Lim Boon Heng
Singapore
“On the first question on foreign domestic worker levy relief for single women who are looking after their aged parents, I think that question should be addressed to the Minister for Manpower and the Ministry of Finance.”
“I shall address the second point first. When it is clearly an item for a Ministry, a Member should address that question to that Ministry because that Ministry is also responsible for that even if it is related to ageing.”
“For those who wonder what the Fourth Age is, it is basically the last couple of years of your life when you are afflicted by, perhaps, chronic illnesses and therefore need to be cared for.”
“The Wellness Programme applies to all estates. In the pilot project, we deliberately chose 12 pilot sites to reflect different mixes. For example, we chose Ulu Pandan, which has a lot of private estates.”
“Maybe MCYS and the PMO could really look into these RC centres to see whether they could incorporate some of the needs of the elderly in these centres as well, like an extra area for karaoke or even mahjong. This area should be quiet and enclosed because the elderly sing loudly as they cannot hear very well.”
“The process has already started. We are already debating this issue in Parliament. The unions have taken up the issue with the management. I know and I am aware of that. So, let the process take its course.”
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“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, since manpower training and development is a decisive factor in the restructuring of our economy for a higher skilled and better paid workforce, it is important that the Institute of Continuing Occupational Development be established as soon as possible. On that note, Sir, I support the Motion. 5.56 p.m. Mr Bernard Chen (Clementi): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, in his annual Budget Statement, the Minister for Trade and Industry made the following reference, and I quote: 'One recurring feature of Budget statements in recent years is that each year the statement has warned of difficult times ahead, and each year our economy has grown strongly.' Hon. Members of this House will recall that year in and year out the Finance Minister, and of late the Minister for Trade and Industry, came into this Chamber and painted gloomy pictures of worrying times ahead but yet concluded that Singapore had after all survived and had another good year, Singaporeans seem to get used to painless budgets and forgetting that this happy state of affairs has not been brought about by accident. In fact, underpinning this happy state of affairs are three major long-term economic policies which the Government has embarked upon since early independence. The first of these is economic diversification. Since the 1960s the Government has consciously and deliberately decided to widen the economic base and venture into industrialization, tourism, provide a range of services in finance, transport, communications, services which our workforce can provide better than the others. Economic diversification gives us the strength to withstand the ups and downs of the world economy. It helps us to weather the storms, be they in the United States, Europe or Japan.”
“It is quite typical for a new employee to be given a brief and cursory introduction or training programme before he is put on the job. Thereafter he is expected to pick up as he works. Our employers do not seem to realize that this practice is wasteful and an inefficient utilization of manpower. It is important for employers to look at continual training as a means to obtain the best out of the workforce. When training becomes a pan of corporate policy, there will be a positive improvement in work attitudes. It is gratifying to note that there are plans to upgrade the skills of existing workers on a wider scale through the establishment of an Institute of Continuing Occupational Development. I hope the Minister will take this opportunity to elaborate on these plans, with particular reference to the following points:- (a) Will the Institute carry out a study on manpower requirements, and will the projected demand for specific types of skills be made known? Such a projection would greatly assist those in the workforce to pursue relevant courses in upgrading their skills. (b) Will the Institute provide a range of courses tailored for workers of different educational levels? (c) What provisions will be made to facilitate attendance by existing workers who would at the same time have to continue to support their families? Will the problems of shift workers also be taken into account? (d) As there is an inherent anxiety among older workers over their ability to acquire new skills, will the Institute give this category of workers special attention?”
“With the investments now made for the education of the younger generation, we expect that those entering the job market for the first time will have little difficulty provided we are able to attract investments with higher technological content. For those already in the workforce, the problems and prospects are somewhat different. Their ability to cope with the technological content of the new types of jobs in a restructured economy will be constrained by the education that they have received and the training that they may have been provided by their employers. We must be concerned that the educational level of our present workforce is relatively poor. According to the Report on the Labour Force Survey of Singapore 1980, 11.3% of the workforce have never attended school, 13.8% have no qualifications (below PSLE) and 32.6% attained primary education only. Therefore, no less than 57.7% of our workforce have primary education or less. How will these workers be able to adapt to higher technologies? We can help them make the change by providing them with another opportunity to acquire a basic education. Employers should play a leading role. More companies should be encouraged to follow the examples set by Telecoms and the Port of Singapore Authority in providing training opportunities to those who have unfortunately missed a basic education. This is one of the best ways to foster company loyalty. Unfortunately, training is not generally included as an integral part of company corporate policy. True, there are employers who do provide comprehensive training and have co-operated with Government or EDB institutions. The majority, however, have no manpower development plans. This is the primary cause of the low utilization of the Skills Development Fund.”
