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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“(9) The financial burden upon the "no-choice overstayers" in our acute hospitals will also be multiplied when the Ministry of Health introduces the new system next year. This is because the use of Medisave will also be based on the Casemix and DRGs Classification. The patients will have to pay for the expensive acute-beds with meagre Medisave deductions. They will need to fork out much cash for "overstaying" in such acute-care beds due to a forced circumstance. They suffer for not having the choice of transfer to a ten times cheaper alternative - a nursing home. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, having said the aforementioned, I would like to stress the importance of a couple of related issues which also warrant our attention. We need to ensure the reduction in demand for beds in our hospitals and nursing homes. We will also need to look into alternative and additional ways for patients to have funds for out-of-hospital expenses. Let us consider these two issues: (1) You will agree with me that we should practise the "prevention is better than cure" policy, as far as healthcare is concerned. Sir, "preventive healthcare" is the key to success in coping with future healthcare problems. Revamping and investing well in this area will reap us abundant rewards in the future. There is still a lot that can be done. Prevention of disease and promotion of healthy lifestyle should be targeted at everyone. Due to time constraint, I would not go into the details. The topic of preventive healthcare alone will merit another adjournment motion by itself! (2) In the area of healthcare financing, there is still something amiss despite Medisave, MediShield and Medifund.”
“(7) We should capitalise on this economic crisis and take the opportunities presented by cheaper building and construction costs. This is, in fact, one of the appeal reasons put forth by the Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital and Nursing Home. A rather valid reason indeed and it should support the request for the Ministry of Health to repeal earlier decisions. Prime Minister Goh, only a few days ago, said that his own feeling was that this year was going to be a tough year. The Government would look towards spending on infrastructure to keep the economy going. Building more nursing homes would fit nicely into this strategy and would alleviate the shortage we face at present. Therefore, it would be better that we accelerate rather than shelve the building of more nursing homes now. (8) The shortage of nursing-home beds will be compounded next year when the Ministry of Health introduces a new funding system for our public hospitals. Presently, public hospitals are funded on a per-patient-day basis. In other words, the longer the patient stays in hospital the more the hospital gets. This is to change when funding will be based on diagnosis of diseases and the resources required by patients. The funding mechanism is derived from a system of case and disease classification termed Casemix and Diagnosis Related Groups (or DRGs) The introduction of Casemix and DRGs is to help hospital administrators and doctors to contain healthcare costs. This system will certainly pressurise the acute-care hospitals for discharge of low-funded or non-funded DRGs cases to the nursing homes. The demand for nursing homes will undoubtedly increase.”
“(4) There will always be those who argue that substantial numbers of people would prefer home care rather than institutional care and that the necessity for even more nursing homes begs justification. The truth is that, although home care may be preferred, it may not be ideal for many. One or more family members would have to stop work and stay at home to take care of these dependent patients. Healthcare personnel such as doctors, nurses, and physiotherapists would have to go from house to house to check on the patients. This would mean fewer patients seen each day and higher opportunity costs. (5) The nursing homes in Singapore are usually built and run jointly by the voluntary organisations and the Government. There is a need for constant and conscientious effort to woo more voluntary organisations to participate and help in this area of healthcare. Such organisations do not come on stream as and when we like them to. Therefore, there are no guarantees that we will be getting a constant and continuous stream of them as and when the demand arises. Sir, I feel that it would be prudent that we do not turn away any offers from these organisations even, and especially, during these difficult times. (6) It is a prerequisite of the voluntary organisations that they take on some of the building and running costs of the nursing homes. These costs, which usually run into millions of dollars, have to be raised through annual fund-raising projects. Money from well-wishers are an important source of funds and it is wise to stagger fund-raising projects so as not to overburden the well-wishers and thus jeopardise the smooth running of existing nursing homes.”
“There is a need to expedite rather than to shelve the building of more nursing homes in spite of the current economic downturn. I would urge the Ministry of Health to seriously give this area more weightage and increased consideration. (2) The cost of maintaining a patient in an acute hospital is about S$290 per day, whereas the cost of maintaining a patient in a nursing home is about S$25. It does make economic sense, therefore, to make sure that there are enough nursing-home beds for patients to be placed out from acute-hospital beds. Presently, on any given day, there are 120 "overstayers" in our acute hospitals. These patients who are well enough to be discharged from the acute-care hospitals do require further care. However, they should ideally be sent to nursing homes. Not only do they deprive other acutely ill patients of beds in the acute hospitals, they are also costing the country S$1.6 million per year. Sir, this is unnecessarily wasteful. (3) Nursing-home beds are for patients who are not fit to be discharged to their own homes. They still require special daily care and they are dependent on others for daily routines. If these patients are forcibly returned to their own homes, the burden on their family members will be tremendous. Many of these patients are indeed frail and elderly. It will be disastrous if we cannot cater for them in the future. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I foresee problems arising from an increasing number of the aged with a decreasing number of the young looking after them. Problems will also arise because there will be fewer care-givers at home due to an increase of dual-income families.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to consider the need for more nursing homes to be built in Singapore as a matter of urgency and also to evaluate the grounds for accelerating rather than shelving plans for building more nursing homes during the current economic climate. I was perturbed when the Straits Times published the shelving of redevelopment plans for the Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital and Nursing Home recently. The Ministry of Health is still committed, in principle, to fund the proposed redevelopment of the project. However, the funds will only be made available for the project in the next year or two. This will necessarily cause the project to be shelved for the moment. The reason given for this course of action was that the total budget allocation for development projects for the next few years has been cut because of the current economic downturn. I would like to beseech the Ministry of Health for a reappraisal of the situation and seek a positive response for a change in direction and emphasis towards this area of healthcare. Sir, I would like to try and influence the decisions of this House and the Minister for Health with the following reasons: (1) We are facing a shortfall of nursing-home beds now. There are about 4,700 nursing-home beds available while, in fact, we need about 6,000 beds. We are short of 1,300 even as of now. The need for more nursing-home beds will increase exponentially due to our fast-ageing population. It has been suggested that we will meet an increase in demand of about 22,000 such beds by the year 2030. There is really a need for this big task of providing a further 15,000 nursing-home beds within the next 30 years.”
