Lim Wee Kiak
Singapore
“" The point I want to make here is that given that we have one of the longest lifespans in the world now, and there is a correlation with an ageing population and chronic diseases, are there plans to explore and develop the emerging fields of regenerative medicine and healthy longevity?”
“Can I ask, in light of the fact that we have a smoking cessation clinic, is there a vaping cessation clinic, whereby the public can surrender themselves and say, "I have been vaping. I wish to have some help"? And how does the Ministry of Health (MOH) handle this?”
“May I ask how the Government decided on these targets, and what steps will Singapore take to achieve them? I would like to highlight, this year, the Government announced a 2035 climate target to reduce emissions to "between 45 and 50 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2035". Are we on track to meet our 2030 target?”
“Building upon this progress, I encourage individuals with innovative ideas and a passion for contributing to this vital green industry to step forward.”
“While mandating sustainable aviation fuel for departing flights is a commendable way, what other strategic initiatives are planned across different sectors to leverage on our hub position? How will such initiatives affect Singapore's economic competitiveness as a travel hub?”
“Sir, I would like to thank the Minister of State for the reply. I would like to ask two supplementary questions. First is that, is the Government happy with the state of affairs of the current SFC utilisation? Is 50% of the of the population using SFC the target?”
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Every one of 673 lines we hold for Lim Wee Kiak, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 8 of 14.
“How is the SAF harnessing the expertise within our national healthcare system, which is renowned internationally for its high standards, to ensure high standards in medical care for NSmen? Page: 171 Preventable Training Deaths”
“Many parents are asking whether live grenade throwing is really required, after all the recruits only throw that once in their entire training. Can such live training be done during transition to war? Is there a safer substitute to live grenade? Can SAF look at a safer option with a grenade that may still explode with less fragmentation and cost less harm in the event of a mishap? The accident last December, which left RSN serviceman ME2 Jason Chee seriously injured, reminds us of the risk that our servicemen face as they keep Singapore safe. Can the Minister update us on whether the SAF Care Fund will be used in the rehabilitation for ME2 Jason Chee? [Deputy Speaker (Mr Charles Chong) in the Chair] SAF Medical System During the inauguration of the medical simulation training centres in August 2012, Minister had announced that MINDEF was reviewing its medical support system to provide better care for our national servicemen. Can MINDEF provide an update on the review? The medical check-up before enlistment as well as before Fitness for Instruction (FFI) is important to detect any medical ailments. Many felt that the level of fitness of our new enlistees and NSmen is less due to the increasing affluence and generally more sedate lifestyle of today's youth with more sophisticated medical equipment, it is possible to detect certain ailments such as heart diseases, which may be difficult to detect under the current medical check-up system. We can certainly afford a more detailed and robust check-up, as each and every detection is potentially one life saved. As we put our servicemen through rigorous training and operational duty, it is also critical that the SAF has a robust medical system to support them and look after their well-being.”
“Mdm Chairperson, the recent fatalities that had occurred in SAF during training have shaken public confidence. Although a thorough investigation was done for each incident and follow-up actions were also done diligently to improve our training safety profile, parents of young Singaporean males are still concerned with the safety of their sons, as they are preparing to enter NS. The review of safety lapses at the unit and individual level did not allay these fears. Despite having a robust training safety regulation, accidents still do occur due to failure to comply with these regulations. I am heartened by the announcement by the Minister that was made last year as well as the update that was just given, regarding the series of safety measures implemented, and that more safety officers are on the ground now. Every fatality is a tragedy to the family and loved ones involved. It is important for MINDEF to give full assistance to the affected families as they seek closure. To one family, there seems to be many questions unanswered. I received emails from relatives of a deceased NSF, claiming that SAF was not transparent and did not provide the answers to their questions. I hope MINDEF can look into and review their post-incident management process for this affected family. Perhaps more can be done to help this family to seek closure. Page: 170 The recent grenade accident leaving two NSFs injured also raised concerns among parents. I must compliment the officer, Second Lieutenant Kamalasivam, for acting bravely, selflessly and decisively to avert another tragedy. Every local drama production on our army scene, including "Army Daze", "新兵小传" and the recent "Ah Boys to Men" movies, will always include live grenade scenes.”
“Can SAF review and enhance our recognition and rewards to all our NSmen and their families? Many NSmen have voiced strong opinions as to why they are fighting if in the near future, foreigners make up a large portion of the resident population; they would not willingly lay down their lives to protect the people who have no allegiance to Singapore. NS resolve requires a strong emotional attachment to the cause, and I fear that this is being eroded by the current sentiment against the influx of foreigners. What can MINDEF do to rectify this? National Service”
“Mdm Chairperson, the pace of life in Singapore has intensified, and our NSmen face increasing pressures managing their work, family life and NS commitments. How have MINDEF and the SAF taken this into account, and helped NSmen to balance all their commitments? We in Singapore actually have a marvellous tool for integration, that is, National Service (NS). Very few countries have such an option. It is at NS where young Singaporeans get to mix around with fellow Singaporeans regardless of race, language, religion and family background. Although there is a certain degree of that in our national education system, the integration during NS is more thorough and meaningful as we are all brought together for an important purpose – to defend our homeland. I would suggest that we focus closely at the social dimension, at the composition of our units. We should look at ways to further the use of NS as an integration tool for our PRs and new citizens. I hope that MINDEF will make a review. The two years of NS is vital. Once the attitude and commitments are Page: 153 locked in, much of the hard work of integration would have been achieved. It is disturbing to hear that a significant portion of PRs took advantage of our education system and avoided doing NS. This will be perceived as unfair to Singaporeans who have served NS. The situation has prompted Mr Hri Kumar to suggest imposing an NS Duty Tax on PRs and foreigners living in Singapore. What is MINDEF doing to address this particular issue? Instead of imposing a special tax on PRs and foreigners, some have called for more actions by the Government to reward and recognise Singaporeans who have served. What are the current benefits and rewards accorded to our NSmen and their families for the sacrifices to defend the country?”
