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.”
The complete record
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 14 of 17.
“Mr Speaker, Sir, allow me to declare my interest in this Bill as a practising lawyer. I welcome the move to amend the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC). I recall many years ago when I was a law student, the law class took one year to study the Evidence Act and the CPC. These also took me many years of practice as a lawyer before I became more familiar with the CPC. Hence, I applaud those Members who were not legally trained, had only three weeks to plough through this Bill and try to make some sense out of the massive changes to the CPC comprising 451 pages, 430 sections and six schedules. Perhaps, the Government should consider allowing more time for Members of Parliament to read through and try to absorb the salient changes whenever the Government moves to introduce or amend entire Bills with huge content or changes. Sir, there are few key changes to the CPC which deserves praise. Sir, I support the move to introduce criminal case disclosure procedure. This would require the prosecution to produce documents or what is called the Case for the Prosecution to the Defence before the trial. Frequently, criminal lawyers go for trial without adequate knowledge as to what the prosecution's case would be and whether there are any statements made by the accused which have not been disclosed to the defence counsel. I recall one case, where my client instructed me that he did not commit the offence. After spending lots of time and effort to prepare the case, on the day of the trial, the prosecution revealed to me that my client had actually, during the course of investigation, admitted to committing the offence in his long statement, or what lawyers call the Section 122(5) statement.”
“Sir, I was almost knocked down by a motorcyclist last month on my way to Serangoon Stadium. Maybe I was a bit agile, so I managed to avoid it. But he almost knocked into another woman right in front of me. Sir, I do notice that there are more and more motorcyclists riding along footpaths, so I was wondering whether more enforcement action would be sufficient to deter such irresponsible behaviour because I think it is pretty dangerous as they are moving at a faster speed than cyclists.”
“I thank the Minister for the reply. I just want to check with the Minister on this. I understand that there are some flats in certain precincts that are priced much higher than the average selling price, as listed in Table 1. Would the Government consider raising the income ceiling for first-time home buyers to allow a larger group of Singaporeans to buy the new flats just to make it more affordable? Secondly, could HDB speed up the construction process of new HDB flats? I understand that for private properties, they take about one-and-a-half to two years to build. If we are able to build the flats faster, certainly, I think this would be a better option for first-time home buyers.”
“Sir, I would like to talk about stress in schools. Many parents in Singapore have concluded that school holidays are not holidays anymore. Many schools conduct extra lessons, compulsory tests and some also have CCAs during the school holidays, not just CCAs but school teams have trials during the school holidays. I would like to ask MOE why is the concept of holidays not enforced anymore amongst schools? Surely, it will be important for students to have time to rest and relax and to learn to consider other aspects of life which are non-academic in nature – "take time to smell the flowers." Why do we flood our students with so much work in order to cover more and more subjects? Do we really need our students to have so many more "As" for the examinations? Is this a healthy development for students to have so much stress in their lives at such an early age? Sir, I would like to ask the Minister too about his views on the inordinate number of tuition classes that many students undergo. Some students start their tuition classes as young as Primary 1 or 2. Does this mean that students without access to tuition classes due to financial difficulties would lose out in their academic performance in schools? Teacher education model (TE21)”
“Sir, yesterday, the Minister announced that MOE is increasing capacity in the five polytechnics by 20%. MOE has also made plans to start the fourth university soon. In addition, there are many private education institutions in Singapore which offer courses leading to a diploma or a degree for Singapore citizens. There are also many Singaporeans who pursue their degree courses overseas in countries like Australia, the United Kingdom or the United States of America. In view of the potentially large number of tertiary students graduating every year, how does MOE intend to ensure that students who have received tertiary education are adequately prepared for the workforce? Sir, I am not advocating that there will be a reduction in the number of places for tertiary education, but I am concerned whether there would be sufficient job opportunities for these graduates. Would they be able to adapt and accept non-managerial or non-executive jobs if there are insufficient job opportunities? Would we ever have a situation as in some other countries, where there is structural unemployment and graduates are unable to find suitable jobs? They may become discontented with the system. May I also ask the Minister whether MOE engage the industries to ensure that these graduates produced by the tertiary institutions are the type that would be needed by the industries? 1.00 pm Research, scholarship and teacher training”
“And could we encourage the imparting of values amongst all the schools in Singapore?”
“This award would serve as a public encouragement for those pupils who have worked hard in their studies and have made progress but whose families are not in financial need. Teaching of values Sir, my next cut is on teaching of values. There are more and more families where both parents are working and the children are looked after by either the domestic help or by doting grandparents. Hence, I am concerned that our young children may not have sufficient opportunities where they can be taught the right values at home by their parents. I was thus most happy to hear from Minister yesterday that MOE will focus on values when nurturing students for the 21st century and that there will be greater emphasis on physical education, art and music. However, values cannot just be taught and much time must be spent to inculcate the right values in the students. May I ask how does the MOE intend to instil values, like filial piety, humility, loyalty to nation and consideration or respect for your neighbours in these students. I believe MOE would agree that these values are very important for a young nation like Singapore. I hope that MOE will not make the teaching of values just another academic and boring subject, as such values, if imparted well, maybe there will be lesser cases of elderly parents being abandoned by their children. Or maybe our citizens will be more open to having residents in rental flats living in their midst. Sir, I visited Dunman High School earlier this year and I was most impressed with the school's motto which emphasises honesty, trustworthiness, moral courage and loyalty. The school takes great efforts to ensure that all its students are imbued with these values throughout their years in the school. Could we learn from such schools?”
“Sir, the Edusave scheme was started in 1993 to maximise opportunities for all Singaporean children. This scheme rewards students who have performed well or who have made progress in their academic and non-academic work. For students in the primary school, the Edusave Scholarship is only given to Primary 5 and 6 pupils who have excelled in their studies and are in the top 10% of their level or stream. This award is valued between $350 and $400. For eligible pupils who are in Primary 1 to Primary 4, they only receive a congratulatory letter signed by the MP. For the Edusave Merit Bursary, students who are in the top 25% of their level or stream in their school and whose gross household income is less than $4,000 per month, they would receive an Edusave Merit Bursary valued at between $200 and $250. These pupils receive a letter inviting to attend an award presentation and to receive the Edusave Merit Bursary. Sir, I received feedback from several parents asking whether it is possible for MOE to give an Edusave Scholarship award to students in Primary 1 to Primary 4 if they have performed well in their studies and are within the 10% of their level or stream. They argued that their children were very happy to receive a congratulatory letter and yet disappointed that there was no recognition for their achievement. In contrast, their fellow pupils who have performed less well in school and are within the top 25%, they were honoured and encouraged when they were invited to receive the Edusave Merit Bursary. Would the Ministry consider an Edusave Scholarship award of, perhaps, a lower value for pupils between Primary 1 and Primary 4 and this sum could be in the region of $100 to $200?”
