Lim Hng Kiang
Singapore
“The company has made commitments to recycle the ash, and as for renewable energy, the gasification project is not an energy project, it is not a generation company (genco). It is to produce hydrogen and carbon monoxide or, essentially, carbon. Because as feedstock to the petrochemical sector, you need more C and more H2.”
“The Government will continue to recover the IIA awarded if the company fails any conditions or breaches the legislative amendments. I would like to highlight that there are no errant cases in the last five years for IIA and the current amendments are, therefore, not reactionary in nature, but are being made for legislative clarity.”
“In addition, the IIA scheme will be extended till 31 December 2022. Clauses 10 to 13 give legislative effect to this change. The remaining legislative changes arising from our periodic review of the income tax system are either administrative or technical in nature.”
“Data on household and individual savings rates by income groups are not available. However, data on the aggregate level of household financial assets can be obtained from the Household Sector balance sheet compiled by the Department of Statistics.”
“The aggregate level of financial assets owned by Singapore’s household sector6 in each of the past five years is provided in Table 1 below. Data on the amount of financial assets owned by households and individuals in the different income percentiles is not available.”
“The Second Review of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (Second CECA Review) is ongoing. The review is taking some time as both countries have our respective interests to work through, such as in the area of labour mobility. Our agencies regularly engage Indian counterparts to work through issues collaboratively.”
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“Dr Lily Neo asked the Acting Minister for Health (a) what is (i) the incidence of stroke cases over the last five years (1999 - 2003), (ii) the number of cases that ended with disability, (iii) the number that had brain scanning done within two hours; and (b) what are the steps taken by his Ministry to reduce the incidence of disability in stroke patients.”
“Again, here we have to strike the right balance - how to minimise cost through the effective use of IT and electronic communications, but at the same time ensure that the documents and the information are accurately and reliably conveyed to the investing public or to the members of the company. This is something that we have to be pragmatic about. We have to work out the regulations in detail. And the guideline here is that it must be something which the company can execute in agreement with either the investors or the people associated with the company. So we will draft out the general guidelines in the regulations, but the specific implementation of this electronic communication would have to be something that has to be agreed upon between the company and the people that the company is communicating with. I hope that clarifies some of the issues raised. 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. - [Mr Lim Hng Kiang]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. ADJOURNMENT Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn to Friday, 27th February, 2004." - [Mr Mah Bow Tan]. Adjourned accordingly at Thirteen minutes to Seven o'clock pm to Friday, 27th February, 2004. WRITTEN ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER NOT ANSWERED BY 3.00 PM STROKE CASES 18.”
“On the other hand, directors may not have the full range of information that they need, and that is the reason why we try as much as possible to clarify the duties of the directors so as to make it more reasonable for them in discharging their duties. This proposed amendment, while not completely removing the anxiety of directors, does accord the directors some protection, ie, if they seek advice and this advice is prepared by and received from the management or from professional advisers and experts, then I think they can take this advice and they will not be responsible for this advice that they have received. But, at the same time, they must use their judgment, which is what we require directors to do, ie, they must ask for the right advice and they must scope the advice. So they cannot totally discharge themselves from these responsibilities. But all said and done, directors' duties and liabilities are something that are constantly evolving, and we will have to continue to monitor case laws and international developments and study how all these provisions that we are planning to put in place can be refined in the future. This is something that we will have to get in touch with the private sector and make sure that the rules and regulations that we put in place are relevant. In that sense, I do not think we are putting onerous responsibilities on directors. I hope to assure Dr Gan that this is not our intention. We are trying to strike this balance. The other point which Dr Gan raised is the use of electronic communication.”
“The second issue that Mr Sin brought up is about raising of funds. As with most of the issues in the Companies Act, we have to strike a balance. Previously, we did not allow private companies to raise funds from the public. This, of course, hinders the development of small private companies. Now we will allow them. But if they do so, then I think it is fair that they should comply with some requirements. We are looking into the details, but what we are looking at would be that they first ought to comply with the requirements under the Securities and Futures Act. But, of course, the requirements can be quite stringent and may not be pertinent to the full range of private companies wanting to raise funds. Therefore, we will carve up certain situations where the amounts to be raised are modest or the amounts to be raised are from sophisticated investors or from financial institutions, or the amounts to be raised are from a very small group of people and not from the general public. So I think within this wide ambit of the Securites and Futures Act, we will carve up certain sub-categories where the raising of the capital is more directed and therefore may not require such stringent disclosure requirements as with the IPO. These are works in progress. The third point which Mr Sin raised is about the anxiety of directors. I would like to take this point together with what Dr Gan raised about the onerous duties of directors. Again, we have to strike a balance. Directors have a fiduciary duty. It is a heavy responsibility, but that is the reason why we have directors to be there to discharge this responsibility.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, I would like to thank the Members for raising very pertinent issues of the Bill. Let me address them. First, on the issue of liquidators. Mr Sin Boon Ann raised several key points. We do agree that liquidators should not only come from public accountants. There is a range of skill sets required, and that is the rationale for this amendment, that hitherto we only restrict the appointment of liquidators to auditors, but now we have opened up the requirement. By opening up, we also must be mindful that we must set the relevant criteria and qualifications to be appointed as liquidators. As Mr Sin Boon Ann mentioned, there is no professional course to train or develop such a group of people and, therefore, we have to be very careful when we set out these criteria. What we will do is we will look at practices in other countries. For example, we will look at the UK Insolvency Practitioners Regulations where they set out such criteria and see whether these criteria and qualifications are relevant to us. It is going to be something similar to directors. There is no professional course to train directors. But we do know what directors do, and we do know the important roles that directors play. We do know that directors do come from a wide range of backgrounds and professional training and experience. And we do know what the qualifications and criteria of directors ought to be. I think we will go about it in this light. We are not planning to approach this in a legislative manner like the Law Society or ICPAS. We will look at this more like a professional association. MinLaw and MOF would study this issue and see how we can set up an Insolvency Practitioners Association, as recommended by the CLRFC.”
“It will give the Courts greater discretion to impose penalties that are more closely proportionate to the possible gains that could be reaped from such non-compliance. The changes are comparable to the existing penalties for similar offences in the Securities and Futures Act. They instil confidence among investors that companies incorporated in Singapore present true and fair financial statements, in accordance with the prescribed accounting standards. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, we will continue to review the recommendations of the CLRFC. The Government will press on with company law reform to make our corporate environment conducive for companies and entrepreneurship to thrive. Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed.”