“Will SAF's training and operational effectiveness be affected? Corruption Risk”
“Mdm Chairperson, the Defence Budget takes up the largest proportion of Government spending annually. MINDEF also has the largest manpower resource as all young Singaporean men need to serve 22 to 24 months of national service and thereafter another 10 to 13 years as NSmen in their units. MINDEF also has one of the largest shares in land use for military facilities and training. Given so much fiscal, human and land resources, can MINDEF provide an update on its approach to managing the Defence Budget, the human resources and the land resources? How does MINDEF ensure that it obtains the best value from our Defence spending and optimise use of the resources? We already have one of the longest serving military service in the world of 22 to 24 months. I would like to reiterate my previous call for a review of the National Service to be reduced further to 18 to 20 months if possible, given the tough global competition our young Singaporean males face in education and in the job market. Can National Service be reduced to 18 to 20 months full-time NS and five high-key and two low-key ICTs? In the recent Debate on Singapore's population, there were concerns on the adequacy of our limited resources catering to a growing population, especially for land. I would like to understand from MINDEF what is its review for the land use that MINDEF has currently? What are the planning considerations with regard to land requirements? How often are the plans reviewed? Do we have enough facilities and local training areas to meet SAF's training needs and operational requirements? Will we have to spend more to have training overseas? How will the Defence Budget be affected over time, as stated in the White Paper? What is the impact on the SAF of the recently released Land Use Plan?”
“What plans are in place to make the Shangri-La Dialogue and the Five Power Defence Arrangements relevant for Singapore in the face of the 21st century security needs? Over the last week, many Singaporeans were alarmed by what happened in Sabah. What are the lessons that we can learn from the current security situation in Sabah? Some people asked me whether our neighbour approached MINDEF for assistance. If they do approach us, will MINDEF assist?”
“A strong US military presence in the South China Sea will help in maintaining a balance. With a new leadership in China, President Xi may likely adopt a "hard ball" approach especially in respect of the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands dispute. US is obliged to assist Japan in the event of hostility. China is also involved in territorial disputes with some ASEAN countries too. US involvement may be unavoidable in the case of the Philippines too. Where are the likely security flash points, if any, in the near future? What is MINDEF's assessment on the Korean Peninsula, Middle East, Afghanistan and South China Sea? How will these developments affect Singapore? What is the status of our bilateral defence relationships with our neighbours, the major powers, and our key regional partners? In particular, what are our defence relationships with our immediate neighbours – Malaysia and Indonesia? Singapore is a small country with limited resources. Despite our long-term investment in defence, we remain vulnerable. We need to engage ASEAN as a grouping to strengthen our defenses collectively similar to other regional groupings. What are the challenges to regional defence arrangements? What is MINDEF's strategy on leveraging on regional defence arrangements to enhance Singapore security? The ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM)-Plus is the highest ministerial level mechanism of defence cooperation in the region. Can the Page: 149 Minister provide insights into the initiatives Singapore will propose to intensify cooperation through the ADMM-Plus process? MINDEF has played an active role towards building the regional security architecture. MINDEF has hosted the Shangri-La Dialogue and also the Five Power Defence Arrangements.”
“Mdm Chairperson, I beg to move, "That the total sum to be allocated for Head J of the Estimates be reduced by $100". The global and regional security landscape is challenging. In tandem with international security rearrangements and realignments due to the rise of Asian powers and the slow decline of the Western powers preoccupied with domestic economic woes, there will be significant changes. The defence spending of the Western powers will be reduced under domestic pressure and the forward projection of forces and influences will similarly be reduced. The rise of Asia on the economic front will provide Asian powers the necessary resources to expand defence expenditure and extend their influence in our region. This is evident by China's annual increment and steady modernisation of its military, and as she operationalises her aircraft carriers. Page: 148 The net effect is expanded and extended capabilities of China's strategic forces. Against this interesting backdrop of shifting powers, what is MINDEF's assessment of our regional security environment and what are the key challenges ahead? Can MINDEF give an update on the regional security situation and the challenges confronting the region, as well as its efforts to manage these challenges? The Sino-American relationship is complex and multi-faceted. US has also, in recent years, accelerated and reinforced American presence in the Asia-Pacific with forward deployment of forces in Australia and also in Singapore. Will this lead to a further increase in Chinese presence or a race for dominance in our region? How will the leadership changes in the US and China and the evolving US-China relationship impact on the regional security situation?”
“Mdm Chair, we have heard a lot about new attractions and new developments in our tourism sector over the past year. Our Gardens by the Bay, Resorts World Marine Life Park and the new Mandai River Safari attractions that house our newly arrived pandas are new attractions that add buzz to our tourism sector. How have Singaporeans and businesses benefitted from this development? Can we expect any more new exciting development in the years ahead for Singapore? Just as in the rest of our sectors, the tourism sector will have to face global economic uncertainty, keen regional competition and labour constraints in the years ahead. Will we be able to maintain our attractiveness as a tourism destination? What are MTI's strategy to ensure that this can be achieved? Challenges to our Economy”
“Mdm Chairperson, let me thank the Minister, the Second Minister, as well as the Senior Minister of State and Senior Parliamentary Secretary for their comprehensive answers to all our cuts. I would also like to thank the men and women of the Foreign Service for keeping our Singapore flag flying high overseas. Madam, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. [(proc text) Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. (proc text)] [(proc text) The sum of $389,459,800 for Head N ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. (proc text)] [(proc text) The sum of $60,000,000 for Head N ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. (proc text)]”
“Mdm Chairperson, I would like to thank the Senior Minister of State for talking about the launch of the electronic service. That was one of my suggestions last year. I would like to ask the Minister regarding visa-free travel. I understand that the Singapore passport can actually be used to travel to 164 countries visa-free. Within ASEAN itself, the only country that we cannot travel to visa-free is Myanmar. I am not sure whether MFA is working on this, and when will Singaporeans be able to travel visa-free to Myanmar. That is one question. The other question is on ASEAN Community 2015. What is the Minister's assessment on ASEAN Community 2015, and whether we will be able to achieve the target? Last of all is that when the KL-Singapore high-speed rail is achieved, will there be a possibility there will be a passport-free travel between Singapore and Malaysia?”