“The noise from the construction sites disturbs the peace and tranquillity of the estate and residents are forced to keep their windows closed so as to alleviate the noise. Sir, noise in the middle of the night tends to be exaggerated because there is less ambience noise in the surrounding. My residents complained that the movement of prime movers or the movement of cranes sound noisier late at night. Construction workers talking loudly during the wee hours of the morning also sound louder and more irritating. Some residents have even resorted to installing noise measuring instruments to prove that the noise created by these construction companies exceeds the limit allowed by NEA. May I know what is MEWR's approach to the noise pollution? Would MEWR consider restricting all construction works in residential areas after, say, 10 pm or not later than 12 midnight? Sir, what about noise or loud music created by entertainment outlets located near residential areas late in the night? For these entertainment outlets, could there also be stringent enforcement to ensure that they are kept within the noise limit? Noise pollution”
“Sir, early in January 2010, it was reported in the Straits Times that an average of 700 tickets were issued every month for littering in the parks. For the whole of 2009, more than 8,300 summonses were issued by NParks' enforcement officers. The situation is not better in the HDB heartlands. When we visit the HDB blocks in the morning, they are clean because of the town councils' cleaners. If we visit the same blocks later in the evening, they are dirty due to indiscriminate littering by either residents or visitors. Sir, this situation is not acceptable. We have to take more steps to educate our residents and the users of our national parks that littering is an anti-social behaviour and must be discouraged. Everyone must have a responsibility to ensure that Singapore remains litter-free so that we can have a clean and beautiful environment that we can call "home". May I ask the Minister what is MEWR's strategy to manage this littering problem? Does the Minister think that an anti-littering campaign or a "Keep Singapore Clean" campaign will help remind residents on the importance of not littering? Or for that matter, in November, instead of planting trees, can we then go on an anti-littering sweep-up of the estate? Would the Minister consider imposing a corrective work order on a first-time offender? Instead of a fine, the offender is involved in cleaning up the litter which he had contributed to. On the part of NEA, could the agency also take more steps to ensure that its cleaning contractors carry out their cleaning activities more regularly especially in the private estates? Next, Sir, on the issue of noise pollution. During my house visits, I have frequently received feedback or complaints about noise coming from construction sites late at night.”
“Sir, let me declare my interest as the Vice-President of Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE). Despite the passing of the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act (CPFTA) in 2003, timeshare and its related complaints have topped the complaints chart at the Consumers Association for the sixth consecutive year. In 2004, there were some 100 complaints relating to the sale of time share products. From 2005 to 2009, every year, the complaint figures have hovered above the 200 mark. The general complaints are related to breaches of CPFTA in areas such as misleading and/or false claims, undue pressure and failing to inform about or honour the cooling-off period. CASE had already taken injunction proceedings against three timeshare-related companies. However, under the Act, such proceedings take a while to be concluded and companies have taken advantage of this time lag to wind down their operations and to start new outfits to operate as before with exactly the same management. This is a brazen move to skirt the laws. We believe timeshare legislation is both timely and necessary to address this issue and to offer more comprehensive protection for consumers. We need to make it unlawful for individuals who have engaged in such unfair trade practices to close their operations and then reopen the businesses to perpetuate the same activities. May I urge MTI to reconsider its decision and to introduce legislation to protect consumers in this area? Sir, MTI had earlier accepted the proposal of CASE for the introduction of lemon laws in Singapore. I would like to ask for an update. Has the legislation been drafted? And if so, when can we expect the first reading?”
“Mr Chairman, the Minister has just said that Government buildings will be relocated to Jurong Gateway as well as to the Paya Lebar area. Can I just ask whether the Government has plans to ensure that the roads, parks and other social amenities in that area would be sufficient to cope with the expected increase in the commercial activities in that area? On the same point, for the Amber and Katong area, what are URA's plans to prevent overcrowding which would add to the social pressure for the residents in that area?”
“Sir, earlier this year, the Urban Development Authority (URA) launched its Concept Plan 2011 public consultation exercise. I am glad to note that our city planners take much effort to plan for the long-term development of Singapore. May I ask the Minister whether the planning authorities have considered the total infrastructure of the area when approving developments? Do the authorities consider whether the roads, the parks and other social amenities are adequate to cope with the expected increase in the number of residents in an area? To take an example, URA had previously approved several residential developments in the Katong/Amber Estate area. Thus, we have new condominiums like One Amber, the Aster and the Seaview, all being developed in the area. As the residents started to occupy their apartments, the concern they expressed is whether the roads are able to cope with the expected increase in traffic. Are there sufficient parking places for the residents in the estate? Are there sufficient social amenities like parks, shopping centres, markets and eating outlets to cater to the additional residents? Would there be heavy traffic congestion during peak hours along the roads in the area? There will also be additional developments coming up soon like the Silver Sea and Shore Residences. These condominiums will bring about another few thousand residents. Has URA taken into account these additional residents in the area when they approved the developments? How does URA intend to prevent overcrowding which will add to the social pressure for the residents in the area? Housing for elderly”
“Sir, HDB has a policy that applicants for rental flats would be considered as ineligible to rent flats if they have children or siblings who are able to provide accommodation for the applicants in their own homes. This policy is unfair to applicants who may have genuine reasons for not wanting to stay with their children or their siblings. Some applicants would prefer to be independent and some, unfortunately, are not on good terms with their children or their siblings. Recently, a resident came to see me to appeal for a rental flat. When I asked her whether she has children who could accommodate her in their home, she answered that one of her daughters had asked her to stay with them. However, she had declined to stay with her daughter because she did not want to be a burden to that daughter. She also said that she may cause misunderstanding with her son-in-law by staying with her daughter and she felt that her continued presence in her children's homes could cause stress to the family and may inadvertently lead to misunderstanding between her children and their spouses, and this would cause a happy family to break up due to her. I wish to appeal to HDB to re-consider its policy. HDB should not engage in social engineering by forcing applicants to stay with their children when they may not be welcomed or their presence in the flat may cause strain in the family relationship. If the applicant is eligible to rent a flat and wishes to stay in a rental flat, allow them to join the queue and peg their rental based on the applicant's income. If the concern is that of abuse of rental flat, HDB should tighten up its rules and inspect these rental flats more regularly, and this would ensure that rental flats are occupied by the applicant at all times. 5.”
