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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“BO is scheduled to recover the possession of the flat at the end of this year. The point I am making is that there are solutions and we will continue to work with the individual cases. So while we talk about the short-term solutions, let me just quickly run through some of the possible longer-term solutions for these lessees. First, it is that we can look into the possibility of refinancing the loan by including eligible members of the family. Some lessees ask whether they can wait for half a year or one year because their older children would be finishing their tertiary education and would be able to be part of the repayment plan and we allow them. One possibility is to extend the loan if they have not reached the maximum period. So, at the end of the day, Sir, we will continue to try to help lessees who have difficulty with the mortgage arrears, especially during a difficult time like this. On Dr Lim's first question on the projected trend, I think previous downturn showed us that at the end, if we are able to manage the situation, the arrear levels would not exceed the current situation that we are facing today. We will continue to monitor closely the situation and how we can assist these families. We will help them right from the very beginning. The moment we see that the arrear is starting to accumulate, we will respond. And we appeal to all the residents, the lessees, the home owners to respond to the efforts by HDB officers. Often times, they do not respond and allow the arrears to accumulate before they finally decide to come forward.”
“The mortgage arrears would have already accumulated significantly to the point that we assessed it is better for them to find a more long-term solution. So compulsory acquisition (CA) notice was served on 11th February 2008 this year. After the notice of intent was served, lessees agreed to sell the flat. So they finally agreed to find a more long-term solution so that they can get a better price compared to the compulsory acquisition compensation amount. The CA compensation amount at that time was about $142,000, but they were able to sell the flat at $194,000. So currently the lessees are undergoing the resale transaction scheduled for early next year. In the meantime, they have agreed to stay with their relatives before they purchase the next flat. So that is one example of how HDB has over the years worked very hard, on a case-by-case basis, to assist these families. Let me give an example of the second case, the case where Dr Lim talked about the potential actual compulsory acquisition. An ex-lessee purchased the flat in 1997. He fell into arrears in February 2001 because he lost his job. Although the Branch Office (BO) allowed him to pay reduced repayment or the RRS on four separate occasions, six months each, and deferred his mortgage payment, once from 2001, he still could not cope with the mortgage payments. The ex-lessee actually sublet the flat but did not use the rental income to pay for the mortgage payments. He remained uncontactable and BO was unable to refer him to CDC for job matching and other forms of assistance. So to prevent further accumulation of the mortgage arrears, approval was obtained in July this year to compulsorily acquire the flat. The title of the flat was revested in October this year and the lessee is still not contactable.”
“I think we want to work towards a situation where we find solutions for them. There are interim measures. We do have situations where such families are placed in sheltered homes but really these are small and far in between. As far as we are concerned, before we actually take any action against them, we find all these alternative solutions. Let me just give Members some examples of what HDB has been doing to help some of these families. I think some of these families are quite similar to the kind of cases that Members of the House would be familiar with. One case, the lessees fell into arrears a month after their purchase of the flat because the husband lost his job. It was probably during the economic downturn previously. To help lessees tide over the financial difficulties, the Branch Office allowed them to pay a lower instalment under the reduced repayment scheme which I talked about earlier, on three separate occasions. This meant that they had difficulties along the way. In 2001, 2004 and July 2005, there were different situations where we actually assisted them with reduced repayment. However, the lessees still could not cope with the mortgage payments. In February 2007, that was the beginning of a crisis situation for them. They were adjudicated as bankrupts. The wife subsequently was discharged from bankruptcy. The Branch Office then gave them ample time and opportunities to resolve their arrear problems to no avail. They had difficulties along the way. So to prevent the arrears from accumulating, approval was obtained in January 2008, some seven years later. They started having problems in 2001, only in January 2008 we obtained approval to compulsorily acquire the flat on grounds of mortgage arrears.”
“It is for those whom we assess as possibly having the ability to improve their economic circumstances again so that they can subsequently continue and get back on track to their mortgage payment plans. For those who possibly have difficulty in the longer term, I think finding longer-term solution is a better option. What are the longer-term solutions? Really, if they cannot manage the monthly repayment – I will cite the cases later – where the monthly instalment is almost equivalent to the income that they have today because of retrenchment, because of reduced income, it is really not tenable for them. If we assess that within the next six months or a year they may not have the ability to raise their income level back to the original sum, then they should sell the flat, buy a smaller flat that is more affordable with the mortgage payment lesser than the previous mortgage payment. So I think working with them very closely and finding all these long-term solutions will be a better option than really looking at extending short-term solutions for them. Next on the issue of interim housing. As I mentioned earlier, less than 8% of these mortgagees or home owners are facing some of these arrear problems and many of them are having mortgage arrears of between three and 12 months and some are above 12 months. For many of them, we can actually find solutions for them. Even after they sell their flats, there are possible solutions for downgrading. Interim housing is really the last option. We are considering some of the options and possibilities, but we do not envisage a situation where we have a large exodus of displaced individuals and families where we need to house them in temporary housing, like unused Government buildings or schools.”
“Sir, I thank Dr Lim for his supplementary questions. I think we understand that Singaporean home owners are concerned about the uncertain economic outlook and the issue of mortgage arrears has surfaced in many of our MPS. But let me just reiterate a point first. Compulsory acquisition is the last resort. It is not the first action that HDB takes. HDB helps all home owners to manage their mortgage payments. I think, at the end of the day, as the Minister mentioned earlier, the policy of HDB is home ownership. We do not want to be in a situation where we encouraged home owners to have their own homes and later on work towards displacing them. That is not the idea at all. Sir, that is really to help home owners manage their mortgage payments as they go along. But given the economic situation, sometimes they do face difficulties. So what do we do with some of these home owners? Let me go from the fourth question upwards. First is the issue of reduced repayment packages and what we can do to help them. There are two broad possibilities. One is really we offer them reduced repayment schemes. We can offer them up to between 25% and 50% reduced repayments for six months' period, to be reviewed, and sometimes we go all the way to two years. Two years is quite a long time for them to manage and to look and find longer-term solutions. But I think at the end of the day, we must emphasise and tell the residents that it is better for them to look for long-term solutions rather than look at short-term repayment. The short-term reduced repayment scheme is really for them to tide over this difficult period.”
