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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“Madam, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women with 110 women here diagnosed each month. In the years from 2002 to 2006, breast cancer cases here were the highest with 6,626 patients. The next highest number was for colorectal cancer, the commonest cancer in men, with 3,790 patients. Since the start of the national screening programme in 2002, there has been a definite shift over the past few years towards discovering breast cancer at the earlier stages, when it is easy to treat and the chances of survival are higher. However, a survey last year found that only 41% of women aged 50-69 go for breast screening every two years as recommended. Many women are afraid to find out thinking that a diagnosis of cancer is a sure death sentence. In 2004, a survey found that a third of women did not think breast screening was needed as they appeared healthy. But the fact is that there are no symptoms in early breast cancer; so even women who think that they are in the pink of health might have it. About 15% did not go for mammograms because they feared the pain, and 12% said that it was inconvenient. It is time to address all these issues and adjust our policy accordingly, especially on public education and raising awareness in order to get more women to go for screening. May I urge MOH to place more emphasis on breast cancer, and definitely not reducing the budget or removing the subsidy for women at age 40-50? Currently, about 280 women die of breast cancer in Singapore each year, or more than five per week. This is set to rise, with breast cancer cases here up roughly at 4% a year. A successful national screening programme with participation by at least 70% of the female population can cut breast cancer deaths by 20%-40% after 10 years.”
“Feminisation of the elder population poses serious challenges for economic and social support and healthcare. There is an adage, "our duty is not to add years into our lives but to add life into our years". I am sure MOH believes in preventive medicine and this is one area that needs MOH's immediate attention to mitigate future healthcare needs. A well planned policy calls for enhanced awareness and early intervention to try to cushion this explosive demand on the healthcare needs in the years ahead. 6.00 pm”
“Madam, I would like to request somebody to review one policy related to women today. I am not gender biased but there are inherent problems that happened to women here that require our attention. Singapore will see a significant increase in female population among the elderly population referred to as feminisation of the elderly population. Women tend to outnumber men. In the older age group, women tend to be younger than their spouses and have a higher life expectancy at birth. This has now emerged as a new challenging issue. This is viewed as problematic because it reflects high levels of widowhood and the various difficulties associated with it. Older widows are likely to live alone especially with the trend of declining number of children. Traditional means of family support are being steadily eroded with our declining fertility rate. Older women are more likely to suffer from weak health and have financial difficulty as women tend to have shorter working years and smaller earnings. They may therefore turn out to have lesser Medisave savings to support themselves at old age. We therefore may need policy to incentivise Medisave saving for this group. There is also a need for a better postulation and planning of the future healthcare needs that this group will require with regard to community hospitals, daycare centres and tertiary hospital beds. There are also a whole set of diseases that are more prone to older women such as obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis, hip fractures, just to name a few. These are preventable diseases that can be reduced in incidence with the adoption of correct lifestyles and preventive medicine. Prevention in them will save patients pain and burden.”
“Imbuing in them a passion for learning from a young age will help them better meet these challenges and enable them to be flexible when change comes. I hope our policy changes will accommodate and favour this transition. Sir, we stand at the precipice of a new era of change – one that we may not necessarily have control over. However, we can prepare ourselves for whatever eventuality that this era has in store for us. We must strive on our fortitude as a nation in our spirit of endeavour, industry, innovation, and perseverance that has seen us through 44 years of nationhood and will see us through this next challenge. We need to continually revise our own policies and be prepared to formulate new ones to address the challenges ahead and to remain competitive in the global arena, while continuing to ensure the socio-economic well-being of our people. With our people as our greatest resource, and with hope in their future, our Government has never been more critical. Sir, I support the Budget. EXEMPTED BUSINESS (Motion) 6.08 pm Resolved, That the debate on the Budget Statement be proceeded with beyond 7.00 pm and the proceedings thereon be exempted at this day's sitting from the provisions of Standing Order No. 91(3). – [Mr Mah Bow Tan]. ANNUAL BUDGET STATEMENT Debate resumed.”
