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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“It is whether we want to deal and manage the TCM practices in Singapore. Our Western trained doctors could easily learn the TCM techniques such as acupuncture. The Ministry of Health can require the setting up of a TCM Council to get TCM practitioners to regulate themselves in the standard of TCM practice and the code of conduct of registered practitioners. There are already many foreigners on social visit passes conducting ad hoc clinics from private homes, hotel rooms or medicine halls. We should stop the proliferation of such unhealthy practices. We should guard ourselves against the danger of incorrect or inappropriate TCM treatment which gives rise to serious complications later on. There will be dire consequences when there is a delay of diagnosis and treatment by western trained doctors. I hope that the Ministry does not delay any further in looking into this issue. Mr Peh Chin Hua (Jalan Besar GRC)( In Mandarin): Sir, I agree with Mr Loh Meng See. I feel that the Ministry of Health should have some control over the practice of traditional Chinese medicine. I am glad that the Ministry of Health has set up a Committee on Traditional Chinese Medicine, headed by Dr Aline Wong, to study the future development and professional standard of the traditional Chinese medicine and their practice. Meanwhile, the Government has indicated that it will actively promote the training of traditional Chinese medical practitioners and to enhance their social status. This effort by the Government is much appreciated by all Singaporeans who are concerned with the traditional Chinese medicine.”
“Sir, there is the darker implication of a technological culture. In the realm of medicine, in-vitro fertilisation, the choice of sex of infants through genetic manipulation and surrogate motherhood are examples made possible by astonishing biomedical advances. These give rise to a whole range of medico-legal, ethical, theological and philosophical questions. I wonder how prepared are we to address these issues. There is a need to give direction and guidance to medical practitioners to maintain the high medical ethical standards. The public needs to be educated on our norms and accepted standard of medical practice in our society. Our university curricula for medical undergraduates should incorporate this important subject of medical ethics - their conduct as doctors in the doctor-patient relationships. We need doctors who profess their practice to be a vocation and not a trade, as a service to fellow men and not to allow greed to rule their work. Doctors need to be constantly reminded that the patients who see them for medical treatment are in the most vulnerable and helpless position. Doctors will only help themselves if they keep their profession noble. I move on to Traditional Chinese Medicine, Sir. A large number of Singaporeans still seek traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment. There is a need to protect the interest and well-being of Singaporeans who seek such treatment. In Singapore, there is no uniform training and established standards set for traditional Chinese medicine practice. It could be considered to be unjust not to regulate TCM practice just because we know very little and lack expertise in this area. This knowledge gap could be easily filled. We can invite experts from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan to help us.”
“And the problem with advance directive is after starting treatment with the patient, should we withhold and withdraw treatment that has already been started when the result is certain death for the patient? It is easy before starting treatment, but treatment has already begun. Do you continue with the treatment? Do you withdraw? Or do you allow doctors to withhold because there is an advance directive? The final point, Sir, as the Government prepares for legislation on advance directive, is there any target set for the number of people signing the advance directive to be considered a success? I fear that if we do, this is not what we want. The Government should not measure success by the number of people who sign up. It does not really matter even if one person signs it. I think it is perfectly all right if that person chooses to sign it. Is there a guarantee that there will be no imposition, but protection given to those with religious beliefs and who do not wish to foreclose the possibility of divine intervention?”
“If we concern ourselves too much with health care cost only, we may run the risk of losing our position as a regional medical centre. No doubt we are a small population, but we have a large expatriate community here and a very large number of tourists and visitors to Singapore. There is a need for good, excellent medical facilities and services, and we see that there will be competition coming from the neighbouring countries. I would like to move on to Advance Directive, Sir. The former name is Living Will which is a misnomer. A person signs an advance directive to die in certain defined circumstances, specifically for those who are found to be incurable and are terminally ill. I think the problem with advance directive, Sir, is the definition of "terminally ill". If we recall, many years ago, those with heart ailments were deemed to be terminally ill cases. We do not know whether cancers could be fought and some cancers will find a cure, or whether there will be a cure for an AIDS patient. So there is this difficulty on the signing of the advance directive and the definitions of "incurable" and "terminally ill". There is no doubt that the artificial life support system has been developed to a very fine degree. With advance directive, my concern is how will it affect society's attitude towards the sanctity of life? How do we treat life? How do we value life? And do we allow lives to be taken away too easily? There is value in pain and suffering. As they say, if there is no pain, there is no gain. And we need to overcome pain with a strong pain threshold, so that we can achieve greater heights. This concern with regard to the sanctity of life must be addressed.”
“Every effort should be made to extend courtesy and favourable impressions to patients and visitors to our hospitals and clinics. We should continue in our efforts to reduce the waiting time of patients to be seen by doctors and the time that they take in collecting their medicines. This question was posed earlier in the sitting by Mr Yeo Toon Chia. Patients expect quick, accurate diagnosis, careful procedures and speedy recovery from their illness. We may not succeed all the time, but doctors must show that they do their best at all times in treating the patients. We must do away with the attitude that you cannot expect quality service from restructured and Government hospitals, that if you need good service you go to private hospitals. I think the HDB upgrading programme has demonstrated that it is possible with public infrastructure and public service. Excellent service must be conspicuous and easily seen and felt. Hospital staff must polish their manners and communicate properly with the patients, their relatives and concerned individuals. Service quality programmes should be a feature to win customers and any complaints and grievances should be quickly resolved. Sir, I am very happy with the efforts taken by the Ministry in the area of medical research and with the setting up of the National Medical Research Council. A sum of $20 million has been set aside to keep doctors abreast of medical advances and develop more cost effective methods of medical care. I wonder how the Ministry intends to spend the $20 million. And do we expect some pioneering medical work, especially in high incidence of dengue fever, hepatitis, cancer and heart diseases? Sir, we must not forget to retain our position as a regional medical centre.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head P of the Main Estimates be reduced by $100. Sir, over the last few years, this House has concentrated mainly in the area of health care costs. With the Medifund in full operation since 1st April 1993, many concerns of the cost impact on the poor and the needy have been largely taken care of. The other day Mr Ling How Doong asked the Government to spend more money on health care expenditure. Fortunately for us, the Public Accounts Committee took a different view. In fact, the Public Accounts Committee was concerned with health care expenditure in its deliberations. The Public Accounts Committee asked the Ministry of Health and the Public Works Department how they control the cost in the new buildings of restructured hospitals, and to ensure that there are no unnecessary frills or lavish expenditure incurred. I think this is what we should be doing and not indulge in wasteful health care expenditure, as Mr Ling has suggested. Singapore has done very well as a country with manageable health care expenditure, achievement in low infant mortality and life expectancy rates. But at the individual personal level, we can do better. Health care cost is borne by the Government, the corporations or the individuals. Whether subsidised or not, health care expenditure is paid for by Singaporeans individually and collectively. Therefore, health care providers must critically examine whether they have been fair to the public in rendering quality service to the patients. We should focus now on medical service excellence. Our doctors, nurses, paramedical and administrative personnel must work together as a team to provide excellent quality health care service to the public.”
