir, in Mandarin, please. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] I would like to thank IMDA for its flexibility in allowing the filming of "Dear You" in the Teochew dialect, and for approving additional screenings to meet public demand.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. Sir, we hope that there will be peaceful resolution to the Middle East conflict soon and that the Strait of Hormuz will be fully open.”
“Sir, I believe the political office holders have not replied or responded to my cut on traffic congestion, so can I perhaps ask the Minister, whether is it because he disagrees with me that the traffic congestion has worsened or that there is no non-pricing solutions to traffic congestion, which I had asked for.”
“Sir, Minister Chee, in his speech mentioned that this year we will be launching 19,600 new BTO flats. So, I would like to ask, how he sees the trajectory in the next two, three years.”
“Also, flexible work arrangements, through inter-agency coordination, could also help flatten peak demand. Sir, road pricing remains important, of course, but it must be a multi-pronged approach to manage congestions. And all these suggestions that I have made, I hope would also help to reduce congestions.”
“Thank you, Speaker. Sir, there are Singaporeans who felt strongly that the founding Prime Minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew's original wish to have the house demolished should be respected. It is not just because this is his personal wish but also the values that he espouse, which is not to have personal monuments.”
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“We just need to bring everyone on board, instil ownership and pride in what we do, ensure that there are adequate support and resources for people to do their job well, and to build a strong sense of purpose that each of us can make a difference. I agree with Minister Heng Swee Keat that we do have this ethos and DNA within us, and I am sure we can do a better job, going forward. So, with that, I support the Budget, Sir.”
“In other words, besides doing big things right and well, which is critical, the public also expects those who are mandated to deliver public services to achieve operational excellence and do the last 5% well, too. This entails a different mindset at both the organisational and leadership levels as to how we look at operations and the daily functioning of services. Operational responsibilities cannot be just delegated to line managers, supervisors or individual employees. It is a collective responsibility of the management and their employees, with each employee at the individual level taking ownership and pride in carrying out their duties and responsibilities. Minister Heng Swee Keat, in his article, also mentioned about leaning from the Japanese and the Swiss who have a strong sense of personal responsibility in what they do at work and a meticulous attention to details. It reminds me of this story about President John Fitzgerald Kennedy's visit to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 1961. He met a janitor or cleaner who was mopping the floor as he walked in and asked what he was doing. The janitor replied, "I am helping put a man on the moon!" The leadership and the management set the culture. But it must manifest through the actions of every individual and on a daily basis. Management must take deeper interest in what each of their employees is doing, what their daily challenges and pain points are, whether the employee is adequately resourced to do the work and how can we improve their work situation and employee journey. Sir, our system as a whole is in a good position to deliver the excellent service to our people.”
“Sir, based on the estimates from Budget 2019, the accumulated surplus from this term of government is projected to be about $15.6 billion, after allowing for the projected deficits of $3.5 billion for financial year (FY) 2019. Under the Constitution, this amount not spent will be locked up as past Reserves in the new term of government. With about two more years of the term to go, I would like to ask the Finance Minister how he envisages the accumulated surpluses for this term of government to be utilised. Sir, my final point relates to the recent spate of incidents and lapses involving public service and public service providers. These series of incidents have naturally raised concerns whether the standards in the delivery of public services have slackened. In each of these incidents, the Government has been transparent in getting to the root of the problem, holding the organisations or companies accountable, and each time committing to take the necessary corrective measures. I appreciate Minister Heng Swee Keat's article to the Straits Times on 9 February 2019, reaffirming the Government's commitment to strive for the highest standards of excellence in Singapore. Singapore has always been effectively governed and has achieved very commendable outcomes for our people. Whether it is growing our economy and creating jobs, building a liveable home or building a harmonious society, providing law and order or securing our sovereignty, we have always gotten our fundamentals right. We always do what is right for the long-term good of the country. I am sure Singaporeans feel proud of our achievements. But we also know that the public wants their day‐to‐day services to run well, too, and to have minimal disruption in the delivery of services as they go about their daily lives.”
“Sir, Budget 2019 will have a long‐lasting impact in many areas, such as national security, economic transformation, helping our workers, infrastructural development and enhancing the social safety net. For a Budget to be impactful, having the required financial resources is, of course, a given. But we also need the right strategic plans and the ability to carry out the plans coherently across financial years and across terms of government. We are in this enviable position because, in each Budget since our founding years, we have always been prudent and steadfast in resisting the temptation to spend more than necessary. As the base of our Reserves grow, the investment returns have now become the largest revenue contributor, helping us balanced the Budget, which we would otherwise run into deficits. Given this is the case, our Budgets in recent years, including Budget 2019, are, by definition, expansionary budgets, with the Net Investment Returns Contribution (NIRC) the stimulus injection. Of course, we cannot count on NIRC to fund all our expenditures. Growing the economy to generate tax revenues and create good jobs for our people continue to be critical to our long‐term survival. The Constitution requires the Government of the day to maintain a balanced Budget over each term so as to ensure that public funds are allocated sustainably. This arrangement has worked well for Singapore, requiring the Government of the day to be disciplined and prudent in managing our finances, and sharing of the fruits of our better economic performances whenever surpluses are generated. The surpluses are also used to fund massive social and healthcare programmes, like the PGP and MGP, without adding the burden to future generations.”
“Building more polyclinics and the introduction of the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) have made affordable primary care more accessible to the people. The enhancement in CHAS to cover all Singaporeans for chronic conditions, regardless of income, is another indication of our improving social safety net. As a further icing on the cake, we now have the Merdeka Generation (MG) Package (MGP), which will have benefits better than the Blue CHAS card. I support the decision not to have means-testing for the MGP, just like the Pioneer Generation (PG) Package (PGP). These are a very special generation who went through some of the most trying times during our pre and early Independence years. Sir, to help with large hospital bills, we now have the enhanced MediShield Life coverage covering all Singaporeans, including those with pre‐existing conditions. To protect against the uncertainties of long‐term care costs, we will soon transit into CareShield Life. Premiums for both schemes can be paid using MediSave, which is why it is helpful that the Government constantly look to top up the MediSave account of Singaporeans whenever we have Budget surpluses. Both MediShield Life and CareShield Life are now administered by the Government. My ask to the Ministry of Finance (MOF) and MOH is that we should continually looking to enhance the terms of the coverage. Whenever there are surpluses, we should consider one‐off injections into the risk pool to continually improve the claims economics for the insured. Overall, credit must be given to MOH and Minister Gan Kim Yong for their tremendous efforts to strengthen our massive healthcare system and for giving Singaporeans much better peace of mind today. Fourthly, on fiscal management.”
