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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“The seniors in such cluster homes can be provided with daily needs with assistance from helpers and even medical personnel when necessary. The ground floors of such homes should be used for community services. Hence, "Seniors Activity Centres" to enable those well seniors to come down daily for physical, social and mental wellness programmes would be ideal. Such venues will also serve as coordinating centres that enable concept partners like the grassroots organisations, VWOs and various corporations to volunteer their services. Could MOH collaborate with the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) to provide seamless assistance to those seniors who require financial and social needs in these cluster homes? Senior Care Centres (SCCs) for residents and coordinating centres for volunteers at the void decks of cluster homes can be managed by MSF. MOH can provide training, like ability to pick up tell-tale signs of suicidal thoughts, for the befriender volunteers that MSF manages. Again, collaboration among Ministries is important for better identification of needy residents and the delivery of assistance and outreach. Such collaboration will also prevent duplication of services or over-servicing to some residents. Does MOH have any charting of roadmaps for the care of seniors? There is a need for this to better plan for the delivery of services. For instance, it helps to know where the places with the highest concentration of seniors are, what the age group of seniors who require most assistance and the types of assistance they require. There is also a need to know the number of cases with medical conditions, such as chronic diseases, physical disabilities, dementia and other mental illnesses.”
“Madam, at the Budget Debate, I spoke about Smart Ageing and Future Enabling care (SAFEcare), which aims to keep disability away for as long as possible and improve the lives of our seniors with graceful living through smart technology and preventive medicine. This is a suggestion, going forward, to improve the care of our seniors with a sustainable solution. MOH has been adopting the adage "prevention is better than cure" over the years to manage many chronic health diseases like diabetes. May I now beseech MOH to adopt the same concept for elderly disability? Thus, let us aim for seniors to age gracefully with independent living in their own homes despite their frailty or medical conditions by preventing disabilities and to better manage any disabilities. Many older adults express the desire to "age-in-place" for as long as possible and prefer to live at home rather than being admitted to nursing homes or community hospitals. Will MOH consider a concept of "smart cluster housing" where many seniors live in the same block of flats on their own, in their 1- or 2-room flats, which can be converted from the Housing and Development Board (HDB) rental flats, some studio apartments or even newly-built HDB homes? Such cluster homes enable daily service delivery convenience. These cluster homes will have elderly-smart home concepts that embrace accessible designs and environmental modifications to foster independent living and to improve the occupant's functional ability-related outcomes. Could the various Ministries work hand in hand towards this end? Thus, it would be good if there is collaboration between MOH and the Ministry of National Development (MND) in co-planning "smart cluster homes" for seniors.”
“For those aged 60 to 64, the annual premium payable to join ElderShield is from $1,000 to $3,000 respectively. Many seniors are not in the scheme because they cannot afford these premium amounts. I hope the Enhanced ElderShield will include this group with affordable premiums. MediShield has been revamped to the superior MediShield Life. Perhaps MOH will now consider revamping ElderShield to ElderShield Life, similar to MediShield Life. The many new features of MediShield Life had been well thought out and they are very good. It will be good if MOH could consider adopting them similarly to ElderShield Life with inclusion of its lifelong coverage, its universal feature and its permanent subsidy in premiums for seniors, low-income Singaporeans and so on. I hope MOH will consider my suggestions above in reviewing ElderShield and to make ElderShield the true safety net that it is intended to be. Extending ElderShield Payouts”
“The present opt-out scheme of ElderShield should be converted into a universal scheme to cover everyone and ensure that no one is left out. Through bigger economies of scale, a universal scheme will help make this insurance viable in the long run. Everyone should be included, regardless of age and prevailing medical conditions, just like in MediShield Life. The MediShield premium is affordable because there are subvention and subsidy, especially for those with lower income. I hope ElderShield premiums will be made affordable, too. In the 15 years since it started, there have been about 13,000 claimants. Considering that the disability prevalence rate presently is about 5% for those 65 years and above, it means there are already some 15,000 people requiring aged care facility per year. Thus, 13,000 claimants for ElderShield over 15 years is actually a small number. This may be due to ElderShield's onerous eligibility of three out of five ADLs for claims. I would like to see the ADL criteria − washing, dressing, feeding, toilet, mobility and transferring criteria − reduced to one for seniors or a maximum two for younger claimants instead of three. Enhanced ElderShield is important to reduce the dependence on institutional care unnecessarily as well as providing right-siting. Presently, some families take the option of sending their dependent members to community hospitals or overstaying in acute hospitals to save on dependent care cost, as there is subvention for hospital and institutional care. The present ElderShield excludes those 70-year-olds in 2002 and those with existing illnesses. These are the people who are more likely to get severe disability and be badly in need of the ElderShield but are excluded for this insurance.”
“I am glad that ElderShield will be enhanced soon. May I ask Minister when will this be happening? I first spoke on ElderShield in May 2002, several months before its implementation. In fact, this is the 11th time I am speaking on this topic in this House. Before its implementation in 2002, I already raised concerns about its inadequacy with payouts of $300 over a tenure of five years. Fifteen years later, the same payout makes its inadequacy even more severe. These patients with three Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) are totally dependent on others for their daily living. A payout pegged to the amount required for engaging a full-time domestic helper will be more appropriate. I am not suggesting that such full-time assistance be a norm. These patients with three ADLs, especially those as a result of old age, are unlikely to get back to normal if they have reached the stage of inability to perform the daily activities. But even for other sick patients with severe disability due to sicknesses, such as stroke or cancer, to reach the stage of not being able to perform three daily activities will usually mean that their illnesses are too severe for them to revert to normal activities again. Thus, the insurance coverage of five to six years will leave them in a lurch at the end when their needs usually increase rather than decrease and they need even more dependent care at higher costs. ElderShield has to be made permanent as long as the disability persists, if this scheme is to serve as a safety net and a remaining piece towards strengthening our society, as the Prime Minister referred to. It is necessary because of our society's fast-ageing population and smaller families.”