“May I ask the HDB to consider concentrating on building smaller flats like three- or four-room flats to cater to the group of lower-income citizens who simply need a basic home to live in. Provide a larger amount of housing subsidy to this group of citizens buying a smaller flat. If there is a need to build larger flats like five-room flats, HDB should consider increasing the minimum occupation period for these larger flats, from five years to maybe six or seven years. Buyers of such larger flats should buy them for their own long-term occupation. Price these new larger flats at a lower price because of the longer minimum occupation period. The reality is that the property market uses the selling price of new HDB flats as a base to set their prices. 4.30 pm Next, Sir, may I ask the HDB not to allow flats bought in the open market to be sold unless the flat owner has occupied the flat for a minimum of two and a half or even three years. Revoke the policy which allows HDB flats to be sold within one year simply because they do not have any HDB loan for the flat or that they have not taken any housing grant from the Government. This is to deter speculation in HDB flats by the richer citizens. Finally, leave the construction of Design & Build flats like City View in Boon Keng or flats in prime locations like Pinnacle@Duxton to private developers. The private developers can then cater to the aspirations of the "better off" group of Singapore citizens who can afford the luxury of buying such flats in prime locations.”
“Sir, although the Minister for National Development has said several times that HDB flats are affordable, the statistics from HDB are not comforting and this is cause for concern. Latest Public Housing Data from the HDB shows that the HDB Resale Price Index rose by 8.2% for 2009. And the median Cash-Over-Valuation (COV) is $24,000 for the fourth quarter of 2009. For flats in the more mature estates, the COV is much higher. Not everyone who wishes to buy a HDB flat is in a position to wait approximately three years for BTO flat. In today's fast-paced environment in Singapore, citizens want to have choices and also speed. Many residents have expressed that they need a completed flat because they are ready to start a family, or that they want to have the personal space to build their relationship with their spouse. Not everyone has the luxury where they can stay with their parents whilst waiting for BTO flat because their parents' flat may simply be too small. Even for BTO flats, unless you are a first-time buyer entitled to the CPF Housing grant, these new flats are not that affordable. Hence, people like divorcees, who have sold off their matrimonial flat would struggle with the purchase price for a BTO flat. Likewise, for citizens who have lost their jobs and needed to downgrade. After selling off their first HDB flat and paying off their mortgage loan and other debts, they too may have difficulties paying for a three- or four-room BTO flat. Sir, may I ask the Minister what else can HDB do to manage the rising prices of HDB flats and to keep such flats affordable? For a start, may I suggest that HDB goes back to its objective which is to provide basic housing for the citizens of Singapore.”
“Madam, let me declare my interest as the Vice-President of CASE to speak on this cut. In September 2008, Lehman Brothers Holding Inc. filed for bankruptcy in the United States. About 8,000 retail investors in Singapore were affected and many suffered large financial losses. Many of the investors are retirees and unsophisticated investors with minimum knowledge of investing in such complex financial products. CASE is glad that MAS issues updates regularly on its website so that anxious retail investors are kept informed of the developments in the matter. I would like to ask MAS the number of cases each of the financial institutions handled and the outcome of such cases. How many were settled without going to Financial Industry Disputes Resolution Centre (FIDReC)? What about the number of cases referred to FIDReC? How many were resolved and how many were unresolved? In September 2009, MAS called for a public consultation to strengthen regulations on the sale and marketing of unlisted investment products. May I know how MAS intends to ensure that financial institutions abide by the new regulations? How can there be more protection for consumers when investing in complex financial products sold by the financial institutions? Will the sale of such products to retail consumers be banned?”
“I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for his reply. According to a newspaper report, the number of offenders have doubled from 201 offenders in 2008 to 457 in 2009. The Senior Parliamentary Secretary was telling us that there were 1091 offenders last year. A newspaper report also quoted that the composition fine is $300 for the first-offender to $400 for the second-time offender. May I ask the Senior Parliamentary Secretary whether he is of the view that this composition fine is of sufficient deterrent to the advertisers? And may I also ask the Senior Parliamentary Secretary rather than wasting money on non-stick paint, would LTA consider requiring offenders to remove their own advertisements some what similar to the Corrective Work Order which was imposed for littering and failing which, a heavier penalty will be imposed on such offenders.”
“It provides for the establishment of one or more accreditation scheme and provides that members of the scheme shall enter into a student fee protection scheme. May I ask the Senior Minister of State what are the penalties for breach of the student fee protection scheme? Will such a breach be considered a criminal offence, for example, if they failed to take up a student protection scheme or failed to insure the entire fees paid, just as in Brookes Business School? What are the intended penalties for such a breach? Sir, I would urge the Government to ensure that breaches of this nature attract a more severe penalty because such irresponsible action could destroy the future of many students. I would also urge the Senior Minister of State to consider mandating that PEIs furnish a performance bond to ensure that students who have lost their fees when a rogue PEI shuts down its business, will still have some form of recourse to seek compensation. Sir, finally, despite all the regulations that may be in place, it does not mean that no PEIs will ever close down due to financial difficulties. It also does not mean that no PEI will not try to offer dubious degrees requiring short-term study. The Council would have to work hard to educate and encourage students to be more conscientious and to carry out their due diligence when they sign up for such degree or diploma courses. With this, Sir, I support the Bill.”