“We may look into setting up a central management system targeted at our lower and middle-income groups. This will ensure better flexibility and use of human resources, focuses on educational investments, and promotes skill qualification and mobility. This centre will aim at giving our workers an edge, by developing critical technological skills relevant to today's marketplace. This may mean micro managing individuals to equip them with effective and sustainable skills. This may include the programmes to improve English language proficiency, advanced computer literacy and problem-solving skills. The emphasis will be on improving the skill-sets for individuals that are relevant to the current market and match them with relevant industries. This may also require an adjustment of current policy to incorporate considerations for reimbursements for knowledge requirement regardless of work internships or attachments in this economic downturn. I am hopeful that this approach may help these trained individuals to better take care of themselves with better employment and opportunities when the economy recovers. My second suggestion is on another favourite issue that I have been championing over the last couple of years. Lifelong learning is critical for our society and our people to continue to thrive in a rapidly evolving global environment. I feel this change has to be eventually adopted at all levels of our society including the workplace. But it should start today at our primary educational level. We have to prepare our children to meet the challenges I have spoken about today, and as they are likely to have to switch occupations and specialties in their mid-careers or even earlier.”
“It is in such environment that we can better ensure that our workforce remains productive and relevant. This will shore up "social capital" and, hopefully, prevent the emergence of an unemployment crisis. Our people remain our most valuable resource. We must do all we can to enable them to do well by providing them with the best environment to develop their skills and to equip them with new and relevant skills with which to compete in a global labour marketplace. I am encouraged by the ample opportunities provided by this year's Budget for the retraining of our workers to meet these challenges. This economic downturn provides us with a unique opportunity to bridge the income gap I have spoken about over the last couple of years. Our income gap has widened, and it has not only affected our lowest income group. The incomes of our majority middle class have stagnated in the past six years, except for last year. This may potentially engender the emergence of an underclass, resulting in social and political instability. We now have a unique window of opportunity to bridge this gap by focusing on long-term sustainable solutions. We agree on one of these solutions – that education and training remain central to achieving more equitable wealth distribution. Knowledge is the primary source, and a society's true wealth and qualifications typically enable workers to move up the job ladder into better paying careers. The challenge is in formulating a wide-ranging and sustainable policy to ensure that our people reap the long-term benefits of staying relevant in a rapidly evolving economic landscape. I would like to suggest two key areas of focus – the management of skills upgrading programmes and a focus on lifelong learning.”
“Such policies will help stabilise our economy while we look towards finding sustainable solutions to weather the crisis. However, the impetus to learn and do more is more urgent than ever before, in an ever-evolving global and financial landscape. This brings me to my third point – the impact of an evolving global and financial landscape. Newsweek editor Fareed Zakariah has characterised this phase in history as the "rise of the rest" in his book, The Post-American World, which President Barack Obama has studied carefully. He speaks of the rise of emerging BRIC economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China. Over the next decade, these BRIC and other emerging economies will shift from being export-oriented to being major consumers, significantly affecting the world trade balance. China and India are already significant consumers of global commodities and will continue to do so with an increase in their upper and middle classes. We have done well to recognise this shift and must continue to formulate appropriate responses to accommodate the emergence of these economies. While the US retains its importance to us and will continue to do so for many years, we must also be adequately prepared to "rise with the rest". In light of these three challenges, it is imperative that our domestic policies provide the necessary stability. I am happy to see that this year's Budget is focused on providing this stability. Its focus on job protection and helping viable companies stay afloat is critical in this current climate. Stable companies, fair job prospects and employment stability will boost our peoples' confidence in our economy and are critical steps towards weathering this financial environment.”
