Lily Neo
Singapore
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. May I ask Minister for Health on MOH's capacity in coping with serious cases of COVID-19 in terms of adequacy in respirators and in our ICU beds. Am I correct to say that already half of NCID's ICUs are taken up? What will happen when it reaches its full capacity?”
“But even so, with the right measures of social and medical assistance in place to assist them with their daily living, they can still age gracefully in the comfort of their own homes.”
“Thank you, Mr Chairman. Yes, I will keep it short. Minister earlier said that MSF will proactively reach out to families in HDB rental homes to assist them, to possibly buy their own HDB flats. Many of these families lamented that they cannot afford it. How does the Minister plan to do it?”
“Thank you, Mr Chairman. May I ask the Minister whether there is a possibility of more widespread community spread of COVID-19? And will MOH be able to cope with this? And whether does our Government have more specific measures in place to cope with this scenario?”
“Thank you, Mr Chairman. Earlier in my speech, I asked whether there are assessments by HDB for applicants of Joint Singles Scheme (JSS) to ensure that they are free from mental illnesses and medical conditions before compelling them to stay together.”
“Many of them have lived in rental housing for more than six years and some more than 10 years. Thus, there are signs of entrenchment. What are the schemes in place and the success rate of such schemes, to assist them in looking for better options in their housing needs and to help them get out of their predicaments?”
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“May I request that this review be commensurate with inflation because, in the past, the review had not been. And from my study on 32 elderly PA cases, it shows that they need $400 a month, whereas now, from the $260 per month, they only have to live from $5 per day, which is too little even for subsistence living. The other issue is whether we could also look into the eligibility criteria because we have been very stringent as there are less than 2,800 cases of PA allowance cases whereas, according to a study, there are 100,000 households that need assistance from charitable organisations. 3.00 pm”
“Sir, may I ask the Minister of State how does he get the grassroots leaders to be involved in all these special schemes so that more students could be involved in our community?”
“Mr Speaker, may I ask the Minister whether there is any basis on the claim that our reclamation works at Pulau Tekong and Pulau Ubin might have contributed to the severe floodings in Johor? Is this the same claim that the Malaysians referred to the International Tribunal and which was settled with a signed agreement on both sides in 2005? Have we kept to our part of the agreement, and how do we reassure our neighbour on this?”
“Sir, could I just re-emphasise on the question earlier and ask whether the stockpile can ameliorate the inflationary effect on the shortage of sand presently for construction cost? My other question is: could the Minister consider rebates for construction companies that substitute sand for more sustainable and cost-effective materials for construction? Lastly, will this ban on export of sand to Singapore put a dampener on Singapore's economy?”
“May I ask the Minister how does he reassure Singaporeans on the concern of compromising care for the locals with the increasing number of medical tourists?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, could I ask the Minister what is the total amount of members' balances in the CPF presently? How are members' funds being invested and what are the returns of such investments? How are the CPF rates of return being protected against the current rates of inflation? Can there be better returns to members, especially during retirement, to address the issues of longevity and inflation risks? Lastly, could the Minister look into the CPFIS scheme, ie, the early withdrawal scheme, to see whether such funds should be centrally managed, instead of leaving them to individual choice, for better return outcomes for members?”
“Not for MediShield. Mr Khaw Boon Wan: I suppose, like all things, if you want it to cover more, then the premiums have to go up too. So it is one of those things that we always have to find a balance. But the key point is to make sure that at least on hospitalisation, the additional $10 premium increase must be able to cover. If indeed day surgery is not covered then I think the reason must be this: because this is not a routine general health insurance, it is a catastrophic illness insurance, that is, it is for the very sick who requires hospitalisation and typically may require prolonged stay in ICU. So, for day surgery, probably that is why there is no coverage.”
“Sir, a supplementary question on ElderShield. But before that, the Minister did not reply to the question on whether MediShield can be claimed without hospitalisation. On ElderShield, may I ask the Minister whether the take-up rate is small and whether he will look into this issue? May I also ask him whether he will look into the tenure and amount of ElderShield payout? Is $300 per month for a totally dependent elderly not too little, even for subsistence? Lastly, could he also look into the unaffordable premium for ElderShield for the elderly?”
“Sir, supplementary question on MediShield. Could I ask the Minister whether he is concerned about the 30% of Singaporeans who are not covered under MediShield? How does this group of people pay for their high hospital bills as many of them, in fact, belong to the less well-off group? If the Minister is going to reply that they can apply to Medifund to pay for their bills, then may I ask him how long will the present Medifund last, taking into consideration the increasing life expectancy of the majority and the fast ageing population? Lastly, may I ask the Minister whether MediShield can only be claimed through hospitalisation as many illnesses can now be treated under day-surgery? Should we not heed to prevent over-consumption incentives in the design of medical insurance?”
“Two clarifications, Sir. I concur with the Minister for Health on his plan of actions, especially on the care of the elderly, and I wish him success. I would like to request that he looks into the holistic care of the elderly, ie, looking into the physical, mental and social well-being of the elderly. My second clarification: does the Minister agree that many Singaporeans, despite our effective 3M healthcare financing, still live in fear of falling seriously ill? How is he going to solve this problem? Does he intend to better inform the public and help to reassure Singaporeans on this?”
