Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman
Singapore
“Just a quick response to the question on JKJU. Indeed, we continue to pay attention to the health of the Malay/Muslim community. I mentioned earlier while we have been making progress, there have been some areas that we continue to want to improve on, particularly, increasing in our rates of participation in signing up for Healthier SG, p…”
“00 pm (In English): Mr Chairman, beyond our shores or closer to home, efforts like M3's Aid for Gaza and our initiatives for local communities in the M3@Towns show how our acts of care and contribution, as donors or volunteers, and how we can connect with one another to do so, can make a difference to those around us.”
“The other dimension is that having Dian ambassadors help with the cultural dimension, because not all family coaches from ComLink necessarily understand the dynamics of Malay culture, the nuances, and so the Dian ambassadors help them and tell them that these are the ways in which we can connect with Malay families in a manner that will g…”
“This will also mitigate the impulse to normalise or chase the extremes in the contest to circulate ever more startling videos and content. While firm actions will be taken to address the parties involved in each incident, the school will also use the opportunity as a teaching moment for all its students.”
“Sir, I agree with the Member that we have to strike a balance. We cannot just swing one way or the other. Just to assure the Member that MOE did commission a National Institute of Education study – it was a two-year study which was commissioned in September 2022, but it is not completed yet.”
“Mr Speaker, the short answer is yes. We welcome anyone who is keen to join the SPED sector. We know this SPED sector is a very challenging sector to be in. It requires determination. It requires passion. It is a calling.”
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“We want to continue to encourage Singaporeans to own their flats. The challenge is really when Singaporeans own their flat and when they have their first flat, what do they do with their first flat. Because we have a system where we allow them to sell their flats in the open market, the impact is that some of them make decisions with a lot of repercussions down the road. We want to encourage Singaporeans to be a little bit more prudent when they make decisions on selling their flats. The trajectory really is for them to have their flats, upgrade to a bigger flat if they can afford it, because their children have grown bigger and subsequently use the flat to monetise when they grow older. It is not about speculation, it is not about churning cash through the sale of the flats. I hope Singaporeans will be able to understand that trajectory so that we will be able to ensure that Singaporeans continue to be home owners and at the same time take advantage of their flats when they increase in value and to monetise them when they grow older. RENTING OUT OF HDB FLATS BY OWNERS 11. Mdm Halimah Yacob asked the Minister for National Development (a) between 2008 and 2010 (i) how many HDB flat owners had rented out their entire flats; and (ii) what is the average duration of the rental; (b) what measures are in place to ensure that owners do not operate their flats as dormitories for foreign workers; and (c) whether the Ministry has received complaints of such activities from other flat dwellers.”
“Sir, indeed, our public housing policy is to encourage Singaporeans to own their own flats. We have made rental flats affordable to even the lowest income families. Today, on average, a first-time home buyer, with an income of less than $1,400, can safely afford a 2-room flat with the additional housing grant. Even those earning about $1,100 can also safely afford a 2-room flat. For those who are earning $1,400, the DSR, what they need to pay in terms of monthly mortgage, is about 16%, which means that they can actually pay their mortgages through their CPF savings without even having to come out with any cash outlay. The critical thing about helping low-income families is really to secure a job to give them CPF savings so that they can afford to pay for their mortgages. True enough, we have looked at rental flat dwellers and there have been studies over time to look at the effects of families living in rental flats. We are consciously attempting to help low-income families particularly the first timers who enter our rental flats to move out and transit into home ownership flats. I think the psychological impact of living in a rental flat is very different from living in a purchased flat. When we talk about living in a purchased flat, we talk about the residents having ownership of the flat, having the pride of the flat belonging to them and the flat will appreciate in value and they actually take advantage of the economic growth of the country when the assets that they have appreciate in value. On the question of the percentage of rental flats to the total number of flats that HDB has, at this moment in time, it is about 5% to 7%. We want to try to make sure that the number does not expand, if we can continue to convince Singaporeans of the flat home ownership policy.”
“Sir, at this point in time, to the question of how many are aged 60 and above, about 15% of the applicants are aged 60 and above. In 2009, we reviewed the eligibility criteria for rental flats applicants to ensure that rental flats are meant for the truly needy. And before that, we noticed that a large proportion of applicants were indeed from the elderly category. In 2009, when we reviewed the eligibility criteria, we put in place one new criterion which is family support. We recognised there are elderly who do have options of living with their children or having children who have the ability to provide alternative housing for the elderly. To the question of whether the Government can rent out studio apartments to the elderly, at this point in time, studio apartments are actually very popular amongst the elderly. And many elderly do have sufficient CPF savings to do an outright purchase of the studio apartments. We can study this option, to take a look at the extent to which the elderly may have the ability to rent out studio apartments. But at this point in time, as far as the figures show, there are elderly who do have sufficient savings in their CPF retirement account to be able to afford studio apartments.”
“Mr Speaker, it is quite shocking to receive this news that Mas Selamat had actually been assisted by his extended family members, given the fact that all of Singapore were concerned during that period and the massive manhunt that took place. But I would like to first thank the Minister for being open and sharing this news on the case with us and I am sure the Minister will continue to share such pertinent information with Singaporeans. I do have several questions that probably are in the minds of Singaporeans when they read the news tonight and tomorrow, specifically with regard to the family members. Firstly, were Asmom and his family members forthcoming when confronted with the evidence of this abetment of Mas Selamat's escape to Malaysia? Secondly, given the seriousness and graveness of the offence, I just wonder whether the Minister feels that the punishment for the Asmom and his family members was too lenient. I think we have heard the Minister repeatedly mention that Mas Selamat is a prisoner of state. Imprisonments of 18 months and 12 months seem a little light, given the seriousness of the offence. Thirdly, is regarding the daughter of Asmom, Nur Aini. Given her deepest involvement in harbouring Mas Selamat, I wonder if the Minister could give us some background about her and what she did, for us to have a sense as to why a person like her would make a decision to help and abet a prisoner of state and remain silent for the next two years before we got information on her.”