“Capital raising by private companies Currently, a private company is prohibited from raising capital by inviting members of the public to subscribe to its shares or debentures. Clause 6 of the Bill removes the prohibition and allows private companies to raise capital through public offerings without converting to public companies, so long as they fulfil the disclosure requirements under the Securities and Futures Act. Inclusion of registration numbers In the Companies (Amendment) Bill 2002, one of the amendments was to dispense with prior screening of similar company names. As a result, the distinctive registration number of a Singapore-incorporated company, rather than its name, has become a more unique identifier for companies. Clause 28 of the Bill amends the Companies Act to require a company to show its registration number on all business letters, statements of account, invoices, official notices and publications issued by the company. Taking into account feedback from businesses, the Government will grant companies a grace period of six months after the amendment comes into force for companies to use up their existing stock of stationery and to modify their internal systems to comply with the new regulation. Penalty provisions Currently, the Companies Act imposes a penalty for directors who fail to comply with the prescribed financial reporting standards and to ensure that the financial statements present a true and fair view. It also imposes a penalty on any person who makes or authorises the making of false or misleading statements with respect to the information required under the Act. This Bill revises the penalty amounts, with the possibility of a jail sentence for fraudulent behaviour. The increased penalties will serve as more effective deterrence.”
“The amendment is in line with the current practices in New Zealand and the UK. One shareholder, one director companies Currently, all companies are required to have at least two shareholders and two directors, with the requirement that at least one director must be locally resident. This Bill amends the Companies Act to allow all companies, regardless whether they are public or private companies, to have one director and one shareholder. To preserve the accountability of such companies, we will retain the local residency requirement for at least one director. There will be two additional safeguards. First, while the same person can be both the director as well as the shareholder, he cannot act as the company secretary. This ensures that there will always be an independent company officer. Second, the shareholders will be personally liable for the debts and obligations incurred by the company if it is left without a director for more than six months. One director, one shareholder companies are already permitted in New Zealand. I understand that the UK government is also considering implementing such a regime. Company auditors Currently, a person intending to be an approved company auditor goes through two separate approval processes. First, he registers himself as a public accountant with the Public Accountants Board pursuant to the Accountants Act. Second, he applies to the Minister for Finance to be an approved company auditor under the Companies Act. Clause 3 of the Bill streamlines the procedure and removes the statutory requirement for public accountants to have to seek approval from the Minister. Instead, any person who satisfies the registration requirements to be a public accountant under the Accountants Act will automatically be an approved company auditor.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time". Sir, in May 2003, the Companies Act was amended to implement 20 recommendations of the private sector-led Company Legislation and Regulatory Framework Committee, or the CLRFC. This Bill proposes further amendments to the Companies Act, taking into account other recommendations of the CLRFC and public feedback on the draft Bill. The changes will simplify and update provisions in the Companies Act to create a more robust regulatory environment for our companies and businesses. In view of the public feedback received, the Ministry of Finance will defer the implementation of some of the recommendations of the CLRFC such as the removal of par value and share buybacks out of capital and take more time to consult the business community on the operational details of their implementation. Sir, I shall now highlight the main amendments proposed in the Bill. Abolition of ultra vires Currently, the Companies Act contains an 'ultra vires' doctrine and requires the proposed objects of a company to be stated exhaustively in its Memorandum. If the company performs an act that is not authorised by the object clauses, it will be considered 'ultra vires'. Clauses 8 and 9 of the Bill amend sections 22 and 23 respectively to abolish this requirement. Given that a company is already considered in law to be a legal person, it will be statutorily conferred all the powers of a natural person and will have full capacity to carry out any lawful business or activity. The amendment will also allow companies the choice to limit its capacity, rights or powers in its memorandum or articles of association to preserve the rights of internal redress by members against the directors.”
“I would like to assure Members that the interest of all participants in the financial and capital markets will be taken into account and they will be asked to help when we review such rules. We are very mindful that when we make these changes we do not over-react. There is a range of things that we can do. We want to improve the regulatory regime but, at the same time, we are mindful that we should not over-react and, in so doing, cause higher regulatory cost on our people. With these comments in mind, I hope that the Members will be reassured that the changes are necessary to make sure that accountants and, in particular, public accountants, continue to be a major pillar of our markets and our businesses. 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. - [Mr Lim Hng Kiang ]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. COMPANIES (AMENDMENT) BILL Order for Second Reading read.”
“Mr Andy Gan asked whether a stricter Accountants Act in Singapore will expose Singapore accountants when they practise in other countries or where they consolidate reports with the subsidiaries from other countries. Let me take this opportunity to explain that this is not something new. When the parent company in Singapore has to consolidate its reports with the accounts of the subsidiaries overseas, the audit firm in Singapore will have to make an assessment of the validity and objectivity of the accounts of the subsidiaries. Of course, it depends on where these subsidiaries are located, and on the reliability of the audit companies of these subsidiaries in the other jurisdictions. This is not something new. What the Act offers is better clarity. I do not think it in any way exposes Singapore accountants to greater risk. Mr Andy Gan also highlighted that we should be mindful of regulatory cost. We will definitely do so. The whole idea of making sure we strike the right balance between regulatory requirements and making sure we are competitive will require us to keep a very close watch on the regulatory cost on companies. Mr Andy Gan would also like to know how the Public Accountants Oversight Committee (PAOC) would go about its work. I would like to assure him that the PAOC, which includes non-accountants, ie, other professions in the corporate world, will make sure that when we make changes to the rules, we seek the views of all the participants. The public consultation process that we have put in place when we reviewed these rules in the past 4-5 years, would be the standard practice when we go forward and when we make changes to rules in future.”
“A body with 16,000 members is a very effective body. Our experience so far has been very good in working with ICPAS to review and upgrade standards. Both Mrs Fang and Mr Andy Gan raised the issue of the problems of the small and medium accounting firms in having to adjust to these changes. I think this is unavoidable. The global market is changing and standards are being reviewed. On the one hand, we are relaxing some of these statutory requirements so as to lower business cost because we do not see the necessity for making private exempt companies to put up statutory reports. But I would like to assure the small and medium accounting firms that this does not mean that there is no need for such reports. Many companies, whether it is private exempt or other small companies, if they are in the market for loans or for other requirements, as Mrs Fang explained just now, investors and other parties would like to have auditors to provide a view of the company to give a fair, impartial and objective assessment of the company. So the role of the auditors and accountants has not diminished even if the Government removes the need for this statutory report. I think the market will continue to require such reports even if the Government removes the statutory requirement. But we do recognise that there will be changes. Our small and medium accounting firms will have to adapt, just like the small and medium companies have done so in other jurisdictions where such statutory reports are not required as well. For this, the small and medium accounting firms will have to look into increasing their revenue from other practices, both domestically and overseas. This may require consolidation and expansion into other jurisdictions.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to thank both Members for their contributions. I would like to add my voice to the message which they have conveyed, which is the importance of the accounting profession in maintaining trust and in helping us to compete in the global financial market, not just the accounting profession in general but also, in particular, the role of the auditors. I also agree with them that the accountants and the auditors are important pillars. They are also important when they are supported by other participants in the market where there are management and other professions like lawyers, board of directors, etc. Everybody must play his part if we want to make the market efficient and we want to maintain the trust of the investing public. The changes that we are making in the Accountants Bill is to reinforce this trust in them. The changes in making ICPAS from a statutory body to a professional association should not be seen in any way as a diminution of their standing or role. ICPAS will continue to play a very important role, working with the Government, with the regulatory agencies as well as with the private sector, to develop the accounting profession in Singapore and to continuously upgrade the profession. We will recognise ICPAS as the only professional association in the Accountants Act and the Government will continue to work closely with ICPAS in areas such as auditing, mutual recognition agreements with regulators of public accountants in other jurisdictions and in other initiatives to enhance the professionalism of public accountants in Singapore. I agree entirely with Mrs Fang Ai Lian that there is tremendous advantage in having only one professional association representing the accountants in Singapore.”