“The number of Malay/Muslim social workers is too little to meet the community's needs. We will still need funds to create the programmes, including funding these expert workers. We hope the community will support the proposal so that part of the MBMF will be used for this purpose. Mr Speaker, the social issues that still burden our community cannot be overcome in just one day. But the proposed amendment that is related to marriages and the MBMF provision shows our community's concern to take a proactive attitude in facing social issues. I support this amendment. *Cols. 859-866. 4.32 pm”
“I feel that we all agree on the importance of the Fund to be channelled into programmes that aim to overcome the social problems of the Malays. We will continue using national resources but the provision of the MBMF for these programmes also demonstrates to the Government and other races that the Malays are also concerned, responsible and want to contribute towards the process of overcoming our own community's social problems. In the Action Plan to Strengthen Malay/Muslim Families that is being coordinated by the Community Leaders' Forum, we need funds to implement new programmes, like the one detailed by the Minister previously. Mr Speaker, while distributing resources to overcome the Malays' social problems, one of the challenges we face is how the resources are used. Overcoming this social issue is a complex process and needs special expertise. Engaging and helping dysfunctional families with multiple problems, like pregnancy, juvenile delinquency and heads of family in jail, is not something that can be done by a volunteer who is sympathetic and wants to help. It needs the skills of a trained professional social worker. The process of helping these people with problems needs a systematic assessment and comprehensive action plan. These trained experts need a lot of resources. Many think that social workers do not need high salaries as it is their job to help the community. Some also feel that such work can be done by volunteers. But the fact is that we need expertise and a lot of resources to implement social programmes that aim to overcome our community social problems. We also have to create proactive programmes to encourage more young people to participate in social work and make it a career. Our community really needs these professional workers.”
“The issue is the responsibility of these men in the institution of family, and their ability to play their roles as the leader and pillar of the family. This means that it is important for us to strengthen the men by increasing their skills to overcome challenges in marriages and families. And for those who are divorced, the message is that their responsibility as fathers does not end at the point of the divorce. In fact, their responsibility will continue even though they have divorced or married again. Paying the alimony is only one of their roles. Their role as fathers, leaders and so on must be continued. But often we find that they failed to play this role after they remarried. Thus, we have to think of strategies to overcome this issue - how we can ensure that the men continue to play their role effectively after the divorce. Mr Speaker, I feel that the community must also play an important role in this issue. We must send a clear message to the men that they must not conveniently take the decision to remarry after their divorce, if they are unable to pay child support for their children from their previous marriage. Maybe an assessment system can be created to ensure that men who want to marry again must show their ability to continue fulfilling their children’s needs. We need a long-term plan to ensure that the future of these children from the divorces continues to be secure, and we halt the process of dysfunctional families in the next generation. Regarding the MBMF that was changed, this Fund is disbursed for social programmes that are being coordinated by Mendaki. There are segments of the community who asked why the MBMF must be raised and used for Mendaki's social programmes.”
“It means that if they have children from this marriage, and burdened by insufficient salaries or not being present in their children's lives, most likely they will be unable to play their roles as fathers to children from their first marriage, like paying alimony and child support. What will happen to the ex-wives who were given custody of the children? Most likely, they will remarry again. One reason is that they need someone to rely on. In 2007, 25% of marriages involved women who had previously divorced. Mr Speaker, for 2007, I found that around 1,450 marriages occurred when one partner has divorced before, and among them, 40% or 560 couples are couples where both partners have divorced before. Such families are called reconstituted families and many social workers find that such families are high risk as the dynamics within the families are too complex and difficult to handle. I admit that not all reconstituted families are problematic but figures related to problematic youths, school dropouts and so forth show that they come from the reconstituted family structure, where there are divorces, remarriages and sometimes also re-divorces. The result is unstable households and families. I have met a young grandmother who has married thrice. She said that her eldest child has seven children from four marriages and divorces. The eldest son of that child is in the Singapore Boys' Home while the second one is in the Singapore Girls' Home. The third child is already not schooling at 13 years old. We often see this scenario among Malay dysfunctional families. What must we do? Mr Speaker, recently there is the issue of whether Malay men are considered to be the main cause of social problems among Malay/Muslims.”
“Marriages at a young age also mean that they are likely to have low education. Often they are given the custody of their children after the divorce. With low education due to their young age, they usually have problems supporting themselves as single mothers. They depend on financial support through the child support payment from their ex-husbands. But we always hear complaints from the single mothers because many have difficulty receiving this child support payment. Many have to keep going to the courts just to get the money. This problem is worsening and another AMLA amendment aims to solve it. I support the amendment to clause 12 which proposes that each Syariah Court's decision be treated as the District Court's decision. Mr Speaker, although the amendments to clause 12 may reduce the single mother's burden to get alimony from their ex-husbands, they still face another main challenge, that is, the ability of their ex-husbands to make the payment. Many of these ex-husbands are unable to give sufficient alimony. There are two reasons for this: first, insufficient income; and second, the economic situation being made complicated with the status of those who have remarried and have new responsibilities. Here I feel that the AMLA amendments do not give enough attention to the issue of the men's responsibility to play their roles after the divorce. I suggest to the Minister to study how we can continue to enhance the present system to increase the level of responsibility of these men. Mr Speaker, the rate of remarriages among these men is also high. In 2007, 24% of Malay/Muslim's marriages involved men who have previously divorced.”
“(In Malay): [For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*.] Mr Speaker, I support the amendments to the Administration of Muslim Law Act (AMLA) that were proposed. I like to put forward some issues related to the proposed amendments. Mr Speaker, the Malay/Muslim community has long been burdened by many social problems that slowed our community's development – from drug abuse to youth delinquency, teenage pregnancy and juvenile crime, to the problems of high divorce rates and poor and dysfunctional families. All these are often linked to the problem of the failure of the institution of Malay/Muslim families. Why is this happening when our nation is still overcoming the challenge of globalisation and competition in the global arena? Why are Malay/Muslim youths still said to over-populate the drug rehabilitation centres? Why is the rate of divorce still high among Malay/Muslims compared to other couples from other communities? Some proposed amendments in the AMLA aim to strengthen our society’s system and social structure so that we can overcome these social problems. I support the proposed amendments to increase the minimum marriage age for Muslim couples from 16 years to 18 years old. This sends a clear message that marriage at a young age carries a high risk. For example, figures show that 6.5% of Malay/Muslim marriages in 2007 involved women under 20 years old. At the same time, 20% of divorces among Malay/Muslim couples in 2007 occurred among women who married when they were under 20 years old. Among them, 67% have ex-husbands that were under 24 years old when they got married. Early marriages are not only high risk, but also bring a significant effect on the women involved, especially if she already has children.”