“Sir, may I seek further clarification from Mr Ling? He asked for more Government expenditure. Maybe he can tell us specifically what will be the objective he hopes that Singapore will achieve with more health care expenditure, because he seems to suggest that a longer life-span and lower infant mortality are not the standards. He just painted with a very broad brush by saying that we want to spend more on the unfortunate and the poor. But I think the Government needs to be guided as to what will be the objective. Maybe he can point out to us specifically what are the objectives we should be achieving.”
“I think we have to look at what it costs to the State rather than the size of the salaries of the Ministers that matters. Sir, I oppose the amendment to the motion.”
“Let us not be foolhardy and be so simplistic that the top political echelon needs to be measured by the number of hours that they work. I think we all know that some consultants charge heavily by the minutes, if not the hours. So it is important for us not to be misled to be so simplistic, to measure whether the Minister works eight hours a day, 10 hours a day or even 15 hours a day. So long as they are on hand, they are ever ready to make the necessary decision at the right time, I think that is all there is. This is what we want. To anticipate the problem when it comes, they are every read to solve it. Sir, he also mentioned about the perceived privileges of retired Ministers and top civil servants. In fact, it was not very long ago that the members of the public and grassroots leaders felt that we are not taking good care of retired Ministers, particularly those who have given so much to the country. And it will be such a waste that they could not continue to contribute in different fields, and I am very sure that for every office-holder who has been given the opportunity to serve, not so much that they want it, the very organisations that have them will appreciate their services. Let us look at the other side, ie, the kind of contribution that they are making in another area, and why should we lose the services of these people if they could not continue with full-time Ministerial positions. Sir, I have also mentioned that it is so easy to ask ourselves to compare with other countries. But as I have said earlier in my speech, the Singapore civil service or the Cabinet is a very lean organisation. In fact, we have one of the smallest Cabinets to run the full organs of State.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to oppose the amendment moved by Mr Low Thia Khiang. Mr Low has chosen the dramatic assassination of President Clinton as an example that a foreign leader of government is prepared to risk his life and he is trying to suggest that our leaders do not have that risk. I think this is something that Singaporeans ought to understand. The fact that we have peace, the fact that we do not have such incidents taking place, is justification of the operational readiness and the care to the attention and details taken by our political leaders and the civil service. I think not too long ago, there was the hijack of our Singapore Airlines plane. It is a classic case of Singapore with its leaders planning way ahead and getting ready for any eventuality and the manner in which it was done won the praise and admiration of the people round the world. Sir, these are things that are not easily seen and we hope that it does not happen. The fact that it does not happen in Singapore speaks a great deal of our Government and the people involved. So I hope that Singaporeans ought to understand and not be misled by Members of the Opposition. Because it is not surprising that the Opposition do not wish to see good and strong government. They do not want to have good and strong Ministers to be in charge of Government, because the better the government is, the greater their odds in the general elections. Let us not be fooled by the drama, by the example that he has quoted. Sir, the Ministers work 24 hours a day. We all know that. They are on call. They should not be measured by the number of hours that they work. The split-second decision is enough for us. It may have saved us millions of dollars. It may have saved us hundreds of lives.”
“I am happy that in the White Paper, there are the overlapping grades in the grade structure. In fact, there are two or three grades, as the case may be within each rank. This grading system will help the Government to decide on the position of each Minister or senior public officer based on seniority, portfolio, competence and performance. And I think that is a good thing. Many people fail to understand that a Minister takes quite a while to reach the Ministerial grade and, in fact, most of them do not get into the Minister's rank immediately. This is an issue which I hope the people will understand. Sir, the final point is that, as the Government hopes to obtain external parity with the private sector, it should not fail to consider the internal equity to the rank and file in the Government service. We should be concerned about the morale of the middle managers and the junior officers in the Government service. We will have to appreciate that in the Service, it is group effort and team work that matter. And we do not unwittingly create a system whereby the salary makes for very individualistic people who only worry for themselves and fail to consider that of their colleagues and subordinates. They are all in the same boat. They should all sink and swim together.”
“We should create a situation whereby there are more people competing for jobs against some places, then I think the civil service will be in a better position to get rid of the non-performers. So it is a situation whereby if we want the civil service to have a merit system, to have the private sector discipline, then I think the first thing that we should help the civil service and the Government to do is to provide competitive salaries first. Allow them to have the ability to attract the people and I am very sure that if they have more choices available, then obviously the less good performers would be removed. But if you do not have that good and happy position of getting more people to select from, then I am afraid that you may have to make do with what you have. I agree that we have to be very careful in overpaying executives, in paying senior officers because, sometimes, if they are comfortable and not so hungry in their work then, of course, complacency sets in and performance standards will fall. The other issue I would like to suggest is to really modify the pension scheme. In fact, as a cost to the State, the pension scheme really costs a great deal to succeeding governments. Maybe some sort of arrangement could be made whereby there would be the conversion of pension money to immediate salary compensation. The second point is, as Dr Lee Tsao Yuan has mentioned yesterday, in the private sector, they practise a flexible salary system. Hopefully, the Government can set the example by also paying the total salary, a greater proportion of which is in a variable form so that we do not lock in a very high base salary for the Government Ministers and top public officers. Sir, not too long ago, there was only one salary grade for Ministers.”