“It is also important for a strong US military presence in the South China Sea to help to maintain a balance. Singapore's sentiments and logistical support for the US forces are obvious. With a new leadership in China, President Xi may likely adopt a "hard ball" approach, especially in respect of the Senkaku or Diaoyu Islands dispute. The US is obliged to lean towards Japan in the event of hostility. China is also involved in territorial disputes with other ASEAN countries, too. US involvement may be unavoidable in the case of the Philippines as well. How will this impact our relationship with China? Relations with China”
“With only two years remaining, can we achieve the goals and the target set to be an ASEAN Community by 2015? What are MFA's assessment and expectations of the Brunei ASEAN Chairmanship and what about the bilateral relationships between Singapore and Brunei? What is MFA doing about our bilateral relations between Singapore and the key ASEAN member states, such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand? Can MFA briefly update us on the developments in Myanmar and whether Singapore has a role to play in its reform processes? US-China Relations Mdm Chairperson, the Sino-American relationship has been described by top leaders and academics as the world's most important bilateral relationship of the 21st century. Most analysts characterise the present Sino-American relationship as being complex and multi-faceted. The United States and the People's Republic of China are neither allies nor enemies. The US government and her military establishment do not regard the Chinese as an adversary but Page: 16 as a competitor in some areas and a partner in some. How is the evolving US-China relationship, in which there is growing competition and tension between the two, affecting Singapore and ASEAN? What role does Singapore have to play? Singapore has enjoyed strong and good relations with both countries. How will their tension and competition affect this relationship? Does MFA expect any changes in the US' engagement of Asia in light of the appointment of the new US Secretary of State, Mr John Kerry? Similarly, does MFA expect any further changes in China's engagement of ASEAN and Singapore, in light of the new leadership change recently? It is, indeed, important for the US and China to continue on a cordial as well as competitive relationship.”
“Mdm Chairperson, ASEAN was formed on 8 August 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, and, later, the membership expanded to include Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. Page: 15 ASEAN covers a land area of 4.46 million sq km, which is about 3% of the total land area on earth, and has a population of approximately 600 million people, which is 8.8% of the world's population. The sea area of ASEAN is about three times larger than its land counterpart. Together, ASEAN has a combined nominal GDP growth of about US$1.8 trillion. If ASEAN were a single entity, it would rank the 10th largest economy in the world. How has ASEAN performed so far as a geopolitical grouping? In July 2012, for the first time in its history, the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting failed to issue a communique. If ASEAN solidarity cannot be assured, will ASEAN be able to maintain its position at the hub of ASEAN-centric regional institutions that shape the regional order in the Asia Pacific? If such a situation persists, what are the implications for Singapore? With no Ministerial Statement in the July ASEAN Ministerial Meeting, which some see as a sign of disunity, what impact might this have on ASEAN's plans towards establishing a community by 2015, and ASEAN's credibility? Considering that freedom of navigation in the sea lanes of communication in the South China Sea is vital for Singapore's economic security, can the Minister highlight whether we can expect any progress on the Code of Conduct for the South China Sea? Can MFA explain what the implications on ASEAN are with regard to the recent Philippine move to bring China to arbitration in the South China dispute? Can MFA give an update on ASEAN Community 2015?”
“Mdm Chairperson, I beg to move, "That the total sum to be allocated for Head N of the Estimates be reduced by $100". The external geopolitical situation is getting more challenging and unpredictable. What started out as the Arab Spring has become a long-drawn and bitter winter, leaving millions of people in these countries divided and economies in a shamble. There are multiple flash points in the Middle East and Central and Northeast Asia that may threaten peace any time. North Korea has just warned that any joint military exercise by South Korean and the US allies in her vicinity is tantamount to a declaration of war. Although the US remains the leading superpower in the world after the end of the Cold War, the rise of other large nations, including China, Russia and India, will affect the current equilibrium and bring about a New World Order. How do all these changes affect our foreign policies? Can MFA provide an update on the major developments in our external geopolitical environment and an assessment of how these will affect our foreign policy considerations, if any? How has MFA positioned itself to deal with the challenges in the new external geopolitical environment to help Singapore stay relevant and competitive? Is the MFA adequately staffed to deal with these changes? How many Foreign Service Officers do we have in the MFA currently? Has the number increased over the years? Does the MFA have the necessary resources to deal with the new challenges?”
“Since the implementation of the CEV rebates, have we actually seen a rise in low CEV cars on our roads? We have mooted in this House before to have green COE, but the problem is the definition of "green car". I hope the Government can still consider the suggestion of a low carbon emission COE (Green COE) as a sure way of obtaining a buy-in from the population. I doubt the current carbon-emission-based rebate will significantly increase our green vehicles on our roads, and I suspect we have a long road ahead to see to a greater proportion of green vehicles on our roads. There are already electric motorcycles plying the roads in many cities in China as well as CNG-powered public buses in New Delhi. As public transport is the largest contributor to carbon emission and air pollution, we should transform by starting with our public buses and taxis using green and low carbon emission vehicles. There is no specific mention or focus on climate change or green industries in this particular Budget. What is the long-term strategy towards a greener Singapore? Mdm Speaker, a country's success is not measured by economic figures. This point has been emphasised by this Government repeatedly. Our success will be judged by others and ourselves as to how well we take care of those Page: 92 who are vulnerable, that is, the old, the young, the sick and our environment. Striving for quality economic growth will enable us to have the resources to achieve all these. This Budget is one step forward towards that. With that, I support the Budget. 4.17 pm”
“The topping up of the Medifund by another $1 billion to $4 billion now; and ElderCare Fund by $250 million; and Senior's Mobility and Enabling Fund by another $10 million are right steps forward. Are these endowment funds which benefit our elderly increasing at a fast enough rate to cater for our ageing population? Page: 91 I suggest we fund this with our Net Investment Income earned from our national reserves. Currently, the Government is already tapping half of the Net Investment Income which accounts for about $7.5 billion annually for our Government's expenditure. Can we increase by another 10%, which is about $750 million annually, to fund the additional amount needed to support our elderly? Our national reserves represent the hard work and accumulation of wealth contributed by our fathers and grandfathers in this generation. Today, many are in their golden retirement years. Is there a need for us to continue to increase our national reserves at a rapid pace? After all, all land sales proceeds go to the national reserves and, with 40% of NNI going back to the reserves, the reserves will not be depleted at all but will be increasing at a slower pace. Taking care of the environment. The last point I would like to touch on for this Budget is similar to last year's Budget, that there is a lack of green focus. The Government should use the Budget to encourage all of us to adopt a green mindset to change our little red dot to a little green dot and a shining example of sustainable development to the world. I am glad that the green vehicle rebate has been rectified to be based on carbon emission. However, the $20,000 CEV rebate on ARF seems pale to the previous green car rebate. I wonder whether it will make a difference to the green vehicle population in Singapore.”