“This year, the first of three objectives of the Budget is to increase the supply of skilled, technical and professional manpower needed to facilitate the restructuring and upgrading of the economy. 5.48 p.m. [Mr Deputy Speaker in the Chair] Reflecting this, the provision for the Ministry of Education has been increased substantially by 45.6% over fiscal year 1981. This expenditure will provide more opportunities for those who are still in school through more places being created in the tertiary, vocational and training institutions. This investment will result in a better qualified younger workforce. We must ensure the highest return from this investment by ensuring that the curricula of courses conducted by these institutions are updated in order to equip the students with the knowledge and skills relevant to the technologies of the 1980's and beyond, The curricula must have a general base to enable the graduates to apply their knowledge in different sectors of industry and to build on what they are taught. We must recognize that the pace of technological advancement is so rapid that no one can assume that the knowledge or skill acquired in our educational institutions will be adequate for a life-time career. We must impress on our students that it is necessary to constantly upgrade their knowledge and skills, to keep abreast with the latest technological advancement. Failure to do so is to risk technological obsolescence. When our students leave the training institutions with the right attitude towards knowledge and skills, they will be able to adapt to the continual upgrading and restructuring of our economy as we seek yet higher levels of achievement.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, it is the duty of an elected government to bring about a better life for the people. For over two decades, this Government has continually sought a higher standard of living for each and every citizen. The results of its actions are visible, tangible and measurable. 70% of our population live in decent low cost HDB flats. There is a place in school for every child, Everyone who wants to work has a choice of jobs; there is no unemployment. Real incomes have steadily increased. Our workers can afford luxury items as they enjoy a higher standard of living. Those who aspire to form the government would do well to study how this has been achieved, rather than engage in rhetoric. Words alone do not create wealth; action does. The result of this Government's actions is a matter of public record. Only a confused mind with a ragged vision and distorted arithmetic can fail to see the social and economic progress of our people. It is a pity that the democratic system occasionally throws up aberrations. Aberrations notwithstanding, we will continue to pursue a yet higher standard of living for the people. For those who are willing to listen critically, the Budget Statement by the Minister for Trade and Industry is a statement of concern for the continued well-being of Singaporeans. The restructuring of our economy is essential to free us from the bind of low-wage industries and to allow us to maximize the potential of our workforce. Higher incomes are linked to higher output through higher skills. The Minister for Trade and Industry has stressed once more that manpower training and development is a decisive factor in the restructuring of our economy and in achieving the objective of a higher-skilled and better paid workforce.”
“However, the fact remains that they were not able to ask the right questions in the first instance. These enterprises, therefore, found themselves landed with computer hardware and software inadequate for their needs. They have to undertake the expensive exercise of replacing their complete systems under the guise of upgrading. The proposed National Computer Board, therefore, will serve a serious need in the industry. Its most urgent task will be to establish the specific requirements of trained manpower for both private enterprise and the public sector. It should play a key role in the establishment of structured courses of different levels to meet the needs of industry. Together with this, it should be instrumental in bringing about a standardization of course syllabi to upgrade the level of private commercial courses. This would provide invaluable guidance to those institutions that wish to provide serious courses of adequate professional standard to the public. As one of its functions will be to provide consultancy and advisory services concerning computer data processing, the National Computer Board will be able to provide the professional expert advice required by enterprises seeking to computerize. While the Board cannot be in a position to meet the expected demand in professional consultancy, it can, by setting high standards as a pace-setter, uplift the consultancy and advisory services offered by the private sector. The proposed National Computer Board will, therefore, play a key role in nurturing the nascent computer industry to maturity at the desired pace, with the minimum of wastage. Sir, I support the Bill. 5.04 p.m.