“My experience as a driver is that it is very dangerous, while driving, to look at the pager when it sounds, to use a walkie-talkie, to meddle with the audio system or to watch television (which some motor car owners have installed). Section 65 covers all such situations. However, the new section 65B is of limited application and the insertion of which is to lengthen the Act unnecessarily. If this new section 65B is to be inserted, then one must ask whether this section covers the use of walkie-talkies. If the answer is in the negative (which seems to be unclear as the definition of mobile telephone includes any hand held equipment that is designed and capable for tele-communication) or it is covered by section 65, then why should one insert section 65B? Sir, the definition of "use" is also ambiguous. When one uses the mobile phone while driving, whether one is holding the phone with one hand (sounds like holding with one hand is an offence while holding with two hands is not!) or using a hands-free car kit, it is equally dangerous as one's mind would be pre-occupied in conversation. Furthermore, a driver may sometimes hold and dial the mobile phone before it is connected and in such a case, would he be caught for using the mobile phone? In conclusion, this new section 65B is not necessary and the definitions are ambiguous and not satisfactorily drafted.”
“Sir, section 42A gives me the impression that the prosecution is attempting to make use of such discretionary power (if this section is passed and becomes law) to apply for disqualification to frighten, if not threaten, all offenders for the purpose of ensuring their appearance before the court. The present practice is such that if the offender fails to appear before the court, a warrant of arrest will be issued. If he is arrested, he will be released on bail. If he fails to appear again (ie, if he jumps bail), the bailer will have to show cause. If he does appear, he will be fined for his early failure to appear. I must agree that such practice is not satisfactory to ensure appearance by the offender but it is more appropriate and fair to the offender before his conviction. Amendment to section 47C I agree with this amendment as the offence is of a serious nature and would endanger other road users. New section 65B I note that the punishment provided in this new section 65B is identical to section 65 (driving without due care or reasonable consideration). It is therefore crystal clear, Mr Speaker, Sir, that this new section 65B is inserted for the purpose of covering the use of mobile telephone. I believe the Minister for Law had previously indicated that there was no necessity to have a specific provision to cover use of mobile telephone, as section 65 is sufficient to cover such a situation. The proposed insertion would now therefore contradict what the Minister had argued before. Sir, I am of the view that section 65B is not necessary and I agree that section 65 does cover wider situations than just use of mobile phone.”
“One needs to prove that the commission of these offences has got to do with the use of the road or public place and the behaviour of the offender. I am of the view that this is a bit harsh, as this appears to have punished the offender "twice", that is to say, the punishment under the Penal Code as well as disqualification. Mr Speaker, Sir, this is against natural justice. Why should the offender be deprived of holding a driving licence? By analogy, is it reasonable to prohibit any parent who commits an offence of persecution of children from having children? Insertion of new section 42A I note that the existing section 42 empowers the court (and not the Public Prosecutor) to give an order of disqualification upon conviction of the offender. The new section 42A proposes to give power to the Public Prosecutor to apply to the court for such an order for disqualification when (a) the offender is accused (not convicted) of an offence and fails to appear before the court to answer the charge; (b) the court has issued a warrant of arrest; and (c) the offender has been arrested and released on bail. A further requirement is that the officer must inform the offender that such application would be made against him if he stubbornly fails to appear before the court to answer the charge on the next date fixed. I am of the view that this new section 42A is also harsh especially in a case when the offence committed is a minor offence. When an offender is accused of any offence, it does not follow that he will certainly be convicted. As long as the offender is not convicted, he is presumed to be innocent.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to speak in support of the amendments to the Road Traffic Act. I would like, however, to express my views over some of the proposed amendments and to indicate my concerns over certain areas of the new proposals. Amendment to section 35(8) I am of the view that this amendment is good. The amendment appears to provide that the Deputy Commissioner may refuse to renew the driving licence of a holder if the holder has been arrested under a warrant but before trial. Unlike the existing section 35(8), the police need not execute the warrant. The amended section 35(8) requires the warrant to be executed. Amendment to section 38. The old section 38 is limited to Malaysian driving licences. The amendment seems to widen its scope of application to any foreign driving licence or permit. The new section 38(1) provides that a foreigner who holds a valid foreign licence is permitted to drive in Singapore during a period of 12 months from the date of his last entry. Sir, isn't his entry into Singapore for any period sufficient to permit him to drive in Singapore? What happens if the foreigner's foreign driving licence has a validity period of less than 12 months? Why must the section specify that the foreigner be temporarily in Singapore? How do you define "temporarily"? What happens if the stay of the foreigner is for a period, such as 10 years? The new section 38(2) uses the words "driving permit" instead of "driving licence" as in section 38(1). It appears that no valid foreign driving licence is required as long as there is a permit. Amendment to section 42 I note that the conviction under the aforesaid sections in the Penal Code is not sufficient.”
“May I ask the Minister whether the issue will include Malaysia's proposal to build a second bridge to replace the Causeway?”
“There is ambiguity in the "improper act or conduct" which brings disrepute to the accountants' profession or which makes them unfit for practice. There is a need for clarification here in the nature and extent in the meaning of "improper act or conduct". As regards section 15, firstly, subsection 5(b) on "appraisal of the public accountant's professional conduct and practice" calls for further clarification on the operational methods to ensure effective and credible judgement and, secondly, in subsection 5(c) on "any other matter which the Board considers relevant" embodies too much and the nature of these matters should be specified and should be confined to technical, professional or moral issues. The amendments in section 5 appear to prepare the way for the Public Accountants Board to prescribe the accounting standards, methods and procedures to be followed by public accountants when doing any work in the course of their profession. I would like to seek clarification on the kind of resources which will be committed to this function in order to benefit the general public. Sir, I support the Bill.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to speak in support of the Accountants (Amendment) Bill. I would like, however, to express some concerns over some of the proposed amendments and also to seek clarification on some others. The new section 21(1)(a)(viii) appears to be very stringent such that the public accountants are not able to pursue other business interests. This does not provide for the entrepreneurial spirit, which our country is encouraging currently. Moreover, this will pose hardship to many part-time and small time public accountants who form quite a substantial portion of the accountant community. They will feel the adverse effects of this amendment as in most cases they do provide other non-accountancy-related services as well. The new section 23(g) should stop at the word "bankrupt". This is because, with the current economic crisis, a public accountant may need to enter into a composition with creditors and should he be successful, there is no reason why he should be removed from the register. In section 56(A), there is no consistency in this provision whereby any offences under this Act or any rule made thereunder which is prescribed as compoundable offences may be compounded for a sum of money not exceeding $1,000. This is because certain provisions call for a fine not exceeding $2,000, an example which may be found in section 20(3E). Therefore, this provision may have been better to be in line with the others, ie, a fine not exceeding $2,000 as well. The amendment in section 19 provides a much wider scope for misconduct for public accountants, unlike the old Act which restricts complaints to professional misconduct only.”
