Low Thia Khiang
Singapore
“Mr Speaker, my question is for the Minister for Health. The official communication channel to the people who subscribe to the WhatsApp group quoted the Prime Minister saying that "Experts think that the Wuhan virus may be less deadlier than SARS". So, can we have some verification whether this is true so far?”
“In Mandarin, Sir. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] So, Member Mr Gan Thiam Poh meant to say that although the Minister has the decision-making power under this Bill, you can still go to Court to challenge the decision.”
“Mr Speaker, clarification in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] I have stated clearly that the Government already has a lot of power under existing legislation. They can even shut down websites.”
“(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] First and foremost, you must follow the Minister's decision to take down the message, you cannot go to Court. According to this Bill, you must comply with the Minister's order. Otherwise, you will be charged.”
“In Mandarin, Sir. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Our Secretary-General is in the Committee. He told us about the contents of the Committee's discussion, so we know what was discussed in the Committee.”
“(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] You assume that the Minister will not do this, but is your assumption correct? It may be correct now, but will it be correct in the future? Even the Minister cannot guarantee that, he said he cannot be sure that future governments will not abuse their power. Can you be sure?”
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“It heightens our awareness towards adversities, and motivates us to overcome difficulties and take on challenges. Forbes magazine recently published its ranking of the world's richest nations and Singapore ranked third, after Qatar and Luxembourg. Both Qatar and Luxembourg have an estimated per capita gross domestic product of over US$80,000 while Singapore's GDP per capita is US$56,694. This shows that Singapore has achieved great economic success within just over 40 years. However, it is too early to celebrate. There is a Chinese saying that goes "wealth does not last for three generations". The complete phrase says if we pass on good values to our children, it will last 10 generations, and the next most enduring qualities are diligence and education, followed by literary knowledge and culture; however, if we only pass on wealth to our children, it will not last more than three generations. Page: 1465 This is quite common in real life too. The first generation are the builders – they are thrifty, hardworking and motivated to strive for success; the second generation are the keepers – they witnessed the hardship of their fathers and are deeply influenced to work hard and look for opportunities to expand. But the third and fourth generations are different. They grew up in very good conditions and seldom go through hardship. They are like flowers in a greenhouse and are inferior to their forefathers in terms of foresight, vision, ability to withstand stress and adversity quotient. It is not uncommon to see such examples in many family businesses. As it is so in the business world, it is likewise among countries. Looking around the world today, it is not hard to find such examples. Greece, for one, is a good example.”
“More importantly, how politics is played out in our system and in other countries. We simply leave all these to them thinking that with good education, they will figure out all these one day, and decide for themselves at the age of 21 at the ballot box. We simply leave all these to chance. But our youths are so vital to the country. Social and political reality tests are subjects in the world classroom. They ought to be given adequate exposure early. Our youths are like the "Dream Makers" in their own right. They are the "Dream Makers" for Singapore and Singaporeans in the next 20 to 30 years when they are in charge of Singapore. Looking at the past, we see the old as the "Dream Riders" who still have much to live for. Looking to the future, we see the young chasing their dreams and creating some for us along the way. They are the future of Singapore. They are the purpose of this Budget! Hence, I urge the Government to give some more thoughts to our future "Dream Makers" while continuing to take care of yester-year's "Dream Riders". Mr Speaker, Sir, now allow me to continue my speech in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Pg 1553-1554 for Vernacular Speeches.] Mr Speaker, Sir, Budget 2012 is a Budget for the future, just as Deputy Prime Minister Tharman emphasised, the Government's immediate task is to uplift and restructure the economy through improving our skills, creativity and productivity, so as to raise Singaporean's wages. Recently, the Budget is hotly discussed among all quarters and I have gathered a lot of feedback. Today, I want to focus on crisis mentality and "wealth does not last for three generations" in my Budget discussion. Crisis mentality is about being forward-looking and having a sense of purpose, an awareness of adversity and accountability.”
“Sir, for too many young people, politics may be an alien territory. To many people, it is only during times of crises that politics becomes a noble calling. In times of peace, many among us would apply our energies to business, arts, our professions and our families. With the need for a new generation of politicians in mind, I believe it is time for us to consider a platform, either under Parliament or any other such suitable agency, to gather the minds of our youth. I have recently met my counterpart from Malaysia and he told me that his Ministry is looking into a Youth Parliament to engage young people, invite them to contribute ideas, involve them in policy deliberation process. I think this is something that warrants consideration. I know some of our educational institutions have organised mock Parliament for students to play the role of parliamentarians and, through the process, cultivate constructive political discourse and sensitise them towards the reality of life. But these efforts are ad hoc and not structured. More can be done by the Government in this area so that our youth, the future leaders, are not only academically well-tuned, but are also socially and politically in tune. Page: 1464 Sir, in my last Budget speech I began my speech with the "Dream Riders", about a group of seniors in their 60s and 70s who wanted to relive their youthful glories in their sunset years, on their motorbikes. This year, I want to end my speech with the "Dream Makers" – they are our Singapore young people. Our system is such that we create a world-class education to nurture our young. But we have not made a conscious effort to expose students to how our country is run, how the civil service functions, how policies are made.”
“From an external point of view, a cool-headed and cold-blooded rationalist would say "the collective wins". That may have worked in the past, for the reasons of the past. But today, it may not work in the current and new atmosphere. And I again, agree. I agree that the collective should no longer ride roughshod over the individual, that we need to take more care, and that various assorted interests must be balanced sensitively and carefully. But how do we do all this? First, let us continue to keep the discourse. Increasingly, in our public interactions, we see more anger and verbal aggressions. My colleagues who work at the frontline in the Civil Service, in schools and hospitals, tell me that they, too, are beginning to experience this. Second, I think with the future becoming more complex, and more demands being made on the collective resources we all own, such as land, air and space, we need increasing participation in the process of decision making. Not just a crude adding up of numbers, or petitions, or referendums. What we need for the future is a group of leaders who share a view about the political process – and I hope this includes the current paradigm – that is of politics as a civil, informed and fair, righteous and honest way of making decisions. In the words of French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre "an intellectual exists in order to draw attention to the principles of revolution". Member Dr Lam Pin Min talked to me yesterday about the word "revolution". So I told him I am going to talk about revolution today in my speech. Sir, revolution is not always about blood and tears; if the next empires are empires of the mind, then the sorts of revolutions that we have need to be mental as well. We need a change in how people, especially young people, think.”
“" All these words sound familiar, do they not? And I believe many of us have heard doting parents saying these to their children. But too much of this sort of parenting leads to what some call an "indigo generation" – a generation who has a higher sense of their own importance and also their place in the world. Dan Kindlon, the child psychologist writes, "Indigo children come into the world with a feeling of royalty, have difficulty with absolute authority, they simply will not do certain things. For example, waiting in line is difficult for them." These are Kindlon's words to describe the emerging phenomenon in America. More seriously, and more directly relevant to Singapore, this epidemic creates a sense of entitlement and encourages incivility. Page: 1463 Sir, Singapore is not America, but I would like us to be able to share the ability to look at ourselves as critically, honestly as they have done. I do not know if we, too, have a Narcissism epidemic here. But I do know that we feel entitled to many things. And quite rightly so. Peace and quiet in our homes, enjoyment of urban spaces, best schools for our children, prompt and helpful replies to our emails. Sir, I agree, and that is the difficult thing. I agree that people are entitled to quiet homes and urban spaces and the best schools and prompt replies. I agree. But as a collective nation, how do we do this if, at the same time, we need to dig to build tunnels for new MRT lines, if we need space for eldercare homes, if we need to limit school places so that teachers will give their best attention, and if we reach the biological limits of human attention span? More importantly, are there right answers anymore? If it comes to collective good and individual loss, what do we do?”