“Industry experts had noticed, prior to the unfolding of this crisis, that there had been historical aberration from long-standing models, strategies and conventional wisdom, resulting in market-wide inconsistencies. In spite of these inconsistencies, policy makers of other countries adopted a laissez-faire attitude in reaction to the migration of risk away from the official and private supervisory bodies that possessed the expertise to conduct the necessary oversight. This failure to distinguish and react to this transformation has resulted in what we see happening to the global economy today. It appears that any form of recovery would be contingent upon us. It is therefore imperative that our Government Ministries develop a better understanding of this new economic environment and respond and adapt accordingly. We must be willing to seek new sources of policy-related information and improve upon current policy instruments. We should also critically examine outmoded fixtures and mindsets, learn from the mistakes of the past and develop strong contingencies for the future. In this light, the MAS will almost certainly have a bigger role to play. It may have to improve upon its ability to conduct appropriate oversight on activities that have migrated outside sophisticated jurisdiction. It will have to adopt forward-looking regulatory approaches to deal with these complexities by reviewing its current rating mechanisms and examining new monetary policy aspects. We have thus far done well to boost confidence in our banking system with our Government's guarantee on all bank deposits of individuals and corporate here. It is backed by $150 billion worth of Government reserves which runs till 31st December 2010.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, this is a challenging time for all of us. The issues that confront us within and beyond this Chamber may be the most pressing issues in my 13 years in Parliament. The magnitude of the crisis at hand could potentially dwarf the 1997 Asian financial crisis, and undermine the very fundamentals of the global economy that we know today. As we conduct a post-mortem of the recent failures of the free market economy, the need for sound governance and regulatory system has never been stronger. We have an opportunity to design and execute sound, strong and sustainable policies aimed at economic growth and stability. Three key challenges confront us today. First, the expectation of our Government to steer our country out of the crisis. Second, understanding and acting upon the complexities of the financial system. And, third, dealing with emerging global forces beyond our control. The weight on our shoulders has never been heavier. Just as we have successfully navigated our country away from crisis during the 1997 Asian financial turmoil and SARS in 2003, our citizens expect us to do the same today. Thankfully, we are in a stronger position than most other countries to do so. Our reserves are strong, our financial fundamentals are sound, and we have proven ability to adapt in a dynamic environment. However, the highly evolving nature of the crisis means that the impetus on us to formulate sustainable policies is more critical than ever before. The second challenge for our Government will be to try to make sense of the current situation. The magnitude, scale and nature of this crisis are unprecendented.”
“Sir, in view of the fact that many banks may be averse to lending at such times and that many SMEs are in urgent need of working capital, will the Minister not reconsider administering this loan support package directly to businesses in order to get better results at such a crucial time?”
“Sir, may I ask the Minister whether he concurs that many retail investors, especially the lesser educated retirees, did not have a fair deal when buying the structured notes linked to the now bankrupt Lehman Brothers, due to the fact that these products were sold on the strength of reference entities, such as DBS Bank? The risk to investors was not adequately provided by incentivised sale managers, the prospectus had financial jargons and voluminous information, and Lehman was listed as the arranger and the swap counter party in small print. Could I ask for the Minister's comments whether these retail investors have fair recourse for compensation under the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act? My second question, Sir, is whether MAS will regulate the sale of such convoluted swap-based products and instruments marketed as bonds to retailers in Singapore?”
“In summary, the implementation of the strategies under our Four National Taps approach ensures a robust and sustainable supply to meet Singapore’s long-term water needs, and to be self-sufficient, if need be.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. I was asked on where I got my report. I just want to say that this report came from Global Research on Oceans Warming and Rising by International Federation of Environmental Journalists and is done by using data from US National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA, by a German professor. SUPPLY OF WATER (Achieving self-sufficiency) 8. Dr Lam Pin Min asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources if he will provide an update on Singapore's effort in achieving self-sufficiency in our water needs. Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Mr Speaker, Sir, we have over the years developed a diversified and sustainable supply of water through our Four National Taps strategy, ie, water from local catchments, imported water, NEWater and desalinated water. While continuing to rely on imported water, we are increasing the amount of water that we collect from our local catchments. The construction of the Marina Barrage has been completed and that of two new reservoirs at Punggol and Serangoon are scheduled to be completed next year. Together, they will increase our catchment area from half to two-thirds of Singapore’s land area. Since the launch of NEWater in 2003, we have been successful in substituting potable water with NEWater for non-potable use, conserving precious potable water for drinking. The construction of our fifth and largest NEWater plant at Changi is currently in progress. When completed, NEWater will be able to meet 30% of our water needs by 2011, up from the current 15%. Our fourth tap is desalinated water. The SingSpring desalination plant in Tuas was commissioned in 2005, and can supply up to 10% of our water demand.”