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Bill standing in the name of the Minister for Finance. The setting up of the proposed National Computer Board is most timely and necessary. In recent years the computer services industry has flourished. It is now experiencing a boom condition. There is an acute shortage of trained, professional manpower. The situation is such that anyone who has some technical qualification in computer programming, systems analysis or electronic data processing can command an attractive salary well beyond what his worth would be in a normal situation. Consequently there exists a high demand for computer courses. There are many enterprising entrepreneurs who are ready to meet this demand through private commercial institutions. At present each institution is individually drawing up its own syllabus. Some have tailored their courses to suit examinations conducted by foreign professional institutions, Others rely on the professionalism of their own staff. The disparity in professional standards is undesirable. There should be a co-ordination of these private commercial courses to ensure that they meet professional standards. Otherwise we run the risk of some students finding that they have overpaid for enrolment in mere introductory or appreciation courses. They may find that they have paid the price of a banquet for a mere wine-tasting course. Some enterprises which have taken the plunge to computerize immediately found that they have done inadequate planning both in manpower as well as in the acquisition of hardware. Without adequate knowledge, they have allowed themselves to computerize without clearly defining their requirements. Some blamed the vendors for not presenting them with a full picture.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, no one in this House disputes the need to raise the prices of HDB flats from time to time. Inflation is an unavoidable evil. Rising costs of materials and labour all add up to increase costs of HDB flats. However, I feel compelled to join fellow hon. Members to question the manner in which prices are increased and implemented. Those who apply for HDB flats have no alternative. Private housing is simply beyond their reach. To them, public housing is the only hope. In this situation, the average increase of 38% in prices comes as a shock - a shock that is much more deeply felt than the OPEC oil shock of 1973. Over the years, the HDB has earned the trust of the common man. Over-night this faith is shaken. No frustration is greater than when it is accompanied by a feeling of helplessness. To those who await their turn to be allocated a flat, it is a question of "take it or leave it". HDB is free to impose new prices at will. There is no fixed price at the time of registration. The terms of sale are decidedly in favour of the HDB. How does one explain that the HDB felt it possible to absorb the increases in costs between 1976 and 1978, but now decided not to do so, and must increase the selling prices by 38% instead of 25%? We look forward to a fuller explanation that has been given so far. All in all, there is too much hindsight and too little foresight. Let us hear for a change what steps the HDB is taking to ensure that the public housing programme will be efficiently administered, that cost increases are controlled and that price rises are reasonable. We have a ten-year concept plan for the economy. Let the HDB present to us a ten-year plan for public housing. Let not the public await in trepidation the next round of HDB price increases. 4.55 p.m.”
“The majority of the workers at the Airport are not earning a thousand dollars. They are earning below $400. I think that, for this group of workers, transportation costs would cut a very substantial portion of their take-home pay. In such case, who is responsible for this cost increase? Should it be the responsibility of the employers or should it be borne to some extent by the SBS? 3.45 p.m. The SBS itself, I think, cannot be expected to bear the cost of this extra distance that the workers have to travel. But the SBS has got a decisive say as to how the routes should be structured. The SBS has chosen to use the concept of interchanges and this has inevitably increased the transportation cost to the workers. I would like to urge the Ministry to consider whether some direct services ought to be provided from the other parts of the island, say, tom Ang Mo Kio or from the major housing estates to the Airport. If interchanges have to be used, because in overall economics it makes for -better utilization, then could not the SBS consider a through fare instead of requiring them to pay one fare to the interchange and another fare from the interchange to the airport?”
“Sir, the Hon. Minister has, in his reply, stated that the SBS plans ahead. I do not know how much forward planning has been done because they were running at a loss of $700,000 a month since last August. Surely these bus fare hikes must have been planned a few months earlier and not just raised with the Ministry of Communications in January. If they had done so, then this delay of two months in implementing the fare increase would not have led to SBS losing more money. On the planning of SBS services, the Minister has stated that this is being done well in advance for housing estates. The plans of HDB are given to the SBS for concept plans of roads to be carried out. In July this year the airport would be shifted from Paya Lebar to Changi. At this moment the SBS has got some plans on how to cater for the workers who, instead of working in Paya Lebar, will be working in Changi. There will be no direct buses except for one service from Queen Street. For the other workers they will have to use three interchanges: at Tampines, Somapah and Bedok. The transfer of a large group of workers from Paya Lebar to Changi would mean that there@would be a great demand for transportation services. So would the Minister inform this House what plans there are to increase the services on those roads leading to those three interchanges? Before the announcement of fare increases, the fare charged between Bedok Interchange and Changi Airport is 70 cents. Now with the all-round 10-cent increase, I wonder whether this will lead to 80 cents. It would mean that for those who have to use the Bedok Interchange, the feeder service cost itself would be in the region of $20 per month. This is in addition to the extra cost they would have to pay to reach those interchanges.”