“And when we say "Marx" and "1848", the word "revolution" comes not far behind. These words are not those that give you a warm fuzzy feeling. They are not like "harmonious society" or "consensus building" or "collective interest" with "collegiate processes". Yet dialectic is what drives us forward. If we all agree, if we all have no new ideas, if we were all a homogeneous lump, then we will not have progress. Before we go further, I thought I ought to make two clarifications. The first is that not all conflict is useful or productive. For example, opposition based on false ideas and scurrilous attacks is not only unproductive, but also counter-productive. The second is about the need for a new climate. The new climate needs to be one that tolerates robust views and debate, but it also needs to be one in which the marketplace of ideas quickly decides which ideas are valuable and which worthless and need to be discarded. In this respect, I would like to cite a survey by American academics at the University of California at Berkeley. Over the years, these academics have seen an increase in self-admiration among young people, including feelings that they are "special" and better than other people. Dr Jean M Twenge and Mr W Keith Campbell wrote a book on this phenomenon and they called the book The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement. The book describes a movement that started with the best of intentions, an attempt to boost self-esteem, and ended with extreme self-admiration. It is partly the result of two or three generations of prosperity and well-meaning parents who want the best for their kids, telling them, "You are the best, you are special, you deserve the best, you will get all the support that you need to excel!”
“Here and now, we face the problems of the elderly, at the national as well as community level. Here and now, we face limitations of capacities, including transport and housing. Here and now, we have a new political landscape, where more want exceptions to be made, rules to be rubbery if not bent altogether, and we also want a collective decision. And we also want our own personal individual interest. Page: 1462 The first two problems appear to be a quite different sort from the last, which may be thought of as almost a purely political one. We all know that the Singapore Government has been fairly good at tackling policy, engineering type of problems. Give us a technical problem, with clear KPIs and a good team of professionals and we can turn out world beaters, for example, ERP for congestion, flats by the thousands, best airport, best seaport, etc. The political problem, however, appears to be the "one that is not like the others". Or is it? For me, politics lies at the heart of all we do, and this Budget, to be truly a Budget for the future, must speak to the transformation of the political vision and climate of our country as well. When we speak of the future, we need to speak of change. And if we adopt a dialectic view, we would see that social conflict is the key driving force of social change. A society without conflict will be a society of fossils and die for the lack of change. For German philosopher Karl Marx, the capitalist society is one in which those who have capital exploit the working class. In 1848, Karl Marx points out that it is in the interest of those who exploit that society does not change. I know I may be making some people uncomfortable by talking about this because conflict is not a nice word.”
“It is very natural to be averse to uncertainty and changes, but beneath the new narratives or developments, is the strength of the forests and the foundation that we have built as a nation. To future-proof our people, we need to develop new narratives – for the children with learning difficulties and our nation's workforce. The thriving rainforests that you have seen are here in our midst. If we can see and draw from the creative and regenerative strength, we can meet the challenges come what may - the people of Singapore, one nation, resilient, strong and tall. On this note, I support the Budget. 1.50 pm The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (Mr Sam Tan Chin Siong) : Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank the Finance Minister for a Budget for the future. It is a Budget that makes real the dream that was unveiled by the Prime Minister two years ago when he spoke of an "inclusive" Budget. Spending public monies is not just to ensure economic growth, but growing together, and also growing in a qualitatively different way from what we had in the past. That was a Budget which stressed togetherness, the need for good, valuable work, for a dignified and fulfilling life, and also for substantial investment in our young. This year's Budget continues in the same vein but very generously, as complimented by many Members in this House yesterday and this afternoon. It is so generous that it makes us feel as if we are living in one of those socialist welfare states, rather than in Singapore. Sir, many people said that this year's Budget is a Budget for the future but, I think, in many ways, it is also a Budget for the here and now.”
“A healthy skills ecosystem approach needs to be catalysed and nurtured by the Government no less, and not be left to market forces. There are strong reasons for the Government to play an active role in this. Potential benefits could be: (1) better alignment with economic restructuring; (2) support for both the workers as well as employers; (3) more efficient distribution of manpower resources; (4) ability to support job redesign through policies and interventions where needed; and (5) closer alignment with institutes of higher learning. Page: 1461 In addition, we need the Government's long-term view and objectives to be met in order to successfully future-proof our workforce. Due to the pressures of the bottom line, businesses are certainly prone towards meeting short-term aims versus the long-term investments needed in job redesign. Job redesign is certainly here to stay. Today's jobs are being challenged by tomorrow's demands, all too quickly. If we can maximise our manpower capacity and capabilities through clever work organisation and job redesign, we have a chance to re-create value, increase productivity, provide long-term employability and future-proof our workers for the better. At first glance, these challenges may appear difficult, but if I can liken it to another exhibit in the Singapore Show by Ms Genevieve Chua, entitled "After the Flood", these mono-chromatic images of forests with hand-painted lush are actually photographs of Singapore's secondary tropical rainforests in Orchard Road. This is in Orchard Road. According to Ms Chua, her work explores the fear of the unknown and the fear of new narratives.”
“Can we explore the idea of nurturing a healthy skills eco-system with job redesign for better skills deployment? There is, indeed, a chance, and this is an opportune time for us to develop a skills ecosystem, especially in our services sector where skills are more easily portable and transferable across industries and companies. For example, as part of Australia's Skills Ecosystem National Project, Queensland Community Services and Health Industry Training Council partnered two large not-for-profit healthcare service providers in a job redesign project to tackle labour and service quality in aged care. As a result of their collaboration, the jobs for allied health aides were redesigned to improve both their autonomy at work and career development opportunities. The skills ecosystems approach helps create an environment where more accurate information on skills demand and supply can be easily communicated between the various stakeholders, and that facilitates a better matching of skill supply and skill demand. This way, we can better address the availability or development of skills as well as its application. For this to succeed, we need to harness the full capacity of Government, the industry and the community to open up new possibilities for skills, innovation and productivity. In her most recent Harvard Business Review article, "Enriching the Ecosystems", Rosabeth Moss Kanter suggested that enhanced linkages and collaborations between innovation, enterprises and jobs can bridge the gaps between business, academia and policy leaders. The resulting ecosystems will generate more ideas, start-ups, company growth, globally-competitive companies and, certainly, prosperity.”
“PCF now has a nine-member Special Education Needs team that includes two Learning Support Coaches, four Learning Support Educators and three social workers in the HQ. The team has built a holistic network of support, knowledge and skills transfer linking the teachers, principals, specialists, therapists, parents and caregivers. Each group has a different role and competence level that feeds into an "ecosystem" of skills to support the children with learning difficulties. Page: 1460 Now, in the same way, let us look at how we can future-proof our workforce by nurturing the development of skills ecosystems. Like many advanced economies, Singapore faces the twin challenges of an ageing and shrinking workforce. The global playing field is being redrawn at a faster pace. The economic cycles of boom-and-bust are becoming shorter and recurring more quickly. Globalisation can grow and also disrupt industries like we see in Kodak. Technological advancement can make today's job obsolete tomorrow. The recent Budget measure to further reduce the Dependency Ratio Ceilings (DRCs) amid a tight labour market means that many businesses could be affected by the shortage of workers. As our economy restructures, it will have to explore different ways to increase productivity and to maximise their human capital. While the PIC and the SEC given by this year's Budget can help bring some relief, the Government can certainly do more to help our businesses increase their manpower capacity, at the same time, future-proof our workforce for the long-term. In his Budget speech, Deputy Prime Minister Tharman suggested that to attract local workers, jobs could be better designed or redesigned with the worker in mind, that is, a worker-centric approach.”
“(In English): In addition to these suggestions, may I, at this juncture, ask the Government to consider PCF's example of how they tackled the shortage of therapists. Through innovative job design, PCF created a new position, five years ago, the role of a Learning Support Coach for its organisation nationwide. The main role of a Learning Support Coach, LSC in short, is to train and work with PCF teachers to support children with learning difficulties across all PCF centres in Singapore. Its first LSC is 31-year-old Ms Fiona Woo. She has trained 200 PCF teachers and 80 principals in one-to-one sessions over the past five years. A former pre-school teacher, Ms Woo was qualified in special needs education and was a Speech and Language Therapy Aide. What does an LSC do? Ms Woo provides short-term direct early intervention support to PCF pre-schoolers with learning difficulties in mainstream pre-school environment. She arms teachers with practical strategies and tips on how to manage and include these children in their class. In addition, Ms Woo teaches parents, caregivers, teachers and principals the ways to help these children adapt to a mainstream pre-school environment without putting the spotlight on these children. She also coordinates the specialist support for the children's special learning needs. As part of her work, Ms Woo conducts screening tests for dyslexia in PCF. She shared with me her passion. I quote: "The best reward for me is to see the child with learning difficulties being able to socialise and learn well in mainstream school environment. That means I was able to make a difference in the child's life at his formative stage." I hope the Government will look at this model of training and support used by PCF for the impending DSP.”