“Sir, many of us may be affected by the thinking in observing the first generation Ministers, and we remember the many sacrifices made by them. But my observation is that maybe we have asked them to make too great a sacrifice. We may not have been fair not only to them individually, but also to their families. The Ministers gave the prime years of their lives to this Government, to this country. Unfortunately, our system does not recognise them for their past contribution. If they had been top executives in private companies, they would have kept their shares. Their shares would have appreciated in value today, and they would be quite well off. But our system in Government does not recognise this. I am very disturbed by the serious allegation made by Prof. Walter Woon yesterday. The allegation that he has made against certain civil servants is that they appear to be buying their time and they do not deserve the salary that they are receiving. If Prof. Walter Woon knows of such persons, then the right thing he should do is to help the Government get rid of these people rather than to make a serious allegation which, in one broad brush, has affected the whole top echelon of the civil service. It shows a lack of appreciation and, to that extent, ingratitude to the very good work done by the civil service and the contribution that it has made to Singapore. I agree that, sometimes, there is comparison between the private sector and the public sector with regard to the security of tenure of office. But how do we change? How do we get the civil service to change if we are not able to allow them to compete, to pay competitive salaries?”
“The White Paper to this House is really to let us Singaporeans air our concerns on the issue of salaries for Ministers and senior public officers. Honesty is the best policy. It is important for us to have it in the most transparent and above-board manner. There are two perspectives on this question of Ministers' salaries. One is the salary received by the Ministers and senior public officers and the other is the cost to the State. I think Members of this House and the public may have over-emphasised the perspective of the salaries received by the Ministers and senior public officers. We see them as big fat salaries. They do not understand that the Government has chosen a system of remuneration that is highly monetised. In other words, the Government is paying more cash and less fringe benefits to the Ministers and senior public officers. But the cost to the State is least emphasised. As the Prime Minister has told us yesterday, we are only paying up to $22 million for the whole leadership. I think it is important for us to ask ourselves whether that is the amount that is worth paying. If we compare with the size of the Cabinet of other countries, and if we were to compare the many duties of the top civil servants in Singapore, they are actually holding multiple functions, multiple portfolios. And I would say that the productivity of each of these office-holders is very high indeed. The other point that many of us fail to appreciate is that we have a very lean organisation in the Singapore Government. It is a Government that depends on very few people to run the country. It may appear that, in per head terms, the salary received by individual Ministers or senior public officers is high, but as a cost to the State, I would deem it to be very cost-effective indeed.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to support the motion in the name of the Prime Minister. Sir, the trouble with salary administration is that everyone has an opinion of his own. He thinks he is an expert. What we really need are a few wise men to make the decision with all the relevant data and personal information of the individuals and based on the availability, I think the Government, led by the Prime Minister, is faced with a very serious problem in attracting, recruiting and retaining Ministers and senior public officers. It is only when the very person who is in the position to deal with the problem will know the problem best and how to deal with it. What is important for us, both Members of this House and the members of the public, is to judge the Government by the outcome of its performance, rather than to put obstacles in front of the Government and make the job of succession planning even more difficult. Therefore, I do not agree with the suggestion to refer the issue to a Select Committee or to have it as an issue for referendum. Sir, we have to compete for top talent which is really in short supply in Singapore. It is a talent that we cannot import. We have to choose from our very own. Here we are not talking about ordinary people. We are talking about competent leaders. We need leaders who are visionaries. We are not looking for managers to manage. I agree that sometimes the Government may have been over-emphasising on the past achievements and the academic qualifications of our officers. But I think what the Government can do is to understand that by competency, we need leaders who are able to cope with the future. Because having competent leaders will lead Singaporeans to be able to deal with the issues in the future.”
“Sir, I am a bit disappointed with the three zones that the Minister has indicated. There is none in the city and urban areas. Can he confirm that there would not be any flats to be built in the city and urban areas? I think one of the concerns about the zonal registration is really the doubt as to the number of flats available per zone. If some indication can be given as to how many flats will be available per zone, I think people will be able to make a choice. Otherwise, it has to be balanced against the central registry. I feel this will be the main concern of applicants. The other thing is the $30,000 grant for children wanting to live near their parents. I think it is important for consideration to be given to parents living in mature estates. Because I think this is where the bulk of the elderly parents are and most elderly parents living in mature estates really do not wish to move out of the mature areas. I think we have to consider the elderly parents who are living in the mature estates and favourable consideration should be given to these people.. Dr Toh Keng Kiat (Nominated Member): Mr Speaker, Sir, there seems to be some unhappiness over how the ratio of 60%:40% has been derived. May I suggest that we keep this a variable figure and work out a simple mathematical solution, in the sense that according to the number of first-timers and upgraders, the allocation be made proportionately.”
“I hope the proposed legislation does not have the unintended effect of throwing up more cases for public assistance because the children cannot afford to look after their parents and are turning to the State for support. Sir, I support the principles of the Bill and that it be committed to a Select Committee.”
“Our objective must be to create the conducive conditions and environment for people to make up and especially in a relationship where blood should be thicker than water. Many elderly parents do not like to take their children to court. I personally do not like the legalistic approach proposed in the settling of family disputes. In trade disputes between employers and trade unions, the parties are asked first to try to resolve the dispute through the conciliation machinery with the Ministry of Labour before going to the Industrial Arbitration Court as a last resort. Even then, no lawyers are allowed to represent either the employers or the trade unions in the Industrial Arbitration Court. The tribunal is made up of employer and employee representatives and independent referees. Sir, in a family dispute, it is all the more necessary for the dispute to be settled through counselling, mediation and conciliation. I do not think that we should allow lawyers to represent either the parents or the children in a family dispute on maintenance. If we could have such an arrangement in the labour tribunal, I wonder why it should not be possible in a family tribunal. Mr Chandra Das suggested the family court or such equivalent. In working out this Bill, it is important for the State to recognise that if the elderly parents failed because the children could not really afford to maintain the parents for good reasons, the parents are likely to approach the State for help and we should be prepared to do so. As of now, some lower-income families are doing their best to look after their elderly parents even with their modest means and such cases do not normally qualify for public assistance.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, what strikes me about the proposed Maintenance of Parents Bill is that one would expect the elderly parents to support this Bill wholeheartedly. But this seems not to be the case and we wonder why. I had the opportunity to discuss this proposed Bill with my three senior citizen groups - the Crawford, Kampong Glam and Rochore Senior Citizens Executive Committees. They have hesitation in accepting the Bill as proposed. The senior citizens felt that using the law is not the way to encourage filial piety. It must come from the heart. They do not see it as a major problem in our society today to warrant Parliament to pass legislation to require children to maintain their parents. Sir, our objective and approach should be to bring the family together rather than to cause the family to break further apart. By using the law to decide on family matters, there will be little chance to bring the family together again. There are, however, advantages if certain changes could be incorporated into the Bill. Though the number of cases of children not maintaining their parents at present is small, the Bill may be effective in reversing the trend in case the parent/children relationship deteriorates in the future. It serves as a reminder that it does not pay to be ungenerous and unforgiving to members of the immediate family. It will serve the purpose of ensuring that today's parents take their duty of looking after their children with responsibility and devotion and for the children to reciprocate later. There are bound to be episodes of stress and strains in human relationship including members of the same family.”
