Lim Biow Chuan
Singapore
“Sir, just two short supplementary questions. First, currently, the United Nations define seniors as 65 years whereas we have set ours at 67 years. So, would the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) consider reducing to 65 years for the age eligibility criterion for getting the concessionary rate for the MDW?”
“In light of this, the existing practice of the Ministry, which disallows the repeated renewal of shorter term COEs, should also be eliminated to preserve the maximum flexibility for EV drivers to extend the use of an environmentally friendly car.”
“Sir, in June last year, the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) was launched. Sir, let me express my gratefulness to LTA for the TEL line, as there are three TEL MRT stations within the Mountbatten constituency. The TEL line has facilitated travel for many residents in my constituency.”
“Sir, I receive many queries from Polytechnic and GCE "A" level students wanting to know about their enlistment dates, asking about their Physical Employment Standard (PES) status prior to enlistment for. Sir, I also receive queries about NSmen hoping to study overseas.”
“MFA has said on several occasions that Singapore supports the right of Palestinian people to a homeland of their own. Singapore delivered not one, or two, but a total of six to seven tranches of humanitarian aid for Gaza in January 2025.”
“Even in Parliament, Sir, our Clerks and other staff work such long hours because MPs debate long hours, spend time debating Bills until late in the evening and sometimes until late at night. Sir, I have on many occasions, received emails from Ministers late in the middle of the night.”
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Every one of 802 lines we hold for Lim Biow Chuan, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 12 of 17.
“I would like to ask the Acting Minister whether he is aware that Sistic would be refunding the ticket sales to the consumers of the affected cancelled K-pop concert.”
“Mdm Speaker, a few questions for clarification. I wanted to ask, firstly, whether the Acting Minister would agree that the closure of a company that organises K-pop concerts would adversely impact Singapore's reputation as a suitable venue for future concerts or shows; secondly, whether the Acting Minister would agree that such a liquidation of the company would hurt consumer confidence; thirdly, whether the Government would investigate the management of the company to see whether there had been any breach of the Companies Act whereby the officers of the company had contracted debt without expecting the concert to be performed; and fourthly, whether the Government would hold the company's officers personally liable for such events?”
“They already have different surcharges for different times, for different locality. So, their charges help to bring taxis to where the peak demand is. I am saying that these are different taxi types and why do we allow different taxi types to charge different taxi fares?”
“Mdm Speaker, I want to ask the Senior Minister of State whether she agrees that there are frequent complaints by the public that it is difficult to find taxis at peak hours and many a time during off-peak hours. My second question is whether the Senior Minister of State would agree that allowing taxi companies to impose different taxi charges for different types of taxis is unfair to commuters and unfriendly. It does penalise commuters because they really do not have a choice in what taxis come their way. So, would the Senior Minister of State reconsider the decision not to interfere with the market and to disallow taxi companies from charging different taxi fares for different types of taxis? Finally, would the Senior Minister of State give her opinion as to whether the different fares charged would benefit taxi companies or do they really benefit taxi drivers?”
“Mdm Speaker, I want to say that I support the Ministry's point on the importance of ensuring that trainee lawyers are exposed to domestic areas of legal practice, especially in areas like criminal law, family law and litigation. I also want to commend the Government's efforts Page: 17 to set up the third law school at UniSIM to address the domestic legal needs because, really, it is not easy to be able to attract young lawyers to these areas of practice. May I ask the Senior Minister of State if the Government can consider providing more funding, say for criminal legal aid, just to encourage lawyers to take up work in this area so as to better serve the domestic needs of the community?”
“Mdm Speaker, allow me to declare my interest in this question as a practising advocate and solicitor. May I ask the Minister for Law a supplementary question: how does MinLaw intend to ensure that all other foreign law firms involved in these services are aware of the strict conditions imposed? The Minister had earlier said that the Ministry's officials had contacted that particular law firm. Would the Ministry officials also be contacting other relevant foreign law firms about the matter?”
“Thank you, Mdm Speaker. May I ask the Parliamentary Secretary whether LTA would consider accelerating the installation of pedestrian traffic crossings in estates with a high number of elderly residents? For example, in Tanjong Rhu estate, you gave us an overhead bridge but it is too much effort for the elderly people to climb the overhead bridge. So, we are looking for a traffic crossing. Would LTA consider that? Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: Mdm Speaker, I would like to thank the Member Mr Lim Biow Chuan for his question. I have discussed this issue with him. I think it is important for us to look at it as a journey. It is important for us to look at the needs of the elderly. One of the areas that we are looking at is how we can we take care of the mobility, as well as the safety, of the silver community. So, this is part of our process. Nevertheless, we have announced earlier some of the areas that we are looking at are, firstly, to install lifts at some pedestrian overhead bridges. That will facilitate movement for the elderly. We also want to ensure that our transport system caters to the majority. For those localised areas that face particular challenges, we will work together with the local Members and advisers of the community to see how we can facilitate the movement of people.”
“Question No 28. The Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (Mr Lawrence Wong): Mdm Speaker, we recognise the disruptions that the haze would bring to the training of our athletes. My Ministry and the Singapore Sports Council will continue to work closely with our National Sports Associations and event organisers to mitigate any impact. The goal is to ensure that training can continue without compromising health and safety. One recent example is the Lions XII team – their training sessions were switched from the Jalan Besar Stadium to an indoor futsal facility and gym when the haze was at its worst in Singapore. Similarly, the Volleyball Association of Singapore used the air-conditioning at Toa Payoh Sports Hall during the national team's training Page: 64 sessions. For the 2015 SEA Games, which will be held from 5 to 16 June, the SEA Games Organising Committee is working out contingency plans to deal with any haze-related situation. The numerous learning points on managing the haze situation from the past few weeks will be taken in and applied. I should clarify that transboundary haze is an issue during the dry period between June and October, and not just an occurrence that "typically" happens in June, as mentioned by the Member. We cannot predict or say for certain what will happen in 2015. But we will certainly do whatever we can to engage our neighbours and manage the issue upstream, through various regional forums which have been highlighted by the Environment and Foreign Affairs Ministers as well as through the SEA Games Federation, so that the SEA Games in 2015 can proceed smoothly.”
