Low Yen Ling
Singapore
“I want to thank Member Cai Yinzhou for the clarification. As far as his historic district is concerned, I want to assure him that the new Place-making Project Office that comes under the Inter-agency Task Force does indeed not only serve Kampong Gelam, Little India, but also Chinatown.”
“A "we first" society needs an active citizenry working together to realise it. When corporates, community groups, and individuals come together, we will be able to create a harmonious, united and progressive home and society that belong to us.”
“I want to thank Member Mr Andre Low. In my earlier speech, I have also responded very succinctly. I want to assure him, as well as Mr Melvin Yong, I think you touch on very similar issues, and you probably heard from the political office holders speaking at the Ministry of Home Affairs COS about their tough stance against scams.”
“Finally, Government agencies, not just MTI, EDB and Enterprise Singapore, under the leadership of Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, will continue to create a pro-business, pro-people environment, building a business environment based on integrity.”
“— family business, as well as the other one on TACs. On family businesses, I want to assure him that earlier on, when we mentioned that we raised the support level for SMEs and non-SMEs and indeed, many of our multi-generational family businesses are in that category.”
“And since the Member asked, price obviously is an important indicator. Another example is if CCS observes the behaviour of the organisations and if we pick up signals that they are coordinating the behaviour to raise prices, to reduce quality, to reduce output, to reduce innovation, CCS will step in.”
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“Let me reiterate. In my earlier reply, I said that in the last few years, we have strengthened the processes that we have with the relevant partner agencies like MOM and ICA to ensure that we have the data interfaces to know whether the scholars are employed in Singapore and are still in Singapore. That is one type of intensification of efforts on that front. The second thing that we are doing is we are also tightening the coordination with the universities, like I have mentioned, to do a few things. One, to convey to the scholars the importance of fulfilling their bond obligations and to stress to them the consequence of not fulfilling the bond obligations. We will chase down the liquidated damages. If they do not pay the liquidated damages, we will ban them from working and staying in Singapore. That is our coordination with the universities. In addition to that, the MOE team has also placed calls and surveys with scholars to understand their employment status. These are the few things that we have done and we will continue to intensify efforts to ensure that we have a very robust tracking system, like I have mentioned, to ensure that the scholars fulfil their bond obligations. For those who, for whatever reasons, are recalcitrant and are unwilling to do so, we will ensure that we will have the avenues to recover liquidated damages from them, failing which, like I have mentioned, we will work with ICA to ensure that these defaulters will be banned from working and residing in Singapore.”
“Mdm Speaker, I want to thank the Member for his supplementary questions. Just to put things in context, let me share a bit on the numbers. Annually, about $12 billion is spent on education. Out of this $12 billion, about $5 billion goes to higher education, of which the bulk of that goes to Singaporeans. So, only a small proportion of that is spent on international scholars and, of that small portion, 1% of them default, like I mentioned earlier. Even though they defaulted because they did not show the intention to fulfil their bond obligations, we will continue to recover from them the liquidated damages. A few of them have started to pay back the monies and we will continue to chase the rest of the defaulters for the scholarship monies. In the event that they do not pay the liquidated damages, they will not be able to come to Singapore to work or to stay. I want to reassure the Member that MOE certainly is reviewing this very seriously and very closely. The Member asked about our efforts. I can assure the Member that we will not spare any efforts in ensuring that the steps are taken to monitor and track our scholars to ensure that they understand the gravity of their bond obligations, not just at the point of time when they received the scholarship, but throughout their undergraduate study. We will tighten the process that we have with the university in order to convey the gravity of their bond obligations. After their graduation, the scholars are expected to update their contact details with us and about their employment status. We will constantly review the system to ensure that we have a robust and also rigorous tracking system to uphold the trust and honour that we expect from these recipients who have the privilege of studying in Singapore.”
“New land sites for housing can enhance the liveability factor along the Railway Corridor and enhance its unique proposition of a residential and community oasis. As implementation on various stretches of the corridor is being studied carefully and paced accordingly, we hope MND will give this serious consideration as plans for the Railway Corridor continue to be shaped and refined in response to public feedback. Rejuvenating our Heartlands”
“Chairman, the development of the Rail Corridor as an oasis and unique community space is an exciting one for many Singaporeans, especially to residents staying around that area. The award of tender for proposals features eight distinctively themed stretches along the 24-kilometre-long Rail Corridor and 10 community nodes offering differentiated experiences. Green areas, foot paths and bicycle paths, as well as surrounding developments along the Rail Corridor, are woven together seamlessly. 5.45 pm The old Bukit Timah Fire Station will be developed as an attraction and gateway node to the Rail Corridor. The winning design has plans for the former Bukit Timah Fire Station to be a gateway to the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. Here, a forest walk and observation tower will let visitors get close to nature. Residents staying at Hume, who live near the Bukit Timah Fire Station, are very keen to know about the developments of the Rail Corridor. Increased human traffic to the area will be a key factor of consideration for the building of a Hume MRT station. The opening of Downtown Line 2 has brought much convenience and easy commute to many Singaporeans. However, Hume residents presently continue to look longingly from the outside, as the line passes through their area without a stop. May I know when is the expected visitorship of the Rail Corridor area expected to peak, and if MND would consider releasing new sites around Hume and the old Bukit Timah Fire Station for Government Land Sales? Under the Railway Corridor development, a 16-hectare site in Choa Chu Kang that falls along the stretch of the former 30-metre Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) railway line will be the test bed for a future housing concept hosting 3,000 units.”
“In 2015, the Prime Minister announced that MOE will increase funding commitment to the three Mother Tongue Language Learning Promotion Committees by about 50% in the next five years to $25 million. MOE will strive to provide an environment conducive for students to learn their mother tongue. We will continue to strengthen our partnership with the community, enhance current programmes, introduce meaningful initiatives and harness new technology and new media, so that the learning and use of mother tongue can blend more seamlessly into aspects of daily life. For the Committee to Promote Chinese Language Learning, the Government will commit up to $16 million in the next five years to support the committee's work to roll out more exciting and diverse programmes. We believe our students will develop a deep love for their mother tongue language and their culture. MOE will try its best to help these students develop a rich understanding of their heritage and values to strengthen the unique multicultural heritage of Singapore. On the other hand, through education and career counselling, MOE will also equip students with a better understanding of themselves and provide them with up-to-date information about the opportunities available, so that they can seize these opportunities to create a brighter future.”
