Loh Meng See
Singapore
“Sir, on Infocomm 21 plan, this has been implemented for some years now. I would like to ask the Minister to give us an update on the expenditure and the benefits that have been derived from those investments. Recently, the CEO of IDA announced the Government's plan to widen the scope of the network and introduce better technologies.”
“Sir, I am happy that the Government is allocating new funds for the Library 2010 project. I just want to ask what can the public expect from this additional $118 million that has been provided for.”
“Sir, on the HDB shops, my request is for the Ministry to consider granting the exit package to the rental shops, if their business is not viable and there is an over-capacity.”
“We have heard what Dr Lily Neo and Dr Chong mention about the geriatrics and the need for home nursing care. Many do not have CPF accounts to enjoy the Medisave top-ups.”
“We have been down this road before. Let us not falter, but let us persevere and build up ourselves with the right values, virtues and beliefs to galvanise our people forward. We need to remind ourselves that there is no free lunch.”
“Sir, media competition among local newspapers and TV stations is bearing fruits as consumers are getting better quality products and services. I am pleased to also note the progress of Singapore Press Holdings and Lianhe Zaobao in making inroads into China and also Channel NewsAsia gaining greater viewership in regional countries.”
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“By and large, Singaporeans like the "DIY" (Do It Yourself) approach and are not prepared to pay for the service of the experts. Sometimes I do not blame them because the so-called experts are not truly the experts. Therefore, the move towards greater professionalism in the financial services sector is a welcome one. The Singapore consumers deserve better service from businesses and service providers. In order to break away from the traditional ineffective ways of rendering service, foreign talents are attracted to play the useful role of providing the much needed expertise in both the domestic and international markets. Though I must add that the DBS Bank management did not display the high standards expected of talented foreign management in the handling of the POSBank merger and subsequent consumer retail business in POSBank, I believe we all can learn from the lessons there. Supplementary Retirement Scheme The Supplementary Retirement Scheme allows foreigners to enjoy additional benefits that they do not have on tax deductible allowance for CPF contributions. Concerns have been raised about the level of charges levied by SRS operator banks and the quality of financial advice they can offer to SRS participants. I agree with the Government's move to support the local banks. I hope these banks will do justice to the favourable position they enjoy in the deposit and investment of SRS funds. Perhaps the Government can take one step further through the SRS to give incentives to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to encourage them to engage the services of foreign talent to help expand their markets. Traditionally, the executives in the MNCs have specialised and expert market knowledge and networks round the globe.”
“Perhaps the Government can modify its attitude to recognise that we are having in our midst the pioneering generation of independent Singapore needing help. If we lighten the burden of these elderly citizens in their twilight years, we are helping their children at the same time. They would be relieved from the financial burden of taking care of their grandparents and parents and concentrate on taking good care of their young families. Competencies in Finance and Risk Management When I observe the difficulties faced by individuals and small businesses, what strikes me most is the general lack of competency or even literacy in the management of the financial affairs and risks in our population. I agree with the principle of caveat emptor, that the individual is responsible for the consequence of his investment decisions, but do we have the positive attitude of sharing investment knowledge and experience amongst our people? Perhaps the Finance Ministry can take upon itself to educate our population in the area of financial and risk management. These are areas of knowledge and skills essential to strengthening Singapore's position as a financial and business hub where we have an investment-savvy population playing an active role in the businesses of the region and the international markets. We can all help one another to realise better returns and values for investment, both national, corporate and individuals. This is one way of securing the best growth returns for the retirement nest egg of our people. I say this, Sir, because in recent years we have seen that those who have made investments through their CPF savings have not obtained the kind of value that they have wished.”
“The longevity of our people, because of higher standards of living and the increasing number of elderly persons, are long-term issues we cannot avoid, but to deal with as early as possible. For this growing group of elderly citizens, their earnings will decline and expenditures will rise. We are already seeing within a family two generations of retired persons - parents in their 80s and above, and children in their 60s who have also retired. This brings a heavy burden on these families where medical cost and healthcare expenditures are major concerns. They belong to the generation of little or no CPF savings and lower earnings in their early active working lives. For many of them, the homes they live in are the only assets they own. They have little cash. Yet the policy appears to disadvantage them for assistance. It is not easy for the elderly with financial needs to dispose of their homes they are comfortable with or to downgrade to smaller flats or selling off their property and living in rented accommodation. I wish to ask whether the Government can be a little bit more sympathetic and considerate to these elderly citizens with financial difficulties to exclude from consideration the HDB flat that they own, to be able to obtain financial help from the Government through the CDCs or other Government agencies. The difficulties lie because their children, who themselves are not doing well, have their own families to support. I know the children are encouraged and expected to support and look after their parents, but for those whose parents have prolonged illness and need long-term medical care, the financial strain is burdensome indeed.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I wish to congratulate the Minister for Finance for giving out the best Budget during his tenure to date. In many ways, Dr Richard Hu's long years of prudence in steering the financial and fiscal policies has enabled Singapore to remain the beacon of a stable, progressive and prosperous economy. On the operating expenditure side, the Government has kept itself small, lean and effective. In the development expenditure, there is no let-up in ensuring that our infrastructure and investment in schools and educational institutions, transportation, housing, hospitals, medical centres and polyclinics keep up with the times and of high quality for the benefit of all Singaporeans. On the revenue side, personal incomes and corporate earnings have grown and therefore tax revenues. The introduction of COEs, GST and new fees and charges has enabled the Government to have good and regular income stream to finance the expenditures required. What is of significance is Singapore's ability to ride over the difficulties of economic downturns and prepare for the new wave of economic and business challenges in the horizon. The economic restructuring process, began in the mid-1980s, when Singapore met with its first economic recession since independence in 1985, taught us the valuable lesson. We learnt the lesson well and successfully overcame quickly the regional financial crisis 12 years later in 1997. The new knowledge economy poses tremendous challenges for the Government and Singaporeans at large. But, Sir, I like to make a plea for the elderly citizens in the light of all these challenges.”
“It is through instruction, discipline and practice that we learn the skill of living our lives in such a way that will amount to something excellent or worthwhile. We all have that desire to educate our children to the fullest. We want our young children to grow up leading meaningful and fulfilling lives. I hope this Bill to make education compulsory will help the 1,000-odd children who missed school the opportunity to have a good start in their lives. Sir, I support the Bill. 3.00 pm”
“I therefore support the move to cap the maximum number of students in the six madrasahs to 400 pupils. I also hope that the benchmark set for the madrasahs at PSLE aggregate scores that match those of EM1 and EM2 Malay pupils in the six lowest national performing schools be only a start because the benchmark set is six lowest performing national schools. This relatively low benchmark should be reviewed a few years later. The standards should be raised gradually so that the target set is higher and the madrasah students will be encouraged to constantly improve their performance over time. I am disturbed by the comment in the Report alluding to the possibility of parents defying the requirement for Compulsory Education in the form of civil disobedience if they are not allowed to instruct their children through home schooling programmes. The impression might have been created that the concession is given because of the threat of civil disobedience. I thought the whole exercise is to ensure that the children receive proper education. In fact, and I echo what Dr Wang Kai Yuen had said, parents who consciously chose home-schooling could be considered to be the most conscientious and fully committed to ensuring that their children receive the best education. I hope these parents also appreciate the inadequacies and shortcomings of home schooling programmes. Their children will not have the necessary exposure and experience they would otherwise receive in school. These children miss the opportunity to interact with teachers and fellow pupils. I am very sure that these parents will take steps to plug the gaps that the home schooling programme lacks.”