“However, I would like the Government to let the degree of hardship become a factor in all our endeavours and to remember what I would add, "too much pain is no gain too". Sir, I support the motion.”
“I would like to commend these two points for attention: Firstly, women comprise 40% of our workforce and many of them bear the burden of having the multi-role of looking after the home, bringing up children and caring for their elderly parents. Many need maids as a result of these responsibilities. We need to help them. Although the Government is not lowering the levy for foreign domestic helpers at this juncture, I would hope for a review later. A lower levy will go a long way when family incomes are to be significantly reduced. Furthermore, not many working women earn enough to benefit from the double tax deduction. In fact, there were only 17,425 women who were eligible last year, or about only 15% of the total number of employers of foreign domestic workers. Secondly, childcare centres and before-and-after-school care centres have certainly been a boon for more mothers to seek jobs and contribute to the economy. The importance of these centres is recognised by the Government. More of them have been set up and subsidies for working mothers have been rightly given. I would like to see attention given here by having the subsidies increased in view of the impending CPF and pay cuts. Mr Speaker, Sir, I applaud the CSC's recommendation to have "neighbour care" by extending child care subsidies to all working mothers, instead of restricting them to those who send their children to formal childcare centres. This would create more jobs for the homebound women to mind someone else's children in their homes. Sir, in conclusion, we need to work together as a nation, with a single-minded wish to see us out of these bad times. We will experience hardship and we will remember the saying, "no pain, no gain".”
“Perhaps we need a helping hand from the Government by way of incentives such as (a) linking the quota of foreign workers employed with the number of older Singaporean workers employed or (b) special tax incentives for companies which employ older workers. (3) On the part of employers again, job vacancies must be made available or even created for our local workers. There is no doubt that Singaporeans shun certain kinds of jobs and tend to let foreigners fill them. This should be addressed, for instance, by the use of more prefabricated materials in the construction industry or by the use of automation in the manufacturing industry, and so on. Steps taken to change the mindset of employers towards such ideas ought to be addressed. (4) Emphasis on changing the mindset of our local workers should also be enhanced. We need to encourage more of our own workers to take up jobs that have been designated as "for foreigners only" or jobs that are considered lowly and demeaning. Being choosy and unwilling to take on jobs below their expectations in terms of salary or status is probably the most significant mindset change required. Such mindset change will have to come in due course because more workers will be competing for limited preferred jobs in the market. (5) The Skills Redevelopment Programme's efforts towards helping companies upgrade the skills of their workers is most laudable. This programme must be encouraged and promoted resolutely to encompass more sectors of our economy. Sir, in our efforts to equip ourselves for this economic downturn, I would also like to beseech this Government not to ignore the plight of our womenfolk.”
“There is also no mention in the Government's response about the need to look into the employability difficulties faced by the older workers in the country. I share the same concern as mentioned by my parliamentary colleague, Dr Vasoo, in this area. I believe that skills upgrading of workers is the correct path forward. I also believe that higher technology industries will position us better economically in the future. However, it is necessary for us to also consider the social implications for the society as a whole when we try to achieve our ideals. We run the risk of leaving many of our people completely redundant and causing more social ills than necessary. There are about 500,000 lower-skilled workers at the moment and many of them are above 40 years of age. Mr Speaker, Sir, how many and how fast can these people be upgraded in their skills? Retraining takes time and not everyone can be upgraded in skills for a multitude of reasons. The lack of motivation may be a reason. But, financial considerations, the lack of opportunity and the inability to master new skills are even more important limitations. Of course, we cannot accept such excuses if we want a more productive workforce. Nevertheless, while trying to achieve our goal, the livelihood and well-being of these people have to be considered. Along the way, we should leave a niche section of the economic pie for them. In this respect, Sir, I would like this House to consider the following: (1) Lower technology jobs should not be phased out completely. They have to be supported and even encouraged until such time when we have trained our unskilled and semi-skilled workers. (2) Employers must be encouraged to hire more older workers.”
“Nonetheless, even if hypothetically, every single one of the 62,000 retrenched or unemployed workers were to apply for the two full years of $500 per month subsistence help, the amount would be just under $750 million. This, indeed, would be a large sum of money, but it would be well received humanitarian aid from the nation to its very own citizens. Sir, these are not ordinary times and what can be done should be done. I have met people who have been retrenched. They looked trapped and the desperation they expressed is unbearably profound. Now, there will always be argument that we may encourage reliance and complacency as well as ending up with a "dole queue". Sir, I feel that these fears will not be validated because the applicants will need to apply for the monthly aid and they will, of course, be subjected to satisfying the eligibility criteria set out to stem abuse and dependence. Moreover, $500 per month is barely enough for subsistence and the majority of people will want to earn more than that in order to have a better living for themselves and their families. At present, there is a 4 to 1 matching grant of up to $3 million each year from the Government for the CDCs when money is raised by the grassroots. It is not easy to raise funds during times like these. There is a varying capacity by different constituencies to raise funds. The ones that have the least capability to raise funds may be the ones that need the most to support families in financial difficulties. Moreover, most of the money raised for the CDCs in many constituencies have been committed to other charitable projects. In this context, therefore, I plead with the Government for this one-time outright funding through the CDCs to help the retrenched.”