“An inter-Ministry team will allow us to draw upon the complementary strengths of various Ministries to pull their respective levers and resources to address the issue. Page: 1459 For instance, we can take a two-pronged approach: firstly, to boost the number of trained child therapists and psychologists through education and training; and secondly, to develop ways to tap the latent pool of manpower. These efforts could involve Ministries like the MOE, MOH, MOM and agencies like the WDA or even the NCSS and CDCs. In Mandarin, please. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Pg 1552 for Vernacular Speeches.] Prior to this, I talked about a two-pronged approach. Firstly, the Ministry of Education can review the future direction of our tertiary institutions to attract and train more talent in this field. Currently, four tertiary institutions offer courses on therapy and special education. We need more talent interested in this field. According to a survey by the National Research Institute at the University of Chicago, last year, physiotherapist and special needs educators ranked third and fifth respectively, among the happiest jobs in the US. Recently, MCYS launched a new campaign to attract people to become social workers. Should we also start a campaign to attract people to become physiotherapists? Secondly, MCYS can also help to look for talent pool that has not been explored, for example, retired teachers with teaching experience. The Workforce Development Agency can also encourage PMETs who are looking for a mid-career change to become therapists. Housewives or women looking to re-join the workforce can also become therapy assistants.”
“According to Professor Ho Lai Yun, Senior Consultant at the Department of Child Development in KK Hospital and Director of MOH's Child Development Programme, about 5% to 6% in every cohort of pre-schoolers have developmental needs that could affect their learning. This works out to about 2,000 children a year. The shortage of psychologists and therapists could seriously circumvent the outreach to these children. Even with the impending launch of DSP, we may still be under-serving this community. Each child is precious and none should fall through the crack due to lack of resources. We need to make the learning environment more inclusive and more supportive for these children at the formative age. The outcomes for these children can be improved with early detection and the necessary therapy. By narrowing the gap before they enter Primary 1 in mainstream school, they can have a better chance of coping and succeeding within mainstream schools. To this end, I would like to ask the Government to strongly consider adopting a whole-of-Government approach in ramping up the manpower capacity and building the necessary capabilities in these areas. May I propose an inter-Ministry steering committee be set up with the mandate to drive a manpower capacity and capability development plan that meets the needs of children with learning difficulties? An inter-Ministry taskforce is much needed, for this challenge requires a holistic and child-centric approach that cuts across education, health and training, not just MCYS. This could be led, however, by MCYS, as it spearheads an Enabling Masterplan. This inter-Ministry committee can prioritise the types of therapists needed, whether it is speech and language, occupational therapy, behavioural or even child psychologists.”
“The lower income, elderly and those with disabilities are being supported by this caring and compassionate Budget. Most of all, the Government has shown confidence and courage to build an inclusive society and a stronger Singapore for the future. Looking ahead, how can we further future-proof our people? If you go to Singapore Art Museum today, there is an exhibition called "The Singapore Show: Future Proof". Showcasing more than 35 works by 26 local artists and collectives, it is one of the biggest exhibitions of home-grown art in recent years. It captures how these promising young artists view Singapore and how they wish to change the viewers' perspectives of home. Ms Donna Ong's "Crystal City" is a beautiful installation of bottles that reflects the skyline of a glass city. In her work, she mirrors the fragility of dreams and aspirations. I can identify with that. Today, the dreams and aspirations of some anxious parents and children are given new hope. During his Budget speech, Deputy Prime Minister Tharman announced the Development Support Programme (DSP) that will look into meeting the needs of children with mild speech, language and learning delays. Some 2,000 children will benefit from this new Programme when it is fully rolled out. This is, indeed, heartening news. However, we are also keenly aware that according to the MOH, there is presently an estimated 22,000 children under 18 years old with learning difficulties. We have about 230 psychologists and therapists in Government-related learning assistance programmes as well as in SPED and mainstream schools. This suggests that one psychologist or therapist could be looking after about 95 children.”
“It is important that our older workers, those with disabilities and lower income families who require special assistance as the economy restructures are not kept wanting. Against a rising tide of ageing population and the challenges it will bring, employers, workers and society at large need to work hand in glove with the Government today to realise the tangible benefits of planning ahead. We must embrace a mindset change towards ageing and the elderly, learn how to leverage on our "silver" talents and provide them with quality healthcare so that our seniors can lead an active, enriching and fulfilling life. Sir, I support the Budget. 1.35 pm Ms Low Yen Ling (Chua Chu Kang) : Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for giving me an opportunity to join the debate. Please allow me to start in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Pg 1551 for Vernacular Speeches.] A while ago, Mr Low Thia Khiang said that he sees this Budget as a change in the mindset and psyche of the Government – that the Government had previously focused on the economy and is now focusing on social development. Mr Speaker, I think this is too one-sided. As a little red dot with no natural resources, Singapore has no choice but to constantly develop the economy. I had worked in the Economic Development Board of Singapore for 10 years, so I realise the importance of this. A country needs to have effective economic policies, only then will the country be able to generate wealth for the society, enjoy surplus and do more for the people with the surplus. Page: 1458 (In English): Please allow me to continue in English. I welcome this year's Budget for it is significant in the way that the Government has shown its heart for the people.”
“They have forged friendships, developed roots and a sense of belonging. Thus, a more flexible Silver Housing Bonus scheme or an enhanced Lease Buy-Back Scheme should be put in place to convert their existing asset to cash without having to move them. Page: 1457 On MediShield, I am heartened to see the coverage extended to 90 years of age. The twilight years of a person's life are the period when they utilise the most healthcare. A person living long beyond the age of 80 would probably have stopped working for at least 15 years. Thus, it may be the case that they would have used up most of their savings accumulated in their working life. Their children may also have progressed to become senior citizens themselves. Hence, the burden of caring for them may cascade down to their grandchildren. Sir, we have done much to stretch the MediShield coverage to 90 years. As a gesture of honour for our very senior citizens for their contribution and sacrifices made to the country, would it not make good sense to go that little extra distance and complete the MediShield coverage till the end of life? I am certain this gesture will be well appreciated. This will give our honourable seniors the added peace of mind as they live to their ripe old age knowing that they can be less of a financial burden to their children or grandchildren. Sir, in closing, I am heartened that instead of a broad brush approach, Budget 2012 has reached out to the vulnerable segment of our society to ensure their pressing needs are addressed. It has also set the tone of the shape of things to come for our people and Singapore. Ensuring the overall well-being of our society is as much as achieving economic growth and helping businesses grow.”
“Hence, I would like to urge the Ministry to put in place training schemes for pre-deployed domestic helpers and to build a pool of trained domestic caregivers who are certified to provide basic care for the elderly sick or disabled. Similarly, I am particularly concerned with the low-income families coping with the financial burden of care-giving at home. I would urge the Government to consider increasing the grant to fully cover the domestic helper levy for hiring domestic helpers to care for the elderly with disabilities. For such cases, domestic caregiver is a necessity rather than an option. It will encourage family members to continue with their jobs while at the same time ensuring their loved ones are well looked after and making them more productive and better workers. I would also like to ask the Government to consider extending the monthly $120 grant to low middle income families caring for their family members with severe disabilities regardless of his or her age. A person with severe mental retardation, or someone who had suffered from a stroke, will need more intensive support and supervision for his or her entire life. Many will require full-time care and will benefit from full-time domestic help. I do urge the Government to consider extending the monthly grant to these families too. I am happy to note the Finance Minister's announcement to help the elderly unlock the value of their flat and putting cash in their pockets. I do hope that this good policy measure would not be negated by a lack of sufficient smaller or studio flats for them to downgrade to and realise the benefits of the Silver Housing Bonus. Many of the elderly have also indicated that they are unwilling to relocate as they have lived in their homes most of their lives.”