“Having heard of the litigation suits against it, would the Council take action to suspend or ask the PEI to show cause? How does the Council intend to deal with situations where the students change their minds after registration but decide to take legal action against the PEI anyway without reason? Sir, I would urge the Council to be mindful that they must be fair to PEIs who run a fair and legitimate business. Next, Sir, is about section 43(1). Before granting permission for a course, will the Council check on the academic quality of the university? How does the Council ensure that a PEI is not peddling degrees from degree mills? Would the Council be carrying out its own investigation or is the Council relying on declarations made by the manager of the PEI? Would the manager of a PEI be liable for cheating or some criminal offence if he knowingly sells degree or diploma programmes which are fake. And where the Council has granted permission for such a course, will the Council conduct constant checks to ensure that the PEI is able to maintain that relationship with the foreign university? How will the Council monitor whether the university continues to support the degree programme offered by a local PEI and that such a university will not terminate the partnership mid way. So, for example, if RMIT enters into a partnership with a local PEI and midway they decide to terminate that relationship, would Council be aware of it? Next, Sir, under section 44(1)(a), does the Council intend to verify the minimum qualifications of the teacher or lecturer? What if the lecturer or professor is described to have a doctorate but the doctorate is from a degree mill? Would the Council check the university from which the lecturer obtains his degree? Finally, Sir, section 49(f).”
“Sir, there are some queries and clarifications on the Bill which I would wish to seek from the Senior Minister of State. Sir, Part III, section 34(6) provides that the Council may by written direction direct an unregistered PEI to refund each student the whole course money paid. Sir, where the Council issues a direction to the unregistered PEI to refund course fees or money, may I ask whether it is intended for one direction per student or one direction for all the students of the unregistered PEI? In section 34(8), it is an offence for the manager not to comply with the direction of the Council. However, under section 61(2), the fine is only up to a maximum of $10,000. Thus, if there is only one written direction to refund, say, $100,000 to many affected students of the unregistered PEI, surely it may be worth the while for the manager of the unregistered PEI not to comply with the Council's directions and to pay the maximum fine of $10,000. How does the Senior Minister of State intend to overcome such a situation? Next, Sir, section 34(9) talks about it being a defence for any person charged with an offence to prove that he has reasonable excuse for failing to comply with the written direction. Is the lack of funds or bankruptcy of an unregistered PEI considered a reasonable excuse for failing to comply with the written direction of the Council? Next, Sir, if I may refer the Senior Minister of State to section 37(1)(f). Do you require a manager to have prior experience before he can set up a Private Education Institution? What does "fit and proper" mean? Next, Sir, is section 41(1)(d)(iii). After the manager informs the Council of legal proceedings against the PEI, what action is the Council expected to do?”
“Recently, many students were hurt when they found out that the degrees purportedly issued by Brookes Business School from RMIT are also fake degrees. Sir, many students come to Singapore to further their studies because of our country's reputation as a clean and honest country with low tolerance of unethical behaviour. Adverse publicity where students were cheated of their student fees or where they had obtained worthless paper qualifications could undo all our efforts at building Singapore into a global education hub. I support the Government's actions to regulate and develop the private education sector by making it compulsory for every private education institution to register if they wish to provide private education in Singapore. I also support the measures that require the PEIs to seek permission from the Council for Private Education before they can offer a course by itself or in association or collaboration with another person; or offering a course leading to the award of a degree or a diploma in its own name. It is indeed assuring that the Council would be taking steps to ensure that courses provided by the PEIs are vetted for academic quality and that the degree mills in Singapore would, hopefully, be a thing of the past. Such tighter regulations would signal to all parties who wish to be involved in the private education industry that they have to take their duties and responsibilities seriously. I also applaud the measures to establish the EduTrust certification scheme which would take over the CaseTrust for Education scheme. It is an important part of the regulatory framework to ensure that PEIs take measures to protect the student fees from being dissipated when the schools close due to financial difficulties or poor management.”
“Sir, there are about 1,000 private education institutions catering to a potential target of close to 100,000 students. These schools have varying standards and every year, the Consumers Association of Singapore receives many complaints about the poor quality standards of some of these schools. The two main concerns of many students are as follows: Firstly, is that private schools are poorly managed and financially unsound. Thus, when the schools close due to financial difficulties, students who had paid their fees risk losing their fees which were paid in advance. For many of these students, these fees represent their hard earned savings and investment. Some students also take on bank loans to finance their education. For some of these students when the schools close, it will also mean the end of their dreams to a brighter future because they are unable to fulfil their plans of completing their further education. The second main concern of many students is that the students will not receive a recognised degree or diploma issued by these private schools. Over the past years, we have read of the closure of the AIT Academy in 2005, the closure of Froebel Academy in 2007, Britannia School of Education and Goro Global School just this year and in the last few few months, Brookes Business School. Each time a private school closes due to financial difficulties or becomes bankrupt, many students fear that their fees which were paid in advance are lost. The case in point would be the AIT Academy and Unicampus as well as Froebel Academy. Students also worry that the degrees or diplomas which they had obtained or had studied for are worthless. And two years ago, Straits Times had to report about Preston University, allegedly being a degree mill, churning out worthless degrees.”
“Sir, allow me to declare my interest as the Vice-President of the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE). Sir, CASE has been involved in the accreditation scheme – CaseTrust for Education – since 2004. At that time, EDB was trying to develop Singapore as a "Global Schoolhouse" and CASE was invited to be involved in introducing student protection policies and this was part of the objective of CASE in looking after the interests and welfare of student consumers. The CaseTrust for Education scheme was meant to assist in protecting student's interest and welfare. This is done by ensuring that all CaseTrusted private schools had a set of good practices, like proper student contract, clear fees policies, well-defined student redress practices and, very importantly, a student protection scheme. CaseTrust was never intended and certainly did not have the means to ensure academic excellence by the private schools. As a consumer body, CASE did not have the expertise to investigate or ensure that private schools were offering proper degree programmes. However, Sir, notwithstanding the best efforts and intentions, voluntary industry self-regulation will not work if rogue businesses are determined to exploit the loopholes in the scheme. There is a limit to what voluntary industry self-regulation can achieve and it will never be as effective as a strong government regulatory regime. A breach of the CaseTrust conditions can only result in either suspension of the school's CaseTrust status or the school's explusion from CaseTrust. Hence, Sir, for the past five years, CASE has been advocating for a more comprehensive framework to protect students' interests. We welcome the introduction of the Private Education Bill which we feel is long overdue.”