“Every two years, we would invite an international panel of food safety experts to validate the system and give us suggestions for further improvement. The recent visit by the panel in August 2008 found our system to be robust and in line with international standards. But we are not resting on our laurels. There will always be unscrupulous people along the entire chain of food production and distribution who will try to cheat the system to make more profits. My Minister has, therefore, asked AVA to form a unit that will scan the horizon for timely information, dialogue constantly with key industry players, and brainstorm possible ways that people may try to beat the system. In short, Sir, AVA will look at how to strengthen our early warning signs and surveillance capabilities as well as improve its risk analysis to strengthen our food safety management system. 3.00 pm”
“This was a necessary precautionary measure to protect all consumers. Subsequently, samples of all milk and dairy products from China were collected and checked for melamine contamination. We were among the first countries to report unacceptable levels of melamine in various different dairy products and brands. AVA also worked with MOH to educate the public on the health issues, and with NEA to take enforcement action at the retail end, including at coffee shops, retail outlets and school canteens. AVA is prosecuting some outlets for flouting the directive to recall implicated products. To determine the extent of the problem here, AVA has been running tests on all China-made milk and dairy products, and has extended tests to other China-made products that are traded based on protein content. Examples of such products are cereal, creamy soup and soya-based products. AVA has also directed our importers to check with their suppliers on the country of origin of the milk ingredients used in the manufacture of their products. Samples of milk and milk products made in other countries have also been taken for testing. Dr Lim also asked whether there were any unscrupulous practices by Singapore importers involved in the import of these contaminated products. I am glad to report that so far, AVA has not come across any evidence which may suggest so. However, AVA will remain vigilant in monitoring the market, and will not hesitate to take appropriate action against any unscrupulous importers. I would like to assure Members that AVA has put in place a comprehensive and integrated food safety system to ensure that food imported into Singapore, regardless of its source, is safe for consumption.”
“Sir, Dr Lim asked why AVA did not test milk and milk products for melamine until the incident surfaced. Melamine is an industrial chemical not allowed for use in food production. Prior to this incident, food authorities worldwide did not routinely test for melamine in food. It was unthinkable that anyone would unscrupulously add melamine to purposely give a false impression of the protein content in the food. Ms Ellen Lee asked for assurance to test all food items. It is not possible for AVA to test all consignments of food products for all kinds of chemicals and contaminants. We will need many more laboratories and personnel, and the cost of our food will go sky-high. To ensure food safety, we take a managed risk approach, not a zero-risk approach. What AVA does is to profile the risk of different kinds of food, based on scientific analysis, vigilant surveillance of the prevailing foodborne disease situation, and the track record of suppliers. In the case of milk, for example, the high-risk threats that we test for include chemicals such as heavy metals, residues of pesticides and veterinary drugs, and pathogens such as E coli and Salmonella. This is an international best practice, adopted by well-established food safety authorities. When the news on melamine contamination was first officially reported in China on 12th September this year, AVA took prompt and appropriate action. Verification checks on milk imports from China were immediately carried out. Tests were conducted to check for melamine contamination. When it became clear to AVA that melamine had been intentionally added to adulterate these products, AVA suspended the import and sale of all milk and dairy products from China on 19th September.”
“Sir, as mentioned earlier, regardless of ownership, I think we have to also bear in mind the disamenity created by heavy vehicles. The principles and philosophy behind it are that heavy vehicles should not be allowed to park in housing estates. They should not be used as personal transport and drivers should park at places designated outside of HDB housing estates. 3.00 pm”
“Investigations were conducted to establish if any of the prostitutes involved with these pimps and vice operators were coerced, deceived or lured into vice. None was found to be so. In short, Sir, Singapore has a comprehensive legal framework and a robust operational framework to deal with vice and human trafficking. We will continue to fine-tune this framework as necessary.”
“When a foreigner arrives in Singapore, she is subjected to face-to-face immigration clearance by ICA officers and screened against the various border control systems. Apart from scrutinising travel documents, ICA officers also assess the entry eligibility of each visitor. If the officer suspects that the visitor's intention of entering Singapore is dubious or non-genuine, the visitor will be referred to the Duty Officer for secondary examination. This includes screening the person's fingerprints against a database of immigration offenders. If it is established that the visitor has previous adverse records or is entering Singapore for dubious purposes, he or she will be denied entry. Nevertheless, Sir, some sex workers will still slip through the system. Such cases are then dealt with through Police enforcement. Last year, Police conducted more than 900 vice-related raids. These include major anti-vice operations as well as licensing checks on entertainment outlets and massage establishments. As a result, some 5,400 foreign sex workers were arrested. We take their biometric data, send them back home and blacklist them from entering Singapore. Sir, Police is mindful that a woman in the vice trade may have been forced into prostitution or brought into Singapore under false pretences or against her will. Hence, Police has a dedicated vice unit that interviews every foreign sex worker arrested to establish whether there was any coercion or deception. Persons who have committed offences within Singapore will be dealt with in accordance with our laws. Last year, Police also prosecuted 15 pimps and 30 vice-abetters in Court.”
“Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs (a) how many women were arrested for vice-related activities in the past one year; (b) of these, how many were on Social Visit Passes; (c) what steps will be taken to reduce the number of prostitutes working on Social Visit Passes; and (d) what controls does the Ministry have in place to deter human trafficking, particularly within the vice trade in Singapore. Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee (for the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs): Sir, last year, Police arrested some 5,400 female foreigners for vice-related activities. 4,900 or 91% of these were in Singapore on Social Visit Passes. As a percentage of all social visit passes issued last year, this represents an abuse rate of 0.03%. As I said in this House earlier this year, there will always be a very small number among those who come to Singapore who enter under the pretext of social visits but engage in vice activities. This is a reality that we should expect with an open economy and with tourism as one of our key economic drivers. Nevertheless, Sir, MHA has in place a number of measures to detect and prevent sex workers from entering Singapore as far as possible under the guise of social visitors. Certain nationalities are required to apply for visas prior to entering Singapore. This enables ICA to screen travellers against ICA's records before they even travel to Singapore. If a visa applicant has adverse records or there are irregularities in her visa application, she will not be issued with a visa. The visa requirements are regularly reviewed and calibrated to deal with changes in trends and the operating environment.”