“Volunteers can also be taught how to refer the seniors they visit for social needs like food delivery, financial assistance, home help or medical escorts and so on. 5.45 pm MSF can collaborate with other Ministries, such as MOH, VWOs and companies for better coordination of services. Young families who wish to inculcate good values, such as filial piety, in their children might consider visiting the seniors on a regular basis as a befriender family. Could MSF facilitate "adopt a grandparent" scheme by families? On the group of persons with disability, will MSF enlighten this House on the Enabling Masterplan 3? How does the Government plan to build an ecosystem of support for persons with disabilities? What is the plan on supporting caregivers of persons with disabilities on care-giving issues, such as physical and emotional burnout? What is the Government doing to improve the employability and employment options of persons with disabilities? Enabling Masterplan 3”
“It had been reported that there was a near 60% jump in elderly suicides in 2014, compared to 2000, and 126 seniors aged 60 and above killed themselves in 2014. Although the causes of suicides are often multi-factorial and they include physical and mental illness and social isolation, the latter, leading to loneliness and depression in seniors, is one of the more important contributing factors for the seniors here to take their own lives. Long-term social isolation may also result in deterioration of physical well-being and health. Many seniors, especially the frail ones, usually prefer not to go out of their own homes. Thus, having volunteers and befrienders visiting them will be helpful. Could MSF implement measures to combat loneliness amongst the seniors as part of comprehensive assistance to vulnerable seniors? The challenge is how to ensure a steady stream of volunteers, especially those who are willing to commit long-term and build lasting relationships with seniors. Having befrienders who stay for a long time makes for greater continuity. It is this kind of relationship that the seniors value. Will MSF consider providing more funds to ensure sustainability in this scheme? Funds are needed for the running and training costs. More mature jobseekers and able-bodied seniors, especially those who are interested to contribute back to society, can be recruited as permanent befrienders. MSF can encourage this group of befrienders by providing a reasonable amount of allowance for them to befriend seniors closer to their homes. Volunteers can go through training sessions to understand basic know-how at identifying any potential psychological issues, such as suicidal thoughts.”
“And for a start, we need a facility for easy one-stop reporting and good follow-up by MSF. Whilst the Vulnerable Adults Act will cover physical abuse, psychological abuse and neglect, there is no mention of financial abuse. Social workers are seeing more seniors being cheated or financially abused by their children. A 2014 study by Trans Safe Centre, a charity that specialises in tackling elder abuse, showed about one in three involved a senior who had been financially abused. Financial abuse cuts across all income groups. Could MSF start equipping seniors on abuses, especially financial abuse, as a first step to assist seniors to safeguard their money? What kind of assistance can MSF provide to such cases who seek help? Can MSF consider setting up a bureau to investigate, mediate and counsel the parties involved following complaints of abuse? Can MSF enable the bureau, if all else fails, to prosecute the offenders for abuse of the elderly? Inclusive Society Sir, our population is ageing, families are getting smaller and our needs are growing. This is especially so for seniors living alone in HDB rental flats. They usually do not have family members to depend on. Has there been any "needs analysis study" done to ascertain the vulnerable seniors requiring assistance for various reasons, such as financial need, daily living difficulty, loneliness and depression? How is MSF helping this group presently? Would MSF extend comprehensive social assistance to the vulnerable seniors, especially those with mobility disability, to enable them to age gracefully in their own homes? The proportion of seniors among those who take their lives each year has risen.”
“The social problem of "abuse of vulnerable adults" is unacceptable in any society. I have spoken in Parliament on this topic many a time since 1999. May I ask MSF when will the "Vulnerable Adults Act" be translated into law and allow actions for early reprieve for those who are presently in this predicament? Today, some vulnerable adults are suffering in pain because the state has been unable to enter their homes to give timely assistance. The earlier we can have the Vulnerable Adults Act, the better. In many cases of abuse, the best way to end their plight is to remove the vulnerable seniors from their homes and place them at designated facilities that can provide better support and care. May I ask MSF whether we have such avenues and such facilities available? It is for fear of losing whatever little care and support they are getting that many vulnerable adults rather suffer in silence and not report their predicament. Thus, whilst we intend to have the Vulnerable Adults Act in place, we need to ensure that alternative assistance is also readily available to them. It is a pity that very few people will come forward to report cases of abuse. This may be due to lack of awareness, fear of being worse off without their own families or being afraid of their liabilities, especially with Court proceedings. I hope the Vulnerable Adults Act will change this. Could MSF start raising awareness of elderly abuse? Has there been a study on the prevalence of elderly abuse? Could MSF publish the prevalence of elderly abuse cases in Singapore? Knowledge about cases of abuse is often limited to some family members, neighbours and friends. We can help more of these abuse cases only when more people are made aware of elderly abuse, its prevalence and what help is available.”
“Besides focusing on building more nursing homes, perhaps MOH will consider my above proposal of smart cluster homes through technology and preventive medicine as a cost-effective alternative but, more importantly, to enable our seniors to remain in their own homes and to have better living. Singapore's old age support ratio has been dropping from 7.4 in 2010 to 5.4 in 2016 and is expected to drop to 2.3 by 2030. How do we cushion the dependence cost curve impact? It is through preventive medicine to keep our seniors as healthy for as long as possible, and the use of technology to mitigate the manpower needs to enable independent living as I mentioned earlier. The Finance Minister provided Enabling Masterplan 3 to support persons with disabilities and their caregivers in this Budget. In view of the urgency of our ageing population, will the Finance Minister provide another Enabling Masterplan to provide for seniors with disability next? I hope the Finance Minister would consider my "SAFEcare" or Smart Ageing and Future Enabling care favourably and to improve the lives of our seniors and helping them to age gracefully.”
“We can build new HDB flats with the above concept or we can also modify and convert more HDB rental homes or the present 14 senior group homes, or some of the studio apartments with the above concept as and when the need increases. Instead of using the whole high-rise blocks, using the lower half of the blocks will suffice for ease of service delivery. The upper floors of flats can still be used for younger families and so on. The ground floors of such flats should cater for community services, for example, senior activity centres to enable those well seniors to come down daily for physical, social and mental wellness to prevent disability and to monitor their chronic diseases. This venue also serves as a coordinating centre, enabling concept partners like the grassroots organisations, voluntary welfare organisations and various corporations to volunteer their services. This is the concept of the many-helping-hands approach in the community. It is especially useful for disadvantaged seniors. Since we are starting the PAP Community Foundation (PCF) Sparkle Care centres to cater to the more dependent seniors, it will be good to plan such concept homes hand in hand with Sparkle Care in the same vicinity. Presently, about 5% of seniors live in some form of residential aged care facility and this will translate to about 50,000 of seniors requiring assisted living by 2030. Despite a 30% increase in capacity since 2010, Singapore still had fewer nursing home beds per 1,000 people aged 65 and above in 2015.”