“But weather pattern can change, so we will have to live with that. But I think the Member's point was that we have to put programmes and measures in place, which we plan to do. I am hoping that by the time we arrive for our next meeting in February in Brunei, the details will be sorted out, the responsibilities among the countries will be sorted out, and then we can see what are the things that we can do at the ground. Because, ultimately, it is working with the regional partners so that they can adopt alternative practices which would be our best plan in the longer term. On the funds, SPS Amy Khor was at the meeting in Cebu on my behalf. We have announced that Singapore is happy to pledge US$50,000 for the haze fund. At the moment, both Singapore and Indonesia have pledged. We hope that the other countries will do so. The numbers may not be big, but these funds will be used to also attract other funds when Indonesia hosts the international conference in December. The use of the funds will be dictated by the Ministerial Committee. Clearly, we want to spend more money on fire prevention rather than fire suppression. So, we will have to sit down, together with the technical working group, to decide how best to allocate the money. But, at this point in time, what we need is actually support from the international community before we can really get off the ground.”
“Two supplementary questions, Sir. May I ask the Minister on his concern about the experts predicting a possible super El Nino weather effect which can lead to drought and raging forest fire, resulting in worse haze next year. Does he have to further step up the efforts on preventive measures in view of this? Secondly, the Prime Minister mentioned last week that funds were set aside for efforts to fight the haze. Could the Minister elaborate on this fund and efforts referred to by the Prime Minister? Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Sir, the point is exactly because we cannot predict the weather pattern and El Nino is expected to come next year, or all the weather experts, both in Singapore and beyond, predicted that we will have a stronger El Nino next year. The last time we had an EL Nino was in 1997 and we remembered how bad the haze was. We have alerted our colleagues in the region that because of this likelihood of an El Nino next year, if we do not suppress the fire or prevent it from occurring, it will become a big problem. If you ask me, I think there is a strong sense of urgency among the five countries in the region to try and tackle this. For example, our counterparts in Malaysia are keen because next year is Visit Malaysia year, and it may affect tourism for Malaysia. So, all of us have a common cause here to make sure that this thing does not get out of hand, but we cannot predict the weather pattern. For example, the wind direction can change. If it blows from the south westerly direction, the Sumatra haze will come to Singapore. If it blows from the south easterly direction, the Kalimantan haze will come to Singapore. Now the wind is blowing in the north easterly direction, so it is blowing the haze away from Singapore.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Senior Minister of State did not answer my questions at all. Therefore, I will repeat them again. May I ask him what were the causes of deaths of the HFMD cases in 2000 to 2001 and how do you prevent such recurrence. The other question I asked was how proactive and stringent are kindergartens and schools in identifying and preventing the spread of HFMD.”
“Sir, may I ask the Senior Minister of State how proactive and stringent are kindergartens and schools in identifying children with possible HFMD and in the prevention of the spread of HFMD. The Senior Minister of State earlier said that there were seven cases of deaths from HFMD in 2000 and 2001. May I ask him what were the causes of deaths at that time and how can we prevent a recurrence?”
“Sir, two clarifications. On my first clarification, may I ask the Minister whether he will appoint social workers to each family in need to hand-hold them on their various difficulties? My second clarification is on the various assistance schemes available and announced earlier by the Minister. How does the Minister ensure easy accessibility of the various assistance schemes to those in need? Could the Minister address my concern that, very often, those in need are not aware of all the various assistance or how to access them? How then does he ensure that we do not fail to deliver all the assistance packages to those in need due to the inadequacy of our implementation, especially now, in fact, our delivery systems through CDCs, CCCs and Family Social Services are deficient in outreach and follow-ups?”
“For the parents in this group, do we have social workers that can provide guidance in job training, life-skills training and better job placement, additional family planning and budgeting skills as well as some parenting guidance and parental counselling in order to get better educational support and attitudes towards school for their children at home through supportive, nurturing family and home environment? For the children of this group, do we have social workers that can initiate and direct intervention programmes, such as early intensive reading, subsidised childcare and student care, tutoring, mentoring, education and career guidance and counselling, and moral and social support? May I request the Minister to assist in preventing school drop-outs by providing school social workers that can intervene, assist and follow up on potential drop-outs? Do we have social workers that can provide students with guidance counselling in personal issues along with career counselling and moral support? Sir, how many social workers do we have presently? How does MCYS ensure the better supply of them in view of the expanding needs that require their expertise?”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, there is a slew of assistance schemes available to help Singaporeans; so many, in fact, that it is difficult to follow and to administer. Could MCYS consolidate them and make them more comprehensible and accessible? It would be good to vet through the various schemes to remove stifling benchmark and blanket rules and to factor in the complexities of individual needs so that fewer people fall through the system cracks. Perhaps, there can be a central register for our destitute, chronic poor and disabled so that effective and thorough assistance can be given to them without anyone falling by the wayside. May I request the Minister to consider providing integrated two-generation strategies assistance for young poor families? This is to address both the needs of adults and children simultaneously and address the co-occurrence of these issues among vulnerable families. Could MCYS take a more extended approach to help this group? Sir, without intervention that will change their course, they may not be able to get out of their dire situation. Would the Minister assign a family social worker to each of such families to evaluate, coordinate, direct and follow up for them? Working in conjunction with grassroots and voluntary organisations in the community, social workers are best suited for this role to better tap and maximise and take advantage of all the available schemes.”