“Sir, I like the statement from the Finance Minister that starting from 1 April 2020, all transformation efforts supported by ESG's EDG must include positive outcomes for workers, such as wage increases. Growing the economy is a means to an end, and the end must be to create good jobs and better salaries for our people. We have seen how economic growth in other developed economies has not always led to better workers’ outcomes and resulting in deep divisions within their societies. At the end of the day, economic development cannot be delinked from the social well-being of the people. Thirdly, on healthcare support. For many years, the Government has been highlighting the challenges of our ageing demographics and have put in place a series of long‐term policies to deal with this imminent development. One serious implication of an ageing society is that healthcare needs will grow, will increase. The Government has put its money where its mouth is. Over the years, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has expanded the healthcare infrastructure, such as hospitals, polyclinics, senior care centres and many others. At the community level, there are also more social support, such as the Community Network for Seniors (CNS) and the People's Association's (PA) Wellness Programme, as well as the many voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) working with the community organisations. The Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) and Silver Generation Office (SGO) are today better resourced to assist and engage seniors. Besides the infrastructure, healthcare support must also include providing assurance that healthcare services will be affordable and that individuals will have adequate savings and insurance coverage to meet their old age needs.”
“Sir, I support the reduction of services sector S Pass Sub‐Dependency Ratio Ceiling (DRC) to address the sharp growth of S Passes in this sector. It is not sustainable, both economically and socially, to keep having more and more foreign workers in the workforce. In particular, such mid‐level skills labour is also increasingly in demand in other countries as well and companies will, in a matter of time, face competition in getting those workers to come in. Hopefully, this tightening will also signal to companies that they need to revamp their work processes, redesign jobs and reskill their local workers. There are already almost 200,000 S Pass holders in the workforce now. Our S Pass system should be structured in a way where companies are given more S Pass only if they have more local workers at mid‐ to high‐wage levels and demonstrate high value contribution to the economy. We should strengthen this linkage. Can I also suggest that the companies that have been shown to hire more displaced or retrenched local workers, for example, via Workforce Singapore (WSG) or the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i), be given favourable consideration for their renewal of S Passes as well? At the end of the day, we want more of the S Pass type of jobs to be undertaken by Singaporeans, whether they are seniors, Institute of Technical Education (ITE) or polytechnic graduates or back‐to‐work mothers. Tightening of the foreign worker quota is understandably painful to companies which are unable to find local workers. I hope that with the EDG and PSG extended and expanded, it would help firms adjust to this round of tightening of the labour market. I look forward to hearing more details at the MTI COS on the measures.”
“Under the scheme, participating local firms can receive funding support of up to 70% of costs. These are markets in our immediate neighbourhood where we need to strengthen our connectivity and expand the talent pool of people. I thank the Finance Minister for extending the Career Support Programme (CSP) for another two years. CSP is a much‐appreciated scheme by both companies and workers. The programme encourages companies to hire mature workers who may have been in long-term unemployment by subsidising a significant share of the workers' salary. Rather than renew this programme every two to three years, I hope that the Government can turn the CSP into a permanent scheme. Of course, the terms can be refined from time to time to meet changing circumstances. It will give workers, especially mature workers, who are concerned about their job security a sense of assurance that the Government will be there to help in their transition to a new job. It will also demonstrate the Government's resolve to keep long-term and structural unemployment to the lowest possible level even as our economy becomes more innovative‐ and technology‐driven. To encourage employment of older workers, the Special Employment Credit (SEC) scheme and the Additional SEC have been extended by another year. SEC provides a wage offset to employers for hiring workers aged above 55 earning up to $4,000 per month. These are consistent with our strategy to tackle the twin challenges of a tightening labour market and our ageing demographics. The enhancement to the Workfare Income Supplement Scheme (WIS) is another piece of welcome news, especially to low-wage workers. The higher payouts of up to $4,000 per year will help low-wage workers cope with the cost of living.”
“We will await more details from the Committee of Supply (COS) debate on the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI). But the instinctive question I have in mind is whether such schemes, being customised and, hence, selective in nature, would involve some extent of picking winners? Would the Scale‐Up SG be a separate track of work from the Industry Transformation Maps (ITMs)? How do we eventually expand or scale up the Scale‐Up SG to move the needle for the economy? Second, on supporting our workers. Sir, I am most heartened that the Finance Minister has again committed solid budgetary support to help Singaporean workers stay employed and be re‐employed. Out of the $4.6 billion allocated to transforming the economy, a lion's share of $3.6 billion will go towards helping our workers. It underscores the Government's resolve to help workers adjust to the future economic landscape, no matter how difficult the adjustments may be. Among others, the Professional Conversion Programme (PCP) will be expanded to cover new growth areas. This would help jobseekers reskill to transit into new occupations or sectors with good prospects and opportunities for progression. PCP, which is part of the Adapt and Grow initiative, has since achieved encouraging results, helping 76,000 jobseekers find jobs in the last three years. But we should continually raise the bar here, aiming not only to help even more jobseekers find new jobs but also to improve the overall experience of the jobseekers. The newly harmonised Global Ready Talent Programme (GRTP) will help young Singaporeans gain overseas work experience in the key growth regional markets where we are seeking greater economic interdependencies, such as Southeast Asia, China and India.”