“I am certain there are many examples of timeless professions where seniors would be valued for their accumulated experiences. Page: 1456 To encourage continued workforce participation beyond the mandated retirement age, our employers will need to adopt a new mindset change. Rather than view matured workers as more expensive or slow, they can actively plan and assist older workers to continue contributing to the success of their organisations. This may mean providing training as well as adopting flexibility in the job design or in the employment of people in their 50s and 60s based on their skills and experience. Employers should also focus on "workplace wellness" by reinventing or restructuring the workplace for older workers to perform more optimally and safely without a reduction in productivity. Sir, I would like to now touch on caring for our elderly. Chronic illnesses, immobility, disability and ageing are realities. In caring for the elderly, the family is the bedrock of support. This year's Budget provided much relief as we strengthen healthcare support and make healthcare more affordable. Expanding capacities and increasing subsidies are commendable. Sir, I am happy that the Government is taking several measures to facilitate assistance for more home-based care. There is a significant and growing number of domestic helpers who are hired to double-up or solely look after the elderly. Many of these pre-deployed domestic helpers are not mentally prepared, physically able and trained to care for the elderly sick, making them an occupational risk. It does not help that, in most cases, the domestic worker is usually alone with the elderly at home.”
“These older workers have a wealth of experience at their disposal and it is a waste to eliminate these experiences through retirement. Older people who are still able to work past their retirement age should be supported to do so. Sir, we must encourage people of all ages to make their invaluable contribution to work. We must not stereotype age, which is potentially discriminatory, such as older people lacking of ideas or motivation. Having a mixture of age groups in our workforce can enable companies to benefit from a richer diversity of opinions and experiences. Our seniors should age with dignity, especially so in employment. They should not be discriminated against under the pretext of renewal or cost management for the companies. Employers must appreciate their older staff and pay them fairly for the work done. If the older workers are giving the employer the same effort, time, talent and value as any of their younger staff, why should they be paid any less in wages and employer CPF contributions? The Government is making the right move in Budget 2012 to increase CPF contribution rates for older workers. I hope that in time to come, the Government can move towards restoring the full employer's CPF contribution for older workers aged 50 and above. Removing the retirement age will encourage anyone aged 65 or older to apply for jobs based on their skills and experience, and allow employees the freedom to work beyond the age of 65 without prejudice or employer discrimination, unless in roles that demand exacting manual labour or involve public safety. For instance, education is a timeless profession, and teachers who are seniors are valued for their wealth of knowledge and experience.”
“Page: 1455 These changes in demographics represent a squeeze on those of working age as well as on the Government, as we look to provide retirement incomes and healthcare for the ageing population. This also impacts the workforce as the retirement age has been increased from 62 to 65 this year and will be raised to 67 later. We will have a larger pool of older employees who can form an invaluable manpower resource as they can still continue to contribute economically. Hence, this "silver" Budget is timely. I believe that real social inclusion is achieved when our workforce, comprising our older workers, can contribute and participate in the improvement of productivity and economic growth; and has access to salaries that improve their living conditions and the welfare of their families. For those entering retirement today, their experience will be quite different to the one that their parents enjoyed in the past and their grandchildren will experience in the future. Today, seniors in their 60s are different from those 10 years ago. Advancements in health and nutritional awareness have helped to nurture fitter and more active seniors, many of whom have expressed their desire to work beyond 65 and continue to contribute towards the function of society. From my interactions with my residents, there are rising levels of concern about the ability to cope in retirement. It stems from fear about not saving enough for retirement and also about ill health in retirement. Many say that they can still continue to work with the same vigour and energy and are disappointed that they have to either retire, or be re-employed at a lower level, take a pay cut and see a reduction in the employer's CPF contribution.”
“Older people are generally stereotyped as sick, frail and physically dependent on others. While names and characterisations may vary, the message is the same: older men and women are incompetent and lack self-sufficiency. Steps can and must be taken to reduce the stereotyping of the elderly, curb ageist attitudes, promote a sense of inclusiveness and compassion towards our elderly. Whether it is about building or locating an elderly care centre or taking the MRT train, caring for our elderly at home or in the community, we need to shape positive perception to look after this special segment of our population who has contributed and sacrificed much for our country. Our educators, parents, employers, healthcare providers, journalists, the arts, media and the Government must all step up our game to shape positive attitudes and perception of our elderly. Our seniors are also evolving in the way they perceive ageing. Surveys done recently revealed 87% of respondents believe that seniors can play an active role in society. While there may be a stereotypical view of the elderly as being weak and frail as a result of natural ageing, I think we should emphasise that many of our seniors are becoming more active, socially engaged, technologically savvy, trendier and independent. Sir, allow me to now speak on retirement. Today, as a result of improvements in nutrition, exercise, healthcare and, generally, a focus on well-being, the average life expectancy of Singaporeans has risen. As the population ages, the pattern of retirement is changing rapidly in Singapore. People are increasingly coming to terms with and understanding the impact of living longer and the need to adequately prepare for an extended period in retirement.”
“Page: 1454 I am happy to note the focus on the social dimension of this year's Budget that addresses the needs of the older workers, elderly, low and middle income and the disabled. This has certainly struck a chord with many Singaporeans. While we cannot expect a country's budget to solve all problems or address every need, Budget 2012 adopts a long-term strategic approach to these issues of the vulnerable amongst us. This will reap far more social value, narrow the social divide and pay economic dividends in the long term. Today, I would like to touch on three areas – perception of the elderly, retirement age and caring for our elderly. First, on perception of the elderly. We have heard many times how rapidly our country is ageing. Today, we have 352,000 people over the age of 65, about 117,000 more than what we had 10 years ago. This is a 50% increase. The number of people aged 85 and over are close to double in the same period. These numbers are significant and they will continue to rise quickly over the coming years, with the first cohort of baby boomers turning 65 this year. We are sailing into uncharted territory as a new ageing generation is forming and society is trying to catch up. Companies are watching the age of their workforce. Policymakers are trying to keep financial and health support systems up to speed. Researchers and scientists are fervently finding treatments for age-related illnesses and businesses are scrambling to provide wellness and anti-ageing solutions. As the structure of our society changes, the challenges facing us are how we can shape positive perception towards the elderly and older workers. How the elderly are perceived can have implications on how they are treated in our society.”
“Mr Yamada had said, 'Volunteering to take the place of the younger workers at the power station is not brave, but logical. I am 72 and on average I probably have another 13 to 15 years left to live. Even if I were exposed to radiation, cancer could take 20 or 30 years or longer to develop. Therefore us older ones have less chance of getting cancer.'." Such is the courage and resilience we see in the Japanese in the face of adversity. The Japanese have faced many disasters, from world war to earthquakes and deadly tsunamis. These have helped built social cohesion and resilience in its people. The fact that he was elderly showed how the elderly too had a role to play in our society. As a nation, we are far from achieving this ultimate goal of being a socially resilient society. We must learn to work together as a team, as one people, in handling difficult situations, including the silver tsunami. We must discard the mindset that "this is not my problem" and that "the Government will solve all our problems". We must learn to take responsibility of our living environment, our lives and our own destiny. We must take the responsibility of looking after our senior citizens well. Our children are watching and learning from us. We will grow old one day and, similarly, we want our children to take care of us in our silver years. We want a Singapore that is strong and inclusive, where its people can live meaningfully and age gracefully and with dignity. Sir, on that note, I support the Budget. 1.22 pm Mr David Ong (Jurong) : Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for allowing me to participate in the Budget debate.”