“According to one study, of the seniors aged 85 and older who were found to be in excellent health, one in five or 20% lived by themselves. What is the best avenue to practise "SAFEcare" through smart technology and preventive medicine? The main aim is to enable seniors to continue living on their own with graduated daily living assistance according to their frailty and keeping residents independent for as long as possible with the prevention of long-term disability by preventing the causes as mentioned earlier. In these instances, the daily service delivery accessibility is important, as this will provide better management of service delivery and resources, such as helpers, nurses and doctors. For this, accessibility to as many seniors as possible will be ideal. Cluster housing concept where many seniors live in the same block of flats is one example. Seniors live on their own in 1- or 2-room flats in such clusters. This will be better for planning and prompt delivery of services. This will also facilitate companionship for residents with their neighbours. A team of several helpers will be able to provide daily living assistance, where necessary, such as food delivery, cleaning of the homes or bathing for the very frail seniors. Some may only need such daily assistance during short-term illnesses. Nurses can assist in monitoring the well-being of the residents in such blocks of flats. The nurses can help to monitor the seniors' medical conditions and to refer them for early treatment when necessary before disability sets in. These conditions may include uncontrolled hypertension and diabetes.”
“More collaborative partnerships with Institutes of Higher Learning can be forged to develop new technology, while researching and developing cost-effective systems that promote age-friendly living environment in homes. In embracing technology, over time, it will be increasingly beneficial and affordable, when more advanced technology is launched with more competition in the market. A living environment that embraces accessible design and fosters independent living can make a difference in terms of a good quality of life for seniors. The suggestion is to help seniors overcome their intrinsic disability through either the removal of environmental barriers or the provision of environmental modifications. The environmental hazards at home are situated about 60% in the bathrooms and 40% in the other rooms. Common hazards are the absence of grab bars in the bathrooms, dim lighting, slippery tiles, and absence of kitchen work surface at a height suitable for sitting and so on. The use of smart technology is useful for a safe kitchen that will help seniors to function with automatic turn-off for stoves and other electrical appliances. Thus, modifications and adaptations of the home environment or elderly-smart home for those with disability, according to the individual's need, will improve functional ability-related outcomes. Environmental modifications are particularly important for those living alone. Today, those living alone with no family members to depend on are the ones who usually require nursing homes when they face disability. In 2012, about 7% of seniors older than 65, or 35,000 seniors, live alone. This will go up to about 90,000 by 2030. Living alone per se may not be such a bad thing.”
“Physical activities and keeping active can make our seniors stronger and lower their chances of falling, reducing fractures and injuries that result in disability. It is never too late to exercise even for seniors. The good control of chronic diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes, can prevent disability, such as stroke, and regular eye check-ups for seniors can diagnose cataracts and other visual impairments for early treatment. Facilitating social wellness to seniors helps prevent mental illness, such as depression, that can cause disability. All the above should be practised as early as possible before disability sets in. The use of medical technology is the way forward. It can improve the quality of living. Technology-assisted centralised-control health monitoring can be deployed to check on the well-being of seniors. These monitors can screen many seniors for hypertension, pulse rate or heart rate, temperature and so on from seniors wearing medical technology wristbands. Monitoring devices using advanced sound event technology and long-range passive infrared motion sensors to detect abnormal sounds and motions inside the house are useful for detecting falls at home. Remote monitoring systems allow the care required by seniors to be significantly reduced, alerting caregivers to intervene early when necessary. The ideal scenario is to have one central monitor overseeing hundreds if not thousands of residents. The main aim is to have good preventive medicine in detecting emergency health conditions and preventing disability. Information technology can ensure a realtime flow of data between care recipients and providers and make administration, record keeping and reporting of data more efficient.”
“Elderly healthcare costs here are projected to rise 10 times over the next 15 years to more than $66 billion annually. This means an average of $45,000 will be spent on healthcare for each senior by 2030. This is according to a report by Marsh and McLennan. This estimate also assumes that there will be continued ready access to cheap foreign labour, which may not be the case in the future. So, going forward, how do we care for our seniors better and at the same time reduce this steep cost curve? Let me suggest the following ways. The concept I am suggesting is based on the tenet of prevention is better than cure. In this instance, it means it is better to prevent mobility difficulty and maintain independence, rather than treating the disability. For example, it is better to prevent fall and getting fractures, or having uncontrolled hypertension and getting strokes, rather than curing the fractures and strokes to gain back independence. The purpose is to facilitate independent living for the seniors, till ripe old age, in their usual dwelling places, without having to be admitted to nursing homes, community or acute hospitals. Presently, this is the only option available for many, although not all of them require the intensive nursing care. This is a pity, as it is not making wise use of our limited resources, which are increasingly expensive. Many older adults express the desire to age-in-place for as long as possible. Thus, the aim is to enable seniors to age gracefully in their own homes despite their frailty or medical conditions by preventing disability and to better manage disability. How do we prevent disability among our seniors? The most common causes of disability among older adults are chronic diseases, injuries, mental impairment and visual impairment.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, I stand to speak in support of the Budget Statement raised by the Minister for Finance, Mr Heng Swee Keat. The Finance Minister struck a chord with me when he said, "We need to foster partnerships in the wider society so we can maintain a good balance between state action and community initiative". He also said that, "It is critical that we take decisive action to reposition ourselves for the future. Budget 2017 will outline measures for our economy and our society." Today, I would like to base the rest of my speech on the above points concerning our society. I was most heartened when the Finance Minister said that: "We are building an inclusive and caring society − one where Singaporeans of all backgrounds can improve their lives, where the vulnerable are uplifted, and where people of all ages can look to the future with optimism." I want to suggest the following action to reposition Singapore for better care of our ageing population. The title of my speech is "SAFEcare" which stands for Smart Ageing and Future Enabling care, through technology and preventive medicine. As the Finance Minister said: "Our needs are growing. Our population is ageing, families are smaller and our social needs are more complex." There is thus an urgent need to consider an innovative way, with the help of technology, for preventive healthcare to keep disability away for as long as possible. This will ensure seniors improve their lives with graceful living, especially at the later stages, when their needs are at a peak. The Finance Minister said that over the last five years, our annual healthcare spending has more than doubled to around $10 billion in financial year 2016. He also said that the healthcare spending will continue to rise as our population ages.”
“Thus, public education in this area will have to be targeted with a simple, easily understood and multilingual message brought to the ground where it matters. Hopefully, success in effective communications will reduce the number of possible contempt of Court cases in matrimonial disputes.”