“Sir, we focus our efforts on ensuring that Singapore remains an attractive place in all aspects, and that this is the best home for our people, so that Singaporeans would not even contemplate giving up their citizenship. We are reputed to be one of the safest cities in the world and have built up a world-class infrastructure, developed excellent education and healthcare systems. These are big advantages of living in Singapore that Singaporeans sometimes take for granted. Beyond the fundamentals, we must ensure that there are sufficient employment opportunities for all Singaporeans. We should also press on with our efforts to make Singapore an exciting and vibrant place to live in. Sir, the Government cannot stop Singaporeans from emigrating. Our education system which teaches in the English language makes them mobile. As a result, some Singaporeans will work and live overseas. We make every effort to keep in touch with them. One such effort is the setting up of the Overseas Singapore Unit (OSU) which drives, coordinates and monitors efforts of our various agencies in their engagement with overseas Singaporeans. The vision is to facilitate the coming together of an inter-connected overseas Singaporean diaspora. This includes Singaporeans who have given up their citizenship. Sir, in the final analysis, it is about building the Singapore community and working towards a common future, to make Singapore a better place to live in, a place we can proudly call home. VICE-RELATED ACTIVITIES (Number of women arrested) 14.”
“We should start asking what their children should do to provide for their elderly parents. MIGRATION OF SINGAPORE CITIZENS (Exit interview) 13. Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs in view of the large number of people applying for the Certificate of No Criminal Conviction in 2007 with about 68% intending to migrate (a) whether the Ministry will consider conducting an exit interview for Singapore citizens intending to migrate to other countries to ascertain their reasons for doing so; and (b) whether the Government has any plans to reduce the number of Singapore citizens migrating. The Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs (Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee) (for the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs): Mr Speaker, Sir, we share Mr Lim's sentiments about the importance of ascertaining the reasons why our citizens migrate to other countries, and to take steps to mitigate any push factors. When a Singaporean seeks to renounce his citizenship, either at the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, or at our Overseas Missions, our officers will engage him and try and find out his reasons for wanting to do so. The reasons for renouncing Singapore Citizenship vary, ranging from marriage to foreigners, to wanting to live in a different environment. We also take the opportunity to advise him to take some time to reconsider his decision. Nevertheless, we recognise that a person's decision to renounce his citizenship is usually not taken lightly, and he is likely to have thought through the issue. The Government respects his decision, however much we would like him to remain our citizen. We are thus mindful to approach such requests to give up Singapore citizenship in a sensible manner without making the process too onerous.”
“Sir, first, on the issue of the elderly and how we treat the elderly who need housing. Often-times, the elderly are not First-Timers. They probably would already have access to Government subsidies and purchased their own flats. They would probably also have already monetised or sold their flats. In that sense, what are the other options? I have mentioned earlier, if they want to come back into the purchase market, they will have to pay the resale levy or they will have to buy in the open market or buy studio apartments. Many a times, they come to us asking for rental flats. When we look at that, I think the fundamental issue is not so much that they need housing from the Government, but what is the kind of housing options that they have. We have to look at the larger picture of what it means for us as a society. We have to look again at the roles of their family members. Yes, Prof. Kalyani Mehta said that perhaps family relations have soured and therefore they cannot live with their children. But that does not mean that the children cannot continue to be responsible or be held responsible for providing housing or support for their elderly parents. We are already dealing with this issue of rental flats and ensuring that rental flats are designed for the truly needy. We are also dealing with an issue of subsidies. Subsidies are not unlimited. Given the two, we should try to focus our subsidies and resources on the truly needy and allow Singaporeans to begin to think how the elderly housing issue should be better dealt with. I think we have to start asking ourselves what is the role of the family and their children in providing for their elderly parents, even if they do not want to live together and cannot live together.”
“Sir, first, we are committed to increase the supply of the smaller flats. We are going to increase the supply of new two-room flats. We are also going to increase the supply of our studio apartments for the elderly to monetise their assets. As mentioned earlier, in this year's COS, we are launching about 240 new two-room flats and more are on-stream. With regard to maintaining the question of the price, new two-room flats for First-Timers are always subsidised. So, the cost is much lower than the ones in the open market. New flat purchasers can actually access any rental flats. For those who are downgrading and are competing with the lower-income families to get a two-room purchase flat, they actually have to pay a resale levy which will increase the price equivalent to the market rate. With that price mechanism, we are able to control to ensure that the two-room flats continue to be affordable to the lower-income families. Assoc. Prof. Kalyani K Mehta: Sir, I would like the Parliamentary Secretary to provide some enlightenment on the issue of older people who apply for rental flats and the fact that sometimes there are changing family relationships and circumstances that may push the older couple to want to move out. They may be even abused by their children, and that may be one factor to consider as well. Should we not offer a mid-way option?”
“If we are going to build small flats and these flats become popular, what does MND intend to do to control the prices of small flats which are for the low-income families?”
“Sir, the question is whether home ownership is relevant or not today, given the circumstances that have been described. Sir, home ownership remains relevant today. Besides providing a roof over one's head and promoting stakeholdership in the country, an ownership flat is also a store of value which appreciates in tandem with the country's economic growth. It allows Singaporeans to share in the fruits of Singapore's progress. When they retire, they are able to monetise their home ownership flats by either subletting a flat, a room or two rooms to earn rental income, or unlock their housing equity by downgrading to a smaller flat, or a studio apartment, or sign a lease buy-back scheme later next year. Sir, as mentioned earlier, the Government makes home ownership flats affordable for even the low income. In fact, for the lower-income families who are eligible by the Home Ownership Plus Education (HOPE) Scheme stand to benefit another $50,000 in CPF grants which can also be used for housing. So, technically, a low-income family can easily afford to have a two-room flat with monthly contribution of $200 into their mortgage loan. So, for a small group of needy citizens, as mentioned earlier, who cannot afford to buy a rental flat with our housing subsidies, the Government will continue to help them with a heavily subsidised rental flat. Mr Zainudin Nordin (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Sir, I hope that MND is aware that the popularity of the smaller three-room flats has gone up, even though the flats were intentionally designed for low-income earners. But the popularity of the flats is such that now a three-room flat can even go to as high as $250,000.”