“If the case requires further investigation, the Complaints Committee will recommend to the PAOC to constitute a Disciplinary Committee to hold a formal inquiry. The Disciplinary Committee will recommend to the PAOC the appropriate disciplinary action, including de-registration, suspension, restriction of practice, imposition of penalty and censure. Penalties on professional misconduct The Bill increases the maximum penalty that may be imposed on an errant public accountant, from $5,000 to $10,000. In addition, the Bill sets at $100,000 the maximum penalty that may be imposed on an errant accounting firm. The higher penalties are necessary to serve as a deterrent against professional misconduct. Conclusion Sir, in closing, I would like to thank the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Singapore for giving valuable feedback in the drafting of the Accountants Bill. ACRA will continue to work with all its stakeholders to ensure a smooth transition and to uphold a forward looking regulatory framework for the auditing profession. Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed.”
“To further facilitate the transition, the current ICPAS Council will serve as the interim governing committee of the successor entity until new elections are held. Practice monitoring programme Part V of the Bill formalises the Practice Monitoring Programme, or PMP. This is a key provision in strengthening the regulatory framework for public accountants. Through the PMP, the PAOC will monitor the professional standards and practice of public accountants. Clause 34 provides for the establishment of a Practice Monitoring Sub-committee to assist the PAOC in designing and implementing the PMP. PAOC will have the powers to take action against public accountants who fail PMP reviews, including the recommendation of remedial steps to improve professional practice, restriction of practice, suspension and de-registration. The Bill also provides public accountants an avenue of appeal to the High Court against decisions of the PAOC. Two-tier disciplinary process Let me now turn to the two-tier disciplinary process. Part VI of the Bill sets up a two-tier disciplinary process comprising the Complaints Committee and the Disciplinary Committee to process complaints against public accountants. The improved disciplinary process is modelled after the legal and medical professions in Singapore. All complaints will first be evaluated to determine if a prima facie case has been established for the setting up of a Complaints Committee. The Complaints Committee will review the case to determine whether the case is to be dismissed or whether it necessitates a letter of advice or warning to the errant public accountant, accounting corporation or accounting firm.”
“This allows firms that engage in tax or corporate secretarial work, in addition to audit work, to register as accounting firms. As long as two-thirds of the partners in their firms are already registered as public accountants, partners who do not perform audit work no longer need to register as public accountants. Third, this Bill deregulates the "Certified Public Accountant", or "CPA" title. All accountants, including public accountants, will be free to use titles indicating membership of professional organisations or accountancy degrees. As a safeguard against fraudulent representation, the Accountants Act will prohibit a person, body corporate or firm who is not registered by ACRA from practising as, or holding out to be, a public accountant, accounting corporation, or accounting firm. Registration criteria for public accountants The registration criteria for public accountants will continue to include qualifications, practical experience and membership in a professional association. With regard to membership in a professional association, the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Singapore, or ICPAS, will be the only professional association recognised for this purpose, at least for the time being. ICPAS will transit from a statutory body to a non-statutory society for the accounting profession in Singapore. This is consistent with the practices in other leading jurisdictions such as the UK, the US and Australia, and will be similar to the approach that we have adopted for other professionals, including the architects, doctors and engineers. The Bill transfers ICPAS's assets, liabilities, employees and members to its successor entity.”
“ACCOUNTANTS BILL Order for Second Reading read. The Second Minister for Finance (Mr Lim Hng Kiang): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time". Introduction This Bill before the House seeks to repeal and re-enact with amendments the Accountants Act (Cap. 2), in conjunction with the establishment of the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority, or ACRA. Public Accountants Oversight Committee ACRA will be responsible for administering the Accountants Act. This includes the registration of public accountants, accounting corporations and accounting firms, as well as the regulation of the auditing practice. Part II of the Bill sets up a Board committee, to be called the Public Accountants Oversight Committee, or PAOC for short. The Committee will comprise representatives from the public and private sectors, including at least one public accountant. The PAOC will assist and advise the main ACRA Board on matters pertaining to the regulation of public accountants. The main ACRA Board will focus on strategic and policy-related issues. Regulatory framework for public accountants, accounting corporations and accounting firms Parts III to VII of the Bill strengthen the regulatory framework for the audit profession in Singapore. Accounting firms First, this Bill sets up a Register of Public Accounting Firms, in line with the regulatory framework already in place for individual public accountants and accounting corporations. It allows ACRA to take disciplinary action against errant accounting firms. This is consistent with the practices in leading jurisdictions, such as the US and UK. Second, the new Accountants Act will require only two-thirds, rather than all, of the partners of an accounting firm to be public accountants.”