“Although section 12(1) did begin with "Except as otherwise provided in any other written law", it is still not wide enough to capture situations which may not warrant such penal punishment as a fine or custodial sentence or both. Section 12 does not provide for any other forms of punishment. In the case cited above, perhaps the more appropriate form of punishment may be to make an order for an appointed personnel of the Court, or let us call him a "trusted friend of the Court", to oversee and distribute the defaulter's income, so that all the aggrieved parties receive their payments due in a just and equitable manner. Adding a fine on him or sending this defaulter to prison in such an instance may not serve the course of justice at all. May I suggest that section 12 be tweaked slightly to provide for the discretion of the judge to order other forms of punishment or remedial actions to better serve the purpose it is intended? Public education and effective communication on the intent and purpose of this Bill after its Third Reading will be useful. I hope the Minister for Law will spare no effort to dispel the misconstrued idea that curtailment on freedom of speech and on expression of disagreement against the Government is the purpose of this Bill; and this should be done in the social media also. Although the educational level in Singapore is very high, we cannot assume that what is debated and discussed is readily understood and noticed by the general public. There is also a need to better inform with good and clear communications on the punishments for contempt in matrimonial disputes as doing so may serve as a preventive measure for potential defaulters.”
“All said, the truth is that, very often, social issues are complicated and the Judiciary has to consider all factors before mitigating punishments. Many of my MPS cases have complicated family issues. Some male spouses who came to my MPS told me that they had to flout the maintenance Court orders because of retrenchments; others said they had second families to feed due to subsequent marriages, often with young children as well. Other male spouses had complained to me at my MPS that their ex-spouses had denied them access to their children, causing them agony. Some spouses said access orders were breached, as the children themselves did not want to see the other parent after the divorce. May I ask the Minister how does the Court deal with the judgment on such contempt in matrimonial disputes? Will they be judged with more understanding and sympathy? In the case of non-compliance for a male spouse due to inability to pay as the result of more commitments from a second or even third marriage, sending them to jail for non-compliance will certainly disadvantage every member in that person's marriages. What is the solution then? I would like to ask the Minister what his considerations would be on my following views on section 12 on "Punishment for Contempt of Court". In a scenario where a defaulter is in contempt of Court due to his wanton disobedience of the Court order to pay maintenance to his ex-wife, for instance, the Court can invoke the punishment under section 12 whereby he will be subjected to punishment either by fine, with or without imprisonment, or both.”
“The greater clarity of this Bill will instil greater confidence that the judicial system is able to enforce Court orders effectively, as such, giving the reassurance to the afflicted parties. The clarity of this Bill will also let people know upfront the consequences of non-compliance. After divorce, it is frequent for parties not to comply with Court orders on maintenance and access to children. Statistically, since 2009, the Courts had received on an annual basis about 3,000 applications for the enforcement of alimony payments from divorcees and the majority of aggrieved parties were women, mostly with custody of children. The sufferings and pains of the aggrieved divorced parties are hence quite obvious and a solution to ameliorate their difficulties arising from non-payment is necessary. There are also many parties who do not take out Court proceedings because taking out proceedings to enforce Court orders can be stressful, time-consuming and costly. These families suffer in silence. At my Meet-the-People Sessions (MPS), meeting such afflicted families, usually the female spouses, has always been regular occurrences over the years. Sad to say, due to the demographic profile of my residents, those afflicted with non-compliance of maintenance payments are usually in dire straits. They usually do not have other means to support themselves and their family members. Often, they have many children, some of whom are still young. They usually do not hold jobs or, if they do, they usually get only meagre incomes. Thus, the daily survival needs of their families are in jeopardy. I sympathise with these families. We should send a strong signal that disobedience of the administration of justice on purpose will not be tolerated in matrimonial spats.”
“Mdm Speaker, I stand to support the Administration of Justice (Protection) Bill. This Bill sets up clarity and certainty on what constitutes contempt. I welcome this as it sets out boundaries so that people are in the know how far they can go with the laws, without running afoul of them, and the consequences that they have to face if they choose to go against it. This will also allow people, especially those who previously tended to err on the side of caution, to now speak with confidence and to speak more freely. In the context of sub judice, I believe that everyone should have a fair trial. I agree with the majority whose opinion is that the freedom of speech should not lead to "people on trial" being influenced by social media vigilantes' opinions and postings. As the Minister for Law said earlier, there is one recent survey that showed that 92% of Singaporeans have trust and confidence in our legal system and 96% of Singaporeans agree that Singapore is governed by the rule of law. This Bill will further strengthen our legal system and the integrity of our Courts. This Bill is thus timely and in the right direction. The maximum punishments prescribed in the Bill are appropriately aligned, to be commensurate with the affluence of today and should be sufficiently high enough to be taken by the majority as adequate deterrence. Under contempt of Court in disobeying Court orders, such as flouting orders on maintenance payments and access to children, this Bill provides a framework for more effective enforcement of Court orders. Most people believe in the need for effective enforcement of Court orders.”
“Mdm Speaker, may I ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether it is correct to say that there has been a strengthening of the Singapore dollar and that he said earlier that the currency had been volatile lately with Brexit? Therefore, may I ask him whether this trend will further dampen Singapore's export and, if it is so, will that affect Singapore's economy? And should MAS mitigate this currency trend in the future?”
“Work and family commitments prevent many volunteers from continuing, let alone putting in more involvement or time. This is a pity because there is an ever-increasing need for more volunteers in our society. The social needs of the society are plentiful in our ageing population. As we progress socio-economically as a country, we need to uplift our lowest income strata groups, such as the less-advantaged families and children. It is necessary for us to better care for them, and this requires more social workers and volunteers. Befriender volunteers do prevent the seniors from isolation and depression by visiting them in their homes. Befriender volunteers are useful in keeping seniors healthier by reminding them to take their medicines, taking them for medical check-ups or early treatment before illnesses get worse. Although I agree that volunteers are altruistic individuals, I would like to suggest that we do more to recognise them and motivate them to stick with their volunteerism. May I request MCCY to consider nominal allowances for volunteers who can commit certain hours and who can visit residents at their homes, similar to how Pioneer Generation Ambassadors are being reimbursed? The reimbursements are for transport and meal allowance in the course of their roles. The growth of volunteerism cannot be left to chance alone. Let us take whatever steps are necessary to expand and sustain volunteerism. Singapore Roadmap for Corporate Giving”
“Mdm Chair, one clarification, please. Madam, may I first declare that my two children are doctors with MOH. My clarification is on the expansion of healthcare demand which the Minister spoke about earlier. May I ask the Minister whether he will prioritise the traineeship of Singapore Core doctors? Are there sufficient resources given to this area? For long-term benefits and future needs, will the Minister not curtail, for whatever reasons, the specialist training of local doctors? May I also ask how many private specialist doctors are being employed in our public hospitals and is it not better to train our local doctors to fill these positions rather than employing foreign specialist doctors in our public hospitals?”