“Sir, I withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. 5.30 pm”
“Sir, I move on to the subject of food and nutrition. Singaporeans eat out a lot. As many couples are working, they are dependent on the food centres and hawker stalls for their cooked food. The Ministry of the Environment has done a good job tightening the hygiene standards of food handlers. I think it is now time for the Ministry of Health to consider taking the next qualitative step to work out programmes to develop further the skills and knowledge of the food caterers, the cooks and the stallholders on the method of preparation and the nutritional value of the food that they serve. The Ministry may give us a stock answer: let the market decide. But, Sir, I am afraid that we need the Government to help organise and cajole the food caterers and stallholders to play their part in contributing to the healthy diet of Singaporeans in line with the objective of developing a healthy nation. Will the Ministry take on this enviable food tasting role?”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head P of the Main Estimates be reduced by $10 in respect of Code PE 1500. Sir, the Government has provided more money for the development of facilities for the aged from $18.4 million in FY 93 to $32 million in FY 94. Can the Minister tell us what the facilities for the aged are? I am pleased to note that there has been an increased number of home visits made in providing nursing care for elderly patients. It seems that the number of home visits will taper off at this level. Have we reached the limit of home nursing service that the elderly need? Are we happy with the current situation or is it because of the limitation of manpower resources that do not enable us to have more visits? I would like to see more outreach programmes in the primary health care of the elderly. Our polyclinics can devote more resources to look after the elderly. Can the Minister tell us what will be done to cater to the health needs of the elderly in the future? Sir, can I move on to the next amendment?”
“Sir, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“I would ask the Minister whether he would go one step further to define those real bad cases of catastrophic illnesses and consider not imposing deductibles for such cases. If it is not possible for practical reasons, whether some adjustments could be made to the deductibles. The average lifespan of Singaporeans is 76 years old. The bulk of medical expenditure is in the last year of a person's life. There is a 6-year gap that needs to be bridged, because the age limit for basic MediShield is only 70. Can we extend the age limit? Even if we extend, the bulk of the payment is still some time away. Is there any money left when CPF members withdraw their CPF Minimum Sum monies at 60, which is way before the age limit of 70 covered under MediShield? Is there anything that needs to be done to retain these CPF members to be covered under MediShield?”
“Sir, MediShield is an excellent scheme to insure against the hefty cost of medical bills when a person succumbs to a catastrophic illness. However, according to statistics, only 90% of all eligible CPF members are covered under MediShield. I am concerned about the remaining 10% who are not covered. Can the Minister tell us whether there are any good reasons for this 10% to opt out from the MediShield scheme? Does this number include those who have withdrawn their CPF monies on retirement? I would imagine that only a small percentage of hospital patients receive MediShield reimbursements. I deduce this from the CPF Board's Annual Report because we can see that the funds are growing under the MediShield Account. The administrators of MediShield are rightly concerned that they should be prudent and cautious in managing the MediShield funds because the claims can get out of control. But because, as the Minister told us just now, MediShield is really the ultimate safety net, we can afford to be generous to those people who are in need of coverage under MediShield, particularly basic MediShield. If it is possible, we should also consider MediShield Plus. But I think I would give priority to basic MediShield. 4.45 pm Just now, the Minister told us that the definition of "catastrophic illness" under MediShield would depend on the bill size. But I think the problem is that when a person is down with a catastrophic illness, the true meaning of catastrophic illness, it is a hard case of expecting co-payment or deductibles. Co-payment does not really apply because it would not be a deterrent for frivolous hospitalisation for such cases, ie, people with catastrophic illnesses.”
“Then the Minister for Finance need not, in his Budget speech, give notice to students wishing to study medicine that the places would be rationed. The training of doctors at first degree level should be treated like all other disciplines. It would be a pity that those who have a strong interest are denied the opportunity for training as doctors. We should allow some medical graduates to diversify into other areas of work, whether related to medicine or not. After all, we are interested in using their brains and talents in all fields, and the fact that they have received medical training should not be a handicap. It is the number of specialists that we should watch closely and impose strict limits. I think we should not impose limits on the doctors. The problem in manpower planning is that often we tend to under-train rather than have enough people being trained, including the training of doctors. The irregular flow of medical graduates in the pipeline is unhelpful and may be even more serious if we are faced with a shortage of medical practitioners. We cannot train them overnight. My suggestion is that it is better to err on the surplus side than be faced with a shortage of doctors and specialists in the future. I hope that the Minister will be generous in the number of doctors to be trained.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head P of the Main Estimates be reduced by $10 in respect of Code PA 1500. Sir, some doctors I spoke to lamented that the Government has been instrumental in commercialising the medical practice. The medical practice is no longer the noble profession it used to be but a trade. They say that doctors have been made to become businessmen. They claim that when doctors received their training in the institutions there was the sense of service but now it has turned into money to beget service rather than service first, rewards later. Frankly, I am not sure whether the Government was the cause of it or the black sheep among the medical profession. We heard from the Minister just now as he spoke about medical ethics, the dangers of greed coming into the picture and how important it is for the medical practitioners to enjoy high status in our society. We have heard the Government say that it has been responding to the reality of the situation of rising expectation, increasing demand for medical services, the ageing of our population, etc. Sir, the Government is in a dominant position in the provision of medical services. The public sector should set the right direction and the pace of development for the rest in the medical service sector to follow. It is not wise and proper for the Government to compare the public medical sector with the private medical sector only on the income and earnings of specialists and doctors. It may be even more important to compare itself with that of other public sector professionals and how they are paid, for example, the civil servants in the Administrative Service, engineers, lawyers, architects, etc.”