“As I said, if we have two separate groups, we in fact have two very small entities - the Registry of Companies and Businesses and the Public Accountants Board. In fact, they need people from the small background - accountants, lawyers, professionals - and putting them together gives us a better structure to manage the career development and the professional training and upgrading of their staff. We also need a mechanism by which the single entity can interact with the private sector through committees, councils and public consultations, so that the private and public sector work closely together in dealing with the new and changing global environment. As Mr Andy Gan pointed out, there is greater competition, and for Singapore to succeed as a hub for global businesses, if we are able to establish clear rules, a very conducive pro-business environment, good practices, good corporate governance, I think that will add to our competitive advantage. So that is the whole idea of ACRA. ACRA will work with the private sector and make sure that we strike this balance of having the right regulatory rules in place, proper observance and compliance of these rules, and at the same time not making it too onerous so as to make sure that we have a very competitve environment. So I think, with this assurance, I hope both Members will feel that the creation of this entity would lead to further promotion of business in Singapore and not be seen as a further obstacle. 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. - [Mr Lim Hng Kiang]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, first, I would like to thank the Members for their support and for raising the concerns and clarifications. First, let me assure the House that the setting up of ACRA will not in itself lead to the imposition of more regulations or greater enforcement actions on companies and businesses. That is not our intention. Our intention of combining the two entities really is because we see complementarity in the way they execute their functions and therefore it makes greater sense to put the two entities together. Putting the two entities together will enable us to create a statutory board of about 100 people, which gives us a decent size to attract talent, provide better career development and have a repository of expertise to follow international developments, keep up with best practices and so maintain the right regulatory environment for Singapore. I would like to assure Dr Gan that all the concerns that she has about greater policing powers and offences, prosecution of offenders and ACRA conducting its own court proceedings are unfounded. The whole idea of merging these two is to get the efficiency and to make sure that we are able to keep up with international practices more speedily, like what Mr Andy Gan suggested. So, putting the two entities will not create more onerous responsibilities on the companies or businesses. What we want is a single entity, as Mr Andy Gan alluded to, that allows companies to refer to, interact with, for interpretation of the Companies Act, for we will have a single entity to champion the changes that we need to keep up with the developments around the world. Where would the complementarity or synergies be derived?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, as I have said just now, the appointment, the terms of remuneration, etc, of CEOs are left to the respective Boards of Directors. It is not the intention of the Government to keep track of these conditions. The second point is SGX is not a Government-linked company. SECURITY GUARDS (Certification and training requirements) 6. Mr Charles Chong asked the Minister for Home Affairs what is (a) the number of agency security guards who have been certified under the National Skill Recognition Scheme (NSRS) and the estimated number yet to complete training and certification; and (b) the pass rate of those taking the test for NSRS certification and the reasons for the low pass rate. 7. Mr Charles Chong asked the Minister for Home Affairs what security screening and training requirements need to be fulfilled by private and agency security personnel before they are permitted to be deployed as security guards.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Government does not keep track of CEOs of Government-linked companies. The respective Boards of Directors are responsible for the selection and replacement of their CEOs.”
“Members should not get the impression that just because we have a director, deputy director, assistant director, managers, that workflow goes up in a very hierarchical manner. In fact, most of the ministry headquarters are structured as teams looking after different areas. These designations are just to reflect the seniority of the people. You will find that many directors do a lot of leg-work. They write their own papers, they do their own secretarial support and they do the whole range of policy research, formulation and development. So please do not be mistaken that just because we have different designations, which should really reflect the grade and experience of the officers, that submissions go layer by layer. That is not the case. GOVERNMENT-LINKED COMPANIES AND TEMASEK GROUP (Foreign Chief Executive Officers employed) 5. Mr Steve Chia Kiah Hong asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) what is the number of foreign chief executive officers employed by Government-linked companies and the Temasek group in the last six years; and (b) of the number employed, how many are still in Singapore and serving with these companies.”
“The amount approved was $590 million. For FY 2003 to-date, there have been about 2,200 applications, of which 1,900 were approved. The amount approved is $330 million. For these financing schemes, the credit assessments and loan disbursements are done by the Participating Financial Institutions (PFIs). The PFIs will disburse the loans to the SME once the loan is approved. Disbursement can take place as quickly as one day after the loan is approved, although this depends on the nature of the loan. The time taken is no different from that of a normal commercial loan. WORLD KNOWLEDGE COMPETITIVENESS INDEX (Singapore's ranking) 13. Mdm Halimah Yacob asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what are the implications of Singapore's poor ranking in the World Knowledge Competitiveness Index; and (b) whether the ranking will affect Singapore's efforts to move up the value chain in the manufacturing and services sectors.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, for many of these basic infrastructures for training and development, sometimes you need to kickstart the programme, and the Government finds it very important to be the catalyst, so as to get the industry, the private sector and the other collaborators together. So I think this is the whole idea of the WMI putting together a group of people and kickstarting the programme. And we are confident that as time goes on and as the critical mass of the wealth management professionals develops, the process will be commercially viable. FUNDING ASSISTANCE FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES 12. Mr Arthur Fong asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) how many small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) had applied for funding assistance in the years 2001, 2002 and 2003 to date; (b) how many of those which applied were approved and what were the total amounts approved for each of the years from 2001 to 2003 (to date); (c) how much of the approved amounts were disbursed for each of the years from 2001 to 2003 (to date); and (d) for those cases that were approved, how long did it take for the funds to be disbursed. The Minister of State for Trade and Industry (Mr Raymond Lim Siang Keat) (for the Minister for Trade and Industry): Mr Speaker, Sir, there are three main financing schemes for SMEs offered by SPRING Singapore. They are the Local Enterprise Finance Scheme (LEFS), the Micro Loan Programme (MLP), and the Loan Insurance Scheme (LIS). These are loan schemes that help SMEs obtain loans from bank and financial institutions. For FY 2001, there were 2,200 applications for these schemes, of which 2,000 were approved. The amount approved was $420 million. For FY 2002, there were nearly 4,800 applications for the schemes, of which 4,000 were approved.”
“The first scheme, as I mentioned in the Second Reading speech, is the third party logistics scheme. This is to allow such companies which meet these criteria to apply to IRAS. And if their applications are approved, then they would not have to pay the GST. The second scheme is the Major Exporter Scheme, and that will also allow them to qualify. So there will be stringent controls and criteria before the companies can qualify. I assure Mr Chiam that these schemes will not present a loophole for people to escape the GST.”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, I think we have been through this debate about the GST several times. I wish to reiterate the arguments. First, the reason why the Singapore economy is facing its current difficulties is that our competitiveness level has dropped. To overcome this competitiveness problem, we need to restructure. And part of the restructuring exercise requires us to lower income tax and we need to then balance this by raising the GST from 3% to 5%. To make sure that the GST increase will not cause hardship to Singaporeans, we have put in place a comprehensive range of support mechanisms, from the Economic Restructuring Shares, the second tranche of which will be issued starting in January 2004, to a whole range of rebates to Singaporeans. We have stated many times, and shown many times, that the rebates that Singaporeans receive and the assistance that Singaporeans receive will pay for at least five years of their GST commitments. Just a simple example, a household with an income of $1,500. Even if they spend all the money and incur the extra 1% GST, the additional GST is $210, but the ERS would give them at least $400 for one adult - if there are two adults in the family, it would be doubled - plus all the rebates for the service and conservancy charges, and if they are in rental flats, the rental rebates. So we have demonstrated many times that this is the right way to help Singaporeans, not to delay the GST. We have proven this the first time we raised the GST by 3%, that inflation impact is very minimal, that the rebate scheme that we have is the right way to help Singaporeans. On Mr Chiam's point about the logistics scheme, there are two specific schemes to help develop Singapore as a global integrated logistics hub.”