“For some of them, this really broadened their horizon and perspective. At the post-secondary level, we will strengthen our linkages with industries so that students will undergo meaningful internships and industry exposure. Last year, MOE announced that the polytechnics and ITE colleges would be appointed sector coordinators for 17 sectors. Today, we are pleased to reveal that we have appointed sector coordinators for 10 more sectors. There are now 27 sector coordinators in total, covering areas of Singapore's future growth and priority sectors. These new sectors are: air transport, design, electronics, energy and chemicals, environment management, human resource, landscape, precision engineering, sports and wellness, and tourism. Last, but not least, I will now touch on the role and importance of our respective mother tongues. In a fast-changing world, they put us in good stead by giving us a strong anchor to our Page: 63 heritage. Mdm Chair, please allow me to conclude in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Bilingualism is the cornerstone of our education system, and it enhances our capacity in different domains. For example, it strengthens our cultural and social identity and enables us to have a deeper appreciation of different ways of thinking. It also helps us to maintain close connections with our neighbouring countries, allowing us to communicate cordially and engage in deep exchanges and trade relations. We are moving forward in the right direction and will continue to support the learning of mother tongue languages in several ways for the next five years.”
“ECG counsellors, such as Dorothea, Noormala and Muhd Faizal, are helping our young people discover their talents and interests, who, in turn, are more sure of what their next steps could be. We are on track to having close to 100 ECG counsellors serving all schools, polytechnics and ITE colleges by end-2017. Mr Baey Yam Keng talked about the heavy responsibility that the ECG counsellors have. We agree, which is why we are taking great care to select suitable candidates with attributes, such as passion to work with young people, a positive and encouraging nature, and excellent interpersonal, communication and networking skills. We have filled nearly all positions for trained ECG counsellors at our polytechnics and ITEs – 47 out of 48. We have also recruited 14 ECG counsellors to support our secondary schools and junior colleges. More counsellors will join the force. Our ECG Centres in MOE on Grange Road and in every polytechnic and every ITE college campus are fully operational and have been serving our students since the end of 2015. Besides having the right guidance, getting wide exposure to relevant industries will help our young people gain a better grasp of what these fields may offer. Hence, we will partner industries even more closely to provide systematic programmes that increase our students' exposure to industries at a younger age. One such initiative is the ECG Fair for Secondary 2 students. The first ECG fair was held at Tampines Secondary School just last month. More than 2,000 students and teachers participated in the exhibition featuring various education and career pathways. They attended career talks and also received practical hands-on experience related to the chemistry and life sciences sector.”
“They also heard from homegrown companies, like the Soo Kee Group and Home-Fix DIY. In addition, the counsellors are kept abreast of information on labour markets. Their learning journeys to the respective sectors also arm them with close-up knowledge and experience. For instance, the counsellors visited Keppel Offshore and Marine last month. This type of first-hand information, with interaction with the engineers and technicians, enable them to better counsel our students. Page: 62 We will also leverage the existing pool of over 100 career coaches at WDA and e2i to provide individuals with an understanding of industry needs to better guide training decisions. These career coaches, generally, have good industry knowledge and are well-placed to assist jobseekers. As WDA restructures, part of the agency – as hon Members would know from the earlier press release – will come under MOE, and the career coaches will be under MOM's wing. This move creates a multi-agency force working hard and closely together, linking the education front to the sphere of work very tightly, as well as with the various sectors of industries. Mdm Chair, may I have your permission to display a few slides on the LED screen, please?”
“Mdm Chair, today, the world has far more options for learning and education than before. There are thousands of courses. There are new types of courses in developing fields, such as app design, food technology, robotics and more. This creates an array of diverse choices that can also be potentially bewildering. Moreover, an individual's aspirations are likely to change with time and experience. We want to help our students to navigate the complex universe of choices with confidence. This is a journey that our ECG counsellors embark on with our students, guiding them as their aspirations and experiences develop and mature over time. With advice and assistance from the ECG counsellors, our students can then better understand their interests and strengths and make informed choices for their education and career path. The guidance provided is not prescriptive; rather, it aims to enhance the students' self-knowledge for decisions that will impact their career. Mr Baey Yam Keng asked if counsellors know enough about what industries are looking for to effectively guide students to make such choices. I would like to reassure Mr Baey and hon Members that our ECG counsellors are well-trained and supported by a robust knowledge management system with up-to-date data from authoritative sources. The counsellors also conduct regular industry visits and are in direct contact with industry sectors, chamber of commerce and trade and industry associations. With such access, knowledge and networks, the ECG counsellors are well-positioned to give timely and relevant advice on various career prospects. Just a few months back in February, 68 MOE ECG counsellors and WDA career coaches attended industry sharing sessions by experienced personnel from ECDA and SPRING Singapore.”
“He is keen to hone his craft with technology and has been selected to learn best practices in pest control work in Melbourne under Mediacorp's sponsorship. Romzi's proactive approach towards learning certainly exemplifies SkillsFuture's spirit of passion for lifelong learning. 7.15 pm Mr Chairperson, the Government remains committed to supporting the development of our workforce. But we cannot do this alone. Lilian, Raiyan, Kelvin and Romzi have shown us that all of us can take ownership of our own training and career paths. We call upon our partners and every Singaporean to come on board the SkillsFuture movement. Together, we will build a future-ready workforce empowered to overcome challenges and stay on track for success in the global economy.”
“But Tee Hai recognised his good performance and potential and sponsored him to study a part-time Diploma in Logistics Management. I am heartened to learn that, after starting out as a storekeeper, Kelvin is now a logistics supervisor at the company. Indeed, Kelvin's success is not just his own, but also the company's. Here, MTI would like to encourage our companies to be long-sighted as well as courageous to innovate and transform, so that they will be well-placed to compete on the international stage. Besides using technology to improve efficiency, companies must be willing to redesign jobs, train their staff and help them upskill. In time to come, with increased productivity, their revenues will also increase. From the employees' point of view, the opportunity to take on higher-skilled and higher-value jobs will mean greater job satisfaction and better wages. Companies that invest in their employees' training and development will be well-positioned to take on the new challenges of our new economy. We would like to see more companies like Tee Hai Chem who invest in their employees for the future. Allow me to conclude in English. (In English): We understand skills upgrading takes effort and may not be easy for all, especially for mature workers. But successful upskilling is possible at any age when one is armed with a positive and can-do attitude. Take Mr Mohammad Romzi Bin Kassim, for instance. The 46-year-old employee at PestBusters has upgraded his knowledge and skills by attending several technical and WSQ training courses. In just six years, Romzi has been promoted three times from a pest control technician to being an executive. And he does not intend to stop learning.”