“MediShield Life had been revamped to give that assurance with its many improved features. Maybe, now, MOH will consider revamping ElderShield to ElderShield Life, similarly as MediShield was improved to MediShield Life. The many new features of MediShield Life had been well thought out and they are very good. Will MOH consider adopting these good features for ElderShield Life as well? I shall mention a few examples. Lifelong coverage like MediShield Life is essential to give people the reassurance of coverage when they need the insurance most. Patients usually reach their inability to perform ADL towards the end of their lives. Therefore, it is good not to have the age limit on claims. The risk pool feature of MediShield should be adopted for ElderShield to make ElderShield more viable with non-opt out and as a comprehensive national scheme. I hope our Government will also give subsidies to those who cannot afford the premiums. Presently, ElderShield is being administered by three private insurers. It will be better if CPF board takes over the role as in MediShield Life. Increasing ElderShield Payout Period”
“Their actions not only deprive other patients who need hospital care, but they also incur tremendously high hospital costs. The patients may not feel the burden of the higher costs in acute hospitals, but it is to be noted that the bills are usually being paid by MediShield or MediFund for needy patients. The tenure of ElderShield payouts of a maximum of five to six years is also not adequate. These patients with three ADLs, especially those as a result of old age, are unlikely to get back to normal since they have reached the stage of inability to perform the daily activities. Even for other sick patients with severe disabilities due to illnesses, such as stroke or cancer, reaching the stage of inability to perform daily activities, it will usually mean that their illnesses are too severe for them to regain normal activities again. Thus, the insurance coverage of five to six years will leave them in a lurch at the end when their conditions could have deteriorated and should they require even more dependent-care at higher costs. Presently, ElderShield excludes those aged 70 and above in 2002 and those with existing illnesses. These are the groups who are more likely to get severe disability. They are badly in need of ElderShield but are not eligible for this insurance. For those aged 60 to 64, the annual premiums payable to join ElderShield are from $1,000 to $3,000 respectively. These are unaffordable premium amounts for many seniors and, therefore, many seniors are not in the scheme. 2.45 pm One of the main reasons for people to take insurance is for peace of mind, knowing that finance is available should eventuality strike. Thus, I hope MOH will review ElderShield to give better protection and assurance to the insured.”
“ElderShield is a severe disability insurance scheme with the purpose of providing basic financial protection to those who need long-term care, especially during old age. This is an important insurance scheme nowadays and will be even more so down the road in view of our ageing population. However, in its present form, the ElderShield which was introduced in 2002 is not adequately addressing the long-term needs of the severely disabled for which it was intended. This is the 10th time I am speaking on ElderShield in this Chamber since 2002. I have raised ElderShield inadequacies even then. Mdm Halimah Yacob had also raised ElderShield 12 times in this Chamber before. I hope MOH will review ElderShield and make it more relevant towards addressing the long-term care of the severely disabled. Cash payouts of $300 are paid to non-upgraders for up to a maximum period of five years, and $400 are paid, for upgraders, for up to a maximum period of six years to patients who are unable to perform at least three out of six activities of daily living (ADL). These activities are washing, dressing, feeding, toileting, mobility and transferring. It is obvious that such patients are totally dependent on others for their daily living. They need full dependent-care. Therefore, how will $300 to $400 be enough to care for such patients in one month? Even having a domestic helper to assist them will cost more than double in one month. I am concerned for those patients, especially the elderly, who do not have savings or family members who can afford their dependent-care costs. Some families take the option of sending their dependent members to hospitals or overstaying in acute hospitals even when they do not require to be hospitalised anymore.”
“Hence, we need an expansion in these facilities as well. Palliative care can be costly and it may be a strain for many patients. Therefore, I urge MOH to consider ways to reduce the burden of patients of hospice care. Hospice”
“With an ageing population, demand for palliative care will be expanding. I would like to declare that my daughter is a palliative care doctor with HCA Hospice Care. Many terminally ill patients prefer to be at home with their family members and staying in their familiar surroundings in their final days. They feel more comfortable compared to being hospitalised. But for hospice care at home, cost is always an issue, besides other factors. Many families are apprehensive about how to cope with their terminally ill family members even though they want to fulfil the final wishes of their loved ones. Thus, they may be more prepared to do so, if they can get more support on hospice care at home. This is also right siting, compared to occupancy of acute hospital beds by such patients. Thus, could MOH review the subsidies for hospice care? Could MOH expand palliative care with more personnel and facilities? These terminally ill patients need home visits by palliative care doctors to control symptoms, such as pain. They need social workers to support the psycho-social needs of patients and their family members as well as recognising and facilitating the final wishes of the patients. Many patients and their family members also need counselling. The purpose of palliative care is to make life more comfortable for these patients by adding life to their days. There is an urgent need to expand the number of palliative care doctors, nurses and social workers, as the shortage now will be even more pronounced in years to come with our ageing population. Presently, not many doctors and nurses are interested in palliative care. Increasing numbers of terminally ill patients will also impose an increasing demand on palliative care in-patient beds and services.”
“I find this scheme useful as it keeps the residents in their own homes for as long as possible, without which, many of them would have invariably ended up in acute hospitals. Perhaps MOH can duplicate such a homecare model in other constituencies, too. Day Care Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef: Madam, as a developed nation, with the challenge of a rapidly ageing population and also a longer lifespan, which means longer duration of chronic illnesses and thus, more potential complications, the need for homes, day care and rehabilitation centres will continue to increase. For specific problems, specific services will be required, for example, day care rehabilitation, physiotherapy, speech therapy, nursing care and even for mental diseases and dementia as well as mood management services. How is MOH planning to ramp up some of these services, which means not just the infrastructure but also the needed manpower and trained personnel? For those with significant physical disability and mental health issues, their families need to make arrangements for their care, as the former would have to go out to work. With the call for a later retirement age and also more active employment for our seniors and women, therefore, more day care facilities will be required in the future. With these centres, we will also have to ensure that care standards are met and the ratio of patient-to-caregiver is acceptable. Here is where I would like to suggest that perhaps we seek and tap on the retired nursing pool as well as train active retirees so that they can help to contribute a few hours a day at least to this required pool. Home and Community Care Plan”
“Mdm Chair, our homecare services are almost non-existent at present. I am repeating my call in this House again to make this service available quickly in order to lessen the need for high-cost stay in the tertiary institutions, especially the acute hospitals. With our ageing population, homecare, where many discharged patients can be looked after in their homes, will be an increasing demand and an important part of our healthcare structure. Whilst I agree that homecare will incur many medical personnel to visit patients in their own homes, MOH should relook the usage of healthcare workers and consider using not only full-time paid personnel but also family members, community volunteers and so on. Such healthcare workers can be trained in a matter of weeks. In England, it takes only three weeks of intensive training to equip them with the necessary skills. They are certified at the end of their courses, which teach them skills like assisted feeding, catheter care, prosthesis use, simple dressings and simple grooming, as in toenail cutting for non-diabetics using sterile techniques. There is one pilot homecare model in my constituency supported by MOH and funded by Temasek called Ageing Gracefully At Home. A team of staff and nurses look after the elderly weak and partially disabled seniors with medical conditions in their homes. They assist them with their daily and medical needs in three HDB rental blocks. Some of the healthier senior neighbours are recruited and reimbursed as befrienders to keep watch, befriend and report on weak and sick residents in their charge to the Seniors Activity Centres (SACs) downstairs.”