“But we stop short of giving details of total reserves and the mix of total reserves because that is in our national interests. Beyond that, if you go through the statistics, whether it is national accounts statistics or economic statistics, these are all very comprehensive and they meet everybody's needs. Third, we must always be mindful of our small size - our vulnerability to external forces and our context in this region. We should not see ourselves as a big continent like the United States. So be mindful of this peculiarity of Singapore. Other than these criteria, I think the Government stands by its position that information would be open and information that is useful, we will release it. We encourage Members to file Questions to get information in specific areas of their interest. ADJOURNMENT Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn." Adjourned accordingly at Nineteen Minutes past Five o'clock pm. WRITTEN ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BRIDGE AT THE CAUSEWAY 1. Mdm Ho Geok Choo asked the Minister for Transport in view of Malaysia's announcement to build a bridge to replace the Causeway (i) what will be the extent of the impact on our own seaport and (ii) what are the plans and strategies to cushion such an impact.”
“There is no rule from the Government that feedback sessions should be closed-door. It depends on the judgement whether we get better and more frank feedback in closed-door sessions rather than open to the press. The Member's point about Declassification Act or Freedom of Information Act is an interesting suggestion. It is also something that the Remaking Singapore Committee has put up and I am sure that the relevant Ministry would be studying it. I hope this answers the Member's questions. Basically, I just want to summarise and say that our approach is to be as open as possible and to provide information which is useful. The only time we restrict information is when the information impacts our national interests. By national interests, let me define this by giving some examples. We know that certain information, if released, can undermine our security or economic interests or may jeopardise the political and social stability that we have enjoyed. So there are clear limits as to how much we will speak about our defence and intelligence capability. I think those classifications that she has talked about - Confidential, Secret, Top Secret, Top Secret and Cicero - are extremely relevant in the arena of defence and intelligence capability. The second example is financial reserves. We will not publish our total financial reserves or how we invest them because this would give opportunity to those who mean us ill to use this information to speculate and threaten our financial stability. If you look at the data we produce - the fiscal data, the economic statistics, the financial statistics - these are all very comprehensive and they meet international standards and IMF requirements.”
“The question that the Member raised about secondary classification, again, I would encourage her, where she has special interests, like AWARE and she wants to go into households headed by women and want a breakdown on whether it is single, divorced or widowed, do raise these questions with the relevant Ministries. I am sure that they would try and gather the data. Many times when we were given these Questions in Parliament, in the limited time that we have, our staff would scramble around and try to get the information. But unless we have a recurring interest in this area, it is not cost-effective to set up a whole data set just to collect a set of data because a Member finds it interesting. I would like to urge Members, when they file a Question, to remember that there is a cost to all the information collection. During this period of fiscal restraint, I would like all Members to consider that factor carefully. On qualitative and quantitative data, that is an interesting point that she has raised. We always want to raise the quality of our data. The Chief Statistician and the people in this business would always be very happy to get feedback from all of you on how to raise the quality of the data which they publish. The final point that she made was about managing information and that we should be more engaging, ie, less top-down, fewer closed-door feedback sessions, greater openness. We all subscribe to these sentiments. Sometimes, we do have closed-door feedback sessions primarily to encourage more frankness in the dialogues rather than people playing to the gallery or people giving feedback but not in a very frank manner. So it is up to the organising agency whether they have it closed-door or open-door.”
“RAdm Teo just brought the document, and this is an open document and the tables are in there. So, the information is in the public domain. Classification of information into Confidential, Secret, Top Secret, Top Secret and Cicero, these are fixed regulations, and everybody in the Ministry knows how to classify them, depending on the impact on security. In most Ministries, such classifications are not germane. The Ministry of Health, for example, does not go into classification of Cicero or Top Secret. Most data are open. So, you will find that, for most of the Ministries, whether it is on real estate, health or community development, we follow the classification and the standards and parameters set down by the international agencies, whether it is ILO or WHO or WTO. Therefore, the classifications that the Member raised just now - the criteria, the classification, the parameters - we follow international norms. The other example which she has raised about classification of poor people in 1- and 2-room flats, I think the most sensible way to classify whether a person is poor or not is by the income, either by household or by per capita and that is a standard classification. We do sometimes use a proxy, say, for example, utility rebates because to gather household income and to get the household per capita income is a very laborious process. So, sometimes, we do use household types as proxies. But if you have been moving around the HDB estates, you will find that many of the people who live in 1- and 2-room flats are by no means poor. My point is that our classification goes by international definitions.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, Ms Braema has raised several interesting issues. I would just like to say, as a general rule, our approach is to publish whatever information that is useful to the public, information that is timely, regular and accurate. So, there is no holding back in the publication of information. Only a very small category which is considered security in nature would be controlled. As a general rule, we do not believe in hiding bad news, we do not believe in hiding data, we do not believe in projecting a misleading impression by suppressing awkward facts. Our approach is to bring out the facts openly and discuss them. But we do recognise that there could be some sensitivities involved and, therefore, sometimes, before we present the facts, we really have to prepare the ground, because we do not want the facts to come out too cold and the ground is not readily prepared. For example, for some of the issues that the hon. Member has raised, by all means file a Question here and the data will be made available. Such information can be available through different channels. As I have mentioned, one of the common channels is for Members to file Questions to obtain specific answers to the areas of interest that they have. Members of the public can also write in, email in or phone in for information. As an ex-journalist, the Member should know that journalists do pose questions regularly to the Ministries and the Ministries will respond. Journalists also have interviews with politicians to gather insights into issues of public interest. So, there is a multitude of avenues for which information can be sought. If I may just go through the specific examples raised by the Member. First, profiling of teachers by gender and age.”
“SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE 17. Mr Low Thia Khiang asked the Minister for Home Affairs in view of manpower demands in areas such as terrorism prevention, whether (i) the Singapore Police Force has sufficient resources to respond to ordinary crime concerns, and (ii) there is a need to commit additional resources to the Police.”
“Though there is no compulsory programme for Primary 6 pupils, schools do pay particular attention to pupils at important stages in their school lives, such as when they first join a school, or during examinations. Schools do have various programmes for all students such as orientation and dealing with examinations. These are in effect mass counselling sessions though they do not have a compulsory or standardised format among the schools. In parallel with these counselling and psychological support programmes that cater to all pupils in a school, schools do provide more focused counselling support according to the needs of the pupils. Such counselling support is available in school for pupils from Primary 1 through to JC2/PU3. Every school has a counselling referral system in place to facilitate the early identification and extension of help to pupils with problems. All teachers are first-line care-givers and given training in Basic Counselling Skills so that they may provide immediate basic counselling to pupils in need. Pupils with more difficult problems are referred to Teacher Counsellors of which there are two in each school. The Teacher Counsellors are trained in more advanced counselling skills and crisis intervention. Pupils with serious problems are referred to MOE Guidance Specialists, school counsellors or external professionals. Children and teenagers go through significant developmental changes and may face different difficulties at different stages in their development. Teachers would have knowledge of their pupils and would be able to help identify pupils who need counselling. We should also not forget that it is not just the school, but also the home environment that contributes to the overall psychological well-being of our children as they grow up.”