“Sir, we are currently reviewing that suggestion. In the context of the larger move that we have implemented recently, we want to try to make sure that newly-weds are able to access their flats earlier. For example, the Prime Minister announced earlier that we are going to ramp up the supply of BTO flats, and also reduce the waiting duration for our younger couples. We will make the review inline with all these new initiatives. OIL SPILL OFF EAST COAST 9. Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Transport (a) for an update on (i) the cause of the oil spill off the East Coast of Singapore and (ii) the extent of damage it has caused to Singapore's marine and coastal life; and (b) what measures have been and will continue to be taken to mitigate the damage”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, newly-weds have a variety of housing options while waiting for their new flats to be ready. For example, they can live with their parents or in-laws. If they prefer to stay by themselves, they can rent a whole flat or room in the open market; or they could buy a resale flat in the interim. Mdm Halimah's suggestion will provide another way to meet the interim housing needs of newly-wed couples. HDB will look into its feasibility, bearing in mind the housing needs of the different groups which it caters for. We thank Mdm Halimah Yacob for her suggestion, and we will continue to review that suggestion.”
“Sir, as I have mentioned earlier: first, the potential flat sellers may face limitations due to EIP in only 14% of the neighbourhoods. Secondly, even if the flat is affected by EIP, it is difficult to attribute that EIP has affected the resale price as a single factor. If we look at the argument – that minorities may be affected by the EIP, and who sell their flats below market valuation, as the Member pointed out – the assumption is that if we take out the EIP component, they will be able to sell their flats at higher market rates. This is not necessarily the case because there are sellers who are not affected by the EIP restrictions, who are selling below market rates too. There are also sellers who are affected by EIP restrictions, who are able to sell at way above market valuation, even $30,000 above market valuation. The point that I am making is that EIP is not the only factor that affects resale prices. There are many other factors that affect resale prices. The EIP policy has benefited Singaporeans as a whole by ensuring that there are no ethnic enclaves. We really seek Singaporeans' understanding that EIP is a necessary encumbrance for a greater social good.”
“The issue is the responsibility of the children, who have the ability to do so, to provide for the well-being of their elderly. IMPACT OF US SUBPRIME FINANCIAL PRODUCTS SAGA ON SINGAPORE ECONOMY 9. Mr Teo Siong Seng asked the Senior Minister (a) whether the recent fraud charges against Goldman Sachs over its marketing of a subprime mortgage product is likely to have any impact on the Singapore economy; and (b) whether his Ministry has received any feedback on the financial reforms put in place in the aftermath of the Minibonds saga.”
“I think the issue is the role of the children in supporting the well-being of the elderly, which also translates into ensuring that the elderly have accommodation. When we say that the elderly have family support as a criterion in assessing their eligibility for rental flats, for example – this is a new criterion that we have put in place – we look at two possibilities. One is the availability of a spare bedroom. So, we look at not just the room type of the flat. If it is a 5-room flat but there are 30 people living in it – it is an exaggeration – it is, of course, not possible. If it is a 5- room flat, the married child has two children. The assumption is that there is a spare bedroom – that spare bedroom can accommodate the elderly. In the circumstances where the elderly say, "No, I don't want to" or "I don't feel comfortable because I don't want to live with my children", we say, "You can afford to accommodate your parents. But if you do not want to accommodate your parents, we cannot force you. It is incumbent upon you, as a child, to provide the living accommodation for your parents." I think that is a fair system. The flip side to it is: do we then say because they are capable but they do not want to, then the Government should provide the rental flat for the elderly? I think that is a different proposition altogether. So, we have to understand some of these circumstances. That also answers the second question of daughters. Yes, maybe they do not want to live with their daughters. But is the daughter capable of providing that living arrangement for the elderly, be it a rental room or an alternative accommodation?”
“That is why I mentioned earlier about the social infrastructure, particularly the Family Service Centres, where issues of such a nature can be resolved. We want to try to encourage that. We want to try to have families to continue to be able to support the elderly. In the circumstances that the Member mentioned, the situation is so irretrievable that one cannot do anything about it, particularly if there are issues of violence involved, I think we will be very sympathetic to such situations. I would encourage Members to surface those cases to us and we can study the cases carefully, get inputs from the Family Service Centres and the relevant professionals to see how else we can support such families. But, by and large, I think we want to start from the first premise that we want to try to help families cope with such situations. As they cope, they will be able to learn new coping mechanisms and perhaps able to manage future situations, so that we do not have to end up in a situation where we just provide alternative housing when families are not able to cope.”
“Sir, I can empathise with the Member's concern about the elderly. Often times, the other Members of the House also come across such situations where residents come and say that they cannot live with their children because of strained relationships. Sometimes, when we ask the children, the story is somewhat different. It could be an issue of perception. They perceive that they cannot live with their children, and when we ask the children, the children say, "I am fine. They can continue living with me." Of course, there are situations where the relationship is really difficult. On whether we can do anything about it to salvage it, we have to look at it on a case-by-case basis. The fundamental issue is, first, whether we are talking about a housing issue or a more fundamental issue of handling family relationships. Of course, it is not easy. We will always have difficulties living in a family environment, let alone living in a multi-generational environment where the needs, aspirations and expectations are different. So, we recognise that there are some of these challenges. That is why I think we have put in place the social infrastructure. We want to encourage families to continue to be the first line of support, to ensure that families are strengthened to be able to do that. There will be situations where family members have difficulties living with the elderly. I do not think we can say there is one family in Singapore who has no problem living with elderly. There will definitely be situations where they have difficulties dealing with this relationship. If they are able to understand, and if they know, there are support services available, I think the challenge is to encourage them to seek assistance early, such that these issues can be resolved early.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, HDB does not have any data on the number of elderly who have been turfed out of flats by their children. Families must be the first line of support whenever someone needs help. This includes providing accommodation for and looking after aged parents, even when it is inconvenient or difficult. If the children are unable to house their parents in their homes, they should provide the necessary financial support for alternative accommodation, such as rental of a room or flat from the open market. Elderly parents whose children are not willing to support them may seek the assistance of the Family Service Centres or the Office of the Commissioner for the Maintenance of Parents. If mediation is not successful, they can consider making an application for maintenance at the Tribunal for the Maintenance of Parents. The Member also asked about housing options for the elderly. Based on HDB's Sample Household Survey 2008, about 60% of the elderly prefer to live on their own. HDB has built Studio Apartments which are designed for elderly living. Senior citizens who wish to live independently can consider buying such Studio Apartments or a smaller flat. If they wish to age in the familiarity of their existing flat, they can consider the Lease Buyback Scheme or sublet their spare bedrooms to generate income, if necessary. Yet another alternative, if they have the financial means, is to rent a flat or room from the open market.”