“Sir, I support the intended social objectives of the Workfare Bonus to help our older, low-wage Singaporean workers. There is a segment of Singaporeans who fall under the vulnerable low-income group with no job security. So much so they are often at their employers' whims and desire. I have heard from both my residents and elsewhere that some older workers earning less than $600 a month on irregular jobs, though qualify for the Workfare Bonus, do not dare to come forward and apply because they might lose their jobs. There is a segment in Singapore that finds regular employment hard to come by and would agree to anything to find work. Often, it includes no contribution to CPF. As a result, this group is afraid to register for fear of upsetting and implicating their employers with CPF non-payment. The older workers risk losing their jobs and livelihood if they register for the Workfare Bonus. They are caught in a dilemma. May I ask the Minister how does he intend to address this problem? Sir, a second low-income group that I like to ask the Minister to consider extending a helping hand to help them access the Workfare Bonus is that comprising those who are not plugged into the regular channel of communications. These are the elderly Singaporeans living in rental flats and subsisting on irregular and odd source of income. This is the group that would benefit most from the Workfare and Progress Bonuses. We need to make sure that they do not fall through the cracks. May I ask the Minister whether more can be done for them to ensure that they do not fall into disadvantage?”
“Sir, I would like to seek two clarifications on school drop-outs. My first clarification is: may I ask the Minister whether we have school social workers to identify and assist potential school drop-outs? On my second clarification, in view of the important interplay between the community, home and schools, does MOE recognise this challenge and does MOE have any plans or initiatives to address this issue?”
“(5) Better management of chronic diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension, to prevent morbidity and mortality from such diseases. (6) Heart disease is the number one killer of women in Singapore. Women are less likely to survive heart attacks than men. Many women do not seek treatment as early as men, as the symptoms of heart disease are manifested differently in women. Could MOH raise the awareness on heart diseases among healthcare providers and the public? Drug Costs”
“Sir, may I first commend the Minister for Health for improving the financial affordability in our healthcare which I support wholeheartedly? May I now request the Minister for Health to look into the following healthcare issues for further improvement? (1) Homecare enables the semi-dependant to live in their own homes for as long as possible with appropriate support. Homecare translates into convenience and much lower costs for many and hence a happier populace. Our homecare is almost non-existent presently. (2) Step-down care allows for seamless integrated care services for all elderly patients discharged from public hospitals. This is necessary to coordinate and to facilitate placement of patients to step-down care facilities that look into the multi-facet medical, social and psycho-social needs of the patients. At any one time, there will be some 8% of the elderly that require step-down care of varying levels of intensity. Currently, there are multiple service providers with minimal coordination. There is a need for better coordination and effective implementation of the various healthcare services. (3) Sharing of best practices, preventing over-servicing, maximising limited resources, avoiding duplication, better integration and cutting down wasteful practices by public hospitals. (4) Expediting plan for Singapore to become the regional medical hub, such as integration of our healthcare clusters and sectors for better economies of scale and maximising our limited resources to compete globally and not competing internally, structured aggressive marketing on our high quality and efficiency, innovative packaging with other products, such as insurance, travel arrangements, hotel and shopping needs, to make it more attractive for consumers to come here.”
“Sir, in recent years, more 2- and 3-room HDB flats are in greater demand. We also saw more downgraders than upgraders. May I ask the Minister how soon will he build these 2- and 3-room HDB flats and how many will he build in order to meet the present demand? In the construction of these new flats, in view of our ageing population, will the Minister incorporate elderly-friendly features or lifetime designs that can be adapted as and when the needs arise? Will he also provide space on the ground floor of these HDB blocks for social purposes, such as childcare, student care or elder care centres? Will he also ensure the handicapped and elderly a friendly access environment for these new blocks? Sir, will the Minister consider increasing the supply of HDB rental flats in view of our present shortage? Will the Minister make an exception on the HDB Joint Single Scheme for those with no immediate family members? It is very difficult for many singles to comply with this ruling by requiring them to live with complete strangers. Is it possible to build 1-room HDB rental flats or converting some flats to 1-room HDB rental flats in order to cater to singles with no family members to share their rental flats with. More studio apartments and retirement homes will be needed to better accommodate the silver generation. Will the Minister consider releasing 30- or 40-year lease land to private sector enterprises to make retirement villages viable?”
“In closing, I would like the Prime Minister to consider longer-term assistance for a group of Singaporeans who are not eligible for public assistance for one reason or another but in no less dire state. They are the elderly, the handicapped and the families whose breadwinners are unable to work. May I request for ComCare to be channelled to such people on a longer term basis and for more ComCare funds to be allocated to these constituencies with more of such household?”
“Such programmes may include connecting students to an attainable future, providing academic assistance to help them perform well in their school work, such as tuition, recognising the importance of families in the school success, enhancing vocational education that has an occupational concentration, formal counselling in personal issues along with career counselling, as well as creating a caring and supportive environment, such as use of adult mentors. Sir, to alleviate the issue of at-risk students, schools and communities must refer to school social workers and mentors for potential drop-outs. Helping students plan their careers and make occupational choices may well help them decide to stay in school and graduate, particularly as they learn what kind of education is required to land decent jobs. Social workers, in recognising the increasing demands on educators, can meet the social and emotional needs of students and should provide support and consultation. Guidance counselling can keep more students in school. The success is on early identification and intervention of potential cases before they become school drop-outs. We need to take the approach of believing that there is no reason for any student to drop out of school due to academic weakness, as there is now the broadening of choices to students of varying abilities. For example, there is the O-levels menu that accommodates students with more practical abilities as well as ITE and vocational training facilities. Sir, the crux of the matter is for MOE to provide more places and choices in vocational training to cater to those students who are less academically inclined.”