“But not to us, because this means that the bad effects of retrenchment are affecting too many of our people. And the lives of these Singaporeans and their family members can indeed be badly affected, not only in financial terms but also in terms of psychological and social well-being. The conviction and confidence to achieve that Singapore dream gets questioned. These people can be left totally demoralised. Indeed, the distress from retrenchment can be very heart-breaking and the hardship from income loss can be very harsh. Although this may be especially so for sole breadwinners of families with children, the hardship will be felt by all members of the affected families. Sir, there is no provision for unemployment benefit in Singapore and I am not an advocate for one. Welfarism has many down-sides and will not work in Singapore. However, we must have some degree of humanitarian and social conscience considerations from the Government. We have built up strong reserves over the years for rainy days, I presume. Are we not in the middle of the storm right now? Although I agree with DPM's reservation yesterday about our changing from a nation of savers accumulating wealth to a nation of spenders depleting it, I would like to see a helping hand extended to the families of those retrenched workers who are having genuine difficulties, often through no fault of their own. The Government could disperse a one-time funding through the CDCs to tide over the retrenched who are in dire need during the two difficult years envisaged. Not all the retrenched workers will need the help because some have personal savings, some are from double-income families and the spouses are not unemployed. Some would simply not want such aid and certainly not for the full two years and so on.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I stand to applaud the CSC for a job well done and the Government for its response to the CSC's recommendations. I believe the Government's decisive and comprehensive package, announced by DPM Lee yesterday, will bring us out of this economic crisis sooner and will place us in a better position to handle future challenges. I would like to mention, in particular, that I welcome the Government's initiative to cut the salaries of the Ministers by 10%, in spite of the two consecutive years of wage freeze. It is good that our Government has again shown us its readiness to lead by example. Sir, while I agree with the Government's decision to cut the employer's CPF contribution by 10%, I am concerned about the cut of 4% from the Special Account. This will mean many account holders will find it harder to attain the Minimum Sum. I would like to reiterate that the Minimum Sum in the Special Account is extremely important because life expectancy of Singaporeans is increasing towards 80 years of age and many will require their Minimum Sum for subsistence in times soon to come. I strongly suggest that the shortfall in contribution here be promptly reinstated at the end of these two years. I also agree with the Government's package of aid to alleviate the burden of lower income families. However, I am disappointed that there is no mention of any help for the retrenched. Sir, I would like to entreat this House to also consider the more immediate and adverse side effects of the economic downturn which has left many people unemployed. Just last September, 62,000 workers in Singapore were without jobs. Sir, 62,000 may be just a number, mere statistics to some people.”
“May I ask the Senior Minister of State if she would consider just meting out the monetary penalty alone being sufficient to compel all doctors to vote for the representatives to the Medical Council?”
“May I ask the Minister if there is a problem in getting fresh catchment areas in the Riau Islands due to the uncontrolled dense population there?”
“Sir, may I ask the Minister whether SilkAir has paid compensation to the relatives of the air crash victims? If not, why is that so?”
“This is another proof that we act before problems become serious. I believe we should have a soft landing. An active people sector will help us to be even more alert to impending problems, and increase commitment and ownership to the solutions. I believe that provided we continue to have a strong, good and clean Government, the change in electorate trends as outlined by the hon. Member will be a great asset, not a liability. Question put, and agreed to. Resolved, That Parliament do now adjourn. Adjourned accordingly at Twenty-Nine Minutes past Eight o'clock pm to a date to be fixed. WRITTEN ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER NOT ANSWERED BY 1.30 PM ACCESSION TO HUMAN RIGHTS TREATIES 10. Mr Simon S C Tay asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs whether Singapore will consider acceding to further human rights treaties such as the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.”
“Medisave, Medifund and MediShield will be refined as we go along to ensure that our people are better served. In addition, we also notice that the private sector has developed various medical insurance and savings packages. The NTUC has also set up Eldercare Cooperative to initiate programmes to serve the older persons. I am confident that there will be more schemes for middle-aged persons to prepare for the golden years, since this is very obviously what the market wants. Other than health and cost of living, there is one area that concerns an older person very much, ie, loneliness. To counter this, the Ministry of Community Development will continue to promote the importance of the family. The Ministry of Education will also continue to inculcate in our young the value of respecting the old and caring for them. Social service organisations will also help families develop skills in caring for the needs of the old and developing expertise in elderly services. In addition to promoting the importance of the family, we should also rediscover and promote the importance of mutual help amongst neighbours. Grassroots organisations in the senior citizen's HDB apartments will give greater emphasis on promoting mutual help amongst neighbours and working with social service organisations. The Ministry of Community Development, the People's Association as well as the HDB will look into how such organisations will be set up. With the spirit of community self-help, the residents will live better and have a stronger sense of self-confidence. We are already discussing the challenge of an aging population years before it actually happens. Government, private sector and the community are already active in putting the various schemes in place.”
“I believe the memory of this turmoil will be with us for some time. So let us stay united and cohesive to get over this period of difficulty. I believe we will emerge as a more matured country, with a more resilient and confident people. The hon. Member has also addressed many issues associated with a more aged society, including the need to stay healthy, having affordable health care, and achieving financial self-reliant. My experience talking to the older Singaporeans in the course of my work confirms that there has been awareness of the need to prepare for the golden years, and a clear desire to ensure self-reliance. Older Singaporeans do not want to be burdens to our younger generation. There is an area that Singapore has made tremendous achievement in, ie, housing. Nearly all our senior citizens do not need to worry about roofs over their heads because of our very successful public housing programme. This is an achievement which is outstanding, and not many developed countries could even equal us. Prolonging employability is also important, and I do agree. However, one can be employable only if one's knowledge and skills remain relevant and marketable. As jobs and technology change very rapidly, we should inculcate in us a spirit of lifelong learning and regular skills upgrading so that we can all prolong our employability. The Singapore Sports Council, People's Association, and the Community Development Councils will continue to promote sports and healthy lifestyle. The hon. Member is a medical doctor. I have to agree with her that prevention is better than cure, and a good health should not be taken for granted. The Ministry of Health will also continue to watch healthcare costs, and ensure that healthcare is affordable.”