“As the Minister for Finance and Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry) have explained, ITP will integrate our restructuring efforts in productivity, innovation and manpower development at the sectoral level to maximise impact. An integral element of this plan is the Sectoral Manpower Plans (SMPs), which identify the strategies and action plans required for developing sector-specific skills. Last year, SMPs were launched in sectors, such as hotel and retail, setting out five-year manpower strategies that support the growth of these sectors. SMPs are developed and implemented together with Sectoral Tripartite Committees (STCs), consisting of unions, TACs and companies. The strategies under the Hotel SMP, for example, are being implemented on the ground in partnership with STB, the Workforce Development Agency, hotels, the National Trades Union Congress, the Food, Drinks and Allied Workers Union (FDAWU) and the Singapore Hotel Association (SHA). Through consultations and discussions with various partners, SkillsFuture aims to strengthen the nexus between the needs of industries and manpower development. There are also many other ways that our companies can be part of the SkillsFuture movement. Besides providing training opportunities, our companies can also offer competency-based career progression pathways to motivate and retain talent. Take, for example, Tee Hai Chem, a local company that sponsors high-performing employees on part-time diploma studies. Tee Hai told us that they believe that people are their most important asset and that all their staff are given equal opportunities to upgrade their skills and knowledge. Mr Kelvin Ong joined the company in 2010. He started out not knowing much about logistics.”
“As part of LDI, EDB has been partnering companies to design and implement leadership development roadmaps tailored to their business objectives and HR priorities. For example, MasterCard's Management Associate Programme has an overseas stint in emerging markets that provides fresh graduates with global exposure and in-market experience across key business units. Upon completion of the programme, the management associates will be better positioned to take on larger roles in the company. We all know talent is key for businesses, big or small, to grow and succeed. For SMEs that may not have the resources to build up their talent development and worker competencies, we have created the SkillsFuture Mentors Programme under SPRING Singapore. The agency works with industry partners to build a pool of mentors who support the development of SMEs' capabilities and help them participate in SkillsFuture initiatives. Since its launch in December last year, 70 mentors have been qualified and 15 SMEs have been matched in sectors, such as retail and engineering. Over the next three years, we aim to build up a pool of 400 mentors to support 2,000 SMEs across different sectors. Moving forward, the Government will continue to invest in SkillsFuture to ensure that our workers and companies are well-positioned to meet the challenges of the future. Mr Chairman, please allow me to continue in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Upskilling is key to the vitality of our economy. It is not only a means to future-proof our workers, but also a key facet of industry transformation.”
“This can certainly support our companies' internationalisation drive as we grow the pool of talents in our workforce ready with the necessary skillsets to support our external economy. The ability to work in international teams and harness cross-cultural capabilities are some of the skills that are offered in the Young Talent Programme (YTP) by IE Singapore. To prepare them for global careers, YTP offers our students opportunities for overseas immersion through internships and work-study programmes. In November last year, IE Singapore officially extended the YTP-Market Immersion Programme to the polytechnics. Since then, about 200 polytechnic students have gone to China, Germany, the US and the ASEAN countries. I am pleased to report that we will implement the programme in ITEs later this year as well. This will provide more opportunities for our students to gain international exposure. Our young people will learn how to navigate across cultures and differences. This picture shows Mr Raiyan Muhammad bin Musa from Ngee Ann Polytechnic with some of the friends that he met during his internship at The Ascott Limited in Vietnam. Besides these friends, Raiyan shared with us that he had colleagues from France, the UK, India and Malaysia. During the internship, Raiyan learnt how to connect across cultures and nationalities in the workplace. Such experiences during the formative years will give our young people a potential head start into a global career. In addition to building young talent for global jobs, we are also grooming promising Singaporeans to take on leadership positions through the SkillsFuture Leadership Development Initiative (LDI). It aims to grow a pipeline of Singaporean leaders across all career levels.”
“Take the example of Ms Lilian Yeo, a 58-year-old sales supervisor for Decks. Decks is the retailer for Surfers Paradise and Island Shop products. Decks has adopted radio frequency identification (RFID) for both its front- and back-of-house operations. Lilian's can-do spirit helped her adapt and learn this new technology. She is now adept at using RFID and appreciates how technology has eased her job and given her more time to focus on frontline duties like serving and interacting with customers. So, like Ms Lilian Yeo, we need to be flexible and stand ready to be trained to develop industry-relevant skills. To stay ahead of the curve, we must continue to train and produce workers with skills that meet the demands of industries. We can open the doors to a better future by embracing the spirit of lifelong learning. Please allow me to give the House a quick update on the various SkillsFuture initiatives that support Singaporeans on this constant journey, starting with our youths, then the working adults and then businesses. We fully agree with Mr Sitoh Yih Pin that one of the ways to engender the development of deep skills is through apprenticeships, particularly for our SMEs. To this end, MTI supports the SkillsFuture Earn and Learn Programme (ELP). ELP is a work-study programme matching our fresh graduates from polytechnics and ITEs to suitable companies, including SMEs, in sectors related to their disciplines of study. This not only helps companies to attract talent; it also allows participants to develop deep industry-relevant skillsets during their apprenticeships. Besides apprenticeships for our youths, we must also nurture in them a curiosity and desire for global exposure.”
“I would like to thank Mr Liang Eng Hwa for highlighting the importance of our SkillsFuture movement in enabling our workforce to adapt and be future-ready for the future economy. To make this happen, we need everyone to be part of this movement − companies, unions, TACs and all Singaporeans. Together, we equip ourselves to stay competitive and relevant. We need to attune ourselves to new work trends emerging from disruptive technologies and global developments. Like what the two Ministers have highlighted, there are now jobs in exciting new areas, such as fintech, that did not even exist just a few years ago. The digital economy is also flourishing. According to a report by Accenture, the increased use of digital technologies could add at least $1.36 trillion to the total global economic output in 2020. This has led to new job opportunities in fields like data analytics and e-commerce. These fast-moving developments are changing the way we work. Today, operators in routine assembly work may also have to master the use of advanced technologies, such as additive manufacturing and robotics solutions. Across various sectors, jobs are being optimised through technology solutions. As Mr Liang Eng Hwa rightly said, we should gear ourselves to ride the waves of change and seize the opportunities of the future economy. Mr Chairman, may I have your permission to display some slides on the LED screens, please?”
“Mr Chairman, I would like to thank Members for their comments and suggestions. The Minister for Trade Mr Lim Hng Kiang, the Minister for Industry Mr S Iswaran and the Minister of State Dr Koh Poh Koon, have explained how our economic strategies will prepare us for the future and create good jobs for Singaporeans. I will now round up MTI's speeches by elaborating on the initiatives specific to renewable energy and manpower that will position Singapore for the future. Mr Louis Ng asked about the steps we are taking to achieve our renewable energy goals. Given our geography, solar energy is the most viable form of renewable energy in Singapore. The Government is, therefore, proactively facilitating the greater deployment of solar energy while ensuring grid stability. For example, the Government is funding R&D to facilitate the deployment of solar energy and has streamlined regulations for households using solar power. Alongside improvements in the cost competitiveness of the technology, these have allowed solar adoption to rise from two megawatt peak (MWp) in 2009 to 57 MWp in 2015. Under the SolarNova programme led by EDB and HDB, the Government is also taking the lead to accelerate solar deployment in Singapore by aggregating solar demand across various Government agencies. HDB, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Public Utilities Board awarded a tender for an energy supplier to meet 76 MWp of combined demand in December last year, and tenders of 30 to 50 MWp sizes are expected to be launched around every nine months by HDB on behalf of the public agencies. The SolarNova programme will play a key role in furthering our plans to raise solar energy deployment in our system. Let me now turn to manpower.”