“This, to me, is a practical approach because we do not want to put the added pressure and undue burden on parents of children with disabilities. If we are not careful, we may compound the problems of parents who would feel guilty if they could not afford to send their children with disabilities for appropriate education and training on a full-time basis. Of course, some cynics may be quick to surmise from this exemption as a way of the Government to avoid the responsibility of committing funds and resources needed to look after this group of children. I am sure it is not due to a lack of compassion on the part of the Government. Indeed, a special programme is required to cater to the special needs of children with physical and other disabilities. I know that the Minister has just now alluded to this point. Perhaps, it is also useful later for the Minister to clarify the position of the Education Ministry regarding the provision of educational facilities and resources for disabled children. As a result of the study and consultation undertaken by the Committee, we have a better understanding of the madrasahs and what they are doing. I am quite surprised at the low standards of achievements of the students in madrasahs compared to the Malay students who attend national schools. I wonder whether many Malay students from families that needed special help have been directed or gravitated towards the madrasahs instead of national schools. Is it because of the real or perceived help they are able to receive only from the madrasahs in the education of these poorer children? Perhaps, the Education Ministry can help redress this area. As the madrasahs' role is to produce Muslim religious teachers, we should not allow the number to grow beyond what is required.”
“Sir, I rise to support the Compulsory Education Bill. I wish to congratulate the Committee on Compulsory Education chaired by Senior Minister of State for Education, Dr Aline Wong, for the clear, comprehensive and balanced report on the issues the Committee had to address and deal with. They have clarified what Compulsory Education means and the process that led to this Bill. Sir, Compulsory Education is defined as education in national schools, aimed at giving children a strong foundation for the knowledge-based economy and building a sense of national identity and cohesion in the young Singaporeans. Up to now, we have allowed the parents the choice of whether to send their children to school and the vast majority of parents have done so. This is because the parents generally appreciate the value of a good education for their children. Public opinion is not against those parents who wish to teach their children differently but rather the parents who do not educate their children at all. By making education compulsory, the schools are not about to take over the responsibility of educating the children. The responsibility rightly belongs to the parents. At best, it is a joint responsibility when the child is in school. With Compulsory Education, the Government and the community must be prepared to extend help to parents who face serious difficulties in sending their children to school. I hope the community organisations can make a positive contribution in helping families who face difficulties living in their neighbourhood. Besides the madrasahs, San Yu Adventist School and home schooling programmes, children with physical and other disabilities are also exempted from Compulsory Education.”
“There are now a wide variety of sources and institutions providing early childhood education. Should not these establishments be properly certified with stringent standards imposed? Should not the Ministry be interested to ensure that only good teachers are teaching in these institutions for pre-schoolers? Our review would have the benefit of strengthening the delivery system of pre-school education in Singapore for the benefit of our children in the new millennium.”
“Sir, pre-school education is not funded by the Government. Though the Government is providing $39 million in FY2000 for the development of childcare centres through the Ministry of Community Development and Sports, no significant amount is provided for by the Ministry to spend on pre-school education. There is a small mention under the Education Programmes Division stating that it plans, monitors and regulates pre-school and special school education. If anything, the workload and performance indicator shows a decline in commitment for pre-school education. I am sure this is not reflective of the intention of the Ministry of Education. The moulding of the child starts at a very early age. It is important that the infants and toddlers are well taken care of and be properly prepared for formal schooling when they enter primary school. 2.15 pm The PAP Community Foundation is the largest provider of kindergarten education in Singapore. We, PAP MPs, are proud in making kindergarten education affordable to the vast majority of HDB residents, especially the children from lower-income families. Of course, times have changed. We have introduced computer courses and music in our kindergarten curricula. At times, it is a challenge to convince parents of the change and that education is an area best left to the educational experts and professionals. However, because of the pace of growth and development in Singapore, and the expectations of Singaporean parents have gone up manifold, it is time that we reviewed how we can upgrade and develop pre-school education to higher levels of performance. It is now time for the Education Ministry to be proactive to ensure that the desirable outcomes are spelt out and accomplished for children going through pre-school education.”
“With compulsory education, we must ensure that our schools cater to these students who receive part of their education overseas and in institutions with a different educational system from ours. How do we ensure that these children who are brought up in a different educational environment are accommodated into our system? Otherwise, we run the risk of losing these children who might not return to Singapore for their education.”
“If the decision has to be made for the long-term good of these Madrasah students, then a way has to be found to handle it carefully by persuading the parents concerned and the Malay leaders and community to have them switched to the national schools. There are a small number of parents who believe in teaching their own children themselves in the home setting. They have their own reasons for deciding that their children are better taught and brought up themselves. Some of these parents are themselves well educated with strong academic and professional qualifications. They feel that the educational system does not tailor to the gifts and needs of their children. The question I wish to ask is whether we should insist that parents could no longer be given the option of home schooling for their children. From time to time, we do hear university professors having a child prodigy and making geniuses out of their children, and one child not attending school against another child prodigy that you can bring up differently. I think there is also this consideration. Many children with disabilities and in need of special education are not attending school for a variety of reasons. By making education compulsory, the beneficiaries would be the disabled children. In so doing, adequate resources will be provided. The parents will have to be assisted to send their children to school and not lose out the opportunity for special education. With compulsory education, is the society ready to deploy proportionately more resources to equip these children to cope with independent living? Many Singaporeans are working overseas, and with each change of posting there are disruptions to the education of their children.”
“Sir, after listening to Mr Chiam, I am not so sure whether he is arguing against himself that there are problems in compulsory education, regardless of the length of time, and therefore should it be made compulsory at all. Because if you have problems with 10 years, you suggest eight; and you have got problems at eight years, you move down to six; then to four, what have you got left? So I am not very sure whether if you have difficulty, you should make it compulsory at all. Sir, the issue of compulsory education first arose in this House when some Members learned that a number of children were not attending school because of financial hardships and parental neglect. Since then, a formal Committee has been set up. Dr Aline Wong has been appointed as the Chairman. The scope of study has now widened. It has now to define clearly what compulsory education should entail. If compulsory education is intended to ensure that every child is taught and prepared for later adult life, it is an easy matter to deal with. However, if compulsory education is to include how the child should be taught and have the effect of insisting that every child must attend formal schooling in our schools, it is a different matter. We know how delicate and sensitive it is if we were to require students currently studying in the Madrasah to switch to our national schools. However, should we continue to segregate these students from the mainstream educational system? For what they are learning in the Madrasah, are the students well prepared in the long term to work and live in a multi-racial Singaporean society?”