“From what we can understand, the preliminary findings show that the projection for sea-level rise is between 4 cm and 5 cm per century, and the sea level will increase over the global mean projection of 21 cm to 48 cm. So based on the preliminary findings, our requirement of 125 cm above the highest recorded tide-level is sufficient to deal with the estimates given by the preliminary findings. With that, we are now going into the second phase of the study where we are going even deeper into some other aspects of the effects of climate change on Singapore.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, may I have two supplementary questions please? May I ask the Minister how does he protect Singapore shores against a rising sea-level of 140 cm, a possible figure, according to one international study, and the same figure I posed to him at last year's COS debate on the same issue? Secondly, the Minister said last year at the COS debate that they have commissioned a study to better understand the possible long-term effects and the impacts of climate change on Singapore. He did say that he will get the preliminary reports after one year and, therefore, may I ask him after one year, what are these preliminary reports? Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Sir, we have to go by the best available report, and in this case, the IPCC. So I am not sure where the Member has got the figure of 140 cm, but we will be most happy to receive that particular report from her and study it. We have to go by the IPCC because IPCC is a collection of experts across the world looking at various scenarios and the best estimate in the report, as I have mentioned in my reply, is between 18 cm and 59 cm. But having said that, we will continue to study any further scientific reports, including the one that was reported earlier, which is the question filed by Mr Low and Dr Lam, and we will study all these as part of the vulnerability study. On her second point as to whether we have completed the interim study, the answer is yes. The findings are preliminary in nature because this is a long-term study. It will take us two years as we need to drill down the IPCC report to our context in Singapore which is located near the Straits of Malacca and South China Sea.”
“Sir, the questions I asked were: (1) Was it correct to say that there were 100,000 households that require long-term assistance, whereas the assistance schemes we have at the moment are all temporary? (2) Can they be helped with long-term solutions to get them out of the poverty trap; and (3) Can their children be given a better chance? But I have definitely never asked for assistance for 30% or 40% of Singaporeans, and I object to being asked that kind of question.”
“Mr Speaker, I like to object to the fact that I was asked a question on what I wanted. Was assistance for 20% or 30% enough? No, that was not what I was asking for. I was asking for 100,000 households which are only 3% of the population. I could not be asked a question. We have already given 20% of ComCare, and may I just qualify that ComCare was temporary assistance, and that was really out of the question.”
“No, Sir. One, my question was not answered and, two, I was asked a question.”
“I am sorry, Mr Speaker. Can I be allowed to come in here, because I was asked a question? Therefore, I should be given a chance to reply.”
“May I ask the Minister of State on the group of Singaporeans who are in need of assistance despite our presently available assistance schemes. They are lowly paid Singaporeans with many mouths to feed and who are perpetually trying to make ends meet. Is it true that, according to one survey, there are about 100,000 households of such families? May I ask the Minister of State whether there is any better long-term solution to get them out of the poverty trap and whether their children can be given a better chance to climb the social strata?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, on a related issue, may I ask DPM whether he is still of the opinion that Mas Selamat is still at large in Singapore?”
“Madam, could I seek the Minister's elaboration on my question earlier on the safety net for the most disadvantaged families of our society, especially their children, for the opportunity of levelling up? Could these families be given a package for the purpose of human capital development? The other issue is on the better MCYS delivery systems of the various schemes.”
“Sir, there are at least 100 cases of battered and neglected elders each year. These helpless elderly for various reasons were just the tip of the iceberg as most cases were not reported. Laws are enacted to regulate the behaviour between individuals, for example, laws to protect domestic workers. Is it not our obligation to look after the people who had built Singapore of today? Why can we not have elderly abuse laws for our elders who merit protection? And lastly, Sir, what are the steps taken by MCYS to strengthen the social fabric of our society and to reinforce the virtue and the practice of social piety? Caregivers' Support”
“Sir, may I urge MCYS to better provide the safety net for our poorest population, numbering some 90,000 to 100,000 households, who still earn around $160 per month per capita, the equivalent of around $640 a month for a family of four. Could MCYS be more pro-active and prioritise this group, especially their children? Could they be given a household comprehensive package based on human capital development as a family to achieve upward mobility? How does MCYS ensure that families in need do not fall through the cracks despite the existence of varied assistance schemes? Could MCYS fine-tune our present social services by revamping the delivery aspects? Could MCYS provide more social workers and assign them for hands-on approach to take charge of families in need, to match them with the assistance they require to get out of the poverty trap. These families are also required to be followed up continuously for better outcome. There is a need to have inter-ministry cooperation, especially with MOM, for job opportunities and upgrading, and MOE to ensure that these children get the extra assistance in education. And I would like to echo Straits Times' writer Chua Lee Hoong's suggestion when she wrote in ST last week: "Political will and the need for a lead agency to champion this multi-faceted problem". Social Enterprises”
“Sir, we have had a good debate. As Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam had put it earlier, there were valuable suggestions by Members. It is my sincere hope that these valuable suggestions will be deliberated and considered in subsequent policy implementations of MOE. On that note, I would like to thank the Minister, MOS and SPS for their good elaboration earlier. Sir, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $7,414,000,000 for Head K ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $622,467,900 for Head K ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head S - Ministry of Manpower”
“Sir, could I come to my second topic of clarification on character refinement which I asked earlier? Is it time to revisit our Civics and Moral Education to see how effective it is in moulding the characters of our children? Could MOE have more educational curriculum or programmes with more emphasis on character development and social etiquette?”