“As we continue to create good jobs, we will need to prepare our workers through the CET programmes to refresh and renew their skills, so that they can enhance their mobility and employability and take advantage of emerging opportunities in new growth areas.”
“We, therefore, expect continued employment growth, but probably at a slower rate in the second half. With the slowdown in major external economies and global concerns with inflation, some businesses have become more cautious in their hiring. This has contributed to an increase in the overall unemployment rate, from 2% in March 2008 to 2.3% in June 2008. This is at the same level as it was a year ago in June 2007. Unemployment might rise in the second half of the year. If the slowdown in export-dependent sectors such as electronics continues, retrenchments might also edge up above the record-low in 2007. Nevertheless, with continued employment growth, there will be sufficient jobs created for Singaporeans. The bulk of the new jobs will be in the services sector, especially the tourism-related industries. Driven by big-scale events as well as the upcoming Integrated Resorts in 2009 and , we should see continued demand for workers in many types of jobs in these industries, ranging from restaurant managers, waiters and chefs to retail assistants and event organisers. We expect 50,000 jobs to be created in the tourism sector between 2008 and 2010. We also expect job growth in other industries. For instance, the robust growth in the aerospace industry driven by new projects announced by industry giants such as GE Aviation and Rolls Royce will translate into continued demand for technicians and engineers. In the finance sector, various segments such as wealth management and consumer and corporate banking are expected to continue growing and over the next five years, an average of 7,000 new jobs are expected to be created annually, ranging from financial analysts and risk managers to private bankers.”
“On the first question on when Ang Mo Kio will get it, as I have mentioned, it is a pilot project and is recommended by the Committee on Private Estates. The Committee felt that it will take some time for them to assess the viability as well as ascertain the potential effectiveness of the programme. Mdm Lee's question is whether it can be brought forward. We will refer back to the Committee on Private Estates to assess whether a shorter period will be sufficient for them to assess the viability, or even to ascertain whether that pilot project can work. But, at this point in time, the Committee's assessment is that it will take two years, at least, for them to assess that project. On CIPC and usage of CIPC funds for barrier-free access facilities in private estates, as I mentioned earlier, the Government announced earlier that we are considering using CIPC funds for private estates. But having considered the matter further, we are looking at implementing or expanding the EUP for small-scale private estate projects. And we are looking into various aspects on the needs of the private estates and will announce details of that programme shortly. EMPLOYMENT SITUATION (Update) 11. Mdm Halimah Yacob asked the Acting Minister for Manpower (a) whether he will provide an update on the employment situation in view of the recently downgraded GDP growth forecast of 4% to 5%; (b) which sectors will continue to see job growth; and (c) what is the projected unemployment rate for the year. The Acting Minister for Manpower (Mr Gan Kim Yong): Sir, employment growth in the first half of 2008 has been healthy, with 143,800 jobs added. MTI's full year GDP growth forecast is now between 4% and 5%; this means that the economy is still expected to grow, albeit slower, in the second half of 2008.”
“Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources whether the Ministry will consider scrapping the monthly sanitary appliances fee of $3 per sanitary fitting as there is already a waterborne fee of $0.30 per cubic metre for water used. The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan) (for the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources): PUB currently charges a Sanitary Appliances Fee (SAF) of $3 per month for each sanitary fitting, and a Waterborne Fee (WBF) of $0.30 per cubic metre for domestic customers and $0.60 per cubic metre for non-domestic customers. The WBF alone is insufficient to recover the costs for used water services. The Minister for the Environment and Water Resources had informed the House at the Committee of Supply 2008 that MEWR and PUB are looking into restructuring used water charges into a single volumetric fee. When we decide to do so, the volumetric rates will be revised taking into account PUB's cost for the maintenance of the used water system and treatment of the used water. We are studying the options and implementation details.”
“Sir, on the first question on the sudden surge of rental flats, I think Members will probably be experiencing this surge through the MPS cases and, as highlighted by PM at the National Day Rally, there is a surge in the number of rental flat applicants. I think there could be many reasons, and one of them is, as some have cited, the high cost of living. Others have cited that perhaps the good property market is making people sell their flats and asking for rental flats. Indeed, I think that is one of the possibilities because when we look at the proportion of people who actually apply for rental flats, about two-thirds of them are actually ex-lessees and amongst these two-thirds, another two-thirds actually are not in arrears of their mortgage loans nor are they divorce cases who, under special circumstances, we will consider for rental flats. So I think, often times, people see this as an option to perhaps monetise their assets given the current situation and they see our heavily subsidised rental flats as an attractive option. It is an attractive option because it is highly subsidised and I think we are very concerned, as PM mentioned, that we do not want to encourage those who are not truly needy to crowd the rental queue. So we are in the process of reviewing the rental applicants to make sure that the subsidies given to these rental housing are targeted at the truly needy. On the second question of how do we help these cases, as mentioned, those families who are really needy will be assessed and we will continue to help those deserving cases. MONTHLY SANITARY APPLIANCES FEE 8.”
“Sir, on the first question, I do not have the detailed demographic profile but, by and large, PA recipients do receive substantial assistance from the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports and I do not think that they form the larger portion of families in rental arrears. The majority of families who are in rental arrears are also those who are paying the fixed rent. On the question of what HDB will do to help these families, basically, HDB is a housing authority and we continue to provide heavily subsidised and affordable rental flats for the low-income families. Low-income families who have difficulties, as I have mentioned earlier, are encouraged to go to the Community Development Councils to get financial assistance. If they are eligible and they get into schemes, eg, the Workfare Scheme, there are subsidies and assistance with regard to paying for their rentals that are within those schemes.”
“Madam, two clarifications. In relation to juvenile delinquency and recidivism, I also raised the issue of the juvenile homes run by VWOs. I seek the Minister's response to the extent to which MCYS monitors these homes because I think there are a lot of homes that exist out there, and we do not know the extent to which the effectiveness of those programmes and homes. I wonder if the Minister can comment on MCYS' role in ensuring the effective running as well as the effectiveness of these programmes. The second point is in relation to community involvement in working with multi-pronged families. I applaud MCYS' position on involving the community, neighbours and friends to have a many-helping-hands approach. So I would like to ask if the Ministry has any plans to facilitate this process of greater community involvement in working with families.”