“Are our university professors confident enough in their ability to perform on a sustained basis in making valuable contributions in their work for the benefit of society, university and the students? Will our university administration be able to cope and operate in the changing environment with dramatically different employment and reward systems for academic staff? In today's world, in-depth knowledge provides the competitive edge for the economy. We have to spur our universities to strive and pursue academic excellence. The status and performance of our universities have bearing on the kind of graduates we produce, thereby affecting the future progress and development of Singapore. I hope our universities will take the bold step forward to the highest level to match the best universities in the region and the world.”
“Sir, for our universities to achieve world-class status, it is important that they have a conducive environment and ample resources to recruit, motivate and retain the top talents to conduct research and teach in our universities. The Singapore Management University Bill was passed in Parliament recently to set up SMU as a private company with its own Memorandum of Understanding and Articles of Association. SMU is given greater autonomy to run its enterprise as deemed fit. Also, the University of Chicago and INSEAD will soon be starting their MBA programmes in Singapore. These developments have implications for the two Singapore universities, NUS and NTU, especially in their business faculty. How should our universities respond? I suppose they have no choice but to join in the race. Not too long ago, there was the re-titling of designations of university academics into Assistant Professors, Associate Professors and Professors. May I ask the Minister how successful has the re-designation been in fulfilling the needs of the university academics? What more can and should be done to improve the attractiveness of the university to attract our bright young graduates to take up academic careers in the backdrop of abundant employment and career opportunities for talented young graduates? How can we induct more internationally reputed and established researchers and academicians to tenure in our universities? I wish to ask the Minister what is in the pipeline to review the employment and terms and conditions of service of university academics. How prepared are we to be flexible to pay competitive remuneration packages to compete for top talents in our universities?”
“Like the suggestion for the NTU medicine courses, the students who graduate from the SMU law courses need not be given the right to practise. Instead, they could combine their studies with politics, management or business studies so that they can serve better in Government, in the diplomatic corps, professions and industries where law is increasingly complex and problems multi-disciplinary in nature, and a knowledge of law would be an advantage. An even more radical suggestion to make sure that there is no over-supply of lawyers practising would be to follow the lines of what the Law Minister has mentioned many times in this House, that is, we could increase the quality of the lawyers that come out. Perhaps in both the NUS Law School and the SMU Law School, if ever there is one - only those who qualify with a Second Lower Honours and above would be given the right to practise. A final advantage of having such courses as I have mentioned in SMU is that it would avert some of the brain drain and the outflow of funds that we are currently experiencing as Singaporeans send their children overseas to pursue such studies.”
“Toh See Kiat (Aljunied): Sir, I agree with Dr Wang Kai Yuen that as long as there is this high demand for faculties of choice like medicine, law, accountancy, business and computer science, the anxiety of parents and students will always be there and even if they know that 60% do make it to tertiary studies. In line with helping to release the pressure, actually having more faculties of choice would be a good solution, and I think along these lines, it is good news that the NTU is thinking about introducing medicine. But, in this case, the medicine taught there would be to orientate the students not to practise but to channel their talents to the life sciences and research. Sir, the SMU becomes operational this year and that will be another way to relieve the pressure. More places will be given for business. In line with its name, there would certainly be more degrees and courses in various aspects of management from this University. The SMU is also a city university. In line with city-based universities around the world and taking advantage of its location in the civic district, it would be good if the University goes on to non-management courses relevant and related to the city. Sir, I have in mind degrees such as urban architecture, management and conservation of heritage buildings, political science, law, history or historiography or archaeology and such like studies. The city provides the environment for learning these subjects and live case studies are readily available. Preserving our culture and heritage, discovering our past and drawing lessons from these for the future require special skills which are currently not taught in a deep way in our universities. As far as law is concerned, we need not worry about an over-supply of lawyers either.”
“What is disturbing is the wide variation in the quality and standards of the overseas universities and institutions offering courses here. This has resulted in graduates having spending vast amounts of time and money and later finding out to their disappointment that they are not able to secure good jobs and their qualifications are not as well recognised by employers. Our universities and polytechnics should be made more accessible to the working adults who want to take courses to upgrade themselves. Many courses offered today were not available in the past. For example, Computer Science and IT subjects are new courses offered by the universities and polytechnics only recently. The new job opportunities in the knowledge-based economy are very different from the employment opportunities available in the past. This requires our Singaporean managers and professionals to constantly upgrade and develop themselves. Our executives and managers need to learn and acquire new knowledge, skills and competencies to remain employable and be able to perform effectively in their work. Singapore will become a truly learning nation only if our people are given free and open access to new learning opportunities. Our institutions of higher learning should open their doors to meet the new educational and learning aspirations of our adult population. I hope the Minister would provide more funding to boost the educational standing of the older generation of Singaporeans. The more educated and enlightened Singaporeans are, the more they would contribute to a stable, cohesive and gracious Singapore. Assoc. Prof.”
“Sir, under this cut, I would like to speak on university education for working adults. We have heard from the Finance Minister and the Manpower Minister that a key priority of the Government is manpower training. Resources are amply provided to train and upgrade the 850,000 adults, above the age of 40, who have less than secondary education. Sir, notwithstanding this, we should not forget and ignore the need of working adults who have received their secondary and post-secondary education and wanting to further their studies to obtain their diplomas, degrees and even higher degrees. Continuing education has become necessary and essential to work and live in today's knowledge-based and digital age. Sir, I have a brochure here, "Singapore's Snapshot - Facts At A Glance", and there is this heading "Education". Besides describing the two universities and polytechnics, it states: "Working adults can enrol in the Open University Degree Programme offered by the Singapore Institute of Management." Sir, it is good and right to publicise what we are doing for the working adults. Therefore, I am quite disappointed that the overall expenditure budgeted for the Open University Degree Programme has been cut by 86% for FY2000. Even if one can explain that the bulk of the Development Expenditure projects has been completed, the running costs should not be reduced by as much as 56%. I do not believe that there has been a drastic decline in the demand for Open University and distance learning places. If anything, the demand has gone up, as evident by the increasing number of overseas universities and private institutions setting up shop in Singapore to tap the growing demand for undergraduate and postgraduate education.”