“In the wake of the recent series of attacks in various cities, militaries have stepped up, alongside law enforcement agencies, to respond to the heightened risk. Military patrols have also been deployed in countries, such as France, Belgium and Malaysia. So, my question is: what are MINDEF's and the SAF's roles in preventing and responding to terrorist attacks?”
“Mdm Chair, in the past few months, no region has been spared from attacks by terrorists. We have all followed the news reports of recent attacks in Lahore, Brussels, Istanbul. But those attacks represent just a fraction of the total number that has been carried out in recent months. In fact, in its annual global terrorism index report released at the end of last year, the Institute for Economics and Peace assessed that terrorism is at an all-time high, with more attacks in a wider range of countries than ever before. This index shows that there are nine times more people killed today in terror attacks than in the year 2000. Regarding ISIS in particular, some analysts have observed that there has been a shift in the group's strategy. A recent Financial Times' article noted that beyond creating a caliphate in Iraq and Syria, ISIS is looking to strengthen its caliphate further afield and export terror to its perceived enemies beyond the Middle East. The recent attack in Jakarta and news reports of ISIS targeting locations in Kuala Lumpur have shown us that ISIS' global strategy includes hitting us, in our very own backyard here in Southeast Asia. Many continue to travel to Iraq to Syria to fight for the ISIS cause in the Middle East. Most alarmingly, however, analysts have also pointed out that ISIS' tactics are also shifting. ISIS has been encouraging its supporters, some of whom had never travelled to the Middle East, to conduct attacks in their home cities. Without specific operational direction, lone wolves and small wolf packs have been inspired into action by ISIS' general call. Some have obtained weapons or explosives capable of causing mass casualties. This is clearly an alarming trend for Singapore.”
“Mdm Speaker, I thank the Member Mr Ang for the supplementary question. I want to take this opportunity to assure Members in the House that the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) is mindful of the role that international schools play in supporting our ecosystem to strengthen Singapore's attractiveness as a business and investment destination, thereby creating good jobs for Singaporeans. The original Parliamentary Question was about international schools, as an engine of economic growth, with respect to how they support the international companies and their families. So, if Members would like to delve deeper into the private education sector or the development of the faculty of these institutions, and so on, can I invite the Member to file a separate Parliamentary Question directed at the Ministry of Education (MOE), so that we can respond comprehensively and accordingly?”
“The CFE is spearheading a national effort to identify new sectors and it will recommend strategies to position Singapore ahead. The Committee is consulting widely and seeking ideas and proposals from a range of stakeholders including the industry, academics, associations and chambers. On the drawing board will be critical success factors to forge new pathways for a better Singapore. And by working together, we can all chart a better future for Singapore and Singaporeans.”
“Four of its key players, the Advanced Remanufacturing and Technology Centre (ARTC), Institute of High Performance Computing (IHPC), the Centre of Optical and Laser Engineering (COLE) and the Singapore Centre for 3D Printing (SC3DP), together with Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) and WDA, have signed an MOU to build the industry's workforce capability and skills through a series of masterclasses, workshops and conferences. The same approach of working together to upskill Singaporeans also holds true for our domestic and social sectors. In fact, the SkillsFuture effort extends to sectors, including Retail, Built Environment and Healthcare. Sectoral Tripartite Committees, comprising employers, unions and sectoral champion agencies, work together to map out Sectoral Manpower Plans (SMPs) covering skills-based career progression pathways, job re-design, as well as efforts to improve the attraction and retention of local workers as these industries evolve. These SMPs will help to improve productivity and develop a strong Singaporean Core within our domestic sectors. In conclusion, we want to thank the Member for his suggestions, especially in two areas. I shared over the last 10 minutes how MTI has been working with the relevant agencies to catalyse sophisticated demand in all these areas. The opportunities presented by new and emerging industries are also on the agenda of review by the Committee on the Future Economy (CFE). In today's dynamic and changing environment, it is crucial that we constantly renew and revitalise our economy.”
“We do need to understand what are the trade-offs and the cost-benefit analysis. So, more studies need to be done to ascertain the best use of underground space. Amidst our efforts to develop our economy, push the frontier, moving into new adjacent growth areas by leveraging on our strengths, the important thing we need to remember in this House is that the top-most priority of why we do all these is because we want to create good job opportunities for Singaporeans. Even as we nurture new sectors, we are mindful of Singaporeans with new skillsets to benefit from future job opportunities. With SkillsFuture, Singaporeans have the chance of embracing lifelong learning as a way of life so as to stay relevant in today's fast-changing world. To achieve this vision, we need the support of all Singaporeans, education and training providers, and employers. For example, firms that move into new industries play a very important role because they are early adopters. They play an important role not only in the job creation, but in the learning they can facilitate through internships and professional attachments, as well as the partnerships they form with our schools, Institutes of Higher Learning and Research Institutions for these nascent sectors. If I could quickly share the example that I experienced myself last week. The advanced manufacturing sector sets a good example.”
“For example, SolarNova is a Government-led programme, spearheaded by the EDB, which encourages Government agencies to come together to harness solar energy for their electricity needs. It is really taking a whole-of-Government approach to create sophisticated demand. With HDB acting as the Government's central procurement agency for solar panels, agencies with slightly smaller demand can then benefit from economies of scale and enjoy solar energy at a lower cost. At the same time, by aggregating and catalysing solar demand in Singapore, we seek to spur the growth of our solar industry. The increasing adoption of solar energy will also generate and attract innovation around smart grids and energy management. I have taken pains to cite the various examples, not just solar but also healthcare, sports, lifestyle, advance manufacturing and so on. This is really to share with Members how we are moving into adjacent growth areas. In all these, some of the benefits extend beyond direct economic impact and will present exciting potential with room to grow. They not only address the needs of Singaporeans, but also represent participation and efforts from the public sector, businesses, academia and the broader community. The Member talked about technology for vertical farming. MTI has been working with MND and AVA. We understand that AVA has been engaging farmers since a few years ago. They have been encouraging the farming community to push the envelope, to adopt technologies and farming techniques that would intensify our land use while also optimising productivity to enhance our food security. There was some suggestion about the use of underground space and so on. This needs to be studied. As Members know, developing underground space has a cost issue, it could be expensive.”