“What is the point of increasing childcare subsidy but there are no places in childcare centres available at all for the children? The current childcare centres are limited by the Ministry's guidelines for the teacher/carer to child ratio. There is also a guideline for the number of children in each childcare based on size of the facilities. While we know that there will be more capacity by 2017, I urge the Government to implement short-term measures to ease the acute shortages immediately. I recommend a review of these guidelines and to allow a temporary increase in capacity in some of these childcare facilities facing the highest demand while waiting for the new facilities to be ready in a few years' time. I support the move by MOE to run some kindergartens to develop best practices but I hope that the pilot project will develop into something bigger, that MOE will run more preschools in the future. These preschools can be paired with the adjacent Primary schools so we can provide a seamless preschool to Primary school education. I hope that the preschool hours will be longer so that working mothers need not worry about after-school care for their children. The fees should be made greatly affordable, similar to the Primary schools. I know this will be costly for the Government but it is investment for our future. Taking care of the elderly – the biggest fear for most elderly is the rising medical costs and they are worried that they may become a huge burden to their families if they fall ill. I am glad that the Government is taking proactive steps to do a major review on our healthcare financing. I urge the Government to step up the funding and support for this generation of elderly who had built Singapore.”
“The three areas are: taking care of the young; taking care of the elderly; and taking care of the environment. If we can relieve part of the stress taking care of the young and the elderly from the Singaporean families, we would have helped tremendously and increased the quality of life for the majority. Taking care of the young – I am happy to note the plan to increase and expand preschools by another 16,000 places by 2017, and also of the establishment of the Early Childhood Development Agency. Spending and investing on our young is investing for Singapore's future. Like many Members in the House previously who have been calling for more to be done for the preschool and childcare sector, I hope the Government can step up to take the lead sooner than later. I am also happy to note the increase in childcare grant given based on household income to ensure childcare remains affordable even to the lowest income group. However, there is always a tendency for childcare operators to raise their fees immediately after any Government increase in subsidy. I hope the Government can limit the fee increase by the childcare operators. Page: 90 There are currently severe shortages of childcare facilities in many young towns and young estates like Sembawang, Punggol and Sengkang. In the Canberra division of Nee Soon GRC, I have childcare facilities with up to 150 children registered on the waiting list of childcare centres. I understand that there will be two new childcare facilities opening in 2014 and 2016 but these 150 children cannot wait that long. Speaking to the childcare operators, the recent increase in childcare grant given by the Government was a big welcome. It has resulted in another wave of increase in demand for childcare.”
“The social development sector spending at $23 billion accounted for the largest share of total Government spending. If others were to criticise this Government for being too stingy, not spending on social costs, this is wrong. The amount that this Government spent on social spending has almost doubled compared to a decade ago and I support the principle of directing assistance to those who need most rather than equal distribution which will dilute our assistance to our needy. Page: 89 On the other hand, it is important to focus our efforts on helping our needy to equip them with skills so they can get better employment and be resilient. I mentioned in this House before that a successful country should be one that needs less and less welfare and social assistance schemes rather than one that implements the most schemes. How has the Government performed in this respect? Are we seeing more people dependent on the ComCare Assistance Scheme and more low-wage elderly workers claiming from the Workfare Income Supplement Scheme since it was made a permanent feature of this Government's Annual Budget? If we are really successful, we should see less and less need for all these schemes. Today, there is a lot of stress facing Singaporeans. There is stress faced by our young in our ever competitive education system. There is stress at our workplace. There is stress in our daily transport system and also the rise in the cost of living in general. There is stress in taking care of our elderly in our family, especially with the rising medical costs. I would like to focus my remaining speech on three areas. I am sure many Members of the House will focus on the other aspects of the Budget.”
“Mdm Speaker, when I was in Secondary school, I always enjoyed and cheered very loudly when we went to support the school for various games. Part of the reason is that I knew that if the school won a particular game, the principal would announce that the next day would be a public holiday for us – we need not go to school. Likewise, this particular Budget is one that we cheered for and we are quite glad we have delivered well. Our Government and the people of Singapore have done well in the last fiscal year and delivered a $3.9 billion surplus in the last financial year. This is despite the challenges facing the global economy and unlike many developed countries who are facing high national debts, high youth unemployment and unsustainable ever-increasing social spending, Singapore is in a much enviable fiscal position as the Government has always been very prudent and very careful in our spending. There are many words to describe this particular Budget. I will call this the "PAP" budget. This is a "Progressive And Pro-Singaporean Budget". In the last Budget, during the recession, the Job Credit Scheme gave job credits to the PRs. In this particular Wage Credit Scheme, it is restricted purely to Singaporeans. In fact, it is a Budget that we should celebrate. I would like to propose to the Government that they should actually declare one day Public Holiday to enjoy the good results. And for this one holiday itself, the national places of interests, such as the zoo, bird parks and other national attractions, should be open for free for Singaporeans, for us to enjoy and celebrate. Like the previous budgets, there is a focus on helping the needy and the elderly.”