“One resident even joked, "Well, if I'm sick and old, at least I know that there's a hospital downstairs", although he was quite young and only had recently married. I am heartened by this response, as well as other recent examples – the Family Service Centre in Marine Parade and a campaign by Nanyang Polytechnic students for Singaporeans to embrace ageing. Page: 1453 In my opinion, while the Budget has catered for the building of more long-term care facilities and acute care hospitals, even more important is that we Singaporeans must excogitate and reach a common consensus on what the task is ahead and how we can all come together to help. Japan and Thailand have done well so far, building that common understanding of what is needed of the country to face the threats together. There was an article reported in the BBC last year after the tsunami and nuclear reactor disaster that took place in Fukushima. And I thought it will be most apt to share the story in this House: "The deadly tsunami had struck and resulted in a nuclear leak crisis in Fukushima last year. It was while watching the news on television that Mr Yasuteru Yamada decided it was time for his generation to stand up and volunteer themselves. No longer could he be just an observer of the struggle to stabilise the Fukushima nuclear plant. The retired engineer reported back for duty at the age of 72, and organised a team of pensioners to go with him. A group of more than 200 Japanese pensioners volunteered to tackle the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima power station. The Skilled Veterans Corps, as they call themselves, was made up of retired engineers and other professionals, all over the age of 60. They rationalised that they should be facing the dangers of radiation, not the young.”
“Rather, I want to highlight that while the Thai military, aid groups and VWOs were key players in flood alleviation measures, distributing life-saving supplies, aiding people, it is not just these organisations and institutions which have come together to fight the flood. The flood alleviation effort was a national one for Thais all over the country donated food, water and clothing to help their countrymen – far exceeding donations for previous years. A CNN report called this true teamwork among the communities – those who have a boat would use it to transport aid or to help neighbours carry their possessions as water levels rose and engulfed homes. Whenever there were donations, they were shared with fellow countrymen. Even Thais here in Singapore, who were not affected by the floods, pooled their pockets together and conducted fund raisers for their homeland. The coming together of the Thais, I believe, shows how people can come together and help one another because they have a common national identity. In meeting our own tsunami, let us Singaporeans realise that the building of such facilities is for the elderly, people who are Singaporeans like our parents and grandparents. Every Singaporean, not just the state, the Government, the institutions, has a responsibility to make this happen. As the Member for Sengkang West, I have had my fair share of such instances too, when the announcement was made that Sengkang General Hospital would be built in my ward. Naturally, like Toh Yi residents, some of my residents were concerned about the building of the hospital. Fortunately, the majority agreed that there was a need to do so.”
“In making these plans from the lower levels of the municipality and prefecture, the Japanese government built a consensus and common understanding of the priority of building infrastructure for the elderly. This raised the policy priority of the issue to a much higher level within both public and private spheres. That said, I think making policies from the ground up, empowering the grassroots to do their own policies is just one way of creating consensus. We also have often seen the Japanese coming together in drills, practising for earthquakes, tsunamis, disasters together, even from young. We see children participating in mass-public drills alongside adults and the old. Whenever the drills come on, the Japanese would participate in the most serious manner, for they recognise that how fast one can react will determine whether lives are saved. This happens not because theirs is a culture of compliance but, rather, the Japanese recognises the severity, priority and seriousness of preparing for the inevitable. What I want to say is this: a common understanding of what we as a people face is thus just as crucial, if not more crucial, than the build-up of infrastructure and amenities to meet the needs of the elderly, or for the common good of the population. In a place nearer us, we all know that in the second half of 2011, Thailand was hit by severe flooding. Lasting more than two months, it was billed as the worst floods in Thailand's history. The World Bank estimates it to cost US$45.7 billion in economic damages and losses. But the issue I want to raise is not the severity of the floods or the economic damage caused.”
“Other past examples include: in 2010, residents in Pasir Ris and Tampines objected to plans to build rental flats close to their blocks and, in 2008, Serangoon Gardens residents were up in arms when a proposal was made to convert a disused school into dormitories for foreign workers. The problem lies in the fact that we do not enjoy the same sort of luxury of space as in other larger countries. Singapore is a small country. Space in Singapore is scarce and we need to optimise land use as much as possible. If we do not build it here, then where? What if everyone refuses to allow these necessary facilities to be built near their homes? During the debate on the presidential address last year, I raised the issue of taking care of our elderly and not sending them to nursing homes in Johor Baru – yet, if we are not united on the need to come together and build for the future, then that could be a very sad but real possibility. Japan, too, faces the same problem as we do – a rapidly ageing population and a huge proportion of the elderly in the population. Yet, the Japanese people have a common consensus on what needs to be done. Recognising that family care giving for elderly people was becoming increasingly difficult, the Japanese government developed and implemented the Gold Plan in 1989 which defined specific goals to be achieved over a 10-year period, which included the number of day care centres, nursing homes, home care aides, etc. Page: 1452 The Japanese government commissioned each of their own municipal governments to survey the number of elderly living in the area and draw up their own specific action plan to tackle the issue.”
“That is close to 800,000 to 1,000,000 people, more than the total number of people living in Ang Mo Kio, Bedok, Tampines and Sengkang today. The infrastructure and the planning strategies needed to address this ageing problem take time to be realised and we really need to act now before it is too late. We need to take care of our own elderly population and that is why we need to understand the urgency of ensuring that there is infrastructure available to support the elderly now and in the future. We are all getting older. Tomorrow will be our turn. Growing old is something inevitable for every one of us. To put it very bluntly, we are actually doing this to prepare for ourselves in the future. However, two recent events have made me realised that while the Government can plan to build the infrastructure, there needs to be a paradigm shift in the mindsets of people such that we are all attuned and aligned to the problems ahead. All of us, I believe, have heard of the Woodlands and Toh Yi incidents, where residents protested against the building of elderly facilities, such as the day care centre and studio apartments respectively. I do agree that residents in Woodlands and Toh Yi have a right to be heard and their views should have been sought about the building and siting of the proposed facilities. But when I heard some of the reasons cited, I was stunned and disappointed. What alarms me most is what we coined the NIMBY, or Not In My Backyard syndrome – where people refuse to have facilities sited near their homes, but far away.”
“The Government has been fostering social resilience among Singaporean and this effort must be strengthened to ensure Singapore can cope with any future attacks on our social fabric. Let us go back to 2011, where the last GE introduced a new word into the political vocabulary of Singaporeans – "a new political norm". We had witnessed several milestones in the political arena, both in the ruling party, as well as in the opposition. After the elections, everyone – politicians, people and society – agreed that there is a need to forge a new social compact based on this new political norm. One where the Government is more receptive, more consultative and more engaging. One where the populace is more vocal and more aware of its rights and not afraid to voice its opinion. This, I think, is inevitable with a more educated, aware and developed society. Page: 1451 While a new social compact is forged upon this new political norm, there must be a common consensus on the tasks that lie ahead and what we, as Singaporeans, and not just the Government alone, must do. This is something that we have often heard – the Government cannot do this alone, we must work hand-in-hand. And this is no less true. An often heard Chinese adage tells us that one chopstick is broken easily, but 10 chopsticks, together, make for strength in unity. Yes, while we have a right to be heard, and for questions to be answered, let us, as a nation, be very clear about the challenges we will be facing in the future. We have heard so much about the Silver Tsunami and calls by many parliamentarians in the House to face this impending reality head on. To put things in perspective, by 2030, 20% of Singapore's population would be above the age of 65.”
“There is no doubt that Singapore has done well economically. We have transformed ourselves from a Third World, to a First World country in just over four decades, in spite of our lack of natural resources and many other challenges. Our strength is in our ability to transform and adapt to the ever changing environment, both regionally and internationally. Besides making Singapore economically strong by constantly upgrading and restructuring our economy, there is also an urgent need to make Singapore strong socially, by building up social resilience among Singaporeans. However, we are currently still far from the ultimate goal of being a socially resilient Singapore, as evident by the responses of many Singaporeans to many recent events, including the SARS and H1N1 outbreak. Let me quote an article published in the Singapore Medical Journal in 2003, entitled "Heroes and Heroines of the War on SARS", by Professor Chee Yam Cheng. And I quote: "Nurses faced the unknown when the SARS outbreak began. Many of those falling victims to the disease were colleagues. What made it especially difficult were the prejudices nurses faced. Taxis and even buses refused to stop at the hospital. Neighbours did not want to ride the lifts with them. At any packed food court, there would always be a seat for a Tan Tock Seng nurse. Queue lines would shorten when a nurse joined that queue." I personally encountered an unpleasant experience demonstrating the loathsome attributes of humankind in challenging times when I was working at ground zero in the heat of the SARS outbreak. Indeed, there is a real fear that fragmentation will occur in times of adversity and major catastrophes.”