“(1) Internationalisation/Regionalisation versus Singapore as Home; (2) Less Stressful Life versus Retaining the Drive; (3) Attracting Talent versus Looking after Singaporeans; (4) The Needs of Senior Citizens versus The Aspirations of the Young; and (5) Consultation and Consensus versus Decisiveness and Quick Action. The approach of posing the challenges as pairs of dilemmas is precisely to exercise the creativity of our better educated and more articulate electorate to prioritise and trade off, to think of short-term sacrifices for long term good. As the Committee with participation from the people sector puts up recommendations to resolve the five sets of dilemmas, a broad cross section of Singaporeans would have been engaged and have participated in mapping out Singapore's future. I also agree with the hon. Member that having the right mindset is important. However, mindset comes with experience in life. Speaking with the older Singaporeans in their 50s or older, one would hear the concern that the younger generations do not have strong community spirit because they have not gone through hard times such as the Japanese occupation and our difficult road to nationhood. However, the current economic difficulties brought about by the regional financial turmoil has provided valuable lessons for all of us, especially for the younger ones. We are reminded about our vulnerability, the importance of electing a good and clean government, the value of social cohesion, the need to prepare for sudden misfortunes even though we feel very comfortable and secure. In Chinese, we call it ju an si wei ( ) and that we cannot take success and prosperity for granted. These reminders will shape our mindset and will help to strengthen us.”
“Our challenge, in fact, is to ensure that this time-proven way of doing things, which has proven to have served us so well in the last 40 years, can continue. The Government is aware of the demographic trend outlined by the hon. Member. Because of Government's education programmes, our electorate will become better educated, more creative, and want to participate more actively in matters of state. I would want to say that these are strengths, not weaknesses. If more of our electorate participate more actively in the decision-making process, ownership towards policies will increase, commitment to our country will be enhanced, and our people will be more cohesive. A thriving people sector will channel the energy of our better educated electorate towards nation-building. Together we will build a better Singapore. In fact, I would also like to submit that a lot of these are already taking place. The Government has, over the last 20 years or so, gradually empowered the local communities to manage their own affairs. With Town Councils, local communities take charge of estate management and upgrading. With Community Development Councils, local communities develop the heart-ware. The Government is actually looking ahead into the 21st century by forming the Singapore 21 Committee to map out strategies for nation-building. The Committee has been involving the people sector extensively to discuss the five dilemmas, and we can guarantee that people sector will be actively engaged because the Chairman of the Committee, RAdm Teo Chee Hean, is the Minister who first coined this term called "people sector". The Committee is working on five sets of now very famous dilemmas.”
“This insurance is to be used before resorting to Medifund which, otherwise, will be undesirably and excessively drained in the future. The need to be cared for sufficiently in case of catastrophic illnesses, the inevitable escalation of healthcare cost in future, the expected increase in the life-span of most people to 80 years of age or more and hence the inescapable increase in incidence of catastrophic illnesses should be highlighted. This extra insurance scheme must be carefully explained to the Medisave and MediShield subscribers lest it be construed as yet another "pay and pay" burden. There must be an incentive for saving further here. Some form of co-payment between the Government and the subscribers and the respite from having to save more in the Medisave or paying more premium for MediShield may be the way. Sir, the changes to future trends of the electorate in Singapore, the problems they portend and the implications for all of us are immense. I beg the indulgence of our Ministers and my parliamentary colleagues to look further into this matter. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Community Development (Mr Chan Soo Sen): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, firstly I would like to thank the hon. Member for Kreta Ayer-Tanglin for the reminder for us to prepare for future changes in demographic profile. I use the word "reminder" because the Government has been successful in the last 40 years in planning ahead, anticipating problems, and in acting early before the problems become serious. We have also been fortunate in having an electorate that is prepared to think long term and accept necessary, though not always, popular measures.”
“Prolonging employability It is not sufficient just to raise the retirement age. More must be done to help the older folk get back to the workforce. The authorities in Government and the employers should try to provide more opportunities for older workers and create special but meaningful jobs for them. It is also necessary to train those who are willing and allow them to contribute with dignity. As a medical doctor, I cannot help but to also mention the next two points. They are, of course, related to the healthcare aspects of this issue. I have made mention of them previously and they are: Maintaining healthy lifestyles Any population, just by maintaining healthy lifestyles, can reduce severe disabilities by as much as 60%. Therefore, we should adopt a more proactive approach to promote this idea nation-wide. People from all walks of life, and especially those near retirement or at retirement age, should be reached. This latter group whose lives may span another 25 years or so will benefit the most. Preventive care, rather than acute hospital care, is the way to go and it will save us all the money and save us from the agony in the end. It is inevitable that we will also have dependent cases that require much more help. We will need to train more care-providers. We will also need to provide more care-services. Both of these, at the moment, are not sufficient and are certainly not capable of coping with the increasing demands. Keeping healthcare cost affordable Medisave and MediShield have limitations. Moreover, they do not cater for those who suffer from chronic illnesses and require substantial expenses without warding in the hospitals. There may be a place to add a further "safety-net" insurance to fill the gap left out by Medisave and MediShield.”
“The CPF compulsory savings can only be enough for subsistence levels of living and indeed may not be enough for the old-age, especially when we will see longer life expectancy of people even beyond 80 years of age. For the more affluent middle-aged Singaporeans, there is an even more pressing need to save because they would have become accustomed to more expensive lifestyles. Moderation on their spending will prevent their life earnings from being wiped out for a more graceful lifestyle in old age. Building up family ties Promoting family values and improving family ties is of fundamental importance as the building block of our society. With our fast-paced lifestyles, it now looks like we have even more reasons to step up nation-wide efforts in promoting these values in our society. Government policies can be further enhanced to make this necessity a reality. We can never do enough. The virtues of a closely knit family circle, and especially of a three-tier family, loving and caring for each other, should be accentuated within our society through the schools, the grassroots organisations and the whole community in general. Encouraging self-sufficient lifestyles In the pipeline, and certainly on the right track, are the studio apartments which will be built for our senior citizens. They, however, are only the hardware for self-sufficient lifestyles. It is important that the software is available alongside. Hence, the various concepts that promote self-help activities and social interactions amongst the dwellers of these studio apartments with the eventual formation of "buddy groups" helping each other, should be encouraged. Only when we have this software in place will the studio apartments package reach the maximal values and success in the future.”