“Thank you, Mdm Speaker. The Straits Times reported that Indonesia had named several companies which were involved in this illegal burning, of which two were Singapore-based. May I ask the Minister whether the Government has any follow-up in the investigation against these companies? The other point is whether Temasek-linked companies and Government-linked companies would also join the Government's efforts to conduct a boycott or refuse to do business with any companies that have been identified to be involved in this illegal burning that has contributed to the haze. Page: 46 The final point is that the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE), of which I am the President, had said that we are prepared to do a boycott of companies that can be identified. So, I want to repeat this in this House to say that we will support the Government's actions, but we will need some form of Government assistance to help us identify the companies that we should take action against.”
“Thus, if the actual area of the property is smaller by more than 1% of the area stated in the sales and purchase agreement, the developer would have to compensate the buyer. Next, would the Government also consider excluding the unusable areas like planter box or air-con ledge in the computation of the area sold by the developer? These are not really usable areas in the flat and there is no reason why the buyer is asked to pay for such an area. Finally, if I may ask the Senior Minister of State, what is the intent of the Government in deciding to delete section 22(2)(b) of the Act? Does this mean that the developer no longer needs approval for the name of the housing estate? Would this lead to meaningless or misleading names of the housing estates? Mdm Speaker, with this, I support the Bill. 4.55 pm”
“Clause 19 (d) of the Bill also seeks to regulate the giving of benefits to buyers through the issue of stamp duty rebates, cash rebates or other kinds of discounts or vouchers. Whilst it may be argued that the grant of such rebates discounts or vouchers would benefit the consumer or the buyers, the fact is that such rebates in any form distorts the market. It means that any potential buyer would not be able to know what is the market price for the property, since he would not know the discount given to the previous buyer through such rebates or vouchers. Thus, I also support the proposal to regulate the grant of rebates or other benefits in this clause. I would like to ask the Minister to comment on the following. Currently, the Housing Developers (Control and Licensing) Act provides that a licence is only required if a housing developer develops more than four units of housing accommodation. Thus, if a developer builds only four units of housing accommodation, he does not require a developer's licence and he is not subject to the regulations imposed under the Act. Would MND consider imposing the requirement for a housing developer's licence for any development of more than two units? This will reduce the risk of any buyer who buys a property from an unlicensed developer. Next, in the prescribed sale and purchase agreement for a property subject to the Housing Developer's rules, there is a provision in the agreement that the Page: 74 developer has a margin of error of up to 3% in the actual area of a property for which the developer does not need to compensate the buyer. In view of the high prices of properties, would the Government be prepared to reduce the margin of error to 1% of the area of the property?”
“There were also developers who had advertised that Phase 1 of the development has been fully sold out without stating how many units have been offered for sale in that particular Phase. Thus, a housing developer can actually offer a small number of units for sale under a particular phase and thus giving the potential buyer a false impression that there is overwhelming demand for the property. The Government should also disallow the current practise whereby estate agents deliberately queue at the launch of a new development to create the Page: 73 hype that there are many buyers wanting to purchase limited units in a development. If this form of marketing activities is not regulated, it will create a lack of market transparency because buyers do not have actual information whether there is real demand for the property. In the newspapers a few days ago, we read of buyers being told that they would be picked in a lucky draw of some sort so that they have the right to select a property. Is there a real pent up demand or is it a mere marketing gimmick? I submit that the Government should look into the sales and marketing techniques of the developers to ensure that consumers are dealt with in a fair manner and given adequate information about the demand for a property. I also urge the Government to ban the practice of allowing agents to collect blank cheques from potential buyers to buy a property. Such practice may result in market manipulation in that developers can set the price that they wish to sell since they already have a blank cheque in their hands. It may also lead to fraudulent behaviour by unscrupulous estate agents.”
“There are also some complaints that there were brick or structural walls in the actual flat but which had been cleverly hidden in the show flat design; and that the ceiling of the flat looks much higher giving the impression of a greater volume of the flat. Many show flats also do not show the doors to the room and how much is the required space to swing open the doors. Thus, what they see in the show flat may not be what the buyer actually gets when the buyer receives the keys. The reality is that many property buyers do buy their properties based on what was represented to them in the show flats. As such, I support the proposed amendments at clause 19 of the Bill to empower the Minister to introduce rules and regulations to ensure that housing developers do not erect show flats in a manner that gives a false impression to buyers or to depict houses or flats with inaccurate information. I also support the proposed amendments at clause 19 (d) of the Bill which is to empower the Minister to prescribe rules to regulate marketing activities of developers. In particular, I am concerned that some developers when advertising the location of their development would represent in the location maps that the development is situated much nearer to MRT stations or to other amenities and schools than they actually are. In other words, these developers take liberty with the location map. They shrink the distance from the MRT station or amenities to make it look nearer to the development. To me, such form of marketing is misrepresentation and should not be allowed and I understand that rules have been amended in 2012.”