“We also need a paradigm shift, as our community often feels that donations must be given directly to the recipients who are the needy families, but this is only a short-term solution. Intervention by accredited social workers will help these families to bring about a bigger long-term positive change. Also important is the consolidation of present efforts and resources to ensure that we achieve the desired effect. What is being done to consolidate various initiatives and efforts by Malay/Muslim organisations in order to reduce duplication and maximise usage of limited resources? How can we link our community's response with national initiatives and resources available in order to take better advantage of present resources? *Cols. 2305-2306. Joint Madrasah Scheme”
“(In Malay): [For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A *. ] The problem of dysfunctional families is not a new issue for our community. Much has been done. Even though many who were helped have shown progress, we still face further challenges. What is worrying is the trend when we now begin to witness the process of inter-generational transfer of dysfunctionality. For example, we are seeing divorce among young couples and if we observe, they come from families where the parents had separated, remarried other partners and then separate again. These young divorced couples face the same risks if they are not helped and guided immediately and comprehensively. Madam, the main question that we have to deal with is why does this problem still exist, even though much has been done by our community for the past two decades. One important challenge is our ability to understand the complex background of such families and the skilled workforce needed to help them. The Malay/Muslim community is always ready to give donations to help those in need. From the Hari Raya Charity Fund (TAA) to welfare funds or mosques and Muslim organisations, a significant amount has been donated. I feel that we must understand that financial problems form only the surface part of their problems. Usually, they have deeper problems that must be dealt with in order to help them escape this vicious cycle. Our community lacks skilled manpower to help such families comprehensively and holistically. This means more resources are needed to solve this dysfunctional family problem. Our community must also be prepared to allow their donations to be channelled towards employing accredited social workers, who are very much needed.”
“I urge the Ministry to take a more proactive role in this effort. We have started the development of the ComCare local network. However, we need a clear understanding of how such a network will operate. What is the desired outcome of such a network? And how does this relate to the overall strategy of addressing problems of dysfunctional families? As we adopt a community-based approach to address the needs of these families, who in the community is monitoring the progress of such efforts? We need to build the capacities of our community service providers in assessing needs, implementing intervention and evaluating effectiveness. Otherwise, we will continue to just touch the surface with financial assistance and face downstream problems, including the potential inter-generational transfer of dysfunctionality. Social Workers”
“Sir, helping an abusive husband to accept the responsibilities of his actions and to stop the violence, helping an abused wife and her children pick up the pieces of the suffering years of abuse when she finally decides to leave her husband, helping women whose husbands are constantly going in and out of prison to cope with pseudo single parenthood, helping youths involved in gang activities overcome self-esteem issues due to failure to cope with the mainstream system or helping families with heads of households who suffer from chronic illnesses, these are only some of the typical cases confronting social service providers in the community. Intervention with these families is often resource-intensive, involving personnel equipped with professional social work skills. Financial assistance, such as ComCare, is only merely touching the surface. Sir, much has been said about the role of social workers in this regard. Today, they are located in the FSCs providing intensive casework services. One can imagine the intensity of the work involved and the energy that is required of the social workers. It is not only physically draining but emotionally and psychologically challenging. The attrition rate of social workers is very high. On the average, they stay for three years and they burn out. I urge the Ministry to comprehensively review the structure of our community-based social service system, with particular emphasis on manpower needs and development. We need to attract more people to come in and stay in the profession. As the challenges facing these families become more intensified and complex, so too will be the need for trained social workers to work with them. Sir, much has also been said about the coordination of services and collaboration between service providers.”
“Sir, our communities have been generally structured along geographical boundaries by virtue of the success of our public housing programme. The delivery of social and community services have also taken a geographical perspective with the formation of CDCs, GROs, FSCs, etc. Between these organisations, there is a wide range of services that families in need can access, eg, financial, job placement, marital counselling, childcare, eldercare, befriender services, the list goes on. We see annual reports of the number of Singaporeans who have benefited from these services. Yet, we also hear Members of the House repeatedly call for more that needs to be done – more assistance for the poor, more assistance for dysfunctional families and the elderly. Does this mean that the help is still not enough, help is not reaching out to the targeted group, or that not the right help is being delivered, thus resulting in the failure to help these families get out of their predicament? Sir, working with dysfunctional families is more than addressing the financial problems that they present when they first seek help. The complexities that these families come with require a comprehensive and systemic assessment of behavioural, developmental, marital and environmental factors. Indeed, there is much that exists in the community that needs to be done.”
“In this regard, what is the current success rate of rehabilitation programmes such as probation service and programmes in custodial homes, institutions like the Boys' and Girls' Homes. There is also a group of homes run by VWOs. What is the effectiveness of the programme in these homes? What are the recidivism rates of youths who have undergone the programmes in these homes? What are the KPIs set by MCYS and whether they have been very effective? Juvenile Homes”
“Sir, one important aspect of working with youth at risk is the identification of the target group, that is, who is actually at risk and at risk of what – delinquency, premature school leaving, anti-social behaviour, offending or reoffending. Unless we are clear of what we hope to achieve, we will constantly be asking why we are still talking about youth at risk after all these years. Many programmes have been implemented – Streetwise, Guidance, STEP-UP, etc. But what is MCYS' assessment of the effectiveness of these programmes? Has systematic evaluation of these programmes been conducted? And what are these results? For youths who do not show positive outcomes, what are the subsequent paths for them that have been laid by MCYS? Sir, the above programmes have been around for many years and they are aimed at youth at risk for getting involved in crime and delinquency. One wonders who do we explain the over 4,000 youths arrested every year, over 1,200 teen girls going for abortions every year. The question that arises then is whether these youths fell through the cracks and did not receive the preventive intervention programmes mentioned above or whether these programmes were not effective enough to achieve the desired outcome of preventing such behaviour. Has MCYS studied this issue and assessed where are the gaps in service delivery in reaching out to these youth at risk? Sir, while we often look at the youth at risk to prevent them from committing crime and delinquency, we must also look at those who are already involved and work towards preventing further crime and delinquency.”