“We also need all Singaporeans to understand that some sacrifices have to be accommodated for the sake of a successful Singapore for their children and grandchildren. Sir, I would suggest that we look at the following as ways which either the Government on its own, the Government together with the people or the people by themselves can adopt to help solve this potential dilemma: Promoting the right mindset The most important prerequisite for success in this aspect is for all Singaporeans to desire self-reliance and self-sufficiency without burdening their children or the State. Whilst such a mindset will not be easily achieved, it must be encouraged. The Government must make the concept "popular" to our people who may, very likely, construe it as yet another burden imposed on them. Impart the idea effectively with abundant education and explanation. Implement new policies gradually and with meaningful incentives so that the people can accept this mindset without undue hardship. Previously, our forefathers' guarantee of future security and bliss was through having children. Nowadays, the smaller family units and the living styles are minus points for any guarantees of security through children alone. Added to this, the limited resources of our country mean that, in future, we will need every able-bodied citizen to be in the workforce so as to maximize our economic worth. We can expect to hit a dependency ratio of 3 to 1 in time to come. Saving more for the golden years There is a need for more personal savings from now. The message should be "save as much as you can now for your comfort in the future".”
“Sir, at the outset, I would like to clarify that the motion I am moving this evening relates to changes in demographic patterns in this country. Singapore has been very successful, thus far, in anticipating and cushioning foreseeable problems. This has been the hallmark of the PAP Government. Today, Sir, I would like to share my concerns on the preparations for future changes in electorate trends and the problems that may accompany these changes in Singapore. The implications for our future leaders and the consequences to this country as a whole are immense. Plans should be made, even as of now, or we will be faced with insurmountable problems. Act before it is too late, so that we can have a softer landing when facing the issue in the not too distant future. Sir, I am talking about the changes in the pattern of the electorate. The number of people above 40 years of age, as of June 1997, was 1,094,900 and this number will increase as the years go by. This group of electorate will be more educated and more influential and they will present certain pressures when it comes to voting for their government. They will probably lobby for special requirements and different subsidies. And, of course, it will be in the interest of the Government that the needs of these citizens are gratified. It is with this in mind that we have to plan ahead, well into the future, on balancing the whole process of providing for the welfare of one group without jeopardizing the welfare of another and without placing undue burdens upon continued progress of the State. To succeed in this, we need a concerted effort by the various authorities to work hand in hand.”
“I would like to clarify one point. Earlier on, I did ask for increased surveillance only at locations where the incidents of dengue haemorrhagic fever are especially high and where door-to-door instruction pamphlets will be useful, not for the whole of Singapore.”
“Recently, we have been hit by some kind of economic recession and many workers have been retrenched. We can create more job opportunities if the Ministry of the Environment can consider providing training courses for the retrenched workers, so that in this critical time they can have job opportunities. This is like killing two birds with one stone. In order to achieve the objectives of vector control, I hope the Minister will consider my three suggestions.”
“Secondly, vacant lands reserved for future development, especially vacant lands near the Housing and Development Board estates, should be further controlled and managed. There should be regular spraying of insecticides to prevent breeding of mosquitoes. When I went on house-to-house visits of my constituents, many residents told me that a lot of mosquitoes did not come from the HDB flats themselves, but had actually come from undeveloped lands, woods or forests nearby. Therefore, in order to have a better control of these potential breeding places, I think we should consider including these undeveloped vacant lands and public parks in the ambit of this Bill. Next, we must have a national campaign against mosquitoes. Every citizen has a responsibility to do this, and it is good for everybody. In order to better educate our public and promote their awareness on the possibility of mosquito breeding, I would suggest that the Ministry of the Environment get in touch with the CDCs and the Town Councils, schools, residents, especially the private residents, to start a national campaign against mosquitoes, so that we can eradicate all the possible and potential mosquito breeding places and sites. I think public education is more effective than fines alone. Thirdly, we must conduct training classes which are open to the public. I am glad to know that the Ministry of the Environment has started training courses for technicians and workers in vector control. But because there are more and more cases being brought to our notice, I hope that the Ministry of the Environment can conduct more courses to train the workers and the technicians so that they may have the professional qualifications and skills to handle vector control work.”
“In the first four months of this year, the number of dengue haemorrhagic fever cases has risen to 1,786. In this beautiful Garden City of Singapore where a high standard of hygiene is maintained, so many of these cases were detected. I think this is certainly something that warrants our attention and concern. In order to further control vector breeding, the Ministry of the Environment is moving this Amendment Bill to deal sternly with people responsible for vector breeding in order to preserve our hygienic environment. Under the new Bill, anyone found to be responsible for breeding mosquitoes in construction sites, premises, ships and even in the cabins of aeroplanes may be faced with a fine of up to $5,000 or imprisonment not exceeding three months, or both. In order to preserve and protect the health of the people of Singapore and the reputation that we have in the world as a Garden City, I support this Amendment Bill. But to make sure that the new Act can be more effectively implemented, I would like to make three suggestions. Firstly, the work of vector control should be done comprehensively. In other words, the possible places and sites of vector breeding should be embodied in the ambit of the Act, so that the various Government agencies will be better able to control the breeding places. I find that in the new Amendment Bill, the parks and undeveloped vacant land have not been included. Mr Speaker, Sir, public parks are places that the public and tourists frequent. In most of our parks and gardens we also have ponds. Wherever there is water, there is an opportunity for mosquitoes to breed. Therefore, we should further control these possible breeding places.”
“Preventive measures are very important when dealing with toxic chemical insecticides. Educate workers on the harmful effects of these substances and on the proper ways of handling them. Make the use of protective gear compulsory for these workers. Abate the possibility of trading the safety of workers for the monetary savings that some companies or individuals consider as priorities. Third, setting up of a Review Committee. There should be a permanent Review Committee that can continuously assess the permissible amounts of active ingredients used in the pesticides in Singapore. The Committee should access continuing research and current information to determine the safer chemicals in the markets. It must make necessary adjustments and aim to substitute more harmful substances with lesser ones. Even more importantly, it must be alert and ready to abolish the use of seriously toxic or proven carcinogenic substances from the market. Sir, I support the Bill. Mr Ang Mong Seng (Bukit Gombak)(In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, since independence, Singapore has made remarkable achievements in housing, environmental development and other areas. We enjoy the reputation of being a "Garden City". Every year, we have been attracting millions of tourists to this Garden City, and this must be attributed to the good comprehensive planning of the various Government agencies and the cooperation of the people. It is something that has been achieved by all of them through their cooperation. Therefore, we must step up our efforts to preserve our beautiful environment, and to maintain our "Garden City" reputation. However, according to the report of the Ministry of the Environment, last year, more than 17,000 cases of mosquito breeding were detected.”