“Ms Irene Ng Phek Hoong asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether the Ministry has encountered more cases of the elderly being turfed out of HDB flats owned by their adult children or who prefer not to live with their children for various reasons; and (b) what housing options are available to these elderly.”
“Sir, we periodically survey the residents to find out why they are hesitant to take up the LBS. One of the things that has surfaced quite regularly is the idea of wanting to leave behind something for their children. When you sign up for the Scheme, the potential of not leaving behind the asset or the property to their children is very high. And many elderly people do see it as an important aspect of their legacy to leave behind their property. So that is one of the reasons that they cited. The other reason is, they look at the calculations as Ms Irene Ng asked earlier; is the payout worthwhile for them? I think we have emphasised to them that it is not a main source of income for them. It is a supplementary source of income, along with other possible sources of income. I think the Member is right, we should try to educate the public more because they are elderly and may require a lot of hand-holding in understanding possibly a complex system because the Scheme talks about annuities, tail-end period of your lease and buying over that tail-end, that sort of thing. These are some complex terms. The HDB officers have tried very hard. When we launched the programme, we engaged the grassroots leaders as well as the advisors on trying to target the groups that are eligible. We had sessions with them, tried to explain to them, but we are more than open to addressing local needs. I think if there are Members of the House who have got groups of elderly who they think would benefit from other schemes that require HDB officers to go down and explain further, we are more than glad to do so. ELDERLY CITIZENS DRIVEN OUT OF HDB FLATS 8.”
“The concept now is to try to integrate the Studio Apartments together with the other flat types so that the elderly can continue to integrate with the other younger generation and they can co-exist within that same development. On the issue of what happens after the 30-year lease runs out – at this point in time, of course, it is estimated that people do live beyond 85 years. I think at that point in time, HDB will probably assess the situation and see how else we can assist some of these elderly who are currently in the Studio Apartments, whether there is an extension of the lease. We will probably evaluate it closer to the time. I give the assurance to the Member and the House that we will not leave the elderly without a home by the end of the 30-year lease. Mr Baey Yam Keng (Tanjong Pagar): Thank you, Mr Speaker, Sir. I would like to applaud the Ministry for coming up with this Scheme because I think it is very thoughtful and allows people to monetise their flats. I would like to ask the Parliamentary Secretary; with the low take-up rate for the LBS Scheme, what are the common reasons cited by those who are eligible and yet turn down the offer and what are the concerns of the elderly who do not take up the Scheme and what will the Ministry be doing to address these concerns? Secondly, awareness of the Scheme. I realised that among my senior residents, they do not fully understand the details of the Scheme and therefore they do not take up the Scheme. So I would like to urge the Ministry to look at other ways to raise the awareness so that the elderly are able to make an informed decision.”
“Let me take the questions from back to front. On the LBS, whether we can extend it to the 4-roomers. Whe we crafted the LBS, we looked at the different needs of the different groups of the elderly at this point in time. We see that the elderly with larger flats, 4-room, 5-room, they have other options of monetising their assets to buy smaller flats, meaning that they can downgrade from either 5-room to 3-room, from 4-room to 2-room, for example. Of course, there could be those who are interested in the Lease Buyback Scheme. At this point in time, we want to try to encourage those who are in the 3-roomers first because the take-up from the 3-roomers is still quite low. We are still studying the reasons behind it. If it is proven, and from feedback there are indications that the 4-roomers are also equally interested and, in line with this concept of ageing-in-place, we are prepared to consider it at a later date. Because it is new, we have just executed the programme a year ago, it will take time before people are comfortable and understand what the scheme is all about. We still have a large pool of elderly in 3-room flats who need to be given better understanding of this scheme before we consider expanding it to larger flat households. The second question is: where do we plan to build more Studio Apartments? Certainly we will try to build studio apartments in different locations. If you look at our plans for 2010, we launched the BTO flats in January in Choa Chu Kang, which is a semi-mature estate. There are young people there and elderly people living together with the young. In that development, there are also Studio Apartments.”
“My question – with regard to the Studio Apartment again, is whether HDB has plans to set up more Studio Apartments options so that within the mature estate, where the elderly households are likely to be concentrated, we can promote ageing-in-place. My last supplementary question relates to the Lease Buyback Scheme. As far as I can understand, this is for low income households, so, if I have a 4-room flat, I am not eligible for this. Moving ahead, does HDB have plans to extend this option, with ageing-in-place as emphasis, to facilitate this similar option for those owners of larger flats?”
“Sir, we presented the Lease Buyback Scheme as one of the options. We do not want to see it as the only option because there are many reasons why the elderly would prefer to take up the Lease Buyback option. We decided that because of the concept of ageing-in-place, they want to encourage the elderly to see that as a viable option. Whether they are satisfied or not, of course, we want more of the elderly to take it up because it is a good scheme, but we also respect their individual decision as to whether they want to take this up or use other alternative options. As far as the financial payout is concerned, we have explained to the elderly that the Lease Buyback option is should be seen as a supplemental income, not the only source of income. We want to encourage them to see that there are other sources of income that they could also source from, basically their children as well as CPF savings and other possible sources of income. So the Lease Buyback payout should not be seen as the only source of income. It is a possible supplemental income. It is one of the various options that is available for the elderly. Assoc. Prof. Paulin Tay Straughan: Thank you, Sir. I have three supplementary questions. The first is with regard to the Studio Apartments. Your data suggests that the take-up rate is quite healthy. The question is, perhaps, rather simplistic. I mean, at this point, if I am 55 years old, I can buy a studio apartment, and the lease is 30 years. What if I live beyond 85? What are the provisions in place that HDB has?”
“Sir, with the 2009 amendment of the Criminal Procedure Code, the courts have greater flexibility in using community sentencing options for minor offences. This is indeed a positive direction in making Singapore a more forgiving and compassionate society. Sir, among the community sentencing options available include the community service order, conditional discharge, day reporting order, mandatory treatment order and short detention order. All these options imply that our resources traditionally associated with incarceration can be saved. There is pressure for more resources in the community to support the rehabilitation and treatment needs of the offenders. For example, are there enough helping professionals in the community to handle the mandatory treatment order cases? Counsellors and social workers in the community are already so stretched handling a myriad of cases. Is the social service infrastructure ready for such orders both in terms of professional capability and resource availability? The outcome indicators of these community sentencing options must be a sense of remorse and more pro-social behaviour of the ex-offenders. Who monitors the process and outcomes of these sentencing options? How does the Ministry of Law plan to evaluate the effectiveness of these options? Pro Bono spirit amongst lawyers”
“It is done through the print media. And it is done in a very simple manner to relate to the Malay-Muslim community that Mathematics is everywhere in our life – when we go marketing, when we go and bargain for shoes or whatever the case may be. Therefore, it is something which we can instil in our young children not to be afraid of the subject. Sir, I agree with the Member that we need to work a lot more with the media. At this point in time, both MUIS and Mendaki are engaging the media on various fronts. In terms of MUIS, for example, we regularly update the media on some of our programmes and how the media can help us to disseminate some of this information. It is being rolled out progressively. The impact will take some time, but I agree with him that the media, especially the radio, is very close to the Malay ground, especially the wives and the mothers who are at home in the afternoon and, therefore, it is an ideal platform for us to reach out to them.”