“Mdm Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister of State whether the review of the COE is on the way. If it is, then when will this review be completed?”
“Mdm Speaker, in the heat of a very passionate debate, I have made some very insensitive remarks about Mr Low Thia Khiang. I would like to express my sincere apology to the hon Member Mr Low Thia Khiang for my comments on his hearing aid during the speech. [Applause.]”
“Mdm Speaker, I will quote once again. Perhaps the Member needs to turn up his hearing aid [Interruption]. This is what you said about the PR policy, I quote, "I think the Government should limit the number of approval for Permanent Residents applications to 30,000 a year." This was about approval for PRs, not talking about Work Permit or anything else. You are just saying that it was inclusive of Work Permit and everything else, so, it is not. It is just about PR alone. Page: 131 Of course, what Mr Low has alluded to, I do not think he should use the word "idiot" in this particular Chamber. Singaporeans are smart – we all respect Singaporeans. I am very sure Singaporeans will make a very decisive choice, a very informed choice, after reading through both proposals. They will certainly not be taken in by just a rally speech.”
“When the alternative plan was released by the WP, the feedback I received from friends was, "The alternative plan will kill the economy and this is euthanasia for Singapore". Between suicide for the PAP verses euthanasia for the country. Let me borrow a new phrase I learnt recently in this Chamber. To be "intellectually honest", my choice is clear. I support the White Paper. [Applause.]”
“The next tsunami that may come earlier than the silver tsunami is the political tsunami. The shifting of our political tectonic plates is faster than most had anticipated. I am happy to hear that the Workers' Party has come out with an alternative plan which the public expects of the Opposition, too. As an elected Member of Parliament, it is also my duty to hold the Opposition accountable and make the Opposition work hard, so as not to let down the public. I must say that your alternative plan is actually very similar to the White Paper except for some tweaking of the figures to make the public happy and sway the public's emotions. It is a populist move, aimed at buying the hearts of the voters but may not be beneficial for the country in the long run. The last GE and the two by-election results are a loud and clear warning of this political tsunami to come. Some members of the public told me that the rising tide of anti-PAP sentiments is unstoppable and has passed the point of no return. I asked why? This was their reply, "Even if the Government can deliver what was promised, Opposition will claim credit for them and the call for more Opposition will even be louder. If there is no improvement, Opposition will go to the rally to say that the Government has failed to deliver. Therefore, also call for more Opposition in the Parliament. Either way, Opposition will win". It has been predicted by some that, one day, the PAP will cede control to govern. After the last tsunami warning, I am beginning to believe that day will come sooner rather than later. Shortly after this White Paper was released, the feedback I received from friends was, "This is a suicide paper for the PAP as it will fan more anti-PAP sentiments".”
“The third point I would like to make is, who are the PRs and new citizens we are bringing in? They must be here to complement and not to compete with existing Singaporeans. The White Paper quoted a figure of 15,000 PRs and the Workers' Party's alternative plan is 10,000 PRs. May I ask both sides what are the criteria that both sides will use to decide who gets the PR? The current PR population is about half a million and the White Paper's projection is also about half a million by 2030. There is no real increase. The Workers' Party's proposal of lowering PR annual intake will result in many foreign spouses of Singaporeans remaining as foreigners and dashing their hope to be PRs or citizens. What will happen to our HDB heartland? The proposed population projection in the White Paper will result in a 55% Singaporean core and 45% non-Singaporean working population. What is the percentage of core Singaporean in the alternative proposal by the Workers' Party? Where do we house the 45% non-Singaporeans? Currently, we have 1.2 million residential units with 900,000 as HDB. I understand 700,000 residential units will be added. If we maintain our current 75%-80% residential units as public housing and if 20% out of the 55% stays in private estates due to good economic prospects as proposed by the White Paper, then the remaining 35% will stay with the 45% non-Singaporeans in our heartlands. Will we reach a situation where there are more non-Singaporeans staying in the heartland? I think the housing and transportation of these 45% transient foreign workers need a review and rethink. Nothing in the White Paper or the Workers' Party's alternative proposal mentioned about them. Page: 129 I spoke of two tsunamis at the beginning of my speech. I mentioned the silver tsunami.”
“In this sustainable population steady state, we all still want to be pollution-free with good clean air, clean water, and thriving ecosystems in our green spaces that preserve our fauna and flora and also a thriving vibrant economy that provides good jobs. I think both the White Paper and the alternative plan did not put any figures. Infrastructure development must lead the population growth and not lag behind. I know we have a very prudent Government that makes sure public spending is sound. With the current traffic congestions and high property prices due to a mismatch in demand and supply, many are apprehensive of any further increase that will aggravate the current situation. I welcome the Government's pledge in the White Paper to build infrastructure ahead of demand. I do not think Workers' Party and our Nominated Members of Parliament will object, Page: 128 with the exception of Nominated Member Ms Faizah Jamal, as long as proper environmental impact studies are done before development. As a show of commitment to the Government's pledge, perhaps the Government can build the swimming pool, stadium and hawker centre in Sembawang town ahead of population growth. The residents of Sembawang town have been waiting patiently for the past 12 years for these facilities. On behalf of residents, let me thank the Government in advance. If the figures given by the White Paper and the alternative Workers' Party's proposal are only a guide to infrastructure development, then I would rather opt for a higher figure so that the Government can build and cater more facilities for all of us. Between building facilities to cater for 5.9 million population or 6.9 million population, I think the public choice is quite clear. I would rather go for more rather than less.”