“Besides financing, companies that are in the scaling up phase also often need private capital from investors who are more patient and with a longer time horizon. Hence, the additional $100 million injection to establish the SME Co‐Investment Fund III can act as a catalyst to entice even more crucial investments in these high-growth potential companies. Of course, there is no guarantee of success in such co‐investments, but it is necessary to make available such risk capital so as to give promising startups a lift. Sir, today, our economy is more innovative‐ and technology‐driven and we do have a vibrant startup ecosystem. More new‐to‐economy activities have also been developed in recent years, such as the proliferation of FinTechs, sharing economy apps, deep tech ventures and so on. Progressing from startup to scale‐up is the next logical move. Startups and enterprises can only thrive when they scale up and seek greater market opportunities. To achieve this, we must be open to trying new approaches to grow our enterprises. From an economic resource allocation standpoint, it makes excellent sense to help grow the sizes of our companies, especially the smaller enterprises. Bigger companies enjoy better economies of scale advantages and are in a better position to expand, innovate, internationalise and manage business risks. In general, larger companies tend to be bigger value contributors to the economy as a proportion and offer better job opportunities for Singaporeans. The new Scale‐Up SG programme is a bold move to help fast track growth for promising enterprises. I would imagine that such a programme will offer highly customised assistance which may entail differentiated support and assistance, better financial support for the adoption of technology and so on.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to touch on four areas of Budget 2019, namely, Growing our Enterprises; Supporting our Workers; Healthcare Support; and Fiscal Management. Firstly, on growing enterprises. Budget 2019 continues to press on with efforts to build competitive enterprises within our economy with greater focus and emphasis on changes at the microeconomic level. The slew of schemes and programmes announced aims at helping enterprises deepen capabilities and to scale up. Besides new schemes, such as Scale‐up SG, Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Co‐Investment Fund III and the Innovation Agent Programme, the Finance Minister has also extended and enhanced existing schemes, such as the Enterprise Development Grant (EDG), the Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG) and others, with the intent to boost effectiveness and reap better outcomes. Eight existing financing schemes offered by Enterprise Singapore (ESG) were also streamlined into a single Enterprise Financing Scheme (EFS), making it simpler for businesses to apply and easier to access the loans. The merged EFS is also extended to companies which have been incorporated for less than five years and may not have yet met the credit evaluation criteria or vintages as required by banks. The Government's willingness to risk sharing up to 70% of the loan amount significantly enhances the lending proposition which would encourage more financial institutions to participate. The ability to obtain financing means a great deal to companies, especially those in the early growth phase. Being able to readily access funding and liquidity can make or break a company. This is an essential enabler for a flourishing enterprise ecosystem to exist.”
“I am glad that the Minister said that the CPF Board will review the letter that is sent to members when the members reach age 65. I hope that the CPF Board can review this particular statement that is made in the letter, "No action is required if you wish to start your payout at age of 70". This line is in bold; it is repeated twice. This is the only line that is in bold. Perhaps that is the reason why people are confused and are thinking if there is a shift in the payout age. Indeed, like the Minister said, this is a new policy after some changes over the years. Perhaps, more thoughtful communication should be put out, should be considered, so that there are no unnecessary anxieties caused to the members.”
“Sir, the Minister mentioned about the IGO. I would like to ask the Minister how more effective can the IGO be than the current setup. I believe we have the SSRD. What difference, how much more different and how much effective can it be? Secondly, the Minister mentioned about servicemen being able to report near misses or incidents. I know some servicemen, for some reasons, may not want to report some of these incidents because of unit cohesion and other matters as well. Can I ask the Minister: is there a way, whether MINDEF or SAF would, maybe go directly to the servicemen to do surveys to get an overall sense of training risks and then, from there, perhaps get to be more aware of incidents that could happen on the ground?”
“Mr Speaker, earlier on, the Minister mentioned about Singapore honouring our agreements. Indeed, Singapore more than honoured our agreements on many occasions; just last week, we supplied an additional six million gallons per day (mgd) of treated water to Johor state. I want to ask the Minister whether the Johor authorities appreciate what Singapore had done and, if not, should we look at reviewing the terms again on how we supply treated water to Johor?”
“Thank you, Sir. I would like to join Members to congratulate the Foreign Affairs Minister for a successful 2018 in terms of foreign relations and putting Singapore on the world map. If I may add on another achievement for 2018, it is also Singapore Parliament hosting the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), where we had the opportunity to discuss many issues, like deepening regional economic integration, and also meet with many new Members of Parliament, including those from Malaysia. My question is on RCEP. I would like to ask the Minister whether he sees the prospect of RCEP concluding next year? And whether during the ASEAN Leaders Summit, does the Minister sense the political will to conclude the RCEP? And what could be the obstacles there? And the final point is to assure the Minister that as he represents Singapore in the various places, including Argentina, his Group Representation Constituency Members of Parliament stand ready to cover his duties when he is not around.”
“Sir, while I can appreciate the merits of the social enterprise model and, indeed, we should continue to let the model evolve, I want to ask the Minister or Senior Minister of State whether the social enterprise model is the only way to go for new hawker centres. Is NEA open to other models as well, such as, for example, Management Corporation Stata Title (MCST)-type, where the hawkers can come together to self-manage, or for NEA to still run the new hawker centres at least for a while and then transiting to the non-NEA-run model?”
“From the Senior Minister of State's reply, it seems that the originating cause of the power supply disruption on 18 September is due to the trip in SembCorp Cogen's generating units. So, can I ask the Senior Minister of State whether such trips do occur quite often to other generation companies (gencos) as well and whether EMA sees power trips at gencos as a potential weak link that needs to be addressed? Secondly, can I also ask whether EMA carries out audit checks on gencos, including unnotified ones, to ensure that they do carry out their contractual obligations and that the regime is strictly followed?”
“Sir, I want to take this opportunity to thank the NEA officers for carrying out those enforcement actions, often in very difficult circumstances. I want to ask the Senior Minister of State who mentioned that we are expanding, that there will be more areas prohibited for smoking. Even as we expand these areas, I want to ask the Senior Minister of State whether there are plans to step up or expand the enforcement team, whether there is enough manpower on the ground to do it as, otherwise, there is no deterrent, and also whether there are investments into surveillance equipment to also step up the enforcement there. Secondly, the Senior Minister of State talked about smokers who smoke at home. I would like to ask the Senior Minister of State whether there are, indeed, more smokers now smoking at home. And is that because of more areas that are prohibited from smoking and, therefore, many of them have moved back to their homes and smoke and, therefore, cause other externalities to their neighbours and so on.”