“Sir, on behalf of my residents, I want to thank the Minister for the good news that the Government has decided to set aside land to build two new mosques, particularly one in Woodlands. We have been asking for a mosque for many years, and I am very glad that, finally, one will soon be built there. Thank you, Minister. With regard to the issue of dysfunctional families, the Minister has given us an update on the work done. I think what we have done so far is that we are targeting at the dysfunctional families themselves, and working with divorced families and young couples. I also suggested in my earlier cut that we can move forward and look at other change agents. I think one change agent that we should look forward to work together is really the community, and setting the right frame of mind for them to be able to send the right message to these families and the extended networks. I wonder if the Minister can comment on how we can actually work with the media, for example, because the Malay community and the media are together. The Malay community listen to the media very closely, especially the radio and TV media. How can the media be further enhanced to play a greater role with the community, to encourage the community to play a catalytic role to change mindsets that we have been talking so much about? Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Sir, I thank Dr Maliki for the question. I agree with him that, as a collective effort, we should try all possible avenues and all platforms to reach out to the community. He suggests that we work with the media and the community, a valid point and, in fact, is being done. As an example, Mendaki has just launched a programme. In Malay, it is called Mesra Matematiks or Mathematics Friendly. It is done through radio.”
“Sir, in relation to the initiatives that have been undertaken, I would like to ask the Minister if he could share any indicators, such as the rates of divorce and remarriage among young couples, as well as any evidence showing the impact of our continuous efforts so far, in addressing this issue of dysfunctional families. *Cols. 3935-3936. Muslim marriages”
“I feel that our community must shift from a "don't know" position to a "want to know" position, and then take the necessary steps. I hope that the Community Leader's Forum can continue to create programmes to start this change in mindset. Sir, before I end, on behalf of my constituency in the northern part of Singapore, may I ask the Minister whether another mosque can be built in Woodlands housing estate, in order to increase the limited mosque space in the northern part of Singapore? *Cols. 3933-3934. Strengthening Malay/Muslim families Assoc. Prof. Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim (In Malay): [For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*.] Sir, the action plan to strengthen Malay/Muslim families has been rolled out to help address the issue of dysfunctional family. In addition, the Community Leaders' Forum has also implemented programmes such as "Bijak Belanja" (Smart Spending) to encourage and help individuals and families to spend wisely. Over the years, the Malay/Muslim organisations have also chipped in to help address the dysfunctional family phenomenon. During the recent Chinese New Year celebrations, I met one of my grassroots leaders who was an owner of an electrical shop in Bedok North. He shared with me an observation about a change in the behaviour of his Malay/Muslim shoppers during the year end and Chinese New Year sale period. He mentioned that his Malay/Muslim customers are more careful in spending or when taking instalment payment plans. He asked me whether this was the "bijak belanja" thing that was mentioned by a few of his customers. Although their "bijak belanja" attitude has reduced his sales among the Malay/Muslim customers, he is not worried, as this would also mean less default in payment from them.”
“[For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*.] Sir, we have begun to see the positive effects of the programme to overcome the issue of dysfunctional families – for instance, the number of divorces and the problem of teen pregnancies and youth marriages are seeing reductions. But I admit that it is too early to celebrate the success of these social programmes as there are many more that are affected, and the process of guiding these families will take a long time and needs huge resources. Sir, through my experience in engaging such families, I began to realise that one of the main issues is the ability of these families to adapt to their environment. In this matter, there must be concern towards the issue of whether these high-risk families understand what is required of them. For instance, are they aware of the opportunities available under the new strategy of our country's economy and what they should do? With limited financial resources, do they have the skills to manage their family's finances without being stuck in debt? What is their understanding of family planning, which has a direct relation to the number of children that they can support in their families? What is the role of the community within their family network for such matters – for example, are their parents, relatives and siblings able to provide the correct advice in relation to the duties of married life, family planning and upgrading themselves to increase their income and capabilities? Or are they themselves unaware what should be done? Sir, what is important is that our community needs a mindset change followed by action, ie, to do what is necessary to take advantage of all available opportunities.”
“Sir, at six years, my son enrolled in Primary 1. Then, he was in the first batch to be introduced to the pilot SEED programme which promised a more experiential learning process. The first six months were great. There was much exploration and play in the curriculum. However, by the time we reached July of that year, the school realised that the kids were not up to the mark to sit for the year-end examinations – the traditional paper-and-pencil test. So the students were subjected to assessment paper after assessment paper to get them examination-ready by the end of the year. Gone was the promise of experiential learning. Six years on, as with many other students before him, he is now mugging for the PSLE examinations, raising the stress level of parents like myself and my wife. Sir, the PERI Committee's recommendations submitted a year ago promised a more holistic primary education system with greater emphasis on non-academic programmes and more holistic assessments to support learning beyond the paper-and-pencil tests. Can the Minister give an update of the progress in implementing their recommendations, particularly enhancements to support holistic education? How can MOE ensure that teachers internalise the values espoused in a new direction of holistic education to prevent them from reverting to focus solely on academic achievements through paper-and-pencil tests, as what happened to the SEED programme I spoke about earlier?”