“Mr Chairman, I do not think my question was answered because I did not ask for financial assistance as such. I was making a speech in the Budget debate and earlier on, when I asked for automatic assistance, it was not financial assistance that I was asking for. Actually, I was asking for the schemes in place to make sure that the children from the disadvantaged families have a chance in education. I do not want to repeat as I do not think the Chairman will allow me to repeat all the areas that I have mentioned earlier that they need help in.”
“Sir, although I have a second topic for clarification, could I just get an answer for my first clarification first? SPS did not answer my question whether he agrees with me that we should err on the side of generosity to assist children from the disadvantaged families to level-up in education.”
“I would like to seek some clarification from the Senior Parliamentary Secretary. Earlier, he said that children from disadvantaged families should not be given automatic assistance for fear of an entitlement mindset of these families. Could I ask him whether is it not better to err on the side of generosity to ensure that no child is deprived of education in our society here? Is it fair to adopt this policy of fear of entitlement mindset on these children who badly need our assistance? And is it right to deprive these children the chance of levelling up in education as a result of this policy? 4.15 pm”
“Sir, there is diversity in the quality of our pre-school education amongst its providers. Does MOE intend to close this gap on the standard of our pre-school education? My concern is on the accessibility of pre-school education to the lower-income group. Could there be cooperation amongst Ministries in identifying these families? Should there be a database set up for this purpose to provide better assistance and follow-up? Could MOE design a comprehensive automatic scheme for needy families to ensure that no child is deprived? Could MOE also provide a plan for monitoring the progress of these children up to secondary school?”
“Sir, what are the steps taken to reduce school dropouts, and what is the time-frame to achieve this target? Could MOE simultaneously tackle present attrition problem, and at the same time adopt a preventive approach? Could MOE therefore assist students from vulnerable families earlier on to prevent future dropouts? Should there be a sustainable and holistic scheme available? Is there cooperation between MOE and MCYS to prioritise the children of families that seek financial assistance from MCYS? Could MOE design a comprehensive assistance scheme for these children with hands-on approach by social workers and a good follow-up? And, lastly, could MOE also ensure that this assistance available target at all the contributing factors of school dropouts? CCA”
“Sir, I have raised the quality of our private schools, numbering about 1,200 of them, before, and was told that it was under study. May I ask the time frame in implementation on the accreditation of private schools? Could MOE also look at the credibility of student agents numbering about 100 of them? Private Institution”
“Sir, our Government has committed to increase subsidised university cohort participation rate to 30% by 2015. How does MOE plan to do this? How does MOE ensure that the forthcoming university is relevant to the present economic needs and not duplicating the present three universities? I am concerned about the affordability of university fees to lower income families. Even with the CCC and university bursaries, students may still need to find more than 50% of funds to cover their basic degree course. Could more assistance be given to those bottom 30% of households? Could MOE ensure that the financial difficulty of these students will not deter them from pursuing their tertiary education? Will these students be assured of student bursaries, financial assistance and student loans? University Education”
“Could MOE assure that we do not end up with a future generation with ugly social fall-outs; where we have ungracious citizens, where children do not practise filial piety and the most disadvantaged of our society are ignored? Could MOE have educational curriculum with more emphasis on character development and social etiquette? Maximising Students' Potential”
“Latest research on brain development demonstrates that a child's environment and experience in the earliest years of life are critical for cognitive, physical, social and emotional development, and have profound lifelong benefits. It is urgent for us to try our best to give children from disadvantaged backgrounds the better chance in life in education. Could MOE target and actively assist the children from this group? We need a scheme that is able to systematically identify these families to ensure that no child is deprived for whatever reason. Could MOE cooperate with MCYS on this issue? These children need early intervention assistance for better outcome. A holistic approach may have to be taken for each family as they may need the varied assistance. Could MOE have an automatic assistance package once such needy children are being identified and these children are being followed-up till secondary schools to prevent future dropouts? I agree with Straits Times ' Senior Writer, Chua Mui Hoong, when she wrote last week, and I quote, "Singapore being such an organised, close-knit society, it is well within its capability to weave a tight social safety net for low-income children to ensure that they have the means to go to school and stay there for character refinement." How we bring up our young at home and teach them in school will shape Singapore in the next generation. We must strengthen our emphasis of character building in students. We should produce not just "A" students, but individuals who are gracious, civic conscious and benevolent. There is lament in many developed societies that their citizens are becoming more self-centred and uncaring towards their fellow men and even towards their own elders. We must ensure we do not follow this slippery path.”