“Mdm Speaker, allow me to declare my interest in this topic as a conveyancing lawyer and the President of the Consumers Association of Singapore. Every year, thousands of properties are sold by housing developers directly to purchasers. Except for shoe box units, most of these properties are sold at prices ranging from half a million to about $2 million to $3 million. For many buyers, it has been their lifelong aspiration to upgrade from living in HDB public housing to living in a private property with condominium facilities. It is also usually their largest financial commitment in their life. Many of my clients tell me that the cheque amount for payment to the developer is the largest amount cheque which they had signed. Unfortunately, not every purchase of a private property from a housing developer ends with the happy fulfilment of their aspiration. Unlike the purchase of completed private properties, buyers from a housing developer do not get to see the physical structure of their property. They buy based on the layout plan in sales brochures and/or from seeing the layout in the developer's show flat. I have received frequent feedback from buyers that after they collect the keys to their properties, they realise that the unit which they had bought look Page: 72 quite different from what they had seen in the developer's show flat. Buyers complain that the size of the flat look smaller because the flat which they bought would usually include a planter area and an aircon ledge. However, in the show flat, these areas may not be reflected in the show flat which makes the show flat look bigger.”
“May I ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether competitive salary is the only way to retain talent within the Public Service? There had been Administrative Officers who left the service and have become seemingly quite critical of Government policies. Is there a provision for Administrative Officers to come up with differing suggestions to the Government and have a proper dialogue with the Government so that policies that we develop would be able to match their expectations of what they are expected to do within the Civil Service?”
“Mdm Speaker, I would like to ask the Acting Minister how the Government came to this financing restriction of 50% to 60% to encourage financial prudence. Perhaps, the Government can shed some light on how it came to the financing limit of 50% to 60% and not 70% to 80% financing for vehicles. Secondly, the latest COE prices suggest that the COE prices have not come down very much. This seems to suggest that there is quite strong demand for vehicles. The feedback is that this car loan restriction policy has benefited those who are better-off, and younger citizens who may need a slightly higher loan would be disadvantaged. How can the Government assure Singapore citizens that the policy is not intended to be disadvantageous to those who are having this aspiration to buy a car?”
“On behalf of the Education GPC and other Members of this House who are passionate about education policies, let me thank the Minister, Senior Minister of State, Senior Parliamentary Secretaries, Mr Hawazi, Ms Sim Ann, for their replies and clarifications. I would also wish to take the opportunity to thank the Permanent Secretary and MOE staff for their diligence and support during this COS Debate. Madam, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Page: 169 [(proc text) Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. (proc text)] [(proc text) The sum of $10,660,000,000 for Head K ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. (proc text)] [(proc text) The sum of $975,000,000 for Head K ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. (proc text)]”
“Thank you, Madam. I have two clarifications. But, first, allow me to apologise to the Minister for the stress caused to him. I just want to assure the Minister that every Singaporean is important; every Minister is important. My GPC Members and I will try to recalibrate for next year's COS. Perhaps, the Minister can share with this House how the schools can strike a proper balance between sufficient stress and unreasonable pressure on our students. Can the Minister share his views on this difficult spelling list for P5 students that I have shared during my speech? I do not know whether he has seen the list but it is quite difficult; you cannot even pronounce the word, much less spell it! Also, about homework given during key public holidays – does the Minister think that it is reasonable for schools to give homework during the Lunar New Year holidays? It does cause a break for students who are trying to celebrate the Lunar New Year, and I think it adds to the stress. The other clarification is to ask the Minister whether he can share his thoughts about whether there are any take-away or lessons that we can emulate from the Finnish education system, because it seems to make education so much more enjoyable, whereas as a comparison, in Singapore, we tend to see it a lot more stressful. I wonder whether the Minister can share his thoughts on these two points.”
“Madam, for the past few years, I have received feedback from VWOs managing the special needs schools that they need more resources from MOE to help them run the SPED schools. As a member of COMPASS, MOE's sub-committee, I had visited several SPED schools with Senior Parliamentary Secretary Sim Ann. I am touched and humbled by the tremendous efforts put in by the VWOs, the teachers and staff of these SPED schools. I also saw the determination of parents with special needs children to do more for their children. I could only imagine the many daily struggles which all of them faced. Hence, I join in their appeal to MOE to do more to integrate children with special needs into mainstream education schools. I understand that not all of them would be able to join mainstream MOE schools. But I urge MOE to give SPED schools more resources so that children with special needs get as many opportunities as possible to integrate into society. Wherever possible, education should be made compulsory for them as well. Can MOE share more about how much resources would be given to SPED schools and VWOs so that they can be better equipped to make improvements to the lives of special needs children? Page: 140 Disability Support Offices”
“Last month, over the radio, DJ Joe Augustin was complaining about the homework which was given to students to do over the Lunar New Year holidays. Parents had also complained to me about their children having to study for a test immediately after the Lunar New Year holidays. What is the message which the school is sending to the students? That it is not important to observe family gatherings during Lunar New Year? What is the message to parents? Forget about reunion dinners because there is homework or tests? I urge MOE to signal to schools that public holidays should remain holidays. Schools must manage their time and complete their syllabus strictly within the school term. I feel that children must be given time and space to relax and to appreciate other aspects of life. We must move from the focus on academic grades in schools. MOE can do more to get parents to buy in the concept that education is a life long journey and that grades are and should not be the only measure of a child's achievement. Page: 80 Education Policy and Social Mobility”
“All these will discourage our young couples from having more children if they feel that education for their children is so stressful. In view of this stress, I call on MOE to consider the following: Page: 80 First, review the curriculum of the students at all levels. Compare what Singapore schools are teaching vis-a-vis schools around the world. On 5 March, a journalist from TODAY newspaper, Ms Ng Jing Yng, wrote an article about the Finnish education system. She wrote about how the children were given time to rest and play after school and homework. And when asked about tuition, the parent says: "What tuition?" Tuition is unheard of in Finland and, yet, Finnish pupils perform well in international tests. Is there anything we can learn from the Finnish education system that will fix Singapore education system? Next, I urge MOE to reduce the amount of homework and stress in schools. If schools continue having endless assessments and making tests more and more difficult, students will not see school days as a time to discover new things nor will they experience the joy of learning. MOE should ensure that every school does not try to test its students beyond what is expected of the students. In an article in The New Paper on 13 January 2013, Primary 5 pupils were given a spelling list which I myself struggle with. The words that were given − anemometer, buccaneer, podgy, suffuse – I do not even know whether I pronounce them correctly. It is one thing to try to stretch the ability of students. But if pushed to the extreme, stress will simply pile up and students will resent school work. Reinforce to all schools that they must be reasonable in giving homework.”