“Sir, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Or are these costs, in terms of building and hardware, written off partly and not imputed in the medical costs? If they are imputed, then I am most concerned about it. We should maintain a sensible balance in terms of expenditure in these areas. I know that Kandang Kerbau Hospital and Tan Tock Seng Hospital have already been restructured and there must have been tremendous building expenses, decor and other things being put in. I hope that a sense of balance is maintained, in terms of expenditure in these areas, so that the consumers, ultimately, need not have to bear the cost for all these expenses that have been put in.”
“The tempo of restructuring hospitals has been quick in the last eight years, leaving behind very little time for the consumers to take a breather and also leaving the consumers with little choice. We have restructured almost all Government hospitals. There are only two Government hospitals left and they are Alexandra Hospital and Changi Hospital. These two hospitals are rather antiquated. If you look at these hospitals, they are at the bottom of the heap. I feel that the facilities of these two hospitals are rather limited and they do not have equivalent good facilities, like what you have in the Government restructured hospitals. There are also inadequate specialists in these hospitals. And, therefore, these two hospitals, the remaining last two Mohicans, among the other hospitals, should be given better attention so that the consumers will have a choice. There should be a good Government hospital. I hope that the Eastern General Hospital, which is being planned, would be left as a Government hospital to compete equally with the restructured hospitals so that one would be able to say whether the Government hospitals can compete equally with the restructured hospitals. Sir, the other concern that consumers have is that a lot of resources have been pumped into the restructured hospitals. You have expensive buildings and, sometimes, many of these buildings are overbearing that the consumers really feel uncomfortable or out of place when using some of these facilities. What I think is important is whether the consumers are paying the cost for this. And would the Minister tell the House whether part of the bill in which the patients are paying bears the cost for all these expenses that are put in?”
“Sir, the restructuring of hospitals is intended to give autonomy to management to run the Government hospitals efficiently. There is a very big difference between autonomy and independence. Our restructured hospitals should remain autonomous and not become independent. As the medical care sector is a case of market failure, we have to be careful when the restructured hospitals are asked to compete against the private hospitals and even among restructured hospitals. The quality of service may suffer in the process. I wish to see more cooperation and sharing of resources and facilities among restructured hospitals. We have to examine the possibility of centralising the employment of key medical personnel and in the bulk purchase of commonly used items and equipment to enjoy economies of scale. The centralised pooling of resources, for example, the employment of selected key personnel will allow the ease of redeployment among all restructured hospitals owned by the Health Corporation of Singapore, provide career advancement opportunities and the retention of very good officers in our hospitals. The restructured hospitals must be given every incentive to reduce wastages and be allowed to retain the savings from increased productivity and efficiency. The accumulated funds can be used in programmes where the hospital board can decide for itself the programmes it wishes to support. May I know from the Minister how the restructured hospitals can improve further in their performance for the benefit of all Singaporeans? Dr S. Vasoo (Tanjong Pagar GRC): Sir, thank you for allowing me to join in the debate.”
“It is the collective spirit that I am trying to drive at because, collectively, we can help our fellow citizens with the contribution to the medical insurance premium to be paid, and we hope that we do not make such claims because it means that we are healthy, and the money that we have contributed is put to good use to help others in need. 2.30 pm To encourage this strong sense of solidarity among Singaporeans, I would urge the Government to use the MediShield and Medifund schemes wisely to develop the national spirit among Singaporeans. The MediShield and Medifund must be the safety net to assure our citizens that they shall have no fear when they are gravely ill. Perhaps the Minister can tell this House how MediShield and Medifund have helped Singaporeans in need to-date.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head P of the Main Estimates be reduced by $100. Sir, the Government has emphasised on personal responsibility in the health care of the individual. The average Singaporean understands the need to look after himself or herself and will readily accept this personal responsibility. The main concern among Singaporeans is in the case when he cannot fend for himself when he is stricken with an unexpected major illness. Who then can he turn to? We have said that it should be the family. Yes, the family, Medisave. But do we, as a community, allow it to stop there if the need remains? I am glad that the Government, as an employer, has undertaken to render assistance to the civil servants when the medical need arises. When a civil servant is afflicted with a serious illness and faced with a hefty medical bill, he can approach the Government for help. I think that is a good development because, with this arrangement, the worry in the minds of the civil servants has been put to rest. I would say that, in this instance, the civil service is acting on behalf of the collective body of employees to pool the resources together to help one of the colleagues when he is in desperate need of financial help and support. This cooperative spirit among colleagues in the workplace is much needed to provide the support system as it could happen to any one in the workplace. It gives the staff a peace of mind in the knowledge that help is available when needed. At the national level, I welcome the role played by NTUC Income, the only insurance cooperative in Singapore. They are already making an impact by providing medical insurance for the civil servants. As a cooperative, it deserves the whole-hearted support of all Singaporeans.”
“The professional bodies should be encouraged to conduct training courses to lower level personnel in work areas related to them at the technician and tradesmen level. In this way, there will be substantial improvement in the overall skill standards of the Singaporean workforce. As much as it is important to serve our customers well, it is equally important that our co-workers possess the skills and knowledge to perform their functions well in the overall delivery of excellent service to the satisfaction of customers. Sir, this year's Budget is a very good one. I look forward to the Minister giving us many more such budgets in the future.”
“Credit must go to the Government for the success in bringing in sizable foreign manufacturing investments into Singapore. With manufacturing investments at $3.5 billion in 1992 and $3.9 billion in 1993, we have been able to create more employment opportunities for our people. It would be a pity if Singaporeans are not the direct beneficiaries of the higher value, better paying jobs, because they do not have the skills, or with older workers, their skills have become obsolete and no longer relevant. It is not easy for the ordinary workers to perceive the changes taking place. Left on their own, many workers do not see the need for skills upgrading and retraining. We cannot help but to get existing companies and even new companies to play a bigger part in worker training. I welcome the setting up of the $1 billion Cluster Development Fund with the Government playing an active role in developing the industry clusters. When doing so, the Government agencies should also look into the aspect of manpower and training requirements and see in what ways we can better utilise our workers, especially the older ones. The Skills Development Fund (SDF) may not be able to fund the massive retraining and skills upgrading programmes required in this critical period of economic restructuring in Singapore. The Government could consider giving a bigger grant to SDF. The money invested in worker training will be worth while as we would then be keeping our workers in gainful employment for as long as possible. We should also tap the resources of the professional bodies in Singapore. Up to now, many professional bodies have confined their activities in the training and development of the members of their profession.”