“What is sad is that Tony, who suffers from polio and has difficulty walking, often has to stand in the bus because no one wants to give up their seat to him. How wonderful would it be if each and every one of us does our part to make someone else's life a bit better by simple everyday acts of kindness. The Government alone cannot create an inclusive society. We need socially responsible employers. We need strong VWOs who, because of their very nature, will be better able to galvanise people and resources much more effectively than the Government is able to do. We need those who need help to help themselves by going for training programmes and job placements or by supporting other measures to support self-reliance. Finally, Sir, we need Singaporeans to be engaged, involved and concerned about the well-being of their fellowmen and to do their part to make ours a truly inclusive society. On this note, Sir, I support the Budget. Page: 1450 1.05 pm Dr Lam Pin Min (Sengkang West) : Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for allowing me to join in the debate. First and foremost, let me congratulate and thank the Deputy Prime Minister Tharman and his team for a very well thought through Budget for 2012 – one that is not only inclusive but with a heart for the elderly and the less privileged in our society, but also sets a very clear direction for the future. What strikes me most is the overall theme of this year's Budget – "An inclusive society, a stronger Singapore". The Government has set forth a whole array of social and economic strategies to achieve this. However, this is no easy task and will always be work-in-progress. It will take Singapore many years, or even generations, to evolve into a truly inclusive and strong society.”
“Also, with the cutback on foreign manpower, non-working mothers will become a very valuable resource for employers to tap on and we could do more to facilitate their employment. Sir, in his speech at the IPS Singapore Perspectives 2012, Mr Tharman said, and I quote: "Building a fair and inclusive society is at the heart of our role as government. It is about both social and economic strategies, as they are bound inextricably together." I want to echo that point, which I agree with completely. A balanced social and economic development is the only sustainable model of growth. Without economic growth, Government will not have the means to collectively invest in people and infrastructure to sustain social growth. On the other hand, unbalanced economic growth will cause inequality to widen which will gnaw at the very sinews of our society and, over time, undermine economic growth. Sir, we have come this far because of heavy investment in social capital. Not just through this year's Budget but since the time we became independent, we have invested so heavily in education, housing and health. But we were able to do it because we were pulling together – the Government taking the lead, with the strong support of the people. We need to strengthen this social compact, not just between the Government and the people but also between the people themselves. Even as we debate about how this Budget will help create a more inclusive society, we have to agree that this is a shared responsibility. Everyone has a part to play. Take the case of Tony, who I mentioned earlier. Tony lives in Yishun and travels by bus every day to his workplace at Kaki Bukit. That is an example of true grit and spirit of this person.”
“The women strongly appealed to the Government to relax its rules prohibiting home kitchens. They were told to cook at central kitchens which are commercial cooking facilities but many cannot afford the rent and other related costs, and because of their caregiving responsibilities they cannot work outside their homes. So using a central kitchen is not a viable option for them. The women understand and are mindful of NEA's concerns over hygiene, safety and neighbours' complaints. Therefore, in their proposal, they had suggested various measures to address these concerns, including even devising a contraption to absorb smoke, grease and smell from their cooking. Sir, I would like to urge NEA to look into this proposal. The spirit of this Budget is to build an inclusive society and a stronger Singapore. It is in this context then that we should view the appeal from our needy women to allow them to operate home-based kitchens. Their main desire is to be self-reliant and to enjoy a steady stream of income doing something which they are really good at, which is cooking. Through this, many of them aspire and hope to build a better future for themselves and their children. Page: 1449 Still on the issue of women, Sir, I note our efforts to attract more women back to work through the Flexi Works! scheme and the WOW! Fund. Thousands of women have gone back to work under the NTUC's Back-To-Work programme since it started in 2007. But these two schemes have been in place for a few years now, so it is timely to review and reassess how to make them even more effective and relevant to the needs of businesses and our women as feedback suggests that an overhaul is needed.”
“This continued focus on education and children's development is important to ensure that social mobility continues to be not only a hope but an achievable reality for our low-income Singaporeans. I dare say that many of us are here today in this Chamber because of social mobility. Although an MCYS survey shows that social mobility is still alive today, it also warned that we cannot expect the same level of mobility for subsequent cohorts. Let me at this point surface an issue raised by many women with me and which I hope that the NEA could look into. Many women from our low-income and needy families want to work to earn an income to support their family or to supplement the family income. Quite a number are also single mothers and may be the sole breadwinners. They want to be self-reliant and avoid having to depend on the Government for social assistance. Despite our enhanced childcare subsidies, many of these women cannot work outside their home because they may not only have young children to take care of but also frail elderly parents. Some are also suffering from disabilities or other illnesses which make it difficult for them to secure outside employment. One way in which many of these women could earn an income is through running a home-based food catering business. They love cooking, something which they have been doing for years for their own families. However, recently many had received warning letters from the NEA and they are worried and confused, and their source of income has been disrupted. A couple of weeks ago, I was invited by DEWI, the women's arm of the Singapore Malay Chamber of Commerce, which held a dialogue jointly organised with Berita Harian. This was a dialogue session which was attended by more than 300 women.”
“He said, "In today's volatile situation, most of the middle class is one income shock from being pushed back into poverty." To counter this risk, he suggested "that social security programmes should be gradually extended beyond social assistance". Our situation in Singapore is not as severe as what he had described. Nevertheless, we know that with an ageing population and rising costs, the middle-income earners are also feeling squeezed and greater Government support in healthcare will certainly help to reduce some of their concerns. Page: 1448 Sir, other than healthcare, PMETs will also need stronger support in job placements and retraining. Many had worked only in one sector almost their entire career and find it extremely difficult to switch to another sector or another industry because of lack of skills or knowledge of the jobs available and, in many cases, also the difficulty of having to adjust to a much lower pay. It is not so easy for an engineer, for instance, who has worked for 20 years in an electronic sector, to switch to a sales or marketing job, but it is still possible with support and assistance. We do need greater labour market intervention measures to assist displaced PMETs. My third point, Sir, is that this Budget is pro-family and, more specifically, pro-children. Many more children will now be subsidised with the raising of the family income level to $3,500 for student care, and the introduction of the PCI for the enhanced subsidies under KIFAS, CFAC and student care. More mothers could now go to work or remain in the workforce knowing that their children will be taken care of.”
“Dignity Kitchen went to great length to devise their own training programme and modify the workplace to make it disabled friendly, including installing a special machine to make it easier for a disabled worker to make bowls of noodles to serve customers. Tony will benefit from the WIS as well as a number of his colleagues who suffer from various disabilities, from hearing impairment to autism, some of whom are below 35 years old. His employer will be so relieved to know that his efforts to provide employment opportunities to the disabled is strongly supported by the Government and he will be able to enjoy the Special Employment Credit of 16%, which is a significant savings for him. Second, this Budget marks a shift in the Government's approach to middle-income earners. Greater social protection has now been extended to them as they too are affected by the rising cost of living, especially those sandwiched between caring for their children and their frail elderly parents. I have a resident in my constituency, a PMET, with two children and who is paying for his degree programme at a private educational institute. When his father's dementia worsened and he could no longer keep him at home and had to send him to a nursing home, he really struggled to pay for the nursing home fees as he did not qualify for the subsidies. This year's Budget will bring him great relief as he will now pay lower fees. Indeed, with the new subsidy framework in place, two thirds of all Singaporeans and 85% of our elderly will now receive subsidies. This is a significant improvement and will benefit many middle-income families. Johannes Jutting, the OECD's Head of Poverty recently wrote in an article entitled "Rise of the Global Middle Class".”