“This question is for Minister Iswaran. My sense, after hearing what the Minister said in the Statement, is that we are really at the mercy of these state-linked cyberattackers, almost to operate on their terms. So, I want to ask the Minister whether besides the defensive measures that we take, are there any counter-offensive measures that we can also take as part of cybersecurity strategy so that we can not only defend but also deter such attacks.”
“Sir, I thank the Senior Minister of State for the information and also thank the NEA officers for the hard work, carrying out 32,000 enforcement actions last year. The fact that NEA has committed significant resources to enforce against high-rise littering, including the deployment of surveillance cameras, rightly show that NEA and the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources are concerned about the situation of high-rise littering in our neighbourhoods. Hence, I want to ask the Senior of Minister of State: why is there a difference in the approach and actions by NEA when it comes to enforcement actions, whether it is public housing or private housing or the Executive Condominiums (EC) and the condominiums, especially where littering does pose safety concerns? Secondly, if the EC or the condominium managing agent were to seek help from NEA to carry out such enforcement actions, can NEA assist in those situations, especially where the littering situation is very serious and a concern for safety? Lastly, would the Ministry keep an open mind and review the need to amend the legislation as, otherwise, NEA will have to resort to a private suit to take the culprit to task in ECs and private estates?”
“Sir, I would like to thank the Minister for a very comprehensive reply. I am heartened that the Government is paying attention to this issue and harnessing the whole of Government, whole of society, to deal with this ongoing concern. I have a further question for the Minister. While I appreciate the efforts that are targeted primarily at our low-income Singaporeans to cope with the increase in cost of living, I would like to ask the Minister what more can the Government do to help the sandwich middle-income group. This group is unlikely to qualify for most of the schemes, or the subsidies are always often tiered lower due to their higher income. Understandably, they do aspire to live well and they also want to have a better lifestyle, whether it is wants or needs. They are feeling that the household expenditures are also rising as their financial commitment increases. I would like to ask the Minister how can the Government help this group deal with the "money-not-enough" cost pressure that they are facing.”
“Mr Speaker, I want to thank the Minister for his clarification so that we can avoid all these very creative interpretations of accounts statements by the Statutory Boards. I just want to follow up with a question to the Minister. Given the rising demand for water in the coming years, what are the upcoming major investments in the water supply infrastructure in the next decade? What amount of capital expenditure is the Government envisaging? And how are we going to fund them? Is this going to be from PUB’s balance sheet, or from the Government’s injections?”
“Sir, I thank the Minister for Transport for his strong commitment to improve the reliability of the BPLRT and also for his frequent visits to Bukit Panjang town to observe the public transport system. Among the planned renewal works, one of those that the residents really like very much and welcome is the replacement of the 19 new trains. That is most appreciated. But the not so ideal part is that the timeline appears to be quite a distant future. If I remember correctly, it is the third quarter of 2020 for the first two, and the remaining ones like in the fourth quarter of 2022. Can I ask the Minister if he can find ways to bring the delivery of the train cars forward because the old ones are really quite worn out? I think the Minister must have tried that before. The rides are quite bumpy and the air-conditioning is always not working well. So, if the Minister can see if he can do something about it to bring it forward – 谋事在人。See if you can do it.”
“For Singaporeans who have served NS, they will not be unfamiliar with this word, "keng". Sometimes, the commanders will use it, with the good intention, to make the soldier work harder to give their best and also for the unit camaraderie. So, they say “do not keng" or “do not skive”. But we do know that, sometimes, soldiers are genuinely unwell and are, hence, not able to perform up to mark. Sometimes the commanders are not able to read this right, or make a right judgement and, sometimes, not give the soldiers the benefit of the doubt and, therefore, to take him off from the training. So, I want to ask the Minister, how does the SAF strike a balance, especially, in our case, where some of our National Servicemen are just fresh from school and may not have the temperament and ability to make the right decision to manage such situations? Also, how do we use more positive ways to encourage our soldiers to give of their best rather than a negative way of saying "don't keng" and, therefore, that is how we should go about? Should we look at how we can eradicate this form of practice that we see even in the good old days? Till today, I believe this is still happening. How can we use a more positive way to encourage soldiers to give of their best?”
“Under the future economy strategy, we continue to make bold moves to build the digital economy, to deepen transformation efforts via the 23 ITMs and to strive ahead with a whole-of-system effort to build a future-ready workforce. The game plans are there and we are well-resourced to carry out those plans. What we need next is to excite the businesses to see these opportunities, seek to upgrade their capabilities through the ITMs or others and build a solid bench strength of talents to seek the new frontiers. Mr Speaker, I support the Motion. 2.14 pm”
“We need to seek more access so that we can participate into China’s inbound and outbound capital flows that are destined to grow further and to position ourselves as one of the key trading and settlement centres for RMB as it becomes more internationalised. Finally, Sir, while we are increasingly more selective in attracting MNCs to Singapore, it remains an important strategy for us. MNCs can also serve as a connector for Singapore to the rest of the world. The MTI Addendum stated it very well that MNCs bring along with them ideas, innovative capabilities and create new values for Asian markets. In working with local suppliers, it helps to transfer knowledge and deepen capabilities of our enterprises and keeps us abreast of developments and trends in the global marketplace. When MNCs hub their regional critical functions here, whether it is marketing, operations, finance or R&D, it helps to add yet another layer of business linkage where local and other international enterprises can be networked into. We can foster greater partnership between local companies, MNCs and Asian conglomerates to venture into other regional locations and, together, leverage on one another's strengths, as well as share the risks. Mr Speaker, our economy must stay relevant to the world and the region. It is on this basis that we build our value as a vibrant economy. On the economic front, we have never shied away from making bold decisions or taking bold actions, whether it is investing huge capital into building worldclass infrastructures like airports and seaports, or reclaiming Jurong Island to develop it into a petrochemical complex. More recently, we invested significantly to build R&D capabilities and also took bold actions to reduce our dependence on foreign labour.”