“Individuals must take it upon themselves to constantly improve and upgrade themselves. MOE can prepare our students to be lifelong learners. In our human resource dependent country, the success of which will depend on how well the next generation can take advantage of globalisation. In an increasingly faster changing world, it is essential to have a society that is nimble to transformation in order to underpin our national competitiveness. Could MOE therefore modify our education system and steer our students to be lifelong learners of the future and encourage a learning society? Third, is about opportunity for disadvantaged students. Education is the best way to level up in society. There is a greater challenge for children from lower-income families to participate in the education process. Many dropouts are from low-income families. Our poorest populations, numbering some 90,000 to 100,000 households, especially those with young children, need special attention. We need an integrated approach of assistance. Many parents of these children may lack parental motivation and, therefore, parental guidance and counselling, financial assistance and other referrals may be necessary in order to get better educational support and attitudes towards schools for these children. Therefore, we should have comprehensive assistance - social workers assigned to families and counsellors to target at factors not just schools but also families and communities, extra tuitions and career guidance. Continued monitoring and follow-up over time are necessary to ensure the well-being of these children. Latest available figures show that some 5% of each Primary 1 cohort of about 42,000 has not attended pre-school at all.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head K of the Estimates be reduced by $100. The fundamentals of our school scheme are sound. However, there are four areas in education which I would like to highlight in developing our young. First, preparing our young for the future. People are our only resource. All individuals in our society should therefore be given the opportunities to develop to their fullest. Our students have diverse ability and interest. There are now special schools for sports, arts, mathematics and science to cater to students' unique strength. Does MOE intend to keep up the momentum to cater to diversity of students further? The continued success of Singapore lies in our people's ability to compete in this globalised world and to meet the challenges of the future. The present economy requires methods of doing things, that are increasingly mobile and dynamic. We are all aware that creativity, flexibility and innovation are the key tools we need to survive and compete in this knowledge-based economy. How does MOE develop our young to be innovative individuals of the future? What are the programmes in place to develop creative and critical thinking of students? Are such programmes being reviewed periodically? Should there be more entrepreneurial skills development programmes being introduced? It has been said that Singapore's education system is grade oriented. The examination focused attitude has the effect of taking out the fun of studying. It brings me to my second point of lifelong learners of the future and encouraging a learning society. It has become necessary to modify the role of education in just equipping the basic faculties. Education can no longer stop after one leaves school.”