“Yet, he may not even get a chance to pursue his interest. What happens to such a child? Going from one room to another to audition only to be told that he is not good enough. What happens to his total and holistic development if he is made to feel that he is not good for anything? At least, we hope that he is good in his studies. What if he is not good in that either? To what extent does the Ministry monitor such practices in schools and whether the guidelines given to the schools can be further reviewed to ensure that the schools' pursuit of excellence does not lead to elitism, leaving behind students who do not fit? It is always impressive to see buntings and banners outside schools displaying their accolades - their SYF gold award, and better still, the SYF gold with honours awards. But what about the ugly ducklings? Has MOE assessed the psychological and emotional effect of such practices on these children? Has MOE communicated closely the implementation of CCA system and its outcomes? Is there a relationship between CCA involvement or non-involvement and attrition rates? How is CCA component of total development of the child measured in school with its over-emphasis on CCA excellence and awards? Has MOE assessed the effects on the child's esteem and self-worth, even for those who managed to be in the CCA but not selected for the A-team? I hope MOE will not compromise holistic development in the schools' pursuit for excellence in CCA. Financial Assistance Scheme”
“Sir, the MOE website on CCA notes, and I quote: "The Co-curricular activities play a key role in the holistic development of our pupils." It went on to state, and I quote, "... the CCA framework is one that is committed to developing character and sustaining core values in pupils." These are indeed wonderful visions that present great promise for our younger generation. However, as with other aspects of our education system, while MOE sets the guidelines, much is left to the schools for implementation. My concern is that the pursuit of excellence may be driving some schools to implement the CCA in a manner that may have detrimental effects on the mental health of their students. Sir, while I was attracted to the word "holistic development", associated with CCA, two other words seem to take the CCA centre stage - "auditions" and "trials". In some schools, students have to go to audition to determine if they have a particular talent to be in that CCA, eg, the choir, the dance, or the drama groups. Similarly, they have to go to trials for sports CCA. In a school that I know, Secondary 1 students were told that unless they have represented their primary schools in a national competition, they would not even be considered for that sport as a CCA. Sir, what does this suggest? Elitism? Pursuit of excellence? In yesterday's Straits Times, a Ms Lee Shu Sian wrote about how her former secondary school decided to scrap gymnastic which is her CCA, because the sport is not winning enough awards and glory for the school. Sir, not every child has a talent to sing, dance, act or play tennis or swim for the school, but the child may be interested in one of these activities, and through it learn more about himself and be motivated enough to try his best.”
“As such, I would like to ask the Minister how is MINDEF coordinating with the other agencies in ensuring that Singaporeans continue to play an active role in each of the five pillars. Also, I would like to ask the Minister if MINDEF periodically attracts the attitude and readiness of Singaporeans in Total Defence, and what are the indicators to ascertain this? Commitment to Defence”
“Mr Chairman, the case of Corporal Dave Teo who escaped from an army camp with a rifle and live ammunitions, and Wednesday's escape of JI leader, Mas Selamat Kastari, from a detention centre, brought home the real message that we will continue to be faced with potential security challenges in Singapore. While the public reaction to these two incidents generally reflected a sense of confidence in our security agencies, does it reflect a sense of complacency amongst Singaporeans? Sir, it has been some time since the concept of Total Defence was first presented to Singaporeans. I wonder the extent to which this concept remains internalised amongst Singaporeans. Or is it something that Singaporeans are reminded of only once a year through the activation of the public warning system at 12 noon on 15th February every year? I wonder if we still remember 15th February as Total Defence Day if the public warning system is not activated. Sir, the question I have is: what is the role of Total Defence in today's climate of uncertainties? From economic recession to global-terrorism, the threats are real. The essence of Total Defence is that everyone has a role to play in the defence of Singapore in each of the five pillars – economic, social, psychological, civil and military. I would like to ask the Minister his assessment of Singaporeans' understanding and appreciation of their role in each of the pillars of Total Defence. I know our young are exposed to Total Defence because schools organise events to commemorate Total Defence Day. But what about the other segments of the population? Sir, I believe we cannot allow Singaporeans to take our security for granted, nor assume that it is the sole responsibility of the security agencies. We need to keep alive Total Defence.”
“Sir, the last couple of years, we have seen much natural disasters affecting different parts of the world. We have seen Singaporeans actively involved in humanitarian missions, providing relief efforts to affected victims. When the Asian tsunami occurred a couple of years ago, our military personnel played both a pro-active and critical role in providing assistance to an affected country like Indonesia. Our SAF's immediate response to the incident and subsequent involvement in the reconstruction process brought international recognition and commendation for Singapore. Sir, as a member of the international community, we cannot turn our back to those who need assistance. The United Nations are also constantly asking member nations to provide troops for peacekeeping missions in war-torn and disaster-stricken areas. I would like to ask the Minister how has Singapore responded to the UN's call for military personnel to support its stabilisation and reconstruction missions. How many of our servicemen have thus far been sent to such missions and have there been more requests to date? What are the SAF's plans in responding to these requests? Do we see ourselves playing a greater role in such UN stabilisation and reconstruction missions? If so, how? Sir, as we start participating in such missions, I would also like to ask the Minister what are the procedures that have been put in place to ensure that our personnel's psychological well-being is taken care of. The experience can both be either enriching or traumatic. If it is the latter, what support is put in place to help affected personnel overcome the trauma?”
“Consumers can also shop around for promotions which give them greater value for dollar. Mr Low has also asked on the feasibility of Singapore producing its own food. In land-scarce Singapore, we cannot rely on expanding agricultural land to supply the amount or variety of food for the whole population. This is neither viable nor practical. We have, however, invested in a certain degree of local food production by exploiting technology, as Mr Low has suggested. One example is our long-term plan to develop the aquaculture sector, as fish harvest from wild catch is expected to drop over the years. AVA has invested in high-value upstream technology to produce robust fish frys, which is the weakest link in food fish production. Notwithstanding this, given our land size, there would still be a need for us to partner regional players for the grow-out phase to be carried out beyond our shores. Sir, the Government will continue to monitor the food safety, supply and price situation. We will remain vigilant and work closely with the industry. We will step up our efforts to raise awareness on the availability of food choices to enable consumers to make practical and informed decisions. More importantly, consumers must recognise their role and play their part in managing the impact of food inflation.”