“Madam, we acknowledge the need for the holistic development of our children and have had non-academic subjects like music, art, physical education (PE) in our curriculum for a very long time. I would like to ask the Minister if sufficient resources have been placed on studying the long-term value of these non-academic subjects on young Singaporeans and if these outcomes would justify MOE's review of more weightage and resources being given to the development of these subjects in schools. Certainly, the resources placed in terms of quality of personnel recruited, ongoing professional training and curriculum time devoted are indicative of their value in the total academic ecosystem. I would urge the Ministry to consider putting more emphasis on subjects on them as subjects that are valued and students can pursue them as a passion. They should not be treated as peripheral subjects where teachers can replace with extra lessons on academic subjects when examination draws near, which I fear may still be happening in some schools. I would like to ask if the Ministry is putting in more resources in the form of specialised teachers trained to deliver these subjects to ensure that the learning opportunities are well reaped. Chinese language teaching”
“As Er Lee said, it would take sometime for the older estates to be eligible for upgrading and sometimes the works within the estate may not be as extensive but may require immediate attention. So we do provide funding for Interim Estate Upgrading. Having said that, on the question of how long and when we are able to provide for upgrading of those estates, the approach of both I-EUP and EUP is to assess the local situation. Every estate is different and unique. I think the current programme that we have allows the residents as well as the committee to make decisions and prioritise. On the example that Er Lee highlighted, she is aware that it is a very extensive investment as we need to consider the width of the proposed ramp as well as the height that is required. Sometimes, the budget that we have is really not unlimited. Therefore, we need to prioritise what we can do. On the suggestion that we provide barrier-free access programme for all, I think we can review that. We have to take a look at the resources that we have. But for now, I think we have to look at what we can do with the budget that we have for the Estate Upgrading Programme as well as the Interim Estate Upgrading Programme.”
“Sir, we understand Er Lee Bee Wah's concern for her residents and many other residents in the private estates. As Members are aware, we have two programmes for upgrading of private estates. The main programme is the Estate Upgrading Programme. For estate upgrading, the target is really for the older estates. We know that basically the criterion is the age of the estates because these are the estates that require a lot more upgrading works. At the same time, it is the magnitude of the work that could be done because we want to make sure that the funds put in are made available for the Estate Upgrading Programme, and to effectively try to do a lot more of the works that are required. Even in private estates, as we know, when works start, the disruption that is created would create a lot of inconvenience to the residents. When we do Estate Upgrading Programme, there is a lot of planning that goes into it. The funds that we put in are quite substantial. That is the reason why we do not have unlimited upgrading works as the resources are limited. We select a few estates at that point in time based on the assessment of the Estate Upgrading Programme Committee. We select those estates that are older which have got better opportunities for upgrading in terms of the works that can be done, and we work with all the different agencies to try and make the work as comprehensive as possible with limited disruption to the residents. Of course, the other programme which was introduced last year was the Interim Estate Upgrading Programme that Members are aware of. This includes opportunities for the younger estates.”
“Sir, I thank Er Lee for raising the issue of barrier-free access for residents of private estates. The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) is the agency which oversees the development of barrier-free accessibility (BFA), in Singapore. For private estates, BCA plays an active role during the design stage of the Estate Upgrading Programme (EUP) to incorporate barrier-free features, as requested by residents, eg, ramps, tactile markings in bright colours on pavements. Some barrier-free features like the long ramp over steep terrain, as Er Lee has mentioned, can be very costly. For estates that have been selected for EUP, we often advise residents on the need to plan carefully to make the best use of their upgrading budget.”
“Mr Chairman, the APEC Summit last year provided excellent international recognition for Singapore and the ASEAN countries. However, the events unfolding around ASEAN in the last year or so have raised doubts internationally about the role of ASEAN as an effective grouping. Internal political problems plagued several of its members and, in some cases, even halted meetings of its leaders as in the case of what happened in Thailand last year, when the ASEAN Leaders' Summit was halted due to the volatile political and subsequent security situation there. Myanmar is challenged with its handling of Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Indonesia, despite a successful Presidential election, is faced with challenges to key political figures. Malaysia is faced with inter-racial issues and Philippines continues to struggle with threats of rebel groups in some parts of their country. Bilateral conflicts between ASEAN countries also put ASEAN in unfavourable light as in the case of the dispute between Cambodia and Thailand. Sir, with all these happenings in each and between ASEAN countries, what is the Minister's assessment of the international perception of ASEAN? Is ASEAN seen as a weak grouping of countries? And if so, what is the impact of this on ASEAN's role as a grouping in the region and beyond? Some have commented that the weakening of ASEAN has led to countries like China dealing with individual ASEAN countries separately instead of as a block. Will India follow suit in balancing the power of influence and presence in the region? What is the overall implication of such a scenario on the future of ASEAN? Is ASEAN risking losing its relevance as a block in the region to be reckoned with? Relations with Southeast Asian countries”
“Mr Chairman, Singapore has experienced relative peace, largely due to the effectiveness of our security forces, both in the home and the defence team. We can never take this peace for granted and assume that it is the role of the security agencies alone. Singaporeans, particularly the young, must understand that everyone has a role to play in ensuring Singapore's defence and security. The youths of our future and their attitudes will shape their actions and have serious implications on the future of Singapore. Today, I think, the issues of defence will only appear on the radar screen of our youths when boys near the age of NS enlistment. Even then, I guess the discussion will revolve around how to cope with the physical demands of basic military training. Sir, there is more that MINDEF can do to engage youths to take a greater stake in our country's defence. Our youths are exposed and interact with many youths from other countries, either through exchange programmes or simply through interaction with foreign students studying here. This year, we will play host to the inaugural Youth Olympics. We should engage our youths to ensure that they do not take our defence and security for granted and, perhaps, provide a better perspective on Singapore's world view as they interact with their foreign counterparts. Can the Minister provide an update on MINDEF's programme in engaging young Singaporeans constructively in defence and security issues, and what more can be done to increase the level of interest amongst young Singaporeans on the role they can play in our defence?”