“Sir, Singaporeans live longer but suffer eight years of poor health. Japanese women have an average of eight years more good health compared to women here. Japanese men have four more years of good health compared to Singapore men. MOH study shows that the main causes of sickness of men and women here are diseases that could be prevented earlier on. These diseases are heart disease and stroke, cancer, diabetes and even mental illness. May I ask MOH what can be done to reduce the years of disability amongst Singaporeans? What further preventive measures are useful to reduce such disability? Preventive Health Measures”
“Sir, the concern of many Singaporeans is on the sustainability of pay-as-you-go healthcare financing here. The rate of population ageing in Singapore is among the fastest in the world. The elderly will use between three and five times more healthcare services compared to the younger population. While the 3Ms are intended to increasingly cover a larger share of the health financing pie, the fact remains that they cover only less than half of overall national expenditure at present, leaving still a large portion of expense as out-of-pocket payment. Thus, any reduction in healthcare cost will lessen an individual's cost substantially. Could MOH look into the policy of reducing the burden of healthcare of Singaporeans in the following areas: (1) Promoting active elderly citizenry based on Okinawa's population on healthy living; (2) Promotion of independent living at home with the support of family and community; (3) New alternative types of cost effective community-based long-term care; (4) Home care; (5) Home hospice care; and (6) Public-private-people partnerships in new models of elder care. Increase Payout under Basic ElderShield”
“Sir, earlier I spoke on energy saving. On the same topic, may I ask the Minister whether there is any incentive or the promotional use of the solar water heaters rather than the use of electrical water heaters? Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Sir, at the moment, there are no such incentives but what we have done is to provide information to households on which are the more energy efficient appliances. The jury is still out on whether solar water energy would be better than other types but what we can do, as I have mentioned in my reply, is for us to provide information on which one is more efficient, which one is better for you to use. I think that is the first step that we need to do. Whether or not we want to incentivise the behaviour further, I think this will have to be studied progressively. This is done in other countries but once you incentivise, you provide subsidies, you skew the market unnecessarily. We want to be able to make sure that the market will respond according to the demands of the population. So the role that we have taken upon ourselves at this point in time with respect to households is, firstly, to provide the market information, secondly, through the efforts of the CDCs, to encourage households to consider taking on some of these options. But then again, as I have said, these are still early days. As we develop our energy efficiency masterplan, we will consider all options and which are the ones which are necessary for us to have perhaps a quantum leap in terms of the number of energy efficient appliances being used in Singapore. But the first step is obviously to provide that information.”
“Included in the strategy should be incentives like feed-in tariffs, net metering and other incentives for these companies to want to test bed, showcase and set up their businesses in Singapore; (b) coordinating all R&D in renewable energy being done by various institutions. I believe all institutions are working independently and I am sure there are overlaps and therefore an inefficient use of manpower and energy; (c) providing a master plan and roadmap for renewable energy and energy efficiency so that the private sector can understand and therefore react and partner MEWR in this masterplan; and (d) provide a clear strategy on the use of biofuel, CNG, green vehicles, green public transportation, etc. Second question: how will this strategy dovetail with the aspirations espoused in the Singapore Declaration on Climate Change, Energy and the Environment and the ASEAN Declaration on Environmental Sustainability? And how will all the above dovetail with what the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Climate Change is doing with respect to the Bali roadmap? Energy Efficiency 5.15 pm”
“Sir, it has been said that Singapore has two seasons - summer outdoors and winter indoors. Many buildings in Singapore are too cold for comfort. It is a waste of energy and money. The ideal indoor temperature should be between 22.5 degrees Celsius and 25.5 degrees Celsius, with average humidity of not more than 70%. What has NEA done to solve this wastage in view of the increase in price of oil? Could NEA come up with better and more efficient methods to assist building owners to save energy? Should there not be more incentives to achieve faster and greater outcome? And I must say I am feeling cold even with a summer fabric here. Climate Change, Energy and the Environment Er Edwin Khew Teck Fook: Sir, I applaud Minister Yaacob, his Ministry and the two agencies, NEA and PUB, for establishing an environment and water supply system in Singapore that any major city in the world will be proud to have. However, Singapore has some way to go before we become an eco-city and as such, PM announced the formation of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Sustainable Development. As co-chair of this Inter-Ministerial Committee, I would like the Minister to answer two questions. Firstly, what are the Ministry's short and medium termstrategies to mitigate climate change and develop Singapore into a centre for renewable energy and energy efficiency solutions. Within these strategies, I would like Minister to consider: (a) establishing a new programme office for renewable energy. As to be a new energy hub or a centre for renewable energy, Singapore needs to have a holistic strategy to attract renewable energy technology companies to Singapore.”
“Sir, could I seek clarification from Minister on the Lease Buy-Back system (LBS)? I am happy with the Minister's assurance on the provision of continued stay in the flats under LBS even if the mortgagee should live beyond 30 years. May I ask him what will happen to the rest of the lease should the mortgagee not use up the 30 years? My second question is that: is the $490 mentioned earlier by him on the steady income for life for one or two mortgagees for each flat under LBS?”