“Surprisingly, the Minister has not indicated at what level the inflation rate should be contained this year. Is the inflation rate likely to breach the 3.5% level as experienced in 1991 when the economic growth was 6.7%? I take comfort in the Minister's statement that in this first year of implementation of the GST, the Government will be in a revenue negative position to the tune of $240 million. The Government will collect $960 million but give out $1,200 million in the form of tax cuts and rebates. This puts the Government in a strong position to counter any allegation that inflation is GST induced. As the Government has not introduced new measures to stimulate the economy further and aggravate the labour shortage situation and causing wages to rise artificially, there will not be the inflationary pressure to push the cost of operations up. Nevertheless, matters do take a turn which is unexpected. Fighting inflation, wherever the source is, will still be our top priority. I am glad that the Minister has highlighted the need to improve the educational standards of our citizens and the value of skills training and upgrading. I am not as concerned for those who are still schooling but for those who are already in the workforce. Our economy is going through a process of restructuring. Not only foreign MNCs are relocating their operations, local companies are also doing likewise. It makes economic sense for companies to move to locations that meet their operational requirements especially those that need low skill and low wage workers. Even then for large countries, it is not difficult to recruit better educated and higher skilled workers at lower wages. Therein lies the intense competition for foreign investment and jobs.”
“I am pleased that the CPF contribution rate for employers will go up by 1(r)% and the employee's share will be reduced by the same percentage from 21(r)% to 20%. This reduction in the employee's share of the CPF is tantamount to giving the workers a wage increase and a bigger take-home pay at 1.5% on gross earnings. This bigger take-home pay could not have come at a better time with the implementation of the 3% GST. With other tax rebates and offsets, the workers who are careful with their expenditure and exercise thrift will end up much better off this year. For the financial year 1993, the Government received a higher revenue than estimated and had a lower expenditure than provided for, resulting in a sizable budget surplus of $5.5 billion. And $5.5 billion, Sir, is about one-third of the annual expenditure of around $16 billion. I agree with the approach adopted by the Finance Minister in distributing a part of the budget surplus in the form of rebates to our citizens after the financial year's account has been settled. I think the business community has been crying wolf giving the impression that nothing has been done for them. In fact, from this year, they will be enjoying a corporate tax reduction of 3%, from 30% to 27%. Though the loss of revenue was estimated last year at $318 million, with the booming economy, I would imagine that the revenue loss would be much higher. [Mr Deputy Speaker in the Chair] 5.18 pm MTI has forecast economic growth this year to be in the region of 6-8%. If we achieve the 6-8% growth this year, we should be more than satisfied. Sir, what we should be aiming for is the real income growth. We must contain the scourge of inflation which can nullify our efforts to attain stronger economic growth.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like first to make some comments on what Mr Ling How Doong said earlier. He started his speech by explaining that the ageing process is universal and that countries are extending the pension withdrawal age. As he was making that statement, I was thinking that the logical extension to that argument would be to ask the Government to raise the CPF withdrawal age of the people. The Government is not asking for the withdrawal age of CPF to be raised but it is asking that the Minimum Sum to be set aside be increased. The second point he made was that even $40,000 cash that is set aside is insufficient. I believe I heard him say so. I was thinking that if $40,000 is insufficient, why is he asking people not to set aside any sum at all? In fact, the Government is trying to be fair and reasonable, particularly to those people with property, and to ask them to set aside half the amount in cash. I am a bit disappointed, Sir, that he has even indicated that he expected the people to sell their property if they have no money. This is precisely what the Government is trying to avoid so that the people can set aside the money early and that they can remain in their own homes without having to sell their property. Sir, economic growth for 1993 at 9.9% is indeed a pleasant surprise. It surpassed the forecast for the year and is 4% higher than the economic growth of 5.8% registered in 1992. What is significant in the 1993 growth rate is the rate of productivity growth. At 6.4% productivity growth in 1993, it is double that of 1992 growth of 3.1% and four times that of 1991 at 1.5%. Sir, the Minister for Finance promised last year that the CPF contribution rate will be restored if the economy does well and he has done so this year.”
“The Prime Minister has indicated just now how that he wished to groom the newer Ministers. There will be opportunities for many Singaporeans to receive the Ministers in their constituency visits. I hope the constituents will come forward to interact with the Ministers and to share with them their views and suggestions. The continual bonding of political leaders and the people is important. I am glad that the Prime Minister recognises this and has set this into a continual motion. Finally, Sir, I wish to thank you for your patience in the last four days of sitting. [Applause]. Question put, and agreed to. Resolved, That the following Address in reply to the Speech of the President be agreed to:- "We, the Parliament of the Republic of Singapore, express our thanks to the President for the Speech which he delivered on behalf of the Government at the Opening of the Second Session of this Parliament." REMUNERATION OF SPEAKER”
“They can continue to be generous and charitable to those who are in need and who are less fortunate. Sir, making a lot of money and being street-smart should not be snide at. We all have different gifts and we want to give the opportunity to each individual to develop to the fullest potential. We should not begrudge those who make lots of money, if they make it through honest and decent means. It is good to have people with high IQ. It is also very good to have people with high commonsense and those with a nose to the ground. I am very happy that the Prime Minister has clarified the Government's position with regard to the civil servants' medical benefits scheme. It was not necessary and not justified for the civil servants to feel aggrieved. The intention of the Government was very clear from the very start. I think what makes the problem surface, Sir, is the tying of the Ministers' salary to that of the civil servants. I am very happy that the Government will be taking steps to finalise the formula so that we do not have, once every three to four years, to justify the revision of Ministers' salary. I, myself, Sir, find it not a good thing having to discuss Ministers' salary and having them to justify how much they should be paid. In fact, the Government has always been taking very good care of the civil servants. One example is the additional bonuses that the Government gives each time the country and the economy do well. Very few countries in the world actually pay their civil servants bonuses. I think the Government has shown that it cares for the civil servants and it does not wish that the civil servants be compared unfavourably with that of the private sector. Sir, last Sunday, Mr Lim Hng Kiang has started the Ministerial visits to the constituencies.”