“Given that flat prices have increased so much, as compared to increases in income, may I ask the Minister how would today's generation be able to afford their dream home?”
“Thank you, Sir. Let me go back to the issue of affordability. I am sure that the Minister will agree that the prices of HDB flats today are much more expensive, compared to previous generations. My parents bought their 4-room flat in 1978 for less than $20,000 –”
“Thank you, Minister, for your answer. In my last Parliamentary Question (PQ) a couple of months back, I asked the Minister why pick a foreigner as a CEO for Temasek Holdings, considering that Temasek Holdings is a strategic asset and a Fifth Schedule company under the Constitution. And the Minister had assured this House that the CEO shares Temasek's values, and he is aligned with the long-term orientation of Temasek. May I just ask the Minister how does this impact the Government's evaluation of Temasek's future recommendation, regarding the assessment of the next CEO, considering that they had assured the Minister that Mr Goodyear shares Temasek's values and is aligned with the long-term orientation? Next question is, does the Government not think that a Singaporean CEO would be in a better position to share Temasek's values and be more aligned with Temasek's long-term orientation?”
“Supplementary question. Can the Minister confirm that MAS had previously received complaints or feedback about these financial institutions' method of selling such structured products in the past? What did MAS do to follow up on this feedback and would MAS be able to look into those complaints and feedback earlier such that the mis-selling does not occur? Second question is to ask the Minister whether in view of the fact that there is such a large amount of monies lost and some of this is in part due to untrained sales staff, would MAS not consider a more severe reprimand or action against senior management of the bank, that would cause them to be more cautious or careful to ensure that there is no such similar management lapses?”
“Can we not afford these people a greater sense of compassion from the Government? Can we not give our residents more encouragement when they try to improve their lives to earn a higher income? Instead, we seemingly penalise them for earning more by increasing their rental so quickly. May I urge HDB to send the right signal to these Singaporean HDB tenants that we care for each and every one of them and that we will do our best to ensure that all Singaporeans will be able to move forward as the country progresses. Together, we can make Singapore a better place to live in. Madam, I support the motion. 5.23 pm”
“They were asked to vacate their 2-room rental flat and downsize to a 1-room rental flat. I have also come across cases where residents were asked to find another occupier to share their rental flat, failing which they were asked to vacate their flat. Likewise, many HDB tenants were asked to pay an increase in rental, simply because their family income has increased. The HDB rental was increased without any regard as to whether how many family members the tenant had to support and whether there are any members in need of costly medical care in the family. Madam, the Government spends millions of dollars on the upgrading programmes like HIP, NRP and LUP. Many households benefit from these upgrading programmes. Yet, when it comes to dealing with the poorer segment of our society, we take quite a tough approach with these tenants. The constant threat is that HDB will take away their homes if they cannot pay their rental or that if they cannot find another person to be a co-occupier, they must vacate their homes and downgrade to a smaller flat or that we will squeeze these tenants to pay the increase in rental. Madam, may I urge MND to review the way we engage the economically disadvantaged residents living in rental flats. We have failed to come across as being compassionate and mindful of their difficulties and their struggles. I personally find it difficult to explain how the Government spent millions on upgrading the homes and environment of 4-room and 5-room HDB flats and yet refused to allow the rental flat residents some indulgence. Temasek reportedly lost billions of dollars in investments and yet we tell our rental flat residents that we need them to pay more in terms of rental because they have worked hard to improve their lives and earn more than $800 per month.”
“Do they appreciate all that Singapore has done for them and the many opportunities that they have been given compared to other third-world countries? Or are they obsessed with being self-centred – the "me and me only" philosophy? Are we satisfied with the behaviour that we see in cyberspace, in Internet exchanges at REACH and other popular websites? Can we do more to inculcate the right values in schools because, much as we wish that parents can do more, the reality is that dual-income families' parents may not have enough time with their children. Madam, I urge MOE to consider teaching basic character values throughout the entire school curriculum from primary school all the way to secondary school, to junior college (JC), polytechnic and university. Make sure that every teacher in school knows that teaching of character values cannot be sacrificed just to ensure that the teachers can finish the syllabus for English, Mother Tongue, Mathematics or Science. Make sure that every teacher from primary school, secondary school to JC, ITE and polytechnic know that they have a role to play in ensuring that their students learn gracious behaviour. We should make character education an integral part of the education system, and not just another non-examinable subject. We must evaluate our school principals and administrators, not only on how many students they can produce with outstanding academic results, but we must evaluate them on how well they mould their students. Madam Deputy Speaker, on the issue of compassion, may I urge the Government to lead by example. Of late, I have come across several cases where residents staying in HDB rental flats were asked to vacate because they were in arrears of rental.”
“We must drive home the message that graciousness must start from home and that every parent has an important role to play if they want Singapore to be a more pleasant place to live in. We must remind each parent that their role in moulding their children's character is even more important than the school teacher's and we have to emphasise to the parents that their children's behaviour and character is their business; they cannot sub-contract it to their domestic help or rely solely on the teachers. Parents have to accept that they reap what they sow. If they do not spend enough time with their children and inculcate the right values in their children, then they would have to take the consequences of having their children grow up without the right values in the future. Madam, I also call on the Ministry of Education (MOE) to review the way that character values are taught in school. I know that MOE has said on its website that "The foundation of a person is his values. From these spring his outlook on life and his goals in life. Together with the home, our schools have to work carefully and painstakingly to shape the morals of our children." But as a starting point, MOE should ask itself: are we happy with the values of the young Singaporeans who have gone through the school system? Do they bear the positive traits that we want to see in the future generation of Singaporeans? Are the scholars that we produce – the Gifted Education Programme (GEP) students, the top-tier students in the Integrated Programme (IP) schools, our university and polytechnic graduates – humble, considerate, kind, grateful, compassionate and willing to help others?”