“RAdm Teo Chee Hean: a) This year, 55 children were granted deferment to enrol in Primary 1 on non-medical grounds. These children started their kindergarten education late. Their parents applied for deferment to enable them to complete their kindergarten education before entering Primary 1. b) The following categories of children can be granted exemption from compulsory education (CE): (i) Children given approval to attend designated schools. Up to 400 children given approval to attend the six madrasahs offering full-time religious education, and up to 10 children given approval to attend San Yu Adventist School will be granted exemption. (ii) Children undergoing home-schooling. Approval will only be granted if the parents are able to satisfy MOE that the children will receive a strong foundation for further education and training, and develop a sense of national identity. (iii) Children with special needs who are not able to follow the national curriculum in our schools. These children should be enrolled in a special education school where their needs can be met. c) The Ministry will remind parents of all the children who are given deferment to enrol their children in Primary 1 in 2004. A registration pamphlet with information on P1 Registration will be sent to them before registration for Primary 1 commences in July 2003. COMPULSORY COUNSELLING FOR PRIMARY 6 STUDENTS 16. Mdm Cynthia Phua asked the Minister for Education if he will consider compulsory counselling sessions for Primary 6 students who have to cope with the stress of the Primary School Leaving Examination. RAdm Teo Chee Hean: MOE adopts a comprehensive and systemic approach in ensuring the psychological well-being of pupils.”
“RAdm Teo Chee Hean: Topics relating to personal hygiene and social responsibility in hygiene matters are currently covered in the Health Education syllabus at the primary level. Pupils are taught how to take care of their body, maintain a healthy lifestyle, and keep the environment around them clean and safe. They also learn about germs and how diseases can be prevented. Since the outbreak of SARS, personal hygiene has been further emphasised at school assemblies and in classrooms. All parents have been reminded, through an advisory, not to send their children to school if they are unwell. They should take their children to see a doctor immediately and return to school only when they are well. There is therefore no need for students to put on masks to attend school. If they have a common cold or flu, they should not come to school. Instead, they should see a doctor. And, they should put on a surgical mask when they proceed from home to see the doctor. This education message is being propagated at the national level by the Ministry of Health. The Ministry of Education will reinforce this message through the schools. In the event that a student is discovered to have a cold or flu in school, and there is a need for the student to put on a surgical mask, the school will provide the mask and ask the student to put it on whilst waiting for his/her parents to fetch him to see the doctor. PRIMARY ONE EDUCATION 15. Ms Braema Mathiaparanam asked the Minister for Education under the Compulsory Education Act, (a) how many children amongst those due for Primary 1 this year (2003) were given deferments on non-medical grounds; (b) what are the other approved reasons for exemptions; and (c) what is the process for getting these children into school.”
“These estimates exclude the indirect costs associated with SARS, such as the designation of TTSH as a SARS hospital which resulted in the closure of hospital wards, cancellation of elective surgeries and outpatient appointments. The financial impact of SARS will not be one-off. The changes that we are instituting in our hospitals are here to stay, to ensure that we have in place proper infection control processes and procedures to deal with future outbreaks, be it SARS, or any other disease. My Ministry, with inputs from the two healthcare clusters, is in the process of working out the financial impact of SARS on a steady state basis. The baseline operating costs of hospitals will need to be adjusted to take into consideration the changes in requirements for personal protective equipment and patient management and work processes that are necessary to prevent another spread of SARS or other infectious diseases in Singapore. We will lose some efficiency but we will gain in stronger infection control measures. We are conscious of the potential impact of these changes on patients' fees and will try to moderate the impact, especially on lower income patients. EDUCATION ON SARS 14. Mdm Ho Geok Choo asked the Minister for Education in view of the emphasis placed on personal and collective responsibility and on personal and social hygiene in the attempt to combat SARS, (a) will his Ministry reinstate "Hygiene" as a subject or, at least as a component of an existing subject, in the school curriculum; and (b) how will his Ministry inculcate self-discipline on students and their parents so that the students will put on face masks in the event that they contract ordinary colds and influenza.”
“Singapore was declared SARS free by WHO on 31st May 2003. This was achieved by Singaporeans coming together to deal decisively with the disease. Our healthcare workers in particular rose to the challenge. The battle against SARS, however, has been costly. To date, 32 people, including five healthcare workers, have died as a result of SARS. SARS has also imposed a high financial cost on Singapore. As of 31st May 2003, the Government has spent $192 million on direct SARS operating expenditure. The Government has also introduced a $230 million economic relief package to assist businesses adversely affected by the SARS outbreak. The largest share of direct operating expenditure as a result of SARS has been incurred by my Ministry. MOH and its two healthcare clusters have up to 31st May 2003 spent about $117 million on items such as: a) the purchase of medical supplies and protective gear for healthcare workers and patients (eg, gloves, gowns, masks); b) provision of free medical screening for SARS at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH); c) provision of free ambulance service for persons requiring SARS screening; d) setting up of fever clinics at polyclinics; e) the administration and enforcement of home quarantine orders; and f) setting up of contact tracing centre and SARS-hotline centre. MOH has also committed to fund the healthcare clusters' essential SARS-related development expenditure for the setting up of isolation facilities in the hospitals and retrofitting existing medical facilities for provision of SARS treatment. The SARS-related development cost is estimated at $105 million.”
“The Member is right. It is not intended to cover the Tan Tock Seng Hospital staff or any other hospital staff. 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. - [Mr Lim Hng Kiang]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. ADJOURNMENT Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn to a date to be fixed. " - [Mr Mah Bow Tan]. Adjourned accordingly at Seventeen minutes past Five o'clock pm to a date to be fixed.”
“And that is the reason we were forced to close the whole centre down. But if Singaporeans and companies can work out a system in which contacts or interactions are recorded or limited, then whenever we encounter a case, we do not have to shut the whole company or system down. We will just look for the group that has close contact with the affected people. The other definition is about the person "having the care". According to AG's Chambers, what they meant is any person who is responsible for the care of others, and this largely refers to parents and guardians. It will not refer to other caregivers, doctors or other categories.”