“We should revive the active programme of adult education and continuing education. Though employers and companies should train and develop their employees, many adults should be encouraged to learn on their own. We should increase substantially the number of places in the continuing education programmes of our universities and polytechnics offering degree and diploma courses on a part-time basis. Access to educational opportunities for adults holds the key if we are to develop a learning culture in Singapore. National resources devoted to constantly improving the performance and competencies of our people will bring immeasurable benefits to the individuals, families and the country as a whole. I hope the Government will provide more funding, facilities and teaching resources on continuing education programmes for our adult population. As our people grow and mature, Singapore will be well on its way to become a more gracious and compassionate society.”
“It requires the Ministry to intervene by appointing the Committee of Management to take over the management of the school. The principal, teachers, parents, community and alumni association all have critical roles to play and significant contributions to make, acting in the larger interest of the school and the students. Some members of the public have criticised the MOE's stand against the involvement of students on the matter of the retirement of the principal. I wish to support the stand taken by the Ministry. It is amazing how some people can be misled into believing that because we want to develop thinking students, our 12 to 15 years old students should be allowed to involve themselves on staff matters. It is almost like suggesting that our young and impressionable students be allowed to join the picket line in employment disputes. Singaporeans must learn to draw the line between what can and cannot be allowed to be done. We must develop stronger mechanisms to involve the parents in the nurturing and development of their school-going children. More and more, we are seeing parents delegating and even relegating the responsibility of bringing up their children to the schools. School programmes involving parents on a regular basis should feature prominently in the school calendar of activities. Over time rapport and mutual understanding will develop, and our children will be happy enjoying the warmth and affection both at home and in school. Our students will learn and behave better in this favourable psychological environment. It is no doubt that our school children have never had it so good. An area that now needs addressing is the continuing education of working and job-seeking adults who left school many years ago.”
“We should develop our students as well rounded individuals who are the pride of their families and country. There are overseas countries whose tendency is to overhaul and make the quantum leap in education with dramatic effect rather than introduce gradual incremental changes to improve and strengthen the education system. By overdoing this, there is the danger of doing irreparable harm to the education system. Once broken, it would take many years to make the education system right again. A generation of students would have lost out in the process. This, we should avoid in Singapore, as we make changes to our education system. Since our schools are provided with an integrated IT infrastructure and the school syllabuses use IT widely, we need to be mindful of the importance of character building and values education. We have to counter the adverse effect of IT on social interaction. We do not wish our children to be lacking in social skills or face difficulties in interpersonal human relationships. Computers can be fun, exciting and absorbing but doubts have been raised as to whether real learning takes place. We should avoid the pitfalls asserted by Clifford Stoll in his book, `Silicon Snake Oil'. Stoll wrote, and I quote: "Children love computer classes because they do not have to think for an hour, teachers love them because . they (do) not have to teach and parents love them because it (shows) their schools (are) high tech. But no learning happens." Our children should be taught to master IT but not become its victims. Sir, I have been following the press reports on the controversies afflicting Chinese High School. It is sad and disappointing that the Board of Directors of the Chinese High School Association could not resolve their differences.”
“We wish to commend MOE for adopting the quality assurance approach, normally used in private sector organisations, in the School Excellence Model. This is another way to persuade schools not to concentrate only on academic results. It shows that the MOE is prepared to acknowledge efforts to cultivate values in schools. Schools are no longer penalised for any slip in ranking nor should they be afraid to admit students who are strong in non-academic subjects like sports, music and arts. If we want to achieve the Desired Outcomes of Education, it is only right that we focus on education as a whole and view the school as a system. Our teachers and schools have the confidence to assess their own performance and will work towards continuous improvements to achieve the targets they have set for themselves and for the students. I wish to support the ability-driven approach taken in education to tailor to the different needs of every child. Instruction should invariably take into account the child's individuality and his mental and physical development. Children develop at different rates in different areas and should always be treated as unique individuals. On the whole, about 80% of each cohort are able to adapt and cope with the standard curriculum requirements. As for the remaining 20% or roughly 8,000 students, we should pay close attention and devote needed resources to develop them into good and capable assets. It is important for us to strike a balance in the curriculum. Though science and technology are important, we should not neglect the other aspects like creativity, history, geography, literature, moral and civic education. Our students are generally strong in the contents of the syllabus but lack general knowledge.”
“Our ability to thrive and prosper in a knowledge-based economy lies in the skills, competencies, ingenuity and values possessed by our people. "Intellectual capital" and "weightless economy" relate to using talent and brain power to create wealth through creative design and innovation. We plan the long term by preparing and equipping our young to face the new competitive working and business environment with confidence and optimism. This is where our teachers and schools can make a significant contribution. Though the Ministry of Education does not think it necessary to make education compulsory, it is still important for us to send the right strong signals to all parents on the desirability of sending their children to school. We need to understand why some parents are depriving their children the opportunity for education and to take appropriate steps to correct the parents for the sake of their children. We must make every effort to ensure that all children receive proper education, otherwise our society will suffer the long-term economic and social repercussions if thousands of children each year do not attend or drop out from school. Singaporeans are living lives. This means Singaporeans have many more years to remain economically active. It is therefore essential that our schools lay a firm and strong foundation to imbibe the values and learning abilities to our children so that when they grow up they can become independent learners and go through life being able to look after themselves and their families. The GPC for Education is pleased with the initiative taken by the Ministry of Education (MOE) to fine-tune and improve the school ranking system.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the President has outlined the Government's initiatives, plans and programmes for our citizens in the new millennium. The Government has been careful and purposeful in forging a national consensus on the changes needed to improve the quality of life of Singaporeans in the years ahead. However, the Government cannot do it alone. It requires the support and participation of every Singaporean to achieve the goals envisioned for Singapore as we march onwards into the 21st century. Sir, it is fitting that the focus is on our people and their development. We have reached a stage of economic growth and development that our people no longer just look for material success. They are interested in where our society is heading, national and parochial issues affecting the neighbourhood and community, and relationships with other countries. Many are also spending time appreciating culture and the arts. With growing affluence, it is not surprising for people to reflect on the meaning, value and priorities of life and seeking peace and joy in the spiritual realm. Sir, yet we cannot afford to relax and be content with the status quo. We have to be proactive in responding to the challenges of a knowledge-based economy. With a small domestic market, our companies have to counter the threats and to seize whatever opportunities offered by globalisation and technological advancement to bring Singapore to the next level of economic development. With more intense competition, it would be an uphill task to attract more foreign investments and trade to Singapore. Creating new employment opportunities and enabling those already working to keep their jobs are areas that require the close attention and collaborative efforts of Government, employers, trade unions and individuals.”