“It was reported that the President of the AWARE could not even make her opening speech and she was booed right from the start. And of course, this resulted in the now infamous "shut up and sit down" remark. Madam, I cannot be a member of AWARE nor am I an associate member. It is not for me to judge which side is right. The only point which I wish to make is that if the reports are accurate, then civility and gracious behaviour during the AWARE EGM was clearly missing. Whilst I accept that emotions were highly charged and many people wished to have their views heard, I would submit that this cannot be the level of behaviour which we should promote as acceptable. This is not what civil discourse is about. Madam, if you read about the AWARE saga on the Internet, the vitriol used by the parties against each other is even worst. There is a huge amount of negativity and personal attacks against each other. I simply cannot understand why there is so much hatred and lack of respect for one another in the exchanges over the Internet. Some of these writers in the Internet have nothing good to say about everything. They are full of cynicism and criticise everything that is said or announced. As fellow Singaporeans, can we not be more civil, more accommodating and caring for each other, regardless of our views on religion or race, and, for that matter, regardless of our views on sexual orientation? Can we not accept that there are some things that we cannot agree upon and then agree that we will disagree on such issues? All these would be possible if Singaporeans have learned to be more gracious to each other. Madam, if we are serious about wanting to promote a more civil society, we have to do more than have a courtesy campaign every year.”
“If you have lost your job or are working a lower paying job, the fact that your fellow citizens are well mannered, courteous and considerate for your feelings, these will make life more pleasant. Our Singapore vehicle drivers are known to be impatient and inconsiderate. They are known not to give way to vehicles that wish to overtake. At the junction of Braddell Road and Upper Serangoon Road, you can always see vehicles refusing to queue and then trying to force its way into the path of other vehicles in order to make a left turn. We also have vehicle owners who park illegally all over the place without consideration for other road users. Within the HDB estates, we have residents who place their personal items all over the common area without thinking about the inconvenience to other users of the passageway. We also have residents who continue to drip dirty water from mops onto their neighbour's laundry. Just a few days ago, the Public Transport Council had to launch a graciousness campaign to encourage members to give up their seats to the elderly and to make way for alighting passengers. And just today, in the Straits Times, we read of customers taking trolleys and abandoning them as and where it is convenient to them. Why do Singaporeans behave in such a manner? Are we proud of our lack of civil behaviour? Is this Singapore which we want to call home? Recently, it was reported that several members who attended the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) of AWARE were trying to out shout the Chairperson because she had turned off the microphone. A reader then wrote about the "raucous behaviour like jeering and booing by members in support of the Old Guard and their attempts to disrupt affairs and tick off those speakers whom they do not agree with".”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, I rise in support of the motion to thank the President for his Speech. Madam, I am indeed happy to hear of the Government's vision to build a first-class home in Singapore where all citizens have full opportunities to achieve their aspirations. The Government's plans to rejuvenate the housing estates through the Home Improvement Programme (HIP), Neighbourhood Renewal Programme (NRP) and Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP) as well as the improvement in the transport infrastructure facilities and the construction of sports and leisure facilities all over Singapore. These will make Singapore the envy of most Third World countries. However, it is not enough to have the First World infrastructure and environment. As the President had said in his Address last week, for Singaporeans to be able to identify and call this place "Home", we need the standards of social behaviour to be raised so that Singapore can become a more pleasant society to live in. Two and a half years ago, at the Opening of Parliament in November 2006, I spoke on the need to inculcate basic character values amongst Singaporeans. I urge the Government to promote values like kindness, consideration for others, being grateful and humility. I expressed my concern about the lack of social graces in our society. Two and a half years have gone by, but graciousness amongst Singaporeans seems to be an elusive target which is moving further and further away. During an upturn, the country concentrates on economic growth; during a downturn, the country concentrates on trying to recover from the recession. But regardless of whether Singapore is doing well economically, we should try our best to make Singapore a more pleasant society to live in.”
“Sir, currently, any housing agent can quit from one real estate agency to join another agency. And even if that agent is sacked by one agency for misconduct, he can still join another agency. How does the Ministry intend to deal with such rogue agents who behave in an unethical manner and in breach of their fiduciary duties to their clients? Would it not be better for the Ministry to consider issuing licences to individual housing agents instead of trying to regulate them through the real estate agencies?”
“Sir, Temasek is a very strategic asset of Singapore and there has been some disquiet about Temasek employing a foreigner as its CEO. Singapore has also seen some high profile foreign CEOs with very strong credentials at DBS and NOL leave the company after a short tenure of between 18 months and two years. Considering that most of Temasek's investments are for the long term, may I ask the Minister whether the Government can assure that a foreign CEO has long-term vision for Singapore and how would Temask ensure that a foreign CEO will not try to make the P&L of Temasek look good in the short term so he can receive hefty or suitable rewards for this short-term profit? Next, it was also previously reported that Mr Dhanabalan had said in 2002 that the job of a CEO of Temasek was not for foreigners because it is highly sensitive and security is involved. Is there any change to that position?”
“Over the same period, we released 272 detainees or about 54 per year on average. Every five years when we come to this House to renew this Bill, we share essential statistics on detentions under the Act. I did this when I moved the Bill 10 years ago, in 1999. I did this again when I moved the Bill to renew it for five years in 2004, and I have just done so again. This is indeed one of the reasons why the Bill is temporary in nature, which Mr Siew lauds. Coming to Parliament every five years to renew it is in itself a safeguard, when MHA has to explain why we still need the Act as part of our legal arsenal. So, there is transparency and disclosure of the figures. Sir, let me conclude by agreeing with the sentiments expressed by Mr Lim Biow Chuan. This Bill is, indeed, important in today's context, for the maintenance of law and order in Singapore. Without it, we would not be able to maintain the safe and secure environment which Singaporeans enjoy today. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. – [Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. STATE LANDS (AMENDMENT) BILL Order for Second Reading read. 5.05 pm”
“They can also require further investigations of certain aspects of the case if they have any concerns over the cogency of the evidence. Next, regarding Mr Lim's query on the management and rehabilitation of detainees. I would, first, like to clarify that the detainees are not kept in a special detention centre. So it cannot be a Guantanamo. Like other prisoners, they are housed in a different prison institution, together with other prisoners, according to the security risks and rehabilitation needs. The conduct and progress of the detainees are monitored closely by Prisons Officers. Detainees undergo similar rehabilitative regime as other prisoners, which include programmes such as work, education, skills training as well as religious and social counselling. So, during their time in prison, like other prisoners, there will be rehabilitative elements as well. I assure Mr Lim that there are sufficient safeguards to prevent abuse in our prisons. As he knows, all our prisoners are subject to regular unannounced inspections by visiting Justices. During these inspections, detainees, like other prisoners, can raise any complaints that they may have to the visiting Justices. Detainees also receive regular visits by their family members who can, on behalf of the detainees, provide feedback on any issues to Prisons authorities. So, those are the points that Mr Lim has raised. Mr Siew has asked for more regular disclosure on matters such as the numbers detained and released. Sir, MHA had provided the data in a written reply to a parliamentary question he had filed quite recently on the same subject. In that reply, we had stated that the number of persons detained over the past five years was 366, which is about 73 per year on average.”