“There will be more demand of such talents going forward, with an economically busy Asia and with mega initiatives, such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) taking off with more large-scale projects in the region. We need a bigger pool of talents with deep knowledge of the regional markets, able to deal with the local market's complexity and its risk, understand the different jurisdictions, business practices, cultures and even languages and ability to develop professional and workable relationships with these entities, among others. The financial sector ITMs can continuously monitor the state of talent flows and also track whether we have fared well in expanding the Singaporean Core. Mr Speaker, as China grows and internationalise in leaps and bounds, we should look to expand our connectivity with China further. The Chongqing Connectivity Initiative (CCI) Southern Transport Corridor (STC) is an innovative positioning to leverage on the BRI and also on what we can offer. We also look forward to the conclusion of the upgraded China-Singapore FTA to expand trade relations. In the last decade, the Chinese yuan or RMB has been progressively internationalised. Singapore is now one of the RMB clearing centres and China has extended its RMB Qualified Foreign Institutional Investors (RQFII) programme to Singapore. RMB is gaining credentials to be another reserve currency of the world and we will see more international transactions settled in RMB in the decades ahead. For Singapore to stay relevant as a financial centre, the connectivity to China’s financial markets is crucial.”
“It is, therefore, imperative that Singapore further scale up its financial connectivity capacity, both in breadth and depth so that it can fully benefit from the growing opportunities. I am heartened that the ITM for financial services sets out a comprehensive strategy to grow the sector by 4.3% per annum and to create 4,000 jobs every year, including 1,000 jobs in the fintech sector. Talent remains the key and we have to expand and deepen the talent pool, perhaps even bringing back early-retired financial professionals to help top-up our pool of expertise. There is high demand for talents in many areas. For example, given the booming infrastructural needs in the region, best-in-class regional specialists are needed to structure complex cross-border financing and to anchor its value in Singapore; or in the insurance sector, with more global and regional insurance companies setting up presence in Singapore, they are in need of solution specialists to address emerging risks in the region. Recently, I read in the news that Citibank has set up a China desk in Singapore to advise and service their Chinese clients that are investing into ASEAN. I suppose they do that because they see Singapore as having the needed professionals with the expertise and familiarity in the regional economies and, at the same time, is equipped to also serve their Chinese clients that are internationalising into the region. Here, the talent in Singapore becomes the connector between the Chinese companies in China and the regional opportunities in, say, ASEAN, through the Singapore platform. This would be a significant niche for ourselves that is not easily replicable.”
“The Singapore platform must have capabilities to harness the value of data and to be a trusted hub for data and AI, which are increasingly part of the connectivity value chain. We need to design a facilitative regulatory framework for a data-driven economy to thrive. The innovation and entrepreneurial connectivity is also another dimension to add new intrinsic value into the Singapore network. We do have an increasingly vibrant startup scene. Singapore is now an established hub for R&D activities involving the research institutes, IHLs and the enterprises. This is in line with FEC’s plans to build a Global Innovation Alliance (GIA) which serves as a platform for innovation collaboration between Singapore-based enterprises and institutions with overseas partners. Singapore is well-suited to be part of the global innovation value chain because of the integrity of our system. Innovators can be assured that their IPs or their data will be protected and we must resolutely safeguard this advantage. Our highly trusted legal system and its enforceability are among the key cornerstones for Singapore to be the reputable global financial centre that it is today. And this is one connectivity that we must continually strengthen and ensure that we stay ahead. Mr Speaker, at this juncture, I would like to declare my interest that I work in a financial institution involved in financial services. A vibrant financial sector is integral to Singapore being a globally connected city and a competitive economy. As Asia continues its strong growth trajectory, demand for financial services in the region will grow exponentially, whether it is trade finance, enterprise finance, infrastructure finance, capital markets, wealth management or risk management.”
“The Addendum outlined the strategy that by further enhancing our connectivity in the non-physical dimensions, it will facilitate companies and people from around the world to do business with Singapore, through Singapore and on Singapore platforms. And through both the excellent physical and digital connectivity, we can add value to the flows of capital, goods and services, whether they may be conducted in or through Singapore or elsewhere. This is a refreshing mindset to look at how we can extract greater value from the network, where connectivity begets further connectivity. If executed well, this would position Singapore as a key node in Asia and open up new streams of opportunities for Singapore companies and Singaporeans. For this to work, we need to deepen our digital capabilities and infrastructure. We need to digitally connect with other jurisdictions, such as the currently being negotiated ASEAN Innovation Network, as well as with other key commercial players in the digital space. There are already bilateral digital initiatives being pursued, such as the Blk 71 Launchpads in Indonesia, Suzhou and San Francisco. And with more of such linkages, it would proliferate further ideas and business flows. Upping the game in digital capabilities is already a major thrust in the future economy strategy. Both at the enterprises and individual skills level, the Government is already driving adoption of digital technology, as well as helping the workforce with the requisite skills through ITMs and other initiatives. Sir, products, services, transactions and queries-generated data are of valuable commercial insights. Consumers today are prepared to pay for customisation, instantaneous response and a competitive premium for efficiency and quality.”
“I understand that, so far, the partnerships and collaborations among companies that venture overseas are sporadic, informal and not well-curated at times. The sectoral-focused ITMs are important ecosystem set-ups to uplift capabilities. But it may be too vertically aligned to help enable cross-sectoral collaborations when companies venture overseas. So, an overlay of horizontal linkages across different sectoral ITMs can better bring out the synergistic value between companies and, hopefully, help to bear more fruits. The merged Enterprise SG is now the main workhorse but we can leverage on the bigger TACs which have an overseas presence, as well as the large-size leading Singapore conglomerates which could act like queen bees to bring the smaller companies along and collaborate. Mr Speaker, the other area is to enhance our connectivity with the rest of the world in the non-physical dimensions. Singapore has been successful in developing regional hubs. It has helped better connect and plug our tiny island to the rest of the world. We should continue to invest and upgrade our physical connectivity, such as building Terminal 5, Tuas Mega Port and other infrastructure to stay ahead of the pack. But we know that many economies are also having similar aspirations and many do want to model after the Singapore experience. With enough capital and enough political determination, there is no stopping these countries in the region from building and replicating physical hubs, such as ports, airports or new specific-themed hubs. So, just competing on building more state-of-the-art physical infrastructure alone is not enough to maintain our superiority in global connectivity. We need to work on soft attributes, as the new MTI Addendum has charted.”