“To this end, it has set up a collaborative platform for healthcare professionals to work closely with academia, industry and research institutions to develop impactful healthcare solutions using robotics and assistive technologies. The solutions developed could then be exported to other countries facing similar challenges with an ageing population and workforce. We are also nurturing emerging industries in the area of lifestyle products and services like sports, the visual and performing arts, design and consumer research and development. These sectors involving creativity and design have a significant non-monetary value that could contribute to social development, quality of life and the overall well-being of our community. We are aware about international sporting events brought in by the World Sports Group, to the range of top-notch art houses; all these various stakeholders and players enhance the vibrant Singapore city life. Members would be familiar with Procter & Gamble (P&G). I understand that P&G's independent innovation research centre located in Singapore Polytechnic is focused on creating product design and development for consumers aged 50 and above in Asia. This project is called the "Live Well Collaborative". Its work is relevant to rising baby boomer Singaporeans whose sophisticated tastes could well spurn a new elderly industry, not just in Singapore but the region. Turning our attention to clean and solar energy, Singapore is a sunny place and we can make that work harder for us. There are ample opportunities to tap solar energy and spread the sunshine into new areas of growth. In fact, Government-lead demand is helping to grow the nascent solar industry.”
“For example, aerospace original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are moving beyond manufacturing to provide total support packages (TSPs), where the sale of aircraft or aircraft systems is bundled with a full range of support services such as engine maintenance and field support services. This is an important trend and it presents opportunities for Singapore and our companies to anchor more high-value manufacturing-related services such as R&D, engineering, logistics and maintenance. These activities, in turn, will add to the vibrancy of our manufacturing ecosystem and further strengthen our innovative capabilities. To stay relevant and competitive, we are constantly on the look-out for new areas and opportunities to grow and evolve our economy. One of the ideas is to grow the concept of Singapore as a "living lab", where companies co-develop, test-bed and export new solutions that not only address our country's domestic needs but also generate economic outcomes. An example, also mentioned earlier by Mr Perera, is our nation's water success. Our motivation to be self-reliant and develop water treatment technologies, such as desalination and water reclamation, has spurred the development of a vibrant water industry. There are now about 180 water companies and 26 private research centres in Singapore. Opportunities like these can still be captured, if we keep our can-do spirit, inventiveness and relentless pursuit of innovation. For example, we have the chance to turn the challenges of an ageing population into creative energy and solutions in healthcare. Changi General Hospital's Centre for Healthcare Assistive and Robotics Technology (CHART) is exploring how to provide accessible, affordable and high quality healthcare even as the workforce and population ages.”
“Having said that, we are not standing still but moving forward into new and exciting areas of manufacturing. We continue to target high-value niche segments and enter adjacent growth areas to leverage on our strengths, our workers' capabilities, our local companies' strengths, knowledge and technology in those areas. One example is biologics manufacturing in the Biomedical Sciences cluster. It is showing early fruits of success. Today, we have anchored nine biologics manufacturing plants from leading companies such as GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Novartis, Roche and Amgen. Likewise, we are building on the strengths of our Precision Engineering and Electronics clusters to develop Space Engineering as a promising sector. Last December, ST Electronics launched its very own self-developed first commercial earth observation satellite TeLEOS-1. Our local SME Addvalue Innovation Pte Ltd has also developed a proprietary Inter-satellite Data Relay System (IDRS) which is being tested on board NTU's VELOX-II satellite launched in December. There are currently more than 150 researchers working on satellites and over 30 companies creating high-value jobs for more than 1,000 professionals in this nascent sector. We will also continue to invest in research and development, innovation and capability development to position our manufacturing sector for the advancement of new manufacturing technologies such as robotics, industrial data analytics and additive manufacturing. To this end, $3.3 billion has been set aside for the Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering domain under RIE2020. As the nature of manufacturing continues to evolve, companies are incorporating more manufacturing-related services into their business models.”
“Mdm Speaker, I would like to thank Mr Leon Perera for introducing this Motion. Today's uncertain global economy holds challenges that require us to be flexible yet steadfast, nimble and adept, and far-sighted in our approach. Since the early days of our nation, the Government has made it a top priority to grow our economy and create good jobs for Singaporeans. We have to keep this dynamic DNA of being adriot, always looking for opportunities and having a can-do spirit even in the face of difficulties. That was how new ideas and possibilities were born and painstakingly nurtured into industries, and became reality. We have to stay nimble and adapt to this changing global environment while meeting the needs of Singapore. With this approach, Singapore successfully grew through various phases of economic transformation. For example, we moved from the labour-intensive manufacturing era of the 1960s, into skills and capital-intensive industries by developing the Electronics, Chemicals and Precision Engineering clusters during the 1970s and 1980s. By the 1990s and 2000s, we had made a strong push into knowledge and innovation-intensive activities. If Members recall, our first five-year National Science and Technology plan was put in place in 1991. More recently, the Research Innovation Enterprise 2020 Plan (RIE2020), recently announced by the Prime Minister, is the sixth science and technology plan for Singapore. Today, we have a competitive manufacturing base with key clusters in Chemicals, Precision Engineering, Biomedical Manufacturing, Electronics and Transport Engineering. Last year, manufacturing accounted for 20% of our economy and employed more than 500,000 workers. So, manufacturing remains a key pillar for Singapore and opportunities continue to be found.”
“In the annual performance for teachers, one of the Key Result Areas is character development of students. When we look at working with our teachers, we also work with them to ensure that this is an area they look at – working with their students to develop their character and imparting the right values. We agree with the Member that this is important. We need to take a holistic and systematic approach to ensure that there is consistency within the education system from the schools to IHLs.”
“I want to thank the Member, Ms Denise Phua, for her very thoughtful suggestions. We want to assure her that MOE is generally moving in that direction. The Member would have taken note of Acting Minister Ong Ye Kung's sharing that for higher education, the institutes are also given some discretion to assess and enrol students, not just looking at their academic results, but looking at their holistic development and their character development. That is the first point. For the second point, maybe, it is useful for me to take the opportunity to share that we do work with our schools to use the School Excellence model to evaluate their efforts and programmes about character development and citizenship through a few ways: students' feedback, survey and school-based indication. One example is schools have been giving out school awards for good character. Some of these awards are familiar to many Members in this House. They range from individual awards at the class level, at the school level with badges or certificates given, and even group awards, such as the "Most Responsible Class". MOE introduced the Edusave Character Award (ECHA) in 2012, four years ago, to enable our schools to recognise the students who demonstrate exemplary character and outstanding personal qualities through their behaviour and actions. If you talk to the IHL principals and faculty members, over the last four years, they do take note of students. Everything being equal, they will look at the students who have been given those kind of awards, like the ECHA, because it would mean that this is a socially responsible Singaporean who would be able to contribute to the school and the society in the future.”