“Mr Chairman, the transformation in SAF into its 3rd Generation SAF vision has been ongoing. We have seen the acquisition of the new state of the art equipment to increase our defence capabilities in all the three services. I would like to ask the Minister to provide the House with an update of the SAF transformation, how much of the transformation has been completed and how much more we have to go? What is the impact of this transformation on the resources in the Ministry, both in monetary and human resource terms. Sir, with the rapid rate of the technological developments, how is MINDEF certain that the lifespan of the 3G equipment that have procured its worth the investments put in? Sir, as this year's Budget focuses on the key word "productivity", I would like to ask the Minister for his assessment on the impact of the 3G transformation on SAF personnels' level of productivity, particularly amongst our operation-ready national servicemen. How are these servicemen coping with the transformation as many would probably be more familiar with the older equipment used when they were doing their full-time national service. 1.45 pm”
“Have we ascertained the extent to which failure to secure a job and to keep a job contributed to recidivism? While it may be simplistic to assume that expunging records lead to securing jobs will necessarily lead to non-offending, I would urge the Ministry to systematically assess this possibility. Yes, we have the Yellow Ribbon programme to help them secure jobs but many still struggle oftentimes, meeting unfortunate negative perceptions where employers and community members know their criminal history. I urge the Ministry to continue to study this recidivism and to reduce it. Cycling”
“She saw subletting of her rooms as a source of income as her ex-husband does not give maintenance. Her simplicity leads to her committing offence she was not aware of. Yes, ignorance is not an excuse but is she a security threat to society such that she cannot be allowed to work as a security guard? She has served her prison term and she has been struggling to survive. Yet when she has a chance to make it good for her children, her one mistake, probably due to ignorance, has cost her severely. I ask the Minister to continue to consider such cases with more compassion and understanding. 6.45 pm Recidivism We always hope that when individuals leave the penal institutions, their world view will change and they will reach hard towards their direction and lead a crime-free life. This is the ideal outcome given that the investment put in to the supervision, rehabilitation and potential cost should be returned to the penal institution. What is the rate of recidivism in Singapore? What proportion of the castrated individuals return to committing offences again? Has the Ministry studied and ascertained if these groups who are more vulnerable than others from the Ministry's experience with cases whose records have been expunged or considered "spent" and the impact on this recidivism? Can the Ministry consider extending the scheme, as asked earlier, to more groups of former offenders? Madam, studies have shown that there are many reasons that lead to individuals to re-offend. For example, lack of family support, environments that are not conducive and lack of job opportunities. They are related to secure and hold on to a job is very important. It provides ability and normalise their lives, having positive network of working colleagues at the same time.”
“Madam, in this House, MHA has responded to MPs call for a more compassionate system towards giving former incarcerated individuals second chances. In some cases, the records are either considered spent or expunged. Indeed, a move in a positive direction and it is understandable for a start for MHA to move further cautiously in implementing that scheme, allowing only for the scheme to apply to those who have committed offences and showed positive social behaviour over a certain period. Have those whose records been expunged or considered "spent" continued with their positive behaviours and stayed crime-free? What percentage of these cases return to crime after their records have been expunged? Madam, I urge MHA to consider expanding the scheme to more cases, particularly to those who have shown good progress in staying crime-free. I also understand that MHA also controls or manages the access of individuals with criminal records in some industries. For example, the security industry. Madam, I have come across many residents with previous criminal records and have appealed to be allowed to work in the security industry as, to them, that is the only reasonable industry that they can secure a job in. Unfortunately, there seems to be a blanket policy. Basically, no one with a criminal record can work as security guards, regardless of what they have done or when the offences were committed. For example, I met a single mother who was struggling to secure a job and was offered a job as a security guard. The problem is, she has been imprisoned previously for committing the offence of harbouring overstayers. Madam, she is a very simple woman, very simple-minded, trying to work hard to support her young children.”
“Madam, the exponential growth of the use of the Internet has changed the way of life of people the world over. There are no boundaries out of reach. There is very limited control on mitigating any negative effects. Often times, damage control is the order of the day when the use of the Internet is abused. Madam, in the real world, laws are put in place to ensure individuals behave responsibly and actions are taken to those who do otherwise, when their behaviours are against the social norms and affect others. The laws penalise individuals and have the Internet effect of deterrence. The situation in the cyber world is not as simple. For one, the identity of individuals is hard to ascertain. You just hide behind pseudonyms and even false identities. The social norms of the Internet are also not as clearly articulated as that in the real world. We are beginning to see the serious negative impact the Internet can cause. The recent incident of remarks made by the Church pastor on Taoist and Buddhist that was put on the Internet, individuals making seditious remarks against certain ethnic groups as well as those making bomb hoaxes. Not to mention the adults preying on young Internet users as seen in cases of sexual offences resulting in Internet interfaces. As the Internet continues to spread its penetration into our society, more needs to be done to put in place laws to protect Singaporeans from anti-social Internet behaviours. Can the Minister please share his plans to further criminalise more irresponsible Internet offences to protect Singaporeans and Singapore society? Crime rates, loan sharks and vice activities”
“Sir, I think we know that Singapore has taken a very pragmatic approach to governance, weighing the cost and benefit of any issue very carefully and making decisions with the interest of Singaporeans at heart. I think the Government stands by its decision to ban the sale of chewing gum as the rationale is based on maintaining a clean and comfortable living environment for all Singaporeans to enjoy. Our efforts at creating a clean, green and safe living environment have garnered much more international acclaim than criticism of the ban on chewing gum. But just to also add littering is still a prevailing problem in Singapore. We know that there has been increases in education and enforcement efforts but it still is a problem. So I think going by the experiences and the possibilities of disamenities created, at this point of time, we still feel that the ban is necessary. 12.18 pm”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Government decided to impose a complete ban on the sale of chewing gum in 1992 due to problems arising from the indiscriminate disposal of gum litter, such as difficulty and cost incurred in removing gum litter from public places, vandalism and service disruptions caused by gum being stuck between doors of MRT trains. Notwithstanding our general policy to keep Singapore free from chewing gum litter, the Government made an exception in 2004 for sale of chewing gum with therapeutic value as defined under the Medicines Act. These include those that help smokers quit, or products of dental hygiene. Chewing gum litter has not been a significant problem since the ban took effect. We remain concerned that lifting the ban on the sale of chewing gum could result in chewing gum litter resurfacing as a problem, and undermine our on-going efforts to curb littering. As the rationale for the imposition of the ban is still valid at present, the Government's position is that the ban should remain.”