“This will facilitate us in designing better policies to solve this problem. May I suggest that our Ministry of Education implement an improvement plan to meet the needs of a diversity of students and focus especially on at-risk students? Schools may adopt programmes and practices that focus on efforts on at-risk students, such as providing extra help, to achieve success. We should re-examine our present approach in order to better target the last 17% or so of our students that do not get post-secondary education. Sir, for this group, I feel that we need to take a more integrated approach for us to make the next quantum leap. Preventive efforts must be both comprehensive and preventive. Comprehensive drop-out prevention programmes must target those factors in schools, families and communities that contribute to or exacerbate the drop-out process. The role of prevention must be emphasised in drop-out prevention policies and programmes. A preventive approach allows early identification of potential risks and protective factors within individuals, schools, families and communities. Risk factors within the individual include poor self-esteem and external locus of control; risk factors within the family or environment include limited financial or material resources and a poor social support network. Teachers can instruct and inspire, and they can spot troubled youths. However, they do not have sufficient time and ability to follow through with individual students. We need school social workers who can have the time and ability to intervene, assist and follow up on each case. A more comprehensive and sustainable approach that calls for school social workers and mentors is needed.”
“MOE expects it to remain at 83% for 2006 as well. In the old days, eg, 1965, only one out of 10 students got post-secondary education. Today, eight out of 10 of our students get post-secondary education. Compared to most developed countries, this percentage is high. But in view of our unique situation, we need to develop our only resource to the fullest, and that is maximising all our human resource. I feel that we should not sit on our laurels and accept the fact that the remaining two out of 10 of our students do not get post-secondary education. In a cohort of about 50,000 students, even if we take a conservative figure of 10% instead of the 17%, it means that about 5,000 students every year do not get post-secondary education. The cumulative effect will be substantial, and this group may be in the next generation of lower social and economic strata which will pose future burdens. Sir, preventing school drop-out must be our priority social policy issue. Drop-outs are more likely to experience negative outcomes like under-employment and unemployment as well as negative consequences to society. The personal, economic and social costs of academic under-achievement are high and growing. It was reported recently that the number of youths arrested for crime has peaked since 1998 and that more youths have been caught for rioting and involved in gangs, and school drop-outs dominate in numbers among them. Reasons for leaving school that have been identified in literature include problems getting on with school work, problems with teachers, suspensions, expulsions, low grades, financial responsibilities, disliking school, care-taking responsibilities and employment. Sir, we need to have our own studies to find out the reasons of our school drop- outs.”
“The situation will not improve if we wait for parents to improve, and we will be less than committed if we wait for community and private entities to come in with donations piecemeal and sometimes not sustained. Sir, I think we have here a good example of effective and timely intervention to help our children from low-income families perform better. More and more studies are recognising the complex interplay between student, family, school and community variables in shaping students' paths toward early school withdrawal or successful school completion. Sir, there is a need for well-integrated services involving the home, school and the community. There are many assistance schemes available, including VWOs that offer various educational and mentoring assistance. What we need now is to have a system in place for a social worker to be assigned to and to hand-hold each family. These social workers can then assess, support, plan out and match the family with suitable partners and closely monitor the effectiveness of the recommended assistance, and adjust accordingly, if necessary. On reducing future lower-income group, Mr Speaker, Sir, in a globalised economy, there is an increasing appetite for educated workers. Those who lack education will be more likely to raise a new generation with dim prospects of doing better and perhaps of doing worse. As GPC Chairman for Education, I would like the Government to consider tweaking the weakness I feel in our otherwise excellent education system, ie, to improve the drop-out rate of our students from post-secondary education. According to the MOE's Education Achievement indicators, the percentage of Primary One cohort in post-secondary education institutions is at 82% in 2003 and remained at 83% for 2004 and 2005.”
“This is to give their children a better start in life by paying special attention to their well-being, especially to their education. Sir, the social worker assigned can assess the family's needs, which may include social, psychological and health, apart from economic services. They can then initiate and direct intervention programmes. These may be guidance and counselling, directing for individualised tutoring, moral and social support, study choice, and enrolling for vocational educational classes and so on. Continued follow-up and monitoring on these families, especially their children over time, will ensure the success of our assistance to them. The young children of this group will need early interventions with more opportunities for success in school work, such as early intensive reading, subsidised childcare and student care, tutoring, mentoring, and education and career guidance. Sir, here I would like to differ with my esteemed colleague, Dr Wang Kai Yuen, and fully support the School Breakfast Programme reported yesterday. This programme is only for primary school students under the Financial Assistance Scheme. I feel that it will be money well-spent because breakfast is actually important and has positive impact on the well-being and performance of all students in school. Yes, children under-perform, relative to their potential, for a variety of reasons, but this is one reason we can do something about effectively. There are good international studies on this. Teachers and schools know the problem. I am especially glad that MOE is funding this project because we can then be reassured that the programme is comprehensive and sustainable.”