“Sir, may I ask the Minister whether MND monitors on the existing buildings in Singapore with regard to energy conservation and environmental sustainability? Could more be done to improve the facade and airconditioning system of existing buildings to minimise energy consumption and to provide better comfort in keeping the right temperature? What is the percentage of buildings that are failing badly in this regard? Does the Minister plan to incentivise owners of old buildings to achieve the Green Mark or satisfy standards apart from just those new and retrofitted buildings? The Chairman: Dr Faishal is not present. Ms Lee Bee Wah. Private Estate Er Lee Bee Wah: Sir, I would like to ask the Minister to lend a hand to those living in private estates. They have not been able to enjoy upgrading of basic facilities such as upgrading of the playgrounds. Equipment and flooring should be changed to more durable and safer types. Change flooring to synthetic rubber as this has been a request of many of my residents in Nee Soon South. Next, is to build three-generation exercise stations in order to encourage healthy living. Last, but not least, build bigger pavilions which can be used as both a meeting point and a place to exercise for those living in private estates. Those living in private estates should not be overlooked in the Government's cyclical upgrading programmes.”
“Sir, I would like to thank DPM Wong and Ministers Teo Chee Hean and Lim Hng Kiang for their detailed reassuring answers. On that note, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $213,280,400 for Head U ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $22,753,100 for Head U ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head R – Ministry of Law”
“Sir, may I ask DPM Wong whether there are more avenues in place for foreign students so that those in the universities, either Government or private, can stay back and contribute?”
“Sir, may I ask the DPM whether MAS' present stance on the Singapore dollar's exchange rate remains appropriate in view of rising inflation, the same concern as Mr Inderjit Singh? Should the Singapore dollar be allowed to appreciate at a faster pace to cope with imported inflation? But how far can the Singapore dollar rise without eroding the export competitiveness of the local export? What are the criteria used to balance competitiveness and social discontent with regard to inflation management? Is it the view now that the balance will tip to the latter in view of the fact that most people on modest fixed incomes have little margin to adjust compared to businesses?”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head U of the Estimates be reduced by $100. Sir, immigration can mitigate the negative economic slowdown from the process of ageing and the shrinking of population. What is the progress on the attraction of immigrants to Singapore? What are the efforts to integrate new immigrants well into our society to maintain a cohesive and harmonious community? For foreign students in Singapore, who may be children of immigrants or here on their own, is there any effort to encourage them to stay and contribute? Are there avenues to engage foreign students in both the Government and private schools? Integration of Expatriates, PRs and New Citizens”
“There need to be constant updates to existing training programmes. Human development in training, retraining and re-employment have thus far been at the core of Government's policy to promote upward mobility. However, the outcome of this policy needs to be evaluated in the context of global downward pressures on market wages, particularly for the lower income. One example is whether existing retraining programmes can be expanded to assist workers to transit from sunset sectors to the new relevant ones. Mr Speaker, Sir, while I applaud the many positives in this year's Budget, there is still always room for improvement as we continue to seek ways to enhance our social safety nets for the well-being of all Singaporeans. In order to "move as One Singapore", as the Prime Minister has said, and to build a resilient community - the topic of the Finance Minister's Budget speech this year, we must continually seek to evolve in our thinking and policies. I have today spoken about the challenges faced by lower income Singaporeans, the possible social ramifications and have, to that end, proposed a three-pronged approach centred upon the concept of human capital investments. I hope that the Finance Minister would consider my views in earnest, in his deliberations. 12.46 pm”
“Such a package would help parents with child caring responsibilities, so that the parents themselves would have more time to upgrade themselves. I am encouraged by the Finance Minister's promise to "enhance our financial assistance schemes (CFAS and KiFas) to help more families with their children's fees in kindergartens and childcare centres." With these enhancements, any comprehensive assistance package could better help young low-income families and particularly their children, who will be given a chance to compete on equal terms. Children from such families face a greater challenge participating in the education process. Longitudinal studies show that when children begin education at a young age, they do not only do better in school but also become more productive as adults. Such a package would give these families, and particularly their children, a much needed boost, enabling them to cope better in school and prevent them from dropping out. Improvement in delivering assistance to those in need is core to ensuring the development of human capital in this group of Singaporeans. Without the proper delivery of assistance, they would not have the starting base from which to even begin. I thus strongly suggest fine-tuning our present social services by revamping the delivery aspects, even if it means incurring expenses in manpower to do so. This will ensure that the diversity of our many schemes, which have been criticised as mostly incomprehensible, reach our targeted group and reap the desired outcomes. Such an effort would go a long way to ensure that such families will not fall through the cracks. This would, in turn, contribute to our goal of pursuing a sustainable approach in helping lower income Singaporeans become more upwardly mobile.”