“Whilst I appreciate that many of our teachers are currently well qualified, I urge MOE to also consider staff who have good attributes of being a good teacher even if they may not have good academic qualifications. So, look very hard for good teachers, because it will make a huge difference to our students, our children. I also welcome MOE's learning support programme where weaker students are provided with stronger support – a student weak in Mathematics can be placed in a smaller class of maybe four to 10 students, where more individual attention can be given. Could I ask MOE what else can be done to strengthen the support for weaker students? For students who may be slow developers, I appreciate the many pathways available for today's students. If a student does not do well in the PSLE examinations, he or she has the option of going to ITE or polytechnic first. And these institutions do offer very high quality training programmes to provide our students with the right foundation as well as equip them for the workforce. If the student continues to do well, he can eventually make it to university at a later stage. Could the Minister share more about the plans to increase the number of university places for our students? Are we on track to increase the available university places for our students? Next, let me talk about stress. One constant feedback which I received from many parents is about the huge amount of stress for students. Parents are concerned about excessive homework for their children. They are also concerned that the subjects taught in school are getting more and more difficult. The situation is worst if your child is in Primary 5 or 6 due to the impending PSLE. I know. I have a child in Primary 6 this year.”
“Madam, I beg to move, "That the total sum to be allocated for Head K of the Estimates be reduced by $100". During the Edusave Awards ceremony held at my constituency this year, many parents spoke to me and expressed their support for MOE's focus on character development. They were appreciative of the fact that their children were being recognised for their good character and had the opportunity to receive the Edusave Character award. I welcome MOE's continued focus on character development. We should maintain the focus on imparting values to the students and ensure that all students learn about other important values like humility, integrity, loyalty and gratefulness, so that they can become useful and contributing citizens. In this regard, I urge MOE to work closely with parents to ensure that parents and schools partner each other to reinforce the importance of values to their children. The saying is that "it takes a village to raise a child". Thus, imparting of values cannot be the sole responsibility of the schools or the parents. There must be joint efforts by schools, parents and the community. Page: 78 MOE has consistently emphasised that our education system is student-centric and aims to help every student develop to his or her best potential. As a parent of two school-going children, I appreciate that many teachers in schools are very dedicated and go the extra mile to help students understand their work better. Teachers play a key role in our children's future. We must continually look for such teachers who are passionate; teachers who can motivate well and care for their students.”
“Madam, last month, MOT announced plans to fit lifts at about 40 pedestrian overhead bridges near train stations or bus interchanges. At the Kampong Arang estate at Mountbatten, there is a large number of elderly residents who face daily challenges in crossing the POB without a lift. These elderly residents are restricted in their ability to travel to other parts of Singapore as they struggle on their weak knees to climb up the almost three-storey-high bridge. MOH had recognised that there is a large proportion of elderly residents in my estate at Tanjong Rhu. Hence, MOH had set up an eldercare facility with physiotherapy machines in the estate to better provide for these elderly seniors. However, strangely, LTA did not see the urgency to cater to this same group of elderly residents. Years ago, HDB had embarked on the LUP programme for HDB estates because HDB knew that lifts on every floor would benefit the elderly, families with young children and the disabled. I submit to the Minister for Transport that these same reasons are equally compelling for the provision of lifts at pedestrian overhead bridges.”
“If the buyer has to pay $80,000, $90,000 for his car's COE, naturally he will want to drive the car daily, since the daily depreciation cost of the COE alone is between $25 and $30. And we are talking about depreciation for the cars. So, I ask MOT to review the COE for cars. Page: 17 Increasing Category C Premiums”
“Madam, COE was introduced in 1990 to manage the growth of vehicles in Singapore. At that time, there were four COE categories just for private cars alone. We had categories for, yes, below 1,000 cc, 1,000 cc to 1,600 cc, 1,600 cc to 2,000 cc and then 2,000 cc and above. I checked the Hansard. One rationale for having four categories is so as "not to allow big car buyers to squeeze out buyers of small cars". Like what Mr Cedric Foo had observed, COE prices for cars below 1,600 cc have been very high for the past months. One probable reason is that luxury car brands like Mercedes, BMW, Audi, they have all introduced cars with engine capacities below 1,600 cc. As a result, the COE prices for Category A cars have increased substantially because buyers of luxury car brands generally have a larger budget. Whilst owning a car in Singapore is not a necessity, the Government needs to provide a reasonable opportunity for Singaporeans to own a car. It is inequitable if cars are seen to be reserved only for the rich. I urge the MOT to review the COE system and I propose that COEs be categorised based on OMV of the car. Cars with OMV below $20,000 should be in one category so that Singaporeans who wish to buy lower priced cars can bid for COE in the same band. We should also increase the available number of COEs for this category (Category A) such that the COEs available for this category are the same as that available for Category B and Open Category combined. We should also promote more off-peak cars so that buyers will find it more affordable to own such off-peak cars. This is especially if they do not drive the car to work daily and need it only for the weekends to ferry their children or parents.”