“Page: 1447 First, I note that whilst most Members in the debate strongly endorsed the increased social spending which they see as a necessity, a couple have expressed reservations whether this could result in over-reliance on the Government. These are valid concerns. However, I see this Budget as giving a strong boost and support to self-reliance, independence and employment. Consider the employment of older Singaporeans and those with special needs. By incentivising employers to employ older workers and the disabled through the SEC, the Budget aims at boosting employment, and therefore helps our elderly and disabled achieve independence and a greater sense of self-worth, which no amount of social assistance can provide. People want to lead dignified lives that come from earning an income through their own efforts. By making it easier for employers to employ them and making it worthwhile for them to work through the WIS and the increased CPF rate for older workers, the Government helps to boost independence and self-reliance. The Government is also sending a strong signal that everyone has a part to play, including those who need help. It is clear that these Budget measures alone will not make a great change in the employment of older workers or those with special needs. Employers have to take the leadership by redesigning their work processes, introducing technology and changing their perceptions to view such workers as a resource and not a liability. Take the case of Tony who suffers from polio and who works in the dessert stall of a social enterprise called "Dignity Kitchen".”
“Optimism also because I think the majority of Singaporeans would embrace the language of inclusion. Our young have impressed me with their high sense of social consciousness. Also, our social recession is nowhere a social depression and, indeed, on many indicators, we fare much better than many other countries. But the world is changing fast in a way that we cannot ignore. In particular, there is an imperative to deal with the income divide and wealth gap, which has clearly manifested in growing political problems – the Occupy movements, the Arab Spring uprising, and increasing labour and political instability in many countries. We are changing domestically and politically as well, as outlined by many Members in this House. It is my firm belief that we need a different type of leadership, an adaptive leadership. This is not a straightforward kind of leadership. But if we succeed, we will find each person, individually or in groups, having something unique to offer to the community, because, not in spite of, their differences. And when each of us starts contributing meaningfully to the communities that we live in, we will feel more fully citizens of this country and this is when a place to stay becomes a home. And maybe then, we can rely less on incentives to induce the right behaviours. And maybe then the Minister for Finance will not need to have to decide whether to raise GST or to raise income taxes. Sir, on balance, I support the Budget. 12.53 pm Mdm Halimah Yacob : Sir, I rise in support of this Budget. I went on a house visit last night and I asked residents for their feedback on the Budget. Except for one family, the rest had no adverse comments and were generally happy with the Budget. I have three points to make on this Budget.”
“Page: 1446 My last point, which needs to be a short one, is that we need to have better data, information and knowledge of social realities, and evaluation of past and current programmes. One major complaint from academics, private sector analysts and people working in the non-profit field is that there is a dearth of data that will help give us greater insights. The Prime Minister promised last October that more information would be released, but I think the pace is not fast enough. May I suggest that the Government adopts a negative list approach to information? Just decide what cannot be released, and make a commitment to release everything else. Another major problem that I have with our Budget statements in general, not just this Budget 2012, is that there is little evaluation of past policies and programmes. What is the effectiveness of redistributive programmes like Workfare or GST transfers? There is a lack of detailed research on how families are coping on the ground. For this, we need longitudinal studies to track people over time because cross sectional data gives an incomplete picture of reality. Likewise, there is also very little evaluation of incentive programmes. Have they worked? What is the deadweight loss? There is sometimes a perverse effect in providing incentives. Studies have shown that people who are rewarded for altruism become less altruistic. Sometimes, incentives mark the thing you want to sell as a bad deal, and make it even harder to sell. In conclusion, I am making these fundamental proposals for a major review out of optimism, not despair. Optimism because we are here today working from a position of strength, including, quite importantly, fiscal strength.”
“It would have been much better if we had controlled housing asset inflation, kept the first home much more affordable, at around three times the buyer's annual income, and allowed much less of the CPF to be used for housing. I am also very concerned about the plight of people facing insufficient or declining incomes, as well as income inequality. Unfortunately, education, the great potential leveller, has increasingly become a positional good that only the well-to-do can afford. We also need better schemes to protect the vulnerable from the risks of unemployment and income loss, while avoiding moral hazard. Singapore Perspectives 2012, organised by the Institute of Policy Studies, threw up many suggestions worth considering. And yet another major area of concern is that inflation has risen so fast. We need new strategies to keeping costs down, beyond appreciating the currency, so that people can get by and young couples find it less challenging to get married and start a family. Let it not be said that Singapore is only a good place to live in only if you are rich. A quick note on financing increased social spending for the future. If it is part of a shared vision to strengthen social cohesion, I am sure the more well-to-do Singaporeans can be convinced to finance this with higher income taxes, instead of needing to increase GST again. The era of racing to the bottom in global tax competition is over. But, first, I am sure people would need to be convinced that we are exhausting other options, like re-allocating budgets across Ministries and maximising the Net Investment Return Contribution, which I believe has headroom to grow while preserving the real value of our reserves.”
“But we know that it is a matter of balance, and I acknowledge the Government's efforts and Prime Minister's reassurance that the Government will redress the situation. But I think we need a more radical review, and not merely build on current policies and programmes. We need to find a new social contract that achieves a better balance between growth and equity, and between individual responsibility and social insurance. The realities today are different. Economically, there is much more uncertainty. In our first 30 years we had one recession; in the last 15 years we had three. The Gini coefficient continues its relentless climb, and it does not even take into account the wealth gap. The sandwiched class are more stressed. Inadequacy in old age savings is showing its cracks. Social mobility has fallen. Inflation is persistently high. So, for example, I believe the balance between self insurance and pooled insurance is skewed in healthcare, with the Government constantly forcing more into Medisave, a form of self-insurance. Singaporeans are not pooling their healthcare risks enough. Some 55% of healthcare spending is financed directly by patients; much higher than the case in other developed countries in Asia. It is economically inefficient to have such high precautionary savings, much of which may never be used, except to be passed on to their kids. Likewise, we have used housing as a key way to store up retirement savings. We are now a victim of that success and cannot seem to unlock its value. Even with the Silver Housing Bonus, most would still use their existing flat as catastrophic insurance, downgrading or leasing back only when desperate.”
“I believe the core value of inclusiveness is that everybody has something worthwhile to contribute. When you look at kids play a game, sometimes they exclude somebody in the group from playing, and it is often because they think that the kid is not good enough and would make them lose. Likewise, when a company does not hire a senior or someone with special needs, it is thinking it will lose; in this case, lose money. When we speak the language of inclusiveness, we must change our mental models. The underlying philosophy is that each individual has some fullness. Every person we classify as needy has something to contribute, and we need to encourage inclusion by recognising potential, not discounting it. For example, seniors have experience, autistic persons have the eye for detail, and poor families have strengths to be harnessed. When we design policies and schemes, we must always take this strength-based approach. Otherwise, programmes like the Special Employment Credit, which is certainly useful, would not work. A sign of an inclusive society is a society that gives, not just takes. We need to mobilise entire communities, build relationships among local assets for mutual problem-solving and mutual self-help. In any case, while the Government can cater to material needs, the people need to bring in the soul and cater to social, emotional and even spiritual needs. Page: 1445 Fourthly, I think we need a fundamental rethink of our social policies, particularly our social safety nets. The Government's reflex reaction is that strong safety nets erode economic incentives, undermine competitiveness, are unsustainable and increase moral hazard. There is, of course, truth in that.”
“Instead, the State should step in only when the initiatives clearly exceed the capacity of individuals or private groups acting independently. But these are only my beliefs. I want to hear from others. Secondly, in the area of Government-to-People relations, I would advocate that the Government focuses more on enabling and empowering citizens and civil society to do more. This is related to my last point. Enabling means building capability and developing leadership in the community. Empowering means a real ceding of power, decision-making and ownership of projects, with a tolerance for a degree of messiness and inefficiency. The language from Government is so far more of communication and engagement, not empowerment. Power is often seen as a zero-sum game – the more you have, the less I have. But I believe, instead, that power is something that can be grown and shared. We need to put more power back into the people, both into designing their futures and into taking charge of what affects their everyday lives, like how to design their neighbourhoods, use common spaces, site facilities, and restrict noise levels and other negative externalities. We should devolve power to the communities and grassroots, away from the more centralised methods of today. There are good process tools that community leaders can use to help people make good decisions – through community visioning and planning, and large group decision making centred on community values linking the selves to groups and finally to the community. The National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre is experimenting with some of these tools on the ground through our Asset-Based Community Development approach. Thirdly, I return to the theme of inclusiveness, or People-to-People relations.”