“The detailed process involves elements which will enable the detainee, for example, to know the case against him, an opportunity to present his case before an independent committee and also the approval, up from the Public Prosecutor and, then, of course, the Minister and the Cabinet. Let me now address the specific concerns that Mr Lim and Mr Siew have raised. First, on the status of the Review Committee and the Review Board, as well as the management and rehabilitation of detainees. Sir, the Review Committee and Review Board are legally sanctioned committees appointed by the Minister under section 39 of the Act. The term used in the Act is "Advisory Committee". We have in fact, appointed six advisory committees: four are hearing committees which are on rotation, examining every fresh order issued by the Minister under section 30 of the Act. The other two committees are the Review Committee and Review Board which comprise different members from the hearing committees. These committees review existing orders of detention and recommend whether to extend or revoke the order. Indeed, the powers of the committees are prescribed under the Criminal Law Advisory Committee Rules which also set out the operating parameters of the committees. So, let me assure Mr Lim that these are properly and legally constituted committees. As I have said in my speech, these advisory committees play a key role as a safeguard mechanism, and this has also been alluded to by Mr Lim and Mr Siew, to ensure that powers under the Act are used in accordance with the Act's objectives. The hearing committees scrutinise the investigations and documentary evidence supporting every fresh order issue. They are given full access to all evidence and may examine detainees, investigating officers and witnesses.”
“One important safeguard is that the Minister must have the consent of the Public Prosecutor before making a detention or supervision order, and we all know that the Public Prosecutor is the Attorney-General who enjoys security of tenure under the Constitution. Hence, any detention or supervision order would be considered very seriously. I notice that section 31 of the Act provides for the setting up of an Advisory Committee. However, Sir, no where in the Act do I see the provision for the establishment of a Review Committee or Review Board. May I ask the Minister if this is an administrative procedure instituted by the Ministry of Home Affairs? Would it not be better for the establishment of the Review Committee and the Review Board to be provided for under this Act? May I also ask the Minister to clarify what happens to the detainee whilst he is under detention? Are there any steps to try to rehabilitate the suspected offender whilst he is serving his detention? Finally, Sir, may I seek the Minister's assurance that there will be sufficient safeguards to ensure that the detainee would be treated reasonably in the detention centre because they are not prisoners convicted in the court of law? We should never have a similar incident as that which happened in Guantanamo Bay detention camp where some of the detainees were tortured. Are there senior officers in charge of the detention centre and supervising the entire management of the detention centre? Sir, with this, I support the Bill. Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee: Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank both Mr Siew and Mr Lim Biow Chuan for supporting the Bill. On the point about it not being a case of an open trial, I think everybody knows, and I have shared this before that there is a detailed process in place. That is a key point.”
“Without such a law, we are basically sending a message to the world that we are more relaxed now. I fear that this will result in more drug traffickers or other syndicated criminals considering Singapore as a base to work from. Last month, I read of an incident in Denmark where a Singaporean man was shot in his restaurant in Copenhagen. It was alleged that the victim had connections with the underworld. I could not help but wonder whether this kind of shooting incident could have happened in Singapore if we do not have such strict laws allowing the Police to detain without trial, criminals who are suspected of having connections with the underworld. I am also sure that many of us have read of arm robberies taking place in our neighbouring countries. Just two days ago, there was an attempted armed robbery of a SBS bus driver in Johor Baru. Again, if we do not have such strict laws to detain ruthless and hardcore criminals quickly, would we have the same kind of crime situation in Singapore? Hence, on balance, I prefer to empower the Minister to detain suspected criminals without trial rather than allow the country to go soft on crime. As the Police has often reminded us – "low crime does not mean no crime". I would not wish to see Singapore's crime rate go up because we allow this law to lapse and are perceived to have gone soft on crimes. The message to any crime or drug syndicate thinking of establishing a foothold in Singapore must surely be a big, bold and emphatic "no entry". Sir, I note that the hon. Senior Minister of State, Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee, has assured us of the many built-in safeguards to ensure that the powers under this law are not abused.”
“At the end of the interview, I could only conclude that members of the secret society live in quite a different world with very different values from all of us. Sir, in the course of my practice as a lawyer, I have also come across cases where young juveniles are persuaded to join secret societies so that they can be part of a gang. The gang would also afford these youngsters protection if they get into trouble. These youngsters are then persuaded to try glue-sniffing and other drugs. Most importantly, they are recruited to commit offences for the secret society leaders. Thus, the reality is that secret societies are still thriving in Singapore and they are targeting younger members to join them. Sir, I had also previously complained to the Ministry of Home Affairs about loanshark harassment. Speak to any victim of loanshark and you will feel the intense frustration of the victim. They do not know who the loansharks are, when they will be attacked or when their homes will be splattered with paint. The culprits who are caught are usually insignificant runners and the main ring leader hides behind several layers of such runners. Even if the main ring leader is caught, I understand from friends who are in the Police that the borrowers from this illegal loansharks do not dare to testify because of fear of reprisals. It is clear to me that there is still a need for the law to deal with members of secret societies and illegal loansharks. It will also help preserve public safety and allow many Singaporeans to sleep peacefully at night. Singapore is known to be a safe country and many of us have gone out late at night without worrying about our safety and whether we would be accosted by gangsters or other criminals.”