“I know that there is a Community Mental Health Team set up by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) to provide psycho-social rehabilitation for people suffering from mental disorders in the community. However, the purpose of the team is to facilitate patients to be discharged from and not to be re-admitted to IMH. I am concerned in this respect, as there are already too many undiagnosed and untreated mental cases in the community. Will it be better for IMH to discharge such patients to community hospitals or psychiatric nursing homes instead? I really hope IMH is not so psyched up to prematurely discharge patients without considering the overall implications. Non-compliance has been a problem, especially for mental patients, to the detriment of the patients themselves and the community. Will MOH consider an "outpatient commitment" law, similar to Kendras' Law in the US, where there is some restrictive form of commitment for a mentally ill individual, whereby the individual is free to live in the community, provided he is subject to close monitoring by a physician or agency?”
“Mental health is very much an integral part of general health. Good or normal mental health is a state of well-being in which the individual, amongst other things, can realise his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to function normally in the community. May I beseech MOH to review mental healthcare and to improve it? This is especially urgent for community mental healthcare which is almost non-existent. There is a problem of undiagnosed and under-treated mental patients in the community. They tend to be more prevalent in lower-income households and they usually cannot cope with employment and cannot fit well in society. Those that suffer from substance abuse also have violent tendencies. As the majority of Singaporeans live in densely populated HDB estates, we must be cognisant of the harm that mental patients can bring not only to themselves and their family members but also to neighbours and people in the community. There are many types of mental disorders; from mild ones like anxiety, personality disorder and depression, to moderate ones like kleptomania or compulsive stealing, compulsive gambling and substance abuse, to other severe psychotic diseases. In general, mild cases have good prognosis if treated early. Is it possible for MOH to maintain a staff of psychiatric nurse practitioners or psychologists at Social Service Offices (SSOs) to diagnose and refer undiagnosed mental patients for follow-up? Many such mental patients also need other social assistance and thus SSOs can facilitate that simultaneously.”
“The patient-centred factors can be demographic, such as age, gender, educational level and marital status, and psychological, such as patients' beliefs and motivation towards the therapy, negative attitudes, patient-prescriber relationship, patients' understanding of health issues and general knowledge. The therapy-related factors include the route of medication, duration of treatment, complexity of treatment and the side effects of the medicines. The healthcare system-related factors include availability or accessibility of care and the physician. Could MOH address these non-compliance factors and mitigate them in order to have better success with diabetes? An area that can make a difference is to enhance lifestyle-change reinforcements. Thus, would MOH consider promoting less-calorie food intake within our population, such as disclosure of calorie content in the food available? Would MOH also incentivise people to stay healthy with token rewards? Home and Continuity Care”
“Mdm Chairman, "prevention is better than cure" is a dictum that we would accept wholeheartedly. Preventive medicine is a topic I am passionate about and I have been advocating this preventive healthcare. In the year 2000, I was privileged to spearhead the two-year islandwide "Check Your Health" programme to screen those above 50 years of age for diabetes, hypertension and high blood cholesterol. Some 40,230 people were screened. About 60% of them had never attended any screening before and 60% of them, who had no past history, were detected with abnormal results. Although we are in a better situation now with more people readily going for regular health screening, we must continue to push for the detection and treatment of these three chronic diseases, and especially so for diabetes. Diabetes is a killer disease that slowly steals life away. It can slowly destroy body organs, resulting in blindness, lower-limb gangrene, kidney failure, stroke, cardiac disease and so on. If we can promote better control of diabetes, we will see less of these complications that cause pain and burden upon sufferers and their family members. Presently, one in three diabetics has poor control of their diabetes. Non-compliance is a serious problem in diabetes. Patient non-compliance is not only limited to the failure to take medications, but also the failure to make lifestyle changes, undergo tests or keep appointments with physicians. Non-compliance can be due to factors that are patient-centred, therapy-related or healthcare system-associated.”
“Mr Chairman, I would like to have one clarification on KidSTART. Intervening for disadvantaged children is crucial and the earlier the assistance is given, the better it is. Thus, may I ask the Minister whether he will consider flexibility on the age criterion for existing cases on a case-by-case basis beyond the six years of age?”