“Some commonly used chemicals found in pesticides are (1) organophosphates, (2) halogenated hydrocarbons, and (3) pyrethroids. All of these can be rather toxic, if misused. Organophosphates poisoning can cause convulsions, paralysis, cardio-respiratory depression and coma. Death is usually due to cardio-respiratory failure. A fair number of organophosphate compounds are capable of inducing delayed neurotoxicity, resulting in the clinical manifestations of sensory disturbance, ataxia, muscle twitching and weakness, and in severe cases, complete flaccid paralysis. Halogenated hydrocarbons can cause neurotoxicity with manifestations of weakness, paraesthesia and myotonia as well as suppression of immuno-responses. Pyrethroids are the safest of the three chemicals mentioned. Still, they can cause acute toxicity resulting in tremor, profused salivation and clonic or tonic seizures. There are also reports of organophosphates and halogenated hydrocarbons having carcinogenic effects in experimental animals. In view of the significant toxicity of the pesticides, workers in this area should have regular medical examinations. In fact, exposure to organophosphates is under section 69 of the Factories Act (Chapter 104). Factory workers exposed to this substance must have compulsory and regular examinations. I strongly feel that workers in vector and pesticide control should get the same protection as those workers in the factories. There should not be double standards of protection when both workers are exposed to similar toxic substances. Second, compulsory use of protective gear. There is no mention in this Bill on the use of protective gear by field operatives. Appropriate clothing, masks, gloves, goggles and so on should be advocated.”
“There was a survey in 1996 which showed that about half of the 2,000 or so workers in vector control would be field operatives, and almost a third of these field operatives would have had only primary education and would also be inclined to be older workers. Many in this group have been in their job for years and could neither read nor write. These workers, therefore, may have problems in going back to learn and to pass tests. Mr Speaker, Sir, I suggest that rather than denying this group of their livelihood, courses conducted in their own dialects and oral, rather than written, examinations should be arranged for them. We all know that public education is the key to achieve successful vector control. Sir, I know that the Ministry has put in a lot of effort in this respect. However, more can be done at those locations where the incidence of dengue haemorrhagic fever is especially high. Door-to-door handing out of pamphlets with advice and instructions will be useful. Instead of fines alone, households with breeding sites should be given help to solve their individual specific problems. A list of certified vector control operators registered with the Ministry of the Environment should be made available and given to the public when the certification of operators has been put in place. Mr Speaker, Sir, there are inadequacies, however, in this Bill and I would like to see some addenda made in dealing with several issues. I would like to suggest that we look at these three issues: First, protection of the vector control operators and technicians. There is no provision in this Bill for the protection of workers from the harmful effects of chemicals found in insecticides. There are many pesticidal chemicals that cause acute or chronic toxicity in humans.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to speak in support of the Control of Vectors and Pesticides Bill. There have been instances, too often before, of offenders of mosquito breeding sites taking fines too lightly and ignoring warnings. Recalcitrant offenders were flouting the laws in the maintenance of mosquito breeding grounds, especially on construction sites. This had caused a lot of inconvenience and annoyance to the dwellers around the mosquito breeding grounds. But, more importantly, of course, this had facilitated the spread of dengue haemorrhagic fever which had caused quite a number of fatalities. Hopefully, this Bill will bring down the rising numbers of dengue haemorrhagic fever from a high of 4,300 cases last year. Sir, I would like to commend the following changes that this Bill brings. Under this Bill, first offenders face fines of up to $5,000 (five times more than the current $1,000) although jail sentences remain the same at not exceeding three months. Repeat offenders face fines of up to $10,000 (increased from the current maximum of $2,000) and jail sentences not exceeding six months. The judge can choose to fine or jail the offender, or both. Although offenders who fail to comply with written orders will face unchanged jail terms, there will be stiffer fines of $20,000 (up from the current $1,000). Sir, the stiffer penalties in this Bill should put across the seriousness that must be adopted in this area where negligent behaviour on the part of offenders can cost lives. Having more quality control over workers in this field, through certification of vector control operators, technicians and workers, is also commendable and is a first step in the right direction. This will involve education, training and examination of certain prescribed tests.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I seek your consent and the general assent of Members to defer my right to speak on the Motion for the Adjournment to tomorrow.”
“Will the Minister of State publicise the availability of the various training grants to the public so as to facilitate people to upgrade themselves?”
“However, the mindset is that there is a "new subject" to score from. All at once, ECAs will be in addition to the academic workload. If the rule for admission to course X is "get 3As+1B and your ECAs can give you further advantage", stress is increased, because the requirement for course X now becomes 3As+1B+ECAs and the "new subject" must be pursued. Let us please emphasise that to do course X, just get 3As+1B, and if you should get only 2As+2Bs, your ECAs can help make up the deficit. (4) Standards and requirements should not fluctuate too much year to year. If a student with 3As+1B in subjects PQRS is eligible for course X in one year, then another student with the same results in another year should also qualify. In other words, an inclusive, rather than exclusive, policy should be adopted. You want course X? Just get 3As+1B, and that is all. You have what you want. Let the standards be more finite. Sir, I fear that our education system may become too exclusive if we do not simplify more and quantify less. This mindset of our people should be borne in mind when we change policy or introduce new ideas. 5.00 pm”
“The idea of giving people a choice is right, but this offer, with the present mindset, opens the door to the problem of "too many books". It is not easy to have a "perfect" book, so parents will probably buy a couple more to be taught by tuition teachers. This cannot be good for the children. It is my opinion that, for the present, we should still have a standard textbook. From the books by various authors, the work that best represents the topic in the syllabus is extracted from such a textbook to be compiled. Some sort of a standard is thus made available to guide the students, teachers as well as parents. Sir, this way, the students will have less books to carry and the parents will have less books to buy. Indeed, the opposite will be awesome as there can be an endless amount of materials available out there in due course. (2) It has been said that our students are doing too many subjects for the `O' levels. They say that "only 6 subjects count, but you can do as many subjects as you wish" and you have students doing 10 or more. This is just too much work, let alone too much stress. Let us try to reduce the number of subjects. What happens when the rule is "6 subjects count and you will be examined on only 7"? It is likely that students will not want to study more than 7 subjects for examination purposes. The Singaporean is pragmatic. Mind you, Sir, I am sure many students will still want to study more subjects, but they now can enjoy these other subjects for personal interest rather than for examinations. To deal with this more effectively, the authorities would need to modify and simplify the subject-combination choices. (3) Adding value to extra-curricular activities (ECAs) is a step in the right direction to encourage students to be all-rounders.”