“Sir, half of my constituents live in HDB rental flats. When I made my house-to-house visits, I encountered many low-income young families, many of them with varied difficulties. Many a time, I was moved to see how poorly they live. I was filled with this yearning to want to help them improve their lives for the better. I felt compelled that I needed to do something immediately, especially for those with vulnerable young children. May I now request our Government to facilitate ready assistance for such families with the right social policy? For the parents of this group, more assistance should be rendered to enable them to establish a stable family and raise children who can make it in our society and economy They may need guidance in job training, life-skills training and better job placements and some additional family planning and budgeting skills. I would like to urge our Government to make it more attractive, especially in terms of financial assistance, for them to take up retraining opportunities. Often, the lesser take-up rates were due to lack of suitable matching job placements and inappropriate expectancy of both employers and employees. We need to evolve a better synchronised system to ensure higher success. It is best to deploy a social worker with each family in order to actively promote and recommend and take advantage of the training schemes available for this group. They may also need parenting guidance and parental counselling in order to get better educational support and attitudes towards school for their children at home through supportive nurturing family and home environment. For the lower-income group, the well-being of their children should be taken care of as well.”
“Sir, I would like to raise two main points today: firstly, to enable upward mobility among the lower economic and social strata and, secondly, to reduce the size of the future lower social and economic group. On upward mobility among the lower economic and social strata, the Prime Minister has provided various assistance programmes to help Singaporeans move forward together. May I request the Prime Minister to go one step further, ie, to enable upward mobility of the lower economic and social strata? This is especially vital for those young lower-income families with children to get out of their bleak situation to better themselves and their children. I feel that, for this group, a more extended approach should be taken. Without intervention that will change their course, they may not be able to get out of their poverty trap. Their children may father and mother children ill-equipped to do better, thus perpetuating a downward cycle of economic or social failure. I suggest that we offer a holistic assistance package, once such families are identified, by providing integrated two-generation strategies assistance to address both the needs of adults and children simultaneously and address the co-occurrence of these issues among vulnerable families. Although it may incur more labour and cost, we may hopefully address not only their present needs but also help solve their own and their children's future needs. We already have many assistance schemes available, both private and Government, in the community to assist them, but we lack the facilitator who can evaluate, coordinate, direct and follow-up for them. Full-time social workers are best suited for this role to better tap and maximise and take advantage of all the available schemes.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am very happy with this year's Budget and support it wholeheartedly. I consider this Budget as one of the best and I would like to thank the Prime Minister for this. I consider the Budget with a "heart" because this Budget especially caters to the many in our midst that are less well-off and will therefore touch the lives and make a difference on those most in need of assistance. It is most commendable that having steered the economy to generate budget surpluses, our Government would channel these surpluses to the people with emphasis on those in the lower-income group. Sir, I especially applaud the various assistance schemes announced by the Prime Minister that will help Singaporeans move forward together. The various assistance schemes are indeed laudable and are given out with very good intentions to share our nation's progress with all Singaporeans. I would like to stress that at the end of the day, it will be the implementation part that will decide the success of these schemes. May I urge the Prime Minister to ensure that the various schemes reach all the targeted groups? The lower-income group may be the group that are less informed and may not be even aware of the assistance available to them. In view of the varied assistance with many variables, raising public awareness is essential to better inform all the public. Community and grassroots assistance may have to be called for to ensure the good reach to all residents. It will be better for the various schemes to be made less onerous on application lest it deprives the very people that they are targeted for and those most in need. For example, the claim for Workfare Bonus for those odd job labourers who do not contribute CPF or declare their income with IRAS.”
“Nevada has a 75% payback limit for slot machines. Will there be any stipulation on this area by CRA? Sir, enforcing the honesty and integrity of legalised casino gambling games requires an ability to prosecute those who engage in activities that constitute illegal offences, for example, cheating at games. Cheating can involve the patrons of a casino as well as individuals involved in operations, such as dealers. Attention must be paid to assuring that appropriate and clearly enforceable criminal statutes exist to prosecute gambling cheaters. Public confidence and trust can be maintained only by strict regulation of all persons, practices, associations and activities related to the operation of licensed gambling establishments. Codes of conduct and ethical issues should be spelt out, for example, prohibiting regulators from any form of financial relationship with regulated entities or the acceptance of any gratuity or courtesy of anything of more than incidental value from a regulated individual or entity. May I ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether this Bill has encompassed all the provisions that deter the various forms of improper gambling activity? I hope the Deputy Prime Minister can enlighten this House on the issues raised. [Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Chew Heng Ching) in the Chair] 5.00 pm”
“The therapists and other professionals in this field agree that problem or pathological gambling, because of its novelty and the lack of information about its root cause, is a difficult disorder to treat. Its treatment is costly and time-consuming; there is no quick fix and there is a high degree of recurrence. May I ask the Deputy Prime Minister how would the Casino Regulatory Authority, or CRA, enforce the non-entry rule for excluders? How would the casino identify those in the self-exclusion list? Will CRA also require gaming operators to remove self-excluders from all mailing lists? Sir, the importance of public education on gambling cannot be over-emphasised. This should also include information about the actual odds of winning. Providing objective, reliable public information about gambling addiction can help problem gamblers and their families see the problem as a mental health disorder rather than a financial problem or a character weakness. Recognising their behaviours as warning signs, and discovering that they are not alone, can go a long way towards helping them break through the denial and fear that have kept them from reaching out for help. Sir, clause 102 of this Bill deals with the approval of gaming equipment but it does not stipulate the frequency of the checks on gaming equipment in casinos. Will random checks be conducted regularly by CRA on the approved machines? Will CRA require casinos to make known gaming rules to all patrons and to be transparent about dealing in games of skill and chance? In Nevada's Audit Division for Gaming Control Board, electronic engineers and computer programmers look into the source code for slot machines to ensure randomness of results and machine's "returns" are in line with payback limits of the casino control Act.”