“The Chinese community in Singapore has been careful not to champion or speak out against the Malaysian authorities on Malaysian Chinese issues, whether on Kampong Cina or Chinese ancestral places in Malacca, Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh or Penang. It is important that the media on both sides be considerate not to interfere in the domestic politics in each neighbouring country. I find it instructive to learn from the interview that many in the Malay community in Singapore are made up of Arab, Indian and even Chinese origins. Even as the Singapore Malay leaders express concern over the trend of young Malays knowing very little about Malay culture and history in Singapore, we also have a new generation of young non-Malay Singaporeans who do not speak and understand even simple Malay. The Malay Heritage Centre will not only serve to educate young Malays but will also promote better knowledge and understanding in the Malay heritage among Chinese, Indian and other Singaporeans. We must continue to work hard to promote and sustain the inter-racial harmony into the psyche of the future generations of Singaporeans. Recently, a number of residents of Istana Kampong Glam have received resettlement notices. I wish to find out from the Minister the progress of the resettlement exercise of my Kampong Glam residents. Are all residents in Istana Kampong Glam eligible for their resettlement benefits? Will they be able to afford the HDB flats with the resettlement benefits given? I hope the Minister can give us an update of the resettlement of the Istana Kampong Glam residents. 2.15 pm”
“In fact, our Government has done more than meeting its basic legal obligations to the family of the late Sultan Hussain. The gesture and goodwill demonstrated by our Government reflects its care and concern for the well being of the late Sultan Hussain's family. Sir, as my two colleagues have alluded to earlier about the Malaysian media, the Malaysian TV3 Malay programme, Viewpoint, did the interview with the Chairman of the Singapore Malay Heritage Foundation, Mr Ridzwan Dzafir on 10th June 1999. The topic discussed was the redevelopment of the former Istana Kampong Glam as the Malay Heritage Centre. I have the opportunity to read the full transcript of Mr Ridzwan's interview. It is amazing how TV3 has distorted a very candid and honest expression of the vision of the Malay Heritage Centre in Singapore. Through selective quotation, TV3 has done a great disservice to their Malay viewers both in Malaysia and Singapore. Clearly, the Malaysian TV channel has been mischievous, misleading and provocative. As we are aware, the Malaysian political leaders took umbrage at the Business Times' editorial on the subject of political succession in Malaysia when commenting on the forthcoming Malaysian general elections. Singapore leaders must also express our disgust at TV3 for incorrectly and improperly depicting the redevelopment of Istana Kampong Glam to a Malay Heritage Centre as an issue of Malay rights. Perhaps, the Malaysian Malays are fearful that Singaporeans would do a better job in promoting Malay culture, history and tradition with our Malay Heritage Centre. We in Singapore do not wish to interfere with the domestic politics in Malaysia. This is in line with what the Malaysian political leaders had asked our media not to interfere with theirs.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to support the amendment to the Sultan Hussain Ordinance. Sir, as the Member of Parliament for Kampong Glam, obviously I have a very keen interest in the issue of this very sensitive and delicate nature. In introducing the new scheme for the payment of annuity or commuted gratuity to the family of the late Sultan Hussain, the Government has increased the quantum from $250,000, last revised in 1991, to $350,000 this year. This amount is fixed for a period of 30 years. The eligible persons are also given the option of receiving a lump sum payment upfront. The next-of-kin or estate is assured of the annuity even on the death of the person eligible for payment. It is well known from the long established records that the intention of the Sultan Hussain Ordinance enacted in 1904 was to take care of the financial needs of the family of the late Sultan Hussain at that time. I think the emphasis is "at that time". The then British Governor described them as "very improvident people". These payments were not intended to be in perpetuity but made only to the family of the late Sultan Hussain at the time the Ordinance was enacted. The Government has been generous in continuing with the practice of paying the allowance even to the subsequent generations of the late Sultan Hussain's family. This payment of allowance should have stopped with the original family members at the time of 1904. Many descendants could have been better off over the years and are no longer improvident. Yet the Government continues to pay them the allowance irrespective of their wealth and status. A number of beneficiaries also no longer reside in Singapore, yet the Government gives them the allowance regardless of where they are.”
“Sir, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $3,412,428,860 for Head L ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $2,305,892,700 for Head L ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates.”
“Sir, I would like to know from the Minister what is being done to attract more of their students into apprenticeship training. ITE also suffers from the poor image as an institution of poor achievers. Unless we remove that stigma, it would be difficult to raise the self-esteem of the students and attract good students to join them. The students may not be academically inclined, but are gifted in technical subjects and in working with their hands. Finally, Sir, many ITE graduates have been successful in their jobs and careers. They serve as good examples and role models to encourage others to follow. More media promotion and publicity efforts should be undertaken to show the vast improvements in training facilities and resources at the ITE. In fact, many of us would be surprised with the very modern facilities that we have. Perhaps ITE could work with the community organisations to change the attitude and perception of the public towards ITE training. Sir, may the Minister respond?”
“Sir, I wish to speak on technical education, specifically on the Institute of Technical Education (ITE). Sir, ITE graduates provide the critical pool of technicians and skilled workers in Singapore's economy. In the knowledge-based economy, ITE needs to adjust and adapt their courses to suit the new requirements of the manufacturing and services sectors. I wish to ask how is ITE preparing the students for the new skills and competencies required. Sir, language proficiency is important in the knowledge economy. Is language learning given due emphasis at ITE? A number of students are 'N' level students entering ITE. I would like to know for those who wish to pursue further to GCE 'O' levels, what arrangements are being made to help them to do the GCE 'O' levels? How well are ITE graduates doing to qualify for polytechnic education? Because if many ITE students know that there is a route for upgrading, I think more will be interested in ITE education. Can more be done to improve the number of ITE graduates entering into polytechnics? ITE has emphasised the importance of apprenticeship training. Many parents and students, however, shun such apprenticeship training, because of the long years of commitment and, most probably, the bonded service. Enlightened employers actually are the ones who like apprenticeship training, because they see the value of it, and they know that they would not be able to recruit employees with the specific skills required from the open market. Therefore, they are very open to apprenticeship training. Even in today's adverse business conditions, skilled workers are the ones keeping their jobs. ITE graduates with good skills and experience credentials have the best prospects of stable and secure life-long careers.”
“We should allow our schools to develop a distinct identity of their own with local variations to be in sync with the neighbourhood and the community to which they belong. Experience is a very valuable asset in teaching. I sense that older teachers are leaving service prematurely and opting for early retirement. I would equate age with maturity and wisdom, and certainly we need many more wise teachers in our schools. How can we encourage the very good ones to serve as long as possible? Are there ways to engage the senior teachers in roles and capacities where they can continue to make valuable contributions to the schools? We also have many teachers who have contributed long, loyal and faithful service to our schools. Have we forgotten about their training and development needs? Do we have an active programme of in-service training? Are the NIE facilities and resources fully tapped for the long-term training and development of our principals and teachers? The recognition and reward system is a powerful means to direct and encourage a person's behaviour and work performance. If we were to encourage principals and teachers to be good role models in life long learning, a credit system should be developed to encourage and recognise them for their efforts in self-learning and development. The main beneficiaries will be our students. I hope to have the Minister's comments on the points I have raised.”