“I want to assure the Member, Er Dr Lee Bee Wah, there is a framework for guiding how the curriculum is implemented in the classroom. Maybe I can give some examples. Generally, 80 hours are allocated for CCE lessons at the pre-University levels across two to three years of which 40 hours are for CCE lessons and 40 hours are for school-designed CCE. It is not what just you learn from the textbooks, it is also about applying it in the school environment, whether it is cleaning and respecting teachers and so on. The other 40 hours of school-designed CCE includes assembly programmes and also leadership development programmes. That is for the pre-University level. For the Secondary level, I want to assure the Member that 60 hours per year are allocated to be carried out over two hours per week. There is a textbook. I am a mother of two young boys, 8 and 11 years old, and so I check their bags every night and I see their textbooks. They do have an activity book that they have to do; not just copy and do 习字 but also do a simple activity with the parents. So, I can attest to that, as a parent myself. The 60 hours at the Secondary level comprise CCE lessons, school-based CCE would be similar to the pre-University assembly programmes and guidance modules. What are guidance modules? This includes education, career guidance, cyber-wellness – very important for young ones now – and sexuality education. For the upper Primary level, it would be 60 hours to 75 hours per year, and this includes one to two hours on a weekly basis. So, the curriculum time is not just set broadly; it is guided through a carefully designed curriculum to be taught, not just in the classroom, but also within the school environment.”
“I want to thank the Member for the supplementary question and I want to reassure him and the other Members that we agree that whether it is PE or CCA team sports or even uniformed groups, these are very good platforms for our students, our young ones to understand the importance of teamwork, perseverance, resilience and so on. In the area of sports, our schools have also, in the last few years, focused on a broad-based approach: giving our students an opportunity to experience various types of sports even if they did not have a foundation in the particular sports. And this is really in line with our focus for "Values In Action", which was reframed from the Community Involvement Projects (CIP). Whether it is the PE lessons or lessons in class, or the way we look at sports participation, we are looking at how we can avail such opportunities on a broad-base basis to our students to allow them to develop the six important values that I have talked about. Er Dr Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon): Mdm Speaker, I would like to ask the Parliamentary Secretary if there are any checks by MOE on whether the two hours, that she mentioned per week, that are supposed to be spent on value and character building, whether do the schools use the time for such purpose? The reason I ask this is that many of my residents, they recall very favourably the 好公民 lessons during their times. They are asking whether this is still taught in schools. Secondly, they say that sometimes, the lessons could be taken by the form teacher to use it for other purposes because it is very result-oriented nowadays. So, I would like to ask whether are there such checks and whether 好公民 is still taught in school?”
“I would like to thank the Member Mr Patrick Tay for his suggestion. The Member will take note that we have recently revised our Social Studies syllabus. Of course, we do revise our syllabus along the way and evolve with the developments. So, the various aspects of tripartism explored in the various subjects that I have mentioned – History, Social Studies or Economics – are tailored to suit the age. The syllabus has to be designed to be age appropriate, so that it is pitched at a level where our students can absorb, internalise and understand. We agree with the Member that besides the historical aspects, it is important that our students, as they move from lower Secondary, to upper Secondary, and to pre-University, can also, through the revised curriculum along the years, learn about the economic benefits of tripartism – and that definition evolves along the way – and its positive influence on the society.”
“I would like to thank the Member for his question and suggestion. Please allow me to take the opportunity to reassure Members that although tripartism is not taught as a standalone topic, as I have mentioned in my response earlier, it is indeed weaved into subjects like History, Social Studies and Economics, from the lower Secondary, to the upper Secondary and even the pre-University levels. We agree with the Member that it is not just about the historical context but consensus-building, mutual understanding, give-and-take. These are very important perspectives that our young should take on-board before they join the workforce. This is why beyond teaching it from the textbook, our teachers at the pre-University level, for example, will guide these lessons and discussions to bring about the important part that tripartism plays in our economy and also society. If I can quickly cite an example. In Social Studies, our teachers will facilitate discussions where differing views are respected through role playing, and then through a very experiential learning process, our students will be guided to find out how individuals and groups in the society have different needs and interests, as Mr Yong has mentioned earlier. Our teachers then take the students through the process, so that our students can explore how government, community and individuals can work together through consensus-building and mutual understanding to contribute to the common good. Let MOE look at the suggestion that the Member has made and let us study it deeply. We will come back in due course.”
“In addition to that, I also want to say that should there be any individuals from Sweetlands who are convicted of criminal offences, ECDA has the authority to request that they step down as director of the centre. But I think we should let the investigation take its course.”
“I wanted to stress a bit on the continuity of the service to assure Members who may have Sweetlands centres in their wards. Page: 33 The second point that the Member raised is about quality. Members would know that since April 2013, ECDA was set up and the agency has been very focused on rolling out measures to provide parents and children access to quality and affordable childcare. How do they do so? One important measure is that all the childcare centres are licensed by ECDA to ensure that the centres adequately meet the requirements in a few areas: the physical environment; safety, which I mentioned earlier; health, hygiene, nutrition, staff training, programme and curriculum as well as administration. So, it is a very comprehensive licensing framework, and the licence tenure for a childcare centre can range from six months for those centres where we need to watch very closely. The tenure can be as short as six months or as long as 24 months. So, these measures are in place. I want to assure Members who have Sweetlands centres in your wards – that through all these measures, ECDA will keep a close watch and ensure that the centres continue to provide quality care to the children in the school. Related to the second supplementary question that the Member has raised, I just want to reiterate what I mentioned earlier – that MSF takes a really serious view of the breaches of the use of CDA funds. And we will certainly not hesitate to take disciplinary actions or enforce penalties where required, with a view to protecting the interests of the parents and the child. The matter is now with CAD. They are carrying out the investigation and I hope Members understand that we should let it take its course.”
“I want to thank the Member Er Dr Lee Bee Wah for her two supplementary questions. I think she raised three points. One is continuity of service, quality, as well as any punitive measures. I will talk about the service. As I have mentioned briefly earlier, while we have forwarded these investigations to be carried out to CAD, there are no issues with the centres in respect of the safety as well as well-being of the children under their care. There are about more than 700 children in the 11 centres and we are working very closely to make sure that the safety and well-being of the children is not being compromised. On that end, the centres' operation can continue. I would like to take the opportunity to share that from 29 July to 31 July, more than 20 staff from MSF and Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) were sent to the 11 centres. Why do we do that? We sent one MSF staff together with one ECDA staff to each centre – at least two staff at each centre; and three staff, for those centres with bigger cohorts – to ensure that other than looking at this CDA-related issue, we also have the ECDA staff look at the interests of the children, teachers and principals. I want to give the Member that assurance. The 20-plus colleagues from MSF and ECDA were there over three days, in the morning and evening, to coincide with the timing when parents, grandparents or caregivers will send the children to school and fetch them home. The MSF and ECDA staff have spent significant efforts to explain this very recent development to the parents, grandparents and the caregivers. We have also provided very comprehensive letters about the measures being taken and the touch-points they can go to if they need any clarifications. That is one point.”