“We should ride on the momentum to expeditiously conclude the RCEP, which includes key players like China, India, Korea and all of the ASEAN countries. That will demonstrate to the world a strong commitment to free trade from Asia and a further indication that the centre of gravity of the world economy is shifting to Asia. At the same time, we should continue to work on bilateral linkages. There is great value in seeking more bilateral FTAs, such as the one we have just signed with Sri Lanka this year, which offers tangible benefits to Singapore companies doing business with Sri Lanka. We should also develop new government-to-government (G-to-G) business platforms with regional economies that come with complementary propositions. Such business platforms, which may be at local levels, are useful in-market networks for Singapore businesses. These additional linkages, designed with balanced two-way business reciprocity, would help mitigate our overall trade-related exposures, strengthen our economic resilience and also sustain healthier on-going trade and investment relations. Understandably, as companies venture into newer and less familiar emerging markets, it does come with more risks and challenges for the companies. Here, the economic agencies and the TACs can do more to help companies to moderate the steep learning curve. It can help companies that are entering into new markets by providing the regions’ specific insights and research, assist with grants and support programmes and, of increasing importance, to facilitate effective networking in overseas markets among Singaporean companies. The sense among companies that I have encountered is that we have yet to finesse the way to “hunt in packs” when venturing overseas.”
“How can the Singapore of tomorrow do better than the Singapore of today?" In the case of developing our economy, much of the “what next” is already outlined in the CFE recommendations, which blueprint the transformation strategy to build our future economy. There is a comprehensive set of actionable initiatives there. Among them, an important workstream is to further internationalise the economy, which is the focus of my speech. We know the realities of being small. There is only so much more growth you can squeeze out of our small domestic economy. Just counting on our domestic market would not be enough to create more and better jobs for aspiring Singaporeans and more business opportunities for growth-seeking companies. So, we need to expand our economic frontiers and, in so doing, look to also further diversify our portfolio and open up new dimensions of growth. Sir, I will touch on two areas. Firstly, in the area we have done well, that is, in trade and investments connectivity. Growing our trade flows and investments continues to be a viable strategy for Singapore, given our still compelling propositions and the opportunities that are out there within our reach. The escalating trade tensions between global economic powers are areas of concerns but that should not dampen our spirit. Instead, we should look to build even more trade and investment links with more countries and to spread our risks. I am glad that the remaining 11 countries of the TPP persisted to conclude the TPP 11, now known as CPTPP, despite the US’ withdrawal. It is a strong signal that there are enough like-minded countries who believe that stronger economic linkages are mutually beneficial.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Motion of Thanks to the President in the name of Miss Cheryl Chan. I will speak on one of the key themes outlined in the Addendum to the President’s Address for the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI), which is entitled “Staying Connected with the World as our Hinterland”. Singapore is already a highly internationalised economy. Our total trade to GDP ratio at about 400% is the highest in the world. We are among the top 15 largest exporter and largest importer in the world. Singapore has an extensive network of 22 implemented FTAs, with 12 others in the works. We are among the largest foreign investors in some of the major economies, including the US, China and ASEAN, despite our smaller GDP relative to those economies. Conversely, an estimated 37,000 international companies have their headquarters in Singapore, including about 7,000 MNCs. And EDB continues to draw in about $10 billion worth of foreign investments into Singapore each year. Singapore is well-regarded as a key global financial hub and a major risk management centre in Asia. All these and the other attributes of us being an open and internationalised economy have contributed to the growth and vibrancy of the Singapore economy in the last five decades. It created good salaried jobs for Singaporeans, good business opportunities for our companies as well as, importantly, generated financial resources for the Government to fund its expenditures. Notwithstanding what we have achieved, which is no mean feat, staying still has never been an option for Singapore. It will never be. Like every aspect and at every stage of our nation-building journey and, as what the President has said in her Address, we will always ask, “What is next for Singapore?”
“I just want to ask the Minister, what about after the rental flats are done, would you consider the studio apartments as well, because it is mostly seniors living there?”
“What have been done to improve the business operating environment for hawkers and to help the new entrants? Improving productivity in hawker centres is a critical undertaking. The aim is to address manpower constraints and to keep costs competitive. However, many of the productivity initiatives would also require significant cash outlay upfront and may increase operating costs for the hawkers. 1.45 pm I read at the NEA website of the Hawkers' Productivity Grant. Can I ask how has the utilisation rate been like? And how could we encourage more hawkers to tap on the grant to improve productivity? Hawker centres can be more than just a place for good food. It can also be useful social spaces where we build a sense of community and belonging. How can NEA help inject more vibrancy into the hawker centres and encourage more fringe activities to be held at the hawker centres? Finally, we read in the news about the differing views on the tray return practices and how it has not worked as well. Have NEA done a review and what plans does NEA have to improve the tray return rates in the hawker centres? Mr Chairman, I am thankful that the hawker centre at my constituency will start construction this year and due for completion in 2020. I welcome NEA to try out the various new initiatives at our soon-to-be-built hawker centre at Senja estate.”