“Having said that, the alternative proposal may be worth considering. I would like to call upon our Workers' Party colleagues to walk the talk; to implement what they proposed in their constituency. They should consider: can they freeze all foreign workers headcount for all contractors serving their constituencies now, and get more elderly and women to take up the jobs there? Singapore has already the third highest older worker participation rate in the world. I am not sure what other concrete suggestions the Workers' Party has to increase this further? Can Aljunied Town Council try this? I also hope they can implement what they proposed for the benefit and welfare of the workers in their Town Council, that is: strictly eight hours workday with mandatory OT (Over Time) payment for any overtime including working at home; and two weeks of child bonding leave that can be taken anytime in addition to the Government proposal of one week paternity leave; and on behalf of their Town Council staff, let me thank the Workers' Party in advance for their implementation. Madam, however, I would like to share and echo some concerns which are already reverberating loudly in the public, both in the coffee shop and cyberspace. Perhaps both the Government and the Workers' Party can enlighten us. What is the truly sustainable population that our 700-plus sq km island can support? What is the sustainable demographic structure; that is, what is the proportion of children, adults and elderly? What is next after the 5.9 million that Workers' Party has proposed? And what is next after the 6.9 million that PAP has proposed? Will the population still be growing or will it be at a steady state?”
“On PR policy, this is what Mr Low said last year, "In addition, the Government should also learn their lesson and not to be too lax in their approving Permanent Residence application as the practice of being overly relaxed in granting PR status to foreigners in the past few years has also added pressure to Singaporeans in finding jobs. This is because Permanent Residents do not need to apply for work permit and are not restricted by Government's limit on foreign workers. The number of applications for approved for permanent residents has decreased from 79,000 in year 2008 to 29,000 in 2010. Looking at the current situation, I think the Government should limit the number of approval for PR application to 30,000 a year." I repeat this, "I think the Government should limit the number of approval for PR application to 30,000 a year." Has the Workers' Party changed its position now and they want to reduce it from 30,000 now to 10,000? This shifting position is not new. In fact, this issue of cheap foreign is not new in this Chamber. I and a few Members over the last few years have brought this up time and time again in this House during Budget debate. I had warned that the dangerous addiction of cheap foreign labour that may have numbed our enterprises into complacency and lowered productivity growth. I have proposed two options in the past. One is a gradual reduction on this dependency on foreign workers which is what the White Paper is proposing. The other is cold turkey treatment which will also be effective but many enterprises may not survive the cold turkey treatment and many Singaporeans will lose their jobs. Page: 127 And this is the alternative proposal by Workers' Party. Is this really a tenable suggestion? It can be quite unworkable and will finish off our SMEs.”
“Many of them may not be able to make it and there will be a lot of fall out. I am also concerned with the speed of tightening. Yes, there are low productivity industries. You want to push it up but at the same time you cannot do it suddenly because eventually we will end up with high cost of living." This sounds like a page from Ms Sim Ann's speech just now. And I quote again, Mr Low said that, "An abrupt forced transformation of certain industries such as cleaning and construction industries could result in a rapid rise in cost and eventually end up with consumers paying higher prices." This sounds very similar but, of course, today's position is very different. Page: 126 The alternative proposal states that there will be zero foreign workers growth from today till 2020. And, of course, NCMP Mr Gerald Giam says that he does not think that there is anything wrong with having zero foreign workforce growth in the next eight years. And just to quote Mr Pritam Singh, he just said in the House as well, referring to the construction industry: "They will have to make do with what they have and Singaporeans must accept a slower pace of construction as a result, which means they have to wait longer for their BTO flats." On the issue of the pace of restructuring, let me quote Mr Low from his Budget speech on 29 February last year, "We all hope we can raise workers' income, the faster the better because the cost of living has been increasing. However, it will be a long arduous journey to restructure the economy and increase productivity. And I urge the Government to be cautious in economic restructuring process." And today's position is let us immediately restructure it; let us change immediately.”
“In this respect, I think we all also can agree that the only difference between the White Paper and the alternative plan proposed by the Workers' Party is the number of foreign workers that we are having. The Non-constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) Mr Yee has put it nicely as: "There are two taps pouring into a sink. One tap is local; the other tap is foreign workers." Their alternative proposal is to switch off the foreign tap immediately. Upon hearing the business chambers' critical comments on their proposal, they immediately changed tack to say that: "If the local tap is dry, we will turn on the foreign tap so the sink will never be dry, do not worry." This shifting position of the Workers' Party is not new. I am sorry. Let me just quote Mr Low on his position on foreign workers tightening – whether to tighten or not – and this is quoted from the Budget debate on 29 February 2012. I quote, "However, we also know that we have limited population and we need foreign workers to fill up the gap in our domestic labour market. It is not easy to strike a balance between the two." Sounds like a statement from the Minister in fact. When pressed a little bit more, Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam did ask the Member whether the Member meant that the industry which he feels has low productivity should basically get more foreign workers. This is what Mr Low said, I quote, "What I mean is that we tighten it slowly rather than tighten it at one go." I repeat, "What I mean is that we tighten it slowly rather than tighten it at one go." And I quote again, Mr Low said, "My concern is that the push you are making now by setting a target for dependency ratio and tightening it and in the process what will happen to the SMEs?”
“Mdm Speaker, the death toll for the tsunami that struck Aceh was estimated to be at least 300,000 and the death toll for the tsunami that hit Japan was 18,000. Although both tsunamis were similar in size, the death toll was much lower for Japan. Why is this so? It is because the Japanese had a good tsunami warning system and they had made preparations for it. Madam, two tsunamis are upon us now. We are facing a silver tsunami. We are facing significant demographic changes and challenges in our population as stated in the White Paper. These are facts that we cannot run away from, and this White Paper served as a tsunami warning. We can choose to ignore it or we can choose to prepare for it. I think all Singaporeans, including both sides of the House, would agree that we cannot ignore this and we have to make preparation. The difference is how do we prepare: the White Paper or the alternate Workers' Party's proposal? It is the aspiration of all Singaporean parents, including myself and many in this House, to see their children do better than them. In the 1960s and 1970s, only 10% of each cohort gets the chance to reach tertiary education. Today, we have reached 60% of each cohort. By 2030 we expect 80%. Everyone hopes their children can become a professional, manager or an executive. And this is indeed the case. We do have more polytechnics and universities now than before. We have to work hard to transform our economy to one that can provide good, fulfilling jobs for the increasing PMETs proportion. If majorities are Page: 125 PMETs, who are the workers or staff that they will be working with? The answer is quite simple. It must be the non-Singaporeans among us.”