“May I ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether the National Council on Problem Gambling, or NCPG, will accept referrals for exclusion orders, apart from family members, from people, such as co-workers, doctors and social workers? NCPG can then appoint Committees of Assessors to determine the merits of each referral and to determine whether to classify the referred cases as problem gamblers or potential problem gamblers. Will NCPG provide for not only the problem gamblers but also the preventive measures to detect the 2% probable problem gamblers? NCPG may recommend limited hours of entry instead of a complete ban for those identified potential problem gamblers. Identification may be through win-loss records collated by electronic identification process. Those in this list whose win-loss ratios are at dangerous levels may be either refused entry or recommended for counselling. It is necessary to make the availability of counselling and specialised treatment services widely known and these establishments must be comprehensive and conveniently accessible and attainable. Can NCPG provide help processes and systems to be made to problem gamblers through workplaces on application of self-exclusion, greater media exposure, Internet website and advertisements? Sir, it is worth noting that help centres are also best set up within casinos so that immediate help can be administered. Administration of help avenues should be made simple and under one umbrella so as to prevent confusion as to which agency to approach when in need. Will the Deputy Prime Minister consider providing gambling counselling free of charge? Will he allow the levy collected for casino entry to provide for such service and treatment for problem gamblers?”
“Should CRA also consider restricting certain age quota to certain games and differentiating games of chance and games of skill (as games of skill may disadvantage the unskilled players) and should CRA also require casinos to educate patrons on the two classifications of games so as to create awareness to the aptitude required and the win-loss probability of certain games? Some casinos train their staff to detect and refer clients showing signs of problem gambling. Should CRA recom mend this to casino operators here and disseminate information about problem and pathological gambling on their premises? Sir, in Singapore, about 2.1% or 55,000 gamblers are at risk of being addicts and another 2% are probable problem gamblers, meaning they are also starting to show problems. Problem gambling is a progressive behavioural disorder in which an individual has a psychological uncontrollable preoccupation and urge to gamble. The principal features are emotional dependence on gambling, loss of control and interference with normal functions. The first step to finding a solution is to recognise the problem. Surprisingly, problem gamblers are very often the last ones to realise what is happening to them in spite of mounting consequences and increasing emotional impact. The longer the gambling problem continues, the more severe the impact will be. For this reason, problem gamblers need professional counselling as early as possible to address the many negative consequences of the gambling behaviour. The challenge is to identify the problem gamblers before they become desperate. Co-workers are often the first line of defence as gambling and gambling-related activities are frequently carried out during work hours; the workplace may be used as a shield to hide.”
“Research also hints that genetic or role model factors may play a role in predisposing youths to pathological gambling and the earlier a person begins to gamble, the more likely he or she is to become a pathological gambler. Sir, youths are not only more vulnerable to gambling problems, they can also suffer the harshest consequences of pathological gambling. The US Commission relates many cases of child abuse and neglect that include cases of children locked in cars for extended periods of time while their parents gambled as a result of pathological gambling. This Bill provides for the establishment of the Casino Regulatory Authority, or CRA. The question is whether CRA will ensure strict scrutiny by casino operators to screen entry and identity of minors. Spot checks should be conducted by the CRA within and at the entrances of casinos to prevent the entry of minors. Parents should be educated on the prohibition of minors into casinos. Sir, there is no mention of the opening hours of casinos in this Bill. According to the Deputy Prime Minister who spoke earlier, this part of opening hours was removed from the original draft. But the 24-hour operation is detrimental to gamblers. The longer a gambler is engaged in continuous gambling, the more likely he will lose due to wrong decisions as a result of fatigue. Will CRA require casinos here to have distinct sections for local punters and foreigners and the local sections should observe restricted hours of operation similar to what is being done in some casinos overseas? In order to minimise the risks of a gambler losing more money than he can afford, thereby leading to desperate situations, will CRA consider setting gaming table limits in the section for locals?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the Casino Control Bill. Sir, this is an important Bill as it sets out regulations to ensure that casinos in the Singapore Integrated Resorts will function in an acceptable manner and in accordance with the law, thereby, main taining the transparent and well-regulated environment of Singapore and thus Singapore's credibility. This Bill will also stipulate requirements to lessen the harm to minors, vulnerable persons and society at large. I especially welcome the safeguards provided in this Bill to tackle gambling addiction. This reinforces the Government's assurance to address such recognised social ills of casinos. Sir, I applaud the Government in taking the most conservative stand, in comparison to other countries, for pegging the minimum age for gambling at 21, and for imposing entry charges for locals at $100 for 24-hour access and $2,000 for one-year membership, as well as for disallowing operators to reimburse or remit any of such fees. Sir, this will send a clear signal that entering a casino is not as casual as entering any other resort but is a consciously deliberated choice. This will address the issue concerning introduction of gambling to unintended groups who may attribute and even blame the IRs for their exposure to gambling as a result of a chance visit. Furthermore, in view of the IRs being in near proximity to residential and business areas here, these measures may minimise the social ills and low work productivity by deterring housewives, workers and business executives from gambling in these places. Research indicates that youths are at a greater risk to become pathological gamblers.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, may I ask the Minister whether there are out of bound markers that the campuses here must abide by and what are they, eg, are students allowed to hold protests here, and so on, and should such a marker be spelt out clearly and explained why they should be there?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Minister mentioned earlier the Singapore-Jakarta project to control bird flu. May I ask him when will this pilot surveillance system start? Do we have other partners like the United States and World Health Organisation? And will this surveillance system be expanded to neighbouring places like Batam and Bintan? Lastly, may I also ask the Minister when will he decide on the investment of our vaccine production facility in our preparedness against flu pandemic and how long does this take to set up?”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, what I spoke earlier on the National University of Singapore (Corporatisation) Bill is also applicable to the Nanyang Technological University (Corporatisation) Bill. Therefore, I would not repeat myself.”