“This gives social partners a continued platform to co-create with the State, and the Government a way to harness the energies of the community. Finally, the deliverables must be an articulation of the shared vision and values that most Singaporeans would subscribe to, and a broad architecture of how we want our society to be organised, with clarity on the roles and functions of the state versus community. Any strategic blueprint from the exercise must be a living document that is dynamic and evolving, as many policies and programmes require experimentation, learning and refinements before they work. Now, allow me to touch on some aspects which I think this exercise could cover. I will just touch on five: (i) a shared vision and new social compact; (ii) defining Government-to-People relations; (iii) defining People-to-People relations; (iv) rethinking our social policies; and (v) improving diagnosis of social realities. Page: 1444 First, a shared vision and new social compact. Here, there are many questions that beg to be answered. What are the social ethos and values that shape our society? What is our conception of the good life? How do we deal with each other, with increasingly divergent interests? What are the principles and foundations of the new social compact? What is the Government's role? For me, I believe in a more communitarian society, with a more egalitarian ethos. The State must do more to protect citizens from the vagaries of the market, to ensure a more sustainable level of distributive justice and build social infrastructure. At the same time, the State needs to do less in social and cultural activities. Government should refrain from undertaking activities that the community, the family and the individuals can take on.”
“The Prime Minister, at the debate on the President's Address last October, said that after last year's General Election, a committee was set up to review social policies comprehensively within Government. Sir, such a major effort cannot be entirely Government-driven. It must be equally community-driven. We live in uncertain times and face a complex array of social issues, many of which the Government has limited direct control of. Hence, citizens need to be firmly engaged in tackling the challenges and opportunities, reflect on their ingrained values and habits, and be part of the hard problem-solving and opportunity-enhancing work that produces societal progress. In Singapore, one key challenge is the growing dependency on the Government to solve all problems, big and small, where the community disowns roles it can and should take on. We need to break out of this unhealthy dynamic. The Government, itself, would need to learn a new type of adaptive leadership. How do I see this exercise progressing? Firstly, this exercise needs to be co-led by Government and civil society – at all levels, including at the Steering Committee. There should be social dialogue groups with public, private and people sector representatives being at the table with equal status having deep discussions on a variety of social issues and reviewing fundamental current assumptions. Secondly, the dialogue environment must be safe. The Government must be prepared to be transparent and participants enabled to share freely and have equal access to data and information. Everyone needs to feel and be a part of the change. Thirdly, the committee should evolve into a permanent platform, or even a movement.”
“The symptoms include rising levels of mental ill-health, loneliness and increased addictions, and it is caused by the stresses of living, and by individualism and materialism. More objectively, we should establish a basket of social indicators that we track each year to measure the social health of the country. Sir, this social health index would be the social sector's equivalent of the GDP indicator for the economy. But short of having this, I simply looked at the social outcomes from the wider list of desired outcomes of the Ministries in the Budget Book and compared the achievements of the relevant KPIs of the latest year with those of the previous year. On balance, the number of desired outcomes that worsened was marginally more than the number that improved. And these KPIs excluded many of the relevant ones. Page: 1443 For every economic recession in the past, we would immediately be responsive and pull all our energies together as a nation to have an economic committee conduct a major revamp of our economic vision and strategies. We had four recession years in independent Singapore, and four corresponding major economic committees, with different names, to deal with them. On the social side, we have had only two – Singapore 21 and Remaking Singapore. And even if you do not believe, like I do, that we are in a social recession, I think it is critical for another major public exercise. Sir, I propose we convene a Social Review Committee to create a new shared vision and new social compact, which were missing from Budget 2012. We cannot tackle individual issues in a compartmentalised way, as all systems relate to one another. Even the social affects the economic.”
“Again, without a larger vision or strategy on which our Budgets are founded on, the Budget would tend to come across as somewhat tired, even while new initiatives are announced and welcomed. In fact, many elements in the Budget seem to be about continuing with policy U-turns, playing catch-up, and avoiding future costs. Certainly, we must strive to be inclusive. But we cannot do this only through social policies and programmes. Inclusiveness is fundamentally about how our people treat one another, not just about what the Government can do for its people, which, do not get me wrong, is still important because the Government represents the people. Besides, inclusiveness is more a mindset and value system, which the Government needs to lead the way in but cannot deliver alone. Inclusiveness here is a sense of belonging, of being respected and valued for who you are, not what you should be, and ultimately, being always treated with equal dignity and compassion, no matter how old, how rich, how educated, what titles you hold, and how different you are. People are the ends, not the means. Being an Inclusive Society must be something that Singaporeans firstly want. Otherwise, the Government's efforts will be futile. You can give the Silver Housing Bonus to seniors, but other residents may reject the building of studio apartments and services for seniors in their midst. You can give the Special Employment Credit, but employers may refuse to hire and fit jobs to suit the disabled and senior workers. Recent signs are that we are still not an inclusive society. In fact, I would venture to say we are in a social recession. We see this generally in the weakening of individual resilience, the loosening of family bonds and a decline in community cohesiveness.”
“Let me say at the outset that my reaction to the Budget Statement is mixed. Starting with what should be commended, I am encouraged that the Government is heeding the calls to address social realities on the ground. The Budget has more heart. Stepping up social policy to build a "fair and inclusive society" is something much needed. Page: 1442 This year there are major firsts – bus transportation subsidies, Special Employment Credits and the permanent GST Voucher scheme. There is also substantial focus on boosting the financial security of seniors and helping those with special needs. I know that reactions have been generally positive to the social aspects of the Budget. But still I feel a bit underwhelmed. Let me explain why. First, there is no larger vision on what Budget 2012 is founded on. On the economic side, the Budget needs to take reference from what our new economic model might look like, and, particularly, how we see ourselves doing business and creating value in future. Yes, we need to wean ourselves off cheap foreign labour, and we should aim for higher productivity and innovation. But we do need a theme beyond the need to "restructure to sustain growth". Of concern to me is that our nation ends up producing goods that the developed world, in their debt-laden state, cannot afford, and the developing world would not buy. It could be a case of incumbents like us overshooting what the customers want, and not being open to disruptive innovations. Increasingly, our new customers are in emerging Asia. How then are we positioning ourselves to be able to produce products and services that will be demanded by these under-served populations? On the social side, we likewise need to be able to take reference from a new shared vision and new social compact.”
“Certainly, low-income Singaporeans need help, but does that mean the sandwiched class middle-income 'new poor' who face unemployment, wage cuts, asset depreciation and bordering on low income do not need help?" The Government is now willing to adopt new benchmarks in giving out subsidies, and relieve the healthcare burden of the middle-income sandwiched class – this is a welcomed change in attitude. The Government should regularly review all the benchmarks for subsidies that require means testing, especially in healthcare services and social services, to avoid gaps in our social safety net, where the sandwiched class is unable to receive the assistance needed. For last year's National Day message, the Workers' Party decided to position it as a "tribute to our first generation Singaporeans". We said, in our National Day message, that the first generation Singaporeans built Singapore amidst the struggle for independence, this generation exemplifies the Singapore Spirit, the willingness to work hard and determination to overcome difficulties, for a better future for our children. They should enjoy the fruits of Singapore's success. Our country has the duty to ensure that they do not have to worry about their livelihood during their lifetime, to make sure that they live a fulfilling life, in comfort and with dignity. Although this Budget cannot ensure that the older generation of Singaporeans can live a carefree life, but, at least, in the area of basic social welfare and healthcare, the Government is able to see the problems and has made a great stride towards a first-world nation social safety net. 12.32 pm Mr Laurence Lien (Nominated Member) : Sir, thank you for the opportunity to make my maiden speech at the Budget debate.”