“I share the sentiments expressed by the Prime Minister that perhaps we need to double the Minimum Sum Scheme so that when our people retire, past the retirement age, whatever retirement age that is, they are able to live comfortably in old age. Sir, it is very important for us to encourage Singaporeans to save, to build up the assets in property and in cash and, if possible, Sir, we have got something to leave behind to our children. It will be a bad thing if we encourage each generation to spend all that they have saved in their old age. Sir, I would like to clarify my position with regard to the reverse mortgage scheme. Sir, when I suggested the reverse mortgage scheme, I was only thinking of it as a last resort, for those who are in dire need, with no children living with them and no one supporting them. In fact, it will disturb me if many Singaporeans were to think of using the reverse mortgage scheme to go for the long holidays that they hope that they can have when they retire. So the reverse mortgage scheme should be a help to those who are really in need, but not to make it easy for them to be able to spend their money away any old how. Members have expressed the concern with regard to the income gap. I am not so sure that they are correct to say that there is a growing gap. But one way to overcome it is to increase the size of the middle class in Singapore. I think we are on the way to it, because increasingly we see a larger middle class in Singapore, and that must be the way in which we can bridge the gap of the higher income and the lower income. I think it is very important for the rich and successful not to flaunt their wealth, to create the envy among the lower class.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I wish to thank all Members who have spoken in this debate in support of the motion. Last Friday, the Senior Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, gave us his insights and wisdom of the changes taking place in Singapore and the world and why it is very necessary for us to respond to the changes. Just now, we heard the Prime Minister telling us how important it is for us to be able to read the winds of change taking place, the necessity for us to stay on course, and to be able to catch the winds so that we can sail faster and further. In the past, we were able to learn from the experience and examples of other countries. In the last 30 years, Singapore has developed its own distinctive, unique character and identity. Sir, in the past, we were able to copy and imitate others to make the improvements. But as we can see, increasingly, there is a need for us to find new ideas and new solutions which are very peculiar to us and to the situation in Singapore. History is a good teacher. We can learn from the lessons of history. But we live in the present and we look forward to the future. We have to take stock of our present situation. We have to find both the immediate and long term solutions. As the Prime Minister has told us, the issue of old age will happen very soon. In fact, in less than two decades, we will have a very sizable ageing population. It is very important for us, both old and young Singaporeans, to place importance in saving for our old age. The Minimum Sum Scheme has worked well for us in the past. We need to improve on it. There is a need.”
“Tomorrow, Sir. ADJOURNMENT Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn." - [Mr Wong Kan Seng]. Adjourned accordingly at Four o'clock pm. Annex 1 - MEDISHIELD BENEFITS AND CLAIMABLE LIMITS (Cols. 249 - 250) Annex 2 - Reimbursement Computation for MediShield Plus Plan A (Class A), Reimbursement Computation for MediShield Plus Plan B (Class B1) (Cols. 251 - 254) Annex 3 - ANNUAL MEDISHIELD PREMIUMS (Cols. 255 - 256) Annex 4 - ANNUAL PREMIUMS FOR CO-PAY ASSIST (Cols. 257 - 258) tables - ANNUAL OUTPATIENT CO-PAYMENT UNDER OPTION B, INCREMENTAL CO-PAYMENT ON HOSPITAL BILL FOR OFFICER ON OPTION B, ANNUALISED INCREMENTAL COST OF HOSPITAL BILL UNDER OPTION B, ANNUALISED INCREMENTAL OUTPATIENT AND HOSPITALISATION EXPENSES UNDER OPTION B COMPARED WITH ANNUAL SALARY GAIN, REIMBURSEMENT COMPUTATION FOR BASIC MEDISHIELD, RENAL DIALYSIS, ANNUAL INCREMENTAL MEDICAL COST OF OPTION B WITHOUT AND WITH CO-PAY ASSIST PLAN (Cols. 259 - 276)”
“If, indeed they can, then in fact they are better off, especially for the civil servants. I hear that NTUC Income will give supplementary insurance. Does it mean that now insurance could be provided for co-payment and deductibles? I am not so sure. Can the Minister clarify that? What does it mean when NTUC Income come in with the supplementary Co-pay Assist? Does it mean that you can allow co-payment and deductibles to be insured? Can the Minister clarify that, please? What about the other insurance companies? We know that arrangements have been made with NTUC Income. Will there be provisions for the other private insurance companies? The Minister also said something about over-insurance. Is there really a possibility of a person over-insuring himself? What will be the implication? In the Medisave account, we have a limit on how much can go into the Medisave account. Will there also be a similar limit on the MediShield Plus insurance. So that (1) we save people the money; (2) we do not want to create a situation whereby a person who has insurance will make full use of the insurance that he has already paid for. I think that will end up with a negative effect on insurance that we want to avoid. The last question, Sir, the age limit for MediShield Plus has remained at 70. There is no 70-plus for MediShield Plus.”
“Sir, I am very happy to hear the final statement made by the Minister that civil servants will indeed be better off and this will allay the apprehension that they have with regard to the revised medical benefits scheme. The MediShield Plus scheme has allowed CPF members to pool their resources together for additional coverage in the higher class wards, ie, A and B1 wards. As MediShield Plus has been in place, and the Minister has told us that there will be improvements made to the Basic MediShield, I hope that the Ministry will not take too long to make the necessary improvements. Otherwise, you have one category of CPF members who are not benefiting from the improved MediShield scheme. The civil servants now have a complete picture as to the options available and how they can make the choice for themselves. I hope with this announcement by the Minister all uncertainties will be removed by the civil servants. I have got a few questions for the Minister to clarify. I am concerned, as he said, 12% of the eligible Medisave members have opted out of Basic MediShield. May I know what are the reasons for these people opting out? Because he said that 88% did not opt out. So 12% have opted out. Is it because of ignorance or is it because of misinformation with regard to the Basic MediShield? What will be the implication for these people, the 12%, who have opted out in the first instance? Will they then not be given the opportunity to move on to MediShield Plus? Sir, with MediShield Plus, will the patient be allowed to choose private hospitals? Will it be restricted to the Government and restructured hospitals' B1 and A class wards? Does it mean that the patients can choose a private hospital as an option now?”