“Mdm Chair, may I urge MSF to give more assistance to the less-advantaged children, in order to give them a better chance in levelling up in life? Page: 83 Education and home environment are important for such upward socioeconomic mobility. Whilst we have a good education system in Singapore, we need to help the less-advantaged children benefit fully from it. Sadly, a home environment – where there is non-parental involvement, poor home literacy and unmotivated parents who do not send their children to school – sets the children back. We need to improve the home environment for these families. Studies have shown that a less-advantaged family background or socioeconomic status affects the likelihood of students graduating from high school or college. Thus, there is a need to identify this group for early intervention. Maybe MSF's SSOs can pick out such families and provide a holistic approach in helping them with more lasting solutions. Most times, these families have low skills and low-paying jobs and may have a slew of needs, such as in housing, income, childcare or ill-health of family members. The parents of such families need to acquire long-term capabilities, such as upgrading of skills and job placement. The mothers have to move away from prejudices and mental barriers to employment. Their children should be assisted with their well-being, daily care, healthcare and education. More social workers and MSF staff are required to undertake such a hands-on personalised approach to solve the various needs of each family. Most times, many of their issues cannot be solved overnight and these families may require long-term follow-up. Children in the Care of a Foreign Parent”
“These companies will spend and invest to remain competitive with other companies. It will be useful for our Government to design innovative schemes that can encourage companies to upgrade their workers' knowledge of IT. The intention is to facilitate our firms to keep their workers, packaged with improving their skills especially in IT, for a longer-term economic goal. I am not sure, as I do not have the details yet, of the newly announced "Adapt and Grow Initiative" measures and whether this initiative adequately addresses the intentions mentioned. It will also be ideal to have incentive schemes in place, for those who are retrenched, to pick up IT knowledge or to switch to IT jobs. We may need more coaches and staff to persuade and to facilitate them to learn new IT skills and job-matching and placements. I end by saying that I am in agreement with Mr Heng Swee Keat that we must have the courage to try new ways – think long term, dare to try and be open to change so that we will move in the right direction. 5.09 pm”
“Although they are eligible for ComCare, there is a need to empathise more with them. Perhaps, we can assist and handhold them for skills upgrading courses and better job placements. There is a need to sustain them financially while they are having upgrading courses. I hope our Government can subsidise them on their dependents' needs before they get to be re-employed. Coping with challenges and seizing opportunities. This is the era of the Internet economy. Information Technology (IT) has transformed the business world. IT is here to stay and is developing very fast indeed. Now is the time to ensure that our workforce stays relevant and competitive by being more IT-savvy. Thus, we should take this opportunity now to upgrade more, if not all, of our workforce IT-knowledge and skills to a higher level. This should apply to even the low-skilled workers in their own capacities. IT has dramatically accelerated the processes of new business-world creations. Today, people spend an increasing percentage of their time in the virtual world in their day-to-day living. And this has made IT very relevant to the business world where customised information on products and services can be easily accessed. Today, companies cannot even survive and compete without it. We need increasing numbers of infocomm professionals to address the present shortage in this area. Equipping our workforce with higher levels of information and communications skills for medium-term opportunities is vital and is the way forward. Recent surveys have shown that optimism about the economy has fallen right across the board. Many companies have indicated that their immediate focus is to defend their positions at home, making a change from 2015 when the top goal was to enter new markets.”
“Will MOF also consider the Jobs Credit Scheme again for SMEs, especially if the situation worsens with even more redundancies, and encourage our companies to preserve jobs? This Jobs Credit Scheme was implemented for one year and was announced in Budget 2009. Employers received 12% cash grants on the first $2,500 of each month's wages for each employee on their CPF payroll. It was a good scheme and should be considered again, if necessary, but with some tweaks in enforcement. We can consider crediting the cash grants to the employees directly rather than to the companies whilst allowing corresponding adjustments to the employee salaries by the companies. This way, we can ascertain that the assistance is given directly to Singaporeans whom we want to safeguard from retrenchment. Another tweak that can be considered would be the coupling of job credit with skills upgrading by recipients as an eligibility requirement. We can therefore hope to achieve an upgraded and more productive workforce from this exercise. This is in line with the focus on the "short-term patch and the medium-term opportunity" of Minister Heng Swee Keat. Middle-aged PMETs are finding it hard to find re-employment. In July last year, MOM announced a number of measures to support this segment of the workforce. As we approach the one-year mark, it may be useful to do a stock take and gather feedback to see if the measures need to be tweaked in any way to increase the employability of PMETs. The worst affected group of people in any retrenchment would be those in the lower-income bracket. This group usually lives from hand to mouth and does not have any savings due to their meagre incomes. Thus, any redundancy will put their subsequent daily livelihood in severe jeopardy.”
“For instance, we can look at the expansion of IT professionals in the MOF and many other Ministries, the establishment of stepdown care with more homecare providers in MOH or the recruitment of more early-childhood professionals and the social workers for MSF and so on. This is an opportune time for the Government to earnestly support the various Ministries to expand. This can help us absorb the excess workers or retrenched workers; but more importantly, this will enable certain departments of various Ministries to thoroughly improve on what was previously not possible due to the shortage of manpower. The resultant effect will be that people are in employment and the Government Ministries are improved. Would our Government also consider facilitating the growth of part-time work arrangements? Companies could be incentivised to keep their staff with part-time work arrangements rather than retrenchments when they need to cut costs due to the present economic climate. If more companies can take this option, we can achieve a dual objective of reducing redundancies, and also of establishing future part-time work option norms. This latter objective is worthy of consideration because there is a value-add if there is an increased participation of part-time workers in the workforce down the road. Availability of part-time work will enable those who want to have family work-life balance to continue working as without which, they might have opted otherwise. The Government Ministries can perhaps take the lead in establishing such work options in the public sector. Now may be a good time to take this step as previously, it might not have been possible due to the shortage of manpower.”
“Thus, I would like to touch on the following two topics in addressing the concerns mentioned: one, that are the relevant measures to better protect Singaporeans from redundancy? And two, coping with challenges and seizing opportunities? So, what are the relevant measures to better protect Singaporeans from redundancy? Madam, we should not wait for slowing growth to start manifesting in increased unemployment before thinking hard about what we can do to expand job opportunities for Singaporeans. Although Minister Heng said that unemployment is still low, it is nonetheless a total of 15,580 workers being laid off last year, the fifth year in a row that redundancies rose. Last year's number climbed 20% from 2014 and was the highest since 2009. Madam, we need to keep the morale of the public high and maintain the confidence of the people. Singaporeans need some assurances that the Government is in control of the global economic downturn and the knock-on effects it has on job stability locally. There is a possibility that this economic slowdown may be a slow drift with increasing numbers of redundancies that saps the economic vitality of this country. In fact, keeping labour force participation high would be one of the means of supporting GDP growth. In this context, I would like to suggest that we adopt a Singaporean-centric policy to expand job opportunities. The Government can take the lead in the expansion of job scope availability. There are many areas in almost all Government ministries that are in need of expansion.”
“The manufacturing sector of Singapore has been in recession for a year. This sector which makes up a fifth of Singapore's economy has been hit hardest with a decline last year of 5.2% from 2014, its worst performance in 14 years. Sadly, there is no reprieve in sight due to continuing weak global demand. Economists are saying that the global risks are mounting. China is restructuring its economy from export-led to consumer-led and is projecting slower growth of 6.5% to 7% this year, signalling a continued contraction in the world's Number Two economy. China's economic slow-down affects many countries, especially Singapore, as China is Singapore's largest trading partner. The economic outlook in the US remains uncertain. The rise in US Federal Reserve rates could result in foreign capital outflows from Asia to the US and put downward pressure on the dollar exchange rate. US companies, much like Chinese companies, are shelving imports. Singapore's export to the US accounts for almost 8% of our GDP. As it has been said before, "Whenever the US jumps on the global trampoline, Singapore gets a bump". The downside risks are clearly more pronounced now. Minister Heng Swee Keat said, "I am aware that current business conditions are difficult and uncertain. Many of our firms are facing weaker top-line growth, rising manpower costs and tighter financing. Workers are anxious as retrenchment has increased, including professionals." May I ask the Minister for Finance whether our Government should start looking at policies to mitigate retrenchment? The Budget feedback exercise conducted by REACH showed (a) worries of an economic downturn, (b) concerns over job security and (c) support for families, as the top three concerns of the participants.”