“I hope evening ERP can be scrapped totally. Concessionary Fares for our Disabled”
“I know the Minister has defended the decision not to nationalise these operators as he believes they are more efficiently run because they are public companies. But where has the profits gone to? Why is the maintenance not up to speed, resulting in regular disruptions in services? I would like to ask the Minister if he could then direct the Public Transport Council to take into consideration, amongst the various factors when reviewing fare increases to recognise the overall profitability of these companies and the dividends paid out to shareholders. This will, I believe, be a more equitable way in evaluating any request for fare revisions. In fact, for the next few years, I do not wish to see any fare increase as the standard of service is not satisfactory and the PTOs are still profitable and are paying good dividends. Secondly, I would again like to ask the Minister to consider reviewing the fares of Polytechnic students. Polytechnic students should enjoy the same concessions as Junior Colleges students do. Refusing to grant Polytechnic Page: 160 students the concession is an anomaly which should be corrected. Sympathy alone is not sufficient. Lastly is the evening ERP on our public roads. I feel that this ERP during the evening peak should be scrapped as it is not in line with our policy to be more family-oriented. Office workers are going home later so that they can avoid paying the ERP and by the time they get home, it is 8.30 pm or beyond. For residents in Yishun who work in city area, they have contributed towards ERP in the morning along CTE, not once, but many times. Moreover, the ERP is taking a toll on businesses in areas within the city. If there is a jam, the motorists will know how to bypass the route and they do not need a nanny to shoo them around.”
“I urge the Government to grant fare concessions for Polytechnic students and for all passengers with special needs or who are disabled. The Minister himself had said last year that he is sympathetic to these two groups. To me, this is part of the Government's obligation to look after Polytechnic students with no income as well as groups with special needs. I also call on the Government, for seniors who are above 60 years, allow them to travel free after Page: 159 peak hours. This is to acknowledge their past years' of contributions to nation building. If the costs of granting fare concessions are borne by the Government, there is no need for PTOs to have any fare hike as they no longer lose revenue from giving concessionary fares. The PTOs can also afford to adjust the salaries of their bus drivers to a fair market rate. And this would not have any impact on fare revision. It would also be timely to adjust transport fares to a more affordable basis as Government will bear part of the costs of public transport. A Fair Fare Formula Er Dr Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon): Mdm Chair, despite all the rumblings about our public transport system, Singapore has come a long way from the days of the Hock Lee bus and the Singapore Traction Company and the private taxis that plied between Tanglin Halt and Capitol cinema. Indeed, I can understand the unhappiness voiced by the public when they read about our public transport companies making millions whilst the commuters are asked, from time to time, to pay more for their fares. Hence, the question pops up why the commuters have to pay more when these companies are already making $200 million to $300 million a year.”
“Madam, public transport fares are determined by the Public Transport Council (PTC). For any fare adjustment, there is a fixed formula for the fare increase. The maximum fare increase allowed under the formula is stated at Schedule 3 of the Public Transport Council Act. Whilst the PTC has the power to approve fares, it does not have the power to order the public transport operators (PTOs) to grant concessions to any specific group of passengers. Thus, when MOT wanted to grant senior citizens full day concession fares, the Minister for Transport must wait for the PTOs to apply for a fare revision. Last year, the Minister for Transport said that he had to hint strongly to the PTOs to grant a concession. In working out any concessions to be granted, the PTOs had to compute their expected fare revenue, and then work out how much less they would collect by granting such concessions. The PTOs will have to recover the revenue loss from other parts of its total fare revenue. Madam, this situation is odd as the Government should not need to depend on PTOs to decide what concessions to give. Concessionary fares for seniors, school students, NSmen and any other interest groups should be a policy decision made by the Government. If there is justification for any groups to have concessionary fares, the Government should make a policy decision for these concessions to be granted. 6.15 pm I propose that the Government bear the costs of all transport concessions from the Budget. This is fairer to the PTOs instead of asking other passengers to cross subsidise these concessionary fares. In other words, all taxpayers share in the costs of the concessions because they are justified as necessary for policy reasons.”
“Going back to the sold food stalls, some of these food stalls that have been sold have been tenanted out to operators of the food centres. So, when you are going to renew the extension of the lease for the food stalls, who are you going to give to – the owners or the current people who are selling food? Page: 48”
“In support of NTUC's Progressive Wage Model for cleaners, we will impose conditions in these conservancy cleaning contracts that cleaners employed in these companies be paid fair and progressive wages. However, I ask MEWR what else can be done to persuade the cleaning companies to improve their professionalism, quality and productivity, so that the fees paid by the Town Council to the cleaning companies will represent good value to our residents. Curbing Roadside Littering”
“Madam, in Mountbatten constituency, more than half of my residents live in private estates. There has been feedback from several residents that the cleanliness of the roads and public areas around the estates is not satisfactory. Sometimes, bottles, plastic bags and other kinds of rubbish were left along the roads or by the side of the roads and some were also found in the drain. The rubbish has not been cleared for many days, and residents have to make calls to the Department of Public Hygiene before action was taken by the cleaning companies to clear the rubbish and to clean up the public areas. When I visit the residents, they all complain that they do not see the cleaners for many days. Page: 14 11.15 am Last year, I had asked MEWR about the accreditation of cleaning companies. May I ask the Minister for an update? I understand that there has been an enhanced Clean Mark Accreditation Scheme launched in November last year. Has this enhanced scheme improved the quality and reliability of the cleaning companies? I would like to know whether this enhanced accreditation scheme would bring about better standards of cleanliness for the private estates, and whether the private estates would be cleaned on a more regular basis? Other than this enhanced accreditation scheme, is MEWR taking any other steps to improve the quality and standards of the cleaning industry? Would any of these measures improve the salaries and working conditions of the cleaners working in these cleaning companies? In the Marine Parade Town Council which I chair, we employ conservancy cleaning contractors to clean the common areas of HDB estates.”