“Mr Chairman, since the Government's decision to resume building hawker centres in 2011, there have been concerted efforts by the Ministry, NEA and the hawker trade community to refresh and regenerate the hawker centre business. The Government announced its intention to build 20 new hawker centres by 2027 and appointed a Hawker Centre 3.0 Committee last year to look into improving the management of hawker centres and to sustain the trade. Hawker centres are an integral part our everyday lives. It provides good and affordable food, common space for Singaporeans from all backgrounds to come together under one roof and it is very much a part of our national identity. I thank the Ministry and NEA for their determined efforts to overcome the many challenges and to re-energise this unique culture and heritage of ours. The challenges are pretty daunting. Among others, how do we attract new entrants who are both passionate about the trade and see this as a viable profession? How do we game-change the operating model so that we can improve overall productivity and keep operating costs low? How do we inculcate gracious behaviour so that hawker centres will always be a pleasant place for all to dine and also, importantly, how do we ensure that the uniquely-Singapore culinary skills and tastes continue to be passed on? I understand the Ministry and NEA have embarked on various efforts to rejuvenate the hawker centre scene. I would like to seek some updates from the Minister. The Hawker Centre 3.0 Committee recommended to develop training opportunities and pathways for hawkers. Can I ask the Minister how has the response been? Due to the relatively high median age of 59 years old for existing hawkers, the hawker trade needed younger and new entrants into the trade to sustain.”
“I thank the Minister for Finance Mr Heng Swee Keat, Second Minister Lawrence Wong, Senior Minister of State Indranee Rajah and the hardworking MOF team for, among other things, a very responsible Budget − a Budget that secured the means for our better well-being into the future. So, with that, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.”
“I just want to echo what Dr Tan Wu Meng and Mr Henry Kwek have said about designs, how important design is when we look at building design, to make sure that it does not cost more to maintain thereafter. We have many examples on that. So, perhaps, can I ask the Minister whether, in the whole process, we should also seek inputs from Town Councils and NEA who will be there to maintain the building thereafter, to give inputs whether these designs are, indeed, practical? They may look very nice from afar, but is it practical to maintain on an ongoing basis? The second point is on the issue of leverage, like what I have said in my speech, to leverage the private sector to achieve better value-for-money. There are many examples. For example, in my constituency, we have an Integrated Transport Hub (ITH), and next to it is a commercial shopping centre. If we could have in the planning requirements that require the developer to also build better connectivity to the ITH, for example, that would have saved us some money to build subsequent features to enhance walkability and connectivity. So, maybe this question is best directed at the Second Minister for Finance who is also the Minister for National Development.”
“Mr Chairman, I beg to move, "That the total sum to be allocated for Head M of the Estimates be reduced by $100".”
“My own experience in Kolam Ayer − we are blessed with lots of young volunteers coming forward. NLB runs a training programme for them and then, they do the outreach and do the reading programme. So, we will continue to step it up and if there are any constituencies which might be interested in opening up a kidsREAD club, we are happy to assist.”
“The kidsREAD Club is an excellent programme. It has helped many kids in the neighbourhood, inculcating in them the reading habit and the love to read at the early age. So, the Minister only made a brief mention of kidsREAD. I just want to ask whether there are plans to refresh this programme, maybe scale up with some more resources and enlarge the outreach because it, indeed, helps especially the lower-income children and families. The resource support, if you can give more from NLB, how to curate the programme and so on, I think that would be very helpful. Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Sir, I share Mr Liang Eng Hwa's sentiment that we would like to roll out kidsREAD to every constituency, every corner of Singapore. In fact, my kidsREAD team is now engaging all the constituencies to see whether we can open up in every Residents Committee (RC) so that it will benefit the low-income families. The resources are there. We also curate some of the best practices in other kidsREAD clubs and share it with the other kidsREAD clubs. There is always a gathering of the volunteers with the NLB team to share expertise and success stories. Our team is very small, our ambitions are very large. We are relying on whatever we have at the moment. Thus far, I am quite happy. But I certainly would like to see more kidsREAD clubs rolled out. In terms of resources, we would explore more on what we can do. At the moment, all of the kids will get a small bag, a T-shirt. The more important thing for me is training more volunteers who can then engage the children. It is not just about reading; it is about the interaction between the volunteer and the child. So, we have been recruiting a lot of volunteers.”
“Thank you, Mr Chairman, it looks like the more than two hours of download have cleared all our doubts and there are no clarifications from us. It leaves me to thank Minister Lim Hng Kiang and let us congratulate him on the successful conclusion of the CPTPP or the TPP-11. I also thank Minister Iswaran, Senior Minister of State Sim Ann, Senior Minister of State Koh Poh Koon and Senior Parliamentary Secretary Low Yen Ling for their very comprehensive replies to our cuts. I also want to thank all the Members who stayed till the end of the session, really testing the adjournment time limit. With that, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. [(proc text) Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. (proc text)] [(proc text) The sum of $977,755,000 for Head V ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. (proc text)] [(proc text) The sum of $5,181,486,800 for Head V ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. (proc text)]”
“Also, how is the Government helping the professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) who have been displaced or who wish to move into growth sectors the Government has identified? Finally, how are we helping our people to acquire deeper knowledge of the regional markets even as we seek opportunities in the region? Outlook in Terms of GDP Growth”
“It is better to take some risks now, learn the right lessons. If it does not work out, do recognise that this is a continuous journey of upgrading. With the aim to forge stronger partnerships, this year's Budget also spring cleaned the existing schemes, such as EDB's Partnerships for Capability Transformation (PACT) and SPRING Singapore's PACT, into a single PACT scheme. I would like to ask the Minister how has PACT performed thus far under each of the agencies and how will the integration into a single PACT benefit companies? Finally, the much talked about ITMs are now the key execution platform to transform the sectors which are identified either as growth clusters or in need of significant productivity upgrades. While we hope that more SMEs can be involved in the ITMs, we should be realistic that in sectors where there is a very large base of SMEs, it is not possible to have everyone on board from Day 1. Here, the companies can also be proactive to come forward, with the trade associations and chambers (TACs) playing the key role of raising awareness and facilitating the deeper involvement of ITMs. Nevertheless, I would like to seek an update from the Minister on the progress of some of the ITMs that were launched over a year ago, such as the lifestyle cluster ITMs which encompass food services, food manufacturing, retail and hotels. I would like to ask the Minister how is the traction so far. My last point is about skills and jobs. As the business landscape changes, we need to ensure that skills of our workers remain relevant and our skills training can respond quickly to emerging skills and tech disruptions. Can I ask how the Government is working with industry and employers to ensure training remains relevant?”