“There is an analysis on those who changed jobs three times or more. Of those in the age group 15-19 years, there were 630 males. This represented about 0.98% of the males in that category. Against this, there were 840 females or 1.43%. It is higher for the females in this age group. For those in the 20-24 years age group, there were 839 males or 0.65%, whereas there were 1,056 females or 1.02%. It is still higher. In the age group 20-24, most of the males would have completed national service. Then if we look at the age group 25-34 years, we have 1,026 males or 0.53% of the males in that group in the labour force. For females, it is 643 or 0.66% which is still higher than the males.”
“When these workers have no prospect of advancement in a particular job, then it is only natural that they will change, to try to seek a job with reasonable career prospects in the long term. Sir, I would like the Minister for Labour to look into this matter more seriously to find out whether the incentive or disincentive scheme will really discourage job-hopping.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, since the Ministry of Labour has not yet finalized the plan for the disincentive and incentive scheme to discourage job-hopping, I would like to add my views on this matter. First, let me highlight some of the facts that we have got out of the CPF statistics on job-hopping. There were 85,092 persons who changed jobs at least once during the period April. 1979 to March 1980. This is 8.36% of the total labour force. Secondly, females seem to change jobs more often than the males. While only 6.46% of the males in the total labour force changed jobs at least once during the survey period, 12.02% of the females did so. This is nearly twice the rate for males. There also seem to be higher mobility among the lower income group. While 10.35% of those earning less than $200 per month changed jobs at least once, only 4.73% of those earning more than $1,000 did so. It is also noted that 48,126 persons or 56.55% of those who changed jobs at least once were earning less than $300. If we draw the line at $500, then this figure rises to 82.46%. So we may generally conclude that it is the lower income group that will lose out in the disincentive or incentive scheme that is proposed. There would also be a bias against females. 3.45 p.m. These statistics do not tell us why workers change jobs. Is it because of frivolous attitude or is it because they are seeking better jobs? But the fact that the majority of those who changed jobs are in the lower income group suggests that these people have little or no skill. And it may be in the nature of their work that since it requires very little training, there is no incentive on the part of the employers to upgrade their skills.”
“Our constitution provides for free elections to be held at least once in five years. During such elections, any citizen, affiliated to any registered political party, or as inde- pendents, may present himself or herself before the electorate as a candidate. Members in this House have, only two months ago, been elected. In 38 constituencies, these Members have defeated Opposition candidates. That all Members of this House are from one political party is the free choice of the people in the exercise of their democratic right. It demonstrates the full confidence of the people in the People's Action Party.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to support most firmly the Motion of Thanks moved by the Member for Mountbatten. At this stage, Sir, I would like to add to what the Member for Whampoa said earlier on this afternoon. I believe in his discussion on the gambling mentality of the Singaporeans, he omitted to mention one example. My observation is that in many functions organized by our civic organizations, such as community centres and resident committees, the primary attraction of such functions appears to be the Lucky Draw. Although there is no betting, I think this form of mass attraction should be discouraged. Sir, allow me to raise a point that may appear trivial but is of fundamental importance. Two days ago in this House, the hon. Member for Changi said something to this effect, and I quote: "Although we are a one-party Parliament . .". Sir, there appears to be an error that needs to be corrected. As I understand it, a one-party Parliament would refer to a political system where there is only one authorized legal political party, and only those affiliated to that party are allowed to stand for elections and be voted into office. Examples of such one-party parliamentary systems are found in Zambia, Kenya and Tanzania. In fact, Zambia's motto is: "One party, one government, one nation." Mr Speaker, Sir, I was horrified when I read a report on the first day's proceedings in this House carried by one of yesterday's morning newspapers. With your permission, Sir, I quote the Straits Times: "This is particularly important in a one-party Parliamentary system." The Straits Times was referring to the proceedings in our Parliament. Sir, ours is not a one-party parliamentary system. Ours is a parliamentary democracy.”