“Mdm Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister of State: does she think that the COE prices should be the same for cars with the same engine capacity, for example, between one that is a Toyota Camry versus one that is a Lamborghini, in the first place? I am reflecting the point of the hon Member, Mr David Ong, when he mentioned about parity. The Minister of State just mentioned about people having different needs, different cars for different reasons. The current OMV system does not stratify that. So, when we now see that BMWs and Mercedes are the top-selling cars in Singapore, something is wrong. Toyotas and Nissans used to be the top. It seems that the middle class and the smaller cars are being completely squeezed out of the market. Can the COE system be reviewed and how do we re-balance that again?”
“Mdm Speaker, I would like to thank the Minister for the long replies to all the questions. The Minister was asked about whether there is a way of having an in-between nationalisation versus completely private model; and then the answer is yes. Our NTUC Fairprice seems to be doing very well. Did the Ministry consider whether public transport services can be run as a cooperative instead of a totally private entity?”
“Madam, I would like to thank the Minister for his reply. I would like to ask the Minister if he agrees that the resale levy represents a significant barrier to homeownership for some residents. This was especially so when the resale levy was changed from March 2006. Before that, it was a floating amount. After the change, it was a fixed amount. Madam, I have a resident who sold his flat before that, and was told he has to pay $40,000 in resale levy. He booked a new flat last year and was told that he has to pay $72,000 in resale levy. The reason given to him now is that there is an interest rate attached to the resale levy and this has accumulated. I hope that the Minister can comment on this; whether the Minister will consider harmonising this resale levy for the entire market to see how to help those who have problems with the resale levy to have homeownership.”
“Mdm Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister, when was the last time this compensation package was reviewed. Will the SAF be prepared again to review the compensation package to servicemen who are injured?”
“I would like to thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs for this reply. I would like to ask the Minister: what are the implications of the changes in the Obama Administration leadership team, particularly the Secretary of State, as well as the Defence Secretary who is somebody who has served in the Vietnam war? Does he sense that there will be a change in terms of the outlook towards ASEAN? What are the implications to the new leadership in China and how does that impact Singapore on the Page: 28 whole?”
“At the same time, his family was affected badly. Sometimes, when I travel around along the expressway, I see this message "Drive safety, think of your loved ones". This connects very well with me and connects with many Singaporeans. It reminds us to be careful, to take care of one another, to take care of the person driving in front of you, beside you, behind you and those who are walking along the pedestrian walkway and the motorists that are sharing the road with you. Wherever possible, we should care for one another. Page: 596 With this attitude, it is important for us to see how we can develop, continue this journey of caring for one another. Sometimes, I think the people who are next to me are going to visit their loved ones, the person who is behind me going to visit their friends, meet their friends to have a good time, or to visit their aged parents. Thus, it is important for us to continue this effort to develop a caring community, and I feel, with this effort, we can keep our roads safer day after day, month after month and year after year.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, let me thank and congratulate the Parliamentary Secretary for his maiden reply in this House. I would like to ask a simple supplementary question regarding whether his Ministry would consider designating certain roads, especially on weekends and public holidays, for cycling. At least to reserve one lane, especially on roads that are less used in the catchment areas, such as Mandai or even in the Changi area. These are the frequent haunts of recreational cyclists. I do not think that recreational cyclists will want to cycle on cycling tracks, so I hope the Ministry can consider that. Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: Sir, I would like to thank the Member for the suggestion. As I am doing my engagement process today and beyond today, I will take that as feedback and suggestion. I will take note of this when we review our plan. But, Sir, beyond providing space for our cyclists, motorists and pedestrians, what is important is for us to have a caring attitude, to develop a caring attitude amongst Singaporeans. Since my Facebook posting, I have received many views and suggestions from Singaporeans to improve road safety. I have also met cyclists, motorists and pedestrians. One issue that resonates deeply amongst us is the need to care for one another. I mentioned earlier one death is one too many. In fact, I find that one injury is also one too many. Any death and accident affect that individual as well as their friends and families. It may affect their physical abilities. At the same time, it will also affect their friends, their livelihood, the way they live with their family. I remember one of my friends who was paralysed from a traffic accident. He was a money-changer. His livelihood just changed totally.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, over the last three hours, we have covered land to sea to air and back to land again. Certainly, we are very happy to hear the good news that for the MRT system, the capacity and the number of train trips will be ramped up. I hope that the Ministry will monitor closely the response on the ground and, hopefully, my residents will get their trains earlier. The vision that is spelt out in the Land Transport Master Plan is one that all Singaporeans look forward to. We do have an excellent public transport system and infrastructure but I know that the Ministry will not rest on their laurels and they will continue to work hard towards achieving it. On behalf of the GPC as well as the Members of the House, let me just thank Minister Raymond Lim, Minister Lim Hwee Hua as well as Senior Parliamentary Secretary Teo Ser Luck for the comprehensive answers they have given to all the issues. We would also like to express our thanks to the men and women in MOT as well as LTA, as well as the sea and air transport sections for keeping our traffic flowing and, thereby, keeping us flowing. With that, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $475,476,300 for Head W ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $3,981,835,900 for Head W ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head P – Ministry of Home Affairs National security and organised crime”
“Member Mr Ang Mong Seng has shown that there were four cases of fatality in the month of January but Senior Parliamentary Secretary quoted over 500 cases per month. I was quite shocked by the numbers. It means there are at least one to two cases of serious injury, or even death, per day. Is that not serious enough for MOT to do something about cycling safety? Will MOT consider licensing or mandatory education for all cyclists? I would like the Senior Parliamentary Secretary to do a random survey on all cyclists now to see how much they know about traffic rules in the first place.”