“Mdm Speaker, I stand to speak in support of the Budget Statement raised by the Minister for Finance, Mr Heng Swee Keat. I commend Mr Heng for a good Budget in his first Budget Statement as the Finance Minister. Whilst it is a prudent Budget, it is a well thought-out one to assist companies to ride out the present challenges and it is a caring one on social spending for the groups that need the most help; the low-wage workers, people with disabilities, the young and the seniors. I also like the focus this Budget sets out on the way forward to strengthen Singapore's future economy. Madam, Minister Heng said in his Budget Statement that "in the coming year, given our economy's heavy dependence on external demand, the weaknesses in the global economy will pose strong headwinds". This global downturn and its possible effect on Singapore's economy in the coming year are constantly on the minds of many Singaporeans. Many hear, read and follow the global economic updates from the mainstream media or internet whilst others actually experience the market sentiments, the retrenchment of colleagues, neighbours and friends. Although Minister Heng said that "we must not let pessimism take hold, lest it creates self-fulfilling expectations", I am of the opinion that we cannot not discuss it. It is better to address people's worries where possible and offer solutions to allay concern. Singapore is one of the world's most open economies and, therefore, can be very adversely affected in any global downturns. In February this year, it was reported that Singapore's January non-oil domestic export fell 9.9% compared with the same month last year. According to economists then, this portends the real possibility of an impending recession.”
“I would just like to qualify that, earlier on, what I said was a register more for vulnerable children, and I did not really say for all children of divorces. So, would the Minister at least consider identifying such children, disadvantaged children, and then keep them on MSF’s radar, so that we can give them assistance on a long-term basis?”
“May I ask the Minister whether he would consider a register to keep track of children from disadvantaged families, from divorces, so that we can keep them on MSF's radar to give them long-term assistance, hopefully, to adulthood, so that they do not get into problems due to their circumstances, and for a better society?”
“Maybe our embassies in the countries of these nationals should publicise this information and help to discourage them from using this route to gain permanent residency in Singapore. Mdm Speaker, I support the Bill.”
“In our small country with limited resources, we cannot afford to allow this immigration loophole. Will MSF explore further preventive measures at the very beginning when requirements for marriages are being considered? When certain characteristics or signs, such as wide age gap, foreign bride and lower income, of a marriage of convenience exist, there should be extra measures in place to determine such applications. Madam, subjecting such couples to interviews or to filling-up questionnaires separately would be one such measure. Very often, conflicting answers to the same questions posed to such couples can give clues to such marriages of convenience. Could MSF facilitate better collaboration of the various Ministries involved in order to enhance higher vigilance and detection? Can our registrars of marriages be given the authority to investigate and form opinions on whether the marriage applications are genuine and perhaps to refuse issuance of certificates for fraudulent marriages? Can the registrars or, for that matter, any other Ministries refer with ease any suspected cases of marriage of convenience to MSF or the Immigration and Checkpoints Page: 47 Authority (ICA) for follow-up? Most times, it is the public or people in the community that is in the know about any marriages of convenience between couples. Therefore, we should try to make it easier and convenient for the public to inform on such couples so that the relevant Ministries can follow up. I hope MSF can further facilitate these areas. I also feel that publicity on our rules and punishments concerning marriages of convenience can be made clearer. This should especially target the nationals that frequently use this route to gain permanent residency here.”
“MSF had previously published that marriages involving younger grooms, regardless of the age of the brides, were particularly vulnerable to divorces. Thus, this Mandatory Marriage Preparation Programme may be useful in preventing divorces. I feel that we should particularly take the opportunity at this early stage to identify couples with high divorce potential and counsel them accordingly. Over the past two decades, the US government-funded researchers have declared that they can predict, with about 90% accuracy, which engaged couples will divorce. An early researcher in the field, regarded by many as its reigning genius, is John Gottman. Other researchers have developed programmes that can significantly change the odds for marriages that appear doomed. May I ask whether MSF can take this one step further and identify those marriages, where at least one party is a minor, that seem to be starting on wrong footings or having higher chances of divorce so as to, under this new section 94A, proceed to mandate three more marriage counselling courses at the end of the first year, second year and fifth year of their marriages as well as mandate additional parenting tips for such couples should they have children by then? This will strengthen marriages more before they deteriorate or start to breakup. Thus, I am suggesting not just giving pre-marriage courses but three further subsequent marriage courses in communication, conflict resolution and marriage enhancements together with parenting courses for minors. Can MSF also set up a fund to make it easier for couples to have such courses without monetary constraints? Regarding section 57C, I agree that we should strengthen our regulations to avoid marriages of convenience.”
“May I ask MSF whether there is any support scheme, with professional assessment and assistance, in place to help, especially the more vulnerable children, during the transition stages of divorce proceedings? Most children are stressed and do not want their parents to divorce. Can school counsellors be roped in to assist and work with social workers of MSF to better help these children? According to studies by Amato and Keith in 1991, the long-term consequences of parental divorce for adult attainment and quality of life may prove to be more serious than the transitional short-term emotional and social problems in children. Stress states have been noted to be prolonged for many children, especially those in lower-income families with financial instability following the divorce of their parents. Many children also have difficulty adjusting to new environments and perhaps new step-parents and step-siblings from any subsequent marriages. Page: 46 Is it possible for MSF to set up a register to keep track of vulnerable children from divorces and to assist these children, especially the more disadvantaged ones, on a long-term basis? I feel that this will be an important step to ensure keeping these children on MSF's radar in order to give them a better footing in life subsequently and thereby prevent future problems for themselves and for society. Concerning the new section 94A of the Bill on extending the Mandatory Marriage Preparation Programme to marriages where at least one party is a minor, I read it as MSF trying to apply the tenet of "prevention is better than cure". This is a good thing as divorces here are on the rise. The absolute numbers of divorces were 1,551 in 1980 and 6,861 in 2014, or 7,307 including annulments.”