“What is important now is that they understand what they should do to secure their future and their children’s future. Their low educational level should not be a barrier for them to ensure that their children achieve excellence in education. There are many programmes and assistance for this group. Many of them require careful handholding. The challenge is their desire and readiness. What is also important is the role of other community members – parents, relatives and friends. We must ensure that the value of improving productivity will be the cornerstone of our community. We need a movement among the Malay community, where the message and value of productivity become the part of the community’s discussion and way of life. If not, we will continue to be left behind, and the problem of low-income families will continue to hamper us and become more complex, since those involved are at a younger age. (In English ): The Government has laid the foundations and called on Singaporeans to be partners in the effort in bringing our economy and society forward. The ride will not be an easy one – the road will be bumpy with humps and pot holes. But we have shown that we have overcome many of these challenges previously often coming out more resilient and stronger. With this clear vision of the future and as the end point, I urge Singaporeans to come forward and answer the call and head towards that vision. I support the Bill. *Cols. 2817-2820. EXEMPTED BUSINESS (Motion) Resolved, That the debate on the Budget Statement be proceeded with beyond 7.00 pm and the proceedings thereon be exempted at this day's sitting from the provisions of Standing Order No. 91(3). – [Mr Mah Bow Tan]. ANNUAL BUDGET STATEMENT Debate resumed. 6.15 pm”
“But we are aware that one of the main reasons is that the household income is insufficient to look after the needs of the family which usually has a lot of children. If we take a closer look, we find that the head of the family is not so educated and unable to increase the household income because of insufficient skills. What worries me more is that I am beginning to see a trend where more and more of them are young families. Some of them are in their 20s and 30s. This group is less educated, does not have any skills and, therefore, finds it hard to find jobs. The lack of economic resources within the family will bring about further problems, like being unable to pay their monthly payments for their flat, utilities, and so on. Sir, the state of this group is more alarming if we look at the strategic direction of our country’s economy. This group must understand the opportunities that are available from the Budget presented. But they must come forward and seize the available opportunities. What they must do? Firstly, they have to take the first steps and accept the fact that they must upgrade themselves and obtain new skills that can ensure that they are suitable for the job opportunities available. With the Government reducing our reliance on foreign workforce, the door is open for us to retake the jobs available in the service sectors, among others. The local workforce must obtain new skills that can increase their productivity. The low wage segment of the Malay community must answer this call for the sake of their children’s future. What worries me is that some of those who are trapped in poverty are quite young. In the context of our economic progress, such a situation should not exist as they grew up with a top-rated education system.”
“The apparent tension felt by Singaporeans became more significant last year during the recession when Singaporeans feel the heat of not being able to secure jobs yet seeing foreigners serving in restaurants (even fast food restaurants) and manning petrol stations. The cries that foreign workers are depriving Singaporeans of their jobs became louder. While the proposed new economic strategy is not to be totally independent of the foreign workforce as has been explained repeatedly by Ministers, the new economic landscape is to moderate the reliance of the foreign workforce – thus the need for Singaporeans to respond to fill in the gap left behind by this reduction of the foreign workforce – through higher productivity. I think the true acid test will be for Singaporeans to come forward and answer this call. They have been called upon to play their part – acquire new skill-set if necessary, work hard and smart, to continue re-skilling themselves and where necessary have multiple skills to value add to their employers and thus the economy. Madam, allow me to quickly continue my speech in Malay. (In Malay): [For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*.] Madam, the Government’s Budget statement this year is a budget that gives encouragement and hope to Singaporeans on a bright future with a progressive and successful economy. The economic and social infrastructure needed will be provided. What is important is the willingness of Singaporeans to answer the Government’s call for them to improve their productivity – which is a critical aspect of this year’s Budget. I am concerned with the implication of this Budget on our Malay community. Our community is always associated with social problems.”
“Would the productivity drive for low-wage workers mean to move from "work more, earn less" to perhaps "work less, earn more"? Is it possible? Or should it be "work smart, earn more" implying the need for them to acquire new ways of work, including acquiring new skills, to get better output and thus increased income. Next, productivity – a value. Madam, much of the discussion on productivity centred on the worker and the economy. For productivity to be the cornerstone of our economic strategy, we need to really make it part of our value system – a way of life. This is particularly important for the younger generation. It will be too late to expect productivity to be internalised only when the individual starts working. The value should be imparted and internalised right from the very young, in schools. In this regard, MOE can look into how it can translate productivity messages into the school experience – through curriculum development and process learning. Madam, this is critical as the Budget is deemed to be the budget for Singapore's future – thus the stakeholders in this future are the current younger generation. They must know what is being prepared for them. They must start the process of fitting into the future that we are laying for them, now. If we fail to do that, then we may be seeing another group of perhaps by then the 20-somethings, low educated, facing problems of structural unemployment, not aware of what productivity is. Madam, one of the driving forces behind this emphasis on productivity is the challenge we have been facing with regard to our reliance on foreign workers.”
“If they are not able to fit into the new employment landscape, and continue to compete for low-wage, low-skills jobs, we will be faced with a potentially severe problem down the road. How big is this group? I am not sure but, anecdotally, evidence and preliminary data that I highlighted earlier, suggest that MOM and the Government should study this group more closely for the measures in the Budget to be effective for them. Madam, the 30-something group were born during the 1970s and the 1980s, a period where Singapore underwent rapid development and strong growth. They grew up with the productivity movement of "good, better, best", seeing their parents and elder siblings work in factories, often times working in shifts. I experienced that too, often accompanying my mother to wait for my elder sister when she returns home from shift work late at night, particularly when it was pay day, acting as added security to protect that pay packet. Working three shifts to me then, was a way of life, and everyone was prepared to do it. Thus, it is hard for me to understand why some of these very 30-somethings shared their unwillingness to work shifts, particularly the night shift when offered jobs. They did not internalise values of hard work displayed by their parents and elder siblings. Have they enjoyed relative comfort of life in the 1990s that these values disappeared? Madam, these are important values if we want to succeed in making productivity the cornerstone of our next economic development. Madam, we will probably have to distill this productivity message clearly and simply to this group. In the education system, we seem to have moved from "teach more to learn more" to that of "teach less-learn more".”
“9 percentage points (from 3.6% to 6.5%), lower than the younger group of aged 30 to 39. What this means is that those who with primary school or less education, 30 to 39 years old, had a percentage increase of unemployment of 4.5 percentage points. Those in the 40 to 49 group, only 0.5 percentage point increase, 50 years and above 2.9 percentage increase. Now, what does it say? The picture is consistent for men in all other lower educational profiles – lower secondary, secondary and upper secondary. That is, between 2008 and 2009 when we went into recession, proportionally, more of the younger males with less education became unemployed and had difficulties securing jobs compared to their older friends in the same educational profile. It begs the question of how older men with lower education have a better chance of remaining employed compared to their younger counterparts. Perhaps, it is the outcome of the effort at encouraging employers to employ older workers. As heads of households, with a higher possibility of having younger dependants, each day of being unemployed means each day of financial instability for the family. How does this year's Budget address this group of younger heads of households and help them fit into the future landscape that the Budget sets out for Singaporeans? For them, ensuring that they secure a job is critical, that is, getting them to the starting block for the competition before we can even discuss issues of increasing productivity. These are the very workers we must pay attention to as they have at least 30 plus more productive years ahead of them to contribute to Singapore's growth.”