“I thank the Member for the supplementary question. Yes, indeed, MSF and MOE work very closely. You would be aware that MOE has a cyber-wellness curriculum that aims to equip our students with lifelong socio-emotional competency, so that they can grow up to be safe, responsible and respectful users in the online space. Of course, like I have mentioned earlier, parental guidance is very, very critical. To this end, on the parental front, if there are some parents who face difficulties in addressing their children's challenging behaviour, whether online or offline, there are platforms where they can approach community agencies, for example, the Family Service Centre (FSC). We work with MOE and there are also counsellors in the school to guide the parents and students accordingly. All these are made available with a view to preventing the children's behaviour from getting worse, whether online or offline. That is on the parental front. On the Member's question of whether there are inter-racial programmes and so on, earlier on, I mentioned about youth offenders, for example, that they can be referred to the OnePeople.sg – Explorations in Ethnicity programme. This is put together by the organisation that spearheads racial harmony initiatives in Singapore. To that end, MSF and MOE give it Page: 36 very strong support. For example, the OnePeople.sg – Explorations in Ethnicity course is a two-day course comprising between 20 and 30 participants and very experiential learning activities, so that participants can absorb better through role-playing and so on. It serves to guide our youths to better navigate some of these very sensitive topics in the online space.”
“I thank the Member for his supplementary question. Like I have mentioned earlier, there is a wide range of social support programmes to better support fellow Singaporeans and I highlighted the PREP scheme and so on. And I said, HOPE is another such programme to better support a certain group of young and vulnerable families who would like to keep their family size small. If you refer to our website, the key considerations are put there. There are various considerations like age of the families, age of the spouses, combined household income, employment status and so on. Family planning is just one of the considerations. I have also cited earlier that the families can choose to withdraw from the HOPE scheme as and when they wish to, as and when their families' circumstances have changed and improved. For example, if families would like to have a third child, this is where we will work with them to transit them to other social support programmes to ensure that there is a Page: 31 smooth transition.”
“We want her to rest assured that the Ministry and SG Enable will certainly work with MOM and the relevant agencies to ensure that the SkillsFuture efforts are relevant and are also structured to benefit persons with disabilities. In so doing, we would like to call upon everyone in the House and also fellow Singaporeans – business owners, enterprises, individuals – to join us in transforming disabilities into opportunities so that each and every one of us, regardless of ability, can co-create a better future for all of us.”
“I want to thank Ms Denise Phua for her very thoughtful comments. I will make a response to the first two. The first is regarding the request for a strategic communications plan under the Enabling Masterplan. She is part of the Committee and we thank her for her thoughts and her leadership in this journey. We will certainly continue to press on with the progress of the Enabling Masterplan. Our efforts in this journey, the Enabling Masterplan, really must be a concerted one not just by the Ministry and SGEnable but also the community, employers, families, caregivers, teachers, therapists who have the skills and training, and we will give them all the necessary infrastructure and support. Members will remember last year, as I was giving an update, I showed the brochure which had already been pushed out to all the VWOs, SPED schools. Admittedly, we must do more in this area and we will certainly give this suggestion of a strategic communications plan greater thought as we press on in our journey as part of the Enabling Masterplan. Page: 40 With regard to adult care, we would also like to thank the Member for her passionate speech in this area. As an inclusive community, we can all come together to further empower and enable those with disabilities and learning difficulties to participate fully in our community, in our society. Like what the Member and Ms Chia Yong Yong mentioned, the SkillsFuture Credit is for every Singaporean, including persons with disabilities. While the amount of SkillsFuture Credit given to persons with disabilities and Singaporeans is the same, persons with disabilities have access to dedicated and also specialised avenues of facilitation of help, support for training and employment, as I have mentioned, the Open Door programme and so on.”
“Let us work together to build an inclusive, warm and happy home for all!”
“For example, they will continue to be eligible for additional pre-school and student care subsidies, as well as other forms of social assistance, depending on their needs. They are also eligible for the Baby Bonus scheme. With regard to Mr Faisal Manap's suggestion to publish a report on the state of social protection, our Government agencies regularly publish information on the progress of efforts to improve the well-being of vulnerable groups. We will collect and share more useful data over time with social service partners and researchers. Page: 29 In summary, MSF's holistic range of initiatives and programmes meet the needs of families at different life stages. From couples starting out their married life, to having their first child, their second child, their third child, to bringing them up – all are important milestones. In MSF, we pledge to support families throughout their journey because families form the basis of our strong and cohesive society. In Mandarin, please. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] The family is the cornerstone of our society. The family is not only a safe haven but also the core of our spirit and what we work for as a nation. Through the combined effort of various Government agencies and Statutory Boards, the Government has signalled its strong commitment to families and will provide more support for them. Our commitment and efforts today will shape the next generations' values and attitudes towards families. Hence, as an individual, each of us must cherish our families, set aside time to be with our family and build a harmonious and warm home. We should also reach out to help the vulnerable groups so as to strengthen the cohesion within the Singapore Family.”
“The parents will have to attend the session so long as they cannot agree on all matters of the divorce. The session will cover issues, including the impact of the divorce, parental conflicts on children, as well as financial and housing implications, all of which we know will affect a child's well-being. As for the children, we are working with the agencies to introduce a new programme to help affected children learn coping strategies when they get caught between their parents' conflicts. Yesterday evening, Mr Alex Yam spoke about couples who wish to have a third child after joining the Home Ownership Plus Education (HOPE) programme but are worried that they would lose the various forms of financial support under the scheme. Let us give some background. HOPE is a voluntary scheme for young, low-income couples who choose to keep their families small, so that they can focus their limited resources on upgrading themselves as well as the lives of their children. Couples are aware of the benefits as well as the conditions before they join this programme. More than 3,200 families have been placed on the HOPE scheme since its introduction in 2004. About 40% have seen an increase in their household income and the employment rate of the mothers has doubled from 30% to 60%. Sometimes, a helping hand is needed to navigate very complex issues. And this is why we have HOPE Mentoring Agencies to provide case management support to coordinate the different forms of assistance for these families. HOPE couples who decide to have a third child can withdraw from the scheme at any time. They can also tap on other financial assistance schemes for lower income families after they exit HOPE.”
“We will add another 30 new schools to the pilot in 2015 and complete a detailed evaluation study next year. This will help us to refine the programmes before rolling them out nationwide. Mr Seah Kian Peng, Ms Lee Li Lian and Dr Lily Neo spoke about the support for single parents. Minister Grace Fu has explained the Government's approach on this issue earlier in the week. We understand some single parents face financial challenges. Like other vulnerable families who need help, they have access to a range of social support from the Government and VWOs, for example, the ComCare assistance, higher infant and childcare subsidies as well as student care assistance. The Ministry also extends help to expectant mothers, single or otherwise, who need support. Mrs Lina Chiam's suggestion on baby drop centres – as she has mentioned – has been brought up previously. And we have studied other countries' experience. Other countries with baby drops have reported mixed experiences, such as the downside of encouraging baby abandonment. We have chosen instead to focus our resources and attention in ensuring that there are a range of support services for expectant mothers who may be facing distress, and to protect the safety of both mother and baby. For example, we have hotlines, counselling and residential services for expectant women to carry their pregnancy to term. 12.30 pm Page: 28 Children are often caught in between their parents whenever a painful divorce takes place. It can be a very traumatic experience for the child. To manage the negative impact on children from divorce, we have appointed four new Divorce Support Specialist Agencies. They will run a Mandatory Parenting Session for divorcing parents with young children.”