“Sir, I wish to speak on the training and development of principals and teachers. Sir, with the rapidly changing work, learning and living environment, there is the urgency for principals and teachers to be well prepared to guide our students adequately through the educational system. The recent incidents of the Pulau Ubin tragedy and Jin Tai School suggest that our principals and teachers are still not up to the mark. They need training in new skill areas to manage better in the changing school environment. Perhaps the Ministry may review the role of NIE and restructure the overall training institutions of the Education Ministry and to provide in-service training to the existing teachers. The Minister could perhaps give us a brief of any potential changes that will be taking place in that regard. Many new teachers are being recruited in recent and coming years. They are young and energetic and may bring in fresh new ideas to the schools. How do we ensure that their enthusiasm is not inhibited by the time they are posted to the school? We should take pains to induct the new teachers properly so that the transition from NIE to the school is smooth and welcoming to the new teachers. We also have to pay careful attention to the posting of right teachers to the right schools. We should blend the teachers to make them into strong effective teams. Any reshuffling and re-deployment of principals and teachers should be handled sensitively so as not to disrupt and affect the morale of the whole school. Though it is important to institutionalise the school system and not to allow the `cultist' phenomenon to take place, it is important to appreciate that every school has its peculiar traditions and character.”
“How do we expect the students to be differentiated when comparing their GCE `A' level results and the SAT1 scores? Even then, how can we be sure that the new system would do a better job of assessing the future performance of students? The university is a place to enrich a student's educational experience. The exposure to university learning helps stimulate the intellectual faculty of students and in the training and discipline of their minds. It would appear that the university would benefit most in having the students cut out for them. Should the university not take steps in evolving the curricula content and teaching methodologies to bring the best in our students? Certain courses require students to possess strong people and social skills. Should we include only students who possess such skills to those courses? Should we capture such requirements? Should students not be required to take the psychometric tests to determine their character, personality and interest before qualifying them for any particular course? Is it not better to have a class made up of students of varied backgrounds, talents and capabilities than one with students of similar attributes and abilities? Would university life be more interesting and less boring? Sir, I really do not have the answers. Perhaps the Minister can shed light on them.”
“Sir, I would like to speak on the topic of University Admissions. Sir, the Committee on University Admission System has recommended changes to the admission criteria into our local universities. It has recommended that instead of using the sole requirement of the GCE `A' Level Examinations, the new requirements of SAT1 (Scholastic Assessment Test 1), project work and extra-curricular activities be included. The Committee has proposed that the new SAT1 component be implemented in the year 2002. I wish to suggest that we allow more time for the teachers and students to prepare and adjust to the new university admission criteria. By making the change in year 2002, it means that this year's GCE `O' level students are immediately affected. It is better to start with this year's Secondary Three students and thus deferring the change to year 2003. I hope the Minister would consider this point before deciding on the date of implementation of the revised university admission criteria. In their study, the Committee did not allude to any inherent weaknesses and deficiencies of the current system of university admission. The public would be interested to know how the candidates would be affected with the changes introduced. With the additional requirements, would we be making it more difficult than before for our students to get into university? The students are already occupied with a heavy workload. They do not have time for other pursuits. Will the adding of the new requirements be giving more stress to our students in the already highly competitive educational environment? Singapore is well known for producing examination smart students. The students will take pains to prepare for SAT. Will the scores of SAT1 be any different from the GCE `A' level examination results?”
“The question is deciding which ones to use and how to get the students interested. Most of the lessons must also include cultural content and transmit values. The hope of the Chinese-speaking community is that all Chinese students can achieve the highest achievable standards in CL. All the Education Ministry can do is to encourage the majority of the Chinese students to try their best to achieve the highest standards they can possibly achieve. But the ministry can also encourage the more able students to aim for higher standards, while at the same time enabling the less able students to grasp the most basic Chinese. Using such a flexible method to teach Chinese will not only make learning Chinese in schools more effective and interesting, more importantly, it can make them use Chinese even after they leave their schools and make Chinese a living language.”
“Years ago, the Ministry of Culture requested that the Chinese newspapers simplify their language. After years of effort, Lianhe Zaobao's language has become more accessible and readable, and its contents varied and informative. It is also one of the more authoritative newspapers in the region. I believe that the setting of the syllabus must be guided by two important principles. The first is to transmit culture and the right values. The other is to make the lessons interesting. We need not be too insistent in other areas. In 1997, I went through eight Higher Chinese textbooks (a total of 160 lessons) in two days. I really have to take my hat off to the people who compile these textbooks. Not only do these lessons have to transmit cultural content and values, the lessons themselves aim to be as diversified as possible in literary form. Besides poetry, novels and essays, they also include formatted writing such as notices and letters. In terms of subject matter, these lessons also aim to divesify to meet different needs, and they include issues ranging from ASEAN economic cooperation and Southeast Asia non-nuclear proliferation zone, to environmentalism and trade protectionism. But this is a thankless task. The end result is that some of the lessons are boring and are not likely to stir the student's interest. In the compilation of Chinese lessons, there is actually a wide range to choose from . Besides Chinese idioms and popular poems, excerpts from vernacular novels of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Jin Yong's kungfu novels, the translations of "Aesop's Fables" and Edmondo De Amicis' "Cuore" can be included, as well as works by Yu Qiuyu, Cai Zhizhong, Li Lien Fung, You Jin, Ng Wai Choy and so on.”
“In the announced framework for teaching CL, they will be allowed to opt for the Chinese "B" Syllabus paper (CLB), so as to reduce the pressure they face when they learn Chinese. I believe that this policy will be welcomed by the parents of these students. However, the worry of the Chinese-speaking community is this: if the choice were to be entirely left to the parents, the number of students who opt for CLB would increase in tandem with the increasing number of English-speaking households in the years to come. Will CLB become a "soft-option" subject? Whether these students should become part of a "soft-option" syndrome? There are causes for worry. Therefore, the Ministry of Education should lay down a clear set of rules to prevent such an occurrence. For instance, the school will have to assess and decide whether the student who does well for all other subjects except Chinese is unable and not unwilling ( ) to improve his or her Chinese grades. Only then can he or she opt for CLB. Students opting for CLB must also consider that they will have to continue taking it in junior colleges. Their schools will not allow them to switch to taking Chinese as a Second Language (CL2) as and when they like it. In a nutshell, the framework for teaching CL not only encourages students to take up Higher Chinese and CL2, it must also set certain restrictions on students taking the CLB option. Under present circumstances, I believe most Chinese students will still choose CL2. When the Education Ministry revised the CL2 syllabus, its guiding principle was to simplify the language to make it easier to learn, without changing the cultural content. On the whole, this can be achieved. Zaobao's language more accessible There was a precedent.”