“But we need more than the Government and industry efforts to mitigate the impact of food inflation. Consumers have an important role to play in managing their cost of living. They can manage their expenditure on non-cooked foods through various options. Firstly, they can switch to frozen meat, which are typically around 20% cheaper than chilled meat. Some cuts can go even up to 53% cheaper, such as chicken wings and drumsticks, while frozen pork loins are about 38% cheaper. We have received anecdotal feedback that some consumers are unwilling to use frozen meat. The perception is that it is less fresh and tasty. It is somewhat ironic that some of them would buy chilled meat, only to freeze it for use some days later. Many people also may not realise that we have been consuming frozen food, such as frozen chicken and pork, which is used widely by the food industries, restaurants and hawkers for preparing their cooked or processed food. In fact, the consumption of both frozen pork and chicken in Singapore last year was about 60% of the total demand for pork and chicken. Sir, to help consumers make informed decisions, AVA has embarked on a public education programme to raise awareness on the availability of frozen meats, educate consumers on the proper handling of frozen meat products, and dispel the misconception that frozen meat is not fresh, tasty or wholesome. Second, consumers who are willing to make adjustments to their preferences for basic food items also have other options. For most food items, including cooking oil, rice and bread, there are many other varieties and brands that consumers can choose from. For example, house-brand items offered by retailers are 10% to 15% cheaper on average.”
“These include holding buffer stocks and pre-identifying alternative sources or substitute products. Sir, let me now address the issue of food inflation raised by Members. The recent trend of rising food prices is a global phenomenon. In 2007, many countries experienced considerable food inflation. Food prices went up by 12.3% in China, 11.2% in Vietnam, and 4% in the US last year. Adverse climate, diversion of agricultural land to produce bio-fuel crops, rising fuel prices, as well as increased consumption in emerging countries like China and India, have all contributed to rising food prices. As we import the bulk of our food, we cannot be totally insulated from this global effect. In 2007, food prices in Singapore rose by 2.9%. Mr Masagos is right. Subsidies and price controls are not the way to go. To mitigate food inflation, our approach has been to keep our market open so that importers can source for food items from diverse sources at the most competitive prices. Our diversification effort has yielded positive outcomes. For example, taking year-on-year comparison for 2007, the import prices of chicken and pork had not risen significantly, hovering at about 1% on average. The Government is doing more to mitigate the impact of food inflation. We are working on further diversifying our sources. AVA is expediting the approvals of more countries and establishments to export to us. To open up even more sources, we also need to be innovative and explore new ways to bring in the food safely. One innovation which AVA piloted recently was the sea-freighting of chilled pork from Australia. This has opened up an alternative logistic channel which has the potential to bring down the import prices of chilled pork, for example.”
“Sir, I thank Members for raising the issues of food supply, food safety as well as food inflation. These are issues that are very intricately linked. Ensuring food safety has always been the key priority for AVA, as it adopts a science-based risk management strategy in line with international standards and benchmarked with the best practices. Food items that carry a higher risk of contamination are inspected more frequently and subject to systematic sampling of testing to detect food-borne pathogens, residues and contaminants. Despite numerous press reports concerning the safety of Chinese food products, as Mr Teo had mentioned earlier, the rejection rate for food imports from China is comparable with the overall rejection rate for food imports over the last three years. AVA will remain vigilant, and may introduce additional programmes and checks if necessary. A robust and effective food safety management system ensures that our import requirements are adequate but not overly stringent. It provides the necessary bedrock to give us the confidence and latitude to consider various strategies to enhance supply resilience and manage food inflation. Diversification of supply sources, backed by AVA's food safety regime, will remain a key strategy to ensure supply resilience. Diversification enables us to switch quickly to alternative sources to deal with supply disruptions in one or several sources, regardless of whether the disruptions are caused by disease outbreaks, bad weather in certain places affecting crop yields, or temporary export bans. AVA has been working closely with the industry on our food diversification strategy for many years. The food industry manages short-term demand and supply fluctuations through their business continuity plans.”
“Increasing opportunities of interaction at the people-to-people level will enable Singaporeans to appreciate the cultures, belief systems and practices of people of the Middle East; perhaps, also clearing some misperceptions that they may have, will, of course, expose the Middle-eastern counterparts to appreciate a multi-racial society like Singapore. Thus, I would like to ask the Minister what is MFA's plans for a more holistic approach in engaging the Middle East?”
“Sir, over the last 10 years, we can see how we have expanded our economic wings to different parts of the world. In Asia, we have expanded to China and India, the two emerging giants of Asia, along with our continued engagement of our ASEAN partners. In the last couple of years, we have also started expanding into the Middle East, as another emerging market. We see our senior political leaders making trips to the region and we see our business people investing and securing various projects in the Middle-eastern cities. Middle East also has promise in the areas of tourism and financial services as we attract more Middle-easterners here and as we expand the potential of Islamic banking in Singapore. Sir, engaging the Middle East should not only be limited to the economic sphere. While our engagement in the Middle East has thus far been confined to the political and business community, I would like to ask the Minister if MFA has plans to expand the levels of engagement, including more people-to-people interactions through social, cultural and educational exchange programmes between Singapore and the Middle-eastern countries? Sir, the Muslim world, particularly the Middle East, is a relatively unknown terrain to many Singaporeans. With the constant global spotlight on Islamic radicalism, I think it is timely that we catalysed greater interaction between Singaporeans and the people of the Middle East. There is a Malay saying that says "Tak kenal maka tak cinta " or "You cannot fall in love without knowing the person".”
“In a society where the demands on one's time and energy are so severe, we need to look at what else we can do to promote voluntarism. Madam, we currently provide tax incentives to promote philanthropy. Can we consider voluntary service in the same light as donations in philanthropy? These volunteers may not have the financial means to donate cash to claim tax incentives, but the amount of energy and time that they are donating to voluntary service is indeed immeasurable. I would urge the Minister to study the feasibility of implementing a tax incentive system to promote greater voluntarism in the community as we continue to build a stronger and resilient community. The critics may accuse us of being materialistic but I think we are merely being practical. The tax incentives may just be the initial carrot to start them on the journey to discover the fulfilling world of being part of a community that cares for its members. Mdm Deputy Speaker, while we continue to build and strengthen our economic competitiveness to ensure our continued growth, we must not lose sight of the need to strengthen our social pillars. The Budget has focused on ensuring Singaporeans are able to fit into the economic infrastructure set up by the Government. However, I believe that individuals' abilities and strengths can be further harnessed with the support from the family and community. To do this, we must conversely strengthen our families and community. These pillars will continue to face challenges but, I believe, with the right measures, we can continue to strengthen them. Madam, I support the motion. ADJOURNMENT OF DEBATE Resolved, That the debate be now adjourned. - [Mr Mah Bow Tan].”