“Essentially, this gives the power to the Minister to detain a person without having to charge the person and bring him to trial. The question before this House, surely, is whether this Act is still relevant today, in view of the fact that Singapore has relatively low crime and the number of secret societies has gradually been reduced over the years. Likewise, we have a strict anti-drug regime and the number of drug cases has also come down. Sir, the power to detain a person without the trial is a very powerful tool and would effectively deprived a person of his personal liberty without giving the person the opportunity to defend himself against a charge in court. Should we continue to grant such powers to the Minister in modern day Singapore? Sir, let me just say that I am unequivocally in support of the Bill. I recall many years ago when I was a young lawyer, I was asked to interview a gangster in prison. He was charged for murder and was a member of a secret society. He was part of a whole lot of gangsters who were chasing a victim. Eventually, he managed to use a metal pipe to clobber the victim to death. I was then barely in a year in legal practice assisting my senior partner to defend him of the capital charge. I think I was asked because I could speak Hokkien and my partner thought that I could speak his lingo. Even though I was supposed to be his lawyer and defending him, it was very difficult to obtain any information from him about the case. It did not matter that this gangster was facing the death penalty. He would not be willing to blame his friends or say anything to try to mitigate his culpability even though his silence may result in him being hanged.”
“Sir, thank you for allowing me to speak on this Bill. I am glad that I do not have to watch the clock this time. Sir, the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act was enacted on 21st October 1955. It was meant to be a temporary addition to the existing criminal laws. In the words of the then Chief Secretary, Mr W A C Good, the law was "intended to include all measures which the Government considers are necessary in the present circumstances in Singapore to strengthen the law against those who seek to overthrow the lawfully elected government by violence or who seek to subvert the minds of the people by intimidation, away from genuine democracy and constitutional advance to self-government to the rule of fear and to ultimate communist domination." Sir, communist domination is not very relevant today. Over the years, the Bill has gradually evolved as a law to allow for detention and police supervision for those involved in secret societies, drug traffickers and other syndicated criminal activities. I also understand that the law has been used against loansharks. The Act has a sunset clause like the hon. Nominated Member of Parliament says, "it requires the law to be renewed in Parliament every five years". This means that if Parliament does not agree to extend the validity of the Act at this Sitting, then the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act would lapse on 20th October, this year. The most powerful clause in the Act, Sir, is section 30, and this is to minister the power to order the detention of a person in the interests of public safety, peace and good order. The Minister may also order the person to be subject to the supervision of the Police.”
“30 pm on Monday, showed 93 cases before one Deputy Registrar and 84 cases before another Deputy Registrar on Wednesday at 2.30 pm. If at one minute per case, it will still take 1.5 hours for the last case to be cleared. Any practising lawyer in Chambers will tell you that it takes at least three minutes to even seek a simple by consent adjournment. This has resulted in long waits by lawyers waiting to see the Deputy Registrar. I understand that it is not uncommon for lawyers to wait up to one hour or more. Considering that the Government has pledged to provide service excellence to members of the public, may I know whether the Ministry could allocate more resources to the courts so that the courts can endeavour to reduce waiting time for lawyers as well? It will certainly alleviate the work fatigue for lawyers which the hon. Member Dr Teo Ho Pin refers to. COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY REPORTING PROGRESS”
“Sir, last August, the Consumer Protection Fair Trading Act (CPFTA) was amended to increase the jurisdiction of the Small Claims Tribunal for cases brought under the CPFTA. It is to allow more consumers to seek redress under the Small Claims Tribunals for breaches of the CPFTA without having to incur hefty costs. From the records of the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) in 2008, we handled 23,888 complaints, of which 746 cases relate to complaints under the CPFTA. CASE refers quite a large number of consumers to the Small Claims Tribunal whenever we are unable to resolve the matter amicably between the consumers and the businesses. We understand that a large number of other agencies, like SP Services, Town Councils and SingTel, use the Small Claims Tribunal to claim for payment of their bills. From the 2008 Annual Report of the Subordinate Courts, the Small Claims Tribunal adjudicated 16,180 cases last year. With this increase in the jurisdictional limits, I am concerned whether the Small Claims Tribunal is able to cope with the likely increase in workload. Does the Ministry of Law allocate enough resources to the Small Claims Tribunal by supplying them with more mediators, referees and other support staff? Would there be a slowdown in the level of services to be provided to the consumers if there are inadequate resources? Next, let me declare my interest in speaking as a practising advocator and solicitor. I understand that last year, the Subordinate Courts handled more than ,150 civil cases and 249,540 criminal cases. I also notice that there are occasions where more than 60 cases are placed before a Deputy Registrar of the Subordinate Courts. For example, last Sunday, when I checked last Monday's list of cases for hearings, the ADCR, at 2.”
“A common complaint which I have received is that a motorist drives into a congested expressway such as the CTE and then he is stuck in the traffic for an hour or so, and still has to pay ERP charges. With prompt news available on the radio, the motorist can plan his route better and choose to avoid the congestion.”
“Sir, last year I spoke up during the Budget debate in favour of ERP as a means of managing road congestion. It is a fair way to manage the use of our roads as the motorist pays for using the road during peak hours, and for adding to the congestion. However, I notice that LTA has implemented ERP on roads which are not congested – an example would be the Nicoll Highway on Saturday afternoons; another example would be the ERP gantries at Upper Boon Keng Road and Geylang Bahru Road. Could LTA provide an explanation as to why is there such a need for ERP gantries when these roads are not congested? Would this not run against LTA's principle that LTA manages road congestion by charging motorists for adding to the congestion? In this case, since these roads are not congested in the first place, what is the rationale for having such ERP gantries? Next, I wish to ask the Minister whether he is able to introduce a dedicated radio station to broadcast traffic news during peak hours. Timely information about traffic conditions allows the motorists to plan properly for their travel routes and, hence, they will not add to traffic congestion, especially where there is an accident or road works. I understand that currently there is LTA traffic broadcast providing information about traffic on the radio. However, the information is only conveyed every 15 minutes or so. Singapore is a small country. By the time the Traffic Watch is broadcast, the motorist is already caught in the traffic jam. Surely, it makes more sense for traffic information to be given and repeated with regular updates throughout the peak periods so that the motorist can be made aware of the traffic congestion along his route.”
“Next, please balance the interest of the commuters when deciding on a bus service. It does not mean that when a bus service is not profitable, that bus service must be terminated. LTA should also consider the convenience to the commuting public which should be paramount unless there is very low demand for the service. Lastly, implement distance-based transport fare quickly. Commuters should not be penalised for having to change buses or MRT because the transport service is not available to them. MRT”