“The anomaly should not be allowed to continue so that we will not lose sight of our objective in education. School ranking should also be avoided so as not to strain the relationship between the school and students. This is not what the Government seeks to do. Mr Speaker, Sir, the good news of improving the salary of teachers and to attract more capable people into the teaching service is commendable. But the policy whereby teachers who do not opt for the new medical benefits scheme will not be able to enjoy the new salary increase has brought about much disappointment to many teachers. They believe that this scheme is unfair to them and has dashed their long-awaited hope of a pay increase. This will also defeat the purpose of attracting more talented people to remain in the teaching service. I hope the Ministry of Education will clarify and improve on the policy so as not to link pay increase with the new medical benefits scheme, thus allowing those teachers who do not opt for the new medical benefits scheme to continue to enjoy any pay increase that they deserve. In this way, it will be able to help future efforts to expand the teaching strength and improve the quality of education. Mr Speaker, Sir, with the above points, I support the motion. 1.05 pm”
“(4) The Government would consider allowing mortgage with local banks assets invested in other countries so as to encourage them to speed up their foreign investments. (5) The Government would consider direct flights so as to enhance the economic and investment growth of Singapore. (6) The Government would consider setting up Singapore information centres in various big cities so that our entrepreneurs would be able to obtain data and first-hand news about Singapore. (7) The media would try their best in providing information in the investment activities of our entrepreneurs so as to encourage more to go overseas. Mr Speaker, Sir, the President's Address mentioned the setting up of more schools and upgrading the present schools. This is a piece of good news to Singaporeans. The Ministry of Education's objective to improve on the quality of education and to reduce the drop-out rate is also a correct move. However, the Ministry of Education may need to periodically review the adverse effects of certain policies. Here I wish to raise an example of a resident who came to seek my assistance at my meet-the-people session. His child has been promoted from N2 to N3, but his results are not up to the expectations of the school principal. He was asked by the principal to transfer to another school. I fail to understand why this is necessary because his results are good enough. I believe the school wishes to keep those students with very good results so that they will not be falling behind in the ranking of schools. So those with passable results will not be welcome. I think this is very abnormal. The Ministry of Education should consider making adjustments to prevent such occurrence and to avoid straining the relationship between the school and students.”
“No matter how fast our pace of development and the extent of modernisation, so long as we can preserve these traditional values, the greying population will not only be a social problem but also a problem for the family and the individuals. All these three parties, therefore, can join hands together to work out a solution. Mr Speaker, Sir, the President's Address also states: "In economics, one major thrust is to venture abroad, to develop trade and investment links with neighbouring countries, and tap the vitality and opportunities in a fast-growing region. We will promote a regional outlook among Singaporeans, and remove obstacles that hinder our entrepreneurs and companies from going offshore." This is very heartening for entrepreneurs and companies who think of going overseas. In the past years, the Government had already established a good reputation for entrepreneurs and companies overseas. It has enabled the Singapore businessmen to embark on joint venture business with foreign governments and companies. This has indirectly strengthened our economic growth and opportunities and has brought prosperity to our country. The decision by the Government to promote a regional outlook among Singaporeans and remove obstacles that hinder our entrepreneurs and companies from going abroad is a farsighted move. I hope that the Government could consider the following factors: (1) The setting up of more "Singapore schools" or the incorporation of the "Singapore Educational System" in the present schools, to provide education for Singapore children overseas. (2) The Government would help in solving the "double taxation" problem so as to minimise the burden of taxation. (3) There would be an incentive scheme to encourage our entrepreneurs to bring back the profits to Singapore.”
“I, therefore, hope that the Government will study the following suggestions. First, we know that our life expectancy is in direct proportion with our health. Therefore, except for those aged who are sick and unable to work, the Government should encourage those who are in good health and able to work to continue in their jobs instead of enforcing the retirement age. This will help to reduce the wastage in manpower and also enable the younger generation to have a longer period to learn from the senior citizens' past experiences, thus stimulating our economic growth. This will be very good to Singapore in the situation of full employment. Secondly, for those senior citizens who are healthy but only slower in movement and softer in speech, the Government should consider giving them lighter jobs so that they can continue to serve the country. This will also help to lighten the burden of the society and, at the same time, keep the aged able bodies occupied. Thirdly, we should give more tax rebates for families who take care of the sick and elderly. For those families who need to take care of the sick and elderly, the Government should consider giving them tax rebates so long as the old members are certified unfit by the Government doctor so that the expenditure in supporting the aged can enjoy tax rebates. We should continue to inculcate the good value of respecting the elders. Getting old is an unavoidable cycle in life. Youngsters who respect and take care of the elderly will one day be respected and be taken care of by others. Therefore, those who are concerned about the greying problem are actually thinking of their own future and preparing for their old age. Filial piety, respect for the old and family care are the most important social values in our Asian society.”
“As for those aged 60 and above, the proportion will increase from the present 10% of the population to 26% in 2030, which is around 835,000. Furthermore, a UN expert on population analysis has predicted that in the year 2025, the greying population in East Asia will be more than 10%. In this region, Singapore is predicted to top the list with a greying population of 18%. These statistics remind me of the many constructive suggestions made in the Report on Elderly Persons by Mr Howe Yoon Chong which I believe deserve further review and discussion today. Mr Speaker, Sir, I am glad that the President's Address did mention that the Government has, through legislation, raised the retirement age from 55 to 60. The Government will also gradually raise it further, and eventually to 67. At the same time, to deal with the problem of the greying population, the Government will amend the CPF Minimum Sum Scheme. This will enable the Central Provident Fund members to withdraw higher amounts each month after they have retired at the age of 60. The aging population will gradually affect the economic growth of Singapore and pose some social problems. Therefore, the present Government's proposal to adjust the policy is a wise act. The Government intends to implement these adjustments gradually so as to prevent our labour market from suddenly losing its competitiveness and flexibility. At the same time, the Government is prepared to give employers enough time to get used to the new labour conditions. This highlights the great emphasis that the Government has always put on employer-employee relations. There is a need, however, to debate on the suggestion to raise the retirement age to 67. Why 67, and not 65 or 75? How is it adopted?”