“We urge MTI to amend the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act (CPFTA) to disallow time-share companies or similar kind of businesses from collecting deposits from consumers until the expiry of the cooling-off period. Sellers of such products should also be mandated to provide full disclosure of the annual cost of membership and other expenses before the contract is signed.”
“Madam, I declare my interest in this topic as the President of the Consumers' Association of Singapore (CASE). For the past few years, complaints against time-share companies have always ranked amongst the top in the complaints list of CASE. In 2011, there were 1,458 cases against time-share related companies. Last year, the figure rose to 1,870 cases. CASE has nothing against the legitimate sale of time-share related holiday products. For some time-share companies, we have not received any complaints at all. However, what we object to is the manner in which the sales were conducted. Consumers frequently complained that they were subject to high pressure sales tactics. After many hours of persuasion, they were pressured into paying a large deposit to buy a time-share product. Sometimes, the product is also described as a membership in a travel club or holiday club. Consumers were not told of the permanent annual maintenance cost involved in buying the time-share membership. There were also complaints that consumers face difficulties booking the holiday facilities. Now, if consumers were to try to cancel the contract, they were not allowed to do so. They cannot get back their deposits and they were threatened with law suits for non-payment of the annual maintenance cost. Recently, CASE recorded more cases where companies represent to consumers that they can sell the time-share membership on their behalf. To aggravate the problem, not only do they pay for a time-share product, they also pay again to these companies to try to sell their time-share product. CASE is Page: 105 appealing to the Government to do more to protect consumers from unscrupulous businesses.”
“Madam, the power sector is a critical sector for sustaining Singapore's economic growth. Without reliable access to gas and electricity, we will not be able to sustain our standards of living and our industries will not be able to grow. Page: 71 As Singapore continues to develop its various industries and the demand for energy grows, it is critical that we plan for the necessary infrastructure to support the growth of these sectors. I understand that the energy sector may be facing a challenge of inadequate workforce. It faces challenges attracting people, especially the younger generation to join the workforce. This may be because of the perceived remote location of the industry players and the perception that the work is not interesting. Given the tight labour market conditions, does MTI have any plans to ensure that this industry will be able to sustain its manpower demands and the infrastructure developments, such that there is capability to support the growth of the power sector? Renewable Energy”
“Madam, many residents of rental flats in my constituency are either low-income or elderly citizens. I meet and chat with them frequently when they come for my ComCare dinners. Whenever I find out from them that they or their children have done better in their jobs and have received pay increases, I feel happy for them. Unfortunately, their happiness is short lived as they would come back to see me weeks later to seek help because the rent of their HDB flat has increased due to their wage increase. Madam, I find the Government's actions quite contradictory. We go to great effort to help the lower income by WIS, by giving them rebates for their conservancy charges and by helping to pay for their utilities. Yet, when these residents make improvements to their lives by earning more, HDB would tax their wage increase by increasing their rental. Surely, this is a disincentive for the residents to work harder and to be more productive. I urge the HDB to immediately freeze the rental increase for HDB rental flats. We should encourage these low-income residents to work hard and to be allowed to keep their well-deserved salary increase. Eventually, they will want Page: 31 to break out from the poverty cycle, because they can see the tangible benefits of higher salary by working more productively.”
“Chairman, last year, I had appealed to MND to consider allowing singles to buy BTO flats directly from HDB. Minister had then replied that his priority was first-timers. The policy intent was to promote marriage and family support, and I understand that policy intent. But many singles feel that they are being discriminated against simply because they are not married. Many of them desire to have their own home so that they can have some degree of independence from their family. Others may have disputes with their family members and so desire to live separately so that they can minimise their daily interaction with each other. Sir, I know of many singles who have worked hard to contribute in their own way to Singapore's nation building. They cannot afford to buy a resale flat or a private property because prices are very high. They deserve some consideration for their role in making Singapore a success story. I understand that HDB has made great headway to build more flats last year. And there are plans to build even more flats this year. This will help to meet the demands for flats from married couples. 5.45 pm Page: 131 I urge HDB to set aside some BTO flats for singles to buy for their own occupation. Let them, too, be able to fulfil their aspirations and be part of the Singapore story. New Generation HDB Flats”
“Would it not be better to revert to the car loan limit of 70% or 80% which was the rule 10 years ago? I urge MOF to consider the impact of the financing limit on the aspirations of the younger generation. I propose that MAS set the financing limit at 70% for all cars for a maximum of five years. There should be a proper balance to ensure that the people with a genuine need for cars would still be able to own a car versus ensuring these people do not overstretch themselves financially. Mdm Speaker, as stated earlier in my speech, this Budget seeks to build a better Singapore, to improve the lives of Singaporeans and to foster a fair and more inclusive society. The Government is right to take such strong and firm measures to build a better Singapore for the future. Much more can be done and need to be done. I support the Budget.”