“Sir, I would like to assure Senior Parliamentary Secretary Teo that many Members of this House know what a pedestrian crossing look like and we do walk around our estates and we are walking every day. I have four clarifications for the Minister. First of all is on the electronic information display board at the bus stops. Currently, it is available at some bus stops and this is very useful. You know there are many requests to roll this out islandwide. Will there be a day where we will see all our bus stops fitted with electronic display units to tell us what time, in real-time, the next bus is arriving? If the Ministry cannot do it for all bus stops now, then maybe for the more popular bus stops, including those in Sembawang and Yishun. Second: taxi surcharges. It is very confusing for all of us. I know that if I need to perform a surgery, the Ministry of Health would like me to counsel my patient and present all the charges before treatment and my patient has to agree. Likewise, is it possible for taxi drivers, if I tell them my desired destination, to tell me from the very beginning when I board the taxi, what the estimated charges will be because there are ERP charges, there are other surcharges and so on? So, regardless of whether I am a local or a tourist, when I board the taxi, I have a mental picture of how much I am paying, and I would not be ripped off. I hope that will be instituted. Next, I would like to ask Senior Parliamentary Secretary Teo regarding lifts that will be installed at the overhead bridges. Will this be maintained by the LTA, or will this be maintained by the Town Councils? Last of all, the cycling issue. Hon.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, as the world increasingly looks towards Asia for trade, Singapore has been quick to capitalise on our strategic position to further develop the maritime industry that supports the world trade. The Singapore maritime industry is an important part of our Singapore economy contributing approximately 7.5% of our GDP as well as employing over 170,000 people. The cluster comprises more than 5,000 maritime establishments in different sectors such as shipping and port-related, offshore, shipbuilding as well as repair and maritime services. What is the Singapore Government doing to promote the growth of the maritime industry here? Singapore was the busiest container port for many years until last year when Shanghai overtook us. Should we be concerned that Shanghai had overtaken Singapore as the world’s busiest container port in 2010? I also understand that, with our fast economic recovery, cargo volumes are picking up. Asia’s share of the global shipping market is expected to rise and our maritime sector is poised for growth and diversifications as well. What steps have been taken to meet the manpower needs as well as the space requirement for the maritime industry? Marine industry”
“While not many refinements have been made in my ward, what improvements have been introduced in other parts of Singapore? How are our commuters benefiting from this process? Intergration of public transport network”
“00 pm A long time ago, I remember that there was a bicycle licensing scheme. Cyclists need to register and get a licence plate for their bikes. Perhaps, we should now re-look and bring back the licensing scheme. Bicycles are unlike other vehicles on the road. Cyclists who are licensed can then cycle on public roads. They should pass a test on traffic rules and safe cycling, and there should be strict enforcement on them if they violate the law. In conclusion, being a small and compact urban city state, Singapore is, in many ways, a model nation for urban transportation in the world. We have 3,356 kilometres of roads, 150 kilometres of rail and a world-class air and sea transport hub serving five million people. Certainly, I hope that our public transport can be cheaper, better and faster. Central bus planner Assoc. Prof. Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim (Marine Parade): Sir, great expectations have built up since it was announced that the LTA would take over the role of Central Bus Planner. In the past, my resident's perception on the ground was that the transport operators were only interested in commercial factors when planning bus routes. Many of our appeals for refinement in the bus routes were turned down due to them being commercially not viable. However, hopes appeared for better bus services after the announcement that LTA would take over the Central Bus Planner’s role. The LTA staff came a few times to my constituency and engaged my grassroots leaders and I. In the last Committee of Supply debate, I mentioned that we were touched and looked forward to improvements in the transport services in my area. I would like to ask the Minister to update the House on the status on the Central Bus Planner.”
“I have mentioned previously that if everyone wants to use the roads and public transport at the same time, we will never have enough capacity to accommodate everyone. Although it is important to ramp up our supply and increase our public transport capacity to handle the peak hours demand, perhaps the Government can also look at how to reduce the demand for peak-hour traffic. We can look at current demand for public transport, education and work purposes such as medical appointments. Can the schools and educational institutions stagger their opening and closing times so not all the schools start at the same time? The second paradigm shift is to consider taxis as public transport. I know the Ministry has maintained the position that taxis fall under private transport, hence they are treated as such. I propose that MOT do a review on taxis and see how taxis can be more effectively used to bridge the gap. I would like to make a plea on behalf of taxi drivers for the Government to consider reducing the ERP charges payable by taxis and also allowing taxis to use the relatively under-utilised dedicated bus lanes. I hope we can streamline or do away with our confusing taxi surcharges that in my opinion have resulted in much undesired effects and confusion to our commuters and sometimes our overseas visitors. The third paradigm shift is that of cycling as a mode of public transport. The Government’s position on cycling is still not clear. Some towns, such as Tampines, are called "cycling towns" and cyclists are allowed to cycle on pedestrian's walkways, while others, like Sembawang, have dedicated cycling lanes. We all know that it is unlawful to cycle on the pedestrian's walkways but the law is seldom enforced against the violators. 4.”
“They came on time. As long as I reach the designated bus stop a few minutes before the designated time, my waiting time is short. Currently, bus frequencies are at five-minute, 10-minute or 15-minute intervals. It is useless if the timing is not accurate. I hope the authorities can look into how to improve the scheduling system. The installation of electronic boards to announce the estimated arrival time of buses is a wonderful improvement that is welcomed by most commuters. The commuters need not stick out their necks every time a bus approaches to check. They can rest at the bus stop until their bus is nearing the stop. I hope this will be a standard feature of our public transport system as all buses are already tracked using GPS and their estimated arrival time at a certain bus stop can be reliably predicted based on the prevailing traffic conditions. I hope the Ministry can implement these electronic boards at more bus stops soon. I certainly welcome the Ministry to start at all bus stops – first at the bus stops and interchange at Nee Soon and Sembawang town. It has been more than six months since distance-based fare was introduced. Despite the initial misunderstandings and hiccups, we are getting used to the system. I know the data provided by the Ministry to this House earlier showed that more commuters benefited from the distance-based fares, and these include the elderly too. Can the Ministry show the House the latest data after eight months of implementation? Do we have a more robust system today? Have we rectified all the dataset errors and refunded the overcharges? I would like to propose three paradigm shifts to our approach to public transport. Instead of managing the supply of public transport, we should consider managing the demand.”