“Agencies, such as Moody's would provide a positive outlook on a bond issue if it is able to secure its repayment obligations through unrestricted revenues. So the local universities that intend to issue out bonds would need to ask if they have the ability to attract strong student demand with high net tuition revenue per student. Similarly, these universities would need to ensure efficient operating performance. An increasing proportion of the repayment obligations incurred by universities that have issued bonds in the United States is sourced through robust fund-raising campaigns. Thus, we have to ask if our local universities have the people who are equipped to handle these kinds of activities to support their repayment obligations if they issue out bonds. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, bond issues by local universities may result in accelerated fee hikes. This would be a negative consequence of a bond issue that I am wary of. In the United States, some universities that have issued bonds implemented fee hikes in stages for the specific purpose of funding bond repayment obligations. If universities are going to issue bonds here, it may be important to know what steps they intend to take and the impact of their decisions. Sir, the salient point is how does our Government ensure that the corporatised universities are accountable to certain performance measures and transparent in their dealings, management and spending? Transparency in all these areas is essential to maintain public confidence. Will MOE attach certain performance measure for the continuation of Government subsidy? What kind of penalty will be attached to failure of accountability? Will the Quality Assurance Framework for Universities address all these areas? I hope the Minister can address my areas of concerns.”
“Only two weeks ago, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, it was announced that NUS Business School will have a new $20 million building to accommodate its plan to nearly double its enrolment in the coming years. With so many other universities, such as SMU, NTU, INSEAD here offering the same courses, will it be a case of duplication and thus, the potential of diluting quality and too little differentiation? Lastly, both NTU and NUS have indicated that they plan to issue bonds to borrow money. It would be important to reflect on the possible repercussions of a bond issue by the universities. The use of bond issues has been increasingly popular in the United States. Some, such as that issued by Harvard, have consistently outperformed against many of the benchmarks of asset classes, apart from real estate and inflation indexed bonds. This has allowed Harvard to deliver the appropriate returns to investors. However, Harvard's ability to do so is through its prudent management of its policy portfolio for the Harvard endowment. Thus, the first question to reflect on is what steps Universities would need to take so that they can deliver the expected yields on investment made. In the case of Harvard, the Harvard Management Company issues an annual report to its investors tracking five-year and 10-year performance. Harvard has consistently outperformed in its results. However, it is a benchmark since it has a long tradition and its alumni donate generously to its alma mater whereas in Singapore, the culture of philanthropy is not as developed. Will our Universities be able to fulfill the performance targets? Secondly, the success of a possible bond issue in attracting investors would be dependent on its ability to obtain a good bond rating.”
“Education objectives may be formulated into producing marketable, saleable commodity to different segments of the customer or student population for the purpose of dispensing degrees and generating large numbers of "job-ready" graduates. Attracting as many students as possible and failing as few as possible will result in falling standards. Universities should remain first and foremost centres of learning and fulfilling cultural and ethical role for society at large. Will more funds be earmarked for commercial projects, rather than as general educational funds? Companies may violate academic freedom or change the direction of academic research. Universities should have full and open disclosure of any contract with any industry and should fully respect the academic culture, protect academic freedom and do not permit the industry excessive control over research process or publication of the final results. This Bill doesnot address the issue of universities holding equity in the companies that are sponsoring research. It also does not address the issue of royalties and other fees in the commercialisation of university research. Are patenting and licensing allowed? Should there be a third-party licensing body to assume the responsibility of technology transfer and commercialisation needs and leaving universities to concentrate on cutting edge research and teaching? [Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Chew Heng Ching) in the Chair] 5.05 pm At the expense of well-rounded and diverse education, corporatised universities may compete with other universities in the production and marketing of courses that attract mass participation of students that are seen as customers.”
“As faculty members increase their marketability and are given more external counselling opportunities, faculty time would decrease and create conflicting demands for teaching versus research versus service. Universities may lose control over their faculty members. The credibility of its standards will be a problem by allowing marketplace to determine academic policies. There is a need to ensure that universities are dedicated to education, be interested in research and strong academic values. Consideration must be given to academics that are not best at bothcutting edge research and teaching, as some are brilliant in teaching, but are not good in research or in commercialisation needs and hence, the necessity for cross-subsidy across departments and faculties to minimise conflict and division. Corporate work practices may accelerate the demand on staff to work as researchers, teachers, leaders and managers. This would mean impossible workloads for the majority of lecturing staff that invariably result in work stress. This Bill does not address issues on academics with sidelines consulting arrangements, direct financial interests in the companies sponsoring research and in the publication of data from research. We have to address any area of conflicts in order not to corrupt the mission of the universities. My last area of concern, Sir, is on whether the corporatised universities, since they are expected to raise greater proportions of their own revenues, will adopt commercialisation and commodification of higher education and will enter into partnership with private business firms in the pursuit of wealth; with erosion on the long-term priority of higher education and mission and lowering of education standards.”