“We polled them and more than 80% of them said that they have found this to be useful. I encourage more couples to make it part of their marriage preparation plans to attend the ROM talk together before they register their marriages. Couples who are interested to learn more about marriage preparation can also then sign up for a full marriage preparation programme called Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Programme, or PREP. This programme will be offered as a workshop by MSF-appointed agencies from May this year. As a mother of two young boys, 10 and seven years old, I can fully understand that parenting is not always easy. To support parents, we piloted two parenting programmes last Page: 27 year, namely, "Positive Parenting Programme", or Triple P, and the second one, "Signposts". These two programmes identify the emotional and behavioural concerns of children, then refer the parents to appropriate support services to address and support their parenting needs. Mdm Chua is one parent who has benefited from Triple P. She shared with us her experience. Her teenage son used to keep his feelings to himself and he would get very angry whenever his mother scolded him, chided him or nagged at him. Mdm Chua was referred to Triple P. From the course, she learned how to better communicate with her teenage son. So, now, whenever he does something she feels is not quite right, she manages her own temperament, she will exercise her patience to reason with him, to try to rationalise with him instead of reacting instinctively and raising her voice. As a result, her teenage son has become more open in his communications with her. Like Mdm Chua, over 1,100 parents from 20 primary schools and secondary schools have completed the two programmes.”
“And this is why I totally agree with Ms Chia Yong Yong on the importance of public education. To this end, NCSS will be leading an effort to educate the public on disability issues and build empathy about the challenges that persons with disabilities face. Together, we can encourage community action to build an inclusive society. NCSS is working out an outreach plan with different stakeholders. And to this end, I hope that Ms Chia, Ms Denise Phua and Mr Png Eng Huat and the various Members of the House will give their full support towards this national effort. As we reach out to help one another, we are also reminded that at the heart of our society is the family. The family, as an institution, is fundamental to Singapore. This explains why the Government's efforts to strengthen, to promote, to protect families cuts across various Ministries, agencies and policy areas, such as housing policies for young marrying couples and the Pioneer Generation Package to help middle-class families better care for their elderly parents. MSF is committed to supporting families as they build their lives together. Besides investing in pre-schools which Minister Chan Chun Sing spoke about earlier, we will enhance support for marriages and parenting. Couples starting a new family life together can now attend a new lunch-time marriage preparation talk as being offered at the Registry of Marriages (ROM). This talk will share tips on how couples can communicate and better manage each other's expectations. Those of us who are married in this House know this is very important – managing expectations. This talk has been launched about three months ago and it has already reached out to more than 400 participants.”
“In MSF, we recognise there is no one-size-fits-all approach, so we hope to have a wider range of care options in future to meet the different needs based on the type of disabilities, based on severity and also based on the different levels of family support. We are therefore piloting several new service ideas. One example is the Drop-In Disability Programme that serves higher functioning individuals by helping them remain meaningfully engaged with the community. It is located in Senior Activity Centres, which Mr Png Eng Huat had suggested. Another pilot is the Home-based Care Services that offer home help for those unable to tap on centre-based services. We will scale these various programmes up if the pilots are successful. We would like to assure caregivers that we would certainly continue to look into ways of increasing the capacity as well as the range of adult care services. We will also look into the needs of caregivers, as Ms Denise Phua had spoken passionately about last evening. Last year, SG Enable worked with the Tote Board to launch the Tote Board-Enabling Lives Initiative. Twenty-three million Singapore dollars has been set aside over five years to support innovation projects for the disability sector in three cross-cutting areas, one of which is caregiver support. We hope that this fund will help develop and test-bed new and innovative ideas on caregiver support. Page: 26 We are not doing this alone and we cannot do this alone. Together with our passionate VWOs, committed employers and the community, we can uplift the lives of those with disabilities and their families. To realise the shared vision of the Enabling Masterplan, we need the active participation of all Singaporeans.”
“In this financial year, SG Enable and its VWO partners placed about 300 persons with disabilities with jobs. Under the Open Door Programme, close to 100 employers pledged to hire persons with disabilities. We aim to increase these numbers beyond 100. Besides the private sector, we are also happy to share that the public sector employers, too, are hiring or providing internships for persons with disabilities, including professional and management positions. SG Enable is working closely with a number of them to develop more such opportunities. Page: 25 Last year, in 2014, a total of more than 5,900 employers received the Special Employment Credit for jobs created to 7,500 persons with disabilities. We are grateful and thankful to these far-sighted employers who have partnered us on this journey. We would like more of such big-hearted employers to come forward – to step forward – and play an enriching role in creating an inclusive Singapore. Let us turn now to the issue of adult care. Parents of adults with disabilities do worry about the care of their children. We understand their concerns and are committed to pledge more resources. This year, we will add another 140 places to Day Activity Centres, bringing the total number to almost 1,200. We will also build a new Adult Disability Home for persons with disabilities with physical and also multiple disabilities by 2018. To better support persons with autism (ASD) and their caregivers, we will open a new Day Activity Centre for adults with autism in 2015, as well as an Adult Disability Home in 2018. Beyond expanding capacity, we will review, more fundamentally, the adult care landscape for persons with disabilities.”
“Annabelle, a young Special Education graduate with an intellectual disability, approached SG Enable last August for help to get a job. And very quickly, SG Enable connected her with a job coach who helped her explore the various and available options and get the needed training. She landed an interview and secured a job with Pizza Hut. Annabelle started off by clearing tables and cleaning. Today, about six months later, she serves and attends to customer requests. Pizza Hut, today, is training her to take orders. As we all know, taking orders is the most complex job for any F&B crew member. Her colleagues and supervisors praise her for her punctuality, her work attitude and her eagerness to learn. Annabelle is thrilled with her job. She is also very happy at being able to earn an income. At MSF and also at SG Enable, we share Annabelle's joy and wish her all the best. She is an excellent example of how targeted training, customised training, for persons with disabilities can expand their employment options and also facilitate integration in the community. Employers play a critical role in the opportunities we hope to create for persons with disabilities. Ms Chia Yong Yong asked last night about funding to help employers identify relevant job adjustments for employees with disabilities. A year ago, we enhanced the Open Door Programme to support a wider range of services, including consultancies, for employers to bring more persons with disabilities into the workforce and to raise their work potential. Employers can tap on grants to redesign job processes, to redesign and reshape the work environments, to train supervisors and co-workers to manage and work with colleagues with disabilities.”