“Sir, I doubt many will fault our education system in terms of first-rate facilities, in terms of fantastic academic results, and even in terms of free and fair opportunities for all our children. The Government and educators spare no effort in trying to let our young have the best. We should all be glad. But "no", we moan and we are disgruntled. We are not quite satisfied, and we tell the world and allow the world to tell us how stressed we are from the education of our children. Sir, I contend that the problem has to do with our mindset on "success" and "competition for success". We are a success-orientated nation. It is only natural for parents to want success and the best for their children. Compete for it, if need be. It is not enough to assume that this is only part of kiasuism, and it is harmless. Having competition for betterment is not a bad thing at all. But when such competition becomes excessive and begins to look like a survival pre-requisite, we must take note. We need to change our mindset towards this type of "success" and this type of "competition for success". Although this may take years to achieve, we do have to start somewhere. Bearing in mind that the Government will help the children realise their maximal educational potential, let us see if life can be better when this is achieved, but with a different mindset. Consider emphasising a new ideology and interpreting an old policy somewhat differently from the way we do now. Let me use the following aspects of our present system to illustrate what I mean. (1) The introduction of a range of textbooks may be good for a whole lot of people, but it may not be so for the very people that matter, namely, the students.”
“As for BASC centres, there are already several of them operating in community centres. One of them is in my Kim Seng Constituency at the Bukit Ho Swee Community Centre. It is rather popular and is being run effectively and efficiently within the usual community centre setting. So much so that I feel we should accelerate introducing the concept of BASC programmes at community centres. I notice that one of these centres needs only 30 students to become self-sufficient. We do need a further 60 or so BASC centres in the next few years. Sir, I must say that the support for BASC centres from the Ministry for Community Development has been most commendable. I would like to see the same sense of commitment and urgency given towards the CARE concept. I am sure the People's Association will be happy that the various community centres and clubs be used in this value-added manner and welcome such arrangements.”
“Sir, most people, including women, need to work for a living. The care of their dependants and the needs arising from their having to work then become important. My concern, Sir, is about how much more can we further enhance our facilities to benefit our elderly and our school-going children. Although the Ministry of Community Development has done very well up till now in these two areas, there is a need for an even more radical and accelerated approach. In view of the rapidly increasing population of the elderly and the increasing recognition of benefits from supervised care of children before and after the school hours, MCD may perhaps be even more proactive and supportive towards having more Centres of Activities for the Retired and Elderly (CARE) and Before-and-After School Care (BASC) Centres. Sir, I am not suggesting building more expensive structures. I am suggesting increased usage of community centres. Most of our community centres are strategically located all over Singapore and they are all within walking distances from the housing estates. This user-friendly element is only one of the plus points. The other and perhaps even more important advantages include very low capital outlay and very reduced running costs. This is possible, when in fact, these centres are supported by grassroots organisations like CCMCs, CCCs and even RCs. Self-help within the community is a desirable feature and better rapport among the residents will be promoted. Putting to better use our community centres which are sparingly used in the day time is also a worthwhile point for consideration. This is so in the case of CARE, especially when various facilities like activity halls, dining halls, karaoke and games rooms are already present in community centres.”
“Sir, it should be a worthwhile exercise to study and ascertain these elements within the Singapore context. I would like to suggest that the Ministry of Manpower do this and help us overcome some of our shortcomings and enable the Singapore woman realise her true and rightful place in the Singapore economy.”
“Women are often subjected to socialisation as less able to handle risk-taking and as being less confident of their abilities. This could be a factor that plays a critical role in their expectations towards the salaries they deserve and therefore their perceptions towards the careers they choose. This factor may also result in the lesser demands by women when it comes to wage negotiations. 4. Societal conditioning. The influence of societal conditioning as the source of occupational crowding towards a narrow set of "women's occupations" is worth looking at. Whether these "women occupations" are really worth so little that they usually command less lucrative rates on the whole ought to be studied. Are there stereotyping and bias amongst the policy-makers, teachers and counsellors that deter girls and women from advancing their education and entering the traditional male domains? 5. Technological innovations. There is increasing stress towards higher value-added activities. New-age technology that points towards the ascendancy of electronics and computer-related industries may require people with strong background in mathematics. This is an area which is traditionally the stronghold of men. Are Singaporean women more likely to shun these "high-tech" occupations by choice or by preference? Do we need to change this mindset? 6. Reproductive role. To fulfil this role, women are required, at one time or another, to consider discontinuity and subsequent reintegration in their jobs. Effectively, they are prevented from full integration at their jobs. The resultant effect is that they renounce their ambitions and resign themselves to those lesser employment prospects than what their qualification would warrant.”
“Sir, on the "Gender Income Gap", the Department of Statistics in Singapore found that the ratio of female to male income declined from 73% in 1990 to 59% in 1995; that the income of the male workforce grew at a faster rate; that there were more males in the higher income groups and that there was a larger increase in the proportion of males with monthly incomes of $3,000 and above. All these indicate the significant widening in wage gap and career potential to the disadvantage of women in general. Why should this be so in Singapore? We are supposed to have equal opportunities, regardless of gender, in education and in career-seeking. And we have a system based on meritocracy. Why are the returns from investing in our female population not yielding the same accretion? Is there a shortfall in the contribution of our women to the economy as a result of this? The following are some areas that are worth looking into in this context. 1. Human capital investment. Firms may anticipate a higher quit rate from women than men. As such, they may be cautious when it comes to investing in female employees for fear that they would not recover their investment. As a result of such forfeited career opportunities, women not only have loss of earnings but also loss in economic values within the society. Perhaps employers may adopt a new mindset with some sort of help. 2. Double burden. There is a possibility that women may be more likely to shirk on the job than men. This might be the case because child-care responsibilities are more a distraction for women than men. Having children does impose workplace limitations on women. Perhaps we should look deeper at our child-caring facilities, namely, maids, grandparents, foster homes and child-care centres. 3. Women's perception.”