Lim Hwee Hua
Singapore
“Mr Chairman, Sir, I believe the Minister for Finance has actually addressed that quite adequately in the Budget Statement. I will encourage the Member to read the Hansard. As I recall, he did say that our projections for revenue have been made for the next five years and we do not target a particular source of revenue.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would encourage the Member to file a question for MCYS, if she would like to discuss safeguards further. What I would comment here is that at the outset when we conceived the whole Integrated Resorts idea, there were many business risks: whether it is country risk or the timing of the business cycle and so on.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the supplementary questions raised by Ms Denise Phua have actually been debated to some detail under the different heads, in terms of the intended strategy – why we are having Integrated Resorts and casinos in the first place. This has been debated quite extensively by the Ministry of Trade and Industry.”
“Madam, I take the Member's point about the need for checks to be done professionally, and indeed this is the case, and that is why the officers would be sufficiently trained to conduct these checks in a professional manner.”
“The proposed amendments are necessary in order to effect the new financing framework, to allow for greater contestability to be injected into the RTS industry, as well as to ensure security and continuity of the RTS operations. Madam, I beg to move. Question proposed. 4.28 pm”
“Because of the complexity of the issues and the need for us to continue consulting other players who have already been operating in that space, as well as consulting the business community in greater detail, the study would take the better part of this year. OUTCOME OF 50PLUS EXPO 6.”
The complete record
Every one of 805 lines we hold for Lim Hwee Hua, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 17 of 17.
“The aim is to increase the appreciation of where our own services stand relative to others and what it would take for us to maintain the lead, or to match up. These students should then be encouraged to share their experiences and comparative views with the rest as well as their thoughts about the implications of falling behind. The benefits of investing around an estimated $10 million per annum would serve us well in terms of providing the necessary motivation for our younger generation. Sir, I began by asking Members to imagine themselves as 14-year-olds. My sincere wish is that we would not get to the stage where the young complain that it is not easy being young because it is difficult finding clothes to match their carrot-coloured hair. This would be pure decadence. Instead, my wish is that when times do become trying, the survival instinct would manifest itself passionately and prominently. Our ultimate challenge will be the uniting of both adult and young Singaporeans in intellect and emotion with regard to our future. On that note, Sir, I support the motion.”
“The scheme should ideally be publicised to all companies, especially those experiencing tight labour for the slightly lower value-added services. The first six to eight weeks of the junior college or pre-university one year could be devoted to gaining real life experiences. My second recommendation revolves around making direct comparisons with other countries so as to impress upon our younger generation the relative strengths and weaknesses of Singapore. A subtle way is to encourage the parents among us to capitalise on overseas trips as learning opportunities. It is, admittedly, very tempting to book a comfortable holiday overseas for our somewhat overworked children which involves commuting between a modern shopping mall or a theme park and a good class hotel. If we can, however, automatically get into the mindset of observing the similarities and differences between Singapore and the countries we are visiting of, say, the quality of service, cultural habits, hygiene standards, or the beauty of natural landscape, then our children would be more aware of our constraints. For example, our size, our smallness, is only an academic concept but if we have to actually travel miles to get from one city to another in a bigger country, that fact immediately becomes very real. Sir, schools do organise study trips these days and students benefit, albeit selectively. My proposal is that we should ensure that our top 10%, if not 20%, is given a subsidised learning trip during the secondary school years. This could be built around a thematic study of, say, different modes of transportation by going to Hong Kong to look at the airport, seaports and bus systems.”
“What I would like, therefore, to propose is the inclusion of a practical component in our quest to raising this awareness and nurturing an emotional response in our school-going generation. This is intended to complement the various lessons on vulnerabilities and constraints that students would be taught about. In this regard, Sir, I would like to suggest two possibilities of injecting some sense of reality into the education process. Firstly, I believe if a teenager could sample the real life experiences of a working adult, the lessons would be tremendous. For example, a stint as an office boy for a few weeks would increase his appreciation of work in general and even of menial tasks like faxing and photocopying. He will then, hopefully, not despise any form of economic contribution. I am not advocating an acquisition of lower value-added skills but more an appreciation of the value of work. Interaction with working adults also offers a valuable insight into possible inter-personal conflicts and office politics. The importance of a "give-and-take" attitude can also take on more meaning. Work immersion, I believe, is currently undertaken on an ad hoc basis and by some schools only. I recommend that the Ministry of Education seriously consider devoting resources to helping pupils gain some work experience, especially at the post-secondary level. For this to work, we must not be daunted by the lack of short-term economic benefits. Having said that, we should understand that companies would be hard put to accommodate these pupils without assistance, especially in the administration of the scheme, and would also need moral support as well. Hence, the need to allocate specific resources by the Government.”
“How do we internalise the survival instinct as an emotion? When it comes to the crunch, will the spirit be found wanting? Hence, Sir, my reference to the 14-year-old, who is typically more ignorant and unaware than disinterested. He has been born into an era of general well-being and relative comfort. He is energetic and has the zest for life. He may, however, think the phrase "nine to five" refers to working hours when it could be referring to the number of people required by a department after downsizing or further automation. Sir, I am not deriding the various goals that we are trying to achieve through the National Education initiatives In fact, based on the feedback that I have gathered thus far, there is no doubt that National Education is seen as crucial to fostering a national identity and to ensuring our survival. However, reservations have been raised over the possibility of its becoming yet another subject in school, thereby adding to the burden on both teachers and pupils. In many other countries, the younger generation frequently has personal encounters with real economic challenges, such as having to work part-time to supplement household income, or helping out a parent who has been laid off his job. In contrast, the going has been for us, to a large extent, good. Jobs and opportunities are not lacking. The strong economic growth rate has underpinned the rise in real income for all Singaporeans. Given the Ministry of Trade and Industry's projection of a 5-7% growth rate for the next decade, the going remains promising. How then do we create a fire in the bellies of our young? How do we get them to grab the oars and row with a purpose?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to speak in support of the motion by the Member for Bukit Timah thanking the President for his Address. The President in his Address reminded us that failure to stay competitive will dim the otherwise bright prospects that we face. With your kind permission, Sir, I would like to ask Members to, just for a few moments, look at this reminder through the eyes of a 14-year-old. What does this all mean to a 14-year-old who may be preoccupied more with his pair of faded blue jeans than with intensifying competition for foreign investments? Is competitiveness an alien concept to him? In short, how do we raise awareness, among our young, of the need to stay competitive? Allow me now to go on to applaud the efforts that the Government has made and will be making which are directed at ensuring that Singapore remains competitive. Sir, I think I can safely say that by now competitiveness or the c-word has been very much discussed, especially among those in the regional business community. At the same time, the Ministry of Education is sparing no effort at strengthening National Education "to ensure the next generation remains resilient and cohesive." Sir, we all know that motivation spurs performance but motivation must be predicated on knowledge and identification with the challenge. It is about bringing both emotion and intellect to bear on our actions. It is a challenge enough already to rally all adult Singaporeans to work towards tapping the growth opportunities that abound in the Asian region, and in the face of intensifying competition. But can we go beyond the acquisition of pure head-knowledge for our future generation such that there is a meaningful appreciation of where Singapore stands on the world competitive map?”