“I am sure Dr Balaji did not intend to give the wrong impression. When these recovered doctors go back to serve and work, they will be fully protected. If they do procedures, they will be hooded and they will have all the protection. But I think they volunteer for this job because, theoretically, they should have higher immunity than somebody who has not. So it is a recognition of their sense of service that between two doctors, the one who has recovered probably or theoretically should have higher immunity than somebody who has not gone through the disease. All said and done, they would be fully protected and they would do it with due care. As to whether we are seeing a mutated form, there are still a lot of e-mails running around among all the various laboratories and various centres. I do not think the issue has been settled. The coronavirus is known to have this habit of mutating. But, at the same time, many laboratories find that the samples which they have been using are fairly stable. If indeed we have a virus that mutates so rapidly, then that would be a setback to us. Because your diagnostic test methods would also have to change in keeping with the mutation. So far, the laboratories around the world are working on these samples. I think our main task now is to get the reliability of these samples and get a high turnaround rate first. This issue of mutation has not been proven one way or the other. So we have to keep an open mind. On the definition of the two points, we have to make an assessment. A "contact" means somebody that has close enough contact that can cause the infection to take place. So in the Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre's case, our contact tracing teams could not make an assessment.”
“Because the visitors who come to the wake did not know that the family could be infected and they are putting themselves at risk. If the family does not inform them, people who come to the wake out of goodwill and friendship could inadvertently be infected. So I think Singaporeans need to work out a new social norm or social behaviour. That is the reason why I met with a group of religious leaders to find ways in which we can still respect the dead and the wishes of the family, but still find a sensible way to organise the wake. One suggestion offered by a religious group was that the family can have a small funeral service limited to just the family members, and all friends and well wishers can then attend a memorial service later on. This particular religious group has suggested 21 (3x7) days later, which is way beyond the incubation period and therefore it would be clear whether or not the family is infected. I thought that is a sensible way to reorganise, or readjust, our lives knowing that SARS is with us. On this issue of disposal of the body and prohibition of wake, I would like to assure Members that we will take in all the comments and we will handle this very sensitively. But, at the back of our mind, public health is paramount and we will always err on the conservative side. But in doing so, we will make sure that we are sensitive to the needs of the family and their religious beliefs. Sir, these are the key points I would like to emphasise. I am sorry I cannot go through all the details. We will deal with Members' suggestions individually.”
“Just to illustrate the example of the lady who died in one of the cases in the Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre. The lady from the family of eight is the grandmother. She fell ill, she remained at home and she died at home. The family had a wake. Then the family went to see the GP on Saturday and the funeral service was on Sunday. During the period when she died and the period by which we can confirm that, through our diagnostic method, she was tested positive through the PCR test, and that took us six or seven days. What do we do during these six or seven days? This is why we need this amendment in the Bill to cater for such situations. In that case, we had no reason to believe that she was a suspect SARS case because the cluster of the Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre cases only appeared on Saturday. By which time, the family had already had the wake and the funeral service was on the next day. So with this amendment to the Act, if we are faced with such cases, or if we think that there is a high suspicion that the death could be due to SARS, then of course we can get the family to cooperate with us, with the backing of the law, to treat it like a SARS case, in which case the body would be double bagged and put in a casket, sealed with silicone and cremated immediately within 24 hours. And that is safe for the family and safe for the community. Some Members asked why so many bags and you cannot see the face. We understand the stress to the family. But this is something that we hope everybody will bear with us. In such a situation, the risk is not just to the people handling the body and the immediate family, the risk is also to the visitors who come to the wake.”
“Because, quite realistically, our polyclinics today only provide 20% of the market share for primary care and we have only 12 to 15 MOs in each polyclinic and they look after chronic care as well as acute care. If we run such a fever centre, then I would need to call upon the private sector GPs to volunteer and to come forward and serve, because the private sector caters for 80% of the market share and having fever and acute care is very much the daily kind of cases which they see. But the Government will work with them and provide the facilities, space and support. But for the doctors and nurses, we would like to see how we can work with the private sector so that they can come forward and serve. The other area which I thought is worth my while to go through in some detail is the provision that we are putting in for post-mortem, for extra precautions in the disposal of the deceased and in the prohibition of the wake. This is a dilemma facing the medical professionals and the Ministry. We have cases where a person does not go through the whole progression of the disease. If a person comes to us and starts off with being suspected of SARS, the chest X-ray shows, and he becomes a probable SARS case, he goes to ICU and if he dies, then it is a clear-cut case that this is a SARS case. Then all the measures would be taken. But, unfortunately, at this stage when we do not have a diagnostic method that can give us quick and reliable results, we have quite a number of cases that fall in the grey area. People who come to us very, very sick with no contact history, or little contact history, the doctors have to make a judgement whether in fact this is a SARS case or not.”
“I have explained yesterday the need for the Home Quarantine Orders and why it is so important, our strategy to isolate people who have contact with suspect SARS, or probable SARS cases, keep them in their home and then isolate them so as to prevent the spread. I think it is worth reiterating that the people who are placed on Home Quarantine Orders are generally well. They are not yet sick. They are not yet infectious. We must educate them and we must keep in constant touch so that the moment they are infectious, the moment they are unwell, we will pull them out to Tan Tock Seng Hospital to be screened, to be kept under observation and to be isolated. That is a sensible balance, instead of quarantining everybody, because sometimes we all want to be extra kiasu. But we must also be careful that if we become too kiasu, the whole society will be paralysed. So we need to strike a balance. Sir, there were some suggestions about a quarantine island. That is not necessary because these are not people with leprosy that you need to put them in a quarantine island. They are not sick. They are well. And if they work with us, there is no reason why they cannot stay in their home. They will not infect their family members if they follow the precautions that we tell them - they keep in constant communication with us and they come forward to Tan Tock Seng for screening, observation and treatment, if they indeed come down with SARS. The second area which I want to address is the suggestion of a fever station or fever centre, put forward by Dr Tan Cheng Bock and Mr Steve Chia. I have responded that this is a suggestion worth considering. But I must say that it cannot be something that is run by our polyclinics or hospitals.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, first, I would like to thank all Members for their very strong support of the amendments in the Bill. I think, in the same spirit shown by Mr Low Thia Khiang, I would also be short in my response. I just want to make a few key points and summarise what many Members have said. First of all, I think we all agree that tough measures are necessary. Without these tough measures, we cannot win this war. Second, we must all be united. This is not a fight by the healthcare workers alone. This is not a fight by the Government alone. This is a fight by all Singaporeans. Third, if we want Singaporeans to join us in this fight, we must educate them. We must tell them the facts and they must be convinced that this is their fight. Otherwise, they will not join us in the trenches. So public education is very important and we will take in all the suggestions that Members have made and we will improve our public education. Fourth, we must be mentally prepared for the long haul. As Dr Jennifer Lee says, there will be ups and downs, there will be small victories, there will be some setbacks, but we must prepare ourselves. This is going to be for the long haul. We must look for sustainable strategies and we must look for sustainable efforts. At the end, we will overcome. Because we all know that too much is at stake and we must all unite to make sure we overcome this crisis. These, I think, are the key points made by most Members. I would not go into the detailed responses to all the various issues raised. I will get my staff to send the responses to Members individually. I think that is more efficient. But I just want to cover a few areas which are of public concern. First, the Quarantine Orders.”