“This puts into effect Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong's proposal for a Chinese elite, suggested in his 1997 National Day Rally. This also solves the problem of the difficulties faced by some students from English-speaking homes in learning Chinese, referred to in PM's speech. The Ministry of Education will allow and encourage more Chinese students to opt for Higher Chinese. It is setting up another Special Assistance Plan (SAP) school, and starting the third Language Elective Programme (LEP) at Nanyang Junior College. It is also giving these students more incentives and rewards as they enter junior colleges and even tertiary educational institutions. For those students who are interested in and have the aptitude for Chinese, this package will provide them with more opportunities to improve the standards of their Chinese. This package should be welcomed by the Chinese-speaking community. It also satisfies the need for nurturing a Chinese elite for the next generation. Fewer candidates for Chinese Literature The Ministry of Education should also encourage those students with the interest and the ability to take up Chinese Literature besides Higher Chinese. During the opening ceremony for the 1997 Speak Mandarin Campaign, DPM Lee mentioned that out of 28,000 Chinese students taking the `O' Levels, only 2,500 took the Higher Chinese paper. The number of candidates for Chinese Literature was even more dismal - a mere 500. However, the number of English Literature candidates was 11,000. The Chinese elite ought to have some knowledge of Chinese Literature. On the other hand, we cannot ignore those students who have special problems in learning Chinese.”
“Moreover, Chinese also has practical value in economics, the media and Cyberspace. Whatever the motives or intentions for learning Chinese may be, this external trend will have a positive effect on the learning and the usage of Chinese. Yet another trend is the change in the linguistic profile in Singapore homes. In 1988, 15 per cent of the Chinese students came from English-speaking families. In 1998, this number has increased to 33 per cent. If we consider only the Primary One students, the percentage of students who are of English-speaking family background increased from 20 per cent to 40 per cent over the past ten years. This figure will continue to grow with each passing year. Some of these Chinese students from English-speaking families face great difficulties when they learn Chinese because they lack the support of a Chinese-speaking background at home. This trend has negative effects on the learning of Chinese in Singapore. Different students have different abilities In the short run, we cannot determine the net result of the convergence of these two different trends. But the undeniable reality is: different students will have different abilities, interests and motives in learning the different subjects. The aptitude for mathematics and science is often quite different from the aptitude for learning languages. Moreover, the language spoken at home and the environment at school also affect the students' interest and ability in learning a language. Therefore, it is impractical to demand that all students attain similar results in all their various subjects. Thus, the focus of Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's proposed framework for Chinese education is on having a more flexible approach in teaching Chinese.”
“Sir, lastly, if I may add, one of the difficulties with regard to the learning of the Chinese Language by students is really the delivery, ie, the teaching methodology. It is here that the teachers can play their part to make their lessons interesting, the subject content relevant, and encourage the children to learn the language. And I hope that the teachers in the Chinese Language will do their best in this regard. The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (Dr Ow Chin Hock) (In Mandarin): Singa- pore has pursued the bilingual policy for more than 30 years. How many bilingual talents have we nurtured? The population census in the year 2000 will be able to give us the statistical figures with regard to bilingual Singaporeans. I suggest that in the Education Ministry's survey on the students' background, other than "English", "Mother Tongue" and "Dialect", an additional category of "Bilingual" be placed under "Language Used at Home". I believe that there are many families nowadays who use two languages at home. For the survival and development of our country and society, the bilingual policy should stay. This direction must not change. However, at present there are two trends that affect the implementation of the bilingual policy. The first trend is the rise of China. As China's international stature grows with each passing day, and as it becomes an economic power, the practical value of spoken and written Chinese is greatly enhanced, and the status of Chinese culture is also raised. The result of this is that more parents are willing to let their children learn Chinese, even Higher Chinese. At present, the vast majority of parents agree that by learning Chinese, their children can at the same time absorb Chinese culture and traditional values.”
“This also recognises that every child has got different aptitudes and different talents and it is important for us in our educational policies and system to allow for a variety of fields that can accommodate the different talents, capabilities and aptitudes of our children. Sir, language learning is a life-long effort and what is very important is not to kill the interest of our children and to develop an aversion to language learning. To allow a child to learn a language at his own pace and to give him the time to do it is important because later on in adult life, when he sees a need in wanting to polish and brush up the language, it will not be difficult for him to do so. I am glad that while laying the foundation of the children for primary education, we allow them the pace to attain the level necessary later on in adult life. The other point is that resources and time are limited, and we have to be very focused in the kind of outcomes we want to achieve in the teaching and learning of the Chinese Language. We have heard just now how students have spent an inordinate amount of time in Chinese with little beneficial result and, worse, at the expense of other subjects. And we have heard that what is important in the Chinese Language is for us to achieve listening, speaking and reading skills first, and later on, if they do better, to move on to writing skills. These are generally the usefulness and the value of Chinese Language for the majority of Singaporeans and it is important that we look at the needs and usefulness to the average Singaporeans. I fully support this move because it is very realistic and practical.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, after hearing Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, I fully support the view taken in the shift that the Government is to make with regard to the teaching and learning of the Chinese Language. I think the conditions are right for the Education Ministry to set the minimum attainable standards in Chinese Language and to allow parents the choice to decide the pace and level of Chinese proficiency for their children without impacting their overall educational attainment. Sir, today parents need no persuasion to have their children learn the Chinese Language. I think all of us understand the value, the usefulness and importance of learning the Chinese Language. I am glad that the Education Ministry has taken, as what DPM has mentioned, the ability driven approach in the learning of all subjects, including the Chinese Language, and the ability for the Education Ministry to want to customise learning to match the pace and capability of the child. This is a very laudable move and it is not going to be easy. But the fact that the Ministry is emboldened to make this ambitious step is laudable. Sir, the other interesting development, as I heard DPM Lee, is the use of incentives for students. I think we are trying to remove the need to use disincentives or, in fact, penalties, if students do not do well and instead take the approach of giving incentives or, what we heard just now, bonus points for students who have done well in language. This is a right approach because if we were to provide incentives, there would be the commitment on the children and parents in wanting to do well. I am very sure that this will encourage and motivate the students to strive for even a higher level of attainment.”