“I feel that in today's uncertain economic climate, there is no need for the Government to add to the costs of doing business in Singapore. If the businesses are doing well, let them keep the additional profits. Why should the Government insist on maintaining an increase in rental at the expense of businesses or consumers? After all, we are already providing a three-year transition support package to businesses. The Wage Credit Scheme alone would cost the Government $3.6 billion. It is important that what the Government gives with one hand, it does not take away with the other hand. I urge the Government to consider a freeze on all rental increases for Government premises, rental flats, hawker stalls and shops for the next three years to prevent an escalation in the costs of operations for businesses. Next, car prices. In the recent Budget announcement, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance announced an increase in the ARF for more expensive cars. Subsequently, MAS announced measures to restrict the loan limit for car buyers. Page: 83 I support the move to increase taxes on more expensive cars. It is equitable that those who are wealthier should carry a heavier tax burden. I also support the concept of having a limit to the loan quantum so that car buyers would have to exercise greater financial prudence before they commit to high ticket items like a car. Allowing 100% financing for cars does not seem prudent. However, I feel that it is quite drastic for MAS to change from being able to borrow 100% of the car price to reducing it to a cap of having 60% loan for less expensive cars. Has MAS considered the impact on middle income and genuine car buyers who may need a car but cannot afford such a large upfront cash payment?”
“Like my colleague, Mr Patrick Tay, I urge the Government to make it a criterion that any business that wishes to employ a foreigner on an Employment Pass or S Pass must prove that they have advertised and cannot find a suitable Singaporean Page: 82 to take up the job. Salary cannot and should not be the main criterion. For the lower skilled workforce area, I urge MOM to rethink the dependency ratio. Many companies are lamenting that the squeeze on their foreign workforce is adversely affecting their survival. In addition, the hefty increase in the workers' levy has dealt them a double blow. I do recognise that we need to slow down and manage the flow of foreign workers. However, the low-skill workforce sector is an area that most businesses cannot find Singaporean employees. Too tight a squeeze on the labour market may result in higher costs for everyone. It may also affect the financial viability of our SMEs and other small businesses. If we can strike the right balance, then more Singaporeans will have suitable employment opportunities and less resentment towards the foreign workforce. Next area is maintaining lower rental costs. One area which has contributed to the higher cost of living is the rental of JTC and HDB properties as well as NEA market and food stalls. Currently, various Government agencies have pegged rental of their premises based on market valuation. This has resulted in a situation whereby each time there is a rental increase, the businesses will also increase their prices to their customers. If they do not increase their prices, the businesses will have to absorb this rental increase. Thus, either the customer or consumer pays for the rental increase or the businesses absorb the increase.”
“The assurance from the Government that they will take on a large share of medical costs and will offer more help to the lower and middle income will be a great relief to many. Many healthcare facilities are being built and the healthcare Budget has also gone up to $5.67 billion. I look forward to more details from the Ministry of Health on how they can do more to alleviate the financial burden of hefty healthcare bills. Next, employment opportunities. Last year, I had called on the Government to monitor the foreign workforce situation carefully. The feedback is that the Government is tightening up on labour market in the wrong area – where Singaporeans do not wish to work. Singaporeans are asking that the Government impose more restrictions on the S Pass and EP workforce. The fact is that these jobs command a higher salary and they are being sought after by PMET citizens with better education. Singaporeans are naturally upset when their employers terminate their services and replace them with foreign workers on EP or S Pass simply because foreign workers are less expensive. There are also stories that some departments in a company are staffed almost entirely by foreign workers on EP or S Pass. If this is the case, what is the benefit to Singapore if the companies provide employment for foreign workers only? I urge MOM to monitor companies which have such discriminatory practices against Singaporeans and to take punitive action where necessary. I also propose that we slow down the foreign growth figures for EP and S Pass areas. We should give Singaporeans the opportunities to take up these middle management positions and to develop their careers from there.”
“Some also dream of being able to own a car after working a number of years. And many dream of attaining a university degree so that they can find an ideal job or vocation. Many of us also hope for a less stressful job and a better work-life balance. What can the Government do to help our young achieve their aspiration or the Singapore dream? Education. In this regard, I believe that the Government's emphasis on educating our young is a step in the right direction. The Government should assist our young to achieve their best by providing them with good educational opportunities. I support MOE's move to provide many pathways to success and to provide more University places to allow our young to achieve their dreams of attaining a University degree. The cost of providing education to the younger generation in Budget 2013 is a hefty $11.6 billion. This is the second largest expenditure item in the Page: 81 Government's Budget; surpassed only by Defence. Yet, many young Singaporeans do not feel that they have benefitted from Government policies which give them a highly subsidised education. Perhaps the Government should do more to inform Singaporeans that they are receiving a world-class education at highly subsidised prices. It is important for Singaporeans to understand and be assured that the Government has invested heavily in education so that all Singaporeans can have better social mobility and then hope towards a better life. Next, healthcare. Another area of great concern to many Singaporeans is that they cannot afford the expensive healthcare when they are older in age or when they are seriously ill. I am thus pleased to hear of the review of healthcare financing.”