“In the quest for raising revenues will corporatised universities accept more foreign students that pay higher fees at the expense of the places for the locals? Will corporatised universities accept students on the promise of donations to the universities despite the students being lesser qualified? My next area of concern is for the staff of the corporatised universities. Will there be cutting back on costs that result in increasing casualisation, juniorisation and "churning" of academic staff? My concern is that, with any cost-cutting measures, more part-time staff and junior professors will replace tenure and senior academics which may affect the quality of education. The drive for non-continuing or limited-term contract appointments will point towards human costs to individuals and their families. The morale of the staff may take a toll, resulting in lower performance levels to the disadvantage of students. Sir, innovative research and training are the driving components of increased productivity in our industry to compete globally and universities can contribute to this national industrial performance by engaging in areas in the market-driven research and market-sensitive products. But, this may bring its own side effects. Other corporatised universities in developed countries have responded to the market-place and raised revenues by exploiting commercial opportunities, especially in targeted research and joint ventures. Academics are also expected to change considerably to respond to corporatisation by engaging in the production and sale of educational services to a market in return for specific rewards.”
“It will be a sorry state, Sir, to both the individuals and to the nation, if we fall through to educate fully the next generation of citizens and leaders. This will go against our main aim of developing our students to their fullest potentials and, worse still, snubbing the potential of the most able students that usually qualify for tertiary education, the group that is important for our continued economic success. The concern is also for those less well-off bright students who have qualified for places. These students may have difficulty in raising the 10-20% minimum-payments before loans. Will the Ministry ensure that there will be enough scholarships or bursaries to assist them? The other concern, Sir, is on the cultivation of knowledge of our students and the quality of education. In countries where universities have been corporatised, many classics departments, especially on the humanities, have been eliminated. Corporatisation always also means market-driven, ie, a new emphasis on market forces in higher education policy. The concern is that, as corporatised universities are expected to raise their own revenues, they may become beholden to the financiers on the skills required by them. Students may be deprived of a well-rounded education. The potential removal of certain disciplines due to a lack of market demand will necessarily lead to a streamlined focus on "hot" disciplines, neglecting others which are less in demand but which are essential to a balanced tertiary education and leading to lack of diversity in knowledge. University education should not only prepare students for the jobs of today, but also for jobs which have yet to be "invented".”
“NTU also plans to borrow $800 million next year to fund the new facilities and services. The question is whether such large borrowings are prudent. Will such borrowings result in too heavy a burden on the universities with regard to the servicing of debt obligations? How does MOE ensure the proper use and accountability of university resources? For example, on the current issue, will MOE ascertain the wise use of funds in the case of NTU's intent, as reported in the Sunday Times on 13th November, to purchase 300 Herman Miller Aeron chairs or their equivalent costing up to $2,200 each? Will MOE still be able to ensure that corporatised universities are credible and accountable in all their dealings to maintain public confidence with the greater autonomy given to them? Sir, I have three other areas of concern with regard to the corporatisation of our universities. My first area of concern is on the affordability of fees for our university students. Universities will have the autonomy to set fees, albeit with limits set by MOE. It is the intention of our Government to reduce the subsidy and let students bear the greater portion of tertiary education cost. According to Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, it is a global phenomenon that the cost of higher education increases faster than general inflation. All these will only mean fee-hikes for university students and, thus, my concern on the affordability of fees for university students. Although there are loan schemes available, will it still be too onerous for students to pursue tertiary education? Should they be burdened with debt even before they find employment? Will the high costs deter people from pursuing tertiary education?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I stand to speak in support of the National University of Singapore (Corporatisation) Bill 2005. With globalisation, information revolution, diversification of training needs and demand patterns in the labour market, universities need to be more entrepreneurial and innovative to become quicker, more flexible and much more focused in reactions to expanding and changing demands. I hope the enactment of this Bill, and thus the autonomy given to our universities, NUS and NTU, will facilitate them to be more nimble to accommodate these changing needs. The desired outcome, of course, will be for our universities to be capable at competing globally with innovative training and research and with increased productivity, thereby receiving not only national but also first-league international recognition. Sir, to be able to initiate and implement the process ofchange, there is a need for a steering core that has the steering capacity, especially on organisational structure, beyond the traditional mode. Structural changes that increase the pace and effectiveness of decision-making are required. But there is always dialectic underway between steering core or groups representing the interests of the total university versus faculty and departmental individuals or groups responsible for the welfare of a part of the whole. The question is whether our universities are ready for this new role. Is it a case of expecting a child to run when he has not even walked yet? Sir, is an appropriate team of key leadership in place to chart the strategic direction, competent on new policies and efficient on management of resources? Just recently, NUS announced that it plans to borrow up to $1 billion in funds for running costs, new buildings, hostels and upgrading facilities.”
“Sir, two supplementary questions. May I ask the Minister whether he concurs with the top local infectious diseaseexpert that vaccination with flu vaccine is a strong preventive measure to prevent the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus from mutating? Secondly, in view of the very limited supply of flu vaccines,could he procure the availability of more vaccines for the use of Singaporeans?”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, may I seek another clarification because I am still concerned about the consignment in specifying the amount? Researchers do not normally require big amounts because when big amounts are being transported from another place, we have to be wary what are they intended for. Are they being used by terrorists or for other purposes?”