“I do agree that in this next phase where we deepen transformation, a more customised and slightly more flexible approach will yield better results. With the impending merger of Standards, Productivity and Innovation Board (SPRING) Singapore and IE Singapore into Enterprise Singapore, it makes logical sense to streamline the Capability Development Grant (CDG) and Global Company Partnership (GCP) into the new workhorse now known as Enterprise Development Grant (EDG). Can the Minister share how the new integrated EDG can better support companies to deepen capabilities? Digital capabilities will be the new competitive advantage for businesses. The adoption of digital technologies can transform business processes, improve productivity, and help SMEs export products and services more easily. With digital technology, even the smallest SME can have the opportunity to export its products and services globally, hence, expanding their growth frontiers. There are good opportunities in the digital space in the region. For example, besides China, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) can also be a strong potential growth market in e-commerce for companies to explore. There are already various support schemes for SMEs to adopt digital technologies. The SME Go Digital Programme was launched in 2017 and the Tech Skills Accelerator (TeSA) launched in 2016 are both flagship programmes assisting businesses and individuals to develop digital capabilities. Clearly, there is significant room for more SMEs to move forward and to use digital technologies to enhance competitiveness and to grow their businesses. Of course, developing digital capabilities does come with investment costs and risks, but not going digital may well be an unviable position soon.”
“To foster pervasive innovation, especially for the SMEs, the Budget enhanced various schemes supporting companies to innovate across the entire value chain. Among others, existing grants that support the adoption of pre-scoped, off-the-shelf technologies will be streamlined into a single Productivity Solution Grant (PSG) where the Government will provide funding for up to 70% of the qualifying costs. I look forward to hearing more details about the PSG from the Minister later and how this streamlining would improve support for businesses seeking new solutions. Another new idea from the Budget is the Open Innovation Platform (OIP). To be piloted this year, it is an online crowdsourcing platform set up to help businesses find partners to co-create solutions. Many smaller companies may not have the resources to seek partnerships to co-develop solutions. This platform can facilitate easier collaborative work among SMEs on joint innovation initiatives. To provide equity funding for cutting-edge tech startups that draw on intellectual property (IP) generated from publicly funded research, this year's Budget announced the setting up of the $100 million National Research Foundation (NRF)-Temasek IP Commercialisation Vehicle. I hope this can help plug the missing link with regard to translating research outcomes into viable commercial opportunities and thereby produce a new breed of innovative global companies in Singapore following the commercialisation of the IPs. I look forward to hearing more details from the Minister as well. On building deeper capabilities, the Budget signalled the shift away from broad-based measures, such as PIC, to a more targeted and innovation-focused approach.”
“Indeed, many businesses bit the bullet, made the difficult adjustments and changed their business model in response to the tightened labour market environment. The outcomes are encouraging. Wages have risen and we have also seen credible improvement in overall productivity. Notwithstanding, there will be companies which are still struggling and adjusting, some of which are cyclical in nature. I am glad that this year's Budget continues to extend help to businesses facing near-term challenges with the continuation of assistances like the Wage Credit Scheme (WCS), the Corporate Income Tax (CIT) rebate and the deferment of the increase of foreign workers' levy (FWL) rates for two sectors. Workers, too, went through the difficult transitions as companies restructured. The continual need to upgrade and convert to new skills has become part and parcel of working life. Last year, the Professional Conversion Programme (PCP) helped more than 3,700 mid-career individuals take up new jobs. We need to do more to help workers facing career transitions and this Budget also strengthened support for workers under the Adapt and Grow Initiative. Mr Chairman, the next phase of the economic transformation efforts now zero in on fostering pervasive innovation, building deeper capabilities and forging strong partnerships riding on the already launched Industry Transformation Map (ITM) platforms. Innovation is the way to go for businesses to stay competitive in the future. Singapore is starting from a position of strength as we already have a critical mass of high-tech sectors, a vibrant startup and financing ecosystem, world-renowned universities and research institutions and a strong global pool of research scientists and engineers.”
“Mr Chairman, I beg to move, "That the total sum to be allocated for Head V of the Estimates be reduced by $100". During the Budget Debate, Members in the House have reminded us that growing the economy is not an end in itself, but a means for us to build better lives and better opportunities for Singaporeans. I could not agree more. But we also know that ensuring that we always have that means that is continuously growing and yet inclusive is certainly no mean feat. As the Minister for Finance has said in his Statement, our path ahead will not be easy, especially in light of the major shifts happening around us, such as a changing global economic landscape, the emergence of new technologies and our own demographic. In a way, we saw it coming, which is why since the start of this decade, we embarked on the road to restructure and transform our economy. In the early phase of restructuring, the Government tightened foreign labour inflow and nudged wages higher for our local workforce and pushed for productivity improvements. It has inevitably caused pain to some businesses although there were also various assistance schemes introduced, such as the Productivity and Innovation Credit (PIC) scheme, and support for skills upgrading to help mitigate the impact and to improve productivity. If the 2017 small and medium enterprises (SME) Development Survey is any indication, we may have passed the most painful phase of economic restructuring. In the survey finding which was released in November last year, the proportion of SMEs experiencing difficulties with manpower costs fell from its peak of 85% to pre-2012 level of below 72%. Twenty-twelve is the year when foreign labour tightening was introduced.”
“We have an FTA with Sri Lanka, and the Bangladesh Prime Minister is visiting Singapore. I am sure it will provide opportunities for us to further strengthen economic cooperation. In sub-Saharan Africa, notwithstanding its challenges, the countries continue to embark on a path of development and urbanisation. This presents us with opportunities in areas where we have expertise, such as urban solutions, water, waste management, energy and logistics. What further steps are being taken to broaden and deepen Singapore's engagement of these emerging markets and what more can be done to open up new economic opportunities there? ASEAN Chairmanship”