“Not too long ago, we were faced with the issue of structural unemployment where Singaporeans aged 40 years and above risk not being able to find jobs despite jobs being available. They did not have the requisite skills nor are able to quickly acquire those skills. They struggled to fit into the new employment landscape. The result – they struggled with low-wage jobs which continue to be at risk of being obsolete, rendering them unemployable again. Madam, that experience is still fresh in my mind and what I am seeing in my meet-the-people sessions is beginning to worry me. I am beginning to see younger Singaporeans – those in their 30s – particularly men who are heads of households – sharing with me their struggles in securing jobs. Whether it is their unwillingness to take up jobs that are available or their unsuitability for these jobs, it is still uncertain. But what is certain is that they remain unemployed at an age which is typically known as the prime age for workers. A quick check with labour force data published by MOM shows some indicative trends that need closer attention. Comparing the unemployment rate of male residents between 2008 and 2009 showed that the men with lower education, aged between 30 and 39 years are more vulnerable to unemployment. The unemployment rates of men in this age group with primary education and below rose by 4.7 percentage points between 2008 and 2009. That means the unemployment rate for this group was 4.0% to 8.7% in 2009. The percentage point increase for men aged 40 to 49 years old with the same educational level was much lower, only 0.5 percentage point increase from 4.9% to 5.4%. Similarly, for those men aged 50 years and above in the same educational group, the increase was 2.”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, over 40 speakers before me have provided various labels and descriptions to this year's Budget. Keywords that have surfaced include productivity, innovation, raising real incomes, bright future for Singapore. Far from the regular Budget where goodies are distributed, this is not a "hong bao " Budget as expected by ordinary Singaporeans. The Budget sets out the framework for a conducive environment for enterprises to emerge and succeed, leading to better growth and job opportunities for Singaporeans. Funds are being injected to incentivise businesses to innovate and improve their work processes to enhance productivity. And the new buzz word for Singapore is productivity. Many in the House have reminded us of the productivity movement of the 1980s with "good, better, best" and of late we hear "cheaper, better, faster". We tell Singaporeans that this is important as we compete with workers from other countries in the globalised world. Madam, in any competition, we must ensure that the competitors know where the starting block is and arrive there on time. The starting block for workers is thus to ensure that they have the jobs in the first place, and jobs that will ensure that they earn decent wages to support their dependants. Only then will the issue of productivity appear in their radar screen. Much has been said over the past two days about low-wage workers and how much needs to be done to improve their circumstances both in the workplace and in their families. The unions have asked them to up-skill, re-skill and multi-skill to compete. Madam, but is it an uphill task for our workers, particularly the low-wage workers? As mentioned, for the Government's productivity movement to work, the workers must be in a job.”
“On the issue of mentally-ill patients, we recognise that it is a unique situation and I think most important is the role of the family to ensure that the mentally-ill patient is able to function effectively in the community. If the mentally-ill patient is not effectively ready to be in the community, then they should be in the Institute of Mental Health. Often times, the point is that the Institute of Mental Health thinks that they are ready because they are able to function in the community with medication. The issue is really the extent to which they are able to comply with their medication regime. If we come across a situation like that, we probably seek the family member's cooperation in ensuring that this particular family member actually complies with his medical regime to make sure that he is still able to function in the community. On the issue of how and when we actually compulsorily acquire the flat, it really depends first, as I mentioned earlier, on whether they have been convicted of the offence under the Penal Code and the severity of the offence. In 2005, we had actually compulsorily acquired a flat of a resident who actually had been convicted of such an offence. 3.00 pm”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. Sir, we have recently embarked on a public education campaign. Miss Low asked for the details of that campaign and how fast we can roll it out. On 17th December, we announced a public education campaign to raise the residents' awareness of a particular killer litter issue. We also worked with religious organisations, particularly three religious organisations. They issued statements on 17th December last year, to remind their devotees that it is not in line with their religious practices of compassion to place or hang religious items in precarious manner. Killer litter posters were displayed on all notice boards in HDB estates and we issued advisory letters to all HDB households to reiterate the message against killer litter. Apart from issuing the warning letters, we also issued advisory letters. That has already been done. Advisory notes will be issued subsequently through newsletters of the different religious organisations. We are also in the process of producing the "do's" and "don'ts" of killer litter video which will be produced and screened at branch offices so that the residents are more aware of the dangers of killer litter. On the issue of unwanted mailers, I think we have recognised that it is a problem in certain parts of Singapore and certain estates, particularly estates where your minimum occupation period has just been fulfilled and people want you to sell your flat. I think we will work together with the local organisations and the TCs to try to see whether we can actually address these issues locally.”
“Sir, allow me to clarify. The 12 warning letters refer to warning letters to residents for throwing of killer litter whereas the figure of 4,000 that Mdm Phua mentioned refers to warning letters given out to residents who placed precarious objects that are potential killer litter. So these are two separate incidences. It is given out by HDB as well as town councils and today, we continue to do preventive efforts to make sure that residents are aware that it is wrong for them to even put out objects that are potential killer litter. On the issue of the design of HDB blocks, we will continue to look at how else we can further improve on such situations. HDB estates have been around for many years and the blocks have been around for many years. I think the issue is really the extent to which residents are aware of their behaviours and the extent to which how dangerous these behaviours are to the residents. If we continue to educate them, telling them that what they are doing is really at the expense of other residents, they should be able to follow the regulations and stop themselves from behaving in such a manner, I think we should be able to have a safer environment for our HDB residents.”
“Sir, we agree that, often times, issues like these are actually affected by a small minority and we will continue to step up surveillance methods. I think, more importantly, it is the cooperation between the residents and the agencies involved – NEA and town councils. As mentioned earlier, we cannot have the "eyes on the ground" 24 hours but the system is one in which we rely on feedback as well as information given by the residents and the agencies will continue to do its surveillance and take action against those who are affected. When we take action against those who are affected, we give warning letters, we counsel them, and at the same time to make sure that they comply and if they do not comply, we take more severe action against them. But having said that, we also think that it is important to do a broad sweep of public education campaigns to make sure that everybody is aware of the messaging that goes about, so that it is important for everyone to know their respective roles in the community. That it is also the responsibility of every resident to be aware of the issues of high-rise littering, especially killer litters.”