“All these benefits I hope will send a strong signal to the lower and middle income that the Government cares deeply about them and will take appropriate action to improve their living conditions. For those Singaporeans who are better off and did not benefit as much from the Budget, Page: 80 I hope that they would acknowledge that they have benefitted from Singapore's strong economic growth and to allow all Singaporeans to share in a better quality of life. Mdm Speaker, allow me to raise the following concerns. First, cost of living. One of the main concerns raised by many Singaporeans is the rising cost of living. I received frequent feedback from residents expressing their fear that no matter how hard they work, their income would not be able to catch up with the escalating cost of living. Chief among their concerns would be the cost of medical care, cost of housing, cost of food and even the cost of cars. Would they be able to afford the increased costs of medical care given that the average lifespan of many Singaporeans would be longer? Looking at the high costs of properties, can they or their children afford a property now or in the near future? What about cars? The current COE prices are astronomical and even a small Japanese car would now cost above $100,000 when it used to cost about $50,000 to $60,000 some years ago. At the end of the day, many Singaporeans ask, "Has my life become better than it was five or 10 years ago? Is this a better Singapore?" It is just incumbent on the Government of the day to make life better for the average citizen. Singaporeans have their own aspirations and dreams. They aspire for a better life; some dream of owning a bigger or better home, maybe a private property.”
“Mdm Speaker, this year's Budget seeks to build a better Singapore for the future. With our strong fiscal position and a surplus from last year, we are able to plan for the transformation of our economy and to build a fair and inclusive society. I support the Budget and, in particular, the provisions for a higher expenditure of $22.4 billion in the social development sector. Although Singapore had enjoyed good economic growth for the past few years, the benefits have not been spread out evenly amongst all Singaporeans. The constant refrain from many Singaporeans is that Singapore is a great place, a liveable city for the rich but not for those of the lower income. This is because many low-wage workers did not see any meaningful increase in their income. And this is also reflected in the recent Gini coefficient results. It is thus important that our Government take steps to continue helping the lower income as well as to ensure that our tax regime is tilted to benefit the low and middle income. Two years ago, in the 2011 Budget Debate, I had called on the Government to extend the workfare eligibility criteria from $1,700 to $2,000. I am glad to note that this year's Budget has expanded the WIS coverage from $1,700 to $1,900. Not quite what I had asked for but certainly something that I am happy about. In addition, the WIS payout has also increased significantly. Mdm Speaker, we should do more to assist lower-income Singaporeans adjust to the increased costs of living. I also support the increase in the cash assistance to public assistance recipients, the increase in the Singapore Allowance for Government pensioners, the additional $680 million for the extra GST vouchers and the S&CC rebates for HDB flat owners.”
“Madam, if I may ask the Minister, in view of the household income cap of $12,000, would MND also consider a price cap for ECs such that buyers will not be unduly stretched financially? Perhaps, this will also ensure that developers do not build opulent or ostentatious ECs and try to keep them affordable for Singaporeans.”
“Sir, I have three hawker centres in my constituency. The feedback from the Hawkers Associations is that they are ill-equipped to manage the calling for contracts for these cleaning contractors. Would MEWR consider consolidating cleaning contracts for all hawker centres so that we can assist the Hawkers Associations who do not know how to call for cleaning contract tenders, as well as for better economies of scale, so that we can, perhaps, with more hawker centres covered under one contract, there can be more cost savings?”
“Sir, I thank the Minister for the answer. The feedback is that there are residents who are trying to get a third loan because they have one transfer in-between, that is, between relatives. Therefore, that is not, strictly speaking, a second loan. There are also residents who have to change their flats because of divorce. The feedback is that they have difficulty getting another loan because of the two-loan policy. In view of HDB's principle of providing affordable quality homes, would HDB be prepared to review this policy so that we can try to allow as many residents as possible to own their homes, when they are trying their best not to be stuck with a rental flat, and instead buy their own home? Page: 1193”
“Sir, I thank the Minister for his answer. May I ask the Minister what are MOE's views on the recent character lapse of an ASEAN scholar who had posted inappropriate content of himself on his own blog in so far as how his character is assessed at the point of time of issuing the scholarship to him? The second question is whether MOE would consider regular reminders to all scholars, regardless of whether it is ASEAN scholar or otherwise, of their obligation to conduct themselves in a manner befitting their status as recipients of a publicly-funded scholarship. My final question for the Minister is that in the interest of transparency, whether MOE would be directing NUS to either disclose the punishment given to errant students or to perhaps send circulars to their students to inform them of the punishment meted out for wrongful behaviour. Page: 1050”
“Sir, I do express concern about how proactive the Government is in enforcing the law because when the Spam Control Act was introduced in 2007, I spoke on it, and I had some hopes that spam e-mails would be reduced. However, quite honestly, I have seen little improvement to the situation. My e-mail and many of my friends' e-mails still receive a large amount of spam e-mail weekly. Next, Sir, section 28 of the Bill provides for the power of the Commission to review certain complaints. Could the Commission's power to review be extended to investigate a complaint by an individual that an organisation has required the individual to consent to the collection, use or disclosure of personal data beyond what is reasonable, or to review a complaint that an organisation has not made reasonable security arrangements to prevent unauthorised access or disclosure of personal data. Section 32 of the Bill provides for a person who suffers loss or damage to have the right of action for relief. Could the Minister clarify what kind of loss or damage is envisaged before an individual may commence such an action? Sir, finally, Part IX of the Bill, the Do Not Call registry, Minister had earlier stated that there would be a separate register for facsimile messages. May I know whether businesses can ask to be included in this Do Not Fax registry so that they do not receive spam faxes? What about e-mails? If e-mails are not included, would businesses resort to sending e-mails since they are no longer allowed to make voice calls, SMSes or faxes? Finally, Sir, I would urge for this law to be implemented as early as possible. Otherwise, personal data collected may be traded before implementation of the law, or may be transferred out of Singapore before the implementation date.”