“I would suggest that the Government do a thorough review of the CPF scheme so that we do not unconsciously lead to the unintended effects arising from the many uses of CPF accounts. Sir, on the subject of human intellectual capital, Mr J. B. Jeyaretnam yesterday criticised the Government for not reviewing the educational system. I am surprised with his remarks. He must have been deaf to the outcry of parents and teachers that we have been making too frequent changes to our educational system. I am glad that he supports the need to constantly review our educational curricula to keep up with the times. It is precisely what the Education Ministry has been doing, introducing critical thinking skills, information technology, national education and even community service into the school curricula. The GPC for Education has always been supporting the Government's efforts to bridge the skill and qualification gap, to ensure that graduates and school leavers have the capability and competency to fit easily and quickly into the work requirements. Our students are already perceptibly different today from yesteryears. They are more confident, articulate and have inquiring minds. They are our hopes for the future. I am confident that young Singaporeans can benefit from the wide range of educational courses in Singapore. Sir, the NTUC leaders and the labour movement are to be applauded for their hard work to arrive at this consensus. In fact, it is because of their hard work that they have made our jobs so much easier today. After this debate, Sir, this is the time to act. I am optimistic that our economy will recover in the not distant future.”
“What more with work being generated for them with Government pump-priming and revisions to Government taxes, levies and charges. The Government, by its action in cutting the salaries of civil servants in Division III and above, is bringing civil servants closer to the reality on what is happening in the economy. As there is a cap in the employer's CPF contribution at the monthly salary of $6,000, it is only fair and equitable that those in the higher income category above $6,000 be made to take a direct pay cut. I am happy to note that the Ministers, Members of Parliament and senior civil servants will have their annual remuneration reduced by up to 10%. This is what leadership by example is all about, and the rest of the people should be pleased that the right tone is set for them to follow. Sir, an interesting feature in the package announced by DPM Lee yesterday is the effort to help our domestic retail trade by plugging the leak in our economy, by reducing the exempt limit of GST to travellers. I believe Singaporeans will support the move. I am sure the retail sector will welcome this gesture of the Government. I am also sure that the businesses are pleased with the reduction in the foreign worker levy. The total savings of $204 million will be an added fillip to the companies, especially the manufacturing sector. The CPF has undergone many modifications. We are introducing many uses for CPF. I am concerned whether, in the long term, CPF account holders will have enough to live on during their years in retirement. Will the investments in property and shares allow them to realise good values in time for their retirement?”
“We all know that nothing remains static. There is always a danger of the contagion effect. Even in good companies, people can be affected through takeovers, mergers and acquisitions. In good times, it is easier to secure alternative employment. In difficult times like this, those retrenched and new graduates may have to sit out for many months before they can find alternative employment. This is our major concern - to save jobs and to create many more new jobs for our people. What the Government has done is to promote shared values and shared interests. It is also of educational value to let every Singaporean know that we are in it together. Perhaps the Opposition Members may not be aware that they are promoting selfish attitudes among Singaporeans to care about their individual selves. Perhaps there are those who believe, like the Opposition Members, that we can take the more laissez-faire approach and things will improve naturally towards recovery. I would rather that we be safe, prudent and conservative in our approach in handling this tricky economic situation in hand. Even with these measures, we cannot guarantee that we will recover quickly. So we do what is necessary and hope for the best. I wish to commend the action taken by the Government to help bring our economy on an even keel. I am happy that the daily-rated employees and Divisions III and IV public sector employees do not suffer the direct cuts in their monthly salary. The Government, as an employer, is taking good care of the lower salaried staff. As I have said earlier, the public sector employees may feel the most secure during this period, because they are insulated from the experience of those directly affected by the downturn in business. Civil servants are always occupied.”
“In fact, we are taking advantage of the adversity of the regional economic crisis and turning it into a window of opportunity for Singapore to widen the gap in comparative advantage against our competitors. Sir, in the new era of information technology, telecommunications and the globalisation of the economy, we have to contend with the highly volatile international market environment. We have therefore to be quick and nimble in our response to new changes and developments affecting us. We have to be agile and flexible to operate successfully in this new environment and this requires a change in mindset. All the more we need a consensus in the vision for Singapore in the next 10 years. The Report of the Committee on Singapore's Competitiveness does just that. The target set provides the direction in which we can all work together towards a common goal. The aim is to continually improve the standard of living of all Singaporeans. For the last two days, I heard Mr Low Thia Khiang repeatedly saying that it is not necessary at this stage to cut the employer's CPF contribution, as he thinks the economy will recover very soon and we need not take the bitter medicine. He seems to suggest that the retrenchments taking place are part and parcel of working life. Too bad, you are affected. After all, only a small percentage is affected by retrenchment and unemployment. Why bring in the rest to suffer together with this minority? Sir, indeed, there are more than 1.8 million working persons in Singapore. From the selfish point of view, it could be argued that 90% of the workforce would have no problem retaining their jobs. Many could not see the threat of retrenchment or unemployment affecting them. Possibly, those working in the public sector may feel this way.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to support the motion. Yesterday, DPM BG Lee Hsien Loong gave the Government's response to the CSC's recommendations. Once again, the Government has shown that it is a responsible and credible Government. It is prepared to take hard and difficult decisions. These decisions could not be easily taken in many other countries. In times of need, the Government is providing the right political leadership to rally and mobilise the people to the common cause. In the short term, we want our companies to survive and to save jobs for our people. Sir, the Opposition has taken cheap pot shots at the Government for failing to foresee the danger signals and taking the early pre-emptive steps that could have avoided the sharp decline in the economy. The Opposition should understand that confidence is an infectious thing. The most difficult thing about managing the economy is the psychology of people. Every step taken by the Government is closely watched and interpreted by investors and traders, both locally and overseas. It is not only in the economy that is of interest to the investors and traders. It is politics that has contributed to the worsening regional business and trading environment. For a period in the early days of the regional economic crisis, the foreign financial analysts and fund managers did not make any distinction between the situation in Singapore and the rest of the region. With our political leaders taking the lead to explain Singapore's policies and strategies, foreign investors and traders now understand that Singapore is different and Singapore got what it takes to continue to do well despite the political uncertainties in our neighbouring countries.”
“I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $3,785,970,370 for Head L ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $1,945,793,400 for Head L ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Question, "That the sums stated for those heads of expenditure which appear in the last column of the Schedule of Estimated Expenditure under the Main Estimates on page 35 of Paper Cmd. 3 of 1998 stand part of the Main Estimates," put and agreed to.”
“Sir, also, the number of training hours provided has increased from 3,722 hours in FY97 to 4,782 hours in FY98. This, translated into an 8-hour working day, means that the training hours provided has increased from 471 man-days to 597 man-days. When this is compared to the number of teachers in the education service, the number of training hours appears very little. Perhaps the Minister can clarify on this. The scale in which we have invested in the use of IT in education and the direction in which we are taking is pioneering in nature. In fact, I am glad to read about the agreement that the Education Ministry has with Microsoft in developing the educational software. This is because few governments have done this before. The journey we have chosen is an exciting and even a precarious one. Many organisations have, in the past, made mistakes in the investment on computers and IT which had turned out badly. We have to tread on this carefully, and be prepared for some mistakes along the way. However, I am optimistic in where we are heading. Our children will benefit the most when our investment in IT bears fruit in later years.”