“Disclosure of information Clause 11 of the Bill will also amend the Act to allow the Director of Medical Services to disclose information obtained under the Act to any person if this is necessary to prevent the spread of the infectious diseases as specified in a new Sixth Schedule. SARS is the first disease to be included in this Sixth Schedule. I would like to reassure Members of this House that the amended Act will only allow such information to be transmitted to enable the implementation of measures which are necessary to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. These measures must also be permitted by the Director of Medical Services. Conclusion Mr Speaker, Sir, SARS is a clear and present danger to the health of all Singaporeans. We must be able to act swiftly and decisively to prevent and contain its spread. In the future, there may also be outbreaks of other infectious diseases, both known and new, which may again threaten the health of Singaporeans. The amendments to the Infectious Diseases Act will enable the Ministry of Health to do whatever it can to protect the health of all Singaporeans. Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed.”
“Medical examination The Ministry of Health may need to require not just persons who are suffering from an infectious disease or who are contacts of such infected persons to undergo a medical examination in order to prevent the spread of the disease. Clause 3 will amend section 8 of the Act to enable my Ministry to also require persons who are suspected to be contacts of persons with an infectious disease or carriers to undergo medical examination, if necessary. This will enable us to implement more stringent measures, if necessary, to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. Issue of directives to health care institutions and medical clinics The current Act only allows the Ministry of Health to issue directives for the investigation of infectious diseases and for the treatment of infected persons. This has limited the Ministry from issuing directives to healthcare institutions and clinics under the Act. Clause 4 of the Bill will amend the Act to allow such directives to be also issued to prevent the spread of an infectious disease. Information from patients and medical practitioners For the purpose of investigating outbreaks or suspected outbreaks of infectious disease, or in preventing the spread of such disease, clause 4 read with clause 16 will also amend the Act to allow the Director of Medical Services to require medical practitioners to obtain necessary information from his patient and transmit this information to the Ministry of Health. It will be an offence for the patient to refuse to provide the information required or to provide false and misleading information. This will help the Ministry of Health to obtain essential and accurate information when required so that control measures can be taken quickly to contain the spread of any infectious disease.”
“The Infectious Diseases Act currently has no provision to empower the Director of Medical Services to issue directives for the disposal of bodies of those who are only suspected to have an infectious disease. Clause 5 will amend section 14 of the Act to allow directives to be issued by my Ministry on how the body of the deceased is to be disposed of even when the diagnosis of SARS is only suspected. In addition, the Ministry can also issue directives to disallow funeral wakes, if necessary. Failure to comply with the directive will be an offence. Related to this, clause 4 will also amend the Act to allow the Ministry to require a post-mortem on persons who were suspected of being a carrier or contact of an infectious disease if this is deemed necessary to investigate an outbreak of an infectious disease or help to prevent its spread. Increase in penalties Let me now turn to the section on increase in penalties. The provisions under the Infectious Diseases Act have been enacted after careful consideration in order to protect the public health. Offences under the Act are serious and can potentially endanger the lives of many people. We want to impress upon all Singaporeans of the seriousness with which we take the protection of public health. The Bill amends the Act to raise the general penalty for those who commit an offence under the Act from $5,000 to $10,000 and/or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months for the first offence upon conviction and in the case of a second conviction, the penalty has been raised to $20,000 and/or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months. My Ministry will compound any offence by home quarantine breakers and the offender will be required to pay a sum not exceeding $5,000. Sir, let me now turn to the other provisions.”
“Wakes and disposal of corpses of persons with infectious diseases The next area is on disposal of corpses of persons with infectious diseases. To protect the public health, section 14 of the Infectious Diseases Act empowers the Director of Medical Services to impose conditions for the collection, removal and disposal of the body of any deceased person who has died from an infectious disease. Currently, we have patients who die in hospital before a diagnosis of SARS can be made. There are also some who may have died from another medical condition, eg, a heart attack or cancer, but doctors cannot totally exclude a concurrent SARS infection. This is because we now recognise that SARS can present in very atypical ways in some patients with other chronic conditions and that SARS infection can also be superimposed on other forms of bacterial infection. The diagnostic methods for coronavirus which are currently available are not sensitive enough to exclude a diagnosis of SARS. Thus, in some cases, there is not enough clinical evidence for a diagnosis of SARS to be made but yet the doctors cannot completely rule it out. Let us consider, as an example, an elderly patient with multiple medical problems and a bronchopneumonia due to a bacterial infection, confirmed on laboratory testing. The patient also has a history of contact with a SARS patient. When such a patient dies, the cause of death will not be attributed to SARS, since bacterial bronchopneumonia is a common and well-recognised cause of death in such patients. However, in line with our very cautious approach to SARS, as a precautionary measure to minimise the risk to those who are handling the body, MOH will treat such cases as potentially infectious and the death to be treated in the same way as a SARS death.”
“The Prime Minister had, in an open letter to Singaporeans on 22nd April, quoted two examples of such irresponsible behaviour. The first case was the family of eight who is related to the 72-year man who works at the Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre. Despite being instructed by the doctor to remain where they were while waiting for the ambulance to arrive, they removed their masks and wandered off to a nearby food centre and a Chinese medical hall. The other case was the man who visited a GP clinic, a polyclinic and two sinsehs before going to Changi General Hospital. He should not have gone to so many places to seek treatment. In our battle against SARS, we need a higher level of social discipline and social responsibility. Singaporeans must have the confidence that fellow Singaporeans will not commit irresponsible acts that expose others to the risk of infection. Clause 8 sets out the provisions to ensure that this is so. Refusal to cooperate and providing false information The next area is on refusal to cooperate and providing false information. My Ministry's officers have encountered several instances when persons refuse to cooperate, eg, by refusing to answer telephone calls or telling our officers not to bother them. Some persons even provide misleading or false information. Clause 16 amends section 64 of the Act to make it an offence to refuse to cooperate with disease control measures and to provide false or misleading information. Under the amended Act, the first offence carries a fine of up to $10,000 and/or a prison term of up to 6 months and for subsequent offences, the fine is up to $20,000 and/or a prison term of up to 12 months.”